Warsong: Primordial Conflict

by Jumping Jack

Rating: teen
Tags: Starswirl the Bearded, Adventure, Equestria Girls, Sunset Shimmer, Twilight Sparkle, Profanity, Violence, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Death, Alternate Universe, Narcotics, Romance, Original Character, Flitter and Cloudchaser
Length: 478218

With war over the horizon, the quest to search for the remaining three power elements, as well as saving their realm, continues.

With the destruction of Hoofington, Equestria is thrown into a state of mass panic. With war being declared by the neighboring country of Pony Land; negotiations run high, wills tested and morals start to become greyer and greyer. Quiet Fire, who had been missing for four weeks prior to the destruction of Hoofington, begins to buckle under the pressure of being the sole key to saving Equestria and their realm from primal dangers. She must eventually come to terms with her own inner demons and her own element if she is to race against the clock to prevent the war from happening and to save her home of Equestria.

However, an unexpected turn of events happens. One of the Elements of Power has discovered an alternative realm, forcing Quiet Fire to journey into the realm in order to keep the balance from spiraling into a Calamity.

From the far reaches of Pony Land to the different dimension of Equestria. The world is beginning to cave in.

Cover Art by Little Tigress!

Rated Teen for Suggestive Themes, Violence, Blood, Language, Alcohol and Drug use.

Published 2023-10-06 23:20:00 UTC
Last updated 2025-02-16 08:02:05 UTC

Chapter 1: Away With the Flames

We rose early in the morning. I yawned and groaned as I rolled my neck, cracking it as Trixie rolled off her hammock and yawned. She shivered as Starlight rose from her own slumber and yawned herself. None of us looked like we had any good sleep. Which was surprising that these two trekked two days in the mountains to look for me in this state. As Trixie handled the outside pit, dumping the frozen block of soup over the mountain side and packing things up, I took the liberty of rearranging her disorganized mess. Starlight made us hot coco and as Trixie latched her wagon to her, we began to make our way down the path. They weren't kidding when we were close to the Crystal Empire. The expansive, crystalline city came into view and the weather became a bit warmer. Starlight and Trixie took off their thermal gear and stuffed it in the wagon. Trixie dawned her starry cloak and hat, beaming happily. I sighed in relief as the warm weather began to wash over me. We made our way across the crystal road path that led back into the city.

Upon arriving, I saw crystalline ponies trotting here and there, mingling and managing tasks with themselves. It almost felt very Ponyville-ish. But it seems there were more homes than work. I guess the ponies have a different way of keeping themselves busy. But what really drew my breath away was the massive, crystal tower that rose high above. Starlight chuckled at my awed look and waved a hoof out.

"I take it this is your first time in the Crystal Empire?" She asked. I only slowly nodded.

"I've heard stories, but this... I can't believe this place actually is like this." I stated. Trixie shrugged.

"Meh, the place is okay. A little too shimmery for my taste." She said. Starlight shook her head with a smile.

"Not everypony's cup of tea." She said. "But, this is a safe haven from the cold."

"Starlight! Trixie!" A voice called out. Starlight beamed as we turned to see Sunburst walk over to us. The vanilla stallion with his two-toned hooves and spot between his muzzle trotted over to us with a smile. He adjusted his glasses, the stallion still looking unkempt as ever. He then saw me and his expression went to complete surprise. "You... actually found her?" He gasped. Starlight nodded.

"Caught her moping about in Princess Platinum's old hang out." Trixie said coolly. Sunburst smiled.

"Well, that's great to hear! Glad to see you are okay, Fie." He said. I rubbed my foreleg nervously.

"Glad...?" I asked. Sunburst nodded.

"We still need your help now more than ever." He said before turning. "I'll explain on the way to the princess." As we walked towards the castle, I noticed a floating, crystal heart twirling between two points of sharp crystals. Trixie parked her wagon at the foot of the entrance to the Crystal Castle before trotting after us. I couldn't help but let my eyes wander as we made our way into the main foyer of the castle. Which... was surprisingly the throne room at the same time. When we started heading towards the throne, I saw a familiar pony. One, who I saw in passing during a dream. The pink alicorn with the prismatic and neatly brushed mane captured her beauty. In her forelegs was a baby alicorn. Her snow-white hide glinting in the sunlight as her pink and blue highlighted curly mane nuzzled against her mother's neck. Princess Cadence beamed at us as a handsome stallion with a blue highlighted mane and alabastor hide rounded the corner from a hallway. This must be Shining Armor.

"You're back!" Princess Cadence smiled as she trotted over to us. I blinked and looked at the little one. She cooed and wiggled her legs up and at us. The stallion levitated the baby into his own forelegs as Princess Cadence looked to me. "Quiet Fire! They actually found you!" She smiled. "Twilight and the others will be thrilled with this news!" Trixie rolled her eyes.

"Hooray." She said. Starlight frowned and nudged Trixie.

"Err... you'll have to excuse her. We've... haven't had a decent night's rest." She explained. Trixie winced and rolled her neck.

"Also, the bruises." She said. Princess Cadence looked between them worriedly.

"Did something happen?" She asked. I sighed.

"A couple of missteps happened while they were trying to find me." I said sadly. Shining Armor walked over and smiled.

"Well, it's good to see you all back in one piece. My little sis and your friends have been worried about you." He said to me. I looked at him and darted my eyes.

"So... what happened while I was gone?" I asked. Everypony was quiet, their expressions grim, save for the kid. Princess Cadence sighed and looked to me.

"Pony Land declared war against Equestria." She said. I didn't know what to expect. Well, it was something I expected, but the reality of it was just... shocking. Sunburst cleared his throat.

"Your father thinks that your exposure to this General Lilac may have instigated it. It made sense considering that Cloudchaser and Flitter told us that she was... flaunting power? Something that shouldn't have belonged to her." He stated. I nodded, wincing as the flashing images of that moment shot through my head. Din's laughing, the ponies unable to move or do anything while the massive megaspell descended upon the Tri-Mourn Tower. I shook my head a little. "The Kingdom of Euclides plans to march on Equestria on the spring solstice. Equestria has been in a state of mass panic with the news. Princess Celestia and Luna have been trying to maintain stable connections to our neighbors. Twilight and the others have been running around trying to lend aid to where they can. Your friends are also out looking for you. We unfortunately don't have a good way of contacting them. They were all in a hurry." He explained. I bowed my head. I hope everypony will be alright.

"It's all your fault."

I shut my eyes tight and pushed the voice away before looking back up to him.

"I have to find them. We still have to find three more power elements." I stated, remembering that on top of being war declared, our realm is still in danger. Princess Cadence nodded.

"We'll send word out that you've been found and are currently residing in the Crystal Empire. In the meantime, you three look like you could use a shower and some food. And maybe a nap." She snickered. Trixie sighed in relief.

"Now this is the kind of princess hospitality Twilight doesn't give." She said with a grin. Starlight rolled her eyes but giggled. I put a hoof to my stomach. I was feeling way more hungrier than usual. I looked to Cadence.

"Is it alright if I can have some hotcakes? I... would like to warm up a bit. All that frozen food and trying to dethaw thousand year old whiskey and wine didn't sit well with me in the slightest." I said with a stick of my tongue out in a sickly manner. Princess Cadence giggled.

"Of course. Please, allow me to show you to the rooms. Shining Armor, would you be a dear and write to Twilight about Quiet Fire being found?" She asked. Shining Armor was playfully bouncing the baby in his forelegs and nodded.

"Of course. It's time to put this one down for a nap as well." He said as the baby yawned. We followed after Princess Cadence as she led us up some stairs and down a hallway. She opened three doors. Two next to each other and one across.

"Pick whatever you like and I'll send somepony to get you all for brunch." She said. We watched her walk back down the hall before disappearing around the side. Starlight stretched and yawned.

"I don't know about you two, but I'm fixing to sleep like a log." She said before walking into her room. Trixie herself stretched as well before wiggling a hoof at no pony in particular.

"I'm in the mood for a nice, relaxing bath. All that mountain trekking has me feeling disgusting." She said. I waved to them as they shut their doors.

"S-see you guys for brunch... I guess." I said. That left me awkwardly standing in the hallway. I slumped and turned to walk inside of the room. I closed the door and looked around. A circular room with a four-post bed that wasn't caved in. Lavish, red velvet sheets and white pillows looked inviting. I walked over to the next room. The washroom was neatly cleaned and sparkling like a crystal. A tub and a shower had no right to be so big. I rolled my neck and groaned. Turning on the tub, I decided to pamper myself a little. I filled the tub with hot water and a bubble solution that had said on the bottle to give the coat a shiny sheen as if you were an actual crystal pony. Stepping in and letting the hot water ease my aching muscles and sooth my nerves, I sighed pleasantly as I sunk a little bit further into the tub. Closing my eyes, I began to relax myself.

It was a good five minutes before my quiet time was suddenly interrupted by increasing voices again. I then heard something slosh in the water and my eyes shot open. I froze, seeing the skeletal, decaying head of Table Top looking at me from the water. I screamed and immediately hopped out of the bath, tripping over a towel and crawling backwards as Table Top emerged from the water. His skin began to peel off as he groaned at me, his glazed eyes watching me. I began to hear my ears ring and my breath getting heavy.

"It's all your fault... It's all your fault..." He groaned. He then began to climb out of the water and I panicked, scrambling to my hooves and bolting out of my room. I raced for the door, opening it only to find that there was no hall. I panted and looked around. Nowhere else to go. I then looked to the bath as Table Top began to shamble out of the room and towards me. His cry echoing those same four words. I reached back and stood on two, my quarterstaff appearing in my hooves.

"S-stay back!!" I shouted. Table Top continued his advance. His body swaying as he reached out a hoof to me. I panted and took a step back. He took two more, getting closer and closer. What should I do!? What can I do!? I grit my teeth, feeling my vision get a bit blurry. Table Top then hissed and lunged at me, causing me to trip back. I screamed as I began tumbling through the dark void. I flailed, hoping to grab anything. I then saw Table Top falling down after me. His hooves outstretched as his skin continued to peel off.

"It's all your fault!! It's always been your fault!!" He cried out in an inequine voice. "You did this to me!!" I braced myself, throwing my hooves up as he got closer. I then felt something grab my hoof and I shot my eyes open, feeling a lung full of water enter. I flailed and splashed as I was pulled out of the water, coughing and lurching forward.

"Fie! Fie! Are you okay? Hey, hey! Calm down. It's us!" Starlight's voice said. I coughed and looked over to her fearfully. I saw Trixie in a robe and towel on her mane while Starlight was just in a robe. They both looked worriedly at me. I was glad that my drenched face hid my tears. I rubbed my eyes, pretending that solution got in it before being helped out.

"Wh-what happened?" I sputtered. Starlight looked at me.

"We've been waiting for you to come down to eat brunch. But you never showed up. We got worried so we came to check on you." She explained.

"Glad we did. Who knows how long you've been underwater!" Trixie exclaimed with concern. I looked over to see Princess Cadence by the door, looking worriedly.

"Thank goodness you are alright." She said as she trotted in. She levitated a towel to me and wrapped it around me. Well, this isn't the kind of pampering I wanted. I sighed, taking a moment to calm my coughing before shivering on the bed. The three ponies looked at each other worriedly. I must have looked like a mess. Shiny coat aside, I felt pretty awful. They stuck by my side, Princess Cadence ordering to have my food brought up to me. The hospitality of the Crystal Empire's own princess was a godsend. After chowing down on my hotcakes, I felt much better. Finally, Starlight began to speak.

"How are you feeling?" She asked. I shook my head and put aside my plate.

"Honestly... like I just ran a marathon through Froggy Bottom Bog." I rasped. Princess Cadence smiled softly and lifted my chin up to meet her gaze.

"You're safe here, Quiet Fire. The Crystal Empire will ensure that all citizens, honorary guests and power elements, are taken care of." She said. I couldn't help but return the soft smile. The three left me to dry up as I then dawned a robe. Feeling better in proper lounge wear clothing, I exited the room, hesitating a bit as I took one last look around before closing the door and trotting after the others. When we got down to the throne room, I saw, to my surprise, Princess Twilight Sparkle flying around the room with a very giggly alicorn baby. She was laughing as she made small 'grrr'-ing noises with the baby before finally landing down next to Shining Armor. The baby landed on her back and cooed happily before hugging her. Twilight looked over to me and her smile widened.

"Fie! You're okay!" She said as she trotted over to me. I smiled nervously and nodded.

"S-sorry for worrying everypony." I said pathetically. Twilight shook her head.

"It's great that we managed to find you. I'm sure Princess Cadence filled you in a little about what is going on." She began. I nodded. Twilight continued. "Starswirl, Stygian and I have been reading archives of old engineering designs way back when. A pony called Leonardo da Ponci made some interesting schematics that we are running through Equestria's own engineering military staff. Testing has been going strong." I cocked my head.

"Is that... necessary?" I asked. Twilight sighed and gave a defeated nod.

"I'm not going to lie, Fie. Pony Land is way beyond Equestria in technological advancement. We've barely scratched the surface while they had centuries to perfect it. We have to make due with what we can manage." She stated. "Thi had made it very clear that we need to be fully prepared for the onslaught. And considering we have experienced Triad activity with ancient magic, it is our only option." She said. I tilted my head.

"That almost sounds recent. What happened?" I asked. Starlight winced.

"We... kind of stumbled into an outpost that was hanging around the Dragon Lands. It... was a complete eye opener." She said. Trixie shivered.

"I'm just glad it wasn't a primal..." she rasped. Twilight looked at the two worriedly before nodding.

"They activated The Eye of Ahgg. They were wanting to challenge Ember for the rite of her dragon king staff." She sighed. "Of course, Ember being the gung-ho guns blazing type, she completed all their challenges and one of the captains got a little... power hungry. A giant spider attacked the Dragon Lands. Starlight, Trixie, Sunburst and Ember were thankfully quick to contain that power." She explained. I slumped.

"That... sounds like the Triad alright." I said. I was beginning to feel a headache. Something was stirring in the back of my mind. That... isn't a good sign. I shook it away to focus on the conversation. Twilight seemed to have noticed, but continued.

"The Dragons have been trying their best to aid what they can, but... you know how they are." She said. I shook my head.

"The only dragon aside from Ouroboros I've met is Spike." I said, rubbing my head. Everything was beginning to get dizzy. Starlight finally spoke up.

"Fie, are you alright? You seem like you are burning up." She began as she raised a hoof to me. I nodded.

"Probably the robe and towel..." I rasped. I wobbled a bit and soon felt the ground rise quickly. Twilight balked and rushed over to me. She was saying something, but it was hard to hear with the ringing sound. Din suddenly stood over me, her smug grin looking down at me.

This is much better than that droll castle in the mountains. It just needs a little... home touch. She grinned. She then erupted into flames and I felt a wave of magma flowing into my body. I screamed before finding myself pushed out of my body. I was floating above everypony as my body laid motionless before them.

"Fie! Fie! What do we do??" Starlight asked. Princess Cadence turned around.

"I'll get the doctors!" She said. As she was about to trot out and Starlight was helping me up, Din began to laugh. Starlight balked and stepped away with everypony else. Din tossed my head back, laughing. She then looked back and eyed everypony in the room, a maniacal grin on my face. I gasped and desperately looked to everypony.

Get away! Please! Din cackled and shook her head.

"No pony can hear you, vessel. It's just me and my soon to be realm! With this empire, I will gladly begin my everlasting reign of fire and song!" She then turned me to Starlight and Trixie. "I must thank you two for bringing us back here. It was getting pretty boring up there." She then immediately shot a nasty glare at the two, causing them to huddle and shrink back. "But considering you both happened to interrupt me, I'll start with you two!" Both Starlight and Trixie ducked as my head swished around. Twilight and Cadence teleported away while Starlight and Trixie scrambled. Sunburst had taken cover behind a pillar, that unfortunately was beginning to topple with a neat slice where the head of a pony would be in height. He yelped as he galloped away from the crushing monument. Din cackled before aiming her horn, tracing the beam across the ground towards Trixie and Starlight, the former scampering in between cover while the latter teleported. Starlight eventually teleported behind me and tackled me.

We went rolling before she pinned me and aimed her horn, her look struggling to keep her composure. I looked on in awe as Din did something I didn't think she was really capable of. I remember that our elements absorb our beings into their imprinting. Din twisted my body and Starlight tripped, before meeting a hard head butt against the muzzle. Starlight stumbled back, covering her muzzle as Din kip upped from the ground and rushed her, planting a few jabs at her side, dancing around her. Starlight grunted as she went to buck, but Din rolled down the back and brought Starlight down into a hold as she tripped her forelegs. Din held Starlight up as Twilight and Cadence rushed to face her. Din grinned challengingly at the two as she faced Starlight to them.

"You won't be able to stop me this time! Be lucky I won't cast my judgement on this place. I have plans for it." Din stated. Twilight growled.

"Why are you doing this, Din? I get that you want to claim your realm as your own. But we need your cooperation to save the realm! Why are you being like this?!" She asked, getting low. Din grinned.

"Mortals shouldn't be concerned about matters they have no comprehension of. I am ever so close to getting fully rid of the bylaws imprinted into me! No longer will I have to wait and suffer the ages! Lux has won too many times! It's time for a different light to shine!" She exclaimed. I grit my teeth as I floated down to her.

You don't need to prove yourself to Lux, Din! I began. Din hissed.

"Silence, vessel! You'll be thankful for everything I've done once I've taken it as my own! It will not stop me from obtaining my one desire!" She cackled. Starlight tried to struggle a bit, but Din had a firm lock around her. Twilight shook her head.

"Then maybe if you just tell us these things rather than trying to take it for your own, maybe we can help you!" She said. Din tossed her head back in a sharp laugh.

"Ha! A ruler like you is that stupid to suggest that?! My amusement can only go so high!" She grinned. Twilight looked desperate now.

"But what if you aren't really trying to destroy this world like everypony thinks you are trying to do! You're acting like this because of past experiences, right? Because of how Ouroboros created you!" She began. "You're competitive with the other elements and any mortal authority or higher authority! But there is no denying that you always seem to choose balance over everything! As bad as the decisions look and sound, to you, they are just correcting wrongs! The very thing Ouroboros set out to do!" Twilight pointed at her. "You're trying to be better than Ouroboros, but at the way you are going about it, you are no better than him! Ouroboros's actions aren't your actions! What happened in Hoofington was considered for the benefit of not only your vessel, but to everypony who had been tormented by it, correct?" Din studied the alicorn, my eyes narrowing.

"Twilight? What are you even trying to suggest?!" Trixie whimpered from behind the fallen pillar. Sunburst nodded shakily.

"Y-y-you aren't suggesting on giving Din our realm, do you?" He asked. Twilight held up a wing and challenged Din. She took a step forward.

"You've only been an inconvenience once Equulie suggested you achieve ascension. Not to your vessel, but to everypony at that point. She must have given you some sort of push to achieve it somehow. My guess is it'll allow you to fully break the bylaws and with your free thinking and actions, you'll want to draw Ouroboros's attention. You want to cut off the snake's head. Am I getting warmer?" She explained. Din didn't say anything. She remained stoic, eyeing the princess cautiously. Twilight took another step forward. "You want to show off. You want ponies to acknowledge your existence. Because your sisters have already made their presences known to the world and through the ages. You could have done the same at any given point! Yet, you remained quiet, only ever jumping in when challenged! Piecing together what Fie has told me in conjunction with Ouroboros's side, it just makes sense. You want to do more than just rule the realm. You want the very stars to know your name. Your very being. That you aren't a puppet to be pulled along. And you do so while having the balance in mind." Twilight unfurled her wings in a majestic display resembling Princess Celestia. "You are indeed an enforcer to the stars above. You keep the balance in check while the others could care less and more on the one goal. A realm. But you, Din, think higher than that. Whatever happened to your imprinting long ago, something changed before it was passed onto Fie. But if what Equulie had said based on what Fie told us, she wanted you both to achieve it together.

"And that means you need to stop using Fie as your own puppet! She's not you and you are not her! You are both separate beings! You can most definitely become one together without having to sacrifice any form of identity!" Twilight held out a hoof to Din. "You just have to trust in the fact that there are beings looking out for you, Din! You just have to give us mortals a chance to prove to you that we can align our own goals with yours!" She then nodded. "So please... bring Fie back to us. Let her rest and recover. And let all of us be our better selves. You'll get your ascension. But that won't happen unless we deal with the problem at hoof. The balance instability." Twilight nodded to Din, who seemed to look dumbfounded at the princess. "You don't have to aid in our war, Din. You have your own to fight. But we need Fie to help us with our own." Din was speechless.

She seemed to bow her head a bit and dart her eyes. I was speechless as well. This... is who Twilight Sparkle is. The Princess of Friendship. And the next ruler of Equestria. To be able to stand up to a primal of all things in a tough situation... I can only imagine the worry she has about it all. Din then looked to Twilight and gave a look I didn't think she would be capable of. Desperation. Wanting. As if she is asking for acceptance. Din held out a hoof towards Twilight's own extended one, despite the distance they were at. Twilight gave a soft smile and walked forward towards them. I balked as Din suddenly grinned, pulled Starlight back, quickly spun around and bucked her in the flank, causing Starlight to crash into Twilight. Din stood on two forelegs, balancing herself while smirking as she looked to them.

"A touching speech, princess. But I won't cry you a river!" She then spun around and landed back on all fours, facing them. "You are correct for most of it. But even if you think to offer a hoof in friendship, there is one thing you all forget to count on with me." She pat her chest. "I'm deathly curious." She then looked up to me. "My vessel still has yet to open her heart to me. Asencion is going to be challenging if she doesn't accept me for who I am! And I don't blame her! For she is also right! I am evil! Maniacal! Imposingly and downright bad!" She then turned as Twilight helped Starlight up. Princess Cadence stood next to them, challenging Din. Din smirked and tapped my horn. "You want to see what Equulie has pushed me to achieve? The very path I walk? So be it! But you'll have a very different thought afterwords! Mortals are so predictable!" Din lowered herself before she had me stand majestically like Twilight. The spectral, fiery wings unfurling widely and intimidatingly. A fire began to swirl around me as my mane and tail erupted into flowing fire. Din smugly grinned at the ponies, causing them to step back as The fire began to take shape of an alicorn.

"Get out of the castle, now!" Twilight exclaimed. Cadence went with Shining Armor and her child, popping into a bright flash of blue. I balked and looked between Din and Twilight, who was cantering over to Starlight and the others. I don't know what compelled me to do so, but I reached with my magic and connected myself to Twilight. I found myself quickly tethering to her as she then teleported everypony out of the castle. The unnerving, echoing laugh of Din could be heard as the fire began to erupt from the opening of the castle. I looked up to see Din crash through the side of castle and kicked away from it. The massive spectacle of Din cackled as she scanned the area. Princess Cadence looked to Shining Armor.

"Keep Flurry Heart safe and escort the crystal ponies to safety! This is a primal threat!" She said. Shining Armor nodded, turning to some curious crystal ponies who were watching in awe. His horn glowed as his voice echoed throughout the empire.

"This is a Primal threat! Evacuate the city! By order of the Princess Cadence herself!" Shining Armor galloped down the street, calling out to ponies while Flurry Heart rode on the back of the stallion, laughing happily. Trixie, Sunburst, Starlight, Cadence and Twilight looked up as Din seemed to finally spot them.

"You can run, but you can't hide, little ponies! You still have yet to witness what I can achieve! What my sisters can only dream of!" I bit my lip.

We have to stop her somehow... but... what...? I said out loud to myself. I then blinked and using my eyes, I zoomed in onto the center of Din's chest. A small, amber speck of a gem that was on the verge of breaking. Twilight suddenly gasped.

"The heart..." She said. I blinked and looked down to her. Her look furrowed. "That's... odd... Fie? Are you with us?" She asked looking around. I looked at my tether to her. Well, color me impressed. I gave a determined nod and looked down to Twilight.

Twilight. You have to shatter that gem! It's the only way to put Din in her place! You can't hurt her normally, but one good strike to that gem will end it! I stated. Twilight nodded determinedly. As she was about to take off, Starlight stood next to her along with Princess Cadence.

"We're going too." Cadence said determinedly. Starlight grinned and nodded to Twilight. I had an idea. I imagined myself splitting into two. Concentrating on one specific part of me. When I looked, I saw faint wisps of my own selves. Surprised it worked, I commanded them to tether to Cadence and Starlight respectively and they did. Starlight and Candence gasped.

I'm here with you guys. Give Din hell! I said. With that, the three took off, Starlight using her magic to fly and levitate. The three stuck close together as they rose up to meet Din, who was patiently waiting for them.

"Done planning? Good! I can't wait to break it all down with my newfound power!" Din reared back and jabbed a hoof out. Cadence's horn flashed and the three were pushed back greatly as her barrier shattered. Righting themselves, Din kicked off into the air, causing the three to balk and take off away from Din. Soaring through the air, I looked behind us to see Din aim her horn.

Evade! I called out. The three scattered as a beam of fire barely missed them. Princess Cadence turned and aimed her horn, firing a beam at the chest of Din. Din batted the beam aside before pivoting and rushing Cadence. She barely had time to react as Din punched her barrier, sending Cadence sailing through the top of a crystal building.

"Cadence!!" Twilight called out. She growled and soared under Din, tracing her beam against her. Din put her forehooves to her chest, lashing out her hind legs. Twilight spun and avoided them. Starlight teleported from above, gritting her teeth as she aimed her horn and a massive beam showered onto Din. I was in awe. Starlight was really capable of so much for a unicorn such as her. When the beam thinned, Starlight gasped as Din brushed her shoulder and smirked, looking up at her. Starlight teleported just in time as a volley of fireballs shot up and scattered. Din, floating in place, swished her head and the fireballs began homing in on the three. Cadence and Twilight soared down and between buildings, causing the fire to erupt on impact against the buildings. The crystal houses shattered and sparkled into fragments when the fire collided. Starlight teleported from building to building, avoiding the volley while shooting back with her own volley of beams. Twilight did a strange maneuver in the air, gathering the fireballs into one before she threw out a lasso around it. Catching the ball, she then chucked it back at Din in a whip like fashion. Din spun and in another surprise of using my own martial style, she juggled the fireball with her hind legs before punting it up, flipping and twirling before deftly hitting the fireball back at Twilight. Twilight gasped and teleported as the ball hurled out into the outer field of the empire before erupting into a dome.

Din kicked off and hissed as Starlight unfortunately teleported into her path. Starlight went tumbling into the air as the building she was one shattered by a hefty punch from Din. Fortunately, Cadence caught Starlight. With the two nodding to each other, they took off separately and began pelting Din, aiming for areas to get her to drop her defense of her chest. Seeing as that was being a task in of itself, I had to think of something. I darted my eyes in thought before beaming at an idea.

Twilight! Get close to Din! I’m going to distract her! I said. Twilight furrowed her brow in worry.

“Are you sure?” Twilight asked with concern.

Trust me. I can get under her skin enough. I said with a smirk. Twilight nodded determinedly before kicking off and soaring over to Din. I noticed Din spotting Twilight approaching and she grinned, curling her wings in front of her before throwing them out, sending all three tumbling through the air. Din laughed before she dropped down and landed on all fours. She then motioned with a wing to bring it. Twilight growled and took off from the air. She swished her head and fired a dusk colored beam. Din tilted her head, dodging it. Cadence was unfortunate to be on the other end as the beam hit her and sent her crashing into the side of a building. Twilight gasped.

“Cadence!” She cried out. Starlight popped next to Twilight and nodded.

“I’ll tend to Cadence. Get Fie close to Din!” She said. Twilight looked worriedly and in panic. But she nodded as Starlight popped in a light blue flash. Twilight took a deep breath and glared at Din.

“You won’t be hurting anymore ponies today!” Twilight growled. Din swished one wing coolly, standing on two and getting into stance. I frowned. It then turned into a smirk. Twilight charged and as she got close, I read Din.

Duck down, fire up! I called out. Twilight did so on cue as Din’s hoof jabbed out. When Twilight fired at Din at her chest, Twilight missed the gem just barely. Din’s eyes widened as she hopped away from us, placing one foreleg across her chest. Twilight charged again. Up! Teleport down and fire! I called out again. Twilight did so, avoiding a swipe and a beam from Din. She growled as the beam came close to hitting her chest again. She bucked out a hindleg, which I had Twilight evade in a fantastic flip, firing a beam in retaliation that, again, got close to the gem.

Almost there, Twilight! I exclaimed happily. Twilight put on a confident smile. I couldn’t believe this. With our teamwork, Din began to get desperate. She began making slip ups in her defenses. When learning Zebra Martial Arts, you have to remain calm under pressure. And since Din has never seen me freak out in my stance during combat, there was no way for her to properly retaliate. Like a stage magician, you need to improvise when things don’t go your way. Something that came naturally to me.

Twilight flipped, dove and twirled in and around Din, hitting her chest near and close to the gem. Din began to groan in frustration before bounding back twice and stomping her hoof.

“Enough! I’m growing tired of this little game!” Din began to take off as Twilight kicked off from the air towards her. Din kept her distance as Twilight soared after her. She was struggling to keep up. Which is exactly what I told her to do. Din grinned victoriously as she had enough distance to swish her head and began to charge her attack.

Now! I shouted. Twilight teleported as Din stopped and aimed her horn. Her eyes widened as she saw Twilight pop in front of her. Twilight flashed her horn, causing Din to yelp and shut her eyes, tossing her hooves up. But Twilight furled her wings, letting herself drop and with pinpoint precision, she fired a beam, directly on the gem. Time seemed to stop as the gem began to crack a couple more times before shattering entirely. Din reared back, an inequine scream mixed with her own voice echoed throughout the empire.

Twilight teleported and rolled along the ground before landing deftly on all fours, sliding a bit and then coming to a stop. We watched as the fire from Din vanished into the air. Din began screaming as she shrank upon reaching the ground. Twilight panted as the last spectral image of Din faded, leaving my body unconscious on the ground. Starlight and Cadence, looking beaten, walked over to us. I dissipated my clones and floated over to my body. I saw Din look weakly up at me. I then put my ghostly horn to my own and in a brilliant light, I finally came too.

My entire body ached and screamed as I groaned and began to push myself up from the ground. I saw a hoof extend out to me and I looked up to see Twilight smiling at me. As she helped me up, we saw some of the fire swirl in front of us. Din’s image rasped as she laid on her side, growling at us.

“I… I cannot be bested… by mortals…!” She painfully barked. I winced as I limped over to her.

“You gave us no choice, Din. You know what’s funny? You probably would have succeeded if you weren’t so caught up in the moment.” I sighed and bowed my head. “As much as we detest each other, Twilight is right. Equulie entrusted both of us to achieve that very goal. Your one desire. We both can do so many feats of prowess on our own. But if we can somehow find the silver lining… then perhaps… I’d be a bit more understanding to your wants.” I looked down at her. “You don’t always make your thoughts known and in turn, creatures are going to assume you are out to destroy our very world. From a mortal’s perspective, we do not understand the decisions of ones higher than us. Instead of us hindering your rise to ascension, work with us to help you achieve it.”

Din didn’t say anything. She groaned and laid her head against the crystalline street.

“Urgh… Shut up…” she rasped. I braced myself. Her image began to fade as her fire was absorbed into me. I screamed as the agonizing aching pain coursed through me. I nearly buckled under the pain. When I caught myself, I panted and looked tiredly over to Twilight and the others. Ponies were beginning to emerge from their hiding as I began to wobble. I gave a victorious smile before the ground met my level.

Chapter 2: The Fault in Our Stars

I found myself floating through an endless void once more. Many voices echoing around me. Familiar conversations I’ve had that I could recognize. Hard to believe it’s been a month and four weeks since I’ve started this all. Things really do happen so quickly. And yet, it feels like the whole world was beginning to break. Being picked to be one of the seven power elements made me realize one thing.

Fate can be cruel. Even forced upon. As if we have been steered into a path we cannot avoid. Yet, a deeper part of me is calling that baloney. I had never thought about it until I came face to face with the World Serpent and announcing that me and Din would attain a greater power. Something clicked in that moment. I can’t quite put my hoof on it, but it’s there somewhere. A break in the path.

It all sounds ridiculous. But I won’t know until I can see it for myself. The echoing conversations turned into a chorus of my name being called out. Distant at first before escalating. There was a quick flash of static and I could swear I saw Table’s face. My eyes shot open and I found myself staring up into the ceiling of a hospital wing. I remained still, getting my bearings before trying to sit up.

My body refused to move, save for my head. I turned to the side groggily and groaned. Is this what it really felt like when Din would best the others? I have four creatures I need to apologize to when I see them. My brain suddenly went into panic at that thought. Remembering that Ouroboros had made it clear that it is me and Din against the whole world, I have a feeling seeing the others would lead to our elements duking it out on sight.

I was dreading the idea more and more. ‘Oh, Celestia, please don’t let me destroy anymore lives…’ I thought. I turned my head back to staring at the ceiling, only to be greeted by the cooing, curious look of a filly. Flurry Heart put a hoof against my cheek. Unable to move my body, I could only allow the child to rub my cheeks, blowing a raspberry and giggling. She was soon levitated away from me.

“Flurry, be nice.” The voice of Twilight said. I blinked and turned my head to see Twilight placing Flurry Heart onto her back, smiling. She then looked to me. “You’re awake. And a little worse for wear.” I said nothing in response, not having the energy to speak. Twilight continued. “How are you feeling?” Dammit, now I have to respond. I managed some strength to speak.

“Screaming.” I rasped weakly. Twilight gave an apologetic look.

“The chirurgeons gave you a remedy spell while patching you up. Din did quite a number on you.” Twilight sighed. “That was a close one too. Glad everypony is okay.” I blinked tiredly.

“Cadence?” I rasped.

“She’s okay. She’s currently quelling the panic of the crystal ponies. Starlight is okay as well. Only a sprained hoof from Din’s attack.” She replied. I sighed and turned to look back at the ceiling. My mind wandered off as I noticed Twilight glancing at me while she played with Flurry Heart. Eventually, she spoke. “I… I know it’s the best time to mention this, but… we need to talk about Hoofington.” I said nothing in response.

Taking my response carefully, she continued.

“It must be real hard for you right now. But you have to know the blame doesn’t fall on you.” She said. That’s where I shook my head tiredly.

“But it does.” I rasped. “Ponies know I’m the bearer of fire. They know of the feats Din and I made throughout the Nilneigh Isles. The battle of Red Canyon. Even off in the middle of the ocean. I’m sure ponies already vilified me for Hoofington.” I said. “I can’t expect everycreature in Equestria to know that Din is her own separate being from me. Anything she does is my responsibility too. Whether I like it or not.” Twilight gave a sad look.

“I… don’t know how Equestria is going to treat you from this point on, but I think it’ll be looked over as we are preparing for war.” I noticed she had covered Flurry’s ears, the filly playing with the teddy bear. I returned her sad look.

“War… we are really going to war against our neighbors…” I stated to myself, letting it sink in. Twilight nodded.

“I… I need your help. Now more than ever, Fie.” She met my look. “I want to stop the war from ever happening. Before it even reaches Equestria’s door step. If I can’t, then I need to at least borrow time so we can fully get ponies ready.” She sighed. “I know you have a lot on you already. And I wish I could do more on my end. But my friends and I are spread thin. We can only do so much.” I studied the princess.

A look of guilt and regret clear on her expression. I said nothing, letting her decide for herself how she wants to tell me. When she finally gathered her thoughts, she faced me.

“I need you, Quiet Fire, as a special request from the Princess of Friendship, to seek an audience with the Kingdom of Fenice and Euclides.” I turned my head to her. “You’ll be a third party and messenger of Equestria. See if you can convince the rulers of Pony Land to change their minds about waging war on Equestria.” She bowed her head. “I know it’s a lot to ask of you. But we need your courage. We need your help. You are the only one I can rely on to aid us in this dire time.”

I remained quiet. I wasn’t sure how to properly respond to this.

It’s all your fault.

The words echoed through my head over and over again. Finally fed up with it, I managed to push myself painfully up from the bed, sitting up. I gave her a determined look.

“I’ll do my best.” I said. Princess Twilight took me by surprise as she hugged me tightly. I winced. “Owowow! Too tight!” I grimaced. Twilight pulled away, looking apologetic.

“Sorry… and… thank you, Fie. I’ll let you rest up. I think you’ll need it if you are going to look for your friends.” She said, picking up Flurry Heart. I nodded, rubbing the back of my head.

“Yeah. I will. Err… do you have any idea where they might be?” I asked. Twilight rubbed her chin.

“Cloudchaser and Flitter are in Cloudsdale. Last they said, they were going to provide their knowledge of what they know about the Triad’s weaponry. Scribble might be back in Manehatten. He said he needed to help out there with a string of missing hunters that have vanished suddenly. As for Thi… well…” I looked at her worriedly. “She left on her own accord. I bet she’s still looking for you, but I wouldn’t be surprised if she had been making trouble against the Triad any chance she’s got.

“I wish I could pinpoint exactly, but there hasn’t been any word of any err… noticeable interruptions.” She said. I couldn’t help but chuckle at that last one. I hope Thi really is okay. My mind then wandered to my family.

“What about my parents? My siblings?” I asked. Twilight rubbed her chin.

“I… can’t really tell you that. Everything happened so fast I was already out and racing to handle a disturbance in the Everfree. Last I saw was them showing up with your friends in Canterlot.” She nodded to me. “I think it’s safe to find out for yourself.” She then slumped and sighed, smiling softly as Flurry showed her the bear and began making “grr” sounds towards her. I rubbed the back of my head slowly, uncertain what I should say. I shook my head and with a grimace, I turned and stepped out of the bed, steadying myself a bit by using the side table as support.

Twilight looked up at me as I met her look with a determined smile.

“You did great against Din, Twilight. Probably even made Din think twice about messing with mortal affairs without a second thought.” I said with a smirk. Twilight blinked quizzically at me. I managed to stand up right this time. “Don’t beat yourself up over any of this. There is no telling what others are capable of. You’ve had your share of battles and come out on top in all of them. Never alone, of course, but you were picked for a reason, princess. And so far… you’ve been doing pretty well in my book.”

Twilight was quiet as I spoke. I winced, limping just a bit before holding out a hoof. “All you can do is be you, princess. And on my word, I will head to Pony Land and put a stop to the war. Then, we can focus on the actual threat to our realm.” Twilight smiled now, bumping my hoof with her’s.

“You’re right, Fie. I’m not doing anypony favors by moping about this. I’ll continue to manage what I can here. Rest up, Fie. And thanks.” She then levitated Flurry up and held her. “And you need a bath, young filly.” Flurry giggled and grred with the teddy bear, Twilight returning the grr as she turned to walk out of the room. I sighed and crawled back into the bed, laying down on my back and putting a foreleg over my head.

My mind began to wander again. Twilight Sparkle has been the one to always save Equestria with her friends. Nightmaremoon. Pre-reform Discord. Chrysalis. Tirek. Even Starlight Glimmer when she was the bad mare. And not to mention the Storm King himself. Is this really what a hero has to go through? Should I even consider myself one? No matter what any pony says, I’m not entirely heroic. I didn’t want any of this to happen to me.

But then… would this all still happen if it was anypony else? Who else would have taken my place? I had a thought back to when Din possessed me fully for the first time. She did mention that Thi would have been a likely choice had I not had the blood of a primal. Which, the news still doesn’t sit right with me. Equulie and Starswirl? This is too far-fetched. None of it made sense. How can I be a child of a primal and Starswirl if I’m the youngest child out of two others?

And I know my grandparents on both sides too. I don’t see any resemblance to Starswirl at all. I was starting to have the stark suspicion Ouroboros told Twilight and I that as a way to keep us on our hooves. I thought about it more and more and despite being caught up in moments, I don’t believe a single thing Ouroboros says. The word of a Primal is just entertainment for them on mortals.

I snorted in disgust. Ouroboros will get what’s coming to him. And who knows, the answers may be given to me later down the line. I sighed.

“No point in dwelling on it right now.” I told myself, getting up and feeling rested enough. I walked with a slight limp out of the room and made my way to the main foyer of the castle. I nearly bumped into Trixie as I tripped a bit onto my limp leg. Trixie looked ready to fight somepony before realizing it was me.

“Oh, it’s you.” She said with less surprise. I tilted my head.

“Were you expecting any pony else?” I asked amusedly. Trixie shrugged.

“Just a little on edge after having my life threatened a third time.” She said matter-of-factly. I felt a rush of guilt.

“I…” I began. Trixie waved a hoof to dismiss anything else I was going to say.

“You don’t need to explain anything. I know it wasn’t you in control. But I’m not going to show relief anytime soon.” She replied.

“Trixie.” A stern voice said. We looked to see Starlight walk towards us. Trixie sighed.

“Fine. Even though you have a power obsessed godly being inside of you doesn’t mean I shouldn’t treat you any better.” She said rather uninterestedly. I sighed and nodded.

“Fair…” I said. Starlight frowned before looking to me.

“How are you feeling?” She asked with concern. I sat on my haunches and sighed.

“Wish I could say great. But about as usual.” I replied.

“And Din? Has she been giving you a bit of trouble since?” She asked. I shook my head.

“Usually when we best a power element, they grow quiet for a while. Din likes to conserve her own energy, so she’s more likely to have tuckered herself out.” I said, hating myself for even trying to reason about anything with Din. Starlight sighed.

“Then we at least borrowed enough time. So… what are you going to do?” She asked. I rubbed the back of my head.

“Well… my next destination is Pony Land. But first… I need to find my friends.” Starlight smiled.

“Pony Land, huh? You know, aside from the claimed war and all, I wonder what it is like over there.” She said. I shook my head slightly.

“Beats me. Thi Billet would know more.” I replied. Trixie crossed her forelegs.

“Wait a minute. You are going to walk into the very nation that declared war on us? Don’t tell me you are going to go crazy mode and burn the place down like Hoofington.” Trixie narrowed her eyes. “Is Princess Twilight making a play already against Pony Land?” Starlight frowned at Trixie.

“Trixie, knock it off! I don’t believe Twilight wants to make any move against Pony Land! She’s sending Fie as a third party!” Starlight said. Trixie shook her head.

“No. This stinks already. If there is one thing I know of our goodie-two shoed princess, she is more than capable of besting her opponents through cunning. That and she’s a surprisingly capable spell slinger…” I tilted my head at Trixie. There was a sense of deep venom buried in those words. Starlight shook her head.

“Trixie, Twilight only ever has the best intentions for others. I thought you’ve already accepted that considering the second… err… third chance she’s given you.” Starlight argued. Trixie returned Starlight’s frown.

“I think that Twilight is sending Fie over to Pony Land to keep them in check. She wants to prevent the war from starting! So, what better way to do so than to send a… a… monster that we can only stall!” Trixie shot back. I arched a brow as Starlight pointed at Trixie.

“Fie isn’t a monster! How could you say such a thing?!” Trixie didn’t skip a beat.

“Oh, pardon me. The Great and Powerful Trixie has had her life threatened not once, not twice, but thrice times! I’m not sorry for calling out this whole idea. Princess Twilight might not have the best concern for others right now, especially for Fie!” She said. I blinked quizzically. Starlight crossed her own forelegs.

“What are you even on about??” She asked. Trixie motioned to me.

“Fie is being sent away to a nation declaring war on us after the whole incident of Hoofington. Not only that, but we’ve also been told that there maybe a power element flaunting power over there. And considering the clashes these power elements had and the fact it pissed Fie’s element off to the point of nuking a place, then you’ll forgive me for thinking that Twilight may not only be banishing Fie from being near Equestria, but wiping out Pony Land if they cross the line!” She explained. Starlight shook her head.

“That’s ridiculous and you know it. Twilight doesn’t want anymore bloodshed. No pony does. If she thinks Fie is capable of stopping Pony Land from continuing their war efforts, then who better to send then somepony who can take action and befriend Pony Land?” Starlight motioned. “She’s the Princess of Friendship. Not the Princess of War.” Trixie scoffed before turning to me.

“We’ll see about that when we begin to hear news of Pony Land in turmoil because x amount of power elements got too carried away. What do you think, Fie?” She asked.

I bowed my head. It really has been nipping at me.

“I… I don’t know…” I replied. “I mean… on one hoof, I agree with you, Trixie.” Trixie smiled victoriously and nodded to Starlight before realizing what I was saying entirely, causing her to look worriedly at me. I sighed. “I wasn’t… me when that whole thing happened. Din took complete control again, but there was a brief moment where I was lucid in it. I ended up freaking out and tried to stop her, but I ended up causing more damage…” I rubbed my foreleg. “Spending four weeks inside of a frozen castle… left me to think a lot. Way more than it is healthier too. And it got to the point if… I should even stay around Equestria anymore…”

Starlight had the same worried look as Trixie.

“Fie, I-“ I held up a hoof to stop Starlight from continuing.

“Yes, at the request of Twilight Sparkle, I am heading to Pony Land to stop the war from breaking out. And I won’t guarantee that a power struggle will not ensue between Din and Lux. Or Shiva. Or Tenebres.” I sighed. “Or maybe the other power elements we’ve found. I told the others we would meet come springtime. But… I’m worried that the power elements are attack on sight order by Ouroboros. I… I can’t see them like that.” I closed my eyes, trying to think of a better way to handle all this.

“I… I know I’m sounding selfish about this, but…” I looked to them, bracing for the answer. “Would you… meet with the others if I do manage to stop the war over there but don’t make it back in time? Or if something else happens that requires me to put attention elsewhere?” Starlight and Trixie looked at each other. Their expressions doing the talking for them. Starlight then smiled and got up, walking over to me and putting a reassuring hoof on my back.

“We’ll try. Honestly, we have something else to attend to at the behest of Twilight. One that’s going to put us out of home for a while.” She said. I looked sadly at her. Trixie sighed and motioned with a shake of her head.

“We get the crummy jobs and Fie gets landed with the worst one of all. Star, you really need to ensure Twilight doesn’t get too ahead of herself.” She said. Starlight rolled her eyes.

“Everything is fine, Trixie. She’s just under a lot of stress. There hasn’t been a war in ages and everything her and her friends have been building up to is currently threatened by it all.” She stated. I looked up and tilted my head slightly. Trixie rolled her hoof matter-of-factly.

“She wants to build a school to teach creatures the magic of friendship.” She said. I found my jaw dropping a bit. A school? To teach friendship to creatures from all over? That’s… very ambitious. But I couldn’t help but smile.

“Then… it’s all the more reason to head to Pony Land.” I said. The two looked at me as I stood up and nodded determinedly. “It took Twilight and the others a while to make allies with the other creatures. And with tensions still uncertain, I need to ensure that I don’t screw up over there.” Starlight looked to Trixie and made a motion. Trixie rolled her eyes and sighed.

"Fine. If you want to go on with your suicide mission, we can’t stop you. It might take more than a giant suite of armor this time.” She said. I blinked blankly at her.

“What?”

“Nothing! A figure of speech.” Trixie replied quickly with a small motion of her hoof. I arched a brow and Starlight stepped forward.

“Err… what Trixie really means to say is, good luck on the journey.” She said with a nervous smile. I sighed and nodded. To be honest, I’m not even sure where to start. Four weeks went by and a lot has seemed to happen. There was a clearing of a throat and all three of us turned to see Sunburst with Shining Armor next to him.

“Quiet Fire? Shining would like a word with you, in private.” He said. Starlight arched a brow. Sunburst adjusted his glasses. “Did I say something wrong?” Trixie nodded.

“Yeah. Couldn’t Shining have stated that himself?” She asked. Shining smiled.

“I could, but Sunburst needs a little push to engage in conversation. Being the Royal Crystaller and all.” He said with a playful nudge against the stallion. Sunburst looked uneasy but adjusted his glasses once more.

“Err, well, since we are here on different matters, I just thought I’d clear the air. Starlight and Trixie. Princess Twilight is wondering if you both are ready. We’ll be heading out soon.” He said. Trixie snorted.

“Not like we have any other choice right now.” She said. Starlight looked worriedly at Trixie then to me. I only shrugged in response. Trixie had every right to be annoyed by everything going on. I’m certain if it was anypony else in her place, it’d be the same complaints. As they began to walk away, I noticed Trixie glancing back at me before Shining stepped forward. I stood up and faced the ex-Royal Captain of the Canterlot Guard. He grinned.

“Heard Cloud Fire is causing a stir in Canterlot. A buddy of mine over there made several complaints, but that just means it’s working.” He said. I remained stoic as I was uncertain how to proceed. He then motioned with a hoof as he turned. “Walk with me.” I tilted my head before trotting after him.

I once again found myself in awe at how massive the interior of the Crystal Castle is despite how it looks on the outside. It was as if there was a certain magic that added rooms to the place no matter which way you turned. We soon found ourselves up on one of the balconies overlooking the crystal city. The surprisingly spring like wind blew through my mane. Shining Armor put one hoof on the railing and suddenly looked older.

“That’s better.” He said. I looked at the stallion with concern.

“Everything alright?” I asked. Shining shook his head.

“I’m afraid not. The whole world is crying out in suffering and it just feels like we are hopeless. The gods up there are toying with us and war is on the horizon. I want to do what I can, but Twilight only wants us as the last bastion Equestria has. If Canterlot falls and her and her friends fail along with the princesses, it’s up to us to carry on the legacy. In short, we are just sidelined for now.” He explained. This only raised more questions for me. I tapped my chin in thought.

“So… do you… want to do something more than being sidelined?” I asked. The answer was obvious, however, Shining looked over his shoulder to me.

“I want to do what I can for Twilight. She completely has taken on the responsibility of war duties and she has no clue how to properly manage her help.” He said. I looked at him stunned.

“W-wait. Are you actually saying Twilight isn’t prepared to use our resources? Or… whatever we have?” I asked. Shining nodded.

“I know. As crazy as it sounds, the reality is that Twilight is only leading by example of old textbook strategies. I even heard her ask Princess Celestia several things that even made her worry greatly.” He said. “As her big brother, I have to step in one way or another.” He sighed. “I’m still mulling it over, but it looks to be the worst-case scenario. Quiet Fire… just be careful on your journey.” I furrowed my look. Is he trying to get something off his chest?

He did appear to be struggling heavily with something and I’ve noticed his posture slumped. I darted my eyes in thought.

Be your better self.

I walked over to Shining and looked out the balcony. The ecotone border expanding far with snow as the eye can see.

“You’re that worried about Twilight?” I started. Shining said nothing. “You’re not the only one. Somepony else already stated their concerns. But… Twilight is a hero to Equestria. One of the six elements. Doesn’t that mean we should have some faith in her decisions?” I asked, curious as to what the stallion’s answer is. Shining shook his head.

“She maybe a hero to the creatures of Equestria. She maybe being trained by the princesses to rule Equestria at some point. But she’s still a pony. She still has trouble trusting others to manage things that isn’t in her supervision, despite saying and acting like she does.” Shining met my look. “Twilight is still learning herself. War is new territory and war isn’t kind. This is more than a friendship problem. I think she’s starting to realize that over the weeks when she got the letter.” I gave him a concerned look.

“What happened to her in the four weeks I was missing?” I asked, now being more curious than ever. Shining sighed and leaned over the railing.

“Uncertainty and self-doubt. She’s trying to put on a brave face, but I can tell. She misses her friends. And… I think this is just me being a bit too worried, but I think she’s starting to slip up as she’s losing her friends.” He bowed his head. “I know you have your own fight to handle. But Twilight can’t handle her’s. I already have a plan set in motion, just in case anything happens.” I was honestly stunned about this.

Twilight unable to handle her battles? Despite everything she’s done, including outsmarting Ouroboros, it only takes a declaration of war to have her start doubting herself? Hasn’t she prevented wars herself?

Not alone she didn’t.

I widened my eyes in realization. That’s right… no wonder. I have to give Trixie credit. I then put a reassuring hoof on Shining’s shoulder and smiled.

“If there is anypony that can look out for her, it’s you. Whatever plan you have will be on hold when I finish up in Pony Land. I’ll make sure the only thing we have to worry about is the Summer Solstice.” I said. Shining smiled softly.

“Tough words for one pony taking on the world. Thanks, Fie. Have a safe trip.” He replied. I nodded before turning around and walking back into the castle. I made a quick glance over my shoulder, seeing Shining looking back out to the balcony. His look in contemplation.

I adjusted my newly bought saddle bag (thanks to Princess Cadence) and was ready to tackle the trip back to Canterlot. Princess Cadance and Flurry Heart were the only ones to see me off. Which felt awkward as we were getting looks from the tourists rather than the locals. Cadence was making silly faces at Flurry Heart, who was mimicking it in return, giggling as her mother nuzzled her snout against her cheek.

She then saw me shift uncomfortably; my expression clear to her.

“I know you’ve been through a lot already, Fie. Are you sure you’re okay?” She asked. I nodded softly.

“No maniacal alicorn activity. I should be relieved but it’s Din. She isn’t a one and done thing. I… I’m sorry the Empire was threatened by her.” I said pathetically. Princess Cadence bounced Flurry in her foreleg as she replied.

“You shouldn’t be sorry about that. It wasn’t anything we couldn’t handle. We finished just in time to put this one down for bed." she said, tickling Flurry. I looked at the toddler filly. To think, this kid is going to be a princess in the future. An entire Empire under her rule. Unlike Twilight who wasn’t born into royalty, but earned it through her own blood, sweat and tears.

I shook my head at the thought. We have to do better for the future. We heard the train pull up and stop with a hiss in front of us. The doors opened and ponies began filing in and out of the carts. I rubbed the back of my head, noticing something about this.

“Despite the declaration of war, I’m surprised ponies still want to visit the Crystal Empire.” I said. Cadence chuckled.

“We are keeping the Empire open to the public in order to distract ponies who need it. It’s better to ensure we at least remain calm to some degree.” She said. I couldn’t help but smile and nod.

“Clever girl.” I adjusted my saddle bag once more and waved to Princess Cadence. “Time to set off. Take care.” I said. Princess Cadence waved along with Flurry Heart.

“Don’t be a stranger.” She said. I stepped into the train and found a seat in the very back of the middle cart. I sighed and laid my head against the window, looking out at it. The Frozen North glistened in a sunny day. The snowcapped mountains in the distance a mystical wonderment of what lies beyond the borders of the Empire. My mind wandered to what had all happened to me before the destruction of Hoofington.

I could see it clearly. I had just watched General Lilac escape via a steam air ship, her grin challenging me. I looked back to see the sun turn red and Din hovering in the air with a massive sphere of magic growing bigger overhead. Borrowing the rays and magic of the sun, her maniacal expression laughed as she threw the megaspell down onto the tower. I could see the unfortunate ponies that were still afflicted with the paralyzing liquid they had earlier and could only watch as their fate descended upon them.

Everything went blank after that. Except for the brief moment I tried to stop Din. I’m glad my friends weren’t caught in it along with my family. I will find my friends, but I need to head back to Canterlot to check up on my siblings and folks. I wonder what they had been doing in the past four weeks I was indisposed of. After a bit of time passed, I felt the train jerk and we began to move. The ride on the train wasn’t eventful. I was dozing off in and out of sleep most of the ride over.

Before I knew it, the announcement over the PA stated we would be arriving in Canterlot in five minutes. I rubbed my muzzle tiredly and watched the mountain valley scenery pass by. I don’t know why, but I was expecting Canterlot to be digging trenches or whatever else you do in wars. Yet at the same time, I was relieved that nothing has completely changed. Save for the sudden tingly feeling I had when we went through a security barrier that I hadn’t noticed.

I blinked in realization. Canterlot was already on high alert. What I also noticed was Discord humming quietly to himself as he looked out the window in the seat across from me. He looked at me without turning his head.

“The mare of the hour! Finally home and ready to engage the enemy. The hero to creatures one and all!” He said. I blinked a bit, opening my mouth to say something, only for Discord to continue, filing his claw. “Yes, yes. Ask away. We have allll the time in the world.” I narrowed my eyes at him.

“What is it, Discord?” I asked. Discord has been around Ponyville for as long as I can remember. In fact, I arrived several days after Discord’s little chaos bubble in Ponyville. It was strange to hear one day that he would begin reformation, much to everypony’s fear. Yet, it was Fluttershy to save the day. Discord eyed me, waiting patiently at me despite me asking what he wanted. I sighed.

“How’s Fluttershy?” I asked, hoping to get something out of him. Discord seemed to smile at the mention.

“A bit tired from all the running around. But to say the least she’s doing well enough.” He said in a gesticulate manner. I then saw on his claw wrist a strange scarring. I tilted my head and Discord seemed to read my mind. He held up his claw arm. “Oh, this thing? Well, I only use the finest of scale polish to keep it gleaming brightly and make ponies think; ‘Wow, who is that handsome draconequus with the shimmering scales?’ And I’ll be the talk of the day!” He then waved the claw at me. “Though, nothing compared to your reputation. Quite the infamy you gathered.”

I found myself slumping.

“The mark on your claw? Was it from Ouroboros at the Manehatten hospital?” I asked. Discord’s mood shifted at the mention and he rubbed the scar.

“It’s nothing to worry about. What should really matter is what you plan to do when you get to Pony Land.” He said with an uncaring expression. I blinked blankly.

“How do you-?” I began, only for Discord to stroke his goatee.

“If there is one thing the Princess of Friendship is is predictable. And somewhat easily insecure about her responsibilities.” He said. I furrowed my look in understanding. That was a little too on the bullseye. My thoughts went back to the scar. It’s no secret that Discord is heavily resistant to most magic in Equestria. Yet, from what I’ve dealt with, ancient magic is more effective. The Raptorians flashed into my mind. Turning back into glass as collateral to an angry local god.

They weren’t god like beings. But the point was clear. I then had a compulsive thought enter my mind.

“Does it hurt?” I asked. Discord looked at me quizzically before realizing I was mentioning his wrist again. He once again rubbed it and shrugged.

“Your concern is duly noted. I’m still kicking.” He said. I then frowned.

“So, what is it that you want?” I asked. The train came to a jerk as it slowed. Discord stood up and stretched.

“Just checking up on our lone hero. Eagerly awaiting to see what she will do when the breaking point happens.” He said with a smirk. I stood up and pointed at him.

“Enough with the circling, Discord. I haven’t been born yesterday. Is there something you want to ask of me?” I stated. Discord sighed and rolled his neck.

“You’re no fun. Wanted to see if you were up for a game of O&O. But seeing as you are a mare on a busy schedule, I’ll just take my leave.” He said, raising his paw. I balked and lunged at him, holding onto his paw arm and preventing him from snapping.

“Are you crazy?! Didn’t Ouroboros say not to use your magic or else risk blowing Equestria up??” I exclaimed, catching the attention of several other ponies who were in the cart. Discord yawned boredly with his paw, having comically popped it off from his body as if it was a fake prop. I panicked a little and dropped the fake paw arm.

“Yes, yes. Discord, the god of chaos, unable to make no sense of the situation for fun. Is what Ouroboros would have you believe.” He said. I was about to protest when I paused and looked at him knowingly.

“Hold on… you think so too?” I asked. Discord chuckled and grinned.

“It would have taken Twilight longer to understand me. Bravo, hero. Which means you can do me a favor.” He said. I shrunk back a bit, eyeing him suspiciously. Discord looked bored again. “Oh, don’t look at me like that. I’ll at least hold up my end of the bargain, if your answer provides the agreement.” I frowned.

“I’m listening…” I replied. Discord crossed his arms, pleased with my answer as he continued.

“What I want to ask of you is not what I want. But what I need to have happen. There is a special type of magic that can only be found in Pony Land. I’ve heard the tales and quite honestly find them amusing enough to believe in them. You are familiar with Rainbow Power, correct?” He explained. I sat on my haunches and crossed my forelegs over my chest.

“It’s been mentioned in my travels, yes. Isn’t it also the very thing the princesses used on you before? Same thing with Twilight and her friends?” I replied. Discord clicked his tongue and made gun like motions with his paw and claw.

“The very same. What if I told that with the power of light, casts a sinister shadow? The traditional black and white of a coin?” He held up his paw and a small rainbow formed. “Negative energy that gathered in the power of rainbow can reverse the effects of such. Turning it into a darker variant. A Dark Rainbow.” The rainbow in his paw began to blacken and the colors began to change into disgusting opposites of themselves. I arched a brow.

“A Dark Rainbow? That can be on par with Rainbow Power?” I asked, finding myself a little intrigued. Discord nodded before closing his paw, crushing the rainbow.

“Precisely. I’ve only ever heard of it being used once ages ago. However, the power was supposedly snuffed out as the power of light reverted it back, making Rainbow Power stronger than ever.” He held up his paw and gave the fingers a wiggle, showing that the rainbow was gone. I frowned at him.

“You’re asking me to find this Dark Rainbow so you could use it for… revenge against Ouroboros? Or for your own selfish gain? Fluttershy wouldn’t be happy at all about that, you know.” I said sternly. Discord looked hurt.

“Oh, heavens no! Perish the thought of me using such sickening power! I already have chaotic magic. I do not need to handicap myself further.” He said. I shook my head.

“You’re not making sense here.” I said. Discord smiled and floated in the air, curling his body around me.

“What fun is there in making sense?” He replied with a mischievous grin. I frowned at him and rolled my eyes.

“Alright, Discord. What do you want me to do with this ‘Dark Rainbow’?” I asked, beginning to be really annoyed. Discord nodded.

“Think of it as a gift from me to you. When you get to Pony Land, send me a post card, will you? Oh, and a souvenir if you can!” He said, having suddenly dressed in tourist attire. My eyes widened and looked around in panic. Surprisingly, the world wasn’t burning down yet. Discord chuckled and examined his claw. “The serpent made it clear I cannot use anything to aid in the stability of the realm. The law of the world I’m afraid, but I can still partake in self-indulgence. Just as much as the other gods can.”

The realization hit me like a truck. I always had an inkling, but Discord confirmed the suspicion. Discord waved his claw in a shooing manner. “Better get going while the iron is hot, hero. I’ll be keeping an eye on you for the time being. Toodles!” He snapped his claw and popped into glitter, making me cough and exit the train, shaking myself off.

I looked up and braced myself. The alabaster castle of Canterlot towered over me.

Chapter 3: Not So Warm Welcome

Canterlot hasn’t changed. At least, not physically. The atmosphere, however, sent a chill down my spine. As I walked down the road directing to the castle, I couldn’t help but notice plenty of eyes on me. And not the pleasantly surprised kind. Several ponies began to move out of my way and some whispered to one another, avoiding me.

I dropped my ears. I knew exactly what was happening. Yet, it still stung a little. I began to up my pace to a trot, hoping to hurry through before anypony got the wiser. I definitely didn’t want to be confronted by the citizens of Canterlot. As I continued, shops and buildings began to close at my approach. Ponies frowned at me or ran away in a hurry.

As I turned the corner, I came to a stop as two ponies approached me.

“You got a lot of nerve showing your face around here, Fire Demon.” One pony scowled. I recognized the pony. He usually tended to the ice cream cart, which was several hoof steps behind him. The other I also recognized. The antique collector and pawn shop owner down the road. I looked between the two nervously.

“I-I’m just here for a quick visit and I promise I’ll be out of everypony’s mane.” I stammered. What do I do?? I can’t hurt these ponies! They did nothing and deserve to be upset with me. But I can’t be bothered to tackle this right now. I need to get going. Yet, they didn’t waver and instead, several more ponies gathered behind them. Elite individuals I don’t entirely recognize, save for one. A tall and slender white unicorn with a pink mane, accompanied by a neatly groomed and butler dressed stallion. They were looking at me with interest.

“Why did you kill those ponies?! What did they ever do to you?!” The antique owner barked. I shrunk back.

“I-I didn’t… I…” I was cut off when another pony chimed in.

“My son lived there! He owned a furniture business! He provided for the ponies! And you destroyed everything!” A mare cried out. A chorus of chattering began to erupt and soon a mob began to form. I gasped and backed away as the citizens of Canterlot banded together to face me.

“You’re a demon!!”

“How could you!?”

“Why do we have to put our safety in the hooves of a murderer!?”

“Go back to Tartarus, fiend!!”

“My whole business there is ruined because of you!!”

“It’s all your fault!!”

My eyes widened and I soon began to panic. The ponies surrounded me and began stomping their hooves in protest, chanting loudly “It’s all your fault! It’s all your fault!”. I fell to my stomach and covered my ears, shaking my head.

“I-I wasn’t me!! Please…” I whimpered. The world began to waver and I began to find it hard to breath. Everypony was closing in. Towering over me like shadows and chanting in unison. I began to shiver, my ears ringing at the deafening chanting.

“It’s all your fault!! It’s all your fault!!” I shut my eyes tightly.

‘I… I can’t… I don’t want to hurt anymore ponies… please… help me…’ I began to sob a bit, looking up and seeing several royal guards looking down at me. Their looks were serious and stern. Halberds positioned at their sides.

“Ma’am, you must come with us to the guard house. We would like to resolve this peacefully.” A stallion guard said. The chanting and stomping was still deafening, but I was helped up by two guards and escorted through the enraged mob. The guards shoved some ponies that got too close aside and when we broke through, I was lead away from the castle and over towards the castle walls to a building.

I was lead inside and escorted into the back. I was asked to sit down when we entered a room meant for interrogations or questioning. I expected this, but not at this level. It was still overwhelming and I had to dry my eyes from the silent tears escaping me. I sniffled as the guards left the room, leaving me alone to my thoughts. All I could think about was Hoofington. The many lives that had no part in the underbelly of the city. Gone within an instant. Only a charred and burning ruin left behind.

My thoughts then fell to General Lilac. And my overwhelming sadness turned to anger. It’s because of her that it all happened. She overstepped her boundaries and flaunted power that isn’t even her’s. I found myself glaring at the table, the anger rising. I imagined General Lilac unable to escape. Din having blasted the ship down and Lilac abandoning onto the balcony. There I would walk over to her. She would try to fight, but I would over power her.

Din would have changed her mind and would stand next to me. General Lilac would have no choice but to be subjected to torture from Din and I. Maybe then, war wouldn’t be on the horizon. Only the charred remains of a pony who instigated it. The thought began to please me. In my angry look, I let a grin creep up. I would give anything to see General Lilac suffer for what she did.

“That’s not a very good look to have after being apprehended from an angry mob.” A voice said, snapping me out of my stupor. I looked up and gasped. My mother, the Captain of the Royal Guard, looked stoically down at me from across the table. I stood up.

“Mom! Listen, I didn’t mean to do anything! I wasn’t going to hurt those ponies! I was only on my way to the castle to check up on you guys before I head out! I promise, I was only going to be in and out! And-“ My mother held up a hoof to silence me, her expression unchanged.

“Perhaps you should sit back down. Count to ten and take deep breaths.” She said. I blinked and shook my head.

“Mom, please! I only want to-“

“Quiet Fire, enough.” My mother said coldly. I shut my mouth and shrunk back in fear. My mother sighed and rubbed her muzzle. “You are not in a position to argue and I’m not a lawyer. But you do understand why you are here in this room?” She asked. I opened my mouth to reply, only to stop and shake my head. My mother continued. “Your deeds have been spread far and wide across Equestria. Everycreature knows about you. And your unfortunate decimation of our old home.” I only felt smaller as I sat on my haunches and rubbed my foreleg sadly.

“Ever since your disappearance, ponies have begun to form sides. One to defend your actions and the other to condemn them. And the majority are on the condemning side.” She looked at me, her piercing eyes breaking my spirit. “They call for exile.” I didn’t say anything. I once again expected such a thing. My mother closed her eyes in thought. “Some have demanded you be put into Tartarus to never terrorize again. Others want you shipped away to a foreign place where you have no chance of surviving. And some want to kill you on sight.” She opened her eyes. “We’ve been spread thin to try and quell the majority by keeping them occupied with false news of your whereabouts.” I met my mothers stoic gaze.

“You’re lucky my men intervened. Those ponies were out for blood. One was about to stab you while you were on the ground.” I continued to say nothing. Every word my mother was saying hit me like a ton of bricks. I was lost. My mother then stood up and nodded over her shoulder. Two guards entered the room. “We’ll escort you to the castle. But you are not to wander off. We have a mole in the castle.” My mother turned and trotted out of the room. I sighed and stood up pathetically before following after her with the guards at my sides.

They led me to a side entrance of the castle courtyard. I noticed some of the looks the maids were giving me along with some of the guards. I did my best to try and keep my attention at my mother’s back. It was hard to make out what was going on through her head. I made up with her, but I guess some habits die hard. We eventually arrived to the main foyer of the castle and my mother finally stopped and turned to me. “Be on your best behavior.”

She opened the door and I was greeted by the long and expansive room leading to the thrones. I gulped as I could see Princess Celestia at the throne. And next to her was… Heart? My older sister was at the thrones side, scribbling down on a long scroll. Princess Celestia looked tired as she talked to Heart.

“… Next on the schedule is the meeting with a representative of the Kingdom of Fenice.” She sighed. “Make sure to add welcoming banquet preparation to the list. Ensure Raven double checks the records and guest lists.” Heart scribbled with her tongue sticking out in concentration. My mother bowed.

“Your highness. Quiet Fire has returned.” She announced. My sister stopped scribbling and looked up with wide eyes. Celestia smiled tiredly before nodding for my mother to rise. All eyes fell on me and I felt way smaller than I should. Princess Celestia’s smile turned into a serious expression.

“I am glad to see you have returned safe and sound, Quiet Fire. However, I wish the greeting would be higher spirits. Unfortunately, a matter I need to attend to has arisen and I cannot stay for long. Speak your part.” She said. I winced. Princess Celestia’s usual warm and calm nature slept in today. Ignoring my remark in my head, I hesitated and bowed. Princess Celestia motioned for me to rise and I did. The eyes remained on me.

No pony moved. I shivered, rubbing my foreleg before finding words to speak.

“I… Uhh… I was just… err…” I began. Princess Celestia closed her eyes as if contemplating something. She then opened them and met mine.

“Tis a dire tragedy of what happened to your home city. The lives lost were… tremendous. You have become Equestria’s most wanted. And yet…” she then smiled. “Your courage remains unbending in the face of doubt.” I was stunned. What was she talking about? Courage? I am about to wet the royal carpet here! I looked quizzically at her. Princess Celestia stood up and walked down the steps towards me. Her talk figure towered over me. I found myself looking away out of intimidation, only for Celestia to gently turn my head with her hoof under my chin gently.

“Everypony has been worried sick. Present company included.” She glanced quickly to my mother, who was at attention. I was dumbfounded. But I found myself moving away from Celestia. I had turned and faced one of the stain glasses. The image depicting Twilight and her friends battling Discord. I studied the image. They have come a long way. I then looked down to my hoof and my mind began to wander. How does she do it? Everypony knows she’s capable, despite saying she is still trying to figure out how she can stop the war properly.

Princess Celestia sat next to me.

“It has been years, yet it feels like yesterday when Twilight had left Canterlot to begin her own journey of discovery. She and her friends have faced many trials and overcame each and everyone of them together. It is because of her journey that she gained her wings.” She then looked down at me. “Everypony has their own journey to face. But they will never do so alone, despite saying so. So long as they believe in their strengths, they will always seek the answer to their question.” I looked up at her as she flourished her hoof. “Who am I?” Her eyes met mine.

I bowed my head, my thoughts trying to piece her words together. Who am I really? I’ve asked myself this before and I thought I had an answer. I then looked back up to the stained-glass window. I dropped my hoof.

“I’m… me… right?” I asked. Princess Celestia looked at me.

“That's something only you need to find for yourself." She replied. I sighed and stood up. I took a moment to gather myself before turning to Celestia.

"Then... I'll finish up here and be on my way." I then looked to my sister and mother. I rubbed my foreleg nervously before walking over to my older sister. Heart blinked quizzically at me as I stopped at the bottom of the steps to the thrones. All of a sudden, I wasn't sure what to say. My sister had the same idea. It wasn't long until my mother rolled her eyes and stepped over to me.

"Quiet Fire. Speak your part. I have to get back to patrols." She said. I looked at her and bowed my head. I then looked back up to my sister.

"H-Heart?" I began. Heart eyed me. "I... I'm sorry... for what you have been put through..." Heart looked at me worriedly. "I'm sorry you had to learn that I... I'm not..." Heart finally spoke.

"Four weeks." She said. I blinked and blankly looked up at her. "Four weeks, Fie. Four weeks of searching. Four weeks of having to worry." She shook her head. "Do you have any idea what you put us through? We are in the midst of a war and you have been off wherever Celestia knows for four weeks!" I found myself shrinking back again. That was until I was pulled into a hug by my sister. Which took me completely by surprise. My sister has never been one to show affection. The workaholic mare with no time to spare is... hugging me. I was stunned. How should I react? She pulled away from me and wiped her eye. "Damned scroll dust." I looked at her, baffled. "Oh, don't look at me like that. I'm waiting for a proper apology." It took me a moment, but I hesitated before replying.

"S-sorry for... worrying you...?" I said uncertainly. Heart shook her head and sighed.

"We need to work on your social skills." She said. I rubbed the back of my head.

"Err... it's just... you... never hug." I replied. Heart rubbed her chin.

"Huh. I guess so." She said. I hesitated again, looking around.

"Wh-where's Blitz?" I asked. Heart motioned around us.

"He's somewhere. Princess Celestia was kind enough to give him something to do." I tilted my head and looked over my shoulder to Celestia, who only nodded in response.

"Wait... you both are now... working for Princess Celestia?" I asked. Heart nodded.

"I'm an assistant to Raven Inkwell, Celestia's accountant. I help her manage the... financial side of things. It's been an interesting eye opener. Blitz has been hired as our aid to gather info on things happening around Canterlot. In fact, he should have been back several minutes ago." As if on cue, the doors behind us opened and in came galloping Blitz.

"Princess Celestia! Heart! Quiet Fire is back in Canterlot, but she was being hassled by the citizens! I ran as fast as I could to tell you-" He stopped and noticed me standing in front of Heart. Heart waved a small hoof at him. Blitz blinked and looked at me, his eyes narrowing. I gave a nervous smile and small wave. The room grew awkward again. My mother sighed and shook her head before turning to Princess Celestia.

"Your highness, may we step outside so my children can learn not to waste time?" She asked. Princess Celestia nodded.

"Err... of course. Take as much time as needed." She said. Our mother looked between us and motioned with her head. We followed her out of the throne room and she took us to the side, having all three of us stand next to each other.

"Now then. Perhaps a change of the room will help this reunion better?" She stated. Heart sighed.

"Mom, we do not need to be treated as children. I've been well off enough." My sister said. But the stern look my mother gave her caused her to quiet down.

"That is completely unrelated to this. We are on the clock." Our mom replied. Blitz snorted.

"And we've been working to the bone lately. Just as much as you have, mom." He replied. Our mother shook her head.

"And I'm glad you two are enjoying your new positions. But your sister came here to check up on us. The least you can do is hear her out." She said. My siblings looked at me and I continued to feel small.

"I..." I began. Okay, Fie. You didn't plan this far. It's time to face the day. I finally took a deep breath. "I did come here to check up on you all. To know what's going on before I... leave to Pony Land." Blitz arched a brow.

"Seriously?" He asked. I nodded.

"At the behest of Princess Twilight Sparkle, I'm to head to Pony Land and see what I can do to convince the two kingdoms from no longer declaring war on us. But before I can do that, I need to find my friends and... check up on you guys." I then looked to mom. "Where's dad?" My mother crossed a foreleg over the other.

"Still in Canterlot. He hasn't been back yet, but being the detective now, he's been looking into a mole problem we have." She said. I tilted my head before my mom continued. "The security barrier picked up strange activity. We've been investigating the situation, but everytime we thought to have the culprit cornered, we are left with the aftermath of what was left behind. It's as if the mole is toying with us." I rubbed my chin in thought.

"I'm going to go on a whim here... Triad?" I asked. My mother shrugged.

"Could be. Regardless, we cannot have inside distractions. You need not to worry about it, Quiet Fire. We can manage here fine." She replied. Blitz balked, as if remembering something.

"O-oh right! Another thing I need to bring up. I-I think we may have a lead on the mole situation." He said. My mother eyed him. We all knew that mom had been no nonsense on the job, so Blitz didn't waste anytime. "I did some digging around the Starswirl Wing and I spotted a pony that hid something in the shelves." He reached back into his saddle bag and withdrew several documents. "Aren't these the missing documents Ms. Inkwell has been looking for?" Heart immediately snatched them up with her magic and scanned them. She looked surprised.

"Biltz... these documents state the many faulty structures that Canterlot has. Why would a pony hide this among books?" She asked. Blitz shrugged.

"The pony didn't seem all that concerned. It was like they weren't aware they weren't the only one in the wing. In fact..." He rubbed his chin. "It looked like one of the maids. Had the apron on and everything." My mother's look was stoic, but we could tell what she was thinking. My mother turned and spoke.

"Thank you for the info, Blitz. Heart, inform Inkwell to search more of the Royal Archives. See if there are any other missing documents. I also ask that you bring the schematics and blueprints to the guard house later. We will begin our search once more. Quite Fire?" I blinked.

"Y-yes?" I replied. My mother was quiet for a bit before finding the words.

"Please, be safe on your journey." She said before trotting off towards the throne room, our guess being to inform Celestia of the discovered info. That left me to awkwardly stand in between my siblings. Heart gathered the documents and turned to us.

"Good job, Blitz. You continue to surprise everypony." She said. Blitz smoothly brushed his mane.

"Since we don't have a... city for certain topics. I'm actually surprised Canterlot has it's own underbelly." He then looked at us and waved his hooves. "N-not that that isn't a good thing! It just... makes me realize that even places like Canterlot can have a darker side. But that's not here or there right now." He then looked to me. "So... Pony Land, huh?" I nodded softly.

"Yeah. I... have my own reasons for going as well." I rubbed my foreleg nervously again. "I'm... truly sorry for what happened... I know you two had stuff going on in Hoofington and I..." Heart shook her head.

"It's... honestly hard to take it all in, but like mom said, we are on the clock." She said. I noticed she didn't seem at all fine. Neither did Blitz. I don't blame them. Hoofington wasn't the nicest place, but they had fond memories of their time there. Heart then put a hoof on my shoulder. "It's... really good to see you okay." Blitz rubbed the back of his head.

"So... have you... always been able to do that?" He asked. I looked at him quizzically. He gestured at me. "You know... able to turn into a giant fire alicorn. I mean, we've been hearing over the radio your exploits, but we didn't think it was... well... that intense." Heart shook her head. "We were too busy with other things to really follow it. We did hear about it in small bits. But... to see it happen with our own eyes..." She faltered. I sighed and bowed my head.

"No. New Years wasn't that kind to me." I began. I then told them everything. When I finished my explanation, my siblings were speechless. Blitz put a hoof to his head.

"You're right. That is a lot to take in." He said. Heart shook her head in disbelief.

"Our little sister... a demi-god? Do we... do we really have special blood in our family?" She asked more to herself. Blitz frowned.

"But... wait... if you are a demi-god... doesn't that make us demi-gods too?" I for some reason found this amusing but shrugged.

"I'm... not sure to be honest. Ouroboros may not be telling us everything and only wanting us to hear what he feels we should know. False or not." I then frowned at the thought. "I don't think we are being given a correct answer here. He's just stringing us along for his own amusement." Heart closed her eyes in thought at my response.

"Never trust a snake as the saying goes." She then opened them and looked at me. "Just becareful, Fie. War and the deconstruction threat of our realm all in one is too much for any one pony to handle." I gave her what I hoped was a confident smile.

"I-I know, Heart. I won't be alone." I said. Blitz shrugged.

"Dunno, sis. She wasn't able to handle that one colt that liked her." He stated. I felt my heart sink and Blitz noticed my look. He quickly waved his hooves in front of him. "Wh-whoa, sis! I-I didn't mean it like that!" He said. I only shook my head.

"No... you're right. Table Top didn't deserve me after what I did to him. And... I wasn't the best to anypony at the time." I felt my mood shoot down. "I can't even tell him I'm sorry or rekindle any friendship now." Heart gasped.

"Did you...?" I nodded.

"Dad showed me." I responded. My siblings exchanged concerned looks. My sister and brother gestured to each other before Blitz sighed.

"We-" He began but I shook my head.

"You guys don't need to say anything. I just..." I sighed. "I'll be fine. I have to anyway." I lied, standing up. "I should get going then." I began to turn when Blitz stopped me.

"Fie, wait." He said. "I..." He began. I looked at him over my shoulder. "Here." He then reached into his saddle bag and pulled out a pendant. The silver design with a wing. I blinked.

"Mom's pendant?" I asked. Blitz nodded as I took it in my magic.

"We held onto it just so it wouldn't get lost. We also have another thing for you." He then motioned for me to follow as Heart trotted beside him. I followed my siblings, wondering what they are up to. When we arrived at a guest room, my brother reached under the four-post bed and withdrew a chest. He opened it and stepped aside. I walked forward and saw a folded-up fabric. Reaching in with my magic, I floated out my hoodie cloak. The fire etched design with the symbol of fire on the back, just as I remembered it. I looked back in the chest and saw my old saddle bag. I never noticed how ragged and worn out it was. I draped my hoodie cloak over my foreleg while I reached for my saddle bag. I opened it and withdrew the previous stuff I had, which wasn't much. Just a couple of food rations and arc ammo. Seeing the arc ammo made me think about Thi. I remember her teaching me how to properly use an arc firearm.

I don't remember stuffing these in here, but I smiled and stuffed the supplies into my new saddle bag. I even noticed some rocks with magic runes on them. I remember Silver Scribble passing them out to us just in case. Nifty little rocks that you can just crush and throw out magic. Transferring everything I had on me at the time into my new saddle bag, I turned to my siblings and nodded. I threw out my hoodie cloak around me, sliding my forelegs into the sleeves and throwing my hood up to adjust it. I then threw my hood down with my head and felt complete. Blitz shook his head.

"You always had weird taste in fashion, sis." He said. I dusted my hoodie cloak off before replying.

"And you had a weird taste in marefriends." I then blinked and looked at him, seeing him raise a brow. I worried I said something out of line, but Heart followed up.

"She's right. Cherry Gum? Quite the mental case that one." She said. Blitz rubbed the back of his head.

"Okay, Cherry was cute at the time. I didn't realize she'd be a bit of a psycho." He said.

"You're just lucky dad managed to change your mind. And what about Sour Dough? I actually liked her." She said. Blitz shook his head.

"She was running my bits out of my saddle over bread. That isn't healthy. I had to do something to keep her from going overboard." He replied. I chimed in this time.

"Rosey Pie? I remember you liking her a lot." I said. Blitz sighed and shrugged.

"I thought so too. Then she overused me." He replied.

"Pork Rind?" I asked. Blitz blinked.

"I totally forgot about the butcher's daughter. Reminded me too much of Sour Dough." He shrugged. I smiled and found my mood feeling better. Blitz and Heart continued to banter back and forth and suddenly, I found myself going back in time. I was there, sitting at the dinner table. Heart and Blitz talking about their day. Dad reading the newspaper. Mom, off duty and casually reading a book as she had finished her dinner. It wasn't an eventful thought. But... I think it was one I missed out on.

"Uhh, sis? You okay?" I heard Blitz say in my thoughts. I blinked and found myself back in the present. My siblings were looking at me with concern. I didn't realize I was grinning and I shook my head, patting my cheeks.

"I'm fine. Just... thinking is all." I stepped past them and nodded. "Well, no time to waste then." I then looked over my shoulder to them. "Take care, guys. I'm... sorry I wasn't the best sibling. But I'm going to fix that. And... have a better apology at the ready." Blitz and Heart looked at each other before nodding and trotting over towards me.

"We'll hold you to that." Blitz said. I was confused as to why my siblings were trotting with me, but I didn't want to argue. It was nice to have their company.

I stepped out onto the balcony and into the chariot. We had returned to Princess Celestia and saying my farewells to my mom and siblings, Princess Celestia was kind enough to set up a ride to Cloudsdale. She even gave me a scroll that would allow me to walk on the clouds for four hours. As I waved to them and the chariot took off, I began to feel my mood drop a little. I wanted to stay a bit longer and catch up with my siblings. I sighed and placed my hoof under my chin over the edge of the chariot, watching the valley from above. The sun shined overhead as we broke through the winter clouds. In the distance, I could see the massive fortress city. Cloudsdale. Home of the pegasi and HQ of their military. The last time I was here was to deliver a letter to Cloudchaser and Flitter. My thoughts went to the sisters.

The two most interesting ponies I've ever met. I hope they were doing okay. My thoughts fell on Cloudchaser. The pretty cool mare who was surprisingly skilled in karate. Before the whole incident with Tri-Mourn Tower, I had confessed my feelings to her. And while the answer wasn't a no, it did keep my hopes up. I wonder what she'll think of seeing me after four weeks? That's even if she is there at Cloudsdale anymore. Both sisters being Wonderbolts, they are always busy. And with war on the horizon and with their main task having disappeared, I wouldn't be surprised if they got transferred somewhere. I wished I paid more attention about Wonderbolt military processes in CSGU. I continued to stare over the side of the chariot. As time passed and Cloudsdale got closer, I spotted something moving in the corner of my eyes. I looekd to see a figure dip into the clouds below. I furrowed my look and turned to my chariot flier.

The mare seemed lost in her own thoughts as she casually pulled me along. I went to the other side and peeked over, seeing two more figures dip down into the clouds. I frowned. This might not end well. I turned to the chariot puller.

"Excuse me, but any chance you can't go a little... faster?" I asked. The mare blinked and looked over her shoulder.

"Unfortunately, ma'am, the speed limit in the Cloudsdale area must be kept. And it is for the safety of the rider. Please, have a bit more patience, we are almost there." She stated, as if she had said this same thing over and over before. I looked at her in concern before looking over my shoulder. Two more figures dipping into the clouds. We were surrounded. I didn't want to make too much of a scene. Could it just be Cloudsdale police ensuring we are on a safe trip towards Cloudsdale. You can't be too careful now. But... what if it was Triad. It wasn't the first time they chased us in the air. But they were out for Princess Celestia's and Luna's life. Yet... why would they be so close to a flying air fortress? The more I thought about it, the more likely it could happen. Canterlot currently has a mole. Why not Cloudsdale?

I kept myself on alert as the figures kept their distance but maintained speed with the chariot. It wasn't long before the figures dipped down into the clouds and didn't resurface when we approached the landing area for visitors. Stepping down onto the solid platform, I threw my hood on and looked over my shoulder. No pony came to greet us. In fact, it seemed that the visitor area was empty. Pegasi were flying high in the air, to and fro above me. I followed the solid platform to a road that was meant for unicorn and earth pony visitors. Seeing those figures had me a bit paranoid. I hurried along before arriving at the main plaza. There were less visitors than I expected. Looking around, I came to the realization that I had no idea where to go. I just knew I had to be here.

My eyes fell onto a pegasus stallion, who seemed to be putting up a flyer. I trotted over to him and cleared my throat.

"Ahem. Excuse me, sir." I said. The stallion turned to me and arched a brow. His eyes widened.

"Y-you're that Fire Demon!" He said with fear in his eyes. I balked and quickly waved my hooves in dismissal.

"N-no! Wait! Hear me out, please!" I said, glancing around. Thankfully, there was hardly any pony here. The stallion quickly stuffed something in his saddle bag and took off into the air in a hurry. "Hey! I just wanted to ask you something!" I called out. My ears dropped in sadness. 'Great. Now what do I do?' I turned around and stopped, seeing several silhouettes fly over me. I looked up and saw to my displeasure, several military dressed pegasi landing down in front of me. I sighed and sat on my haunches, raising my hooves. Why would it be any different? The lead pegasi stepped forward.

"Lower your hooves, civilian. You aren't in trouble here. Unless you prove to be." The gruff looking stallion stated. I blinked and looked at him. A scar crossed down one, glossy eye. The stallion tipped his hat. "Well, well. The Fire Demon graces us with her presence. Good. I must ask that you come with us. We need to discuss something that could prove vital to our intel." Well, this was a surprise. However, seeing the other ponies approach me with a strange device made me realize I wasn't out of the clear just yet. They asked me to step onto it and when I did, I felt myself unable to move. As if my hooves dug in and were magnetized to the platform. The pegasi harnessed themselves at the side of the platform and the lead pony nodded. "Don't worry, 'Fire Demon'. You're in the fine hands of the Cloudsdale Guard. Oh, and may I be the first to say. Welcome aboard."

Chapter 4: War Room

“Admiral Fairy Flight. We have a report coming in with the patrol.” A young cadet in training saluted the admiral, who returned it.

“Thank you, cadet. As you are.” He said, taking the papers in his wing. The cadet cantered off, leaving us alone in the room. I rubbed my forehoof.

“A little too rough with escorting. You sure I’m not being arrested?” I asked with an unamused arch of my brow. The pegasi had brought me to, what they refer to as the “war room”. It wasn’t as fancy as they made it sound. But the massive table and the many figures positioned on the map of Equestria was all I needed to see to believe it. That and the many empty chairs surrounding us. Admiral Fairy Flight scanned through the documents as he replied.

“Apologies, Ms. Fire. It’s a prototype binding platform for… ponies of interest.” He said. I blinked and looked back at the platform. I frowned.

“Prisoners of war, you mean.” I said. Fairy didn’t shake his head but looked out the corner of his eyes to me.

“Only if we are forced to. We are still testing more of this… arcane tech as our enemies call it.” I sighed and stood up, walking over to the table and examining it. The green figures were bundled up with blue figures and a stadium like model. I’m assuming that’s Cloudsdale. Not too far, where Pony Land would be, were two castle like models in the north and south. Red figures were bundled up together. I also noticed three more castle models, one being Canterlot and the other the Castle of Friendship. To the north of them would by the Crystal Empire. I couldn’t help but frown.

More figures were bundled around New Appleloosa. No structure to mark their own HQ. I looked to the admiral.

“You sure seem to take into account resources.” I said. The admiral smiled as he put the documents down. I glanced quickly at them, seeing a glimpse of the words “Project”. I narrowed my eyes as the admiral looked over the map.

“We of the Cloudsdale military, are ready to provide aerial support when we have the proper preparations ready. I’ve invited several major reps from Canterlot, to New Appleloosa to the Crystal Empire. I also plan to unveil a special something thanks to two of our Wonderbolt’s greatest.” He said. I blinked at the pegasus.

“Th-that’s why I’m here, admiral. I’m trying to look for two Wonderbolts by the name of Cloudchaser and Flitter.” I said. The admiral beamed.

“Yes, the two who were graciously offered to journey with our grand champion of the realm! Oh, the sights they saw provided valuable intel. But we could always do for more. Which is why you are here.” I was about to protest when the admiral held up a hoof. “Don’t worry. I’ll be sure to notify your friends that you have arrived. Perhaps with three minds together, we can start getting better grasps on newer projects.” I sighed and shook my head.

“Develop all you want. But when I stop the war from going forward, all those bits would be wasted.” I said. Fairy chuckled.

“Pretty bold words for one pony against the entire world. And if you fail?” He replied. I pointed at him.

“I can’t fail.” I said. Fairy seemed pleased by this.

“If only we could have more soldiers with your attitude! Sargent. Could you please notify young Cloudchaser and Flitter to come to the war room? Our guests should be arriving soon.” He said. The pony next to him saluted and cantered off, leaving me and the admiral alone. I eyed him suspiciously.

“I’m not sticking around for war talk, admiral. I have to find the rest of my friends and I’ll be off to Pony Land.” I stated. The admiral nodded.

“How noble. Heading into ground zero of this whole ordeal. This day just keeps getting better and better.” He said with a grin. I shook my head.

“What are you on about?” I asked. The admiral waved a wing uninterestedly.

“All in due time. We are only in the beginning phases of talk and prep. But perhaps I can poke your brain here.” He whipped out a small rake and pointed to the map. “I was thinking having the unicorns set up several points to make a protective wall in key areas in Equestria. The obvious ones being shown. But we could always do with filling gaps. New Appleloosa would be vital to hold for food and ground troops. Now, in order to ensure complete protection, Cloudsdale will be the frontline. We will move the city into position somewhere here.” He circled the rake in the center of Equestria.

“I suspect that Pony Land would send in troops disguised as our own to gather intel. Canterlot already has a mole problem, so we must be several hoof steps ahead. We’ll mobilize several units across key points, making check points to ensure proper evacuation protocols should it ever come to that.” I sighed and put my hoof on my cheek against the table boredly. The admiral must have drone on about more tactics and what ifs, but my mind wandered mindlessly at the rake motions.

Eventually, my mindless following of the rake ended when I realized it was pointing at me. I blinked and looked at the admiral, who seemed eager to hear what I thought of whatever. I rubbed the back of my head.

“Err… I’m not sure I follow. Could you explain it again?” I said with a nervous smile. The admiral tipped his hat.

“Of course! In fact, that would help reiterate some ideas. Now then-.” The door opened and the Sargeant returned, saluting.

“Admiral Fairy Flight. As you requested.” My eyes widened and looked towards the door, my heart beating rapidly. There she was. The most beautiful mare I’ve ever seen. Accompanied by her sister beside her. They saw me and Flitter was the first to engage, cantering over and hugging me.

“Fie! You’re okay!” She said. I smiled and hugged her back. She pulled away and eyed me up and down. “You seem a bit paler. Have you’ve been eating well?” She asked with concern. Now that she mentions it, I did have only hotcakes at the Crystal Empire and a snack on the train ride over to Canterlot. But nothing worthwhile. I was about to say something when she stepped back and rubbed her chin, studying me more. Cloudchaser nudged her sister.

“Err… Flitter. Perhaps you should ease off the ogling? Fie’s been through enough.” She said with a small smile. My eyes met her’s. I was at a loss for words. Still pretty and cool as ever. She seemed to notice this and blush a bit, clearing her throat. “Ahem. Errr… hey, Fie. Operation rescue was a success.” She said. I nodded, only to realize what she meant. I slumped.

“I wish it went off without a hitch. But you know me. A walking firebomb.” I said sadly. The two looked at me in concern before the admiral cleared his throat. The two sisters stood at attention and saluted. Admiral Fairy Flight rose a wing and the two eased.

“Yes, well I hope that we would avoid any unpleasant surprises. Which is another thing. We should begin working on a repressant. Just in case our fiery friend here splits Cloudsdale a part.” He said. I winced at the words and while the two frowned, there was nothing they could say or do. Just then, the door opened and we saw more ponies walk in. Some weren’t fancily dressed. Only two wore military attire. I did not recognize anypony in the audience. “Ahh, good! You’re all here! Please, sit where you are most comfortable.”

The ponies muttered to one another before rounding to their seats. I looked to the two sisters and made a motion that we should leave before the admiral notices. We got to the door when the admiral called out to us.

“Hold on a moment, you three. I think you’d want to hear this.” He said. I winced and rubbed the back of my head.

“Y-yeah, with all due respect admiral, we should really get going. On the clock and what not.” I said with a nervous smile. The admiral looked at us and frowned.

“Blatant disregard to a commanding officer is not something the Wonderbolts preach.” He said with a stern look. Cloudchaser and Flitter winced. They looked at me, their looks telling me the situation. I sighed and nodded softly.

“Alright… we’ll stay and hear out what you have planned. But.” I held up a hoof. “We are a third party. We will not have any say in the war efforts.” The admiral nodded.

“All I need is a bit of your time.” He said with a small smile. “I practiced for this!” I slumped and walked back over to the center of the room. I sat down, Cloudchaser and Flitter stood at attention next to me. I rested my hoof boredly on my cheek and leaned forward. Admiral Fairy Flight held up a wing to calm the muttering. “Gentlecolts and mares, please, can I have your attention directed to the table before you.” The ponies looked to the table.

The admiral began to say his piece, a speech he made out to be grand. And while it captured the attention of the room, I found myself boredly taking one of the figurines without the admiral noticing and began to move it across the table. I made it do a simple marching bounce as the talks proceeded, the conversation bringing up points and ideas that they could use to get an edge on war.

I soon began to feel my eyes grow heavy. It wasn’t long until I completely passed out.

oooOOO000OOOooo

I woke up and felt my entire body shivering. A strong gust of freezing air and snow swirled harshly around me. I threw my hood up, my teeth chattering as I looked around. I knew exactly where I was, despite the snow as far as the eye can see. From the freezing blizzard, the snow swirled in front of me and a hoof stepped forward. I was expecting to come face to face with a colossus like the others. But surprisingly, the spectral ice alicorn Shiva approached me at the same height as Princess Celestia.

I was shivering so much, I couldn’t move. Concentrating, I released Din’s heat through me and I sighed in relief at the warmth. Shiva looked displeased with me.

How disappointing. Seeing you hug yourself in my embrace was touching. If only she wasn’t with you. Shiva said in my head. Her voice cold and stern. I looked up from under my hood stoically.

“And yet, you aren’t attacking me.” I replied. Shive waved a blizzardy wing in dismissal.

Tis no fun if she isn’t present. How odd. Her fire is quite small. I nodded.

“Tuckered out. Best not to wake her unless you truly want to deal with us.” I said coldly. Shive smiled, yet her voice remained cold and stern.

A child through and through. Sleeping like nothing in the world can touch her. Not even the gods or us can withstand her might. I narrowed my eyes. Condescending as it was, I still had one thing on my mind.

"Why am I here?" I asked. Shiva sat on her haunches and eyed me.

A good question. Why is it that you choose to visit me? She replied. I slumped and shook my head.

"Does it always have to be me wandering into a domain? Aren't you sure I didn't get called here? Am I just being gaslighted by every single power element?" I snorted. "Damn primals..." Shive tilted her head.

Interesting. An unexpected choice of words at my presence. I frowned.

"See one, seen 'em all. I'm more concerned on how the rest of this is going to play out. Every other one was out to get me, only for Din to show up. Here's your chance, Shiva. But I'm not going to make it easy." I challenged. Shiva stoically eyed me.

You need not worry, bearer of fire. I've learned to... temper myself. Something my fiery sister has yet to learn. She replied. It was my turn to curiously look at her. But Shiva looked over her shoulder. Hmm. Unfortunate, but I cannot stay any longer. Speak your part. She said. It was hard to gauge what she was looking at before turning her head back to me. I shrugged and shook my head. There was one thing that bothered me.

"When I first started this entire thing, my first ever encounter with a power element was you. On our way to Canterlot, why did you decide to attack me out right?" I asked. Shiva hummed.

Unfariness of the most unforgivable way. She replied. I arched a brow.

"How?" I asked. Shiva stood up and unfurled her wings.

Favoritism. The wind started to howl. I looked around, my look furrowing into concern. I may be in trouble here. I looked back to Shiva who had turned around and began to walk away from me. I must return. Begone with you. The wind picked up and Shiva vanished into the blizzard. I had to shield myself as I found myself being pulled off the ground and tumbling into the sky. I then found myself sailing through a black void. I continued to tumble, unable to control myself with my flailing. Suddenly, I found myself stopping. As if something had caught me. I was in a strange pose, unable to move. I felt a cold chill down my spine and I gasped when a dark fire erupted in front of me.

It grew bigger and bigger until the fire formed an alicorn. The alicorn reared up with unfurled her wings and towered over me.

Hahahahah! Not so bold now, are you? The alicorn grinned. I don't know why I continued to try and free myself. But unlike Shiva, Tenebres was somepony I really didn't want to engage with. After countless days waiting! I finally found you! The alicorn giggled eerily. I furrowed my look.

"Shiva beat you to it." I replied simply. Tenebres scoffed and waved a hoof in a shooing manner.

Don't care. Shiva is not of my concern. What I want is to teach you and Din that there is more than one primal striving for ascension! I arched a brow.

“You? But…” I darted my eyes in thought. Tenebres began to pace back and forth, eyeing me like a predator.

Surprised? Good! It is all thought up by my vessel. After seeing your little declaration against the serpent, my vessel got excited. She thought “Why not go for it ourselves? No creature would tell us what to do anymore”. This surge of power given to us. It’s wonderful! I can only imagine what ascending can give us!

I was stunned. Could Tenebres no longer be tied to the bylaws as well? My mind was racing. I am genuinely in trouble here. And Din isn’t responding. I took a deep breath and braced myself, meeting the eyes of the alicorn with mine, hoping I wasn’t showing any fear.

“So… you aren’t tied to the bylaws anymore?” I asked. Tenebres stopped and blinked at me.

Tied? The string has always been cut! The others are just too blind to see it! She growled and started to make mocking tones. This realm will be mine! All will bow before my gifts! Mortals are undeserving of such and must worship me! She stuck what I assumed was a tongue out in disgust. All focused on one thing rather than the bigger picture. And they say I’m the child! She then grinned. The satisfaction we’ll have when we’ll show them all that simple minded creatures are beneath our magnificence! But there is one who shares this same ideal and I cannot have her in the way any longer. I gasped as I saw her horn beginning to glow with a sinister aura.

I struggled against whatever was holding me, panicking just a little. I then had an idea.

“Hold on. You’re planning on killing me? You do realize that if one of us dies, the very thing you want isn’t going to happen.” I stated. Tenebres snorted.

Do not take me for a fool, vessel. I’m merely going to keep you here until the time comes. Din can try all she like. But my power is now tenfold more than her’s! She stands no chance! she retorted.

“Y-you’re right!” I quickly said. “She doesn’t stand any chance. I mean, would you believe this? She tried to take over the Crystal Empire and it took those without god like powers to best her!” I chuckled. “She completely got ahead of herself and lost to mortals!” Tenebres’s posture adjusted, her head tilting. I nodded. “She always talks big, but when it comes down to it, she’s just a dog barking up the wrong tree. And what do you know as well, you managed to capture me with no Din in sight. If she can’t keep a leash on her vessel, does she even deserve to have ascension?”

I noticed Tenebres dart her purple shadow slit eyes in thought. She then had a grin spread across her face.

Now that you mention it… I did do all of that, didn’t I? I nodded and looked around, hoping to find anything that could get me out of here. Tenebres’s glow on her horn faded and she put a hoof proudly against her chest. But of course I did! They think to look down upon me? A genius? The one that rightfully rules this realm? Even Lux’s light bestows my shadow even further! She rubbed her chin, pleasantly thinking. I was unnerved by this. Tenebres clapped her hooves together. Oh! I just had a most brilliant idea! Don’t go anywhere! The dark fire erupted around her and I was left in the darkness.

I blinked blankly, tugging against whatever held me. I have to get out of here. I closed my eyes and imagined splitting myself. A perfect copy forming from the other half. When I opened my eyes, I saw myself smiling up at me. I nodded and my copy reached behind her and withdrew a flaming halberd. She stood up on two hind legs, skillfully twirling the halberd and with two slashes, I found myself landing on my hooves. I dusted myself off, only to stop as the sticky dark sap on my cloak hoodie dripped off of me.

I looked around. How to get out of here? Usually, I’m either thrown out or Din pulls me away. But being in a black void, I’m not sure which is up and down. I hummed in thought. What if I just get Tenebres to push me out? But… should I risk Tenebres coming back and seeing me loose? I looked to my other self, who only returned my look with a blank smile.

“Yes. That’s exactly what I want.” I said to myself before reaching back and withdrawing my quarter staff as it popped into existence. I channeled the heat into it and the staff formed a spectral flaming halberd. I then stood up on two and pointed the tip blade of the halberd up, a small sphere of fire forming and growing bigger. Now just the size of a stress ball, I released the energy and to my surprise, the beam struck something. A blood curdling cry resounded around me and from the void shot out dark, shadowy fire.

I quickly dispersed and readied myself with my copy. Tenebres formed, scowling and rubbing her cheek. When she saw me, her eyes flared angrily.

You dare strike a queen while her attention is elsewhere?! You’ll pay for that!

I only smirked and using more of my magic, I split into two more copies. I ordered my copies to hop around me and I followed suite. Tenebres growled, her eyes watching and switching focus to the other. Seeming to lose patience, she roared and slammed her hooves, firing a whip of shadow from her own and striking two of my copies.

They vanished and I rushed forward with my remaining copy. Tenebres swished her horn and I gasped, sliding under as a shadowy scythe swished overhead and decapitated my copy, which stumbled and fell, vanishing into smoke. Ignoring my potential gruesome death, I got up and spun the halberd, sending the point at Tenebres and striking her chest. She cried in pain and stumbled back. I pulled back and got into my stance. Tenebres held her chest, panting.

Argh! Why do you have to be such an annoying pest?! Can I not have a moment of triumph?! Tenebres’s eyes widened and she looked behind her. I arched a brow as she turned her head back to me while turning her body. This isn’t over, vessel! My vessel and I will hunt you down to the ends of this forsaken realm! Mark my words! She made one motion with a singular wing and I felt myself being sent off my hooves, yelping at the sudden throw. The domain melted around me.

oooOOO000OOOooo

I found myself jolting up with a gasp.

“Fie?? Is everything okay??” I heard a voice. I blinked and looked to Cloudchaser and Flitter, who were at both my sides and looking at me with worry. I blinked and looked to see that I was still in the war room. Every eye on me. Admiral Fairy Flight seemed intrigued. I shrunk back a bit.

“Err… why is everypony looking at me like that?” I asked nervously. Flitter gestured at me.

“You were muttering a lot to the point you were interrupting the talks. We tried waking you up and suddenly your mane and tail began to glow.” She said. “It’s strange. It was like you were trying to go… well… into primal mode.” One of the ponies stood up.

“She shouldn’t even be here! She should be looked in Tartarus!” They cried out. Admiral Fairy Flight held up a wing.

“I specifically asked her to be in attendance. And now, Ms. Fire, that we have your attention, I have a question for you.” He said. I blinked and rubbed my muzzle. From one thing to another. “Would you say these… Triads, are stationed in any particular location you might recall?” I don’t know why, but I didn’t hesitate to speak. I should have kept my mouth shut.

“Manehatten. But they may have moved due to the attention we caused there.” I said tiredly. I saw Cloudchaser and Flitter exchanged concerned glances before Flitter spoke up.

“A-Admiral Fairy Flight, sir. With all due respect, I think we should just focus on stationing in the key areas mentioned. If the Triad have been stationed secretly for a while in Equestria, then going straight for one would close other opportunities to advance on the others. They’ll know we’ll be coming.” She said. Fairy beamed.

“An excellent proposition, Ms. Glider. I think it’s time to release the Shadowbolts.” He said with a rub of his chin. One of the other ponies in the room looked shocked as they spoke.

“You can’t be serious.” They said. Fairy nodded.

“Morbidly so. Not only can we figure out where more inside stations are, but we can cut all means of supply. We need to mess with a nest, follow one rat and take out the rest.” He said. He then moved some purple figurines he had in the crowd of multi-colored figures and moved them over Manehatten. "I can think of no better than the Shadowbolts to begin their investigation into key Triad stations." Another pony stood up.

"There is only one problem. The tech and magic they display. We've been told that mechanical behemoths are to be used and anything that is branded theirs is considered tracked. We would need a counter spell if we were to even begin to... study their tech." They spoke. The other balked.

"Mass weapons of destructions isn't what we are about!" They stated. The first pony I saw stand up scoffed.

"And you expect us to throw flowers and welcome them with open hooves and a song and dance? No, we need much more drastic measures. Shadowbolts are too risky. Too independent." The other pointed at him.

"And how do you expect we do that with the underdevelopment we have currently? At this rate, we are going to enter with shoddy equipment." They stated. Another stood up.

"Perhaps we should start a campaign. The ponies of Equestria are in a dire panic. Those that do not want to get involved will either escape to the Crystal Empire or the Dragon Lands. Those that do would want to see their aggressors on their home turf suffer at the might of justice. Or perhaps we could make a draft. It'll certainly keep the war of attrition going." The third pony looked shocked.

"We shouldn't use such awful means! We need a better solution! Diplomatic solutions should come first before actions!" The second pony chuckled.

"Our majesties have tried many times, only to be met with disapproval. Diplomatic solutions are to be met with extreme firepower." The first pony slammed their hoof down.

"But why increase the bloodshed? We should ensure that those that have wronged Equestria get what they deserve. The path of redemption is a cold, but welcome one." More ponies stood up.

"I agree! Send the Shadowbolts! That'll teach miscreants from disgracing our royal sisters!"

"We must study their tech in order to evolve our own! We should attack where they are and use it to our advantage!"

"Must we be so hasty in rushing in? We should pick our enemy's brains. Intel is what we need to get a better advantage!"

I frowned as the ponies began arguing from every corner of the room. One even suggested borderline war crimes. Admiral Fairy Flight clopped his hoof against the table loudly.

"Gentlecolts! Mares! We do not need infighting! This is the war room! I will have order!" He commanded. The ponies quieted, but the three that pitched ideas eyed him.

"And what do you suggest, Admiral?" They asked. Admiral Fairy cleared his throat and pointed at me with the rake.

"We already have a solution. Our very own champion of Equestria." He said. I crossed my hooves, looking at him in disapproval. The pony shook his head.

"I'm all for going beyond the call of duty but sending in a walking megaspell nuke is not humane! She should be locked up! For her crimes in Hoofington and instigating the war in the first place!" I arched a brow at this.

"Instigated? I think you forget what is really going on here." I said, standing up. "I'm not the solution. I'm a third party. Anything can go and my actions won't change the tide of war. All I'm asked to do is see what I can try. Need I remind you all why I exist?" I stood on top of my table and withdrew my staff, slamming the bottom tip down on the table. Everypony had eyes on me. "Our realm is currently under threat by primal gods, and we are all sitting here trying to think of a solution to how we can proceed in a war against our neighbors. If you ask me, I have no damn clue what any of this has to do with my time. I'm just going to stick with what I do best." I shouldered my staff. "If you have a problem with that, then bite me. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get ready to go to Pony Land at the behest of Princess Twilight Sparkle. I've wasted enough time here." I hopped off the table and motioned for Cloudchaser and Flitter to follow. The two sisters looked unsure of everything, but they saluted the admiral before following after me.

We made our way out of the mansion like cloud building, I, being mindful of where I step so I don't fall through. When we got to the exit, I cast my cloud walking spell and stepped onto the fluffy texture. I heard Flitter sigh.

"Well, that was exhausting. Wish I had taken your example, Fie." She said. Cloudchaser smirked and nudged me.

"Thi has rubbed off on you." She said. I smiled softly before sighing and shaking my head.

"Everypony is in a panic. I can't do anything about that. If it's not the war, it's the primals at fault. In fact, it is a primal that started it anyway." I tossed my staff over my back and it popped out of existence. I rubbed the back of my head. "I also had a convo with Shiva and Tenebres." The two looked at me, their expression serious. "Tenebres is hunting me down and for some reason... she is eerily excitable than the first time I met her. And Shiva was surprisingly brief. Almost as if something had distracted her." I rubbed my chin. "I wished we had the scrolls. Need a refresher on where the others could be." Flitter smiled.

"Then we should head to Manehatten. Scribble told us he's going to be there for a while. Apparently, some hunters from H.A.A.C. have gone missing. Not only that, but the local ecological wildlife has also been getting restless. Just the other day, Cloudchaser and I saw a butterfly in Cloudsdale. A butterfly!" I tilted my head at her. "Butterflies don't fly this high!" Cloudchaser nodded grimly. I slumped and was beginning to find this all a little hectic. And I thought the war room was getting awkward. I then looked at them.

"Any idea where Thi could be?" I asked. Cloudchaser and Flitter looked at me apologetically.

"Sorry, Fie. Haven't heard or seen from her since you went missing. When we got back to Canterlot, she quickly left without a word." Cloudchaser said. Flitter nodded.

"I'm a little worried. We know she's probably still out trying to find you. But... word should have gotten out about you returning. If she hasn't shown herself by now, then she's probably still looking or in some sort of trouble." She said. I couldn't help but snicker a bit.

"Or maybe looking for trouble." I then sighed. "But yeah. I know she can handle herself. But..." I rubbed my foreleg. The last time she did this I haven't heard from her in six years. She still hasn't given me a proper apology, but we made up at least. I thought about it a bit more and then nodded. "Well, if she's looking for me or looking for trouble, we'll just have to follow her example. Let's help out Scribble. Maybe he has an inkling of where she might be." The two sisters smiled.

"Onto the next adventure. Glad to see you back, Fie. Though..." Flitter frowned and began to hold my sides. I blushed and shifted uncomfortably. Cloudchaser seemed to advert her eyes and rub the back of her head. "You need to eat something. You've lost some weight while you were gone." I smiled nervously.

"I-I thought my hoodie cloak felt a little loose..." I replied. Flitter beamed and hovered up in the air.

"Oh! Cloudchaser! Let's take her to our favorite eatery! We've never invited a unicorn friend before!" She said excitedly. Cloudchaser chuckled and shrugged.

"Sure. Why not? Could do with something after that whole war room thing." She said. Flitter squeed and I yelped as I was forced to be pulled along by Flitter. I looked to Cloudchaser for help. But she only gave a small smile before looking bothered.

Chapter 5: Manehatten Revisited

Cloudchaser pulled the chariot along with Flitter. The two having offered to do so after we ate. The eatery they took me too was something I genuinely didn't think existed. It was almost like a gladiator back room. The design looking to something you'd see when waiting for your turn to fight to the death. Which was ironic considering some of the pegasi employees there dressed for the occasion. I was pleasantly surprised to see them act out a larp, almost as if it was straight out of a movie. I let out a bloated sigh, feeling full and satisfied. I took a sip of water from my canteen as we sailed through the clouds. It was a rather chilly breeze. I looked over the side, my mind aware and keeping a look out. I wasn't sure what I saw on my way to Cloudsdale, but I had a bad feeling.

Cloudchaser and Flitter were chatting amongst themselves, but I wasn't paying attention to hear what they were saying. My eyes scanned the clouds, expecting to see figures not too far off dipping in and out.

“Fie?” I heard Flitter ask. I blinked and looked over to see her looking over her shoulder to me. “What do you think?” I blankly looked at her.

“Uhhh… hotcakes?” I asked. Cloudchaser snickered.

“No, dummy. We were asking what you think about Cloudsdale.” She said. I blinked.

“Oh, uh… it’s… big.” I replied. “And… surprisingly traditional.” Cloudchaser nodded.

“Military has always run through pegasi blood.” She stated. “And whenever any talks of war are initiated, the uhh… starved get a little excited, to put it nicely.” She then sighed. “Every day it just seems like peace is slipping away.” I looked at her worriedly. I rubbed the back of my head in thought.

“So… aside from returning to Cloudsdale, what else did you two do?” I asked. Flitter casually batted a cloud puff away as she spoke.

“Well, we did want to search for you, but Captain Spitfire caught us leaving and asked to return to give our reports. After that, we were sent to Cloudsdale to give a detailed report. We spent the weeks just waiting for General Cloud Puncher to return. Imagine our surprise when Admiral Fairy Flight asked for us.” She explained. Flitter gestured in no particular fashion.

“General Cloud Puncher has been overseas as of late to overlook certain stations being made to set up for pegasi outposts and scouting spots.” Flitter continued. “It’s been hectic, but they believe the Equestrian Navy will serve as a good distraction for their cloud canons.” I rested my cheek on my hoof against the edge of the chariot.

"The pegasi certainly have their work cut out for them. Not sure how Canterlot is going to handle their own planning.” I said. Cloudchaser smiled.

“Well, that’s something we don’t really need to worry about just yet. I’m impressed though. There are only two ponies who can stand up to Admiral Fairy. Now a third one. I think he’s losing his touch a little.” She snickered. I flourished a hoof.

“I’m already tasked with the fate of the world. I’m not going to be a scapegoat to military politics.” I replied matter-of-factly. Flitter shrugged and shook her head.

“More like guinea pig. Did you hear how he kept referring to Fie as ‘the ace’?” She asked. I furrowed my look. Cloudchaser frowned.

“Let’s just hope we don’t have to deal with our home turf…” She stated. I gave an apologetic look to Cloudchaser. The two sisters have been through a lot, and I couldn’t help but feel guilty once more. I then had a thought.

“Flitter…?” I asked.

“Hmm?” She replied. I turned to face them.

“How are you feeling? Any… side effects?” I asked. Flitter and Cloudchaser were quiet. My concern grew. Cloudchaser casually skimmed her hoof against a cloud.

"Let's just say, you weren't the only one who lost weight for a while." She said. Flitter bowed her head in silence. I found myself gripping the edge of the chariot a little too hard. Flitter finally spoke.

"I... had myself tested in the Department of Health. Physically, I'm fine. Took a test in the Psychology Department. My tests came back as stable, but several brain activities are abnormal. They've ran plenty of tests and unfortunately, cannot come to a conclusion." She hugged herself. "Every night I just hear, 'obey your king' over and over in my head and lately, I've begun to see shadows popping out in the corner of my eyes." I didn't know how to respond. What could I do? I'm dealing with my own hallucinations. I sighed and looked out the side of the chariot.

"I'm sorry... Flitter." I said. Flitter shook her head.

"It's really not your fault. We were caught by surprise." She replied. I remained quiet. The silence continuing for quite a while as we flew over the valley. The sisters were pretty great fliers on their own. If they trained a little more, they'd be able to keep up with Rainbow Dash. To think, our journey completely kicked off when Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy had somehow gotten caught into investigating the Triad. I then thought back to Discord talking to me on the train, which transitioned into when he had shown up in the hospital to overlook Fluttershy's recovery. I frowned when Ouroboros showed up in my thoughts. The Serpent has been doing his damndest to throw us for a loop. Our realm truly is in danger, yet the World Serpent is using us as half-time entertainment. I knew something was fishy about this from the start. My thoughts were cut off when I noticed several dark figures dipping down into the clouds not too far from us.

"Uhhh, we got company." Cloudchaser said, her look turning serious. I held onto the chariot and followed her gaze. more shadow figures dipping into the clouds. However, seeing as we had spotted them fully, they shot out from below the clouds and sailed towards us. "Hang on!" Cloudchaser called out. The two sisters were in sync and maneuvered the chariot to avoid the creatures that would have struck us if we didn't. I held on with both hooves as more of the shadow creatures shot out and aimed towards us. I grit my teeth once the sister's had avoided them. Seems like Tenebres is still a little mad at me. But then... what were they doing earlier when I was heading to Clocudsdale? A question that would never be answered as I ducked from a creature that flew over me. It shrieked, the faceless silhouette of a bat like creature hovered over me and four more backed it up. I quickly withdrew my quarter staff with my magic and began batting at the creatures, the hits not that hard, but enough that it sent them flying away from me.

Cloudchaser and Flitter began dipping into the clouds, vision becoming hard to see. I held on tightly as we raced through the clouds, Cloudchaser and Flitter moving this way and that as the creatures tried to ram into us. What is Tenebres trying to do? I then saw Cloudchaser balk.

"Flitter, left!" She called out. I nearly fell out of the chariot, tumbling out and holding on for dear life as they had just avoided a skyscraper. I looked down and saw that we had arrived in Manehatten. Yet, I saw the creatures still on our tail. I recalled my staff to free my other hoof and pulled myself up, bucking one creature away. Our chariot flew through the city, the chariot having bounced off of one balcony on a hotel. I turned to the sisters.

"Guys! We need to lose them! Head lower!" I stated. The two nodded and got as low as they could, hovering just above the passing wagons underneath us. We could hear surprised cries and swearing around us, but the creatures were gaining. I grit my teeth. 'This is starting to get irritating.' I then felt a warmth envelop me and taking a deep breath, I withdrew my quarterstaff once more, only to envelop it into fire and forming the halberd. I spun it over my head and made two horizontal slashes, sending out bladed waves of fire that sliced several of the shadow creatures. I held on once more as the two made a sharp turn to avoid running into a cargo wagon. I saw two of the creatures splattering into oncoming wagons. I swung again, sending out whips of flame that struck the creatures that didn't dodge.

I winced when I accidentally cut one of the street signs and our chariot caused a couple of wagons to careen into each other and even off the road. I balked and looked over my shoulder.

"Get a bit higher!" I shouted. The two did just that, crashing the wheel of the chariot into the side of a building to avoid a creature, splintering it. The chariot began to weigh down without the wheel, nearly dipping me over the side. Cloudchaser and Flitter made a sharp dip and landed onto the street, screeching to a halt. Friction must have slept in as wagons began careening away from the abrupt landing. We yelled in panic as the wagons in the four way couldn't stop. I found myself sailing over the crashing, tumbling into the air and landed hard on the pavement, rolling to a stop. I felt the wind had left me and tried to stand up, only to fall forward and clutch my stomach, trying to get air into me. I painfully looked to the wreckage that we had caused, and I could see Cloudchaser dangling from the wagon harness as it had seemed to crash on top of two wagons. I winced and looked for Flitter. I could see her at the bottom of the piled wreckage. Several ponies injured and battered were in the same manner.

However, the creatures began to descend from the sky. I could hear screaming ponies and the thunderous chorus of hooves around me. I grimaced, pushing myself up painfully and leaning against the signpost, rasping for breath. I have to do something. The creatures fluttered over the pile and began to attack Cloudchaser, who was still unconscious. My eyes widened. I pushed myself to move, stumbling over myself. It was then that a firebolt had sailed over my head and in a bright flash of light, the creatures scattered. I looked over my shoulder and found my hopes rising. I have never been more happier to see an egghead who knew how to use magical rocks. The blue earth pony dawned in a yellow coat and bearing a stoic face stepped forward, reaching into his pouch and withdrawing a rock that he dropped on the ground and crushed it with a hoof. I saw the ground tremble past me and a dome with a large hole covered the wreckage, the creatures screeching before turning on the earth pony. The earth pony stood up, clapping his forehooves together and then tossing them out. A crackle of lightning shot out and chained to the creatures, causing them to retreat and fly away.

As he landed on his hooves, his sharp, light blue eyes met mine. I saw his eyes narrow and I was about to say something before I felt my body freeze up and something cold on my head. The ground met me pretty quickly.

I woke up staring at the bland ceiling of someplace I was not familiar with. I was expecting a hospital, but seeing a pony dawned in a similar garb to Silver Scribble, I couldn't help but start to question if I was dreaming. I got my answer when I saw Silver Scribble walked up next to the pony with a clipboard.

"Durable as always yet dumb as usual." He said casually as he scanned the clipboard. I groggily looked at him. The other pony pulled away before her hooves began to mess with my left foreleg. She furrowed her look.

"How unusual. The injuries she suffered should have put her out of commission. Yet, her wounds seem to be... mending themselves?" She stated curiously. Scribble put the clipboard down.

"That's just her healing factor. If she didn't have a maniacal being inside of her, then everything you said would have applied." He replied matter-of-factly. He then trotted out of sight, and I tried to follow him with my eyes, only for the pony mare to move my head to face her and study me. Her eyes widened when she met my own.

"By Celestia, she's awake!" She stated.

"Tell her she's dreaming. That one has too much energy for anypony's sake." I heard Scribble say from the side. I couldn't help but pull away and wince before responding.

"I missed you, egghead." I rasped weakly. Scribble appeared on the other side of the bed, his look unchanging.

"We'll have plenty of time to catch up. However, the sisters don't have a healing factor like somepony. Just enjoy Stethoscope's company. She could do with talking to somepony else." He said before moving away. The mare frowned.

"Hey, I'm not socially inept to talk to somepony else!" She stated.

"Maybe, but that's to be seen after you talk to Fie." He said. I winced and tried to get up before the mare, Stethoscope, put me back down.

"Urgh... when did Scribble become a full-time doctor?" I asked weakly. Stethoscope smiled.

"Not a licensed one. He's just always prepared for the worst-case scenario." She replied. That checks out. Scribble is reliable and always ready to help, even if he doesn't show it. Funny that the first time we truly met was when Thi and I fended off a Roc. Ever since, he's been the one to keep mainly Thi in check. Which still baffles me to this very day. That reminds me. I looked over to see Scribble over a bed. In it, I could see Cloudchaser and Flitter in separate beds, moving but seeming to rest themselves as Scribble and two other ponies tended to them.

"Scribble?" I asked raspy. Scribble looked at me in the corner of his eyes. "Do you by chance know where Thi went?" Scribble's eyes went back to focusing on Flitter, helping one of the similar yellow coated ponies to bandage her up. After he was done, he finally trotted over to Cloudchaser and checked her IV bag before replying.

"No idea." He said simply. I felt myself a little puzzled by this, but taking the response as is, I finally rested myself and sighed. Stethoscope rubbed her chin.

"Thi? Why does that name sound familiar?" She asked.

"Oh, she's the biggest terrorist in all of Equestria. If you recall her, you've probably seen a wanted poster or heard about it." He said. I saw the mare's eyes widened before looking at me.

"You know Thi Billet?" She asked in awe. I arched a brow weakly.

"You sound a bit more... un-surprised by this, shockingly." I stated in response. Stethoscope looked at me worriedly.

"So... that thing about a maniacal being inside of you... that's all true? Are you the Fire Demon?" I didn't reply to her. If she knows, then what's the point? Scribble finally trotted over to my bedside.

"A dumb one for causing an entire scene in Manehatten after being gone for four weeks. Thought you'd mature a bit. Still like to make a grand entrance." He said. I shook my head softly.

"Spending four weeks in a frozen castle isn't what I call grand." I rasped in response. "But that is beside the point. I've been given a task at the behest of Princess Twilight Sparkle. I'm trying to get everypony together so we can head over to Pony Land." Stethoscope looked at me in surprise.

"What!? Why would she send ponies to our enemies!?" She asked. Scribble frowned.

"I know it's not a secret, but you should keep your inside voice as to not disturb everycreature's work." He said before looking at me. "So. Marching once again into the lion's den. What about the other three power elements?" I lazily waved my hoof.

"We'll run into Tenebres a lot if my 'grand entrance' proved anything. I only met with Shiva briefly and as far as we know, General Lilac has some connection to the bearer of Lux. I'm hoping we can resolve the stuff in Pony Land before the spring solstice." I said. Scribble rubbed his chin.

"Sounds like you have your job cut out for you." He said. I looked at him tiredly. "Unfortunately, I have my hooves full at the moment so I may not be able to join you on this one." I found myself sitting up, ignoring the slight pain I felt and the mare trying to push me down.

"I had a feeling something like that was going to be said. Cloudchaser and Flitter told me that your organization is in a bit of a mess." Scribble slumped.

"You heard correctly." He then dug into his saddle bag and withdrew a file. "I had a feeling I'd run into you at somepoint, so I held onto this just in case." He placed the file on my bed and I took it in my magic. I opened it and scanned the papers. Missing creatures that were registered with H.A.A.C. and M.E.S.S. I arched a brow.

"It's not just hunters, but the ecology study teams as well?" I asked. Scribble nodded.

"The eyewitnesses that we've had come in had only ever stated that the hunters and ecology study teams have disappeared after a hunt or spending too much time studying the wildlife. No creature knows exactly how it happens, but they vanish with everything on them. No blood. No body. No notes." He explained. I rubbed the back of my head as I closed the file and put it back down on my bed.

"And we are sure it isn't just a rampaging monster that we have no clue what it is capable of?" I asked. Scribble nodded.

"If it was a rampaging monster, there would be a struggle. Like I said. Nothing." He replied. "Now that we got the intel out of the way, when you are rested up enough, I'd like to get you out on the field." He said. I was about to respond when Stethoscope rounded around the bed and held up her hooves in an "X" manner.

"What the hell is going on here??" She exclaimed quizzically. Everypony's eyes fell on her. "Scribble, you can't be serious! You're going to send the Fire Demon out to investigate the disappearances!? She destroyed Hoofington! She brought shadow creatures into Manehatten and caused a lot of property damage! There are Manehatten cops waiting at your request to let her rest, which I am amazed they allowed you too when she's Equestria's most wanted! Not only that, she's friends with a terrorist!" I winced. I didn't know what to expect, but I guess I forgot in a brief moment of seeing Scribble that everything would be okay. Scribble looked at the mare stoically.

"You weren't complaining earlier. In fact, you had more distress when I brought them in." He said. Stethoscope's face went red with frustration.

"Don't give me that! You're lucky you are the founder of M.E.S.S.! Otherwise, the departments would have tossed you out for housing her!" She argued. Scribble, in no surprise, didn't hesitate to respond.

"If I recall, M.E.S.S. and H.A.A.C. are a lot more motivated ever since Fie's exploits have proven to be beneficial to research and employment. Some of our best hunters want to learn from Fie's own heroics to make the world a bit more relax for every creature living in our realm. War maybe on the horizon, but most of us haven't forgotten that Fie is trying to make sure we aren't going to be non-existent in the process. I gave the departments my report of what happened in Hoofington." He then lazily waved a hoof at me in a gesture. "This idiot has done a lot to ensure that somepony like you are able to be employed comfortably. And if I am not mistaken, we are in no position to pick and choose who we turn to help at the moment." Stethoscope sputtered at this response. I couldn't help but blush a little and rub the back of my head in embarrassment. Scribble could be an ass at times, but like I said, he's damn reliable. I heard Cloudchaser chuckle from her bed. She sat up and held her side, wincing.

"The four weeks have been a little too kind to you, egghead." She said. Scribble softly sighed quietly.

"It's because I don't show it." He then turned to her. "I wasn't lying when I said our hooves are full. I know why you are here in Manehatten and I cannot join you at this current time." He then looked over his shoulder to me. "Which is why somepony won't take no for an answer." I smiled softly and moved out of my bed, standing up much to Stethoscope's shock. Scribble shrugged and shook his head before withdrawing a rolled-up scroll and held it up. I took it in my magic and levitated it over to me, opening it up to reveal a map. "The recent disappearance has luckily happened off the coast of Manehatten. Hunters were investigating sightings of a kelpie of all things before they disappeared. I'm not going to say that the kelpie may not be responsible for the disappearance, but with the primals still around, I shouldn't rule anything out until I get the facts." I studied the map a bit before rolling it up and sticking it in my saddle bag.

"A kelpie?" I asked. Scribble was examining Flitter, who seemed a bit out of it.

"A dangerous deep sea water creature that has an instinctual habit of drowning unfortunate land-based creatures as their meal. Something has the kelpie keeping them out of water. It's a bit of a long shot, but if you can just check up on the research base in that location on the map, I'll feel a bit more at ease that the residents of Manehatten don't have to worry about a sea creature from causing havoc." He explained. Stethoscope shook her head.

"I can't believe this... How can you be so calm about all of this? Why are we putting our trust into somepony like her?" She pointed at me. I frowned slightly but Scribble waved a hoof at her.

"Because she's the only one capable of lessening our load. Whether she likes it or not, if she wants my help on her journey, then the least she can do is help out. Trust me, you'll sleep better knowing ponies are saved." He said matter-of-factly as he put a hoof on Flitter's head. Cloudchaser looked worriedly at him.

"How is she?" She asked. Scribble clapped his hooves in front of her and her eyes blinked before looking at him.

"Oh... hey, Scribble. Where... am I?" She asked. Scribble rubbed his chin.

"Disoriented but responsive. Anything you are feeling Flitter?" He asked her. Flitter blinked blankly at him, looking a bit lost. I looked at her worriedly.

"Not that I can feel... or think of... just... dizzy." She replied. Scribble sighed and looked to me.

"Sorry, Fie. But until I can assure Flitter's disposition, they are going to remain here. Stethoscope. Would you accompany Fie to the research base along the coast?" Stethoscope balked.

"Wha? Me?? Why??" She asked. Scribble dropped his stoicism and looked annoyed.

"Because I cannot have any doubts or muddled thoughts. If you can't take Fie at her word, then let her actions speak for her. You want to help ponies too, right?" He arched a brow at her. Stethoscope hesitated and bowed her head. I glanced between her and Scribble. He sighed and rubbed his muzzle. "I'm not expecting you to fight a kelpie. If that's the case, Fie can at least keep it at bay long enough for you to gather any research notes. Kelpies are formidable and not to be underestimated. But that's a worst-case scenario." He turned, only to stop and turn back to me. "And Fie? The police are waiting for you outside. Best take the backdoor." I smiled and saluted.

"Yes, boss." I replied. I gave a quick glance at Stethoscope before trotting out of the room. I didn't question any of this. It's not my first brush with monsters. In fact, it's one of the few things I enjoyed doing so with my friends. I'd rather be a monster fighter. It's a breath of fresh air from fighting primal lackeys. Stethoscope reluctantly followed me, grumbling under her breath. We trotted down the hall to some steps. Taking in my surroundings as we went, this was just a plain office building. I couldn’t help but question a little of why there was a mini hospital and how some of the M.E.S.S. Members act like doctors. I looked over my shoulder as we exited through the back door to Stethoscope.

“Errr… I’ve been meaning to ask.” I began. The mare looked at me unpleasantly. We trotted out of the alley way as I continued. “Do most of the Monster Ecology and Study Service researchers always play doctor? Is that like a hobby for the organization?” I stopped at the end of the alley and peeked around. Sure enough, there were Manehatten police wagons outside the front entrance. That and an angry mob bearing signs of protest for my banishment.

Stethoscope sighed before motioning me to follow. We snuck back into the alley way and squeezed through a fence in order to go around the attention as she replied.

“It’s more of a Silver Scribble thing. He fully believes that this line of work will put a lot of stress and trauma on anypony and since hospitals charge for ridiculous fees for monster related injuries, Scribble feels that treating the ponies himself would help out in future research.” She explained. I couldn’t help but snicker.

“Being the self-less pony to his citizens. I always wondered how he was able to be so good at it.” I looked around our surroundings as we headed down the street. I tossed my hood up to at least cover my mane so I wouldn’t stand out so much. “I also didn’t expect him to be a fighter when I first met him. Just a boring ol’ egghead.” Stethoscope shook her head.

“He’s amazing in a lot of things. But the one thing that irritates the departments and half the other co-workers is his attitude and pushing others away.” She then motioned at me. “So, forgive me if he somehow trusts you of all ponies when you clearly have the whole world aimed at you.” I rubbed the back of my head as we turned and made our way down to a beach entrance.

“Errr… I’m sorry?” I replied quizzically. I can understand why she’s hesitant about me. But I wasn’t sure why she was so upset with Scribble. I wanted to ask what was really wrong, but not wanting to push it, I sighed and continued to walk with her to the beach. When we finally reached the coast, Stethoscope led the rest of the way, taking a left and traversing the chilled sand at our hooves. It was surprisingly colder here than the Crystal Empire.

We remained quiet as we traveled at least two miles worth of beach before arriving at what looked to be a bit of a hastily constructed tent. There were tables that were stacked with books, some having appeared to topple over into the sand. Several books were floating in the water, bobbing with the tide. Stethoscope’s look turned serious.

“A struggle. But... why did the reports come back as no sign of struggle?” She stated as she looked around the site. I furrowed my look.

“Huh. And here I thought it was just put hastily together.” I stated as I picked up a sand covered book. I dusted it off and skimmed the wet pages. Whatever was jotted down was now unintelligible. Stethoscope began to rummage through the belongings as I started to scan the water’s edge. The dry sand showed hoof prints, but aside from washed up seaweed and books, nothing stuck out for me.

I looked over my shoulder and saw Stethoscope reading a journal.

“Find anything?” I asked. Stethoscope pointed at the journal.

“Rum Runner’s journal. It says here that he and his team were indeed investigating signs of kelpie activity. He even states they saw a herd of them resting on a passing ship.” She said. I lowered my head a bit before looking back out to the sea. Using Din’s eyes to enhance and get a farther look, the most I could see was fog and silhouettes of sea markers. My ears flicked as I heard Stethoscope audibly mutter her confusion. I looked back over my shoulder and saw her leaning down and examining something black on a seaside boulder.

I tilted my head a little and walked over to her. She reached into her saddle bag and withdrew a carving knife. She scrapped a bit of it on her blade and studied it.

“It’s like some sort of black tar. Odd. Kelpie don’t have any tar like substances.” I looked at the black substance and noticed something. Tiny, dark crystals forming on the blade.

“Sombranite.” I stated. Stethoscope arched a brow at me. I frowned. “A black substance that the Triad have been experimenting on for mind control.” I rubbed my chin. “Did some of it land over here?” Stethoscope blinked at me in question again. I sighed and explained to her that one of Manehatten’s skyscrapers was the scene of an explosion. Her recognition in her expression told me I didn’t need to say more other than that the barrels of Sombranite may have scattered.

I then began to look around a bit more outside of the camp. There was something I notice that didn’t seem right. Over the rocky border to the next side of the beach was a mound in the sand. An obvious tell something had been buried. But why bury it? I also couldn’t help but notice black botches in the sand. I turned to Stethoscope.

“Better stick together. I’m going to see what’s buried.” I stated as I stepped out onto the rocks. Stethoscope balked.

“What? We were told to investigate the campsite!” She stated. I smiled and nodded to her.

“We were told to investigate the site. He didn’t say the camp exclusively.” I replied. Stethoscope huffed.

“Feels like I’m talking to another Scribble.” She said. I laughed and tapped my horn.

“Maybe I’m the idiot side he didn’t want. But he has to put up with it regardless.” I replied. This seemed to puzzle the mare. I looked back to my path and began to skip over the rocks. When I made it to the other side, I looked around. The black botches on the sand crackled and glistened with black crystals. I was surprised with how long this has been out here the crystals didn’t grow bigger. But then again, I’m not a Sombranite scientist. All I know is that this substance is bad.

I walked carefully around the botches before arriving at the mound. I withdrew my quarterstaff and began to dig into the mound. It took me five minutes before my staff hit something. I furrowed my look and got down to then dig with my hooves. I noticed something glinting and saw a handle attached to it. I bit down on the handle and pulled with all my might. It took a bit, but I managed to pull out a metallic box. Pleased with the find, I brushed the sand off and studied it.

Just a plain metallic box with a latch lock. I reached with my magic at the latch and froze. I felt a sudden anxiousness wash over me. Why was I nervous all of a sudden? I tried to dig into my mind what was going on, but only the ringing in my ears deafened me. I slowly and carefully unlatched the box and taking a deep breath, I opened it and immediately yelled, kicking the box away.

I scrambled back, feeling my breathing get heavy and quicker. I stared at the box, seeing Table Top peeking out from inside. A guttural, raspy moan grew louder to the point I had to cover my ears. I couldn’t look away. My heart raced and the ringing wouldn’t stop.

“It’s all your fault.” He rasped. I then yelped as I felt somepony touch my shoulder and I bolted back, looking to see if Table’s body was behind me. I panted in a panic, realizing it was Stethoscope who looked at me with concern. I couldn’t hear what she said, but I read her lips.

“Are you okay?” She asked. I shifted a bit before clutching my chest. Okay, Fie. Calm down. It’s only in your head. You made it this far. Don’t stop now. Repeating this over in my head helped me relax. When I felt my heart steady and my ears no longer ringing, I let out a deep breath, shuddering.

“S-sorry. Just… something in the box startled me.” I somewhat lied. Stethoscope looked over to the box and trotted over, opening it. Her brow arched.

“I don’t see anything other than what looks to be a seismic reader.” She said. I blinked and looked to her.

“Seismic reader…?” I asked. Stethoscope pushed the box over to me. Relieved it wasn’t my late best friend’s head, I noticed a small radar that seemed to make the needle next to it scritch onto a metallic board. What was bizarre about it was that the radar was making a strange pattern. Where have I seen it before? Then it hit me. I picked up the box and began to turn it around until I saw a logo.

EMI. Equestrian Ministries Incorporated. The forefront of the Triad organization. I frowned.

“This close to the research base? What is the Triad up to with this gadget?” I asked more to myself. Stethoscope blinked.

“Triad?” She asked. I nodded and told her what I knew about the Triad. Stethoscope shook her head in disbelief. “So… you and Scribble have been fighting this organization… and they are the reason we are at war with our neighbor?” I nodded as I continued to study the strange device.

“Hard to believe. But if you know Scribble to be amazing in everything but attitude, then I needn’t say more.” Stethoscope looked like her whole world was beginning to collapse.

“I… I didn’t know what to expect… you really aren’t… a demon?” I sighed and shrugged.

“I’m still trying to figure out why I’m anything. I didn’t want to be a part of it, but here I am.” I then tilted my head as I noticed a small button. Curiosity got the better of me and I pressed it. I continued to press it several times, seeing if I had changed anything with the readings. It looked to have spiked a bit, but then steadied out. My ears flicked when I heard something slosh from the ocean. We looked over and saw what appeared to be floating seaweed.

We exchanged glances. Something compelled us to study the behavior of the seaweed. We then stood up and backed away a bit. Somehow, a bad feeling washed over us. And sure enough, an equine creature poked its’ head out from under the seaweed. The water swirled around it and it grew larger. Too large in fact as it stepped out of the water, shook its head and whinnied demonically. The stench of salt and seaweed was heavy that we covered our muzzles. The seaweed and saltwater entity began to approach us.

We were suddenly very tired. I did my best to control my shaking legs.

You must be tired. Come ride on me. I will ease your weariness. A calm voice echoed in my head. Crap. We managed to back away, continuing to cover our muzzles. My vision began to get blurry. Come. Rest your weary heads against my mane. No more shall your burdens tire you. I had to do something. I saw Stethoscope step forward, dragging her hooves towards the creature.

“Stethoscope, don’t!” I called out from under my sleeve. But the mare seemed to be lost in a trance.

“So… tired…” she rasped. The smell was unbearable. I saw the kelpie scrape the ground, eagerly waiting for the mare to reach it.

Yes. Rest yourself upon me. I will carry you to your destination. It called out again. I growled and taking a deep breath and holding it, I stood on two and withdrew my staff. The loud pop of it causing the kelpie to whinny and rear up, startled by the sound. Stethoscope froze and her eyes widened. I grit my teeth and rushed forward, pulling Stethoscope away from the kelpie. It danced in a panic before eyeing me, the yellow, pupilless eyes turning red and fangs began to extend from the muzzle. I aimed my quarterstaff at the creature.

"Stethoscope! Get out of here! It's going to get a bit hairy!" I ordered. Stethoscope looked at me worriedly before looking on in fear of the kelpie that now faced me. I turned and shoved her back. "Go!" I shouted. Stethoscope hesitated before bolting away from me. I twirled my quarterstaff and kicked sand at the creature, solidifying the creature's focus on me. It reared up and began to rush me. I rolled out of the way, smacking it on the way out in the side. I forgot my own strength that seeing the kelpie tumble onto its' side took me off guard a bit. The kelpie picked itself up and scraped the ground, snorting furiously before rushing me again. I jabbed my staff into the ground and pulled myself up and around it. Gaining a bit of air, I brought my staff up over my head and with a grunt, I brought the staff down directly on the creature's head, burying the head into the ground and causing the body to tumble viciously under me. If it was a normal creature, that probably would have killed it. Whatever kelpies are, it managed to pull itself out of the sand with a mighty crash, knocking me off my hooves and tumbling. I landed on my hooves, sliding along the sand a bit before getting back into stance. The kelpie rushed me again, only this time, it slid to a stop in front of me and reared up, lashing out the forehooves.

I bobbed and weaved through them before poking the kelpie in the chest with my staff, only to realize it phased into the body. I tried pulling back, but my staff was firmly stuck. It was almost instant. Before I could let go, I found myself hugging the chest of the creature. I could feel myself being pulled in. I grunted and struggled to pull myself away, but it was hopeless. Before I knew it, my face was buried into the chest. I nearly inhaled a lung full of salt water. My throat becoming irritated, I did my best not to cough. I continued to struggle. I have to do something! An idea came to me.

'Alright, big and ugly! You want a snack? Gotta' boil the water first!' I willed Din's warmth into me and connecting Din's magic to my staff, the halberd formed and together with myself, I increased the temperature. I could feel the kelpie reel and stumble over itself, whinnying painfully and demonically. In another instant, I was on my back, feeling drenched and coughing out salt water and some kelp. I looked up and growled. I reached out my hoof and willed the temperature to grow hotter. Time to put my four weeks of seclusion to the test.

The kelpie stumbled back, shaking its' head violently as the body began to bubble and boil. I could feel the power flow through me. Warm and demanding. I increased the temperature more and more. The kelpie frothed at the muzzle, rearing up in pain. Steam hissed from the creature. It wasn't long before the creature evaporated away, leaving nothing but a bundle of kelp and seaweed. I released all of Din's magic and panted, supporting myself with my forehooves. I took a moment to regulate Din's warmth throughout my body to warm me before I stood up and trudged over to the evaporated corpse of the kelpie, picking up my quarterstaff and turning to see if Stethoscope had gotten away. I was surprised to see her peeking out from behind a bush from the edge of the beach. Her look in total shock and awe. I only gave her a solemn look. I wouldn't blame her for thinking anything bad of me. I looked over and saw the device still in the place we left it.

I walked over and picked it up in my magic. Levitating it over, I studied the device. Nothing seemed to have changed, but I did notice a crack forming on the case of the radar. I snorted and dropped the device before crushing it with my quarterstaff. If the Triad wants it, they can have it. Hopefully it'd attract more kelpie to them. I heard Stethoscope approach me. I didn't turn to look at her.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that, Stethoscope. Scribble wouldn't have forgiven me if you were victim to a kelpie." I sighed. "We came here looking for a research team and we haven't found anything conclusive to the investigation." Stethoscope looked at me worriedly. She then reached back into her pouch and withdrew a journal. She started to skim through the pages before stopping at one page.

"Maybe not a dead end. Listen to this." She cleared her throat before she read: "The research team has spent countless hours awake after spotting the kelpie on the marooned ship off the coast of Manehatten. With the disappearances of the hunters lately, it made me question if this is the best line of work in the current state we are in. Not only that, Shell saw a strange figure on the other side of the base burying something. She went to investigate and found a strange device belonging to EMI. I have no clue why an EMI employee would bury something like this in the beach." She frowned. "The passage pauses. The rest is hastily scribbled. 'I don't know what Shell did, but the kelpie on the marooned ship started to look at us. I'm calling to pack up before they get any wiser.'" She looked at me. "The journal entries end there. It sounds like they managed to get away. But whatever that device is, it might have to do with drawing the kelpie to us. I think we can count our lucky stars that you destroyed it before anything else happened. Rampaging kelpie in Manehatten is the last thing anypony wants to worry about."

I gave a small nod. Yet, something was bugging me about the whole thing. I looked back at the destroyed device. This thing attracted the kelpie to the base. It was also discovered by one of the researchers. So... who buried it back?

Chapter 6: The Fire Demon

The trip back to Manehatten's M.E.S.S. HQ was exhausting. It didn't help that there was an awkward silence between me and Stethoscope. I could tell she was struggling with her thoughts. I, on the other hoof, was keeping an eye out for police. We had to duck into alleys a couple of times to avoid a duo patrol. When we reached the M.E.S.S. building, we ducked behind a dumpster. There were less police than usual, but it seemed that the building's front door was taped up and I noticed a lot of yellow, red and blue coats. I didn't even know M.E.S.S. had blue coats. And the only red coat I met was the co-founder of M.E.S.S. Marquis. A somewhat seclusive pony who seemed to have only the passion of his research being his best friend. In fact, I could see Marquis in the crowd. He looked just as disheveled as before. I noticed a mare in a blue coat next to him. They were chatting amongst themselves. I looked around and found a pebble. I lifted it up with my magic and heaved it across the street, pelting Marquis in the head. He rubbed his head and looked around. I made a waving motion with my hoof when he looked in my direction. His eyes widened and looked around nervously.

The blue coated mare watched him slink away before her eyes met mine. She proceeded to follow him as I ducked back into the alley. I was expecting Marquis to round the corner first, but I shrunk back when I saw an angry looking mare rounding the corner and facing me. I held up my hooves as she towered over me.

"You got a lot of nerve to come back here, demon!" She hissed. Marquis rounded the corner and looked at us with concern.

"M-Marigold, please calm down!" Marquis said worriedly. Marigold's pink eyes glared at me through her square rimmed glasses. Her raven black mane styled in a ponytail and her blue coat complimenting her grey coat. She turned to Marquis.

"Calm down!? She's the reason Silver Scribble got arrested!!" She stated. I balked.

"Scribble got arrested??" I asked. Marquis sadly nodded while Marigold glared at me.

"Housing a wanted fugitive. Not only did he get arrested, but two Wonderbolts also got arrested as accomplices." She pointed down the alley. "Our entire work building is now under detainment until further notice. Do you realize how many ponies are now jobless because of you!?" She stamped her hoof in frustration. "Scribble shouldn't have brought you in. I should turn you in in exchange for those three." I winced. Ahh, crap. Stethoscope glanced at me before stepping up next to me.

"M-Marigold. May I say my two sense?" She asked. Marigold's look went from frustration to annoyance. She rolled her eyes.

"Don't tell me you are going to get arrested for The Fire Demon!" She stated. Stethoscope looked over her shoulder to me, her look contemplative before turning back to her.

"Ma'am. Silver Scribble tasked me to investigate the beach side research base as they had grown dark for a time. He sent Fie with me as to protect me from anything that happened. And... we found somethings I wished we shouldn't have." She reached into her pouch and withdrew Rum Runner's journal before passing it to Marigold. Marquis looked over her shoulder as she skimmed the pages. She came to a stop at one and her look dropped to concern.

"A strange figure and a device that seemed to trigger the kelpie response?" She looked to Marquis before back at Stethoscope. "Did you manage to find them?" Stethoscope shook her head.

"They got away before things got bad. But... we found the device buried in the sand and it lured a kelpie towards us. I..." She looked at me sadly and then smiled softly. "I would have been a victim to the kelpie if Fie hadn't stepped in." I was a little puzzled. My friends usually call me Fie. I remember then that I must have not introduced myself properly. She looked back to the two. "She took down a kelpie and destroyed the device. I... think it won't stop the kelpies, but it might give us enough time to figure out how we can push them back to their habitat." She put a hoof to her chest. "The Fire Demon risked her life to protect me. Maybe Scribble didn't think about things clearly when bringing her in, but he seems to have full trust in her." Marquis nodded and rubbed his chin.

"Ahh yes. I recall you now. You were with the two sisters and that loudmouth." He then smiled. "Good to see you still alive, Quiet Fire. Though... I wish things were a little different. It's true, Scribble and the sisters turned themselves in for bringing you in. Scribble and them will most likely be questioned about your where abouts. It might be a while before they are let off the leash." I glanced between the three ponies. I lowered my head and closed my eyes, crossing my forelegs over my chest as I thought.

'Hmmm. We don't have time to wait for them to get out. So far, my thinking has been on the fly.' I had another thought. 'I'm already vilified by Equestria...' I wasn't going to like this. And neither are these three. As much as Stethoscope's mind about me has changed, I'm going to really hate doing this. I then looked between the three and stood up.

"You three. I..." I rubbed my foreleg nervously. "I'm not going to be... the best pony from this point forward. Consider this... a heads up. And... I'm sorry. I hope you'll understand." I said. "Where is the police department they were taken too?" Marquis arched a brow.

"Y-you're going to turn yourself in? Wh-what about saving our realm?" He asked. I smiled softly.

"I'm sure they'll understand when I explain the situation." I said. Marigold frowned and pointed down the alley.

"Take a right at Junction Road and when you hit Posey Lane, take a left. You can't miss the blue building with the shield." She said uninterestedly. I then looked to Stethoscope.

"I'm glad you are okay after the kelpie incident." I then trotted past them and looked out of the alley. "Just have hope, you three. Equestria needs it more than ever." I gave them one last smile before cantering out of the alley, hearing Stethoscope call out to me.

"F-Fie, wait!"

I was completely surprised by the turn of events. When I arrived at the police station, I not only saw some of the M.E.S.S. employees, but several ponies dressed in red with fire graphics. I figured I'd blend into the crowd, but I came to realize that those wearing red turned out to be supporters of... me. They had signs waving and protesting my right as a pony, not a monster. The many officers gathered in front of the PD eyed the crowd cautiously. Among the crowds, of course, were the ones who call for my banishment. They wore black. Something I wasn't sure about but asking one of the supporters carefully without giving myself away, they mentioned that wearing black was in contrast to the darkness that I carry for Equestria if I stay around any longer. There was a lot of disquiet amongst the groups. And mixed in with this all is a multicolor of red, blue and yellow demanding Scribble's release. I eyed the front of the building. I could see two officers looking over the crowd from the top of the steps. They were conversing with each other. I wish my lip reading was better.

I waited a bit to see if there was any grand speech about to be made. Thankfully, this was just a mix of protests. I bowed my hooded head in thought. Am I really going to do this? The ponies here who are supporting me... they picked the wrong side. I took a deep breath. 'Now or never, Fie.' I nodded to myself and began to push myself through the crowd. As I did, I imagined splitting myself. Creating four copies, I had them spread out through the crowd but continue to make their way to the front. When I approached the barrier, the officer eyed me suspiciously. I then turned and with one hind leg, I bucked the barrier. The officer flew with the barrier and became pinned by the bent metal. The crowd screamed and backed away from me. I turned back to the officers and stepped forward. The officers drew their arc weapons.

"Don't make another step!" One ordered to the side of me. However, he immediately fell when my copy came out of the crowd and struck him in the back of the head. The same went with the other cops at the barrier. The remaining cops aimed and fired at me, the crowd behind me screaming and scattering away. However, I popped my copies and a large amount of smoke enveloped the area. I rushed forward and knocked the guards out before rushing up the steps. The two cops at the top of the steps didn't see me coming as I jumped out of the smoke and planted both my hooves into their face and sent them through the doors. Ensuring they were unconscious, I then turned to the officers inside. I was disgusted with myself. But this had to be done. I withdrew my staff and began to advance. One officer rounded the corner and fired. I tilted my head to the side, surprising me. Before I was picked as a vessel for a primal, I had confidence in my own senses. Yet... it seems that I honed my senses a little further. That, or it was thanks to whatever Din has done to me. I haven't forgotten that box she messed with for a while. I spun around and heaved my staff like a javelin, the weapon sticking into the wall right next to the officer's head.

The officer trembled while the others retreated behind their security door. I called my staff back and turned to the door. I aimed my staff and a ball of concentrated fire fired off a beam that melted the door. The officers aimed and fired off their arc weapons. I quickly copied myself into two and rushed them. They yelped as my copies subdued the officers and I cantered past them. I then ordered them to pop and with a sound behind me, smoke enveloped the area. I paused when I got to the second floor. I could sense ponies on the other side of a door I came up on.

I frowned. I need to figure out where my friends are. I took another deep breath, hating myself more and more as I aimed my quarterstaff at the door. With a simple poke, the door was blown off its’ hinges, knocking three officers away. I quickly swished my staff and stringed Din’s fire at their firearms. The pieces were bright orange, causing the officers to drop them out of being burned. I stepped in and looked around. One officer fell onto their haunches and crawled back in fear.

“Y-you’re the Fire Demon!” They cried out. I looked out from under my hood to the officer. My expression stoic. I narrowed my eyes, only to hear a pop and something whiz right past my muzzle. I looked over to see another officer with a smaller arc firearm. The gruff looking stallion aimed and stepped around, standing between me and the other officer.

“Stand down, Quiet Fire.” He said. I remained quiet but still at the ready. He glanced nervously between every pony before focusing on me. “Alright. We don’t have to do anything rash here. Let’s just calm down and talk this over.” I lowered my head a bit.

“Are you in charge?” I asked. The officer carefully lowered his firearm that was in his magic.

“Chief of Police, Nickel Ridge.” He narrowed his eyes. “I’m surprised. You are supposed to save Equestria, correct?” I rubbed the back of my hooded head and shrugged.

“I’m one of the few. But so far, my own home has voiced their opinions on me.” I then looked out the window. “Whatever support I had out there is probably gone now after this.” Nickel Ridge eyed me.

“We were told to bring you in peacefully. What reason do you have for rushing into a police department for?” He asked cautiously. I sat on my haunches and tapped my staff on the ground nonchalantly.

“I’m looking for my friends who have been detained for housing me. Silver Scribble, founder of the Monster Ecology and Study Service organization along with two Wonderbolts, Cloudchaser and Flitter Glider. I would like for them to be released so we may handle a task given to me by Princess Twilight Sparkle.” The officers glanced nervously at each other. I sensed some intent behind me and I looked out the corner of my eye at the two officers readying themselves, only for Nickel Ridge to motion not to proceed.

“Is that all you are here for?” He asked. I nodded. Nickel Ridge holstered his arc pistol and nodded. “Very well. I’ll take you to them. We don’t need any more officers injured.” I looked at him apologetically. I wish I had thought of a better way to do this, but nothing else came to mind. We have to get going. No more distractions. I tossed my staff at my back and it vanished, causing some of the officers to look baffled. I nodded and the Chief of Police told the officers to stand down before leading down the floor I came from.

He eyed the melted security door cautiously, leading me down another flight of steps into the detainment cells. I noticed there were some ponies here that were my banishers. Only a couple of supporters. They looked at me for a moment before going back to what they were doing. It took two to realize I wasn’t cuffed and instead being led by the Chief of Police. We stopped at a cell and I saw Silver Scribble, Cloudchaser and Flitter talking amongst each other before noticing us.

“Fie! Oh no…” Flitter said, her look being defeated. Nickel Ridge opened the cell. I smiled.

“It’s alright guys. I talked it over with the COP here.” I nodded to him. “Though, we should leave as soon as we can. We have to head to Pony Land without further delays.” The three looked between each other before looking at me with concern. I only kept smiling at them. With my friends freed, we walked back out. The officers I injured outside were now walking in and clutching themselves. When they saw me, they gasped and stepped aside. I could tell my friends were eyeing me.

When we left the department, I turned to the COP and gave him a sad look.

“Err… I…” I noticed his judging look at me. I sighed and turned around solemnly. “Goodbye, Chief Nickel Ridge. Keep yourselves ready for anything.” He didn’t say anything as I met my friends at the bottom of the steps. Silver Scribble eyed the bent barrier.

“Thi would have had a field day.” He said before looking at me in disapproval. I ignored his look and kept walking.

“Come on… the sooner the better…” I replied. Flitter and Cloudchaser floated next to me while Silver Scribble trailed behind me.

“Fie… look we…” Cloudchaser began but faltered. I shook my head.

“You were only buying time.” I looked over my shoulder. “We dealt with the kelpie issue. We found a device that seemed to have drawn the kelpie to the shore. It looked like the research base was left in a hurry. We don’t know where the researchers on site went, but we hope they got away.” I told him. Silver Scribble sighed and nodded.

“I expected worse. But I can only hope from this point on.” He said simply. I lowered my head sadly. Equestria is looking down on me. And I don’t blame it.

At the train station, we waited for our ride out of Manehatten. We weren’t taking the train. But a paid wagon travel service. We decided that doing so would avoid any trouble with other ponies and for fear of being attacked while on the way. We paid the pony and grabbed a couple of snacks for the trip before climbing in and heading off. Our next destination is Vanhoover. It’s the only place that can guarantee legal passage into Pony Land. It’s going to be a long trip, so I’m hoping we’d find or at least hear word of Thi Billet at some point. I wished I had a bit more time to say goodbye to some ponies.

Which reminds me. When we got to the rest stop, the wagon pony took a small nap while Scribble and the sisters handled their own stuff. I went off the path away from them and sighed.

“Fire’s Angels.” I said. There were four loud cracks and four ponies stood before me. Each wearing different garments of clothing to match their personalities. I smiled as they bowed to me.

“It has been a long while, mistress.” Tender said. I nodded.

“It has. How’s the stallion treating you?” I asked. The mare brushed a strand of hair behind her and smiled.

“He’s been a treasure.” She replied. The others snickered before I turned to Lavender.

“How about the rest of you? Enjoying life in Ponyville?” I asked. The remaining three smiled. Lavender went first.

“Had wonderful tea with the librarian, the strawberry shop owner and the antique owner. We talked a lot about history in Equestria while enjoying strawberry cakes. I also met a wonderful stallion whose interested in astrology.” She said. I blinked blankly. Another one of them? Bubble Sparkle rose a hoof.

“I’ve made some friends in the park that want to invite me to a derby club! I’ve never been to a club before. Everypony has been so nice! Especially that mare from the bowling alley. I was thinking about asking her out to the park sometime so she could show me some more dance moves.” She said excitedly. I felt a small nip in the back of my head.

“I… see… Whistle?” I asked the other mare. She put a hoof to her chest.

“The house is in stable condition. Everypony is comfortable and getting ready for Winter Wrap Up. I’ve been tasked as lead organizer this year as Princess Twilight is currently occupied. My marefriend and stallionfriend both are leading ponies in the Wrap Up.” I felt something sharp pierce my heart. Two?! I found myself dreading my own single self and slumped before them. How?! These ponies are imprinted to me! They are gifts from the World Serpent to bribe me!

Granted I told them not to tie themselves to me so much, but them mentioning being in relationships bothered me more than I realized. I had a sudden thought. Could it be that they are losing their ties to the bylaws? The four were looking at me curiously. I sighed.

“I… didn’t realize how quickly everypony took to you four. You all must have been working real hard.” I said, feeling more and more pathetic. Lavender stepped forward.

“It’s all thanks to you mistress. You provided us a chance to make ourselves worth to your standards. Everypony has been asking about you.” She said. I looked up to Lavender. Bubble nodded.

“Ponyville has been following your exploits ever since the Red Canyon Incident.” She smiled. I found myself feeling worser at that.

“Then… they know what I’ve done in Hoofington…” I said. The four looked between each other worriedly. Whistle put a reassuring hoof on my shoulder.

“Ponyville hasn’t forgotten you, mistress. It’s really remarkable. I think everypony is happy that they have a new hero representing them.” She reached back to her saddle bag and withdrew a satchel. I eyed it curiously. “A gift from Derpy Hooves. Your co-worker.” I took it in my magic and read the folded-up letter:

Hey, Fie! Hope your adventure is going well! Please, try not to over work yourself. Fudge is pretty overwhelmed by everypony sending you so many letters here. So, I took the liberty of gathering them in a bundle and hopefully will mail them to you! If I don’t forget of course. We miss you! Your friend, Derpy Hooves.

I was stunned. The best mailmare in Equestria did this for me? I looked at the satchel and opened it. Letters flowed out and I scrambled to gather them in my magic. Whistle helped by picking up a few and giving them back to me. I took one letter and opened it up. It was, to my surprise, from my teacher Namaste:

Hey, kid. Heard you are kickin’ ass over there. I never thought my own student would become a literal hero to Equestria. My son always wanted to know more about your exploits whenever the radio would come on. Ponies can’t stop talkin’ about the whole war thing, but Mayor Mare, being the glue she is, assured that with you leading the front that we should put our faith into their heroes. That means you too, Fie. When you are done with your whole journey thing, come stop by. I’ll whip up something we all can enjoy.

I couldn’t help but smile. I then looked through the other letters. There were quite a few who say they don’t know me on a personal level but remember small interactions that helped them greatly throughout a bad day. Which took me completely by surprise as I genuinely thought I was the one who had the most problems. I was beginning to realize just how much sober I am now compared to then. There were some that were wishing me well on the journey and then some that were less than meaningful.

Yet, a pink letter caught my eye. It was from Pinkie Pie. Curious, I opened it to get a face full of confetti and streamers. Shaking away the paper, I read the letter:

Hiya, Fie! I know this must be super surprising considering we probably just met at some point! But I’m going to write this letter anyway to wish you amazing and awesome luck on your journey! Hard to believe that you showed up one day and I threw that welcome party for you! The best Ponyville welcome anypony could have! And trust me, there’ll be way more parties later on! Just remember, don’t sweat the small stuff, have fun and always know that you are always welcome back here!

I was dumbfounded now. How long ago was this letter written? I checked the dates. Pinkie’s was made around the time I began my journey. The other letters were somewhere between the events of The Red Canyon and sometime after Hoofington. I grew concerned.

“Is there… has there been any other recent letters?” I asked. Whistle rubbed her chin before reaching back and digging into her saddle bag. She then shook her head.

“I am afraid not.” She then smiled and pat her chest. “But do believe that despite what has happened, you are still welcomed back to Ponyville.” I lowered my head and looked into the satchel box full of letters. I sighed and levitated it up and back to Whistle.

“Thanks for the confidence boost. But… I’m not sure they would entirely want me back. I… can’t go back anyway.” I felt myself growing sad. “I don’t want to cause the ponies of Ponyville any trouble. I’m wanted in Equestria. That and war is coming. I…” I sighed. “I have to do this. I have to ensure that whatever faith ponies have left in me that I don’t fail.” The four mares smiled. I then had another thought. “So… you all have a relationship with other ponies now? Does that have to do with imprinting? The bylaws?”

Lavender waved a hoof.

“Rest assure, our loyalty will be to you, mistress.” She said. I shook my head.

“That isn’t what I asked.” I replied. The four looked between each other and Bubble was about to speak when she paused and looked a little puzzled. I arched a brow between them as they all gave me the same puzzled look. Whistle rubbed her chin once more in thought.

“Could it be…?” She began. She then looked at her hoof and examined it. “Strange… I’m compelled to… aid those ponies.” I slumped.

“What does that mean?” I asked. Lavender furrowed her look.

“The bylaws prevent us from interfering unless the balance is threatened. We are also not to aid anypony in their element. We are to observe and provide exclusive aid to you. But…” She faltered. Lavender spoke up.

“Girls… I… thought it was just me auto piloting and reassuring myself it’s at the behest of our mistress. But… I’ve been… interacting with ponies in their element. A week ago, Mayor Mare asked me to help out with a speech.” She looked to me. “Anything could have happened, but… the mayor was in her element and she managed to have nothing bad happen to her.” I rubbed the back of my head.

“Err… I’m sure Mayor Mare doesn’t have much to worry about.” I said. Lavender shook her head. She then explained that she had helped Mayor Mare organize her speeches and files, since Pinkie Pie would tend to do so. When it came to rehearsing for speeches, Lavender had made some good point reviews and when the speech happened, there were no negative side effects. Whistle mentioned helping out Lyra and Bon Bon over a personal dispute. It ended with the argument being resolved. She pointed out that their elements were displayed when arguing and nothing negative happened between them. "Lyra and Bon Bon are a pretty strong pair. I've seen them argue plenty of times and always made up." I stated. But Whistle pointed out that it was about Lyra's musical ability and Bon Bon's unintentional and harsh scheduling for Lyra to succeed. I had to think about it a bit but realized that indeed those two were in their elements when they were together in that time.

Bubble mentioned helping out Amythest with her pre-prepping on Winter Wrap Up. She is once again taking charge as lead organizer. Bubble mentioned that despite Amythest having a clear head and a level attitude, she had been losing confidence in herself as of late. Bubble stated that thanks to her, Amythest found a new sense of understanding and Bubble was surprised that the "bad luck" when a pony is in their element didn't happen. Tender finished her own observation having aided Doctor Hooves in a strange adventure that would have certainly caused him harm, which wasn't a surprise as the estranged inventor would have some sort of moment that would express his element. I never quite got to know him as well as I should. But Derpy can't stop talking about him. I wonder how their New Year went?

I sat on my haunches and bowed my head.

“I’m glad everypony there is doing well enough.” I sighed. “All the more reason for me to stay away.” I looked back to the four. “It seems you four may have been severed from the bylaws. My only guess it may have something to do with Din messing with a box.” The four ponies exchanged glances as I continued. “To be honest, I’m not sure what to do with you four from here on. I’m pretty much an exile in Equestria and no matter what ponies say, I won’t be fully welcomed back. And Ponyville doesn’t need anymore endangerment. It gets it enough being close to the Everfree.”

It was Bubble that stepped forward and pat her chest proudly.

“Chin up, mistress. I think that no matter what you do from this point on, you’ll be your very best self. And we’ll do the same.” She said. I don’t know why, but I looked at her with hope. Whistle stepped forward.

“If what you say is true about us being severed from the bylaws, I think we can now fully aid you. You’ve given us a chance to live like normal ponies do, even though we are spawned from nothing. As strange as it sounds, we have enjoyed the new experience.” She smiled softly. Lavender beamed.

“So much knowledge to be unearthed, it’s incredible how rich Equestria is in history! And there is still a lot to know more of! I want to learn it all!” She said excitedly. Tender calmly smiled and twirled her braided mane with her hoof.

“I’ve been enjoying the villager life as well. So many interesting neighbors you have, mistress.” I was speechless. These four ponies, who were created for the sole purpose of bribing me with desires, have completely blew me away. It made me realize something about myself. I gave them a chance and they were greatly rewarded for it. Have I… given that chance to others? The thought of Hoofington came back and I was hit with a wave of mixed emotions. Seeing my struggled thoughts, Whistle nodded.

“I believe your friends are waiting for you, mistress.” She said. I blinked and looked over my shoulder. My friends were watching me from a distance, idly sitting at the wagon. I looked back to the four and proceeded to hug Whistle.

“Thank you, girls.” I said, pulling away. “I… I’ll try to be my better self. For everycreature’s sake.” I smiled softly. “Dismissed.” The four bowed and with a loud crack, the four vanished. I remained staring at the spots they were at previously before faltering my smile and turning around to trot back to my friends.

When I arrived, Cloudchaser eyed me.

“Checking up on Ponyville?” She asked with a small smirk. I only nodded in response before climbing back into the wagon. With my friends sitting in the wagon, the wagon puller proceeded to move. Halfway down the road, Flitter sighed.

“So. Does this mean we are fugitives now?” She asked. Scribble had pulled out his journal and was scribbling in it.

“More or less, I would assume. Though, it’s only to be expected in the current time we are at.” Scribble said without taking his eyes off the journal. I leaned over the side of the wagon, resting my muzzle into my sleeve as I watched the winter wonderland of Equestria go on by. Cloudchaser was kicking back with her forelegs behind her head and her hind legs crossed.

“I just hope Captain Spitfire will understand.” She said a little solemnly. “Things really got out of control fast.”

“I’m sorry…” I said. I looked to them as I continued. “I… I didn’t know what else to do. We need to head to Pony Land and it’s just…” I bowed my head. “I wanted us to… get back on the road I guess…” My friends were quiet. It was Scribble that broke the silence.

“No rest for the weary. I’m sure Marquis and the others will be fine.” He said. I looked at him apologetically.

“I… I think you taking me in caused your workplace to shut down…” I stated sadly. Scribble looked at me stoically.

“Did Marigold tell you everpony is unemployed?” He asked. I was a little surprised, but sadly nodded. Scribble let out a soft sigh and pocketed his journal. “I have my trust in Marquis and not Marigold. Marigold is Marquis’s aid. And a bit of a quick to conclusion talker.” Scribble leaned cooly against the edge of the wagon as he continued. “I hired her due to the departments recommending her canny knowledge in monster studies. Not only that, reading her dossier showed she would be perfect to get Marquis out of the office and take better care of himself.

“M.E.S.S. is temporarily down for the day. The COP and I know each other, and he only wanted to know the story behind your grand entrance.” I couldn’t help but frown a little. “Everycreature in Manehatten employed to M.E.S.S. will continue to work tomorrow.” He then met my look. “I told the chief of what he should know. It’s why he handled the situation much more calmly than the… other officers you met.”

I winced and my mood continued to shoot downward. Scribble never held back when scolding me or anypony who didn’t deserve it. He’s not so innocent himself, but he’s the sane one out of all of us. Scribble looked to Flitter.

“Now that we have some clear air, how have you’ve been fairing, Flitter?” He asked her. Flitter blinked questioningly. Cloudchaser smiled and playfully nudged her. She sighed and rubbed her foreleg.

“It’s been… getting worse. It’s almost as if a never waking nightmare has just been unleashed upon me.” She then rubbed her neck. “I still imagine the mad doctor sticking the needle in me over and over again.” I noticed Cloudchaser’s look contemplative. “I keep hearing the whispers. ‘Hail to your king’ over and over. I… I don’t know what to do…” Cloudchaser wrapped a wing around her sister in comfort.

“It’ll be fine, Flitter. I won’t let anything like that happen ever again.” She said in confidence. I eyed Cloudchaser. My heart wanting to encourage her with more confidence. Flitter smiled softly at Cloudchaser, but quickly faltered.

"Sis..." Flitter began. "I'll be... I'll be fine. Really. Out of us two, I think you're the one who has been having it rough lately." My concern grew. Cloudchaser smirked and pat her chest.

"Nightmares, sis. Nothing I can't handle." She replied. Flitter studied her sister before laughing a little.

"Alright then, Miss Princess Bell Flower." Flitter smirked. Cloudchaser flushed and quickly covered Flitter's muzzle, shushing her.

"N-not in front of these guys!" She whispered. I tilted my head, curious now and my concern turning into playfulness.

"Oh? Now my curiosity is peaked." I said with a mischievous smile. Cloudchaser shook her head, but Flitter moved Cloudchaser's hoof away and held her back as the pretty mare tried to fight back to silence her.

"She has a reoccurring dream where she's the ruler of a magical kingdom and is dubbed Princess Bell Flower to her 'subjects'." She smirked. Cloudchaser was bright red as she pulled Flitter into a hold.

"Stop talking!" She panicked. I couldn’t help but giggle.

“I think you’d look adorable in a princess dress.” I teased. Cloudchaser shot me an embarrassed look.

“You put one on me and not even your god like powers will stop me from bucking your flank to the next dimension!” She exclaimed. Scribble shrugged.

“That’s not the attitude to befit a princess.” He said. Cloudchaser shot him a glare.

“Bite me, egghead!” I started to laugh. My friends followed suite. Oh, Celestia how I missed this. The rest of the day flew by quickly as we bantered and lost ourselves to the enjoyment of company. Our wagon puller pulled us up to an inn in a hamlet nestled off the road. It was a quaint little hamlet. The ponies here were rather kept to themselves. Which was a relief as I felt that the lack of crystal tech would ensure I was under the radar. However, spying a radio on the shelf in the inn behind the inn keeper's counter, I felt very anxious all of a sudden. Scribble did most of the talking and we managed to get rooms. Scribble slept in his own room while I slept in the room with Cloudchaser and Flitter. I was nervous as I had a sudden hope that I would be sharing a bed with Cloudchaser, but Cloudchaser was the one to suggest sleeping with her sis for now just in case her night terrors happen. I sighed and laid in my bed as Flitter and Cloudchaser lounged. I rested my eyes as I just let my body ease from the anxiety.

Cloudchaser and Flitter began discussing two ponies. One is Thunderlane, another fellow Wonderbolt, who has been acting rather strange as of late. The other is Rumble, who the two fondly call Squirt. The two used to foal sit Rumble. Apparently, Rumble has been going through a bit of a phase that has Thunderlane rather distracted with his Wonderbolt training. The two discussed a bit more before agreeing that when they have time, they’d contact Thunderlane and check up on him.

I couldn’t help but feel guilty once more. I turned my friends into fugitives with my actions. I can only think of how their fellow Wonderbolts would react to the news. My concern grew. The two have always followed the creed of the Wonderbolts. While they seemed to be relatively calm about what happened, I have a feeling that deep down, I ruined whatever creditably they had with their positions.

I turned over to my side away from the two as they continued to chat and just let depression wash over me. Eventually, I found myself falling into a slumber. I don’t know how long I was out for, but I remember waking up in the dark. Our room quiet with only the winter wind blowing outside the window. I groaned softly and sat up in my bed, my eyes closed but my brain aware. I tiredly looked over to the other bed. The sisters were sound asleep.

I looked back to the wall facing me and stared at it for a while. My half-asleep thoughts making the shadows dance before me. I was then hit with a sense of awareness, one that sent a chill down my spine. I finally opened my eyes fully and darted them around the room. My eyes fell upon the corner. I could make out a silhouette. After a bit of staring, I saw it shift and I gasped, fear paralyzing me. Table Top stared at me with one wide glossy eye, a majority of his body hidden in the shadows.

I couldn’t move. I couldn’t even speak. I could only stare at him. Our eyes unblinking. I wanted to look away, but something was keeping me from doing so. Before I knew it, I saw hooves beginning to poke out from the shadows. Terrified, I managed to look away, only to see hooves clawing at the edges of my bed. I wanted to scream. Unable to move, I felt the hooves began to grasp and hold me in place. There were soft whispers around me.

It was hard to understand as they seemed to overlap each other. But I had a hunch as to what it was saying. I felt my muzzle being covered and my neck being strangled. My eyes met Table’s again, his figure unmoving from the corner. The whispers were getting louder and louder. Then, Table tilted his head, a loud cracking sounded.

I jolted up in bed, panting. The sweat beaded down my forehead. I quickly kicked off the blankets and hugged myself. I darted my eyes around the room. It was still dark, yet I could hear the soft breathing of the two sisters in the next bed. I took a long while to calm myself, reciting an old lesson list my teacher had repeated to me over and over.

Finding a bit of relief, I cautiously moved out of my bed and walked over to the bathroom. Closing the door and turning on the crystal lamp, I rinsed my face in the sink before looking at my reflection in the mirror. My irises swirled with a spectral flame. The telltale sign of being a power element. Aside from that, I looked pretty much the same old me, but a little paler. I sighed and turned off the sink.

Clutter and clutter. Just so much of it that a queen can’t get so much as a wink of sleep.

My eyes looked back up to my reflection. I was expecting to see Din in the mirror like before, but there was nothing.

‘You’re finally awake.’ I replied in my head. Din shifted.

No thanks to your primate brain. You’re still on about the stallion? Take a hint, vessel. The dead can’t reciprocate emotions. I could sense her grinning.

‘What do you want?’ I asked with a frown. Din gave an uninterested sigh.

Bored and spiteful. It’s pretty fun to prod that one part of your mind. Your fear is priceless. She cackled. I glared at my reflection.

‘You got humbled and yet, you still want to start something? I thought my depression was licking her wounds in a corner.’ I retorted.

It’s sad that you think me being defeated would set me back. It’s not the first time, loath I am to admit it. But you can’t have a winning streak without losing something. She replied matter-of-factly. I arched a brow.

‘What, you think you claimed a victory out of your defeat?’ I frowned. Din chuckled lowly to herself.

When life gives you lemons, squeeze them back into life’s eyes. Then brutally stomp said lemons before taking another’s and squeezing them into their eyes. The thought seemed to amuse her. In short, one defeat just makes me more dangerous. I couldn’t argue this.

The imprinting effect with Din has been beneficial to her. On top of now finding some newer power and a higher goal in mind, I worry not for myself, but for when we achieve ascension. How am I going to do that? Whenever it decides to present itself I guess. Din smirked.

I could even say the same about you, dear vessel. I am quite impressed that you would use it so uncaringly in the midst of your fellow ponies. I glared at my reflection.

“There wasn’t enough time. No pony got hurt.” I said aloud. Din scoffed.

And that is why my disappointment always wins by a landslide with you. But I digress. She replied. I furrowed my look. Something seemed off about her. Well… in an unusual way. I could sense it. Something was nipping at her.

“Bothered? You? That’s a laugh.” I said suddenly. Din narrowed her eyes. “I can sense something is bothering you. While I could care less, I’d rather know what it is so I can ensure you won’t use it as a means of venting.” Din didn’t show any surprise. Just annoyance.

I cannot wait to rid of the bylaws fully. Not that I would care for you to know. Tis my brat of a sister, Tenebres. I arched a brow. Her relentless hunt for us has proven to be quite tiresome. I know about your solo endeavor with her. Yet, to my surprise, she has grown competent. I couldn’t help but smirk in a way that I hoped pissed her off.

“Even the little ones can shut their elders up.” I said. Din gave an uninterested wave of her wing.

Try as you might, there is one thing that doesn’t sit right with me. The power given to my sisters via the snake. I stoically stared at my reflection.

“What about it?” I asked, a little intrigued now. Din welcomed the challenge with open hooves, yet this attitude had completely changed. Din shifted.

The serpent did something more in that moment. I can just feel it. Vessel. I will not tolerate any failures from this point on when engaging with the others. We cannot lose. Do so and I’ll ensure I’ll burn you alive along with your pathetic realm.

This was a complete surprise. Din issuing a warning? But sensing her distracted mind, something tells me that for once, I should listen to Din.

“So… what other concerns should I be aware of?” I asked. Silence. “Din?” Continued silence. I sighed. Washing my face once more, I exited the bathroom and crawled back into the bed. Pulling the blankets up, I turned to my side facing the other bed and stared at the back of Cloudchaser for a while. I clutched the edge of the blankets with my hoof, wanting for her to turn around and comfort me. My eyes dropped heavily and sleep fell over me.

Chapter 7: Saboteur

It took us three days to reach Unicorn Range. It was pretty nippy in this part of Equestria. Cloudchaser and Flitter wore their winter coats as our wagon puller seemed unphased by the environment. I had my hood up and Scribble wore a muffler and winter beanie, something I didn't think he would wear, but goes to show what I know about fashion. We had stopped by Ponyville on the way as Cloudchaser and Flitter had to gather their own things and left it with a friend of theirs in town. I refused to leave the wagon that was parked on the outskirts. I could only watch with Scribble, who was kind enough to stay behind to keep me company, while the two went into town. Not much was said, but nothing was needed to be exchanged. When the two came back, we were back on the road. I watched as my home grew smaller and smaller. A longing feeling washing over me.

Having arrived to Unicorn Range, we stopped at a decently sized village. It wasn't Ponyville grand, but it had the necessities. Yet, taking one hoof step in and trouble had already started. A fight had ensued outside. A crowd of ponies gathered while others retreated away from it. We watched with slight interest as the two mares punched and kicked at each other, rolling around on the ground. I narrowed my eyes. Two unicorn mares, both bruised and bloodied. I was down for a good mare fight, but something about this felt a bit strange. It didn't take long for several ponies to hop in and pull the mares away. It was hard to understand what they were barking at with each other, but after a bit, the mares were pulled away from each other and walking away. We exchanged glances before Flitter turned to one of the observing ponies.

"Err... what is going on?" She asked. The stallion spat on the ground.

"Traitorous backstabber is what's going on. Blasphemous piece of dung." He sourly said before walking away. Flitter shrugged at us with a lost look. We heard ponies jeering, catching our attention. One of the mares walking away along with two stallions covering her, shielding her from stones and vegetables. We all exchanged glances once more before following them. As we approached, one of the stallions, a grey pegasus with sharp purple eyes and blue spikey mane, eyed us suspiciously. The other stallion, an orange earth pony with a long blue mane, stood up and stepped in front of them.

"Look, we had a long day. We'd appreciate it if you just move on from here." He stated. I stepped forward, keeping my head a bit down to keep my eyes hidden.

"Sorry, we just came in and saw what happened. Is everything alright?" I asked. The pegasus frowned.

"None of your business. Get lost or we'll have more trouble." He said. The mare put a hoof on his chest.

"Stop it, Sky. I'm fine. I don't need to be coddled." She said. The pegasus Sky looked at her worriedly.

"Xanza, you need to stop sticking your muzzle into things that don't concern you." He said. When the mare pushed the pegasus away, I arched a small brow. The mare looked... unusual. There were dark stripes along her pink-ish coat, her lavender and pink mane mohawked into a punk style.

"I said I'm fine, Sky! Get off of me." She said sternly. I studied the mare a little more. Her cutie-mark was that of what looked to be a tribal painting. It then dawned on me.

"Wow. I've always heard the stories, but to see a zony in person, that's incredible." I said with a smile. Xanza glared at me.

"Drink it up, sister. The next thing you'll see is my hoof up where the sun don't shine." She spat blood out of her muzzle and wiped it. Scribble shook his head.

"We are not here to start anything. In fact, I think we would like to know what the ponies here mean about traitors." He said. The earth pony waved a hoof dismissively.

"Travelers shouldn't concern themselves with this. Just move on and leave us alone." He said. Cloudchaser rubbed the back of her head.

"We'll do just that once we stock up. But do forgive us for our curiosity." She said. Xanza snorted and nursed her foreleg.

"Then hurry up. I'm not in the mood for anymore trouble." She said frustrative. I then looked at Scribble, who caught my eye. He then reached into his saddle bag and pulled out a small medkit. The earth pony stepped in front of the two, but I held up a hoof.

"My friend here is an unlicensed doctor. He'll treat your friend here." I said. Scribble ignored the glaring earth pony and walked past him. He sat down in front of Xanza, the mare adverting her eyes while Sky remained hovering over him. Scribble pulled out a salve and began to lather her wounds, the mare wincing.

"That stings." She stated. Scribble nodded.

"It'll sting more if you keep squirming." He replied. Scribble tended to the mare, putting a cooling patch on her cheek to ease the pain and bandaged her foreleg. When he was done, he gathered up the medkit and stuffed it back in before stepping back. Xanza blinked quizzically and studied her treatment. She then frowned and looked up at Scribble.

"So, how much do I owe you?" She asked suspiciously. Scribble turned and walked back to us.

"I'm unlicensed. Do whatever you want." He replied matter-of-factly. The three looked a bit puzzled. But I noticed Xanza looking as if she has cooled off. It was my turn as I cleared my throat.

"So. I think a little kindness deserves a bit of information as payment." I began, motioning towards the village plaza. "What did they mean by traitors?" The three remained quiet. But it was the earth pony who spoke up.

"You know of the war on the horizon with our neighbors?" He asked. We all nodded. He then looked back to Xanza, who remained focused on the ground before continuing. "Xanza isn't from around here. But she's as much a resident here like everycreature else." Xanza finally looked up, glaring at the earth pony.

"Starry, don't you dare." She began. The earth pony, Starry, sighed.

"Well, let's just say that, with tensions at an all-time high, there is some miscommunication with another state in the middle of us. Zebrica and Roam." He said. "They remain neutral, but that doesn't stop both sides from considering them possible threats. It's... sad really. They have done nothing to us. In fact, I thought relations with them have been beneficial." Flitter rubbed her chin.

"Admiral Fairy Flight did mention Zebrica and Roam to be potential allies. But of course, there isn't much else to say." She stated. Xanza snorted.

"Yeah, well, I wasn't born there. I'm Equestrian through and through. I just wish these idiots would get it through their thick skulls." She replied. I looked over my shoulder a bit.

"So, who was the other mare you were fighting with." I asked. Sky chimed in immediately.

"The bitch of the village. Shimmering Spark. Too high and mighty because she's the mayor's daughter. A damned hypocrite and the actual traitor to Equestria." He spat. Starry rolled his eyes.

"That kind of talk will label you as a traitor, Sky." He replied. "Don't listen to Sky, he's a hot head. But... he's not lying that Spark is indeed the mayor's daughter. And the mayor has spun the words to make it sound like he wants to push for succession from Equestria for our neighbors. Probably because we are closer to them than central Equestria. The... reactions have been less than ideal. But since the mayor has close ties with the elite of Equestria, it's hard to even argue a point." He explained. My friends and I exchanged glances once more. Xanza stood up, limping a bit but steadying herself.

"It's none of your concern, travelers. Best be on your way. You are more trouble than the mayor." She growled. I nodded.

"Alright. Sorry we bothered you after a heated tussle. Real quick, do you think you can point us in the direction of where we can restock?" I asked. Starry pointed to the plaza.

"You can't miss the wooden sign overhead that has a carrot. That's our general store." He said. I then gave a salute.

"'Preciate it." I said before trotting off with my friends. As we made our way into the plaza, I looked around. Cloudchaser narrowed her eyes.

"You're thinking about helping them, aren't you?" She asked. I blinked and looked to her, shaking my head.

"We don't have time to solve everypony's issues. Before war being threatened, yeah, like old times. But maybe we can gather some info before heading out. Could prove useful for Twilight and her friends." I suggested. Scribble nodded.

"Then, shall we see if we can find Spark?" He asked. I smiled and pointed at him.

"Like a book, egghead." I said. Cloudchaser and Flitter exchanged glances before chuckling to themselves. It still amazes me that despite it being over a month and half, it still feels like we haven't changed what we do. Though this time, it's a little different. We trotted into the general store to do a bit of quick stock up before we proceeded to ask around about Spark. It wasn't long until we found her fuming in front of the street doctor. Her face had bandages and she levitated an ice pack to her cheek. The dark purple mare with a starry light black and purple hue mixed mane and tail sat on a stool with her forelegs crossed along with a hind leg. The black coated doctor pony, wearing a strange mask, dabbed a cotton ball against the mare's cut on her chin, causing the mare to hiss and bat the doctor's hoof away.

"Ease off, buster!" She barked. The doctor slumped but backed away to put away his stuff into a bag. We trotted over to her and her blue eyes met ours. "Oh goody. Now we have travelers sticking their muzzles in places that doesn't concern them. Well, you won't get any hospitality out of me. I'm not in a good mood." She growled. I smirked a little.

"That was quite a fight you and Xanza had. Mind if we ask you a couple of questions?" I began. Spark turned her head away with a "hmph".

"As if I would waste my time telling you. Since you know that traitor's name, why don't you ask her? I have stuff to do." She grumbled. I gestured in no particular fashion to the mare.

"We won't be long. In fact, that's what we are going to ask. What's this traitor stuff going on here?" I asked. Spark glared at us.

"What, are you the royal sister's representatives? Checking on behalf of Canterlot? I highly doubt you have any concern with this run-down village." She replied. Scribble shook his head.

"More like at the behest of the Princess of Friendship, Twilight Sparkle. But we are not here for formalities. What can you tell us about this... traitor?" He asked. Spark's eyes widened.

"Princess Twilight?" Her eyes then narrowed suspiciously at us. "I don't believe it. Quit wasting my time." Scribble proceeded to lean in and study her wounds. The mare looked disgusted. "Ewww, get away!" she cried out. Scribble remained stoic before reaching back into his pouch and withdrawing the small medkit. He pulled out a swab and salve, dabbing the swab and covering the cut chin. The mare blinked, puzzled. Scribble pulled away and put the stuff back into the medkit and his saddle bag. Spark frowned, dabbing her chin.

"Best not to mess with it if you want to mend yourself properly." He stated. Spark scoffed.

"Pfft. I didn't ask for your help." She bobbed her hindleg as she avoided eye contact with us. "It doesn't matter anyway. My father will handle traitors to Equestria. Before long, the gallows will swing." She spat out blood and wiped her muzzle. Scribble looked over his shoulder to us and shook his head. I sighed.

"Alright. Might as well ask the mayor." I said, turning around. Spark barked a laugh.

"Good luck! Father isn't taking any audiences today. Too busy shifting through the traitors in our community." She grinned. Cloudchaser pat her chest.

"I'm sure he'll make time for us. Ain't that right, Quiet Fire?" She winked at me. The mare's look turned to shock. Her eyes fell on me and I peeked out from under my hood. Our eyes met and her entire coat turned pale. I only smiled.

"Like I said. We won't be long." I said. I then pointed to the fancy looking house. "I'm guessing that's the Mayor's House?" Spark only nodded softly. I waved a hoof before trotting off towards the direction of the house with my friends in tow. Having approached the mayor's house, I walked up the steps and knocked on the door. After a bit of waiting, the door unlocked and opened to a cute maid mare. She blinked at us quizzically.

"May I help you?" She asked. Keeping my head low enough to hide my eyes, I smiled.

"Hi. We were just wandering by and wondered if we could speak to the mayor over a matter of importance?" I asked. The maid studied us before shaking her head.

"I'm sorry, but the mayor is not taking any audiences at the moment. Please come back another time." She said, closing the door. I put my hoof up and stopped the door from closing. The maid looked stunned, but I didn't push back.

"Then can we at least talk to you?" I asked. The maid shook her head.

"Apologies, ma'am. But I am on duty. Come back another time when it's convenient." She stated again.

"What is all the ruckus, Pommel?" A voice asked from inside. The maid balked and quickly stepped aside, opening the door.

"P-pardon me, mayor. But these ponies want to have a word with you." She stammered. We saw a neatly groomed unicorn with a grey curly mane, silver coat and purple eyes. He bore a slightly grey-ish beard and stache, even dawning a coat. He eyed us disappointingly.

"Oh really? And to what honor do I have for travelers to want me?" He asked. I decided to drop the entire formalities. I threw off my hood, revealing my fiery mane and orchid fire swirling eyes. The mayor rose a brow questioningly, a moment of realization spreading across his face. "F-Fire Demon?" I nodded and stepped in.

"All we need is a moment of your time." I stated.

"So, let me get this straight. You want to obtain information about a traitor you heard from my citizens so... you can use it to gather intelligence for your own journey? Which, is completely baffling, to our neighbors in Pony Land?" The mayor asked. I nodded my head.

"We are heading there at the behest of Princess Twilight Sparkle, acting as third party. We figured we might as well gather some information before stepping into the lion's den." I began. The mayor leaned back in his chair behind his mahagony desk. His hooves together in contemplation.

"And you feel that valuable info would be gathered in this village?" He asked. I rubbed the back of my head.

"Well, as close as this part of Equestria is towards Pony Land, we need to ensure we err... tie up a few loose ends." I replied. The mayor arched a brow.

"I see. And perhaps, did anypony stand out to you as suspicious?" He asked. Cloudchaser spoke up.

"Considering what your daughter and a citizen portrayed outside, we couldn't see anypony suspicious." She said. The mayor leaned forward.

"My daughter? What do you mean?" He asked. We explained the situation that happened not too long ago to him and he closed his eyes in thought.

"My daughter is right to defend her pride. The Shimmer family prides itself on the very foundation of worth and outstanding value to the community. If she feels she's in the right to call out a traitor, then they'll be questioned as such." He stated. Flitter frowned.

"Throwing hooves isn't what I'd call 'right to call out'." She replied. The mayor chuckled.

"That's the Sun Ville way, my dear." He said with a smirk. This didn't sit well with Flitter, but Scribble chimed in.

"Then let me ask you this, Mr. Mayor." He began.

"Please. Mr. Shimmer is fine." He replied. Scribble nodded.

"Mr. Shimmer. What do you have so far or who do you believe is a traitor?" He asked. Mr. Shimmer grinned.

"Traveling detectives? This is quite a strange turn of events. Here I thought you were the infamous heroes who saved countless villages and hamlets from unfavorable beings?" He stated. I held up a hoof.

"Unfortunately, we are not playing the heroes today. We don't have time too. But we are interested in this business for personal gain. And if we have to help out a village, then that's a bonus." I stated. Mr. Shimmer couldn't help but laugh.

"Interesting! And here I thought Sun Ville was going to falter under the iron banner of Pony Land! I can tell your duty to Equestria is quite the intriguing one! Pommel!" He waved his hoof over and the maid bowed. "Show them what we have so far." The maid trotted over to a filing cabinet and after some digging, she pulled out a stack of folders. Mr. Shimmer pulled out several when the mare brought them to the desk and laid them out for us. I took one in my magic and opened it. An old, grumpy looking pony in the photo glared at the camera. The name read "Grumpkins". I then levitated a couple of more and opened them. I saw the photo of Xanza and a mare named "Linen Quilt". Mr. Shimmer motioned at the files. "Just a few of our suspects who have openly expressed their distaste for the royal sister's rulings and think that our neighbors deserve peace." He explained. I arched a brow and looked up from Xanza's file.

"Doesn't anypony deserve peace? Including both Equestria and Pony Land?" I asked. Mr. Shimmer hummed in thought.

"Ms. Fire. I do believe that kind of talk with your status has already considered you a traitor." He said. I then met his eyes and grinned.

"Then why play chicken? These files are great and all, but who do you believe is the traitor in your community?" I asked. Mr. Shimmer studied me for a bit before closing his eyes in thought. He levitated three files out of the stack and passed them to me. I took them and read each one. To my surprise, one was Sky. His full name Sky Stinger. The other was a unicorn named Bolt Bang. A yellow stallion with green eyes and a blue mane. The last one was an old earth pony mare named Sprinkle Spray. Red eyes with a rosey coat and grey curly mane.

"These three have not openly expressed their commitment to our community and have been seen doing some... 'shady' activities." He explained. "Sky Stinger may have gotten to the head of our librarian. Sky isn't an official resident of Sun Ville, but he's all the more likely to be subject to suspicion. It doesn't help his case that he has been spotted leaving the village almost every night. And not to his home on the outskirts. We have not been given permission to investigate further, as the librarian Xanza has given probable cause that he's innocent. But that is to be remain seen. The second is our landscaper Sprinkle Spray. She's the longest resident here in Sun Ville. Nearly as old as the founder of Ponyville. She's proven to be an upstanding citizen, despite having been born in Baltimare. She's well-liked by the entire community, even by my own daughter. She even plans lovely festivals for our residents. And that..." His look turned serious. "Is another reason to be suspicious of her." Flitter balked.

"That sounds ridiculous!" She exclaimed. Mr. Shimmer waved a hoof softly.

"Logical really. Having all that credibility and respect in the community, that makes ponies extremely dangerous." He said. Cloudchaser arched a brow.

"But then, wouldn't that also put you at the top, Mr. Shimmer?" She asked. The mayor gestured his hooves open.

"I've already cleared my name. My duty to the sisters has been nothing but iron and willing." He then stood up and presented the side of his flank from his coat tail. Our eyes widened. Where his cutie-mark should be was instead a branded mark of the sun. He then turned to the other side. A branded mark of the moon. Any form of his old cutie-mark is unrecognizable. "Yes, I pledged my allegiance to our great Equestria and our royal sisters faithfully and without question! My citizens are soon to be following example as to keep our faith full and unbroken!" I was speechless. Flitter looked horrified and Cloudchaser and Scribble looked grimly at him.

"Y-you'd rather brand your own cutie-mark than be labeled a traitor!?" Flitter exclaimed, looking away from the sight. The mayor sat back down and nodded.

"I'll admit. It is not a pleasant idea. But it is one when our invaders will know who we are loyal to." He explained. I stood up quickly.

"I won't let that happen!" I stated, tossing the files back onto his desk. I threw my hood up. "Let's go..." I couldn't bare another minute of this. This pony is insane! I don't even know how to describe my thoughts about this situation. We left the house and remained quiet as we continued down the road. It took us three minutes to arrive at our wagon puller, who was enjoying a sandwich while lounging in the back of his wagon. We paid him for a night stay, explaining that we might as well rest while we can before heading to Vanhoover. We then made our way back to the village and asked for a one-night stay in rooms. Deciding to save, we spent it on a singular room with one bed. Thankfully, we had our sleeping bags with us during our travels. However, we sat in the room in silence, pondering on what we had witnessed. Flitter broke the silence.

"I just... how can somepony just give up their identity like that for the sake of loyalty?! You don't need to brand yourself to show it!" She exclaimed. Scribble was scribbling down in his journal, though his expression was grim. Cloudchaser shook her head in disbelief.

"I thought I've seen everything back in the Nilneigh Isles. But... I was not ready for something borderline cultic." She said with a bit of disgust. I shook my head.

"We have to figure something out here. I know we don't have time to idle about. But leaving these ponies to this kind of fate is not going to sit well with me..." I stated. Scribble closed his journal and looked to us.

"Then we need to find this traitor out before things get out of control. I've been going over what Mr. Shimmer said in my head. Perhaps we should start with Bolt Bang." He said. "That's the only pony he couldn't give us anything on before all of that." I only nodded. Flitter sighed, shuddering.

"But... what if it all is just paranoia? What if there isn't a traitor?" She stated. We couldn't find a reasonable response to her question. What if this is just paranoia? What do we do if there isn't anything wrong? I furrowed my look before standing up.

"Let's start asking around. We should probably split up to cover more ground." I pointed to Scribble. "Scribble. You question Bolt. See if you can get anything worthwhile. Cloudchaser and Flitter, talk to Sprinkle. I'll question Sky Stinger. With any luck, hopefully this is all what Flitter states." I said. We agreed to this and got our things ready. As we left the inn, Scribble went one way and the sisters went the other. I took a deep breath. Adjusting my hood, I bowed my head slightly to hide my eyes and began to walk towards the last location we saw the three. When I arrived to the location, I looked around, seeing that they must have moved on.

I asked a couple of the villagers and one old couple pointed me in the direction of the hill. Beyond it is where Sky Stinger lives. I trotted in the direction and upon rounding over the hill, a plain spread out before me. The snow dotted the plains. Several houses in the distance had their chimneys going. It looked surprisingly peaceful on the outskirts of Sun Ville. I scanned the houses using Din’s eyes. The couple said his house would have an assortment of lackadaisies in the front. Spying what I would presume lackadaises look like, I trotted down the shoveled path towards the house. Upon arriving I knocked on the door.

I waited a bit, hearing the sound of scuffling hoofsteps on the other side. When the door opened, the pegasus peeked his head out. His expression looking unimpressed by me.

“Why are you here, traveler?” He asked with a frown.

“Investigating. May I talk to you?” I asked. Sky narrowed his eyes.

“I’m not in the mood to talk to a stranger. Good evening.” He said, closing the door. I sighed and knocked on the door again. It took a bit longer for him to answer. He opened the door and frowned. “I have other things to do, ya’ know?” I then lowered my hood and met his eyes with mine. His eyes studied me a bit before a dawning realization fell across his face.

“It is important to me.” I stated. Sky darted his eyes in thought. He then stepped out of his house and closed the door behind him, looking around. This caused me to arch a questioning brow.

“Does anypony else know you are here, Fire Demon?” He asked. I nodded.

“The mayor and his daughter. Though at this point, the attention is bound to catch up to me sooner or later.” I replied. Sky narrowed his eyes again.

“Then about you not staying long?” He asked. I sighed.

“That was before I met the mayor.” His look of understanding told me exactly what I thought. He looked behind me again and turned to open his door, motioning for me to follow.

“Not here then.” He said. I glanced out the corner of my eye. I couldn’t sense anything, but you can never be too careful. I entered into his house. It was surprisingly cozy. He trotted over to the kitchen and poured some tea. Using his wings, he carried one over to me and I took it in my magic while he sat down on a chair facing the fireplace. The warm, welcoming glow of fire nipped me in the back of my head. I spun around and felt the nipping subside.

“Err… are you going to sit?” He asked. I shook my head.

“I’m fine, thanks.” I glanced over my shoulder, seeing him shrug and sip his tea.

“So. If you are here after visiting the mayor and having announced yourself, you then must know about the traitors selected?” He asked. I rubbed my chin.

“Selected?” Sky nodded.

“The mayor’s display of loyalty has the entire community fearing against one another. Some are considering doing the same while others are not up for their branding.” He sighed. “We had nothing to fear.” I hummed in thought.

“I… can see that actually. You do know he has you as one of the top suspects.” I said. Sky nodded.

“The mayor believes that me defending the neutral lands between us and Pony Land to be heresy. Thankfully, he hasn’t gone completely insane.” He rubbed his foreleg. “Every night, I wake to even the sound of an owl for fear of not being in my bed.” He looked to his cutie-mark. A cloud with a stinger out protruding out of it. “The pain must have been excruciating.” I gave him a sympathetic look. “Xanza has expressed her distaste for the mayor’s idea to brand the whole village. And anypony else who addressed it were considered as such.” I rubbed my chin.

“So, let’s say there really is a traitor. Would you have any idea who? Or perhaps, seen anything suspicious?” I asked. Sky rubbed his chin.

"I honestly cannot tell you. Everypony here has been nothing but dedicated to their crafts. We may not be entirely egalitarian like Ponyville, but we do our part." He said sadly. I narrowed my eyes in thought. Sky sounds genuine. His body language completely uncomfortable with the mentions of branding. The thought of this being just paranoia made me feel a little relief. However, something still isn’t sitting right with this. I then had a thought.

“Do you think the mayor is considered a traitor?” I asked. Sky looked at me, contemplating. After a bit, he sighed.

“I believe he has just gone mad with paranoia. Being close to our warring neighbors, I think he’s afraid we will be enslaved or even worse. His faith in the sisters is… uncomfortably unwavering. He’d rather die under the Equestrian banner than the iron one.” He replied. I sat on my haunches and crossed my forelegs, humming in thought. The more I thought about this, it all made simple sense. The mayor has every right to worry. He’s not in the wrong. But… dragging the whole village with him? No, I cannot let that happen. There is more to this than what is being said. There is one thing I do know. Sky is innocent enough.

I stood up and threw my hood back over my head. “I thank you for your time, Sky Stinger. We’ll figure something out. No pony else is going to get branded.” I said. Before I turned, Sky put a hoof on my back. I looked back.

“Quiet Fire.” He began. His look serious yet concerned. “Everypony here knows about you and your friend’s deeds before the whole incident. Word travel fast. With this paranoia, ponies aren’t in the right state. Just… know that most of us haven’t forgotten what you’ve done for the creatures of Equestria.” I studied the stallion. I then nodded.

“I’ll do what I can.” I said. And with that, I left the house, trotting back to the village. My mind raced with thoughts. Ensuring I had everything I learned together, I headed into the plaza with my next stop in mind. I asked around, being pointed to Shimmer Spark’s location. The mare had been standing in front of a fruit kiosk. She looked impatient as the mare behind the counter was hurrying about. I tilted my head slightly before approaching. I cleared my throat, causing the mare to sigh and turn around, only to have her eyes widen in terror. I held up a hoof.

“Just relax, Spark. I just want to ask a couple of things.” I began. Shimmer Spark backed away a bit.

“I-I’m currently busy and have no time to talk. C-can you please leave?” She stammered. The mare behind the counter put something down and wiped her brow.

“H-here you go, Ms. Shimmer! Star Fruit imported from Zebrica. A bundle full just like you asked.” She said nervously, rubbing her hooves. “I-is there anything else I-I can help you with?” Without a word, Spark stuffed the fruit into her saddle bag and quickly paid the mare before hurrying past me.

“Spark, wait!” I called out. She froze in her spot. “Please, just hear me out. We don’t have to speak openly. I just want a moment of your time.” The look of fear was clear on her face. She shakily pointed to an alley.

“W-we’ll talk there…” She said, shivering. I gave her a concerned look but proceeded to follow her in between two houses. The alley was surprisingly back alley than I had thought. We soon came to an opening and she stopped. I looked around. Something was off again. “W-what do you want, Fire Demon?” She stammered as she turned to face me. I sat on my haunches and removed my hood.

“I just want to ask you some things in regard to your father.” I began.

“My father has been nothing but loyal to his people and faithful to our rulers! Just as much as I have!” She quickly said. I remained stoic. I had gotten a look at her flank when I followed her. She wasn’t branded. But her tail swishing to the sides to cover them told me something else.

“So, why not get branded like him?” I asked.

“I will! I will display my faith to my Equestria! I-I will not be a slave to the invaders! I’ll… I’ll even break my horn off!” She stated quickly. I balked and held up my hooves.

“Whoa, whoa! Tone it down, Spark! Branding is enough trauma for now.” I quickly said. Spark eyed me cautiously.

“W-we know what you did, Fire Demon! A-all those ponies… H-how could you?” She asked. I was about to respond when I noticed two ponies stepping out from the shadows. I glanced behind me and saw three more ponies. “Word travels fast. The fact that you showed yourself here… is the last thing anypony wants.” I sighed.

“Spark. I understand your fear of me. Trust me, I wish things were different. But right now, there is something more serious than my presence.” I said, hoping to calm the situation.

“Shut up, Demon!” One of the ponies barked in front of me. He looked middle aged. A pitchfork at his side. “There are things even worse than traitors! Demons are a sin. A blight. They besmirch the name of our majesties!” The other pony, a middle-aged mare in a plain dress and bonnet bearing a sickle, nodded.

“We was doin’ fine until you decided to poke your muzzle into things! Nows everypony is in a ruckus!” The mare stated. The grunts of agreements behind me made me frown. I bowed my head.

“Yeah. I do poke my muzzle into things I don’t understand. And that is why I’m asking so I can ensure no pony has to follow the mayor’s example.” I looked to Spark. “I’ve noticed you’ve been subconsciously trying to hide your cutie-mark. Your father’s display didn’t sit well with you, did it?” Spark glared at me, but uncertainty was still there.

“Th-that’s none of your business!” She exclaimed. The ponies readied themselves. My eyes darted between the two in front.

“And what makes you think you can face a demon if you are so terrified of being branded? Isn’t that supposed to show how much faith you have in our majesties? Turning your back to the sun and moon is why demons like me exist.” At this point, I was hoping to reach a point of hesitation with these ponies. They didn’t do anything wrong and I’m not going to have anymore innocent ponies hurt by me.

“Demons speak a lot of slander! Ya’ best shut your mouth! Or we’ll cut it out!” One of the ponies behind me exclaimed. I kept my eyes on Spark.

“He made you brand him, didn’t he? You branded your own father so that way he’ll have a clear conscious that you wouldn’t betray him.” I hit the nail on the head. Spark’s eyes widened in terror. “But that won’t be enough! Soon, he’ll start to worry everypony’s faith isn’t tested enough. He’ll have your horns. Your wings. Your blood. That’s how these things turn out! Your father needs help, Spark! Let us help you.” As crazy as it sounds, this was the logical conclusion to this kind of behavior.

“That’s why I need your help! I need everypony’s help here! You all don’t need to go that far to express your loyalty to Equestria! As a community, you’ve done so much already! Blessed by the sister’s sun and moon! Take a look around you. You all are scared! Uncertain of the future!” The ponies expressions softened and looked at one another. “It’s okay to be scared! No creature can predict the future to the fullest! That’s why you have to make it to that future together.” I sighed.

“I know I’m not the best figure to look at for any kind of salvation or solution. But… in the end of it all, I’m my best self. And that’s all I can do. And you all can be your best selves too. Save your community. Save your mayor. No matter what happens, you’ll still have the sun and moon smiling down on you.” The ponies lowered their weapons, their eyes adverting from each other. I looked to Spark, who seemed to be in a state of shock. I walked over to her and put a hoof on her shoulder. She blinked and met my eyes.

Her look softened. I smiled. “If you don’t want to face it alone, you don’t have too. With enough voices, you will be heard. Your father has to.” Spark studied me. I could see she was tearing up a bit. These ponies were terrified. Rightly so. But they are stronger together as a community. If there is one thing I learned in Ponyville, we always look out for one another. Individuals with unique quirks who can lend a helping hoof when needed.

I really wish I’d take my own advice. Spark wiped her eyes a bit and sniffled.

“B-but… what if he doesn’t listen?” She asked. I shook my head.

“From the fact that if one pony can vouch for him to his community, he has to. The Shimmer family takes pride in what they do, right?” I winked at her. Spark bowed her head. Her thoughts must be running through her. She then lifted her head, wiping her eye and nodding, facing the ponies around us.

“I… I want to save my father. Can… can you all help?” She asked. The ponies looked to her. It was the middle-aged stallion who spoke.

“Huh. A Shimmer asking for help. I guess we really are in a world on the verge of collapsing.” He stated with a small smirk. Spark seemed shocked by this, but the middle-aged mare waved a hoof with a smile.

“Don’t mind him. He likes ta’ joke. As the mayor’s daughter, we would be glad to help. I remember what you did for me during the bad harvest. Yer’ not all bad as some make ya’ out ta’ be.” She said. One of the ponies behind me stomped his hoof in agreement.

“Ya’ never done us wrong, Shimmer. A little uppity, but we can see your heart is in the right place.” The pony said. The others grunted in agreement. Spark was speechless. I smiled softly. Every village has their own story. Everypony is unique. The marks on our flanks identify how special we are without getting rid of the quirks that make us who we are. Through the darkness, our best selves will be who we are.

That night at the inn, I laid sprawled out on my sleeping bag. Scribble was scribbling in his journal as usual while Cloudchaser and Flitter were lounging in the bed. Flitter had been making arrows for herself while Cloudchaser was shadow jabbing in the air. I sighed and kicked back.

“I hope everything goes well tomorrow.” I said. “To think we came just in time before it spiraled out of control.” Scribble closed his journal and put it back in his saddle bag before pulling out a long, purple crystal with a holographic rune in it. I noticed it was being a bit staticky. I furrowed my look. “Should we be worried about that?” I asked. Scribble shrugged.

“It’s not giving me a clear reading. It’s been doing this since we got here.” He said. Flitter hummed in thought.

“Could it also read the state of villages?” She asked. Scribble shook his head. As jokingly as it was, the crystal could only really tell us when there is unstable magic around us. Physical magic to be precise. Which is ironic considering that the physicality of it is invisible to the naked eye. Nilneigh Isles has taught me some things about myself I didn’t think was possible. Scribble non-chalantly waved the crystal back and forth in his hoof. To his surprise, the static solidified and the rune had turned into a strange, spiky design. I sat up and arched a brow. Scribble rubbed his chin, studying the crystal.

“Fascinating.” He marveled. I saw his eyes contemplate something before nodding. “Girls, there is one thing I’d like to see before we reach Vanhoover.” He shook the crystal up to us. “We are in the area of where I was stationed years ago to study these crystals. I would like to poke around the old site for a bit. Something has occurred to me and I aim to sate it.” Cloudchaser snickered.

“I’m down for a bit of exploration. Could give our wagon puller a bit of a break.” She smirked. Flitter rolled her eyes playfully.

“I’m sure our purses are enough to make him go along with that.” She said. I flopped back onto the pillow of my sleeping bag and stared at the ceiling.

“I’m fine with it.” I chimed in. Scribble eyed me.

“Of course, it’s not a ‘let’s go now’.” He stated. I nodded. We always took things one step at a time. Our needs after everypony else's. It just seems fair, and I hoped it would put some minds at ease that there is good out in the world. What Sky Stinger had told me still bothered me. And the grand speech I gave to some troubled ponies really made me believe I had any inkling of helping. This time, I wasn’t going to fully interfere. The previous villages and hamlets had been primal lackey attacks or monster disturbances.

I don’t know why, but this town full of the faithful has me praying to the sun and moon in my head. Praying for what… that’s a good question. I guess for the safety of these ponies. Feeling a bit miserable about it, I rolled over onto my side and found myself drifting off to sleep while my companions chatted for a bit longer. I had no dreams that stood out to me or that I can remember. The next morning, I rose up from my sleeping bag and yawned, getting out and handling my necessities. Feeling refreshed and clean, I threw my hoodie cloak on and looked over to my companions. They were stirring awake themselves and I figured I'd wait for them to get ready.

It took a bit, but with us refreshed and ready, we exited the inn.

“Fie.” Scribble spoke. I stopped and turned to him. Flitter and Cloudchaser hovered next to him. “We have to go check on something. Combining the information we gathered, we believe we may have something. Yet, we aren’t entirely sure. It’ll be just a moment.” He said. I tilted my head questioningly, but Cloudchaser smiled.

“We heard you struck a chord with some of the ponies against the mayor’s idea yesterday. We might as well split up again to cover more ground. Just… enjoy the relaxation a bit.” She said. I narrowed my eyes at them.

“Ooookay?” I replied. Scribble sighed.

“Sorry. It’s a conclusion we came up with last night while you were asleep. We didn’t want to leave you out in the dark so much. We believe we may have found an actual traitor here in Sun Ville. But we need definite facts. What we want you to do is keep an eye on things here while we go take a look at what we put together.” He explained. I looked at him blankly.

‘Couldn’t have led with that from the start?’ I thought to myself. But holding in the thought, I only gave a small nod.

“Just becareful. If things get a bit hairy, don’t do anything I would do.” I said. Flitter grinned.

“We aren’t that stupid to jump into a raging whirlpool.” She replied.

“Or get launched into a tornado.” Cloudchaser followed up. I frowned and looked at Scribble. He shrugged.

“Thi’s your best friend. That’s all I can say.” He stated. I felt as if his words pierced my head. I did my best to keep a calm smile.

“Thanks…” I replied. I watched my friends head down the opposite direction, waving back to Cloudchaser before sighing and turning to face the main plaza. I should probably check up on Spark. I began to search the plaza for the mare. I won’t lie, my friends mentioning they might have found an actual traitor bothered me greatly. It had me thinking somethings, one being such that the mayor might be being influenced in some way. Or that somepony here genuinely has ill intentions for this community. I then thought of Ponyville. My concern grew to worry. I shook my head furiously.

‘No. If there was a traitor in Ponyville, my angels would put a stop to it.' No longer being bound tightly by the bylaws, I just hope nothing truly prevents them from being themselves. That just made me more determined to find Spark. I began asking around, only to be told that the mayor’s daughter doesn’t leave the house till around eight in the morning. Of all the times to actually wake up early. I sat in front of a cafe that was in the process of opening and I thought.

What could I do to kill time? I looked around the plaza. My eyes fell upon a wooden sign connecting to a house. Engraved was an open book with an ink pot over it. I smiled. I trotted over to the house and noticed the sign on the door. ‘Open at ten.’ I slumped.

“Didn’t take the Fire Demon to be a reader.” A voice said behind me. I turned around to see Xanza eyeing me. She was sitting in front of the library on a bench, sipping a cup of coffee.

“H-how long have you’ve been there?” I asked. How did I not see her? Xanza shrugged.

“I always arrive two hours early to open my own store. I don’t have time at home to relax so this is the better solution.” She explained. I blinked.

“O-oh.” I then realized what she said. “I take it Spark told everypony?” Xanza nodded. I sighed. “Well, I did say we won’t be long. But we-“

“But you decided that sticking your muzzle into a situation that is pretty volatile with our community to be something worthwhile. We follow your exploits here.” She stated taking another sip of her coffee. I sat on my haunches and shook my head.

“I just…” I began but quieted myself. Xanza studied me before speaking.

“It’s only natural for you, right? Saving ponies. Being the hero. The champion of Equestria.” She kicked back on the bench. “Sun Ville should be lucky to be graced with the presence of the very pony tasked in saving us all.” I bowed my head sadly. Xanza sighed. “I’m not going to pretend to imagine being in your horseshoes. And from what it looks like, you’ve seen a lot of crap that no pony should see.” I could only chuckle a bit.

“Not as bad as what Sun Ville is going through.” I stated. Xanza stared ahead while she sipped her coffee. I threw my hood up before continuing. “It must have been surprising to see the mayor in a state of panic.” Xanza shook her head.

“Not panic. More like borderline madness. That’s been happening a lot with him lately.” She explained. “I’ve also noticed Spark being rather… inclusive into daily routines with the others in the village.” I peeked out from under my hood, seeing her look contemplative. “She’s a bitch. But less so ever since the branding.” I furrowed my look.

“How long has it been going on?” I asked. Xanza leaned forward.

“Three weeks.” She stated. I don’t know why I felt a little relieved. We got here just in time. Yet, being secluded in a frozen castle for four, my power has been tempered. Xanza put her coffee down and stretched.

“So… you think the mayor might be going insane, huh?” I asked. Xanza hummed in thought.

“Usually, he’s a little questionable with certain decisions. But this is the first he’s ever decided that was the reasonable way.” She sighed. “I hate to say it, but Sun Ville isn’t quite so happy anymore.” I lowered my head a bit, only to look up when I saw Spark walking over to us accompanied by several ponies. Xanza arched a brow as Spark stopped in front of us. Based on her expression, she looked determined, but a little hesitant.

“You’re up and out early. What do you want, Spark?” Xanza asked with an uninterested look. Spark put a hoof to her chest, as if debating about what to do. She then nodded to herself and held out a hoof to Xanza, her eyes adverting.

“A-as the mayor’s daughter, I-I would like to ask if you would join me in voicing our concerns. I-I cannot allow our community to follow through with my father’s decision. I-if you don’t want to protest then you can sign a petition against the mayor’s decision.” I then saw her glance at me and with a small smirk, I made a small motion to her. She then looked at Xanza. “P-please?” Xanza looked at Spark with an open muzzle, speechless.

I wasn’t sure exactly what was going through her head, but the dumbfoundedness turned into a grin.

“Well, well. You know, they always say the mayor doesn’t write his own speeches. You should consider hiring a secretary to do so.” She said. Spark glared at her and stamped her hoof.

“As if I’d wanted to ask you of all ponies! I-it’s not like I’m forcing you. But I’m putting it out there just in case.” She retorted. Xanza shook her head with a chuckle.

“Considering you got a good amount of Sun Ville behind you, that’s all I need to know.” She then stood up and extended a hoof to her. “Even though you are the biggest bitch this side of the range, you’re the only pony I’ve seen whose made a lick of sense of this situation. But seriously, do hire somepony to write your speeches from now on.” Spark looked at the extended hoof and scoffed. Despite her being bitter about it, she cautiously took her hoof and the two shook. A mutter of approval from the ponies behind Spark made Xanza grin again. Spark turned her head in a huff.

“It’s just until father stops being crazy. Once that’s done, I have no need for you.” She stated. Xanza shrugged.

“Works for me.” She then turned to me and motioned at Spark. “You’re doing, oh miss champion?” I shook my head.

“Just a little push.” I smiled. Spark looked back to Xanza.

“We all will be gathering in the plaza. Make your voice known. I’ll try and bring my father out.” She said. She then trotted off to the next set of ponies that were walking down the road together. Xanza rubbed the back of her head.

“Desperate times calls for desperate measures.” She then turned to the ponies that were beginning to gather, either out of curiosity or knowing. “All right, Sun Ville ponies! Our mayor isn’t in the right state of mind and as upstanding citizens to this community, I am putting my hoof down to the mayor’s decision! Let our voices be heard!” She then began to stomp her hoof. “We are faithful! We are Sun Ville!” She began to chant. A couple of ponies followed the chant and gradually, more and more began stomping their own hooves or what they held and chanted with her. Soon, the entire plaza began to chant, marching and gathering in front of the mayor’s house.

I sat in the back of the crowd, crossing my forelegs as I observed the protest. I can’t remember the last time Ponyville had been in a protest. Yet, I couldn’t help but smile. I really do miss home. I watched as Spark stepped out of the crowd, followed by two other ponies. One had given her a megaphone and she began to call out through it.

“Citizens of Sun Ville! Our community has been quiet for too long over my father’s decision to brand the town to express faith and loyalty to our Equestria! How many of you are willing to throw away what makes you special to give absolute faith to our majesties?” The crowd stamped their hooves in protest. “We should not give up our specialties to express our faith in our majesties! We are always loyal to our Equestria! And we do not need to express it through cultic means!” I saw her eyes dart in thought before looking determined.

“I-I know I haven’t been… a pleasant pony to you all throughout the years. But after my father had me brand him, I could not sleep at night, thinking that I would have to follow suite. I can remember it like a broken record. The searing pain I’d have to endure to lose what made me special. And I realized… I did not want anypony here to bear that. You all have tolerated me and even done your best to satisfy my spoiled desires. A-and now…” I then saw her look at me from the crowd. I gave a small nod. “And now, I am asking you all to raise your voices. Show my father that we remain loyal to our Equestria and to Sun Ville!”

The chanting began.

“We are faithful! We are Sun Ville!” After some time of chanting, the mayor finally stepped out of the house, looking puzzled. He walked over to his daughter.

“What is the meaning of this?” He asked her sternly. Spark faced her father and remained determined.

“I’m sorry, father. But you’ve gone too far.” She motioned to herself. “Why did you make me do something so… so… blasphemous! And to my own father!” She stated. The mayor frowned.

“Blasphemous?? Me?? I have been nothing but faithful and loyal to our Equestria!” He then took the megaphone from his daughter in his own magic and called out. “Citizens! Citizens! Please, ease yourselves! I’m sure this is all a misunderstanding! Must you all protest yourselves so early?”

“We do not want to brand ourselves, Mayor Shimmer!” One pony called out.

“You’re insane for thinking we’d go through with this!”

“I’m not a blasphemer, you are!”

“Think of the children, Mr. Shimmer!”

“I am faithful! I am Sun Ville! We are faithful! We are Sun Ville!”

The chanting began and Mr. Shimmer looked completely baffled. I observed the crowd carefully. Who would be suspicious enough amongst the crowd? Mr. Shimmer called out from the megaphone.

“Please! Let us all be reasonable here! Do you want yourselves to be labeled traitors when the invaders march into our home and enslave us under their banner?! Must we turn away our faith for whatever hellish events await those that give the enemy any room?! I think not!” The crowd grew quiet. “I understand that the method is not a pleasant one, but it is a necessity for our own sake! We are the sisters’s loyal subjects! Equestria is our home! I do not want to see my own faithful be ridiculed to blasphemous teachings by the enemy!”

I shook my head. He really is thinking the worst-case scenario. I noticed the maid having showed up and whispered into the mayor’s ear. He nodded.

“Is this true, Spark? You’ve instigated this due to the Fire Demon?” He turned to face his daughter. Spark didn’t budge, but she looked nervous. I heard Xanza from the crowd.

“It ain’t the Fire Demon’s fault for this ridiculous notion! You’re insane, mayor! And we aren’t going to sit idly by and let you go through with this!” Xanza shouted as she stood on top of a table. “Take a good look around you! We have been nothing but faithful to you and our village! Despite some questionable stuff in the past, we all have managed to work with it! But branding ain’t one we are okay with! Even your daughter, who had to be forced to brand her own father just to prove any form of loyalty! No pony should be branding their own family like that!” Mr. Shimmer frowned and called out from the megaphone.

“And yet, you continue to voice your concerns and approval of neutrality with our offshore neighbors! They will be the first to turn to the iron banner. We will not!” He stated.

“Get it through your thick skull!” A pony shouted. I looked over and to my surprise, I recognized the pony from the picture. Sprinkle Spray, the village’s landscaper. The old mare wobbled a bit at the legs but she stamped her hoof in protest. “Where’s the lad that had bright ambitions to lead us? To ensure we as a community would continue to live and love in harmony? I don’t see ‘em anymore now! Just a crazy stallion who lost his way!” There was a chorus of agreement. Mr. Shimmer looked hurt.

“You would turn your back on me, Mrs. Spray?” He asked. The old mare shook her head.

“Baloney! I’d never turn my back on my neighbors! It’s why we are here today, Mr. Shimmer! Please. Just look at your daughter. Look how terrified she is! She didn’t want this to happen, but you left us no choice!” Mr. Shimmer turned to Spark and his look softened. Spark was tearing up a bit but staring at her father. I could only imagine what went on the mayor’s head.

“Father… Quiet Fire did not instigate this… it is all my idea… please… stop this and let us go back to normal.” She bowed her head and rubbed her foreleg. “Mother wouldn’t want us to be at each other’s throats…” Mr. Shimmer studied his daughter’s expression. Realization came over him and he dropped the megaphone.

“Spark…?” He said. He then looked to his branded flank and looked sadly. He sat on his haunches and put a hoof to his head. “What… what have I done?” Spark hugged her father and he hugged her. I let out a sigh of relief. Just in time. I felt my mood brighten. The crowd were muttering amongst themselves. Xanza smiled and seemed just as relieved.

Now with the town unified and having brought their leader to his sense, ponies should be able to think more clearly and help with the traitor investigation. I looked over and smiled, seeing my friends hurrying over to the crowd on the other side. Yet… something was off. They looked desperate. I then noticed within the crowd. Table Top stared at me. His half skeletal grin and decaying body focused on me. He was muttering something. I blinked and he vanished. That’s when I heard Cloudchaser shout.

“Pommel, don’t!!” Time slowed. I looked over to the maid. She had two crystals in her hooves and she stared directly at me. She was glaring. She mouthed:

“It’s all your fault.” She struck the two together and I was blown off my hooves. I landed onto my back, my ears ringing and my vision blurry. I rolled a bit on the ground. There was an intense burning surrounding the village. I shook away my daze and gasped, eyes widening in horror.

On this day, at precisely eight in the morning. Sun Ville erupted into flames.

Chapter 8: The Tree of Power

A week. A full week. A week worth of rummaging. A week worth of helping survivors. I was defeated. I couldn’t believe what had happened. I thought things would be okay for the residents of Sun Ville. I walked among the many covered figures of what would have been individuals and families. Their friends and loved ones mourning over them. Some injured from the traitor’s attack. It was the third day when I got the full story.

Flitter and Cloudchaser had told me that they talked to several ponies that all mentioned about the mayor needing personal help around the house. So, he hired a few maids to attend to the house while he’d be away. They were foreigners from overseas mostly. But the one no pony expected was Pommel. Born in Equestria, she would always be looking for work as her dreams of being an author crumbled underneath corporate publishers. Scribble had managed to converse with the mare and snuck her personal diary away.

While I was asleep that day, he had read it over with Cloudchaser and Flitter. Apparently, she had come across a pony who had promised her a way of reaching her goals while at the same time being paid. She had fallen for him at some point as she had obsessed over everything he did. Which was all the more sadder to realize that the one she had fallen for was indeed a Triad spy. She had managed to learn this from overhearing the stallion’s friends that were with him usually.

It seemed that the spy was able to manipulate the poor mare into believing that the Triad way was the only way and she had promised to carry out his wishes. She had been positioned in Sun Ville to act as a spy herself, relaying information of Equestrian imports that would pass by the village every now and then. The Triad had planned to use these imports in order to smuggle their own into Equestria as a means to prepare their soldiers for when the war happens.

I was disgusted. I was angry. And most importantly, I was depressed. I should have done something. Scribble had explained that those crystals were volatile compounds that when friction is involved, it’ll cause a chain reaction that would be big enough to wipe out an entire city if the crystals were big enough. It seems the Triad wanted minimal damage if Pommel had failed to manipulate the village into turning a blind eye to their dealings.

The last entry in her journal was hastily scribbled and looked to have been wetted with tears. She had expressed her distaste for me showing up and would ruin things. She had wrote she’ll do what she must for him. And now, here we are in the aftermath. I came to a stop at two covered bodies. I sat on my haunches and lowered my head.

“Just in time, huh… yeah right…” I muttered to myself. No pony deserved any of this. My ears flicked as I heard somepony sit next to me. I looked over to see Xanza. She had an eye patch and several wounds that were bandaged. She stared blankly at the two covered figures before us. I didn’t say anything and looked back to the two. Scribble says the blast wasn’t enough to gib. However, it still gave the sensation of burning and physical wounds. It was the shock that took their lives.

“Xanza?” I heard a voice say. I heard hooves trot into the snow towards us. “There you are. Spray is looking for you.” The voice of Sky Stinger said. She remained quiet. I could sense Sky trying to figure out how to appropriately approach this. Xanza finally stood up after a bit and turned to walk away without saying anything. I could still sense Sky’s presence. He must have looked at me sadly before getting up himself and following after Xanza. I continued to stare blankly at the covered bodies.

I should have done something. How could I have let this happen? I was right there. I was too slow. Dammit… dammit! I felt myself shake. ‘You’re weak, Fie. All this godly damned power and you can’t even stop another catastrophe! You make me sick! You should be ashamed of yourself!’ I felt my breathing grow heavy and the burning in my body rise.

“Fie?” I heard a voice say behind me. I looked over my shoulder slightly and saw Cloudchaser sit next to me. I didn’t respond. I only proceeded to look back at the covered figures. The silence was awkward. I then felt a wing wrap around me and pull me in. My head rested under her chin as she hugged me. I felt all my anger leave and I was suddenly exhausted. I slumped and leaned into her. We once again remained silent. I wasn’t sure how long I had been here. Cloudchaser pat me softly and I looked up. “Fie… I know this is hard to manage… but we can’t stay here. We are waiting for you.”

I looked into the pretty eyes of the mare. So full of life, yet the shine a little dimmed from her own experience. I silently nodded and stood up with her. I threw my hood up and gave one final goodbye to the two figures before walking with Cloudchaser through the covered ponies. As we walked past the charred and burned plaza and several houses, I felt my mood lower and lower. I wanted to do more for these ponies. But we don’t have time.

Our wagon puller was as quiet and disturbed about the whole situation. He provided as much help as he could, even getting some other passing wagons to aid. We’ve done all we can do. As I was about to climb into the wagon, I heard another voice.

“Hold on, whipper snapper.” I froze and looked back to see Spray being wheel chaired along by another pony. Her burns clear on her face and mixing grotesquely with her own coat. I lowered my head again. “I have to thank you for sticking around and helping where you can.” She sighed and shook her head. “No pony would have ever saw any of this comin’. Not even Equestria’s champion. Ya’ get what I’m sayin’?” I only stared at her. I knew what she meant. But that didn’t make it any better. She turned her head to the burnt plaza.

“I can tell you live in a village yourself. Giving young Spark her moment to shine and how you helped us in the aftermath. Your focus on helping us spoke to me that you are a Ponyville gal, ain’t ya’?” I only nodded in response. She smiled softly. “Good ta’ see that the charity of Granny Apple Smith and the others hasn’t gone sour. I need to write to her sometime.” She then looked at me kindly. “I wish you luck on your journey, kid.” She was wheeled around and was about to head back.

“Sprinkle Spray, wait!” I called out. The pony stopped and I hesitated. I lowered my head. “I… I’ll send help.” The old mare looked at me from her chair. “I know ponies in Ponyville that can help… you’ll get what you need to help rebuild.” I rubbed my foreleg. “I-isn’t that the neighborly way? Not to turn our backs on neighbors?” The old mare suddenly laughed, coughing and winced in pain before she wiped a tear out of her good eye.

“Kid. Not every neighbor is worth looking out for. We’ll manage on our own just fine. But a little help wouldn’t hurt.” She then eyed me and waved a hoof. "A hero's journey is never easy. So many trials and tribulations. I feel it has just begun for you. But look at how far you've come. Equestria's champion will surely succeed. And if you aren't a champion, then live up to the Fire Demon way against your enemies." And with that, she motioned for the pony and they wheeled her away from us. I watched them sadly. I then turned and climbed into the wagon. We were off back on the road again. The mood didn’t sit well with us.

Scribble wrote in his journal, retelling the events that played in his head probably. I had asked him at some point how he managed to get ahold of Pommel’s diary or how it led to it all. He only stated that the mare was close to somepony in the village, who unfortunately had perished along with her. I then had a thought, crossing my forelegs.

“So… did she ever mention any specific locations that she met the spy in?” I asked. Scribble shook his head.

“Probably told otherwise. She’s not from here either so it’s hard to tell exactly where she met up with the spy.” I tilted my head with my eyes closed in thought.

“Considering that Unicorn Range is close to Pony Land, I wouldn’t be surprised if there is a Triad station held up somewhere around here.” I stated. “With any luck, it might be in Vanhoover.” Flitter looked at me with concern.

“Fie. Don’t be like that. We don’t want another Manehatten incident.” She said. I looked at the mare and my look softened. She’s right. Manehatten led to a lot of things happening with the Triad. If we go chasing that kind of stuff again, we’ll end up losing more time to search for the remaining three power elements. We spent a week trying to ensure Sun Ville was okay enough. Spring is right around the corner.

Our wagon puller suddenly stopped and we looked around quizzically. We were still out in the range. Vanhoover isn’t until another two days. I looked over and I could see what the wagon puller was looking at. He looked pale as in the distance, a small figure was walking towards us. I narrowed my eyes, using Din’s to get a better look. It was a filly. She wore a dark cloak and had her head lowered. She was smiling to herself and from what it looked like, swaying to a tune in her head. She then mouthed something. My lip reading was starting to get a little better.

“Found you~” She mouthed. My eyes widened and the area behind the filly grew darker. I quickly stood up.

“Enemy!” I stated, drawing my quarter staff. My friends quickly stood up at the ready. The wagon puller yelped and unlatched himself quickly before diving into the back of the wagon, hiding underneath a cover. I hopped out and trotted ahead a bit before stopping. The filly was still quite a distance away, but the dark area behind her swallowed the winter snow and sky. Using Din’s eyes again, I gasped when she suddenly looked up and I met a pair of pink eyes swirling with a dark, purple fire.

In an instant, the whole world around me faded into a black void. It all happened so fast. Din appeared in front of me and with a quick swish of her head, she released a wave of flames that surrounded us. The filly had also gained so much distance that she was now just a few hoof steps away. She giggled underneath her hood.

“Hehehe~ I finally found you, bearer of fire~!” She sang. I glowered at the filly.

"I've just about had it with Tenebres. And I'm definitely not in the mood to be dealing with this." I growled. Din cackled and scraped the ground.

Oh, this is just so precious!! My sister picked a child to be her bearer!! Ahahahahah! Oh please, kill me now!! She laughed.

With pleasure!

A childish voice said. Din however, smirked and pushed me away with her hindhoof, sending me back as she flipped over a dark blade of a scythe inches from her muzzle. The floating dark fire scythe hovered in the air, spinning and twirling before embedding itself into whatever solid ground we were standing on. Tenebres melted into existence from the ground and took a hold of the scythe in her magic, shouldering it.

Darn. If only you didn't absorb your vessel's quick thinking. She said with a small pout. I scrambled to my hooves and cantered over, only for Din to hold up a wing in front of me.

Hmph! And yet, you flaunt borrowed power. Still a child who doesn't get what hard work means. Din grinned. Tenebres was about to retort when the filly held up a hoof. She lowered her hood, revealing a bubblegum curly mane and light blue coat. She grinned back, a little dementedly.

"Borrowed power made our own! Because we have truly been at work! Hard work, mind you." The filly waved a hoof and from the ground melted into existence figures of creatures. I widened my eyes. The armor and weapons they bore. Their blank, lifeless expressions. The golden chimera with a cross on their garb. As if like puppets, the creatures shambled before drawing their weapons. Din rubbed her chin with an impressed look.

Well, well! It doesn't change the fact that I can overpower you! Din grinned. Tenebres smirked.

Gloat all you want, sister. But my vessel and I have something that you don't. Friends. She said in an eerily innocent way. What the hell are these two!? When I first met Tenebres, she was cold and a little hot headed, but now it seems she completely changed her attitude. If there was any doubt of our power elements exhibiting our traits, there was none now. I glared at the filly, who only grinned and waved at me. Din scoffed.

Your friends? Yeesh. I knew you were desperate. But not that desperate. Din rolled her eyes. Tenebres glared but the filly rose a hoof up again.

"Then perhaps a simple demonstration? A one mare army against a legion!" She chuckled. Din smacked her forehooves together.

Bring it, brat! She grinned maniacally. I balked.

"Din! What the hell are you doing!? We don't have time for this!" I stated. Din snorted.

Have you've forgotten what we are supposed to do? The bearer of shadows is here face to face! Din cackled. I wonder how you'll befriend a mind so demented? She glanced at me and I backed away a bit, my mind racing to try and figure something out. The filly shrugged and waved her hoof.

"Tenebres? If you will." She said. Tenebres twirled the scythe and aimed it at Din. The hunters rushed Din. I had to draw out my own staff, dodging a stray slash from a giant sword one of the griffons had. I bumped into something and turned to see a pegasus rearing up with an axe and brought it down. I hopped to the side and brought my staff around, smacking the pony away. I narrowed my expression.

'That was a hollow hit...' I thought to myself. I got into my stance and glanced over my shoulder. Din was skillfully bobbing and weaving through the attacks, punching and kicking in a display of finesse before finishing with a spread of her wings and sending fire out, charring the creatures. They melted back into the shadows, only to reemerge again and charge. I grit my teeth, focusing back at my own attackers. I swiftly side stepped what appeared to be a ballista arrow. I was shocked as I looked to see an earth pony mare take aim and fire a volley at me. I quickly ran to the side, avoiding them before coming to a stop and batting a club that nearly struck me. Giving the zebra a buck to the side, I twirled my quarter staff and began striking at the ones who rushed me with blades and axes. As if in a dance, Din and I dodged, weaved and flipped through and from our attackers, eventually tag teaming most of them. We were in complete synergy that I couldn't help but grin a little. However, despite our work together, the creatures kept reemerging from the ground. And what's worse is that I noticed Din showing a little bit of drain. The filly and Tenebres were watching with popcorn somehow. Dammit, Din's getting carried away again!

Then, at that moment, Din swore loudly and with a loud pop the fiery halberd appeared. She heaved it and Tenebres balked, screaming as she got struck in the chest. The filly looked shocked and the puppeted creatures froze. Din was instant. She appeared over Tenebres and held onto her halberd. She grinned down at the shadow alicorn.

Tsk tsk. All that hard work won't matter if you can't keep your own guard up. Din stated. Tenebres's shocked look then turned to a smirk and, in an instant, Tenebres suddenly was grinning down at Din. Din blinked in shock, looking to see that her own halberd was in her chest. Tenebres laughed.

Duly noted. She grinned. My eyes widened. As quickly as it happened, Tenebres brought the scythe around and with a loud singing of a blade, Din went limp. I felt an intense pain at my neck and I screamed, being thrown out of the domain. I was thrown back and landed on the ground, clutching my neck and screaming in pain. I could feel it. The feeling of a clean cut across the neck. I flailed my hind legs, as if an invisible force was still over me.

"Fie? Fie!" I heard Flitter call out. My friends were over me and, in a panic, I threw off Cloudchaser's hoof and sat up, panting as I still clutched my neck. I looked around before looking ahead and seeing that the filly had vanished. "Fie, what happened!?" Flitter said worriedly. Scribble lifted my head up by the chin and examined my neck. His eyes narrowed.

"Your neck..." He began. Cloudchaser and Flitter gasped. I removed my hoof and I could notice a black wisp from my neck. I closed my eyes.

'Din? Din! Answer me, Din!' I called out. No response. I bit my lip and tried to enter into my mind. When I opened my eyes, I looked around a black void. "Din! Din! Where are you!?" I called out again. I turned around and screamed. Tenebres stood there, Din's head on the tip of her scythe. She grinned evilly. I quickly got into my stance. Tenebres flicked her scythe and Din's head rolled over to me. At the cut was fire flailing out of her. To my shocked relief, Din growled.

Of all the rotten... Din snarled. I knelt down and picked up Din's head.

"Din! Thank Celestia you're alive!" I said. Din snorted.

Don't be an idiot! We can't kill each other! She exclaimed. Tenebres laughed.

Don't lose your head over it, sis. Tenebres replied.

Laugh it up, brat! You've pissed off the wrong primal!! Din snapped. I slumped.

"Headless but still so loud..." I muttered.

I can still bite you! She snapped at me. I looked up to face Tenebres. Holding Din's head in my foreleg, I stood up and called upon the fire halberd in the other. Tenebres looked uninterested at me.

Pfft. I've already gotten my revenge for last time. And what do you know, it happens to be the second loss you have, dear sister. She smirked. Din growled as Tenebres turned around, her scythe vanishing into the void. Don't think I'm letting you off so easily. My vessel and I are just getting started! There is a whole new world out there just waiting to be conquered! You can have this one for all I care now. She looked over her shoulder slightly and made a small motion with her wing before vanishing into the abyss. I suddenly felt exhausted and fell onto my haunches, my halberd clattered next to me. I let out a relieved sigh and set Din's head in front of me. The fire alicorn glared up at me. I studied her and she spat beside her.

What the hell are you looking at!? She hissed. I furrowed my expression.

"You... you can't kill each other... but can mortally wound each other?" I asked. Din frowned.

We have a lot of animosity amongst us. Tis what we know. Tis not the first time it has happened either. Though, I was never on the receiving end. She sourly explained. I studied Din again. Her look became complacent. This is the first time I've seen Din looking at a loss. I felt my heart skip a beat as Din's body stood over me. She picked up her own head and reattached it, cracking her neck and stretching a bit. She then turned and walked a bit away from me before laying down and resting her chin on her forelegs. Leave me. Now. I felt myself being pulled away, finally opening my eyes to reality once more. My friends looked at me with concern. I looked between them, a bit dumbfounded before lowering my head and rubbing my neck. Din was right about being careful. Yet, she still lost. And this time, to her own child sister.

"So, they can't really die if they mortally wound each other?" Flitter asked. I nodded as I tossed more sticks into the fire. We had pulled into an outdoor rest area. Our wagon puller was smoking not too far off. He was surprisingly calm after the whole Tenebres attack. Though, it seemed I was the only one attacked as when my friends had reached me, they blinked and the filly vanished, only to see me flailing on the ground clutching my neck. I stared into the fire, finding myself relatively calmer now. Perhaps Din was using this as a coping mechanism at the moment. I didn't think a primal could get depressed. Scribble closed his journal and sighed.

"Things just keep getting better and better." He stated. Cloudchaser casually ate her can of beans, her look in contemplation.

"It was just so sudden. A lone filly wandering the road and she just happened to be the bearer of shadows. A filly?" She said in disbelief. I remained quiet. It's not a common occurrence in Equestria. But it does happen. I hear that if you ever travel the roads, you'll occasionally meet a runaway filly or colt. It's strange that ponies here in Equestria are okay about it to some degree. Some consider it a pilgrimage to discover who they are. And most of the time, parents would usually hear that their child is doing well enough. Yet, some are not so fortunate. I won't get into too much detail, but life on the road isn't easy.

That night, I didn’t dream. Instead, I found myself standing over Din. The fire alicorn had a look on her that showed she was in deep thinking. I subconsciously rubbed my neck and sighed quietly.

Vessel. Din began. I blinked and looked at her. That draconequess has me wondering something. This… Dark Rainbow Power. I have a feeling that is our key. I tilted my head questioningly. Din rose her head to face me. I recall in your time several thousand years ago that certain individuals have acquired this power. I’ve seen it myself. The Dark Rainbow is more than just negative magical power. It can destroy things not of this world. She looked down at her hoof. We must obtain this power. With it, you mortals might just have a chance of survival. I balked.

“Din, you can’t be serious about using it against your sisters! I get that you are a little sour about losing, but you never have let that bothered you as much!” I protested. Din frowned and laid her head back on her forelegs.

Who said anything about using it against my sisters? As much as I want to return the favor, we still have a task to do. Acquiring the Dark Rainbow is more than just having destructive power on our side. It is for the benefit of the realm. She explained. I was about to say something when I had realized what she said.

“Wait… you were paying attention on the train? I thought we knocked you out cold? And… what do you mean by it being the benefit of our realm? Why harness it at all?” I motioned to no direction in particular in my statement. Din snorted.

Idiot. Remember, anything you pick up in that mess of a brain of yours, I absorb the knowledge with it. And what’s wrong with having a bit of destructive power to ourselves? It’s better that than some sorry fool who will use it uncaringly. She said. I opened my mouth to speak, only to stop and thought about it more.

Twilight Sparkle compared Din to be an enforcer of the seven. Wild, questionable tendencies that are really meant to keep everything in check. Perhaps Din is onto something here. However, Din’s expression showed no care of my thoughts. She turned her head away from me.

Do what you will. Not like I care. She stated.

When we arose and broke down camp, my friends and I paid the wagon puller again as an apology for the events of yesterday. However, he stated that having to pull me and my friends around had been interesting and decided that he wouldn’t accept the payment and instead, take us still to Vanhoover in a gallop. I held onto the side as he barreled down the road at a fast speed. Cloudchaser and Flitter used this opportunity to train their flying. The cold wind blew past us and I, for some reason, felt a little better.

When we rounded a hill, we saw a sign out in the range. It showed a fancily dressed stallion and mare with a filly and colt happily in a family picnic. The sign read:

Welcome to Vanhoover!

The city towered in the distance and I felt myself grow sad. I was hoping we’d run into Thi along the way. But still no sign or word of her whereabouts. The wagon puller gasped and slowed to halt. Cloudchaser and Flitter flew down and frowned.

“Another straggler on the road…” Cloudchaser said. I blinked and looked down the road. There was another figure who was walking down the road towards us. However, this one was taller. Way taller than I’d like to imagine. I used Din’s eyes to get a better look. However, travelers have a way of keeping their faces covered under hoods. Yet, there doesn’t appear to be anything sinister. We waited with bated breath as the figure got closer and closer. They had just walked past our shaking wagon puller before stopping at the side.

I then noticed something dragging behind the figure. A reptilian tail. I looked at the staff and saw a snake coiled at the top. I beamed in recognition. The figure looked over to me and lowered her hood. Zalas nodded to me in recognition.

“Fire bearer.” She said.

“Zalas! It’s been a hot minute.” I smiled. Unlike the filly, Zalas was somecreature who wasn’t out for my head. At least, not anymore. However, I was adverting my eyes from her’s. I didn’t want to risk Ventus from attacking us while Din is still recovering from her own injuries. Zalas noticed this before throwing her hood back up. “What are you doing out here?” I asked. Zalas turned her head to peer out into the range.

“Ssssurveying. I ssssensssed Tenebressss nearby.” She stated. I looked back to my friends who seemed to look grimly at the mention. I sighed and nodded.

“You just missed her.” I said. Zalas didn’t meet my eyes, but she did turn to me with a studying look. She then turned to face down the road she came from.

“I ssssee. Then perhapssss it issss bessst I sssshow you ssssomething.” She walked past the wagon puller and motioned with her head to follow. He looked back at us and I smiled softly.

“Don’t worry. She’s somecreature you can trust.” I said. The wagon puller shrugged and followed Zalas. She took us down the road for a bit before taking a left at the fork in the road away from Vanhoover. I blinked and rubbed the back of my head. Scribble, however, had recognition.

“Huh… this is…” he began. He hopped out of the wagon and trotted over to Zalas. “You didn’t perhaps find an excavation site, have you?” Zalas looked out from under her hood to the stallion.

“Issss that what you call it? You sssshould have dug deeper.” She replied. Scribble remained stoic but tilted his head slightly. He then reached back and pulled out the crystal. I noticed it was clear and glowing this time. Scribble narrowed his eyes.

“What did you happen to find?” He asked. Zalas looked back ahead.

“You’ll ssssee.” She said. We walked a bit further down the road before coming across some ruins. The wagon puller stopped and we hopped out of the wagon and over to Zalas. I froze and noticed a giant quad pedal skeleton. Zalas nodded to the sight. “If I recall you mentioning, ruinssss had unpleasssant guesssstsss.” She said. Scribble shrugged.

“No surprise a Manticore would have taken up residence here. It was one of the reasons we left in a hurry.” He said as he began to trot over to a bench full of scattered books and knick-knacks. He pushed aside some things and skimmed a couple of papers. As he proceeded to salvage what he could, Flitter and Cloudchaser began exploring a bit of the surroundings. I walked over to Zalas, who was waiting patiently for us to finish up.

“So… how’s Quetzalcoatl?” I asked. Zalas shifted her staff. The snake coiled at the tip having petrified into the wood.

“Napping. The cold issss not kind to ussss.” She said. I noticed that she had been wearing fur under her cloak. I took a look back at the manticore corpse.

“You know, merchants would pay a good price for Manticore parts.” I said casually. Zalas rubbed her chin.

“Perhapssss. But it issss better to usssse what nature givessss. As issss the way.” She replied. I softly nodded before looking at her neck.

“Seems like you’ve been doing well for yourself out here.” I smiled. Zalas nodded.

“It hassss been bountiful. Thesssse ruinssss provide ample shelter. Assss well assss ssssomething more.” She said. Scribble turned away from the bench, stuffing a bundle of papers into his saddle bag.

“Right. Then, would you care to show us?” He asked. I could see behind his stoic expression a sense of excitement. Cloudchaser and Flitter met up with us as Zalas nodded, motioning us to follow. As we descended into the cave, we noticed a lot of left behind equipment. Scribble brushed over what appeared to be a purple vein in the wall. The deeper we went, the more of the same purple veins began showing up.

“Fascinating.” Scribble marveled as he examined one of the veins. “The physical properties have overlapped. I bet within a hundred years or so, this cave will be covered in this ethereal matter.” I rolled my eyes playfully.

“Like a child in a candy store.” I remarked. We proceeded to follow Zalas further when Scribble stopped.

“Hold on… there was a wall here that our pickaxes couldn’t break through. Not even compressed magic.” He said. Zalas smiled and waved her claw in front of her. Scribble seemed to nod in approval. “What a time for primals to walk among us.” I looked back to Cloudchaser and Flitter, all of us giggling at the nerdy egghead. It was a nice break away from all that has happened recently. We proceeded deeper, the physical crystallization of the ethereal stream growing denser with each step we took. Eventually, we broke through to a cavern.

I stared in awe. All around us was a mass of hanging purple crystals. It was as if they were seeping and trailing out of the walls and combining into a tall, spiked pillar in the middle of it. I could feel a strong energy flowing through me. So much so that even Din stirred from the feeling. Cloudchaser whistled.

“I knew crystal caves could be amazing. But seeing this?” She stated. Flitter marveled at the crystals.

“Oooh, pretty! There are colorful lights flowing through them.” She pointed out. Scribble was amazed. He did a slow turn around, his stoicism gone entirely and replaced with a marveled joy. A rarer sight than what we are seeing currently.

“Amazing! All the ethereal mass have subjugated to this particular location!” He studied the mass of purple at the center, brushing his hoof against it. A light oval followed his hoof. “Ladies. We are looking at pure, unfiltered masses of the ethereal stream in physical form!” Zalas arched an amused brow.

“It’ssss a tree.” She stated. I tilted my head, studying the tangled masses of connections to the cavern walls. Now that she mentions it, it almost does feel like we are under a tree. Scribble gasped and turned to Zalas.

“Wait a minute… a tree…” he then quickly brought out a different journal. He hurriedly skimmed through the pages as we watched on with amusement. He beamed when he came to a stop and turned the journal around. “Years ago, my team and I had the honor to study the magical properties of the Tree of Harmony with the permission of Princess Celestia herself. We gathered as much data as we can. The physical properties of the tree is solidified magic that dates all the way back when Starswirl was around.” He said. Cloudchaser smirked.

“Duh. He planted it after all.” She said. Scribble shook his head.

“Anything could have happened when it was a seedling. It seems that because of the natural magic that flowed throughout what would eventually be the Everfree, all of it stemmed from one point. Kind of like what we are seeing now. Only…” he turned to face the mass of crystals. “Unlike the natural magic the Tree of Harmony possesses, this one appears to be pumping into and from the ethereal stream. It’s like… a heart. A beating heart of what we believe would be the afterlife.” He then turned to me and Zalas. “Do you two feel anything unusual about being close to this tree?”

Zalas and I exchanged careful glances.

“Errr… now that you mention it… I do feel alert more than usual.” I stated. Zalas rubbed her chin in thought.

“When I disssscovered thissss place, Ventussss sssstirred from their sssslumber. The vasssst amount of magic flowing through here.” She then looked to me. “Reach out to the tree.” I blinked at her before focusing on the purple crystal pillar. I closed my eyes and reached with my magic. I didn’t grasp it. Only washed my magic over it. When I opened my eyes, it was almost like a flash bang, causing me to shield my eyes. When the light dimmed, I lowered my hoof and gasped.

The web was now a flowing fire of energy. It traveled up and trailed the stems and branches of the crystals. I could see the auras of my friends being touched by the energy.

Interesting…. Din spoke in my head. Zalas pointed with her staff to the branches.

“In the center of thesssse branchessss are sssspheressss with the ssssymbol of what we bear. Look closssely.” She stated. I did as she told me and sure enough, I found a sphere with a symbol on it. It was glowing a dim grey hue. I followed another branch and saw a sphere that glowed a dim amber. Din hummed in thought and without thinking, I found myself reaching out with my magic to the sphere. It began to glow brightly and suddenly, I felt a force yank me a bit.
I opened my eyes in surprise and to my shock, Din stumbled forward, her body physical and… living.

My friends readied themselves in reaction to her appearance. Zalas held up a claw to everypony. My friends exchanged glances as Zalas reached with her claw extended. I could see a swirl of her magic trail up into her arm and connect to the grey sphere. The next thing we knew, Ventus came stumbling out. I felt an increasing worry, but seeing as Ventus looked puzzled, she turned to Zalas.

“What is the meaning of this?” She asked with an annoyed tone. Zalas lowered her arm and nodded to Ventus.

“Theory tessssting.” She replied non-chalantly.

“Theory testing?” We all asked in unison, including Din and Ventus. Zalas nodded as she sat down criss crossed.

“Thissss tree issss connected to ussss. The onessss who hold the power elementssss. A quesssstion I had ssssince arriving issss, how and why doessss it connect to ussss?” She looked between all of us. “Our elementssss are before a time when civilization wassss created. They were made to sssshape our world and give life. They appeared once more when the realm wassss threatened by an evil erassssed from time. I believe it wasss at that time when thissss tree appeared.” She held up an index claw at us. “The theory I’m tessssting is the propertiessss affecting ussss assss individualssss. And assss you can ssssee, the tree pulled our elementssss out of ussss if we connect our magicsssss to it. What if we… borrow from the tree?”

I saw Din perk up a bit. She turned to the tree and a grin began to crack.

“Borrow, huh…?” She marveled. I frowned and nudged Din. It caused both of us to be a bit startled. It really did solidify Din. Regardless, I glared at her.

“We don’t need any more complications, Din. It’s bad enough Tenebres is hunting us. Unless you want to get humbled again, you sit tight and listen.” I stated. I then turned to Zalas, arching a brow. "How do you know all of that?" Zalas looked up to the tree. I blinked and looked back to it. I was expecting something to have happened as my luck tends to do, but surprisingly, nothing has changed. Zalas tapped her staff once and stood up.

"You and Din need to intertwine your magicssss and wassssh it over the tree. Not your element ssssphere." She explained. I glanced at Din nervously. However, the maniacal look in Din's eye told me she was craving for more than just curiosity. I slumped. Din looked at me from the corner of her eye, as if she knew I had no choice in the matter. I closed my eyes and with Din, we reached with our magic. We then moved our magics together and washed it over the crystals. I could feel it. Our magic being absorbed into the tree and branching out into the webs. When I opened my eyes, I gasped as the tree began to glow. Din and I watched a pillar of light began to form in front of the tree and in a spectacle shimmer of light, a figure began to emerge. It morphed into an equine figure and when the light vanished, the figure solidified. A majestic alicorn of a starry coat and fiery blue mane that curled of a prim and proper princess. Yet, when she opened her eyes, they were glowing brightly of the stars. My friends gasped in awe at the sight. The alicorn scraped the ground with a single hoof and bowed to us.

"Greetings, bearer of the one who wields fire." The voice resonated. It was soothing, as if she was singing a lullaby. I was speechless. Her beauty definitely is godly. Zalas stood up and walked to stand next to me. The alicorn acknowledged Zalas with a courteous nod. "Thou as well, bearer of winds. It fills this empty heart with joy to see two of the fated together under my embrace." I blinked in confusion.

"Empty heart?" I asked. The alicorn nodded.

"What thou see before is nothing but a mere memory of once was. A fragment husk to a being no longer existing." She replied. Cloudchaser rubbed her head.

"What is she saying?" She asked. I blinked at her quizzically. They can't understand her?

"Please listen, for thou fate is tied to this very being. Long ago, an evil named Malevolence descended upon the realm, bringing ruin to the land. Fated heroes from far and wide banded together and banished the evil back to the stars. In its' wake, a scale from the beast landed here. Here, grew the very tree before you. With the combined efforts of the seven, they granted a mortal power beyond comprehension. Yet, the stars are unkind. For they wrote the fated arrival of the evil once more. A cycle hath been created, one whom watches the balance would have thou believe otherwise." I exchanged glances with Zalas. "The realm of the gods are uncertain of the events in your time. For the prophecy hath been rewritten. Or, it will be. This tree must be protected from Malevolence. For when the evil shall search for its' missing power, there will be no hope in saving thou." I narrowed my eyes.

"Hmmm. So, I was right then." I stated. Din snorted.

"Damn. I will never hear the end of it." She stated. My friends looked at me quizzically. I turned to them.

"Ouroboros is not only a lazy world serpent, but he's also been lying and manipulating us into believing somethings. He told me that we would be the last before no longer having to matter. Meaning that once we had fixed his mistake, he'd just shelve the seven back and that's that. This is the third time this has happened. Whether Ouroboros has an ultimatum is yet to be determined, I think. And I do believe he isn't lying about us having to gather and combat the catastrophe that is going to disrupt the balance of our realm thanks to what this husk confirms. But now I'm confident that not everything he tells us is for our benefit." I explained. Zalas rubbed her chin.

"For one whosssse lived for millenniumssss, it'ssss a ssssurprisssse he would lie." She stated. I snorted.

"He's a higher power. He doesn't give a damn. That also means that I'm not the illegitimate child of a primal and Starswirl the bearded. I knew it was just a bunch of lies." I said with a relieved smile. Being a child of Starswirl may not be entirely bad, but he doesn't strike me as father material. And Equuilie, the one who is supposedly my biological mother, is just a creation made by Ouroboros as a... secretary? It was hard to imagine Starswirl would fall for such a thing considering his own animosity towards the World Serpent. Yet, seeing the alicorn eye me gave me a bad feeling.

"Yes. We do sense thou art not of mortal standards. Yet, thou latent power tis indescribable. Thou origin birth I cannot tell. Tis no mistake thou art mortal. For now." She said. I blinked questioningly. I'm a mortal for now? Din rolled her eyes and stepped forward.

"Alright, you... whatever you are. I demand absolute power. As the one who calls for fire and the next apex of the world, bestow upon me the rite." She said, standing imposingly at the figure. The alicorn showed no emotion or reaction. Yet, she looked over her shoulder up to the tree.

"Thou seek forgotten power. Nay, more than forgotten power. Ascencion." She then turned back to Din. "We can grant you this rite, however, the rite must be obtained when all seven are together." She replied. Din growled.

"Do not assume I care for what my sisters demand. They were given power by the serpent while I have done nothing but worked for it. I completed the Trigram. Tis I who has bested my sisters with nothing but wit and personal strength. Yet, that can only get me so far." She lowered her head, her look clearly angry and resentful. "Bested by mortals... by my younger sister no less... by all my sisters before... It's infuriating that all my work has been crumbling. I aim to correct it. But not in this state." She shot her eyes at the alicorn. "So, you will do well and give me what I desire! Tis my rite! My power! No insignificant insect shall have it! That power is beyond their understanding!" She pointed a hoof at the figure. "If I am denied this rite, I will claw my way into the star's domain and beat them to a pulp until I get what is rightfully mine! Mine!" We all looked uneasily at Din. Ventus stepped forward, her annoyed tone breaking the air.

"You babble too much, sister. Your power shouldn't be held for yourself. Tis for the benefit of this realm. You know full well why we exist." She stated. Din quickly turned and slugged Ventus in the face with a forehoof, sending the alicorn into the wall in a blink of an eye.

"You quiet your tongue, Ventus!!" She roared. She stamped her hoof, causing a crack. I backed away with my friends and Zalas. "You, who has been given power and more by that damned serpent!! You continue to piss me off!! Lux is going to get her punishment by me for even giving her power to one she did not choose!! And with you speaking like that, I am inclined to release some much needed tension against Tenebres towards you!!" She spat on the ground, the small fire hissing when it hit the ground. "You all make me disappointed to be alive... We are in charge of the balance!! We are the ones who were promised domain over the realm!! Uncaringly bestowing that promise onto others is disgusting!" She then looked to me, her eyes flaring brightly with fire before looking back to Ventus. "You are creating more work than I'd care to fix!! You are not taking this as seriously as you should!!" She turned to the alicorn and got up into her face. "My rite!! Now!!" Once again, the alicorn did not react. However, she did a courteous bow.

"Thou will be granted the rite, caller of fire. However, if thou aim to achieve thou desire, it can only begin when all seven are present." She met Din's glaring gaze. "Thou hath our word. We can sense that thou truly mean for the betterment of this realm. Tis why we will now bestow upon thou this mark as a sign of thou pilgrimage of power." The alicorn unfurled her wings and I shielded my eyes as a bright glow flashed overhead. When the light dimmed, I looked to see a prismatic, glimmering scale hovering over Din. Din grinned maniacally, as if her whole world has been lifted. Yet, it quickly dropped to shock when the scale floated over to me. I took it in my magic and blinked questioningly. Din growled and shot her glare back at the alicorn.

"What is the meaning of this!?" She demanded. The alicorn lowered her wings.

"Tis a purified piece of Malevolence's scale. Thou will perish if thou comes into contact with it. Tis meant for mortal hooves. Yet, it is the very thing that will help thou desires. Treasure it well, for the path of ascension tis not an easy feat." She then stepped back and bowed with her wings lowered. "One who shall inherit the domain of the gods, bear witness to my next message. For it will aid thou in your desire. Seek not the words of the wise and whimsical, for they only seek thou ruination. Carve your path and be one with the Tree of Power. For it is here where you will begin the final trial." The alicorn began to glow brightly, causing us to shield our eyes once more before the light dimmed. The alicorn has vanished. Everycreature in the room was speechless. Din snorted and turned to me, eyeing the scale. She growled.

"Tch. Whatever... Vessel. No more failures. None! We will obtain this power and crush any who get in our way." She walked towards me and I felt her phasing into me. I will not back down, no matter how many losses! I was speechless. So much so that it took Flitter clearing her throat to snap me out of my stupor.

"Err... that was... scary." She stated. Zalas crossed her arms as Ventus walked up to her. The wind alicorn did not look pleased as she rubbed her cheek.

"We'll see, sister. We still have a score to settle." She hissed before phasing into Zalas. Zalas rubbed her own cheek, grimacing.

"Fire one doessssn't pull punchessss." She stated.

We hopped onto the wagon and I turned to face Zalas, who stood next to the wagon.

"You sure you don't want to come along with us?" I asked. Zalas shook her head.

"Disssscovering the Tree of Power hassss given me a lot to conssssider my own identity of thissss matter." She clenched her staff a little. "My people maybe gone, but I continue to live. Issss it becausssse I'm one of the sssseven? I sssstill want to find that ansssswer." I smiled softly and held out my hoof. She looked at me quizzically.

"We call this a hoof bump. For you, you can just ball up your claw and go from there." I explained with a smirk. "Don't worry. Unlike Thi, I won't fly back." Zalas held up her claw casually and clenched it before bumping it with my flack. A small smile spread on her face.

"I will keep a look out for Tenebressss in the area. With any luck, I can sssstall her." She said. I nodded and looked at her seriously.

"The vessel of Tenebres is a filly. Be very careful about her. Tenebres isn't a push over like before." I looked grimly at her. "I still don't have a good read on the vessel, but if the imprinting has anything to do with Tenebres acting like a sick and twisted child, I can only imagine what the vessel is capable of." As crazy as it sounds, it's one of the seven. Durable, powerful and extremely dangerous. Zalas nodded. The wagon puller tipped his hat and we began to make our way back to the fork of the road and towards Vanhoover after some time. I leaned my back against the wagon wall and sighed, closing my eyes while my friends chattered amongst themselves. I was lost in thought to pay attention. I heard Din humming.

Soon. She began. Soon everything will fall under my hooves. Are you listening vessel? I will always continue to say this, from the bottom of my own being, I will be the apex of the world. No... the entire domain of the gods.

Chapter 9: The One and Only

It took us a couple of hours to arrive at the main entrance road to Vanhoover. The smell of saltwater stenched the area. The city with a tall skyscraper at the center loomed over the office buildings. Vanhoover mainly dealt with imports from the neighboring nation. It is also the place where we are most likely to find Triad mixed in with other ponies. Aside from being mainly an import trade city, Vanhoover is also an industry production city. In fact, crystal tech is abundant here. It was evident upon heading into the main square that the giant crystal powered screens displaying high resolution ads for businesses. Cloudchaser and Flitter looked around in awe.

"Wow. This is a bit cumbersome than Manehatten." Flitter stated. I couldn't help but nod in agreement. I knew about Vanhoover, but I've never visited the place before. The wagon puller pulled up to a dingy building where there were wagons all lined up. Taking another look, I noticed there were hardly any wagon pullers. I furrowed my look as my friends gathered their things and paid our wagon puller for the trip. I turned to the puller.

"Hey. Is it always this full but empty?" I asked. The wagon puller tipped his hat slightly as he stuffed our bits into his wagon's lock box.

"Eh, with the development of auto wagons in this city, there is no point in using wagon services to get to places anymore. These are just meant for long, off road trips to those that just want an outdoor get away." He pointed in no particular direction. "If you hadn't noticed, we passed by a crossroad that is smooth with cobble. That road is the main junction road leading to the next district of the city. Kind of like the late Hoofington. Streets and roads meant for auto wagon travels." He shrugged. "You never see auto wagons where normal wagons travel because they have yet to expand the road to the next city. So, the auto wagons just continue to putter on here in the city where it's easier to maintain for now. I hear EMI is planning to invest into a highway to make it easier to get to Canterlot from here." He explained. I only nodded and turned, waving to him.

"Thanks for the ride." I said. The wagon puller tipped his hat.

"Not every day you get to experience a small part of a hero's adventure. Ya'll take care now." He returned the smile. And with that, I trotted over to meet up with my friends as we proceeded to walk out of the parking lot and into the bustling city of Vanhoover. The sounds of puttering auto wagons and droning chatter was the usual ambience you’d hear in a city like this. However, the adverts were playing audio echoing throughout the square when we arrived felt like I had stepped into the future.

And I thought Hoofington was ahead of itself to some degree. My friends and I, except for Scribble, were in awe of the city. and surprisingly to me, the streets were a bit cleaner than Manehatten and definitely better than Hoofington’s. Aside from the classy cafes, restaurants and some nifty looking shopping stores, the biggest attraction to this city is the Vanhoover Dam. While not in the city itself, it does expand across the Luna Bay. In fact, it’s the very checkpoint if we are to head to Pony Land via ship.

And that came to another problem. I turned to my friends once we stopped in front of a map kiosk.

“Wish I could have told Katlyn to grant us passage to Pony Land.” I began. “I don’t even know who to ask or what to go for in order to grant passage to Pony Land.” Scribble and the sisters rubbed their chins in thought. Cloudchaser’s eyes then fell onto the kiosk and tilted her head. She reached down and pulled out a brochure. She smiled as she read it.

“Get this. They do offer legal passage to Zebrica and Roam.” She then rubbed the back of her head. “I don’t see anything about Pony Land.” Flitter rubbed her chin.

“Perhaps… if we can visit Roam, we might be able to gain passage to Pony Land.” She stated. Scribble nodded and withdrew his journal, flipping through the pages.

“That sounds like a good idea, Flitter. I doubt anypony in Equestria is willing to give passage to a warring nation. But with Roam and Zebrica being neutral powers, it’s highly likely. Here’s the issue. Roam and Zebrica despise Pony Land.” He stopped at a page and pointed with a hoof to confirm himself. “It’s nothing recent. It’s centuries worth of bad blood. Pony Land had offered them to join under their banner and were denied. It led to a long feud with Minotauria, the capitol of Roam and Zebra Land’s tribes, who were already at war with one another. Pony Land at some point decided that they should interfere with the war in order to gain either faction on their side. However, there were rumors and documents that stated Pony Land instigated the war. No creature knows the truth of what happened, all they know it was bloody and vicious that lasted way too long. They called it the Two Century War.” Flitter frowned grimly.

“So, in short, Pony Land got the two to fight it out in order for them to make themselves the heroes of the hour, if the Triad has anything to say about it.” She said. Scribble nodded.

“Plausible. The history isn’t talked about in the books as much unless you go looking for it.” He replied. “What is never talked about is the blood war between Minotauria and the Zebra Lands. While the rumors of Pony Land had instigated it, it goes way further back. Discourse between King Romulus the Sixth and King Xerius.” Scribble sighed and closed his journal before pocketing it in his saddle bag. “As far as the story goes, Xerius was a brutal war chief who enslaved his own people and Romulus found not only Xerius’s own people were enslaved, but his own had turn coat.” I furrowed my look.

“So… anything we have to worry about if we do decide one of the two?” I asked. Scribble shook his head.

“Both sides had a new generation make amends. The war is over, but Pony Land is the scar still there.” He replied. I rubbed the back of my head.

“So… why Roam and not Zebrica?” I asked curiously to Flitter. Flitter smiled.

“While Zebrica doesn’t mind tourists, they openly state that creatures would be safer inland with Equestria. There are certain tribes that are not fond of foreigners. The pegasi also avoid dispensing weather over there under the treaty.” She explained.

“Err… excuse me. I couldn’t help but overhear that you need passage to Roam?” A voice said. We looked and saw a scarred zebra mare eyeing us. Her emerald eyes looked a bit glossy. Her mane was neatly primmed but braided at the end, giving her quite the casual look. She also wore several sets of bracelets on her legs and two half-moon earrings in one ear. She was wearing a pink short sleeved hoodie with what appeared to be skintight under armor sleeves. It was almost as if she was either going to go workout or had just finished one. My friends and I exchanged glances before I stepped forward and nodded.

“Errr… discussing it really. But… by hypothetical chance that you know of any place or somecreature that might be willing to grant passage to Roam?” I asked, hoping not to be too forward. The zebra rubbed her chin.

“Hmm. Not that I know of. But I do have a friend at the pier that can probably help. He’s mainly a fisher pony, but he has the legal work to head outside the bay area.” She said. Cloudchaser smirked and crossed her forelegs.

“Awfully convenient.” She said. The zebra chuckled.

“I can tell you guys aren’t from around here. Don’t have that Vanhoover smell. In fact…” she sniffed the air in our direction. “One of you is a Manehattenite. Two of you are Cloudsdale. And one is… Ponyville.” She guessed. We all had mixed but shocked reactions.

“Y-you can tell that by smelling?” Flitter asked a little nervously. The zebra laughed a bit.

“Sorry. Just something I’ve been able to do since I was a filly. We Vanhoovians tend to poke their muzzles in things of opportunity.” She stated. Scribble arched a brow.

“Opportunity? Are you planning on offering a tour at a ridiculous price?” He asked stoically. The zebra skipped past us.

“Nope! But I will charge you for let’s say… a date with the champion of Equestria.” She said before turning and pointing at me. I balked and my friends, once again, had all mixed reactions. I blushed and pointed a hoof at me in confusion.

“M-me?” I asked. Wait a minute! What is going on here?! Cloudchaser hummed a bit.

“Forgive me if I sound a little off put about it, but considering Fie’s reputation, you sure you want to be seen hanging around her?” She asked. I glanced nervously at Cloudchaser. She may not show it, but she seemed bothered. I studied the zebra. She didn’t look bad at all. Wait, no Fie! This isn’t something you should be worried about! I shook out of my shock and rubbed the back of my head.

“Errr… why me? What did I do?” I asked. The zebra laughed and waved a hoof.

“Ahaha! Sorry. I just wanted to gauge what kind of pony you are, champion. Everypony from here to Saddle Arabia knows about you. And you don’t really try to blend yourself in with the crowd.” She said with a smile. I blinked and looked around. I did catch some cold looks I’ve noticed, but everycreature was going about their business. Cloudchaser arched a brow.

“So, you know Fie. Then what do we call you?” She asked. The zebra swished her bangs out of her face with a flick of her head.

“Call me Xena. I work at a gym not too far from here. I was actually on my way to go meet the said pony before running into you. I figured might as well do my part and help you along the way.” She said casually. I rubbed the back of my head nervously.

“That’s… awfully considerate. Thanks.” I replied. Xena spun on her hooves and casually wiggled her hoof.

“Don’t mention it. Not everyday you run into a bonafide hero.” She said. I began to nervously laugh a bit, feeling my face growing hot. This was completely unexpected.

“I-I wouldn’t exactly call myself a hero…” I replied. Xena shrugged with a smile.

“Modesty is a trait to a hero. Now are you all going to come along or am I going to have to hold your hooves?” I faltered my look and threw my hood up, hoping to hide my blush. This is completely unexpected. She’s so straight forward and… kind of pretty. I carefully glanced under my hood and my eyes fell on the scar across her muzzle to her brow. I wonder how she got that? I then saw Cloudchaser float past me and I suddenly felt guilty. She was indeed bothered.

Xena was quite calm yet full of talkative energy. As we walked, we began asking her questions about herself. She’s pretty much the manager of her own gym. Studies mixed martial arts, which piqued my own interest, and lives in a condo. She’s pretty much living a productive and easy life. When Flitter asked about where she came from, Xena stated that she was born to immigrant parents from Zebrica. They could not speak Pone-ish well enough so she had to study hard to be fluent in it. She graduated top of her class in Vanhoover University and has a degree in finance.

Daily she would do groceries for her parents when she was free. She had also slyly mentioned she’s interested in looking for a special somepony. I had a sinking feeling this wasn’t going to go well as Cloudchaser seemed to be keeping herself relaxed. But her body motions betrayed her. I wasn’t oblivious to this fact.

My heart longs for Cloudchaser more than anypony. If I didn’t have my eyes set for her, Xena or the other mares I’ve met throughout my journey might be good picks. However, I’m not here for personal desires. I confessed to Cloudchaser a while ago and while her answer wasn’t a yes, it wasn’t a no either. Perhaps, she just needs a bit more time to figure things out. I gave her a reassuring smile. She gave me a small one back but quickly found the ground a bit more interesting.

While the kindness of a good samaritan was welcomed, I couldn’t help but feel that this was all too convenient. I looked to Scribble who was walking next to me. His eyes glanced at me, a knowing small nod before looking back ahead. When Xena finished explaining the major sites of Vanhoover, Scribble spoke up.

“Just out of curiosity, who is this friend of yours that we are going to meet?” He asked. Xena smiled.

“Conch Shell. A seafarer and export trader working under EMI.” She replied with a small skip. We exchanged glances. I leaned in and whispered to Scribble.

“So, as much as I am glad we found somepony to point us in a direction, I feel that this is just a little too convenient.” I said. Scribble whispered in reply.

“If this Conch Shell works under EMI as a transport trader, that seems like our ticket to Roam. I agree this is all too easy. But I trust we are dumb enough to make it out of an obvious trap.” I hate to admit it, but he once again is right. We handled ourselves in Hoofington. If this is a Triad set up as I suspect it to be, it’ll be easy to get out of." I focused my look on the back of Xena. She didn't seem to really notice us whispering. My senses were completely kicking me in the head about this. I don't want to be too suspicious, but right now, we are in unfamiliar territory. Not only that, but we are also more than likely at the belt of Triad operations. She must have taken us through the scenic route. It took three hours to reach the pier. We were a bit annoyed it took us so long to get there as it felt like we could have arrived sooner based on the signs we've passed. Xena, unphased, skipped a bit as we descended the steps to the docks from the pier.

I shivered as the cold wind of the Luna Bay washed over me. Xena threw her hoodie up over her head as we proceeded down the docks, turning down to an aisle of ships. Xena led us down to the very end before turning left to a decently sized ship. Xena reached for a rope and pulled, a bell ringing overhead. We waited a bit before a unicorn stallion emerged from the cabin below. He had a grey curly mane and an orange coat with green eyes. His eyes beamed at us.

“Xena! Right on time!” He then saw us and his eyes widened a bit. “Isn’t that…?” Xena nodded.

“Yup! The grand champion of Equestria. The Fire Demon. Etcetera etcetera.” She replied casually before smiling. Conch Shell rubbed his chin.

“Huh… To what honor do I have to be visited by a demi-god?” He asked with interest. I felt an annoyed nip in my head but I ignored it and waved a hoof dismissively.

“Nothing too major I hope.” I replied. “We err… need passage to Roam.” Conch leaned against the wall.

“Passage to Roam? Well, you’re in luck! I’m fixing to head out that way.” He replied happily. This took me by surprise. Cloudchaser slumped.

“Awfully lucky…” she muttered enough for us to hear. I had to agree with her. I stoically looked at the two.

“What’s the catch?” I said suddenly. Conch and Xena looked at me.

“The catch is that I’d have to smuggle you out.” Conch replied. I arched a brow. He held up a hoof. “Yes. I can understand your suspicion here. But believe it or not, I’m a huge supporter of you, champion. Been following your exploits ever since the Mediterranean.” Xena brushed her braid softly with a hoof.

“And I’ve been following you since Red Canyon. What was it like being so close to a Thunderbird?” Xena asked curiously. I blinked and rubbed the back of my head.

“Honestly… very intimidating. I thought Rocs were big, but a Thunderbird is huge.” I replied. Conch pointed at me.

“What about a giant octopus? You made a lot of old fisher ponies huntin’ a kraken jealous.” He smirked. I smiled nervously.

“Squirk is err… well… something.” I stated. The two looked at me, eagerly waiting for me to tell my tale. I glanced nervously around. Should I do so? We have to get to Roam. Scribble, to my relief once again, stepped in.

“We can tell Fie’s story to you while we are on the way to Roam. Does that sound like a fair deal?” He suggested. Conch blinked in realization, chuckling to himself.

“Ah, forgive me! I’m a little eager to get out into the sea and can't resist a good tale. I hear there’s a rare catch that had been sighted and every seafaring pony is out for it. And now that I think about it, havin’ the champion at my side could really help catch the beast.” He said with a curious rub of his chin. I held up a hoof quickly.

“L-look, we appreciate you both for helping us, but we are on the clock here. And since we are in a bit of a rush, we won’t question the kindness you both are providing. We’ll make it up to you after we have completed our business in Roam.” I quickly said. Besides, if it is a Triad trap, I fully agree with Scribble. Conch turned and nodded.

“Of course! Oh, before I forget, Xena.” He began, reaching into a compartment chest. He pulled out a satchel and tossed it to her. She skillfully caught it in one hoof and tilted her head curiously before a look of recognition fell over her expression. She smiled.

“Thanks, Conch. You guys becareful now. Roam maybe open for tourism, but they’ll be doing background checks.” She said. I gave a small sigh of relief.

“Appreciate it you two.” I said as I trotted into the boat. Xena smiled as we filed into the boat.

“Don’t mention it. Besides, I know how you’ll make it up to me.” She smirked and winked. “Dinner and a movie. Sound fair?” I flushed brightly again, bowing my head to hide it. Yet, my attempt to hide my embarrassed face became a nod and Xena beamed. “Great! Don’t keep a mare waiting too long, champion!” She said with a flirty wave before trotting off down the docks. What is with that zebra? I’m not used to being flirted on. I’m usually the flirtee. But ever since falling for Cloudchaser, my flirting game has been non-existent. Which, honestly bummed me. I could be making so many clever stuff towards Cloudchaser.

I peeked out from under my hood to see Cloudchaser preoccupied with helping Flitter, who seemed a bit wary. I felt my mood shoot down and I sighed depressively. We’ve been so busy trying to save creatures and other stuff that it is beginning to look like there will be no chance at all. ‘Perhaps I should keep my options open.’ I clutched my chest as my old exes flashed in my head. ‘Or maybe I should not bother at all.’ I thought. Cloudchaser spoke up to Conch.

“So, how long is it to get to Roam?” She asked. Conch was tying some rope to the ship as he replied.

“Leavin’ now, we’ll be able to reach it in four hours tops.” He said. Flitter looked at him curiously.

“Four hours? Shouldn’t it at least be half a week?” She asked. Conch smacked the wall proudfully.

“With good ol’ crystal tech and my navigational skills, we’ll speed on through! Not even the Luna Navy can catch us!” He grinned. That didn’t sound exactly compelling, but what could be worse than being targeted by the navy? Conch took ten minutes to get things ready while we sat and waited.

When he revved the boat engine, we had to hold onto the side railing as the boat jerked forward and Conch rang the bell. We were soon off to the middle of the bay. Xena watched us from the dock, waving to us. The further we went into the bay, I had a sudden urge to look back. When I did, I used Din’s eyes and saw Xena studying the satchel. Two ponies approached her from behind and she turned, nodding to them before trotting past them. Looking at the two uniformed ponies, I narrowed my eyes.

There was no mistaking that symbol on their coats. I turned to my friends and looked between them. Scribble caught my eye and slumped.

“Well, ladies. Let’s just hope we don’t have to swim the rest of the way.” He said.

We were once again back out to sea. I must admit, I felt a little small when we came up to Vanhoover Dam. Conch had to slow the boat and talk to a uniformed guard wearing midnight blue and black. The Luna Navy were stationed along the dam. Conch showed the officer his papers and paid a fee before they waved us in. We had to wait for the dam to flood us up to a certain level before we were allowed out to sea.

But that is as much as we toured the dam for. With war on the horizon, I could only hope that these ponies were prepared to fend with their very lives to hold the dam. I shook my head at the thought.

‘Don’t think that, Fie. That’s the worst-case scenario! That won’t happen so long as you can handle the stuff in Pony Land. I had another realization. I’m heading to Pony Land to try and reason talks with war as a third party. But I have no clue how I should begin. Should I wing it? Should I be discreet? Straight forward? Is there even a straightforward with the Triad? I crossed my forelegs in thought. ‘I wish Thi was here. I could really use her expertise with Triad thoughts.'

I slumped and sighed. We left the mainland without Thi. I was hoping to have met her along the way, but there was still no word or signs of her. It was as if she just upped and disappeared… again. I hugged myself and looked sadly out to the sea. The water being kicked back by the rotors. We must have been going pretty fast. I then heard somepony sit next to me. I looked and blushed as I saw Cloudchaser kicking back.

She gave me a pretty cool grin and any depressing thoughts I had vanished in an instant. Cloudchaser spoke.

“You know, it’s funny. Always thought that your fame would net you some eyes here and there. Yet, I think Xena is the first to ever confront you about it.” She smirked. I squirmed a bit, hoping my hood was hiding my blush.

“I-it was surprising, wasn’t it?” I replied with a small stammer. We grew quiet. ‘Oh no… it got awkward! Come on, Fie, think of something!’ My mind raced with thoughts, stopping at one that I quickly jumped on. “A-about Xena.” I began. Cloudchaser looked at me casually. Her pretty eyes meeting mine. I lost my train of thought, steam hissing from my head. ‘Get it together, Fie! She’s waiting for you to finish!’ I shook away my daze and faced her determinedly. “I-I won’t let fame get in the way of how I truly feel!”

I must have said it a little too out loud. Scribble and Flitter looked at me curiously. Flitter, however, gave a sly smirk.

‘Shit! This went from awkward to never seeing the light of day again!’ I quickly pulled back and crossed my hind leg over the other and bobbed it casually, hoping to play it off as just a random thought I had openly voiced. Cloudchaser rubbed the back of her head in confusion. She then cleared her throat.

“Ahem. W-well, that’s good to hear, I guess? I mean, fame and fortune is the biggest downfall to anypony.” She stated. I only gave a nervous laugh in response. It grew quiet again. I sighed after a bit and continued to stare out to sea. The waves were relatively calm and a bit foggy. The cold wind blew past us without a bother as the splash and windshield of the boat made it tolerable. For some reason or another, I decided to use Din’s eyes and scan the ocean. I guess I wanted to test how far I can really see.

Nothing as far as the primal eyes can see. Except… something did catch my notice. It didn’t look like a fin or something belonging to a creature. It looked… metallic. But before I could really get a good look, it dipped back into the water. I narrowed my eyes. I scanned the area a bit more. I then looked to the other side and noticed pretty far from here a big cargo ship. Yet, it didn’t look Equestrian. It looked strangely familiar. I then stood up, startling Cloudchaser.

“F-Fie?” She asked. My friends looked at me. I narrowed my eyes again before trotting over to Conch.

“Conch, does this ship have a radar of some kind?” I asked. Conch smiled and tapped a small glass mound.

“S’all here! But it’s mainly used for fishing.” He explained. I frowned.

“Can it detect other ships?” I asked. Conch looked at me questioningly. “Yes or no?” Conch rubbed the back of his head.

“W-well, it can’t. B-but err…” he looked around before leaning in and whispering. “Don’t tell no creature, but I do have another radar below deck that allows me to know where the Luna Navy or anything foreign is located.” He whispered. I looked at him stoically.

“Can I use it real quick?” I asked. Conch seemed to laugh a bit.

“Now, missy. Just cause you are the champion of Equestria doesn’t give ya’ the right to ask of such thing. I think it’s best if you-“ I put a hoof on his shoulder and looked at him.

“It’s because I’m what you say that I want to use it. Not for my safety, but for yours.” I stated. Conch looked nervous. Scribble stood up and eyed me.

“You saw something?” He asked. I nodded slightly. Scribble narrowed his eyes. Cloudchaser and Flitter were now sitting aware and looking around. “Mr. Shell. I’d listen to Fie if I were you. We are here today because of her gut instincts.” He said. Conch glanced nervously between us.

“A-alright, if you say so…” He replied, flipping a switch to have the ship in auto cruise. He led me and Scribble down into the cabin and when he reached his bed, he opened a compartment and pulled out a metal box with crystals on it. He blew the dust off of it and studied it. “Well, I’ll be. Haven’t used it in a while. Odd… I coulda’ swear I’ve used it earlier…” He then began to mess with some knobs and when the radar blipped once, my eyes widened. Conch arched a brow. On the second blip, he stood up quickly.

“Navy?! No… this ship is bigger… and there are two?” He turned and quickly rushed out of the cabin. I furrowed my look and studied the radar. There were two red masses that were off quite a distance from us. Yet, there was no denying we were being followed. My thoughts rushed back to Xena and the two uniformed ponies.

“Well, I can’t say I’m entirely surprised.” I said to Scribble. He nodded.

“If they have a lock on us, there is no way we can outmaneuver their fire power. We have to ditch them somehow.” Scribble suggested as we walked back up the cabin, my magic having the radar in tow. I set it down as the sisters kept scanning the horizon.

“Cloudchaser. Flitter. We’re going to have to act natural.” I began. Conch revved his boat and I quickly turned around and put a hoof on his back to stop him, shaking my head. “Steady as she goes, captain. We don’t want to draw their suspicion even if they are following us. Do you know of any place nearby that you can think of where we can lose them?” I asked. Conch shook his head, sweat beginning to form.

“N-no. We are miles away from Death Rock and certainly not another two hours till land. We are out in the open right now.” He quickly said. I pat his back.

“Breath, captain. Just act natural. They aren’t after you. I’ll turn myself in and distract them long enough for you to slip out.” I said. Conch studied me warily.

“I… I didn’t think you’d be this red hot.” He said. I gave him an apologetic look. I can’t really chastise him. He offered us the ride, but we already suspected something was wrong. Now it’s just a matter of how it’ll go.

"Thankfully, they are quite a distance away from us. We can get some distance before they catch up." I said. Cloudchaser stood up and smirked.

"Flitter and I can scout out around the ship. Surprise them from above." She stated. I shook my head.

"Simple as it is, Triad is anything but. They'll definitely have something aimed at the sky for any pegasi. It's better if we just remain steady and not draw attention." I stated. The sisters nodded, their looks wary. I nodded to Conch. "Keep on track, Conch. We'll lay low when they show up." I then sat back down and lowered my head. We remained quiet as time went by. I studied the radar, seeing that they were also keeping their distance. It was about another hour when one of the giant masses began to change direction and the other moved away. I looked up. "Here they come." I said. We waited as our boat continued.

Sure enough, a looming giant cargo ship appeared out of the thin fog and over to us. Conch gulped as we looked on in slight caution. I gotta' hoof it to the Triad. The one thing they really can make up for their lack of competence is the grandiose engineering. An echoing and commanding voice rang through the intercom.

"Turn off the ship and step out into the open where we can see you. Hooves raised." A mare's voice said. I looked to everypony.

"Play along." I whispered. We rose our hooves up and several spotlights fell on us. I looked up and with Din’s eyes, I scanned what I could through the fog. I could see several armed ponies at the ready. I saw one uniformed pony step forward with a device in her magic. She spoke into it.

“By order of the Iron Wave Navy, you are trespassing on government ocean. You will be detained for questioning.” The mare spoke. I shook my head before responding, raising my voice loud enough.

“Let’s cut the crap, Triad! You aren’t that clever! I know exactly why you are detaining a small craft such as this!” I narrowed my eyes. “I will comply with surrendering under the condition that my friends are to be let go and the civilian free to leave!” There was a moment of silence before the mare’s voice broke through.

“We’ll let the civilian go. But your friends are not, Fire Demon. Do not try anything funny or we’ll light the ship up.” The mare replied. Conch was sweating profusely. I gave him a reassuring smile.

“Nice and steady, captain. Thank you for getting us this far.” I said. Conch didn’t respond. His eyes warily studying the ship. It took the Triad five minutes to row a raft over to us. Arc rifles were aimed at us. The iron-colored uniformed Triad soldier shoved us by as we entered. With every pony on the raft aiming at us, the raft began to row back. We had climbed up a ladder on the side and were greeted with several more armed Triads aimed at us. From the crowd, a long coated, iron colored uniformed Triad stepped forward, adjusting her captain’s hat. The unicorn mare eyed us disappointedly.

“Hmph. For the one and only Fire Demon, you certainly leave a lot to the imagination.” She stated. I smirked.

“I aim to disappoint.” I retorted. The mare shifted her disappointment.

“Notify Shore Bay we have the demon. Send her down to the special containment.” The mare ordered before turning around.

“What about these ponies?” One of the guards asked, motioning to my friends. The mare looked over her shoulder.

“Interrogate them. We need info against our enemies. These are Equestrian ponies. Show no mercy.” She replied. I looked worriedly as I was led away from my friends. Cloudchaser was shrugging off the guards as they pushed my friends away opposite to me. Our eyes met and I gave them a reassuring smile. The guards led me down below deck. This was completely different than the prisoner cargo we snuck aboard on. All three floors of the ship were like a warehouse. Crates stacked high to the ceiling. Some animals kept in cages and mainly heavy artillery lined neatly with massive steel behemoths.

Equestria is indeed sorely underprepared to go against even one of these beasts. I was led to a square opening and forced to stand in the center. The soldiers backed away, aimed at me cautiously as the sound of heavy metal grinding and cranking resounded throughout the area. Tall metal frames with what looked to be sturdy glass rose from the ground around me. I arched a brow as the container shot out above me and sealed shut. This was… quite unnecessary if I must say.

The guards then stationed themselves around the area. I sighed and sat on my haunches. I hope my friends would be okay. The Triad have an unusual way of torturing information out of creatures. However, I doubt they are inclined to use ancient relics like they did with me. While our plans A through C were out the window, plan D it would be. I began to count in my head. After a while, I began to pace my containment cell. It eventually led to me to stop counting and began to hum tunes in my head. When that didn’t interest me anymore, I began to grow curious about how sturdy the cell really was.

I brushed my hoof along the glass wall. It was certainly thick. Arc proof I imagine. But is it primal fireproof? I blinked once and found myself in a pitch black. I turned around to see Din sitting like a statue, as if lost in her own thoughts. I walked over to her and sat down in front of her. She eyed me, the quiet a little unsettling.

You need to cease questioning the capabilities of my power. Of course I can blow through everything. But I can tell, you already made up your mind here. She spoke. I lowered my head a little.

“I’ll ensure my friends safety in the process. But I’m going to be free game for the Triad.” I replied. Din growled.

I recall the last time was rather annoying… I will not allow myself to be subjected to that humiliation! She glowered at me. I looked up to meet her amber slit eyes.

“In due time. Let’s focus on conserving your power. We’ll need it against Lux.” I replied. Din rolled her eyes and stood up, walking past me.

If we are weakened before I can punish my sister for being a fool… She began. I looked over my shoulder to watch Din. She still seemed bothered. I hummed and turned to face her.

“Din.” I began. She only stood and didn’t look back to acknowledge me. “Have you been thinking about what Twilight said?” I asked. Din was quiet. After a bit, she scoffed.

Not in the slightest. Yet now that you bring it up, remind me to burn that mare for thinking to know me. Let me make one thing clear to you mortals. She finally looked over her shoulder boredly. Your precious Elements of Harmony are useless without the Power Elements against instability. They who bear the Harmony Elements should not boast so knowingly about power. For that very same harmony can be used for power. She waved a hoof lazily to her side in dismissal. And I will not hold back should they be used in such a manner. I narrowed my eyes.

“It sounds like you believe that Twilight will use the Elements of Harmony for more than just banishment.” I said. Din turned to face me, her look serious.

You should take my advice. Do not boast so knowingly about power. That princess… when she struck my heart, I felt more than just the embarrassing defeat by a mortal. She walked over to me. The intent to kill was evident. She unleashed all her might into that spell of her’s. I arched a brow.

“Come on, Din. Twilight is fully aware that she can’t kill you, let alone wants to start anything with any intention to kill. I find it real hard to believe that.” I stated. Din put a hoof to her chest.

Injuries inflicted upon to us is shared in equal. While your unicorn minds need more than just intelligence to use a spell, the intention or a strong emotion is just as effective. Do you recall the feeling of Tenebres cutting my head off? I winced and rubbed my neck nervously. We Power Elements can feel and sense the attacks inflicted upon to us. Every strike, every spell, every injury. We remember it. The intention is there. I looked at Din questioningly.

"So then, why are you bringing this up? It shouldn't matter if Twilight had intention to kill you or not, right?" I asked. Din smirked.

What should matter is your people's faith in your royal powers. They have put everything upon her. Just like the whole world has been put upon you. She stated. I did not like that look in her face. I frowned with a glare.

"I'm not going to let whatever you believe to happen, happen." I said. Din cackled, her wings shifting.

Tis not I who is believing it. We are of the same mind, different beings. She said with a sly grin. I could only imagine what kind of clutter can go through that goodie-two hooved princess like her. I gave her a worried look. Din then looked up and over her shoulder. Seems something is wrong. Better hurry back. She cast a sideways grin at me. I blinked and found myself back in my containment cell. Only this time, there were sirens blaring. The room had gone from a dull grey to dim red. I looked around questioningly. I noticed that my armed guards were positioned in certain cover. I flicked my ears. Time to do more lip reading. I used Din's eyes to focus on two that looked like they were talking.

"Is it really just one pony?!" One guard asked. The other guard looked concerned.

"There's no way! On a heavily guarded Iron ship? They must have a death wish!" They stated. There was another guard that seemed to speak from behind a bit of cover.

"Will you two quit yapping and get into position! Comms are stating to keep the Fire Demon locked! We must stand here!" They shouted. I looked around again. Everypony is tensed up. I noticed one nearly cowering, much to their partner's chagrin. They were muttering "It's her!" over and over again. I tilted my head. What in the hell is going on? Before I knew it, I heard something loud thud above my containment cell. Since the top was sealed and blocked by metal, I couldn’t tell what fell on me. However, I saw the terrified looks on the guards faces as they looked in my direction.

They began firing up. I quickly cantered over to the side and pressed my face against the glass wall to get a better look. I then noticed arc bullets firing down off the top of my cell. I saw the guards fall one by one. The room was then filled with smoke. Even with Din’s eyes, I couldn’t make out anything. There was silence. I furrowed my look and stepped back, looking around. Suddenly, there was a metallic grind and click as the ceiling slid open and the walls began lowering. I continued to look around.

I saw a pony stumble out of the smoke and over to me. The uniformed Triad guard fell at my hooves, coughing. They clutched at my sleeves to pull themselves up, only to freeze when their eyes met mine. I smirked and winked before giving a deft chop to their neck. They slumped down and released my sleeve. I heard the sound of rustling cloth behind me. I turned and faced a tattered and bullet ridden cloaked figure. They had their head lowered.

“Fire Demon. I have come for you.” The deep, raspy voice said. I studied the pony. Something about her was familiar. The figure then threw her hood back and revealed a red mane and blue eyes. I beamed. The mare had the cockiest grin on her face. The unicorn mare rubbed her muzzle and shifted a smirk. “Geez, Fie. How can you be so dark and brooding with your hood on?” The unicorn mare asked. I chuckled and wiggled my hoof at her.

“Because it’s my style. Unlike yours, oh dark and brooding one.” I replied. The mare smirked. I then galloped over to her and hugged her tightly. She winced and pat my back.

“Ouch! Careful, Fie! I did get hit with arc bullets on my way to rescue you.” She said. I pulled away and arched a brow.

“Huh. Guess the one and only Thi Billet isn’t so immortal anymore. I thought Hoofington showed you that.” I replied. Thi grinned.

“Meh, Triad can do better than that Viper mare.” She then unholstered her arc pistol and reloaded it in a skillfully finessed manner. “We can catch up more later. Do you happen to know where the others are?” She asked. We began to trot past the fallen guards to a door, taking point on both sides.

“Probably an interrogation room on the ship somewhere. Err… quick question. How did you know we were on the ship? More importantly, how did you manage to sneak onto the correct cargo ship?” I asked. Thi tapped her horn with a smile.

“You have Xena to thank for that. Been tracking this Triad ship for a bit after I heard you were back.” She explained. I looked at her questioningly. Thi readied her weapon. “I’ll explain when we get off this ship. Trust me, Fie. I’m not going to leave you behind again.” As nice as that sounds, I couldn’t help but think what she meant. Xena? Didn’t she tell the Triad where we were? Thi shifted and bucked open the door, aiming her arc pistol in general areas. With the coast clear, I followed Thi as we galloped down a hall and exited onto a side catwalk. I froze.

We were outside the ship. The waves crashed against the bow and I found myself hanging on to the railing. Thi then took my hoof and smiled.

“Still afraid of heights?” She asked. I gulped and shook my head.

“J-just heights with dangerous elements at the bottom…” I rasped. Thi chuckled before leading me up the steps. We went up several flights before reaching another door. She stopped me and knocked on the door, taking point on the side. We waited a bit before she decided to open it with her magic. She shifted back as a rain of multi-color arc bullets fired out into the sea. Thi grinned and withdrew a pineapple looking rock. She bit down on the stem and pulled it before chucking it down the hall.

We heard several yells of panic before a loud pop and crackle of magical energy. Thi rushed in and popped off a couple of shots before I followed her. I queasily stepped over a smoking uniformed guard before galloping after Thi, who was already at full steam. Thi has always been a quick fighter. If she can reach you first, then she’s wins. If she can’t? She’ll ensure an arc bullet or two would reach first. We eventually arrived at a hall that looked to resemble an office building.

The hall was empty, my assumption being that the guards are trying to look for Thi. We cantered down the hall, rounding the corner. Thi stopped me and got me to cover behind the wall. We saw two guards in front of a door. When they spotted Thi, they aimed their weapons. Thi flicked her head down and a yellow circle like platform formed and sprang her forward.

She planted her hoof into one guard and quickly popped the other guard between the muzzle before turning the arc pistol on the one she punched in the temple. She stood up and reloaded her weapon. My eyes widened as I noticed a guard having snuck up on Thi. I stepped out of cover quickly, staff withdrawn and I chucked my staff at Thi. Thi balked and ducked. The unfortunate guard went with the staff and blew through the door behind them and with a loud crash, the guard was buried underneath filing cabinets.

I called back my staff and threw it on my back. Thi looked a bit dumbfounded, but quickly beamed at me.

“You’ve gotten quicker.” She said impressively. I only smiled before we heard the sound of a struggle through the door the guards had been guarding. We readied ourselves before Thi bucked the door open. Thi quickly aimed her arc pistol as the uniformed captain of the ship turned, holding Cloudchaser by the neck and weapon aimed at her head. I gasped when I saw Flitter bearing a dagger under Scribble’s neck. Her neck had black veins pulsating up to her face, blackening her eyes as if they were inked tears.

She had a pained, crazed look on her as Scribble struggled against her hold. Thi and I growled as the captain smirked.

“The one and only Thi Billet. How nice of you to join us.” She smirked.

Chapter 10: Captive

This situation went from bad to worse. We were held at gun point and led out to the deck of the ship. Guards were aimed at us from all over. Thi was brought forward and forced to bow by two guards at the hooves of the captain. We were cuffed and had our horns clamped with the magic cancelling ring. Cloudchaser glared hatefully at the captain. Flitter stood next to her, holding onto Scribble with the knife at his neck.

The captain marveled at Thi.

“Once again, you’ve proven to be the very bane to our guiding light. At least now we have the right measures to ensure you and your ‘friends’ don’t cause as much an issue.” She said. Thi scoffed.

“Pfft, please. We all know this song and dance. I swear, it’s like a broken record at this point. Get new material.” She retorted with a smirk. The captain shook her head.

“We won’t fall like the Iron Shroud in the Mediterranean. You won’t find magic artifacts here.” She replied. Thi kept her smirk.

“That’s a start.” The captain turned to face Flitter.

“The mad doctor’s serum truly is a spectacle. Shame we couldn’t prod his brain a bit more. How far has the imprinting gone?” She hummed before stamping her hoof twice. “Servant. Your king demands you show us your loyalty. Hail to your king.” She stated. My eyes widened as Flitter didn’t hesitate. The knife was plunged into Scribble’s side, his eyes widening before falling forward and clutching his side. He was struggling for breath as Flitter stood over him.

Her expression was manic, yet, she had tears flowing from her eyes. Thi looked petrified at Scribble. Cloudchaser was the first to rush forward, bucking two of the guards. The guards aimed, but the captain held up a hoof as Flitter fell into her sister’s embrace.

“Excellent. Your king is pleased.” She said with a smile. Flitter slumped and fell with Cloudchaser. Cloudchaser cradled Flitter, who seemed to be gagging for air as the black veins retreated. The captain turned to us. “Aww, what’s with that look? We are just getting started.”

“You bitch…” Thi rasped, shaking a little. The captain shifted a frown.

“You should know that your actions have consequences, Ms. Billet. I thought your countless run ins has taught you that. You know, we were given the kill order for you and your associates. Guess the higher ups got tired of your games.” Thi began to chuckle a bit, her head still bowed.

“Don’t bullshit me. I don’t care if this is a game or not. You can kill us, but I doubt they even ordered to kill Fie.” She looked up from under her bangs. “I saw the containment field you had set up. That material was meant for Fie. Somepony has been busy.” She rasped. The captain waved a hoof dismissively at her.

“Not that it would matter if you know or not. But just to spite you, you’ll be executed here without knowing.” She then eyed me as I shifted. While the ring suppressed my magic, I doubt it had suppressed Din. These ponies should know who they are toying with.

“You know, The Triad still continue to surprise me in a disappointing way.” I began. The captain arched a brow. “You’re pretty calm for somepony who is in the presence of a demi-god. A magic canceling ring won’t stop me.” The captain grinned.

“Ahh, but that’s the thing. We know of such existence of your power. And with the brilliant minds of our great kingdom and our Queen’s glorious guiding light, we have taken measures to ensure to suppress a demi-god’s power. That’s no ordinary ring you are wearing.” I furrowed my look.

‘Can you confirm, Din?’ I thought. No response. Well, that’s concerning. The captain rubbed her chin.

“Now that I think about it. How did you get on board, Ms. Billet? Stolen property you managed to bypass? Another thing. How did you know this vessel would hold the Fire Demon? Last I recall, a platoon had left you for dead in a ruins.” She studied Thi. Thi smirked.

“I’m just about as too stubborn to die like your damned generals. Eye for an eye. You might try to execute me here and now, but will you be able to hit your mark?” She retorted. The captain looked at her stoically. She then waved a hoof over and a guard walked up to her. She withdrew the guard’s pistol and aimed point blank at Thi. She pulled the trigger and the gun made a click. Thi only grinned up at the mare. The captain looked at the arc pistol uninterestedly.

“Soldier, you will give me your rank and file. I will report your neglect of firearm as well as incompetence.” She stated, passing the gun back. I’ve never seen a Triad bright red that wasn’t bloodied. The captain then withdrew her own pistol and aimed. I balked and quickly moved forward.

“Wait!” I exclaimed. The captain looked at me and Thi glanced at me. I looked between her, to Scribble panting on the ground and then over to Cloudchaser and Flitter. I bit my lip. “We… we can do this without the need for anymore bloodshed.” I began. Thi gave me a concerned look.

“Fie?” She asked. I gave her a wary but reassuring smile. I then stepped forward and stood between the captain’s arc pistol and my best friend.

“On behalf of Princess Twilight Sparkle, the princesses Celestia and Luna. We have been selected as messengers to instigate negotiation of peace talks with the kingdoms of Euclides and Fenice.” I stated. The captain arched her brow.

“Messengers? You?” I nodded at her confusion. She then shook her head. “Forgive me for sounding skeptical, but the fact your ‘rulers’ sent the very abomination that decimated an entire city as a messenger? That almost sounds like an ultimatum.” She stated. Okay, I’ll give the Triad credit on that. But I have to do something. We can’t end here. I stood my ground and nodded.

“When you put it like that, yes. Hence why I will ask to negotiate several things. All benefitting your side.” I said. The captain shook her head.

“You are in no position to negotiate. Neither for your friend’s release either. She will be punished.” She replied, aiming past me. I took a hold of the arc pistol in my hoof and placed it against my head. I could feel the mare trying to move the gun away, but I held it firmly to my head.

“You’ll have to get through me to my friends. And we all know what’ll happen if you kill one of the seven. You also don’t want to incur the wrath of one of them either. So, it’s best if you listen to what I have to say.” I stated. Thi sat up.

“Fie, no! You can’t give yourself up like this!” She began. I looked out the corner of my eyes to her.

“Thi. For once, I’m going to have to ask you to shut up. Please, just trust me on this.” I said. Thi was shocked but quietly growled and stared daggers at the captain. I focused back on the Triad. “I want to ensure my friend’s safety. In exchange, I will come willingly with you to Pony Land. You’ll be able to do whatever tests or torture on me as much as you please. I have a healing factor, so you can do as much as you want. I will also exchange some information on Equestria side to your side. What vital points of interest, certain tactics and any vulnerabilities in Equestria.

“I can even give key players that will be vital to the war efforts that isn’t the princesses or our heroes. If you want, I could aid in the war efforts for your side, leaving Equestria open and without a champion.” I stared stoically into the mare’s eyes. The captain narrowed them. This has to work. All eyes on me. The captain then lowered her weapon.

“How interesting. You are willing to turn your back on the very nation you call home to benefit us for the sake of your friends? Picking the wrong side of the track, aren’t we?” I didn’t respond. I made myself as convincing as possible. The mare hummed in thought before spinning on her hooves. “Alright, Fire Demon. I will run this by through command inland and announce your cooperation. However, any thoughts of going against your words and it doesn’t matter what happens. Equestria is doomed as it is.” I only narrowed my eyes in response. Triad really did not care about their own well beings enough. Such a waste.

“Return the Fire Demon to the containment cell. Lock up Thi Billet in the brig and…” she looked down at Scribble, who was still holding on. “Get this pony a tourniquet and some bandages then lock him up. As for these two.” She looked to Flitter and Cloudchaser. “Put them under surveillance. I’m interested to test a bit further into the serum.” I grit my teeth.

“Remember, you put so much as any verges of death on them…” I hissed. The captain looked at me boredly.

“Of course, Fire Demon.” She stated before walking away. The guards surrounded us. Before long, I was back in the massive containment cell and I sighed. Thi was strapped up and wheeled away into the bottom of the ship. Scribble surprised the Triads about him treating himself, but proceeded to injure him a bit as they shoved him down the stairs and away from view. I couldn’t see where Cloudchaser and Flitter were led too. I sighed.

‘That honestly could have gone a lot worse…’ I thought to myself. I frowned and looked up at the ring on my horn. ‘In it for the long haul. Din? Can you hear me?’ I waited in silence a bit. I then blinked and found myself looking up at Din in the pitch-black void. She was once again stoic and still as a statue. Her eyes studied me.

Quite the performance. How far can our luck take us? she then grinned slyly. I sighed again and bowed my head.

“I had no other choice. I’ll have to think of another solution.” I replied sadly. Din smirked at me.

How very noble. It makes me sick. She said. I frowned at her. I really hope my half-truth will hold out for as long as it can.

I lost track of time I’ve been in here. None of the guards would even speak to me save for throwing insults when they gave me slop for meals. Just about as I expected. I couldn’t help but keep thinking of my friends. They had been treating them okay enough. I wasn’t expecting their hospitality to be pleasant. But if they want any of my cooperation, they better stick to that deal. The lights went off again. The sign that it was night and that I should get some sleep.

My containment cell had no bed and no toiletries. Thankfully, I hadn’t felt like going anywhere. But sleeping on a cold, metallic floor is pretty uncomfortable. On whatever day we were on, I happened to look up from having finished my slop and saw the captain, accompanied by other guards, approach my cell. I narrowed my eyes as the captain levitated over a contraption that she spoke into.

“Fire Demon. We are going to begin interrogation. Comply with us and we will have no harm befall upon our current occupants.” The voice echoed throughout my containment cell. I crossed my forelegs and gave her a skeptical raise of my brow. But when she stepped in with two armed guards, the glass door she entered in sealing shut behind her, I eased a little.

"Whatever." I stated. The captain remained stoic as she spoke, clipboard in hoof.

"We have been given permission to go ahead with intel gathering at the permission of Queen Moonlight Sonata and now recent Grand Conductor of the Orchquestrian Order, General Lilac. We will begin by stating the name for the record." She looked at her clipboard and withdrew a pen. I lowered my head slightly. Here we go. The questions were pretty straight forward at first. Name and previous occupation, age, measurements, adaptability as a unicorn, specialization magic. Then it got to the very personal ones. My birth parents, any siblings, friends or relatives close or estranged, lovers if any. Where they live and what is their occupation. I had to try my best to twist my words on this. With the mole in Canterlot and probably many others, I'm already on thin ice. When the captain was done scribbling down on her clipboard, she focused back to me. "Your cooperation is duly noted. We will begin the next set of interrogations. You will be accompanied by our Inquisitor Sharp Shape. You are to cooperate with the inquisitor and under no circumstance you are to fight our inquisitor, lie or leave out any details, given or otherwise. He has ways of making creatures talk." She eyed me. "Especially demi-gods." I shifted my glare and frown.

"Higher ups really love passing power around, don't they?" I stated unironically. I heard Din scoff quietly in my head. The captain turned and was about to step out. "Hold on a minute." The captain paused and looked over her shoulder. "How long has it been since I've been in here? You guys don't have a clock or calendar around. Also, are my friends doing well enough?" I asked. The captain hummed before responding.

"Well, it's not like you'd see the light of day for a long while anyway. Your friends are handling chores under strict supervision, save for Thi Billet. We have her running... several courses. She has quite the stamina for a mare such as her. Shame. When she tires out, there will be no more Thi Billet." I stood up and glared, but the captain held up her hoof. "She's being fed porridge in between. We aren't barbarians. As for your time question, we have been at sea for three days." She then stepped out and had one last bit of words before the door sealed shut. "Pony Land isn't another several days out." I snorted and swished my tail challengingly. Three days already, huh? At least my friends are okay. Thi Billet can manage herself, but she knows her limitations. It was back to another quiet few hours as I paced and lazed about in my containment cell. Another two days passed keeping in mind of what the captain said. On top of simple excercises, I had brushed up more of my lip reading. Some of the guards were quite chatty.

There were two that hitting on each other but quickly became professional when another guard patrolled by. Another were talking about thinking of getting their kid something nice for their Birthaversery when they made it back. I found from two that had passed by talking about Flitter and Cloudchaser. Flitter has been subjected to several tests as well as having gone a full day under the control of the serum. It must be taking quite a massive toll on her as the guards seemed eager to see her break. Cloudchaser has been sticking close to her, but the guards made it hard as they would have her do heavy work without breaks. Scribble was being overworked and is unfortunately being targeted by a couple of female guards that have been trying to harass him in more ways than one. From what it sounds like, Scribble has been more of an ass than usual. Good. Give them hell, egghead.

I sighed and traced on the glass in no particular pattern after another few hours passed. I then looked up to see a uniformed pony dressed in black accompanied by the captain. The pegasus stallion eyed me as the captain was speaking.

“The Iron Wave appreciates the Queen’s guiding light to have you in our presence, Inquisitor Sharp. Please, do not show any mercy on this one. She’s quite dangerous and if what she says about her having a healing factor, then I see no reason to hold back.” She spun on her hooves when the glass door opened and the Inquisitor stepped in. He was carrying a bag under his wing.

He eyed me narrowly. As if sizing me up. He then placed down his bags and began to remove his coat.

“So. You’re the one who had thrown our people into war. What you did to our Grand Conductor was quite rude, wouldn’t you say?” He spoke, his voice as if he smoked several packs a day. Yet his handsome features made him look younger than how he sounds. He opened one of his bags and dug into it, withdrawing bulky anklets and a collar. I arched a brow as he placed them down at me. “We’ll start with your obedience. Would you kindly, place these on your hooves and neck?”

I hesitated. What the hell is all this? I took a deep breath. This is for my friends. I snapped the anklets on me and then the collar. The Inquisitor smirked.

“Good. With that in mind, this shouldn’t take long at all. Now then, I can assume you know why I’m here?” He asked as he began to dig through his bag again, pulling out several things. I sighed.

“A torturer, obviously. You want more info than what I gave the captain. If I leave anything out, then it’s up to you what to decide.” I stated. The Inquisitor looked impressed.

“Interesting.” He began before chuckling a bit. “Forgive me, you’re the first one I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with that isn’t terrified by me or shows any irrational thinking. Such a shame though that I have to scar perfectly good flesh for information.” He then held up a second bag and turned it to face horizontally. He clicked on something and I saw four legs extend from the bottom of the case. He let go of it and opened the bag. It was strangely similar to the kelpie lure in Manehatten. But this one had buttons with letters and numbers on it.

He clacked on the buttons with his hooves for a bit. Suddenly, I was yanked into the air and my forelegs sprawled out. I felt my head lock in place. This felt strange. It was like I was restrained in zero gravity. The Inquisitor tapped on the device a little more and I noticed two ovals hovering out of the bag at his hooves. They looked like parasprites, but the only defining trait is the glossy tinted eye. A green laser grid began to crawl around me as the eyes floated around me.

I shifted a bit in my restraints. The pegasus held up a wing.

“Do not move until the Seers are done.” He said. I arched a brow before sighing. When the eyes were satisfied in checking me out, they floated over to the standing device and connected themselves at the top. I heard some strange sounds coming from the device. Blips and beeps sounded with square boxes popping up on the screen. The Inquisitor nodded. “Excellent. Body is in good condition, save for the fact you have become underweight. We can fix that of course. But it appears that aside from your vital signs, your brain waves are showing unstable patterns.” He smirked and looked up at me. “You’ve seen some gruesome things, haven’t you?” I didn’t respond. He shrugged and went back to tapping on the device. “Eh well, in the line of duty, you are bound to see something unpleasant. Now then, we will begin with samples of your DNA and a gauging of your magical prowess.” He pressed a button on the device and I felt the ring on my horn unlatch and fall to the ground with a clatter. There was a brief moment of silence before the stallion beamed. “My, you are quite the star subject! Obedient and smart! I’m going to enjoy our time together! And perhaps we could fix those unstable brainwaves of yours.” I snorted.

“Are you an interrogator or a psychologist? I was expecting myself to scream, not be given life advice.” I stated. The Inquisitor chuckled as he reached down and unfolded a leather bag, showing surgical tools. But what he said next had me perplexed.

“Believe it or not, I was a psychologist. For sixteen years actually. My wife is a nurse. She’s currently on the frontlines in the Nilneigh Isles. I take it you are familiar?” He arched a sly brow at me. I furrowed my look at him as he continued, pulling out tools as he went and admiring them. “What if I told you we aren’t really from Pony Land. We are, in fact, Equestrian ourselves?” I narrowed my eyes. “We moved to Pony Land as a way to get away from the affiliated underbelly of Detrot.” He chuckled quietly to himself. “The gangs paid well enough. But when we arrived to Pony Land, hoho.” He smiled up at me. “It was like walking into wonderland. Perfect society. Not a single piece of trash on the streets. Affordable housing. A Queen and King who care deeply about their subjects. No discrimination between kingdoms. Perfect harmony unlike Equestria.” He placed a tool down before picking up a scalpel. I looked a little warily at it. He studied it a bit before putting it down and continuing to talk. “But of course, the only issues that spring up is the questioning of certain military exercises. The Queen has stated that it is for the benefit of everypony. That those who will willingly give their sweat, blood and tears to crawl out of the darkness and into the guiding light, will find harmony like no other.

“Queen Sonata loves to flourish her words in a manner that befits a true ruler to this dying realm. Unlike the sisters, where one had banished the other in a fight for the throne. It was inevitable for the two to fall in such a manner. And their ruling shows it to this very day.” That struck a nerve with me.

“How long ago do you think that was? Princess Celestia and Luna have gotten better. Even made up and now rule together. Equestria isn’t perfect, yes. And the princesses aren’t either. But they are, by the end of it all, ponies just like you and me.” I replied coldly. The Inquisitor smirked.

“Spoken like a true Equestrian. But if you only saw the wonderland. Your mind would change. There is still hope after all.” He said before pulling away with a drill. I frowned.

“I mean, we would have gotten there if the captain didn’t decide to poke her nose in our business.” I said. The Inquisitor revved the drill a bit before walking over to me.

“Yes, well, you can never be too careful. Not after what you pulled with our newly appointed Grand Conductor General Lilac, we wouldn’t be in this situation.” He said. “It’s all your fault, Fire Demon.” My eyes widened angrily. There was a loud sequence of cracks. The Inquisitor looked at me in confusion. Before I knew it, my restraints shattered and I fell onto the ground, landing deftly on my hooves and facing down the inquisitor. The Inquisitor looked warily at me, nervously smiling. “Now now. Must we ruin a pleasant time? Things are going swimmingly.”

I continued to glare angrily at the stallion. After a bit, I held up a broken anklet and shook it slightly.

“You wanted to test my magical prowess? Here you go. You’re going to need better restraints.” I said coldly, dropping the anklet. I then sat on my haunches and eased myself. I was repeating “for your friends” over and over in my head. I felt my boiling blood simmer and soon relaxing myself. The Inquisitor wiped his brow a bit before easing himself.

“Yes. I… see that now.” He replied. There was a bleeping sound from his device and he quickly pressed a button.

“Inquisitor Sharp. I apologize for the interruption. We are soon to arrive in Roam.” The voice of the captain sounded. The Inquisitor blinked a bit before a look of understanding befell him.

“Yes, thank you captain. I’ll be up deck.” He then eyed me as he pressed a button, ending the call. He sighed and started to pack his things. “What a shame. I have yet to delve into you. You’ve piqued my curiosity, to say the least. Until tomorrow, Fire Demon.” I said nothing and watched the stallion pack his things before leaving my containment cell.

Back to being alone, I looked down at the broken devices.

Hmph. How long must we continue to humor them? I’m starting to get bored. Din spoke. I sighed and kicked away one of the anklets, watching it slide across my cell.

‘I’ll try and see if I can manage something with these ponies.’ I replied to her.

That opportunity came sooner than I expected. Another day has passed. This time, the captain visited me along with several guards. They stepped into the containment cell as I was resting my head over my forelegs laying down.

"Fire Demon. A new proposition has been implemented that even General Lilac has approved of." The captain stated. I didn't look up, only glanced at her boredly. She then reached behind her and withdrew a contraption with a crystal on it. She twisted the contraption and I looked up now when a projection screen appeared floating over the crystal. There she was. The face of the very pony who started it all in Hoofington. The blonde, long mane. Sharp, blue piercing eyes and a cold and stoic expression on an alabaster coat. I noticed her uniform was different. She was wearing a black coat with button sleeves and a fancy frill ascot. I glared coldly at her. General Lilac smiled.

"I did have my doubts, captain. Pray, forgive me." She said. The captain bowed.

"You humble me, Grand Conductor General." She replied. Lilac met my eyes.

"How long has it been since your outburst that threw the whole nation in peril? I must express my relief a little. To see you alive and well despite the circumstances." She smiled softly. I growled in response. Ignoring my hateful look, she continued. "But I digress. Seeing as how even Thi Billet is captured as well, I'm in a pretty good mood. So much so that I'm willing to allow your friends to go free. However, they are to remain in Equestria. If they so much as step hoof outside of their borders, they will be killed on sight." I stood up now and faced the image.

"You have your hoof that far into Equestria's backside, eh?" I stated. General Lilac ignored the retort.

"It doesn't matter where the power lies. What matters is that I'm a fair and understanding Conductor to my people and enemies. Hence, why I am here today. This ship is soon to dock at Roam. The glorified nation of proud warriors and pleasant debaucheries. Rich in bloodied history and mythical tales that rival even the god's oracles themselves." She gave a small chuckle. "Could you believe it? Gods! Plural! Why so many gods dictating the lives of so many creatures?" She clapped her hooves together. "Because the denizens of Roam continue to please their gods of war with mock battles and even arena battles! A society driven by their ancestors and ideals!" She seemed a bit smitten by her words. "Ahh, a nation after my own heart! Is what I would say..." her smitten look turned cold. "If the 'gods' weren't an issue. Just like your two rulers, even they are beginning to lose control over their subjects! Unlike our Queen Moonlight Sonata, may her light ever guide us from the dark, we only need one ruler in the realm. And who's better to run than our very nation?" I frowned with a glare.

"High and mighty talk coming from someone who decided to pull the trigger." I stated. I then had a thought. Looking at the screen, I put a hoof to my chest. "So, what does the 'fair and understanding' tyrant want me to do to ensure my friend's safety?" General Lilac leaned forward on her desk with her chin under her hooves.

"A chance to see what you are really capable of without the use of your powers. There is a certain... underbelly of Roam. Unlike the mock battles, these ones follow the Roam tradition thousands of years before. I have offered up your friends in a trade for freedom. You win these battles completely stacked against you, and your friends go free. Lose, then you'll just have to keep trying." She grinned. "We need you alive. But that doesn't mean we can't break you. Until the promised day comes, you are our own little lap dog." She then spun, the back of her chair facing me as she waved a hoof off the side. "And don't worry about your dear friend Ms. Billet. She will fight her own battles. How fortuitous that her own escape plan backfired." She hummed and muttered to herself. "Perhaps it's time to give a zebra a proper promotion..." And with that, the crystal dimmed and shattered in the captain's hoof. She dropped the device and looked at me coldly.

"Keep in mind, you are still under our jurisdiction. Play nice and you'll have an easier time. And don't worry. No harm will befall your 'friends'." The captain adjusted her hat and spun on her hooves, marching out with the guards tailing her. My containment cell door sealed shut and I was left to ponder my own thoughts. I lowered my head and frowned.

'The bitch mentioned a zebra. But... that doesn't make sense. The Triad are an all-exclusive pony militia.' I crossed my forelegs in thought, tilting my head left and right in thought. No matter which way I look at it, something isn't adding up.

I found myself having been strapped and encased in a portable version of my cell with a muzzle cage over me. They even threw a curtain over my cell to avoid suspicion. Two earth pony Triad guards wheeled me in a wagon down the ramp. I couldn't take in any of the scenery from Roam. Where was I being taken? How long was it going to be? I felt my cell stop suddenly. Thankfully, my cell wasn't soundproof.

"Another shipment from Equestrian Ministries Incorporated. As usual, the haul is abundant." A thick, heavy accent voice spoke.

"Is that a problem?" One of my guards asked.

"At ease, ponies. He's merely just doing his job." I heard the captain reply. "Forgive me, but as I'm aware, our cargo has always been met up to standards with Roam on the Range's Shipping Company plenty of stock and share. It's our usual foreign goods and services." I heard a snort and something being scribbled.

"Whatever, ma'am. As usual, warehouse gamma is where you'll be putting your haul. We have several stocks in from the usual orders for EMI as well. They are located in warehouse omega, section fourteen." The voice said boredly. I then felt my cage getting wheeled to wherever this warehouse is. It must have been a long and arduous travel. I've lost track of how long I've been in here. After a while, my cage stopped, and I was expecting to be left alone. But I heard a couple of voices.

"EMI delivering bigger hauls than usual it seems." One voice stated.

"Can't complain. Ever since they've started trading with Roam, Queen Zeuli and King Leo have managed to stabilize the economy. The same can't be said for Gladius and his Gorgon Mercenaries." Another voice said, thick and feminine, replied:

"Hmph. I don't get why that Gladius zebra thinks the king has been 'poisoning the mind of our queen". A serpent speaks ill of others. Sad to say I couldn't stop my brother from joining the Gorgons."

"No kidding? My uncle joined the Gorgons sometime in the last year. Stated that Roam hasn't had somezebra commander who stood up for the pride and ancestry in over a thousand years." The male voice said.

"Oh yeah? Bet those two would have met at some point." The female voice replied.

"Nah. Not too long after, he was one of the casualties at the Embassy Raid. Over twenty of his kin slain and thirty more taken captive. Gladius tucked his tail and ran. A shame. Those creatures followed a coward." The male voice replied a little solemnly. I tilted my head a little. This sounds an awful lot like the Nilneigh Isle situation. The Quetzalcoatl mercenaries that is led by an old acquaintance of Thi's trying to liberate the islands from Triad hold. However, Roam doesn't sound like a pleasant place at the moment. If there is infighting between renegade groups and the kingdom, it only makes sense of why the Triad are amassing big hauls for Roam. At least, I'm assuming that is the case here. I can't really do anything aside from just sit here. However, it wasn't long until I felt my cage beginning to move. There was the sound of somecreature whistling a tune as I was wheeled to wherever I was going.

I stopped keeping track of how long I was caged. Eventually, I found myself falling asleep.

My dream was of home. Ponyville. I was sitting on a bench in the park. I was happily watching my neighbors chat and go about their business. The pegasi casually flying through the air. The earth and unicorn ponies helping each other and trading. Off in the distance, the crystal castle of Princess Twilight glimmered in the sun. It was a nice, spring day. I took in the air and sighed, satisfied with myself. I found myself closing my eyes and listening to the sounds of chattering and the feeling of the cool breeze wash over me. Then, I yawned, only to cough as I got a lungful of smoke. I waved my hoof and looked around confused. My eyes widened. There was fire. So much fire. The ground was softened with craters and houses were crumbled or caved in. I stood up quickly and grit my teeth, fixing to rush into Ponyville, only to flick my ears and spin around in surprise. A massive, metal behemoth rumbled over me and I quickly dove out of the way as the beast landed where I was with a crash. It rumbled on by, a loud boom resonating from the nose and striking Ponyville Hall. The tall building collapsing in on itself.

I got up and was about to rush over to the beast when I heard a scream. I looked over and my eyes widened. There were bodies. Among the fire and behemoths, I saw iron coated uniforms breaching into houses and firing arc weapons. I felt my panic rise as I quickly rushed over to the sound of screaming. I struck several uniformed ponies on my way there, but when I rounded the corner, I looked on in horror. The main plaza of Ponyville. All of my neighbors were on the ground. Their lifeless bodies mangled in several ways I couldn't even describe. I froze. There was Thi Billet. She was pierced throughout her body and held high over the fountain. A banner draped over her body reading in blood: Heathen.

At the foot of the fountain, I saw my family. My siblings mangled, my parents holding each other, my dad having protected mom. Then, I saw Scribble. His body in a way that made me awfully sick. I shook my head slightly in horrified denial. No... no this can't be happening... My eyes began to tear up as I heard the sound of a sickening squelch. As if somepony was eating. I looked over slowly, my mind trying to comprehend what was going on. There was a hunched over figure at the body of Cloudchaser. Flitter not too far off in a similar manner to Scribble. Cloudchaser's lifeless body twitched as the figure shifted over her. The silhouette of the pony was covered by the dark and burning sky. The pony then rose his head, ripping something out with his mouth. He then slowly turned his head over his shoulder. A glazed eye focused on mine in a dead manner. I couldn't see with the backdrop. But I did know who was slowly raising themselves up before me. I stared horrified at Cloudchaser's wide eyed body. Or what was left of it. Table Top wiped his muzzle and reached into something. He then pulled out two crystals and turned to face me.

"It's all your fault." He rasped before striking the crystals together. Everything went into a bright, fiery blaze, causing me to jolt out of my sleep and struggle against my restraints. I breathed heavily through my caged muzzle, my eyes darting around the dimly lit room. I took a moment to gather myself before realizing something.

'A room?' I looked around and noticed my containment cell was in the center of a circular room. There was sand and what appeared to be cells around me. I furrowed my look. I could make out what appeared to be ancient armor and weapons lining the red bricked walls. Old, battle worn tapestries draped against the walls with insignias I'm not familiar with. What I also noticed that in the dim red light of this room, inside the cells were ragged looking creatures. Ponies, griffons, zebra, and a few minotaurs. My jolting awake startled some and got looks from others. What kind of place is this? A slave holding pin? Here in Roam?

My eyes studied the creatures around me. Most were battle scarred. A few were trembling. From the looks in every creature’s eyes, most here have been desensitized. My only guess with the decor and everything is that I am inside a waiting cell for battling. I lowered my head. ‘I prefer the diner we went too in Cloudsdale…’ I thought to myself. I blinked once and found myself in the pitch black, sitting next to Din. Din looked as if she was focusing on something in the dark.

“How much of your power has been recovered?” I asked her. Din looked down at me and gave a smug look.

Oh? Planning on burning our way out of here? That’s all you need to ask. She replied. I shook my head.

“As dumb as an idea it is that I would be up for if I was any dumber, I actually want you to save as much as possible.” I said. Din scoffed and went back to focusing ahead of her. I squinted my eyes, trying to see what she is focusing on.

She is near. Very near. Her aura is entirely different than before. Din stated. I arched a brow questioningly. Din narrowed her eyes. Her vessel is strong. Din began to glower. I aim to win this time, vessel. For once, we are going to have to work together. Become one with each other. I tilted my head. This is surprising. Until now, Din has always stated that she would let me borrow only a fraction of her power. Is she suggesting that I have permission to use whatever? Din frowned and looked at me, making me remember that she could hear my inner thoughts.

Do not mistake this as a sign of equality. You are always far below me. I may have picked you over every other viable vessels due to you being weak. But hard work has been paying off tremendously. She held out a hoof in front of her. Nothing better than working from the ground up and burying those that deem to be higher than you. I furrowed my look before holding out my hoof in mimic to Din.

“Once again, the high and mighty are hypocrites.” I began. “You want to be the apex of the world. To show every being known to us that you stand above all with proven hard work. Yet, you were bested by mortals not long ago. Your advice works as a double-edged sword Din.” Din smugly smirked at me.

Then I just need to sharpen and temper the side that I use most often. It’ll be a single sided blade eventually. She replied. I slumped.

“You really are somepony who loves taking metaphors to a whole new level.” I sighed. Din pat her chest proudly.

It’s a diehard habit I don’t plan to get rid of. She then stood up and walked forward a bit before stopping and turning to face me. Now then. Instead of sleeping away till we have to fight some poor creature to the death, let us begin tempering our synergy. I blinked quizzically and stood up.

“Synergy?” I asked. Din sighed in annoyance.

Must everything be spelt out for you? Remember, I aim to win. I aim to ascend. Remember what your supposed mother told us? She said. I took a bit to realize she meant Equulie. I frowned but nodded.

“I refuse to accept that considering what we’ve been told. But you’re right.” I looked at her. “So… how do we go about it?” Din stood up on two and took my stance.

We sync our movements till we are capable of reading each other and moving at the same time. This is something that the power elements can do. We synergize with our vessels, increasing our own power. Doesn’t that sound lovely? She smirked coyly. I looked at her worriedly.

“Then… wouldn’t that mean that the others are on the same as well?” I asked. Din threw her head back and laughed.

Ahahahaha! Such an idiot! My sisters don’t nearly work as hard as I do. And their vessels aren’t in a rush to test their abilities. Shiva, however, seems to have the grasp of the idea. She grinned. I balked.

“Is that why…?” I yelped and ducked as Din was instantly up in my face and swiped her hoof. I backed away and stood up on two.

Just shut up and follow me! She said in annoyance.

Chapter 11: A Tactical Setback

Thi Billet's POV

I groggily woke up with a numbing pain in my face and down my body. The Triad didn’t hold back while I was in the brig. My body ached through every single course trial they could throw at me. And when they were done, they helped themselves to a good ol’ sandbag beat down. But this was supposed to happen.

It was all a part of the plan to expose EMI once more. It was just dumb luck that Fie and my friends were in town. I heard from the radio a week back before that Fie had been the epicenter of a borderline riot in Canterlot. My heart sang with joy that my best gal was okay and alive. Not that she shouldn’t be alive. If she was killed, Equestria is doomed, in fact, if any of the seven are killed, that’s it.

While I yearned to seek her out and bring her back home, something else came up that I had no choice but to tackle. All across Equestria, the Triad have planted agents in key areas and started to construct some facilities in off hidden corners that the sisters don’t have eyes on. Which were mainly old, decrepit ruins. Fitting for a corporate cult militia. However, there were also signs of moles being planted as well.

For four weeks I ended up getting into contact with old friends and acquaintances in order to gather intel. And with Fie having been found the week after the fourth week, I felt a lot of tension leave. And yet, despite all that I’ve been doing, I felt awful. It’s no shock I’m not the best when it comes to rational decisions. I wanted to make it up to her way more than I said I would previously before Hoofington.

I’m the worst best friend ever. I was hoping our reunion would be over drinks, some playful banter and maybe an argument or two. Not in a containment cell on a cargo ship. What made the plan even more complicated was Xena being the first one to approach my friends. The newest member to my old mercenary group. Her acting talents were insane. A recent S.M.I.L.E. Agent graduated from the Department of Secrecy, her internship with H.U.N.T. was rather short as she had exceeded every aspect and expectation the anti-Triad organization threw at her.

Because of this, she got assigned a top-class operation. Being a double agent to the Triad. They told her “make it convincing”. She did just that on the cargo ship operation. I was only lucky enough to ask the dumb question to her before sneaking onto the ship:

“They don’t take a zebra as a Triad. How can you convince them?” She only gave a small smirk and before I knew it, I was in a brig with an annoyingly pleased General Lilac on a screen, gloating about their new operative they had recently brought on board by chance. Funny enough, it was the same time she joined H.U.N.T.

I can’t wait for Lo Mein and Xena to clash. If... it even happens. H.U.N.T. lost contact with my old friend back on the Nilneigh Isles. Lo Mein, a master assassin and covert operative to the anti-organization. She still left a sour taste in my mouth. Escaping with the very serum that the Triad were experimenting on. And one that Flitter was unfortunately the subject of testing on. Thinking back on this, have all my choice made till now been worth it? I chuckled weakly to myself.

'Hell no, Thi. What the hell were you thinking hopping on that boat and not telling your best friend about it?' I thought to myself. Everything hurts. My forelegs above my head as I hung with my hindhooves unable to touch the ground. They had smuggled me into a warehouse while Fie was caged like an animal and wheeled elsewhere. Scribble and the sisters were feigned as employees and were led elsewhere. More than likely being enslaved by the Centurions here in Roam. King Leo and his centurion army still hold tremendous power here in Roam. It doesn't help that Queen Zeuli is an oracle with the ability of foresight. Something that would be hard to believe, if magic wasn't a thing. I have no doubt in my mind that the "good queen" has some mystical ability to see a future of an individual. My thoughts were completely interrupted when I heard the door creak open and a couple of Triad guards walked in. One of them was sharply dressed, which means he is of higher power to the casual uniformed one. He gave a disappointed look.

"Still breathing? You're one tough mare to break." He sighed. I could only smirk, ignoring the pain as I did. The casual uniformed one cocked an arc pistol and aimed it. He began pulling the trigger and to my dumb luck and surprise again, the gun jammed. The casual pony blinked confusedly at the pistol. The sharp one rolled his eyes, took the gun in his wing and unjammed it before popping one at the pony's foreleg, causing him to reel forward and yelling in pain. "Sit down and don't be a nuisance, cadet." He ordered the pony, who was shakily nursing his foreleg. I slumped.

"If I'd known I was going to be beaten by the peanut gallery once more, you should just put confetti in me and that'll be your pleasant reward for actual competence." I rasped. The sharp dressed stallion looked unamused at me.

"We were given strict orders not to injure you too much. Our guest won't have it." He stated. I chuckled painfully.

"What? The 'good king' is in attendance today? How long has it been since the Triad have done anything to win Roam over?" I asked sarcastically. The stallion shrugged.

"That's not up for me to debate. I didn't want to be here, but I lost a bet and now I'm here. So just do me a favor and shut up." He replied, pulling up a small crate and sitting down on it, withdrawing his arc pistol and doing a routine maintenance. I grinned and motioned at the cadet.

"You should watch, cadet. I'm two and oh with Triad trying to shoot me point blank right now." I rasped. The cadet looked a bit startled but proceeded to limp over to a spool table and continue to nurse his wound. I shook my head softly and continued the hang there. I didn't have the energy to be nimble enough to get out of here. They beat me enough to ensure it. But I had to get out of here. Right about now, Fie would begin to fight in the Underworld Arena for entertainment from all of Roam's supporters. I also heard that both the king and queen are going to be present, leaving their body doubles to manage things for a while. I've done my own reconnaissance in Roam years ago to understand most things here. Roam, the city of debauchery and ancestry. The Capitol Land of War and potential ally to whatever warring side should they win them over. I've been tasked with my group to sabotage intel from Pony Land at the time. Redirecting the traffic to our own systems to collect points of interest for potential future bases. All it ended up being was a conspiracy about the king and queen and having that being blackmailed. Of course, Roam somehow managed to deny and erase that information without anycreature knowing, which stumped both sides. At least the information was archived enough to put back together.

However, there wasn't much we could do and unfortunately had to attend business elsewhere. My thoughts were once again interrupted as my ear flicked. I heard what sounded like shouting and a struggle. The two other ponies looked up and the sharp one motioned for the cadet to stay there as they grabbed their arc weapons. Taking point on one side, the sharp pony slowly opened the door, only to be met with a fierce buck that sent him toppling to the ground.

I watched as a fully dressed in armor pony jump in, disarm the pony before sticking something sharp into him. The cadet took aim and fired off shots, striking the armored pony and causing the attacker to let out a winded breath and fall over. Another figure hopped in, only this time with an arc carbine and popped one in between the cadet’s muzzle. The cadet went limp behind the spool table. The armored pony with the carbine waved the rifle around before slinging it over their back and checking on the other one.

They sighed in relief before helping them up and turning to me. I eyed the two suspiciously. The one with the carbine removed the face helm and a handsome zebra smiled up at me. His blue eyes darting around the room before saying something in his native tongue to the other. The other one removed a gladius sword from the sharp pony and cut me down, having me lean against them as my bounds were undone.

“Well… my luck just keeps getting better and better.” I rasped as I tried to support myself.

“If you can talk, then you can still fight. Take up a weapon and we’ll get you out.” The handsome zebra said, his accent smooth but heavy. The other one passed me his sword but I shook my head and pulled away, using my magic to gather the belt of the sharp one and the holsters of the cadet, strapping them on before gathering the remaining magazines they had. I checked their arc pistols and nodded, dual wielding them.

“Keep the sword. I got my own at the ready.” I grinned. Before I could take point, the handsome zebra passed me a bottle filled with red liquid. I blinked questioningly.

“To keep you on your hooves. Grandma’s secret recipe.” He said with a smile. “Not every day you get to fight beside the one and only Thi Billet.” I tilted my head slightly before shrugging and taking a nice swig of the liquid. I coughed and pat my chest, feeling my body tingle. I passed it back to him.

“Ugh! That’s strong!” I stated. The zebra nodded, pocketing the bottle after corking it.

“Fit for a warrior. Now, let us go.” He said, unslinging his carbine and taking point. I shook my head in realization. The Gorgons. Guess the fight is still going after all these years. Questions for later, the zebra moved out the door with me and the other tailing him.

I noticed a few limp Triads along the way as he led me to a side door. There were the sound of arc weapons being fired throughout the warehouse along with shouting. The zebra crouched and peeked around a crate.

“The name’s Zeke. And he is Logarius. We are with the Gorgons.” The zebra said as he aimed his carbine. He popped off a few shots before ducking back.

“Charmed. I figured that much. So, what the hell are the Gorgons doing here?” I asked, noticing two Triads above us on a catwalk. Their attention was elsewhere, but I popped both of them in the head and they fell. We proceeded to canter down an aisle.

“Intercepted information on counterfeit muscle relaxers. I take it you are familiar?” He asked as he waved his carbine around in front. I nodded grimly.

“Pocket Gold extract. Mixed with a nasty substance called Sombranite.” I replied. Zeke nodded.

“We are tasked with raiding the warehouse and retrieving some samples for our alchemists. By happenstance, we spotted you being led into here. Might as well help out while we can.” He replied. I arched a brow.

“And let me guess. The Gorgons want my help to turn the tide in their favor?” I asked. Zeke grinned.

“They always said that you are smart despite looking so out of place.” He chuckled. I shook my head and decided to take point, bucking the door open and rushing into cover. The warehouse yard was surprisingly bigger than expected. Big enough that a warzone was going on. Triads and Gorgons exchanging arc fire at each other. I darted my eyes and smirked. Time to get back into the game.

“Zeke. I need the rest of grandma’s recipe.” I stated. Zeke, without question or hesitation, withdrew the potion. I took it and chugged the whole thing. It was strong and bitter. I let out a satisfied belch and tossed the bottle aside, readying my arc pistols. I then flicked my head down and sprang high into the air. Using my conjured spring platforms, I bounced over to several unsuspecting Triads taking cover. I landed on one, delivering a hefty buck, accompanied by a loud crack of the pony’s neck. I then rapidly fired the pistols, felling the Triads.

Keeping the momentum, I rushed forward, looting the ponies as I went and flicking my head down. Sailing through the air, I landed on a conjured platform and began to gallop with the platform keeping up with me. The Triad didn’t see me coming. I rained arc fire onto them, making them retreat while one swore.

“They freed Thi Billet!! Focus fire!!” I smirked and flicked my head down, springing downward as arc fire began to aim in my direction.

‘That’s right… eyes on me.’ I thought, feeling the thrill return once more. This is my element. I live for these moments. Kicking off my spring again, I twirled in the air, avoiding arc bullets whizzing by and returning my own. I hit a couple of Triads, but not enough to fatally wound. I landed on the ground and rolled into cover. I noticed a fallen Gorgon. Her arc carbine in her hooves. I holstered my pistols and took the carbine, reloading it and patting the fallen zebra on her shoulder before dashing out of cover and firing back at the Triad.

I felled several of them around their cover and bucked a couple that thought it was smart enough to retaliate. I eventually picked up a gladius at some point and used it to fell several more. I kept the momentum going. My body on auto pilot. I dashed, rolled, spring boarded, kicked, punched, sliced and fired at the Triad. I hadn’t realized that some of the Triad had managed to hit their mark. But looting off of fallen Gorgons and Triad, I kept myself going. I felt alive. I don’t know how long it was going on for, but eventually, I cornered one Triad who was the last of his squad. He trembled, a stain forming on his uniform.

I smirked and twirling the gladius, I threw it at him and it stuck to the wall next to his head. He slid down the wall, horrified as he had no choice but to watch as I approached. I shouldered the carbine and looked down at him, wiping my muzzle of blood.

“You’re going to tell me everything I want to know. Answer well enough, I’ll give you over to the Gorgons. They are at least a bit more merciful than I am. And frankly, I’ve let out nearly a weeks worth of frustration of being captured, so I’m feeling really good right now.” I stated, rolling my neck. I must have looked monstrous to the pony. But based on the uniform, this pony knew way more than the others. I then aimed the carbine in my magic, sticking the barrel on the very tip of his muzzle. The barrel was still hot, so there was an accompanying sizzle. The pony cowered before me.

“O-okay! Okay! I-I’ll tell you everything! Just please don’t kill me!” He stammered. I shifted my distaste and leaned in.

"Two pegasi. One with a bow and the other with wind-swept spikey mane along with an egghead in a yellow coat. Where are they?" I asked with a glare. The pony gulped and did his best to avoid my eyes.

"Th-they were herded off to Underworld. W-we planned to use them as bargaining to win Roam's favor!" He stammered. I poked the barrel of the carbine against his muzzle.

"And our 'Fire Demon'. What do you all plan to do with her?" I asked. The pony nodded quickly.

"A-a means to intimidate the king and queen into favoring our own Queen in alliance! P-pitting her against Roam's greatest warriors to show a display of power! Th-that's all I know! I swear!" He cowered, covering his head. I sighed and shook my head.

"Typical. Too bad Fie won't play the piper to the Triad. Once again, your organization is allowing destructive magic to run rampant without any care to our realm." I spat. I glanced out the corner of my eye to see Gorgon mercs approaching me. I shouldered my carbine and stepped aside, pointing to the Triad. "He's all yours. Tell Gladius thanks for the save. But I got friends to catch up with." I waved a hoof lazily at them. Zeke quickly looked at his comrades before walking up to me.

"In all my life, I've never seen a warrior display such skill in battle. You truly live up to your reputation Thi Billet. And that is why Gladius has ordered a raid on Underworld." He stated. I looked over my shoulder at them.

"Huh. How convenient." I stated. Zeke nodded.

"For you, yes. Years of planning for Gladius. It was going to be during the annual Tourney of Warriors, which so happens to be this month. He plans to free every creature from Underworld and assassinate Visar Galm. We have retrieved documents during a raid off the coast with these Triad scum about an agreement between the Visar's resources to Pony Land without the king and queen knowing." The zebra explained. I rubbed my chin.

"No shit. The king and queen's advisor? Always knew that three clawed griffon had a bad vibe." I stated.

"A prosthetic limb now. One gifted to him by the treasury. The old hero's gauntlet, said to wield strengthening magic the warrior accumulated during his trials." Zeke replied. I blinked.

"An old hero's gauntlet..." I said to myself. He couldn't be talking about Hercules's Hoof? I frowned.

"No doubt the Triad had something to do with the acquiring of it. Alright then. I'll join you in on this raid. But under certain conditions." I turned to them and held up a hoof. "I'm not here to fight your war. Nor are my friends. We have our own struggle to deal with. Once the raid is over and the Visar is exposed, we'll be on our way to Pony Land. Whatever is to be done in this raid, will be handled with me acting separately. I cannot guarantee safety and expect you all to fend for yourselves." The Gorgons exchanged glances before Zeke spoke up.

"You sure we can't have you aid a little bit after?" He asked. I shook my head with a frown.

"Our world is in more danger than ever. I cannot be sidelined by outer wars or group struggles that'll distract me." I explained. "If you want to win the war, then you need to let me and my friends handle our own thing. Believe me. You'll feel better off knowing you don't have to worry so much about the realm along with this war." Zeke nodded.

"Very well then. Let us regroup at the Barracks and restock." He looked sadly over to the battlefield. "You helped us greatly in this battle. Our fallen kin have been avenged and will pass on peacefully." I looked solemnly at him and sighed.

The Barracks was completely secluded away from the city. Dense foliage and some mountainous areas. It took us an hour to reach from the docks. I found myself growing impatient. The old, run-down industrial facility is loaded with stolen armaments and supplies from the many raids they had done. I'm a little impressed, but with my impatience growing, I was quickly beginning to regret this. I leaned against the wall boredly while taking a small sip of whiskey, watching the Gorgons go over strategies on how to properly approach the raid. I didn't listen to much of it. I was too lost in thought with my own strategizing. Fie is going to be fighting in the arena. I know she can handle herself and will breeze with flying colors. But she's still a pony and needs rest. The Triad will probably keep her going in a gauntlet of some kind. It'll do much to ease her stress if I can free the others first. Then after, I should probably focus on helping where I can. Maybe scare the king and queen a bit about what the Triad is capable of doing. There is no guarantee that all the civilians will be spared the destruction if the Triad retaliate. But... that's none of my concern. Not yet at least.

I frowned to myself. What started as a simple reconnaissance ended up being a bit more than I expected. Regardless, much of the plan hasn't changed. If I just stick to heading towards Underworld, then I can still pull it off. All I have to do is get close to the king and queen. I figured I might as well take up this mission as I believed I would run into Fie and the others at some point along the way. Once I found them, I would be done with H.U.N.T. I'm not doing anymore of their dirty work. After all, a heroine has to not tie herself down to anything holding her back.

"Well, Ms. Billet? Do you have any insight into the strategy?" A voice asked, breaking me out of my thoughts. I looked over and saw all eyes on me. I took the last swig of my whiskey and put it down on the crate. I rolled my neck and cracked it.

"I wasn't paying attention. Whatever works, works." I said non-chalantly. "I trust the Gorgons are capable of pulling off whatever they believe is correct. I'm just a third party." Zeke nodded and pointed at the map on the spool table.

"Then we proceed with the plan. We head through the underground tunnels and blow our way into the waiting room. We'll be able to free the captured slaves from their imprisonment. Escort the enslaved creatures back to the Barracks and proceed to migrate them inland." He cocked his carbine and looked at his troops. "This has been years of planning. We all know our positions when we hit phase three." He then looked to me. "I look forward to seeing your skills once again." I smirked confidentially and pat my chest.

"If you want, I can just one mare army it again." I joked.

Quiet Fire's POV

I stirred awake as I heard the sound of cheering from afar. I was unsure of how long I was out for. However, I did notice some centurion dressed guards escort several prisoners out. A couple of them were terrified while the others seemed to know what was going to happen. When the creatures left the room, the remaining that weren't led out went back to sulking in their cages. My ear flicked when I heard behind me some of the creatures talk.

"I wonder which sorry sod is going to fight another day?" one creature asked. I heard another scoff.

"Doesn't matter. We're all dead regardless. The nobles just want us to eat each other's hearts out while they indulge in ours. If it was the previous king, he would have stuffed those nobles in the salt mines." The gruff one replied.

"And that is why he was assassinated if you recall. You can't have a stable economy by taxing the rich and giving to the poor. Even if the results are clear." Another spoke.

"So, I've been wondering what's the deal with that one?" Another asked. I heard another from another cell speak.

"You haven't heard? That's the infamous Fire Demon from Equestria. Their supposed champion and savior to our realm." A mare said. Another with a thick and heavy accent snorted.

"Champion? Caged like an animal. She doesn't look so tough." Another hissed.

"Quiet your tongue! I heard from one of the shipmasters that she had destroyed an entire city. Left nothing but charred ruins." The thick and heavy accent snorted again.

"Whatever. If she is so dangerous, why and how did she get caught and put here? If her reputation proceeds her, why not just break out? Kill every single one of us here. She'll be doing us a favor." From another cage, a voice spoke.

"I ain't plannin' on dyin' here. I gots kids to feed." A deep voice spoke.

"Better give it up while you can then. Your kids are never going to see you. Your wife would be off with another creature that probably put you in your shackles in the first place." Another voice responded. There was quiet from the previous voice. I pretended not to hear, but from what it sounds like the more they chatted, everycreature has no hope of seeing the outside world. Enslaved to the Underworld, never to be seen again. It surprised me how long some of these creatures have been here. Several decades at most. My mind started racing with thoughts. How can I help these creatures get out of here? The more I hear and think about it all, the more sick I feel. Images of Sun Ville and Hoofington kept popping up. Just then, I heard a door squeak open and I glanced up to see a mean looking centurion guard. She trotted over to my cage, ascending the small steps and eyeing me. She then knocked on the cage.

"Wakey, wakey, demon. A lucky contestant survived long enough for you to enter the ring." The guard said with a sly smirk. "Best not disappoint the king and queen. They've been enjoying the match so far." She then stepped back as I felt my cage jerk. The roof above me began to open up slowly. I eyed the guard as she grinned and turned back around, shooting a nasty glare at one of the imprisoned contestants. I furrowed my look.

Just say the word, my dear vessel. I don't know why you want to humor these ingrates. Din said with an uncomfortable shift in my mind. I shook my head.

'Keep conserving your power, Din. I don't have much of a plan, but I'll think of something when we reach top side.' I replied to her as my cage ascended. I could hear the cheering getting louder and louder. Then, what sounded like somepony speaking over an intercom rang out.

"I have never seen anything quite like it, folks! Not many creatures make it this far! Damascus certainly has come a long way and quickly becoming a fan favorite! But is she ready to face the most terrifying thing ever to grace Roam? A wild demon, said to call upon the fire from another world! A beast who has destroyed an entire city and all the inhabitants with it! Damascus, our champion, shall now face... The Fire Demon!!" the voice exclaimed in excitement. I heard the crowd cheer and jeer as my cage finally reached top side and came to a stop. I looked around, seeing that we were in a gladiatorial like arena. A wave of nostalgia flowed into me. This is like the underground fighting rings I used to do back before I became one of the seven.

However, unlike a dingy warehouse, it's an actual arena. I could see the sand strewn about with weapons, corpses and what appeared to be traps. The stands were filled with creatures of all kinds, wearing tunics and fancy dresses as if they haven't moved on from the Odyssey era of our history. I heard my cage hiss and the box falling apart. My latches came undone, yet I refused to move. I was getting a bit more of my bearings, seeing a lone figure standing on top of a slain manticore. I narrowed my eyes. This zebra certainly had scars of battle. Her coat tufted and scratched; blood caked on her hooves and her armor cracked and broken. She held a dull gladius in her teeth. She returned my narrowed look. I continued to remain where I was as I scanned the crowd. My eyes widened as I saw my friends in a podium that I could only assume was where the king and queen were. Using Din's eyes, I saw an imposing looking zebra eyeing us with bored interest. Next to his throne is a zebra mare. Her eyes glossed over with tribal accessories over Roam attire. An elegant feather crown upon her head. I noticed Cloudchaser and Flitter fanning the king, looking rather beat up, but to my relief, were okay. Scribble was shackled between the king and queen, looking miserable, yet stoic. King Leo spoke to Scribble. With my lip reading, I couldn't make out what King Leo was saying. But Scribble responded with:

"Just watch."

My gaze focused back to Damascus as she landed on the sand, throwing down her gladius and picking up a trident in her hoof.

"You are my next battle? Very well then. Let's see what this Fire Demon is capable of." She stated openly before standing up on two, poising the trident and heaving it like a javelin. It sailed through the air and when it got close, I tilted my head, letting it sail past me and sticking into the sand. The crowd murmured and jeered. Damascus narrowed her eyes again. She then picked up a spear and began to gallop towards me. I furrowed my expression. I didn't want to do this. I need to think of something fast. I should stall as much as I can. Damascus yelled as she charged me, hopping into the air and poised to strike. When she stabbed her spear, my foreleg came up and with my shackle, parried the spear, causing her to stumble back. I stood up and rolled my neck. I was a little stiff from being motionless for a while. I did a couple of stretches as the zebra glared up at me. Adjusting her spear, she charged me again. When she lashed her spear out, I twisted my body to the side and snapped the spear's shaft with my forelegs. This took the zebra by surprise. She backed away from me as I then grasped the spear blade in my magic and heaved it at her hooves.

I don't know what came over me. This feeling was all too familiar. I reared up and stood on two, getting into my stance. Damascus's eyes widened and I heard from the crowd several shocked calls from them.

"That stance..." Damascus said in awe. I was stoic as I faced her. Damascus shook out of her daze and readied herself with another weapon, a hatchet. "Doesn't matter. I will win this fight!" She bit down on the hatchet and rushed me, picking up a net in the process. She heaved the net up and I quickly dove and rolled out of the way. She took that opportunity to get up close and swing her hatchet. However, I ducked low, spun my body around as the hatchet barely missed me and I delivered a buck to her chest. She went sailing through the air, landing with a roll. The crowd began to grow a bit quiet. I grit my teeth.

'Shit... I have to not overdo it.' I thought to myself. Din sighed.

You'll only make it worse on yourself by doing that. Just be done with it already. I frowned a little but got back into my stance as Damascus tried to pull herself up from the sand, coughing. She then tore off her chest armor and panted. How long has this mare been fighting? She looks ready to collapse any moment. But the determination in her eyes told me there was no backing down. Din hummed. That look... where have I seen it before? She then slyly smirked at me and I felt a twinge of annoyance. However, Damascus galloped over towards a short sword and began to rush me. I readied myself. She lunged forward and stabbed, but I deftly side stepped her. She quickly followed it up with a flurry of slashes, which I bobbed and weaved away and under from. I need to wait for an opening.

My keen eyes noticed when she reared her neck back, blade gripped tightly in her teeth, her jaw slacked. Taking my chance, I quickly lashed out my hoof and smacked my flack clear against her jaw. The blade went sailing away and she tumbled back. I readied my stance again, eyeing the zebra mare. She painfully pulled herself up from the ground, grimacing and rubbing her jaw. This is awful. Not a moment to rest for this one. Damascus studied me, her look of desperation clear on her face. She then darkened her expression, shaking angrily.

"Dammit... dammit all!" She exclaimed suddenly. She looked up at me and glared angrily. "Don't screw around!! You are just as much a captive as I am!!" She swished her foreleg dismissively. "I've come too far to back down now! You're supposed to be this feared Fire Demon! Yet you are just standing there and not even trying to kill me!" Din began to chuckle a little.

The poor thing. You should really put it out of its' misery. She cooed. I frowned. I can't do that to this mare. All that adrenaline. The fight or flight running through her. All she can think about is ensuring her own survival. And here I was, hardly having done anything and with all my energy still left in me. My expression darkened. I hate this. What am I supposed to do? She doesn't deserve to die for making it this far. I'm not going to be the one to take her life. An idea struck me. Damascus roared loudly and picked up an axe. My eyes widened as it seems the zebra's anger had strengthened her to wield a massive battle axe. She rushed me, the axe blade dragging into the sand before she lunged and brought her head back, axe poised to strike. I then rushed forward. In a quick flurry of blows, I jabbed rapidly into her chest, causing her to remain in the air. The wind left her and she dropped the axe. I then gripped her forelegs and rotated her as she went twirling over me and landed hard on the sand.

She painfully shifted on the ground, clutching her neck and gasping for air. I walked and stood over her. She grit her teeth and held onto my foreleg. She was trying to say something. I looked down at her sadly. I then quickly lashed out a hoof, striking her in the neck and her body went limp. The crowd began to jeer.

"And just like that, our champion falls at the hooves of the Fire Demon! I must say, folks. That fight was not as exciting as I'd hoped it would be! But don't be deterred as we have more waiting to rise at the chance to fight the Fire Demon!" The crowd booed and jeered. I grit my teeth.

"Shut up!!" I roared, throwing my head into the air. The crowd began to simmer into murmurs. I focused my gaze up at the podium where the king and queen were. I levitated over the dull gladius and with a flick of my head, the sword sailed over the crowd and impaled into the front of the podium. Using Din's eyes, I saw the king and queen look startled while his centurions readied themselves. Just as expected, the side gates of the arena opened and guards funneled out, weapons aimed at me. I eyed them before holding up my hooves. As the guards began to approach, I heard Din cackle excitedly. I felt a warmth flow through me and the guards panicked, backing away as a ring of fire surrounded me and the unconscious zebra. I kept my focus on the podium, seeing King Leo stand up, his look in awe. I pointed at him. "King Leo! Queen Zeuli! Viewers of Roam in the Underworld! I have a proposition that will certainly breathe new life into this poor excuse of a gladiator arena!"

The crowd began to grow quiet. I saw Scribble stand up and walk to stand next to King Leo. He began to speak in a dialect to the king. I didn't know the egghead spoke Zebric. However, I kept up the performance. "You won't get your entertainment for watching tired and drained warriors who can't even make it past the very being that destroyed an entire city! How about we turn it around! I'll even let the king and queen's royal guards and their best and vicious to partake in it! I will single handedly fight each and every single one of them, be it beasts, monsters or creatures! I, the Fire Demon, demand to face stronger opponents and not weaklings!" I then pointed at Damascus. "This mare isn't worth my time killing! Send her back to the cells and let her rest! She can always try me again when she's ready!" No pony made a move. I lowered my ring of fire and eyed the guards. Did I overdo it? I noticed a guard walk forward and remove their helmet. It was a griffon. A mean looking one at that. His sharp, predatory eyes focused on me.

"A demon wanting to change the very foundations of our ancestry? I never thought I'd see the day." He glared disappointingly. Based on his attire, he must be a general. I only returned his disappointment.

"I could destroy it if that's what you want. I'm already made out to be a demon. Want to help me climb down that hole further?" I stated coldly. I had to keep up the act. Din sighed.

And here I was, conserving my energy. She stated.

'If you know what I'm thinking, then let me think.' I replied to her in my thoughts. I have a hastily put together plan. But one that I can go with the flow with. The griffon studied me as I remained stoic and cold. I sensed it. Killing intent. In a matter of a second, I quickly brought my quarterstaff out the moment the griffon took out his sword and aimed at the zebra. My staff intercepted the tip of the blade just inches from the zebra's neck. The griffon's eyes widened a bit. I continued my glare at him. My ears flicked at the muttering of some of his guards.

"She... she stopped General Gild's attack? But... it was so fast..." I heard one speak a little loudly than they probably wanted. I then moved my staff, leading the blade up and with a quick flick of my staff, I slapped his claw wrist, disarming the griffon.

"You want my utter and complete obedience to your king and your ancestry, then you get this mare her treatment and rest and have her try again when she's ready." I said coldly. Din began to cackle inside of my head.

My, my! I've never seen this side of you, vessel! Why, I almost feel as if I have rubbed off on you! Though, I would do it with a bit more spunk. She grinned smugly. Spunk, huh? The griffon, General Gild, eyed me warily now. He then closed his eyes in a bit of thought before turning up to the podium. I followed his gaze. I could see King Leo looking rather tense. Scribble, however, was speaking to him in his dialect. Cloudchaser and Flitter were in awe at the egghead. I saw King Leo tighten his grip on the edge of his podium.

He then turned and said something to Scribble before turning and begun to exclaim something I couldn’t understand. The guards around me, however, were shocked. I looked to Gild, who seemed a bit disturbed. Catching my look, he put his helmet on and faced me.

“King Leo states that he does not want us to be harmed over a simple dispute. If you believe the mare lives to fight another day, he will see to her treatment. However, in her stead, you will continue her battles. If you do not kill, your friends up there are set for a public execution. Your Fire Demon powers do not frighten the will of the king. If you can pass all the battles set before you, you’ll be granted a chance to fight the Scourge.” He explained. I tilted my head.

He waved to his guards in motion to leave the arena. The griffon general picked up his sword and sheathed it before hoisting Damascus over his back.

“I cannot believe I have to stain my garb with tainted blood…” he muttered to himself before walking away. When the guards left the arena, King Leo announced something before the disembodied voice took over.

“You heard it here, folks! The creatures of the Underworld are in for a special treat! The destroyer of cities and defier of power! The unhinged and wild burning blaze that will dry the blood-stained sand! You know what they say, folks! There is no rest for the wicked! Let’s begin with our first combatant!” The voice exclaimed excitedly. I turned to face the cage that was opening.

I readied my stance with my quarterstaff as a hulking figure stepped out. I tilted my head. It stood on two and waddled out with its’ arms swinging out in front. The mole like creature bearing a metal helmet on its’ head. A Maul Warf.

“Known for its’ thick hide and unwavering appetite for greens, this Maul Warf is not like its’ kin! It has tasted blood on the battlefield and is craving for more! I can’t wait to see how this battle plays out!” The announcer exclaimed. I studied the creature. It looked a little silly with the helmet covering its’ eyes. It was sniffing the air before scratching at the helmet. Din hummed.

An oversized mole? I can’t help but feel insulted. She said. I smirked.

“And here I thought you were wanting to show up these creatures.” I replied. Din scoffed.

Please. When they finally throw something worthwhile, wake me up. Din retorted. I slumped a bit. So much for testing out synergy. I blinked and tilted my head a bit as the Maul Warf was scratching at the helmet furiously, as if it was trying to take it off. Suddenly, the helmet lit up red and the Maul Warf roared, swiping its' claws around it. I backed away, avoiding a stray swipe. It sounded like it was in pain. It then sniffed the air and focused on me. I grit my teeth and readied myself as the creature roared again and rushed me, claws extended.

Thi Billet’s POV

I was entirely impressed. It seems the Gorgons had indeed been busy over the years. We were traveling through a region of Roam that was called by the locals as Passage to Perdition. A fitting name as it was just nothing but desert sand and nothing else in between. Roam is usually a greener place, if we were in the regions that were habitable. It has been stated through local legend that a devastating battle years, even centuries back, created what is the Passage. However, any remnants of what would have been here were buried beneath the sands.

And that is exactly where we are heading. Underworld is called such here in Roam. Locals know of it, yet the Underworld is constantly mobile. It is never in one place. The only way to find out where it is is to go through several initiations. The first is receiving a gold coin as your invitation. You are to then find a “Charon” through the clues embedded on the coin. Once you find the “Charon”, you are to pay the creature with the coin and they will guide you into the Underworld. You maybe wondering; “How does one even know what this Charon looks like?” Simple.

It’s usually a mummified corpse that may or may not be from the Hall of Heroes, Roam’s own memorial mausoleum expanding centuries upon centuries of the heroes of old. My days of being an archeologist in Roam had taught me this much as I had the liberty to “bodyguard” an Underworld invitee to the location. It was not pleasant. Thankfully, I was able to keep myself out of trouble by playing off being the invitee’s bodyguard in order to closer to my actual prize.

The Oracle. Or better known as Queen Zeuli. H.U.N.T. needed the Oracle in order to stop a certain scheme the Triad had been planning at that time. While her insight was eerily accurate, I didn’t think much of it. However, now that Fie and us have been thrown into this conflict, I couldn’t help but think about what the Oracle had said to me.

“You will be thrown into a conflict beyond our comprehension. Somepony very dear to you will give up her mortality and cease to exist among us, until she is needed once more.” It struck me as odd considering the mural I found about Fie years ago. But Oracles usually are vague enough. Fie isn’t the only pony dear to me. But she’s the most important. I leaned over the hatch to the once Triad owned metal behemoth. The Gorgons had wasted no effort into making it their own.

A decal of a demonic snake like face with snake for hair as if it was flailing wildly was painted on the side of the head of the behemoth. A tattered, red velvet curtain draped along the body but not covering the ridged wheels. There were four other behemoths in similar design accompanying us. The Gorgon scouts had told the raid team that there were no Triad in attendance, which is unusual, and that the king and queen’s centurions are the only thing stopping us.

The Centurions are very traditional. However, their ancestry armory has been updated in materials, thanks to the Triad. Over the years, they had supplied Roam enough that despite looking like traditional old timey garb, they are now able to withstand small arc explosives and medium arc calibers. Even their weapons have been updated to arc slings, bows and arrows and their traditional iconic gladius weapons being made with highly durable material. Hell, even siege weapons were updated.

Our convoy sped through the Passage, passing by old ruins and rock formations. Most locals avoid using the Passage due to the dangers of sandsharks and earthwyrms. Yes, wyrms. Not your traditional worm. These are big leviathans that do prowl the Passage very occasionally for food. Sandsharks aren’t that dangerous, but they do prowl in numbers. Usually five or so. One of the Gorgon mercs expressed their concern about encountering one, but Zeke told them otherwise as the convoy would be loud enough to keep them at bay.

I yawned under my muffler and slumped tiredly. It was boring. You can only enjoy sand so much. Eventually, our convoy stopped, overlooking a valley of rocks and crevices. Zeke frowned.

“Now for the tricky part of the plan.” He began. He held a device to his muzzle. “Get into positions. The recon team should be radioing in any moment.” I lazily watched our convoy split and began to roll into and around the rocky hills. I noticed ours hasn’t moved. I blinked a bit in confusion before dipping my head back into the hatch. Zeke was looking through a slit in the behemoth.

“We aren’t moving in?” I asked. Zeke shook his head.

“Something isn’t right. The scouts should have radioed in the moment we arrived.” He hesitated a bit with the device in his hoof. “Delta five oh six, do you copy?” There was silence. I furrowed my look.

“Maybe something happened. A wild variable showed up and they need to reassess.” I suggested. Zeke sighed.

“Impossible. We spent months reconning the location. Every bit of traffic that went in and out, twenty-four seven was monitored until we were ready to make our move. If it was Triad or anything else, we would have picked up on it." He explained. I tilted my head slightly before poking my head back out. Still sand and rocks. I let out a sigh, mentally preparing myself to deal with whatever is going to happen. I blinked, having taken notice of something. I let out another deep sigh. I could see my breath. I was puzzled. I looked over to the entrance to what is supposed to be the gate to Underworld. I pulled out my arc pistol and did a quick check of it before holstering it and hopping out. Zeke poked his head out. "Where are you going?" He asked. I pointed at the entrance.

"Keep your mercs on hold. This maybe something that we might not even be able to handle." I said. I then breathed and my breath rose and vanished. Zeke took notice of it and breathed himself, seeing his own breath. I then began to walk forward and a cold chill washed over me. I shivered and adjusted my denim jacket. I stepped into the entrance. The temperature started to drop more the further I went. When I rounded a corner, I gasped a bit as I nearly ran into something sticking out of a crystal wall.

‘Wait… crystal?’ I blinked and stepped back, my look casting grimly at the sight. Upon closer inspection of the wall and the protrusion, I could make out a silhouette inside. Almost as if it was reaching out. I knocked on the crystal wall, winced as I felt a small chilling burn on my hoof. This isn’t normal ice. No… it can’t be… But it has to be.

“By the goddess of creation…” I heard Zeke behind me gasp. I looked over my shoulder, seeing the zebra looking horrified as he walked over to me. He reached out a hoof to the protrusion and held it. Zeke closed his eyes and bowed his head. “Rest easy, kin. Your contribution will forever be written in the sands.” I gave a solemn look before shaking my head a little at the irony of this.

“This takes a whole new meaning of hell being frozen over.” I stated to myself quietly.

“What could have done this to them?” Zeke asked as he stepped back. I rubbed the back of my head.

“So, just throwing this out there, but you do remember that our realm is in danger, right?” I began. Zeke looked at me as I motioned to the wall in front of us. “Let’s just say, one of the reasons I’m here took an unexpected turn in an annoyingly convenient way.” I frowned and studied the ice. “This isn’t natural ice, nor is it archaic. This is purely physical magic.” Zeke tilted his head. “Physical magic is like… a mirage that didn’t vanish and suddenly grew internal organs and cannot vanish in a natural way.” Zeke rubbed his chin.

“Damn. Then, we have to find an alternate route. I was hoping we could thaw them out but…” I gave the Gorgon merc a reassuring pat on his shoulder.

“I’m afraid there is nothing that we can do to save their lives. But… we don’t need to change the plan entirely.” I then smirked and stepped back. I then closed my eyes and reached into my mind. I could hear the whispering. Something I had always ignored. Lately, the whisper has been making some sense. Perhaps it is time to test it out. I called to the voice. ‘Help me destroy this obstacle.’ I replied to the whisper. I then held out my hoof and in a flash of green and black fire, a baseball bat appeared in my hoof. The wood looking fresh despite how ancient the actual object is. Zeke looked on in awe as I twirled the bat in my hoof before tossing it up and catching it in my magic, shouldering it.

The wood cracked and a couple of green, slit eyes opened up and began looking around before resting upon the zebra. Zeke was speechless. I grinned and nodded.

“Been wanting to show it off a bit more. I am curious what Fie would think now that I’m able to do exactly what she does with her own halberd.” I stated happily. Yes. Exactly like Fie’s way of summoning her quarterstaff. Over the weeks she had been missing, I once had a dream where I met a strange figure. They were shrouded in darkness, but I could tell they were there. They whispered to me honeyed words of promising greater power to fulfill my desire to protect. I don’t remember much of the dream, but when I woke up, I realized my Excalibat was missing. That is, until I swore loudly for it to show up and it popped into existence in a similar manner just now.

This is great for me. I don’t have to worry about getting looks anymore and I can finally keep up with Fie to some regard. I motioned for Zeke to step back and when he was a good distance away, I twirled the bat with my magic and began to take a readied stance. I then waved the bat over my head, the green, slit eyes on the bat beginning to glow before burning with green fire. I smirked and with a strong swing, several green and black firebolts shot out and we were suddenly enveloped into cold steam.

The loud sizzling hissed around us as the fire did wonders to clear the frozen wall in front of us. Unfortunately, that involved melting the silhouettes to non-existence. With the wall melted, I looked to Zeke.

“I’ll signal you when I’ve cleared the way.” I said before trotting into the passage way. Zeke held out a hoof to me.

“Wait! What should we look for?” He asked. I grinned and waved my bat slightly.

“You’ll know.” I replied. And with that, I began my trek through the partial maze that would lead me to the Underworld. As I melted another wall, I began to think. If one of the seven is here in Roam, then that means the nation is going to be in for a sight. Time is ticking for Roam, whether they realize it or not.

Chapter 13: Underworld Infiltration

Thi's POV

Getting into Underworld was a bit tricky than I'd like. I managed to clear a path with Excalibat against the ice. What had me curious was why Shiva decided to block off the Underworld? I've noticed that the Gorgons that were scouting out the place were out of sight. As sad as it maybe, it appears they were caught in the process of Shiva blocking off the entrance. And not only that, but the way the ice was angled seemed to have come from further within. Zeke went back after a bit to update the kin about the incident, but the plan would still commence. I, however, proceeded further, a mare on a mission. I don't know how long it'll be before Fie ends up confronting Shiva and her vessel. I have to act quick. If not the primal threat, then it'll be the infighting with Roam's throne.

Whatever cause the Gorgons were fighting for doesn’t mean it’s the better option. I trotted down a pathway before coming up to another wall of ice. Using Excalibat, I melted the ice to only find some crumble from the rock wall. I blinked and peeked into the hole. It looked like a passageway. I hummed in thought and studied the wall a bit more. It looked natural enough. I stepped back and with a good swing, Excalibat’s projectile exploded the entrance open.

I smiled in satisfaction. I stepped into the hole and began descending into the passageway. Using Excalibat like a makeshift torch with the glowing eye fire, creating a sickly green hue in the darkness, I continued on for a good while. The pathway was quite narrow but wide enough to fit a creature taller than a young tree. Eventually, after crossing an open cavern, I came up to a set of steps leading upwards. I couldn't help but chuckle to myself.

'Typical old ancient back passages. This was probably made during the rebellion against Xerxes. If that's the case, then the buried Old Roam is somewhere in the area. Might take a bit of explosives, some digging and... hello.' I blinked and noticed a symbol on the wall I passed. I brushed my hoof over it, and it suddenly glowed. I was expecting something else to happen, but the light dimmed. Silence. I hummed in thought. As much as it intrigued my historic mind, I had to focus on the job at hand. Making a mental note of the symbol in my head, I proceeded to head back up the stairs. It took me a good bit before I finally reached the end of the steps. A dead end if I was an idiot. I tapped the wall with my bat, contemplating how I can figure out the way to open it up. It didn't take long before I hit something loose. A lever fell out on my left and there was a metallic clicking that sounded. I stepped back a bit as the wall in front of me began to slide apart, revealing a passageway lit by torches. I flicked my ears, hearing what sounded like cheering coming from further within. I began my pace in a canter, rushing down the hall. When I turned a corner, the cheering getting louder, I stopped and saw a small, half circle caged window. I used my platform spell to elevate myself and looked out. I could see sand and what looked to be corpses of monsters. I noticed that there was somepony skillfully rushing under an ophiotaurus, gutting the creature with a slash before getting up and rushing the next creature, a ghoul. I never thought I'd see a ghoul here of all places. Regardless, the pale, skinless creature was beheaded and the pony bucked the head into a spiked obstacle. As impressive as it was, I noticed that the pony was a zebra.

The zebra let out a battle cry as she stood on top of a creature. The crowd cheered.

"Another count for the amazon champion!! Nothing seems to slow this mare down! I have never seen anything quite like it, folks! Not many creatures make it this far! Damascus certainly has come a long way and quickly becoming a fan favorite! But is she ready to face the most terrifying thing ever to grace Roam? A wild demon, said to call upon the fire from another world! A beast who has destroyed an entire city and all the inhabitants with it! Damascus, our champion, shall now face... The Fire Demon!!" I gasped silently as I saw the middle of the arena open up and a clear cage rose up. Inside was my best friend, strapped and caged like a wild animal. She looked rugged and rather empty. I felt my anger boil.

'Hang on, Fie. I'll get us out of here.' I thought as I quickly pulled away from the window and began to canter down the hall once more. It almost felt like a bit of a maze cantering through here. Whoever designed this certainly didn't want to be caught. Or worse, I could be in the very Labyrinth by King Midas. Anymore thoughts were lost when I rounded a corner and saw a lever hanging on a wall. I quickly pulled it and withdrew my arc pistol, cocking it and readying myself. The wall split open and I stepped in, waving my gun in all directions. Seeing that the room was clear, I took a moment to get my bearings. It looked like a war room of some kind. Yet, everything looked rotted and decrepit. The wooden table was caved in along with a faded and decayed parchment that would have been a map of some kind. Shelves that were lined against the walls were cracked or broken. Banners of old-world Roam were tattered or ripped. What in the world happened here? I shook away my thoughts.

'Focus, Thi. You can geek out later.' I thought to myself. I wasn't entirely too worried about Fie. She can handle herself just fine. I need to find egghead and the sisters. If I find the slaves, I'll let Zeke know when we bust out of here. That is, if Din and Shiva don't trash the place or dooming an entire civilization in the process. I carefully exited the room and entered into a hall. I looked down both ways before trotting down to my left. I rounded the corner and stopped to see rocks to have crumbled from the ceiling and block off wherever the path went. I turned around and galloped down the hall in the opposite direction and arrived into a barrack room. Old hay beds moldy and destroyed lined up in neat rows with one of the corners of the walls to have crumbled in on itself. Cracked and toppled Centurion armor littered one part of the room and a couple of weapon racks, one being empty, had only two weapons, a sword and spear, both in poor condition. I kept repeating myself in my head that I need to get everypony out of here. I continued on, reaching another barrack in similar poor condition, a hallway with decrepit memorabilia, empty rooms that seemed to serve no purpose other than probably storage.

I eventually trotted into an open room. I stopped and looked around, aiming my weapon at the first sign of movement. I narrowed my eyes and lowered my weapon as I saw a pegasus zony cower away from me behind bars. He looked at me with terrified eyes. My look softened a little. Peering into the cage, I could make out other creatures. Most of them were of zebra origin, each one looking terrified or broken than the last. I looked around and saw a cage of griffons, looking miserable, but eyeing me with curiosity.

“Hey, you!” A voice called out from amongst one of the cages. I looked around and noticed a scraggly looking pony who seemed to not have had seen the light of day for years. “You a Gorgon, ain’t ya?” She asked. I holstered my weapon and shook my head.

“Sorry, old coot. I’m not affiliated with any group. I’m just here to get my friends out.” I replied. The mare pressed herself against the bars.

“You gotta’ help us at least! They’ve done awful things down here! Very awful!” She stated.

“Shut up, do you want to get in trouble? You heard the announcer. The Fire Demon is currently fighting out there.” One of the zebra said from the other cage.

“Unless you have a death wish, then you might as well, keep quiet. If this pony wants to kill herself off here, better her than me.” Another stated. I shook my head.

“Don’t misunderstand me here. Believe it or not, I rode in with the Gorgons. I’m not affiliated with them, but they are planning to get all of you out of here before the king or Roam’s guards notice. Just have a bit of patience. They’ll be here soon.” I then smirked. “And you shouldn’t fear that Fire Demon. She’s not scary at all. A little ahead of herself, but she’s trying her best.” No creature spoke a word. I then sighed. “On that note, there are three other ponies I’m looking for. An earth pony in a yellow coat and two lilac colored pegasai, one with spiky mane and the other a bow.” My ears flicked and I heard what sounded like steps thumping closer.

“That sounds like the Centurions!” The scraggly mare spoke. I balked and quickly looked around. I then looked up and smiled. I was quick to hide in the shadows of the banisters right as the door opened. I saw several Centurion guards walk in. A bigger one carrying an unconscious zebra who seemed to be haggard and beaten, swaying limply on the back, was put into one of the cells. The creatures backed away and the big one snorted.

“Get this mare treatment… that demon will pay for disrespecting the honor of the Centurions…” He said. Upon closer inspection, he was a griffon. I narrowed my eyes as the griffon turned to the others. “Which one of you criminals has any form of medical practices?” He barked. No creature spoke. However, the scraggly pony waved a hoof.

“I-I was a surgeon in Anchorage. I-I can help.” She stated. The griffon arched a disappointing brow.

“Tch. Hope you have something to treat monster cuts. Otherwise, she won’t live to see another day.” He said. “Never stated we would be giving the treatment.” The griffon motioned with a claw and one of the guards unlocked the cage, the pony hurrying out and looking around nervously. She was then shoved into the other cage and locked up. She hesitated before leaning down and checking on the zebra. I frowned, shifting to get a better look. However, I ducked back when the door opened again and another griffon walked in.

This one wore a purple robe and had a snobbish swagger to his walk. He looked disgustedly at the caged creatures.

“Why do we waste our time with these flea ridden criminals? They don’t do for good entertainment.” The griffon said. The Centurion griffon bowed.

“Visar Galm. Apologies for the sight. We had some… orders to attend to.” He said with a bit of disgust. The Visar nodded.

“Yes, yes. The Fire Demon of Equestria ordering us to treat a common criminal. Caged like an animal and brought in for our entertainment pleasure in hopes of winning our favor for Pony Land. EMI certainly is too predictable all these years later still.” He said. He then looked around the room. He was giving each cage a look of disgust before smirking. “Rest while you can, criminals. When the Fire Demon is done with our reserve of monsters, each and everyone of you will be qualified to go down in history as the Vanquisher. Freedom, money and power are yours for the taking as well as an excusal of all crimes committed as well as immunity to the law.” He said. I narrowed my eyes.

The griffon Centurion looked at the Visar.

“Forgive me for asking this, but is there a reason you are here amongst scum?” He asked. The Visar chuckled and waved a dismissive claw.

“Just ensuring that the general of Roam’s army isn’t too preoccupied with punishing the wicked. You are needed back to the king and queen’s side.” He said. The griffon’s eyes widened and bowed a bit.

“Of course.” He replied before motioning with his guards and they left the room, leaving the Visar alone. He took a deep breath and sighed with satisfaction.

“Heathen!” A voice cried from one of the cages. I looked over to see a zebra and unicorn zony glaring at the griffon. “You soil the great name of Roam! Our ancestors look down upon you in disgust!” The zebra growled. The Visar grinned.

“Say what you will, scum. This is the punishment for those that feel obligated to soil the throne with lies and conspiracies.” He replied. The zony banged the cage.

“Cut the crap! All our suffering is because of you! Whispering and manipulating the king and queen! How could they ever allow a traitor to our great nation be the one next to our liege?!” She barked. The Visar chuckled.

"Perhaps it's because with brains like yours, miss council captain, that the benefit for Roam isn't exploiting the nobles of their taxes and perhaps should have focused on more pressing matters. Such as the rampant crime rate." He replied.

"That you instigated!" The zony retorted. "I've done nothing but express a free Roam for all! Our ancestors weren't build upon noble blood! It was the labor of warriors! Those with the rite and fortitude to bear power!” She retorted. The Visar sighed and shook his head, facing away from the zony.

“And yet, our heroes ambitions became lackluster and strove for more ways to make themselves the heroes of the hour.” He wagged a singular talon in the air. “Nobility was built upon warrior blood as well. Many of you are aware of this, are you not?” He looked around the cages, the creatures glaring at him. “Blood thirst cannot be quenched. Battles are always fought with honor and bravery. And due to that fact Roam has become blinded in the red sands for centuries. Every creature that has taken upon the crown and throne are descendants to these very ambitions that you openly express would lead us into a free nation.” He chuckled to himself.

“It’s almost hilarious if it wasn’t so asinine. Centuries upon centuries of the sweat, blood and tears of the creatures of Roam having to suffer the same cycle over and over. So tell me, miss council mare, what can you do for the people of Roam that my candidacy does not provide?” The zony growled.

“Enslaving the honest working creatures of Roam as combatants to fight to the death for the mere amusement of corrupt nobles is not an ideal Roam! You are contradicting your very own statement! Roam will have your head for betraying the throne!” She glared. The Visar tapped his head in thought.

“And what way am I betraying the creatures of Roam? I may have the benefit of being the king and queen's advisor, but the decisions are solely the great King Leo’s orders. Even you know that King Leo is too ambitious to rule. He’s already acquired the ire of many unfavorable oppositions for declaring taxation without representation. If you ask me, the creatures of Roam are too reliant on the throne to dictate what they can and cannot do to make their lives comfortable. And what do they do? They turn coat and bear daggers, just like Caesar’s execution.”

“You talk too much for a chicken.” A voice rasped. They looked over to see the wounded zebra glaring at the griffon with one eye as the scraggly mare was tending to a wound on her hoof. “True that the king is ambitious for his own good. But his greatest mistake was exiling Gladius. That zebra is the true heir to the throne and will lead Roam into prosperity. You agreed with the king because he is right.” The Visar didn’t look pleased at the zebra, but he sighed and waved a claw dismissively.

“It has been years since that fool openly challenged the throne. Speaking in such a manner that goes against everything how a nation is supposed to run. He has no idea the burden a leader bears, especially in Roam. His mercenaries are no more barbaric than the cannibalistic tribes of the Zebra Lands.” That got a lot of protests.

“You sully our people’s lands, yet what of your own, griffon?” The injured zebra spoke. The Visar laughed.

“They can rot for all I care. Griffons do not hold relationships in a way you cradle a babe. The moment we hatch, it’s a fight for survival. It’s no different than the Savanna.” He replied. “However, I am willing to put aside my pride and humility in order to help guide a nation of wandering souls into prosperity. Ideals will always clash. But in the end, I am here standing amongst the mighty and you caged at my command.” He grinned. He held up a singular claw. “Keep this in mind, criminals of Roam. Be it politician, a beggar or a cutthroat, you will all bow before one creature. The king’s time is nearing his end and it would be for the better. If your hero wants to challenge the throne, let him. He’ll suffer a champion’s execution.” He then turned and walked towards the exit. “Try as you all believe me to be, I am out for the betterment of this nation. With war against Pony Land and Equestria, it’s only a matter of time before we are enemies to both nations.” And with that, he left the room.

I waited a bit before hopping down from my hiding spot and startling the injured zebra. I looked over to the zony, who eyed me suspiciously.

“Do you understand what this entails, Equestrian? Our lives are in constant ridicule by those in power. The wrong creatures are in play and the ones who can better this nation are rotting behind cages and exiled to the scorching sands. The blood will continue to spill unless Gladius takes over the throne. King Leo is not fit for the throne and Galm is a tyrant out for our destruction. You have to help us.” I studied the zony before shaking my head.

“You’re asking an Equestrian for help in something that could potentially put us against Roam? Sorry, but both you and the Visar are stupid.” I bluntly replied. The zony flushed angrily.

“How dare you!” She barked. I held up a hoof.

“Let me get one thing straight here. I’m a third party wanting to get my friends and head over to Pony Land to handle our threat of war. Sucks that Zebrica and Roam are planted in the middle of it, but with Roam being so one sided with their own infighting doesn’t show either side that you are worth the effort of allying. Pony Land would use you no better than Xerxes or Leo. They’ll put somepony in place worse than Galm. Roam would suffer under the rule of Pony Land.

“Equestria will at least give you all a fighting chance. True we may not be the best with technology, but our rulers are still around due to the efforts of fostering allies and even going out of our way to handle issues that others can’t reason on. Yet, we aren’t perfect or ideal. We have our own infighting that doesn’t involve monsters.” I replied. “Sorry, I’m just one mare on a mission. The pony that’s currently fighting out in the arena is going to be in a lot of trouble if I don’t do something.” I explained. The wounded zebra eyed me.

“The Fire Demon? You are familiar?” She asked stoically. I smirked and nodded.

“My best friend since college. Everything you’ve heard about her is mostly true. However, right now if I don’t get to her, Roam is going to be the epicenter to a tragic fight that no creature here is ready to handle.” I stated before trotting over to the exit.

“Are you talking about the Scourge?” The wounded zebra spoke. I stopped and looked over to her. She met my gaze. “There is a warrior here who can call upon ice that cannot melt in the scorching sands of Roam. We begun to believe her a god. No creature knows of her origin. Yet, we all know she’s been a slave to the Underworld for years.” She bowed her head. “I’ve never met the creature in battle yet. The Underworld watchers prefer to keep her locked away until they want something to blow them away.” I rubbed my chin in thought.

“By any chance have you heard where they might be keeping the Scourge?” I asked. The zebra darted her eyes in thought.

“I cannot properly guess, but I would assume deeper within. There is an antechamber further in the old ruins. They might be keeping her there.” She replied. I smiled.

“Thanks.” I was about to move when the zebra looked up.

“What is she like?” The zebra asked. I looked around the door in confusion. “Your friend. The one currently fighting out in the arena. She… she spared me. Rather than giving me a warrior’s death, I still breathe.” Her look darkened. “I do not want to spend another minute in this hell hole. Why did she not grant me peace in death?” I studied the zebra.

“Probably because that’s how she’s always been. Way before Hoofington’s destruction, she would come up with dumb ideas that’d put her in the crosshairs of opposing forces. But she has the skills and capability to back it up. But if you are asking way before she had a maniacal primal inside her mind, she’s smart, awkward and is usually depressed when things wouldn’t go her way. Even then, she kept going until circumstances told her otherwise. She sucks with magic, only good with illusion in one aspect and prefers to laze about when given the chance. She also has dumb luck.” I smiled. “Trust me. She’s planning something right now. Just buying time.” And with that, I left the caged creatures to the hooves of the Gorgons that would be raiding any moment.

I was wary in where I stepped, just in case Centurions were on patrol. To no surprise, I ducked around a corner as a group of Centurions walked past. I noticed it was the ones from before. Waiting till they were out of sight, I darted around my cover and down the direction they came from. Keeping low, I made my way through the hall before arriving at a set of steps. Keeping my senses aware, I descended the steps. When I reached the bottom, I was in awe as to what I was seeing. It was an atrium for sure. However, the spacious room only had one thing inside of it. In the middle of the room with the sun’s light shining down on them was a minotaur.

She was on her knees and seemingly meditating. I braved myself as I crept towards her.

“You make yourself obvious, pony.” The minotaur spoke, her voice gruff but feminine. I arched a brow and shook my head.

“Just wanting to see the Scourge up close. Big fan.” I stated. The minotaur didn’t turn to acknowledge me. Only kept herself meditated facing away from me.

“This is no place for star struck creatures. Is what I would say if you were any pony.” She then opened her eyes and looked over her shoulder. There it was. The swirling mist of ice in her eyes. I smiled.

“Sup, Shiva? Gotta’ say, I’m still a little sour at you for attacking us on the train. But that was a month ago. So, I’ll let bygones be bygones.” I said. The minotaur narrowed her eyes but, in the light, I noticed a swirl of icy mist form in front of me and as quickly as it showed up, a spectral alicorn with glowing eyes looked down at me.

You reek of my sister. She stated. I shrugged.

"Can't help it that my best friend is hosting her." I replied. The alicorn shook her head, to my surprise.

Nay. Tis not affecting of your presence around my sister. You stink of her. Something... familiar. Shiva lowered her head and met my eyes. I gave her a confused but uninterested look. Shiva's eyes widened before she pulled back and closed her eyes in thought. I see. How fortunate for us, Steel Heart. We can trust this one. The minotaur studied me before standing up.

"And your sister?" She asked. Shiva sighed.

The fool will be too caught up in the moment of battle to realize the true threat present at hoof. She replied. I tilted my head a little.

"A bigger threat? You mean like the Visar?" I asked. Shiva shook her head.

The overgrown chicken I could care less for. It's the king that is the issue. He has acquired power that does not belong to him. It has taken me a bit to realize that the more my vessel and I fight, that borrowed power begins to draw itself out. I rubbed my chin in thought.

“Reacting to just a singular primal fight or is it due to the amount of fighting between you seven…” I thought out loud. Shiva nodded.

The latter. I realize after many discussions with our captors and the serpent, I've began to notice that with each use of any of the seven's powers, the amount being released starts to... grow. And when it grows so much, it cannot grow any further. Except for Din. She walked around me as she continued. Ever since the serpent gave us an increase in power, it's been fluxuating our abilities to a point of over stagnation. Our output has been exponential to the point we cannot handle it as well as we should. Since my sister is not affected by such a gift, having been made an enemy, I cannot fight without causing too much destruction. I sat on my haunches and crossed my forelegs over my chest.

"I can believe that." I replied, thinking back to the frozen Gorgons. "But if that's the case, then how would combatting the other elements bring out borrowed power from those that don't deserve it?" I asked. Shiva stood in front of me.

It's like electricity connecting to a conductor rod with no real way to disperse it. She stated. I opened my mouth to speak, only to stop and realize something.

"Uhh... huh... Didn't take you to be an... egghead..." I stated. Shiva smirked, much to my surprise.

I'll take it as a compliment. However, as much as I want to discuss more, I am afraid that we do not have much time. Our match has been set to fight against my sister and her vessel. She sat down on her haunches. I will take a guess as to why you are here. You are hoping to reason with us as a way to prevent Roam from falling under our elemental clash. Hoping to prevent destruction to another city. I looked at her stoically.

"Considering what you told me, it makes that plan difficult. I'm also trying to see how close the Triad are from acquiring ally affinity with Roam. Though from the lack of Triad interference, I can safely assume that they had finished tampering here." I replied. Shiva looked over her shoulder to the minotaur, who shook her head.

"Those ponies from Pony Land have done more than what you expect them to have.” She replied. “Their influence has indeed gotten the good graces of Roam. King Leo plans to meet with a representative general from EMI to discuss more opportunities of expanding soon.” I tilted my head slightly.

“You know that how?” I asked. Shiva pat her chest with a small smile.

Astral projection. Steel Heart is quite the lucid dreamer. And thus, I’m able to use that lucidity and walk the halls of this place for five minutes. I overheard General Gild mention it to several Centurions. She spoke. I blinked in confusion.

“Lucid… dreaming? You can work with that?” I asked puzzled. Shiva sighed.

Am I to play twenty questions or do I need to waste my time further? She replied. I flushed a bit.

“R-right… ahem. So, the Triad are in good graces. Any way we can sway them from seeing that the Triad are still as bad as before?” I asked finally. Shiva nodded.

That question has a simple answer. The king must die. She stated. I didn’t know what to expect or how to respond to this. Steel thankfully answered for her.

To keep it short, she explained that longevity is desired for the throne and King Leo is hoping to do so against his oppressors with the borrowed power. She stated that there are two candidates that are out for the king’s head. Gladius, the exiled commander of Roam’s army and the next true heir of the throne, was put out to the Scorched Lands. King Leo had hoped that the wilds would claim him, but having seized “investments” from EMI, it’s been a decade long war. The second contender for the king's head is none other than Visar Galm. He was the one who orchestrated Gladius's exile and brought King Leo into power to the throne. The reasons are uncertain to them, but they believe that Visar Galm has a bigger ultimatum waiting to be unleashed. Shiva hoped to find out what it is and thus provided Steel Heart with her desire for combat to aid in her seeking for knowledge. When Steel finished her explanation, I closed my eyes in thought.

"So... where does that put Fie and my friends...?" I asked more to myself. Shiva nodded.

I know one thing is that I require my sister's help in this matter. However, I know she will not listen to reason well enough. Therefore, I have no choice but to fight her. I will try to keep it controlled as best I can. Can I trust her vessel to not be so foolhardy? Her declaration against us left quite the impression. She said. I opened my eyes to look at her.

"Fie can understand where you are coming from. She hates authority as much as I do. Well... to a lesser terroristic extent. But if you can show that you have some form of brain in you, then she'll listen." I said with a smile. Shiva looked over her shoulder to Steel, who nodded.

"Then we must fight to tire out the fire one. Get her to see reason and then plan how we can handle the borrowed power situation. One question I do have for everycreature here. What about the Visar?" She asked. I tapped my head a bit in thought.

"The Gorgons are on standby for another two minutes. They'll be rushing in to free the prisoners. They'll probably work their way to wherever the Visar or the king is and take one of them or both captive. From then, I guess it's their problem." I stated. "I'm just here to get my friends out of here and off to Pony Land. Thankfully with new found information." Shiva hummed as she stood up.

And yet, no matter which way the dial turns, the seven's power is still required. Would it not be easier to work on an ally treaty to aid in your nation's war? She asked. I narrowed my eyes at her.

"As much of a reasonable decision that is, we do not have the time as the Triad is already hoof deep in Equestria. War is at the door. We don't have time to waste to solve political issues with Roam. It's just not our cup of tea." I replied. Shiva kept her stoic gaze on me.

Be it as it may, I think it would be beneficial. Especially when we expose King Leo and the Gorgons come to blows with the Visar. Do you know what the citizens treasure more than ancestry here? She paused as if to expect me to reply. But I didn't have a clue. Their gods and goddesses. To our time fighting in the arena, we have been marked demi-gods. Which to them is a sign that their gods are listening. Specifically, their god Deus. The forefather of their teachings and controller of war and lightning. He branched his ruling to three other gods and goddess to dictate their own rule over the mortal realm. That in turn branched more and more and so on and so forth. If my sister and I can draw out the borrowed power, exposing King Leo to be a false god, they would look disapprovingly at him. From there, we are free to do whatever we wish. I arched a brow at her.

"And what kind of wish do you plan to have when doing so?" I asked cautiously.

My sister and I get a satisfying blow against our sister for stepping out of line and the creatures of Roam will see that their mortal king is not welcomed in the midst of gods. That will also open up avenues for your nation to seize comradery in your war. A win-win for everycreature. Shiva explained. I was stunned. Never in my life that I thought I would encounter one of the seven, who have been sworn up and down to be so morally obnoxious and obsessive of their own desire, think of something so self-less and reasonable. I grew suspicious.

"What's in it for you then? What other ultimatum you have that doesn't involve delivering a blow to your sisters? Why go through so much for something that is not for you own desires to claim a realm?" I asked. Shiva chuckled a bit before putting a hoof to her chest and looking down at herself.

The events that transpired the start of your travels that day severed something greatly binding me to the bylaws. Din may not have known it, but I remember feeling lighter upon floating around in the emptiness. She then looked to Steel. I latched onto Steel who has aided me in recovery and in turn, we have begun a partnership. Something that Din lacks if she wants to achieve her own desire. She then looked at me. Do not take my words as me turning a new leaf around in this deciding struggle. I grow tired of winning and gaining nothing for it. Let's just say I share my sister's sentiments. I pointed at Shiva.

“Yeah. You are going to have to show Fie that she can trust you. However you want to fight lies solely on you two. But keep damage to a minimum so that way the Gorgons can do their thing and I can get to our friends.” I said. Suddenly, the atrium began to whir to life. Shiva stood and vanished, flowing back into Steel. The minotaur reached down and picked up a ragged looking cloth that I didn’t even notice in the lighting. She threw it around her and brought her hood up.

“You’ve piqued my interest in this friend of yours. I am curious to see why Equestria picked her out of your own heroes.” She said as the platform began raising. I stepped back and watched her.

“Fie tends to blank out in some instances. Wake her up by keeping her on her hooves.” I stated to her. The minotaur nodded before the platform sealed her out of sight. I sighed and rubbed the back of my head. This was completely unexpected, but a welcome one. Fie could use the break. Now to get back on track. The Gorgons should be arriving any second. I stood up and made my way back, hearing the distant cheers and jeers.

I halted and ducked behind a suit of armor as I saw shadows moving on the wall of approaching figures. To my luck, it was my friends being escorted by two guards, King Leo and the Visar. The immense relief I felt seeing the egghead and the sisters, albeit no worse for wear, are still kicking. My eyes fell on the Visar. I looked to his left claw specifically. Hidden under that robe sleeve isn’t a normal claw. What does he plan to do with Hercules’s Gauntlet?

Watching them pass by, I was about to follow them before the whole arena shook. The group stopped and looked around.

“What was that?” Cloudchaser asked. The Visar had a small, mischievous grin on his beak. It was gone as quickly as he replied.

“Just the crowd getting riled up over the match. It’s not everyday you see two demi-gods battle it out.” He said. King Leo nodded.

“Two demi-gods in our presence. The gods bless Roam with champions. However, only one will show their worth. And even if one or the other wins, the other can still be held in reserve.” King Leo replied to the Visar. The griffon beamed and continued to walk with the group as he replied.

“A fine idea, your majesty! We could even use them to hunt down the other demi-gods. Roam will be above all nations and these pointless wars will cease. No longer will we be labeled as the ‘Crimson Nation’. We will rise out of the sands and surpass our neighbors in status!” He said with a casual roll of his good claw. Scribble shook his head.

“The seven are being exploited already by the very creature who is supposed to keep our balance in check. I can imagine that they are not on terms to care what mortals want or desire above their own. If you think of controlling the seven and their vessels, you might as well douse yourself in gunpowder.” He stated. King Leo eyed the stallion with interest.

“For a mind such as yours, I’m curious as to what strives you to be ridiculed to a state of arrogance to our plight.” King Leo spoke. Scribble looked at him with annoyance.

“Perhaps it’s from the time I’ve been harassed by the Triad and now acting like a dog to a king. I can see where Thi wants to shoot up the whole place.” He replied. I couldn’t help but smile a little, but also worried that Scribble maybe a bit in a bind than I had anticipated. Yet, Scribble sighed. “Besides that point, I would highly recommend not to let yourselves be too swept away into the fight. Fie has a history of her element taking control without her consent and destroying things. With all due respect, King Leo. You are literally playing with fire.” King Leo studied the stallion. The Visar put a claw on the stallion’s back.

“Our majesty is not one to falter in the face of danger. He slayed the cyclop tyrant Calvin. Bested two sandwyrms with skill and tactics. Led our people against the Sandswept Raiders and granted economical boons to our struggling nation.” He said with a marveled smile. Scribble gave an annoyed and uninterested look.

I know that look. He wanted to tell them how wrong they were on the info. Yet, he sighed and shrugged.

“If you say so.” He replied. The Visar pat his back before motioning everypony.

“Let us be on time for the match. Today, the gods are with us.” He said. The group began to walk away from my spot. I peeked out and saw Scribble glance in my direction. He pat his coat as if he had forgotten something before shrugging and walking after the group. When they rounded the corner, I slipped out of my cover and hummed in thought. My brain was already coming up with scenarios on how to go about this. I was about to walk in the opposite direction when I noticed something glowing slightly on the ground.

I looked down and noticed the purple crystal that Scribble would use to read the magic stability. But… why would he drop it for me? I picked it up in my magic and studied it. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. That is until the rune inside began to crackle slightly. I aimed the crystal slowly, seeing it crackle more and more in the direction I came from. I decided to follow the rune. It led me down a couple of halls and conjoining rooms before beginning to glitch when I arrived at a door.

I tilted my head curiously, reaching my hoof out.

“I know you are there.” A voice said on the other end. I stopped and felt my brain on high alert.

“What is she saying?” Another voice spoke.

“You heard the king. The queen needs to rest.” Another voice said. I did not like the tone in that one’s voice.

“What are you doing?” The other asked. There was the sound of something being dragged.

“Ensuring that the queen and us aren’t disturbed.” The voice said.

“Fiend!” The queen shouted. “How much did he give you?! You are not one of us!” My eyes narrowed as I peeked through the keyhole of the door. Seems they had tried to block off the keyhole as well with whatever object, but it didn’t cover it fully. I could see the queen trembling in horror as one of the zebra guards walked around her, eyeing her in a lecherous manner. The other guard stood at the side, watching.

“You really want to test your luck that much?” They asked with a bit of disgust. The other guard brushed a hoof under the queen’s chin, forcing her to look at the guard.

“Visar Galm was kind enough to allow us a treat. I plan to make use of it. It won’t be long before the king’s head is served to the Forsworne.” The guard licked his lips. The other guard shook their head and leaned against the wall.

“Whatever. If you get gelded for this, it’s on you.” They replied. The queen backed away from the guard, glaring at him.

“Y-you…” her expression changed to one of terror. “H-help me… I-I don’t want to…” she stammered, hugging herself. The guard looked over her.

“You were Galm’s favorite back in the day. I want to see what caught his attention so much.” He snickered. I felt my blood boil. Without a second thought, I stepped back and withdrew Excalibat from thin air. I took a stance and waved my bat over my head in my magic. With a heavy swing, a green fire ball burst out and blew the door open. Both guards jumped back and withdrew their weapons. I pulled out my arc pistol and with skillful aim and precision, two shots felled both, the hole between their heads hissing.

Queen Zeuli slumped to the ground on her haunches, hugging herself dumbfounded. I shifted my frown before shouldering my bat and my arc pistol at my side in my magic. I looked to the queen and smiled a bit.

“Long time no see, your majesty.” I said. Queen Zeuli didn’t seem to register my greeting. My expression softened and I rubbed the back of my head. “Errr… I should probably get you out of here.” I began as I walked over to her. My ears flicked, hearing the sound of hoofsteps approaching. I should have expected there would be guards checking. I quickly steadied my arc pistol and bat right as the guards rounded the corner. Or should I say, Gorgons. A squad of armored zebra rounded the corner, bearing arc carbines. When we saw each other, we eased.

"What happened? We heard gunshots." One of the zebra asked. I looked at the two motionless "Centurions" on the ground. The Gorgon zebra looked over to see the queen, their eyes widening. “Your majesty! You are still alive!” Queen Zeuli slowly looked at the zebra. The terror still clear on her face. I put a soft hoof on her shoulder, seeing her twitch in reaction.

“It’s okay, your highness. These guys are here to get you out along with the other prisoners.” I smiled. Queen Zeuli took a moment to register what has happened. When she came too, she shivered, tears welling up. This took all of us aback. She wiped her hoof against her eyes and stood up, turning to the Gorgons.

“I-is… Gladius with you?” She asked, looking a bit hopeful. The two zebra exchanged glances before one bowed to her.

“Forgive me, my queen. Gladius was unable to attend this as another grave matter came up. But know that he would have given anything to join in on this mission.” They said. Queen Zeuli’s hopeful look became saddened. She then looked to me.

“I dreamt of this day. You do not save me, as grateful as I am of this time. Your path lies out to the arena stands. Becareful of the Visar. He has driven my king to a darker desire that your friend and our champion will inevitably face. And please…” she put a hoof on my shoulder. “Put Roam at peace. Do this and we will atone for all the sins before Equestria.” Our eyes met and I was worried for the queen for a moment. Eyes in a creature are always something you can read easily. As if their entire story is right there for you to understand if you just take the moment to look.

I sighed and gave her a reassuring smile.

“This is going to be two favors you owe me.” I stated. I then nodded to the two zebra before cantering out of the room. As I cantered down the hall, I felt the ground shake. I had to shield myself when a strong gust of cold wind blew through the hall. I waved the kicked-up dust aside, coughing. It had already begun. Without a second thought, I galloped down the hall. When I turned the corner, I stopped at the moment two swords clashed with one another. A Gorgon and a Centurion locked together and trying to push against each other.

Further down the hall was more fighting. I clicked my tongue at the inconvenience. The ground shook once more. Using the newly kicked up dust and sand disorienting the crowd, I slipped by them and began heading towards an open door.

‘Hang on, guys. I’m on my way.’

Chapter 14: Roam’s Atonement Pt. 1

Quiet Fire’s POV

I had to give it to Steel Heart. Nothing wavered the warrioress. Blow after blow we exchanged had me bearing through the pain of my body taking the impacts. It didn’t take us long to take the fight up into the sky. In fact, we weren’t above the arena but a bit away from it. We flew at each other, our weapons bouncing and clashing against each other. Blow after blow, a bright flash of light resonated over Underworld. On our next clash, I feinted my swing, causing Steel to miss.

I wrapped my forelegs around her outstretched arm and flipped over it, causing her momentum to shift entirely. Din cackled as she synchronized my movement, spinning Steel around me twice before chucking her back down into the arena. Another crash and explosion of sand covered the arena. Din grinned wildly.

Getting tired, sister?? Just submit to my power! She cackled. I squinted my eyes down into the arena. They widened when I saw something glow from within the sand cloud. Din and I twisted our bodies, avoiding a beam of ice that barely grazed my cheek. I flipped in the air a bit, flailing my legs to steady myself before locking onto something sailing out of the cloud. With a swish of expanded, icy spectral wings, Steel faced me. I gasped and avoided another beam after seeing her rear her head back and the sphere of ice forming at the tip of her horns.

Never in my life would I ever see a minotaur imitating a unicorn. Does having two horns make your magic powerful? Hypothetically speaking of course. Din growled.

Shut up and focus! I will not lose to my sister! Din barked.

Keep the pressure going, Steel. I’ll handle sister. I heard Shiva state. Somewhere in our fight, Din and Shiva created a link of some kind that know allows us to hear one or the other. I see this a double edged sword. It only catches the voice of the two, but we still can’t hear each other’s thoughts. Steel roared and kicked off the air at me, shooting an ice beam at me. Din controlled my pathing, having me twirl over it and kicked off the sky to sail towards Steel.

Din retaliated with her fire beam. Steel dodged and struck me in the side with a hoof. I tumbled in the air before Din steadied me and kicked off once more, avoiding several more beams of ice. Din growled.

Enough of this! Yield! Din shouted. Steel and I locked our weapons in another clash, however, I saw Din form over me from her fire surrounding me. She pulled back a hoof and aimed at Steel. However, Shiva had the same idea. Before Din’s spectral hoof could connect, Shiva’s hoof formed and intercepted the hoof. There was another clash as our primals locked horns and began to push against one another. Din was furious while Shiva remained stoic.

Cease your stubbornness, sister! I tried to get you to listen with our battle, but you continue to refuse to listen! Do you not understand I share your sentiments? Shiva asked. Din was quick to shoot back.

Share?! Hah!! I’m not the one flowing with tainted serpent power! Wasn’t it you who made the first move?? You did so against my vessel before I could wake up! You did so again when we started this fight! So shut up and finish what you started! Din spat. They pushed off each other and Din slugged Shiva across the cheek with a flack. Shiva remained undeterred and returned the favor. I felt my face going numb from the hit. But I couldn’t show any weakness here.

These two are out to win, whether I’m fine or crippled. Din and Shiva exchanged blow after blow with each other, heavy sounds resounding with each impact. The two then locked horns and hooves once more, glaring at each other before we pushed away from each other. I was feeling numb. And from the looks of it, Steel was too. However, she flared her snout, hot steam flowing from it before she charged and wrapped her hand around my face. I felt myself being pulled along with her. As quickly as I was grabbed, I found myself gasping for breath, laying in a crater once more with Steel flying high overhead. Like a bullet, Steel shot downward and crashed over me, her axe raised to strike.

"Shit!" I blurted out. Without even thinking, I threw some sand up into her eyes. She swore as she covered her face, allowing me to buck her knee and causing her to buckle into a kneel. However, I was too panicked to retaliate and wanted to get away from her. I scrambled and galloped backwards. Regaining my composure once I was a good distance away, Steel shook her head and glared angrily at me.

"Twice!? Do you know no hon-" She began but I quickly rebuttaled.

"Don't give me that honor crap! I heard it so many times in my own Underworld! Considering that our position doesn't allow us the honor of anything, how about let me think so I can get us out of here!" Steel punched the sand and stood up, readying her axe in both hands. She rushed me again. I was starting to get tired of her doing so. I readied my staff, aiming to end this by subduing her when she then kicked sand up and onto my face. My eyes burned and I reeled back in pain. I stumbled and fell onto my back, painfully trying to open my eyes as they watered.

"Not so funny now, is it!?" Steel barked before planting a hoof on my chest. I felt a warmth that watered my eyes, Steel blurring into clarity. Din cackled, feeling the warmth flow out of me. I saw Din form over Steel and bore down on her. My eyes widened when Steel shot out her arm and strangled Din in her place. Din also looked to be taken by surprise, but as quickly as it came, Din struggled, punched and kicked at Steel.

You dare... put your... grkgh! Din gasped. How hard was Steel holding on!? I tried to struggle myself, but Steel applied more pressure. I swore I felt my ribs crack. Eventually, Din began to slump, gasping for breath. How was this even possible?? Din isn't physically formed! Unless I missed something in the seven's primordial handbook of physics, Din shouldn't be able to be choked out in that form. Shiva formed over us and looked down over me.

Simmer down, sister. I've tired you enough. She panted a little exhaustively. Din held onto Steel's arm, trying to free herself but was unable to do so. Shiva must be amplifying her strength into her. Quiet Fire. Will you please listen to what
I have to say? I assure you, what I've said before is fully beneficial for everycreature here. She said. I grunted, finding my energy leave me all of a sudden. What is happening? I stared at the alicorn. There was such a strange stoic sincerity in her eyes. Something I didn't think any primal was capable of. Shiva seemed a bit disappointed in me. I didn't realize I needed to do so much to convince you to listen. Your friend needs to make it much clearer. I blinked at her questioningly.

"My friend?" I asked with a pained rasped. Shiva nodded.

That red mane and rebellious justice in her eyes reminds me of somepony I used to know long ago. I have your attention? I coughed before nodding painfully. Shiva nodded to Steel and the minotaur snorted before stepping off of me. I rolled onto my side, clutching my chest and painfully pushing myself off of the ground. I took a moment to regain my composure before standing and facing Shiva. Din went limp and Steel dropped the alicorn. I couldn’t believe it. She actually choked her out. Din laid motionless while Steel and Shiva looked down at me.

Your friend speaks very highly of you. And yet, what you displayed has shown me you have nothing planned at all. Let me guess. Expecting me to ravish Roam with a never-ending winter? She began. I rubbed my chest, wincing.

“That’s… about the gist of it…” I rasped. Shiva looked around. The dust must be clearing. She unfurled her wings, releasing a swirling dense fog of ice to cover us. Shiva looked like she was straining herself a little. I couldn’t help but feel a tad relieved that Shiva is just as winded as Din.

Then allow me to convince you otherwise. As I’ve said, the more my sister and I fight, the borrowed power King Leo has begins to manifest itself. This is due to our ties with our sister. By now, King Leo is feeling that surge of energy. The creatures will begin to notice the change and their king will no longer be sane. And whatever the Visar has planned can be executed at that time. I coughed after I finished patting my numbing chest.

“Are you… saying… that you planned for the king’s assassination?” I rasped. Shiva hummed.

Perhaps. But then again, the punishment is best suited by our own hooves. Unconsented borrowed power, especially if it has been blessed by the serpent or authorized by origin bearer, is being used to exploit rather than to stabilize the balance. As per the bylaws, we are to punish the bearer, cleanse the power and instate reminders that the powers cannot be comprehended by mere mortals unfit for the star’s powers. She replied. I winced as the numbing pain was a bit overbearing.

“I don’t… follow why… the king needs to die…” I rasped. “I understand the whole thing about borrowed power, but I’m not going to let you both destroy Roam for it.” I glared at Shiva. Shiva gave a stoic shrug.

I’ll admit, what happened via my sister’s actions was an unforeseen consequence. But she got the point across that crossing that line is unforgivable. Wipe the slate clean. But if you have a better option, at least I will hear it out. The others are not so… open minded. She replied, glancing at Din. I narrowed my eyes suspiciously at her.

“You’re an odd one…” I stated before sighing. “But who am I to say when I’m just as much an odd one. Alright, Shiva. We’ll talk. How long are you going to hold out until then?” Shiva waved a wing slightly in dismissal.

These days of battle have only made me stronger. I can always use the serpent’s power to enhance if I choose too. But if you recall me saying, it is unstable. She replied. I looked up and squinted, using Din’s eyes to spot the podium. However, I didn’t really need to use them as much as I thought as we could see a bright light glowing above us. Shiva’s eyes widened as her icy cover around us vanished in an instant. Steel and I shielded our eyes as the glow became brighter and brighter.

Thi Billet’s POV

I cantered into the stands, immediately covering myself with my muffler as cold wind blew through the arena. I watched with awe as Fie and Steel clashed into one another. I then looked around. Every creature was fixated on the fight. I spotted the podium, seeing King Leo and the Visar watching with their own marveled expressions. I began to make my way over past the seated crowd, keeping my head low as Fie and Steel’s fight started kicking up a lot of sand.

As I got to the section with the podium overhead, I looked to see several guards seemingly forgetting they are on duty and focused on the match. I carefully snuck past them, slipping by before opening the door at the same moment a loud crash of whoever was being buried in the sand happened.

‘Hang in there, Fie.’ I thought as I began to make my way up the steps. I withdrew my bat and arc pistol and sidled along the wall as I reached the very top to velvet curtain covering the podium. I peeked out a little and spied the general of the Centurions watching the show along with a strangely glowing King Leo. I noticed the Visar glancing in his direction, seeming to notice the glow as well. He then noticed me and his eyes widened. I quickly slipped out and put the arc pistol to King Leo, startling my friends.

The general turned and reached for his sword, only for me to point my bat at him. The glowing green eye beginning to burn brightly.

“Make your move, general. Or King Leo gets the usual tradition of dethroning.” I stated coldly. The griffon glared, clenching his sword tightly.

“Damned Gorgon scum…” he muttered. The Visar held up a claw and looked to the king.

“Your majesty. You’re glowing.” He stated. King Leo carefully looked down at his forelegs. He looked stunned. I tapped his head with my pistol.

“Learned a little of what it means.” I said, eyeing him. “You toiled in the god’s domain. And those two gods currently fighting are not too happy with you.” King Leo glanced up at me. A smirk beginning to creep along his muzzle.

“I feel… power…” He marveled. The Visar looked to me.

“Whatever do you mean?” He asked. I kept my pistol trained on King Leo.

“Din and Shiva are mutual enemies. Natural at best. But Din, however, strives for more power while making an example of those who acquire it when they are not compatible.” I explained. “Whatever you feel that you want to accomplish between two forces of uncontrolled nature, even pitting them against each other, you are just as bad as the Triad. At this point, would we be considered the bad guys because Din destroyed Roam?” I shook my head. “You are already mad, King Leo. Making this deal with the Triad already doomed you more than you taking the throne.” King Leo studied him before bowing his head. He began to chuckle.

It escalated into a laugh, covering his eyes and throwing his head back. I felt a chill run down my spine. His glow beginning to brighten a bit. He removed his hoof from his face and studied it shakily with a grin.

“Fate is forever the fickle mistress. The lineage the throne carries is such a heavy burden. Such is the weight of a crown.” He lowered his hoof, looking tired and pale. The Visar stood up as the general quickly moved to the side of King Leo. Leo waved away the griffon and looked up at the exact moment that Steel and Fie clashed in the air. Scribble stepped up next to me.

“Your majesty. The creatures of Roam do not need to suffer the folly of old tradition at the sport of gods and royalty. You have the power and choice to lead Roam into a better and less bloody tomorrow.” Scribble stated. King Leo didn’t look at him but nodded slowly.

“Yes… I have the power… to lead Roam into a better tomorrow.” He began to clutch his head. “This feeling… sickening…” Scribble and I exchanged glances. Flitter nervously walked forward.

“Y-your majesty. W-with all due respect, you should call off this fight. We want to not risk anymore life.” She said. The Visar clicked his tongue.

“Roam has been built upon traditions of honor and the blood, sweat and tears of warriors and heroes. There are always going to be enemies of the throne. We do not need foreigners to dictate our traditions, but merely accept and appreciate the entirety of it all. We do not judge your Equestria for being labeled an enemy to our neighbors.” He stated. I frowned and aimed my gun at him. The general reached for his sword, but my bat’s eye focused on him, causing the general to feel uneasy and remain by the king.

“Don’t sit there and preach about being right in this matter. I heard how you spilled your exposition to the so called ‘criminals’ in the cells. Politicians at the seat of Roam hierarchy imprisoned to fight for their lives at your command. Not only that. Soldiers and families. Criminal or not, what you both have done today is going to doom all of Roam. I think it’s time to renegotiate the deal you made with the Triad.” I said before motioning with my head to Steel and Fie, the two taking off away from the arena and clashing further out. “It’s only a matter of time before Roam is judged.” The Visar met my cold gaze. He smirked.

“You’ve got brass. Even though you are breaking multiple laws in Roam and even attempting murder against the king, I like you. Your majesty, if I may suggest, we should at least hear out what our Equestrian representatives have to say.” He stated. The general balked.

“Visar Galm. These matters must be held amongst the Council. We will not discuss negotiations with terrorists and invaders.” He said sternly. The Visar waved a claw dismissively.

“Considering we’ve unleashed the gods in a battle against each other and inevitably put Roam on the path to destruction, the Council won’t have much choice. I feel it can slide.” He replied, getting up from the chair. The general glared before looking to King Leo.

“My liege?” He asked. King Leo started to look a bit sickly, but he looked at him and nodded. Cloudchaser leaned in and whispered to Scribble.

“What can we even negotiate with?” She asked. Scribble rubbed his chin. The Visar motioned with a claw to King Leo.

“Perhaps Equestria can offer something greater than what Pony Land provides. If your princesses want our co-operation and an ally treaty, then we would require… your champion. In exchange, Roam would provide Equestria troops and resources to better face your oppressors.” He said. I frowned.

“You want to provide Equestria the necessary prep over one pony? I feel like you are asking for way too much or too little.” I replied. The Visar sighed.

“I’ll admit, Pony Land has been providing an abundant of trade for Roam in an attempt to win our favor. We are unsure where they are getting all the resources. You would think they are bleeding their own land dry. Yet, more and more are being imported over. There is no other source of these resources as each is native to Pony Land. Which leads to one conclusion. They are being manufactured.” He explained. Scribble hummed.

“The Kingdom of Fenice is industrious for manufacturing and production. What specifically are they importing over in abundance?” He asked. King Leo rasped before replying.

“Flora with strange properties that we have been using for our own research. On top of that, weapons and armor with strong materials. Look at my general.” We did so as the griffon stood at attention. “The armor and weapon provided to him looks similar to our ancestor’s. However, the material used is stronger and malleable in production. Not only that, but they are also infused with the arcane crystals exclusive to Pony Land." King Leo explained. Flitter arched a brow.

"Equestria is behind on crystal tech. I can only imagine what Pony Land is like." She said. I frowned.

"Alright, so if Equestria can provide something more than the very resources that are slowly changing our very lifestyle, how would Fie be considered equal value? You cannot control the power elements, keep that in mind." I stated, poking my gun at the head of a very sick looking King Leo. I should be worried about it but frankly I wasn't in the mood for beating around the bushes. If what Shiva said was true, then I need at least one volatile exponent in the formula. The Visar smirked.

“As much as word got around to how your champion utterly destroyed her hometown, her achievements are that of the twelve labors.” He said, rubbing his prosthetic claw. I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. “Compared to our own champion, your’s bests her in all regards. She has all the leniency to go to and from how she pleases. An exile to some, a grand hero to others. With her at the side of Roam’s throne, the next in line will be safe from any and all threats. Of course, she will have the freedom to go and help out as she pleases.”

I passed a glance at Scribble, who returned it in acknowledgment. I sighed.

“So, you are asking for too much then. Fie’s loyalties are her own. She won’t sit here in Roam looking pretty or being pointed in the direction to do as Roam says.” I replied. The Visar chuckled.

“Ahh, but such is the hypocrisy of Equestrian blood. Is she not doing the same thing based on your own ruler’s order?” He responded gleefully. Cloudchaser glared at him.

“That's completely different!” She retorted. The Visar looked bored.

“I never took Equestrians to be in so much denial. But such is the way when crowns are held up high among the subjects." He said. Cloudchaser was about to retort when Flitter put a hoof on her shoulder and shook her head. The pegasus clicked her tongue in anger. Scribble spoke.

“What she is trying to say is that admittedly, Roam hasn’t been in a proper state for the past several centuries. While Equestria is also built upon blood and labor of ponies, I think the point of this matter is that Fie is just one pony out of many others willing to take the stand. And as her friends, we can try and make things a bit manageable for Roam to handle other matters, such as war efforts and diplomatic discussions. As you can see, Fie is trying to prevent another Hoofington.”

As he finished, there was a loud crash that shook the whole arena. We all looked out to see Steel high overhead. As quick as a bullet, she zipped down and clashed with Fie amongst the kicked-up sand that blinded the spectators. The announcer must be a bit speechless of this conflict. King Leo grunted and clutched his chest, leaning forward. I studied the king before looking at my gun. While Fie is out there taking on gods and monsters, we have done our best to handle the sidelines that are in danger from it.

But out of all my friends, who have blood on their hooves in one way or another, I will be the one to do the dirty work. I aimed my gun point blank at the head of the king, his weak expression meeting my gaze. I glanced at Visar Galm. He didn’t seem bothered at all. In fact, he looked contempt. Satisfied even. I closed my eyes, my thoughts stirring up memories of my time with my friends.

‘Dear Princess Celestia, Luna and Twilight. Guide me into the everstream for the sin I am going to commit once again. For I am a fool with plenty of regrets and will continue to do so until I can come to peace with my actions.’ There was another crash at the same moment I pulled the trigger. My friends looked on in shocked horror. The general drew his sword and screeched, rearing back to bring his blade upon me.

However, Visar Galm brought his prosthetic claw up in a balled manner and slugged the general in the stomach. The griffon slumped to the ground, winded and clutching his stomach. The Visar’s sleeve drew back by itself, revealing a rusty bracelet on his prosthetic. Cloudchaser looked at me.

“Thi… what have you done…?” She asked, appalled by the sight of the king slumped in his seat. I kept my gaze on the Visar.

“I had a little chat with your champion. She’s smarter than you think. One step ahead of you, Galm.” I stated. The griffon examined his claw boredly.

“And here I thought this cat and mouse would go on a little further.” He replied. I shook my head and aimed my arc pistol at him.

“You didn’t even let the king speak his part at all. And I bet he hasn’t done so since he took the throne. You were always at the throne’s side. Speaking honeyed words while you plotted your upbringing.” I retorted. “I bet you had everything to do with the current situation in Roam. So, tell me. What did the Triad promise you? Promised your Roam?” The Visar grinned and shrugged.

“They do not promise anything. Merely hospitality. If anything, I had promised them results. Information, if you will.” He held out his prosthetic limb to us. “King Leo has provided enough information to Euclides. As appreciation for it, he was granted a taste of the power that rivals that of even the gods themselves. Power to lead and guide the creatures of Roam into a prosperous era of unity and peace.” He looked down disappointingly at the king. “A fool to the end.” Scribble frowned.

“That’s nice to know and all. But you are talking in circles. If you wanted to rule Roam, nothing stopped you. Why throw the king under the wagon?” He asked. The griffon held onto his prosthetic limb and studied it.

“Things play out to the end. It's just a matter of when.” He held up his limb. “I’ve heard it many times over and seen plenty of the late kings and queens of the eras falter and crumble at the might of the forces unknown. Creatures turned to dark desires and ill intentions all because of one simple idea.” He opened his prosthetic and it crackled with lightning. “Heed not the words of the wise and follow the path you carve.” Flitter looked mortified.

“You… you sound like you’re-“ She began.

“Older than I appear? Being the right hoof of fools takes a lot out of one creature.” He stated. I glared at him.

“Hercules’s gauntlet doing wonders for you, eh? No doubt the Triad did something with it.” I tapped my horn. “Forgive me if this seems far out there, but my findings years ago against the Triad have been hectic in the Tomb of the Heroes. Strange how everything aside from Xerxes’s Urn was taken and nothing else of value. That is… until we encountered Lavan. How many fakes have the Triad made?” I looked at King Leo. Visar Galm smirked.

“Couldn’t be even farther from the truth. Yes, we have dealt with the Triad for as long as Roam can remember. Even the blood feud that started it all. And they were gracious enough to recover lost artifacts for the sake of something greater. It was only far we relinquished our relics to them as in today, they serve only historical value. But whose to say we relinquished all of them?” He wagged a singular talon. “Roam doesn’t abide by unfair terms.” Flitter looked appalled.

“Infecting King Leo with whatever the Triad offered is considered ‘fair’?!” She stated. “For what?!” The Visar looked out to the arena and held out a claw. At that moment, a whirlwind of snow and ice covered the area.

“The power to command the gods. Not by a fool’s mind, but a mortal’s will. King Leo did not care for the consequences and chose to receive it.” He said.

“And you didn’t stop him?” I asked. The Visar nodded.

“I had no say in the matter. Regardless of that fact, I wouldn’t have said anything at all. I had my own ideals elsewhere. And fortunately, they do not reside with the king or the Council who will all perish amongst the clash of fire and ice.” He then grabbed the general by the neck with his prosthetic and it crackled with energy. He lifted the griffon up high and smiled. “Just need to tie up loose ends. And considering you helped me get rid of the king quicker than the Triad could, I’m willing to discuss even further for Roam and Equestria’s benefit.”

The general griffon coughed and dug his claws into the prosthetic limb, glaring down at him through one eye.

“You… bastard… You’ll hang… for this…!” He gagged. The Visar was about to retort when several armed Gorgon’s funneled out from behind the curtain and aimed at the Visar.

“Drop General Gild, now!” A pegasus zony ordered. The Visar eyed the mercenaries before dropping the griffon, the general rubbing his neck and coughing. Flitter and Cloudchaser helped the general stand up, the griffon drawing his blade and pointing it under the neck of the Visar. The Visar chuckled.

“My my. How unexpected. We were hoping you’d arrive sooner.” He said. A unicorn zony frowned, aiming their carbine at the back of the griffon’s head via magic telekinesis.

“Shut it! Gladius will have your head for what you’ve done to Queen Zeuli and Roam!”

“Guards!” General Gild shouted. No griffon came. One of the Gorgons lowered their weapon and looked apologetically at him.

“We’re sorry, General. We found your kin buried in the tunnels. They were replaced by the Foresworn.” She said. The griffon looked shocked before turning to anger.

“No doubt the serpent’s doing!” He growled. The Visar grinned.

“Guilty.” He said.

“So everything you were just saying. It was all to stall time for the Foresworn to overrun Underworld? To usurp the king, kill me and lead Roam into this promised land?” Gild growled. “I should have listened to the queen.” The Visar threw his head back and laughed.

“Ahahaha! The great hero general, Gild the Crimson Claw, finding out that his actions are having consequences? That’s rich, considering you are attending the very event that has been blacklisted by the Council.” He replied. A zebra stallion spoke.

“Unfortunately for you, snake, the imprisoned creatures you have below are being escorted as we speak. We have commandeered the entire arena while you were busy gloating.” He said. “The spectators and the annoying announcer have all but left the arena.” He then nodded to me. I blinked blankly. Was I the scape goat of this? Dammit, I should have been paying attention.

My eyes then fell onto the king. He was glowing brighter. This caught the attention of every pony else. King Leo’s eyes shot open, glowing brightly as his body began to move. I backed away a bit, aiming my arc pistol. General Gild looked on in shock.

“My liege??” He began. King Leo didn’t respond. Instead, he looked out over the podium and down into the blizzard blinded arena. In a spectacle of light, wings sprouted from the zebra like a flowing veil. I felt a small nudge that snapped me out of my stupor. I turned to see Scribble motion behind me. I turned back around to see The Visar slip out from behind the awe struck Gorgons.

“Hey! We aren’t done here!” I exclaimed, pushing past the Gorgons who were confused as to what was happening. My friends followed after me as we raced after Visar Galm, who seemed to be quicker than we were. We reached the atrium, looking around.

“There!” Cloudchaser said, pointing in the direction of where the griffon was bounding towards. I flicked my head down and sprang through the air, using two springs to quickly catch up to the griffon. I tackled the griffon and we went tumbling down some steps. I felt a claw dig into my skin before being thrown off the griffon, crashing into a suite of armor. I shook away my daze and the helmet that had fallen onto my head, wincing in pain. The Visar glared and balled his prosthetic limb, lightning beginning to crackle.

I saw the bracelet glow through the rust. The Visar pulled back before slamming his prosthetic into the ground. The whole arena shook. I saw my friends yelp as the ceiling begin to collapse. I pushed myself off of the armor and fired off several shots. He held up his prosthetic, the arc bullets bouncing off of the material. I narrowed my eyes before holstering my pistol and calling upon Excalibat. Twirling the bat skillfully, I rushed him and started swinging. The griffon deftly used his prosthetic limb to deflect my bat. However, when I started throwing in punches and kicks, he started to get annoyed.

He grabbed my bat and tried to yank it away from me but my magic hold is stronger than most creatures realize. I got pulled along, withdrawing my arc pistol with my magic without breaking hold of my bat and fired off two shots, grazing the griffon and causing him to let go. I brought my bat around and smacked him across the break with a loud wooden thunk. He stumbled back and growled angrily before lashing out his prosthetic. Hercules’s gauntlet was honestly quite something. Sucks that it is in the claws of a corrupted individual. He didn’t have to connect the punch. The air was enough to wind me and send me flying back into the wall.

I rasped and coughed, keeping myself standing, albeit painfully, as I continued to face the griffon. The Visar brought his prosthetic up and readied to strike the ground. Like the wind, a lilac blur zipped towards the griffon. Cloudchaser locked her forelegs around the prosthetic, flipping over the griffon and causing the Visar to lose balance, which Cloudchaser then proceeded to swipe under the back paws, leaving Flitter to soar around and buck the griffon hard across the face.

The griffon spiraled to the ground and slid a bit. Before he could retaliate, the ground came to life and locked the griffon onto the ground. I looked over and saw Scribble’s hoof glowing. I pointed my bat at the griffon.

“You can’t run, Galm. Turn yourself over to the Council.” I stated. The griffon glared.

“The Council can’t do anything. Key figures have already been set and the pieces are continuing to move.” He grinned. “My trial and execution won’t matter. Roam will forever be driven to a singular idea.” I frowned.

“Not my place to judge the culture of Roam, but perhaps if Roam’s great figures of the past listened to the wise every now and then, centuries of blood would not have been spilled.” I replied. Galm chuckled and nodded softly.

“Regardless of the matter…” The Visar said, lightning crackling under the rock locks. “I still have much to do.” I balked when he destroyed his locks and slammed his prosthetic into the ground, causing the arena to shake again. The griffon was quick and took off once more. Cloudchaser took off after him with Flitter behind her.

Scribble and I followed, chasing after the griffon through the halls, the griffon using the gauntlet to close off passages he went down or to inconvenience us. Eventually, we chased The Visar into one of the prison holds, the cages empty as we raced by. We came to a stop as we realized the Visar was nowhere to be seen.

“Where’d he go??” Flitter asked. I flicked my ears, trying to make out what I can from the sudden shaking and crashing of what I assume is my best friend and Steel combatting. I took a moment to realize exactly where we were. I trotted over to a doorway I used to get inside. It should lead us to the back way out.

“This way.” I stated. We cantered down the hall, my memory working to trace my hoofsteps. Eventually, we came to a halt and I furrowed my look. The passageway is supposed to be right here. I rubbed my chin in thought before reaching with my magic and fiddling with the scones on the side. When nothing happened, I walked over and knocked on the wall, brushing my hoof on the stone. Nothing stood out.

Scribble walked up and tapped my shoulder. I stepped aside as he withdrew a rock and tossed it up. He then brought his hoof back and punched the wall as the rock fell inbetween. A loud blast of concussed wind blew apart the wall. Scribble nursed his hoof, clearly in a bit of pain. I smiled and pat his back.

“Good job, egghead.” I said. Scribble shifted his stoic look.

“Let’s make it quick. I’m not sure leaving a glowing King Leo behind is good for Roam.” He said.

“Neither is the Visar.” Cloudchaser stated seriously. “He set it in motion. Who knows what else he has going for him!” I nodded.

“I agree. I hate to say it, but we’ll leave whatever happens with Fie. She can handle that. We need to do damage control.” We looked down the dim passageway. I quietly began to pray for my best friend’s safety as we stepped in.

Quiet Fire’s POV

Shiva, Steel and I watched as the light from the podium began to float down to the arena floor. Din had come too and pushed herself off the ground, rubbing her neck. When her slit eyes fell upon the light, her expression changed to a seething rage.

The folly of mortals is beginning to piss me off… She growled. I narrowed my eyes and noticed that there was a pony in the light. No, not a pony. King Leo faced us with a stoic and blank expression, the light trailing and flowing out of him like tendril wings. Steel readied her axe.

How peculiar. Somecreature killed the king before us. She said with a knowing smile. I was a bit dumbfounded. Din spat an ember from her muzzle.

I’m going to enjoy breaking this nation. She snarled. I was about to say something when Shiva butted in.

Direct that anger at our sister. You’ll get no satisfaction here as you did overseas. She replied.

Shut up! Din retorted before vanishing into me. Break the king further! This walking corpse disgusts me. I agreed with Din in the matter. As I readied myself, I glanced to Shiva.

“What’s the plan?” I asked. Shiva vanished into Steel as she spoke.

We purge the light from the king. The power will be returned. She said.

How about eradicating it entirely? Our sister is beyond saving! Din chimed.

Because it’ll leave a trail we can follow to find where and how it is being lended. Shiva replied with annoyance. We backed away as the king shambled forward, clutching at his chest. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. His body was beginning to deform into a grotesque amalgamation of muscles and tissues. Din and Shiva used their wings to kick us off into the air as the king made an in-equine cry, flailing a blobby mass. Steel fired from her horns an ice beam, freezing the limb before chopping it, only to get slapped into the stands as the limb grew back almost instantaneously.

“The crowd!” I exclaimed in panic to myself. I arched a brow. The crowd was gone. I was then hit hard in the back by a flailing muscle limb, slamming into the sand once more. The mass beginning to melt around me followed by an intense crushing pressure. I fought against it, pushing as hard as I could. The pressure was then lifted as the massive limb shattered into frost.

Don’t get sidetracked, idiot! Din exclaimed frustratingly. Steel roared and began hacking at the blob that was growing more and more, almost taking up the entire arena ground. My staff formed into a spectral halberd, kicking off into the air and began hacking and stabbing at the mound of glowing flesh. Glowing liquid flung about with every swing and stab. Yet, it didn’t seemed bothered at all. I kicked away from the flesh that seemed to have grown extra legs that reached out at me.

My eyes widened at the sight. An image of an amalgamized Table Top groaning at me. Din groaned.

Of all the… now is not the time to melt down! I want to win! Din stated angrily. I felt my body move on its’ own, rearing back my head before unleashing a heavy beam of fire at the glowing flesh mound. The fire bellowed and spread like a dragon’s breath, swirling down the body. Through the flames, I could see the agonizing silhouettes of thousands of ponies screaming up at me. Their charred hooves clawing at the flames. Din roared and increased the blast, the fire wildly blaring down onto the arena.

I could tell Shiva and Steel had to gain a lot of distance away from the mound of burning flesh.

It’s all your fault! The chorus of agonizing cries repeated this over and over. It was beginning to be hard to breathe. Din increased her attack, thining the beam that pierced all the way through. However, she had to cancel it partway to avoid a stray swipe from the mound. Din directed my body away from the mound that now had a massive hole and charred tissue peeling off of it. It seemed to have done something as the mound began to shrink.

Vessel, I demand you stop your incessant guilty conscious from distracting me! Din snapped. I clutched my chest, the pain starting to be a bit unbearable. I looked at the flesh mound. So many ponies. Among them, Table Top stared back at me. His angry look eyeing me hungrily for revenge. I couldn’t take it any longer. Din hooked me by the cuff of my hoodie cloak and bared her fangs at me. Get over it!! They were nothing more than toxicity in my domain!! I did you a favor then!! You should be grateful!! I blankly met her look.

There was nothing but guilt welling up. Just like in Princess Platinum’s castle, I will no longer run from it. They must have their revenge. I put both hooves on Din’s cheeks. She was taken aback by the gesture, only for me to take full control and let myself fall towards the mound. Din struggled against my will.

You fool!! You’re going to end your life here of all places?! I will not lose to my sisters!! Din struggled. I only smiled.

“Perhaps this is for the better of the entire realm. We can always start anew in another life.” I replied to her. I noticed Steel backing away from a tendril, only to see me and her eyes widened. She kicked off the air and sailed over to me. It was too late. I closed my eyes as Din screamed loudly. The giant mound of flesh began to heal the hole Din made. I landed on something squishy as the hole sickeningly sealed up. The last thing I saw before the darkness was Steel reaching her hand out to me.

I felt my body begin to sink into the darkness, the hooves of the damned pulling me down further and further. Din was biting and kicking at the decaying hooves, but to no avail. I willingly let myself be pulled along. Eventually, we came to a stop. Din struggled, swearing loudly.

I will not lose!! She roared. The chorus cries of the many lives taken by me and Din repeated the phrase over and over. An appropriate hell for a demon. My eyes closed, feeling a wave of satisfaction that these poor souls will have their revenge. I don’t know how long I was out for. Should it really matter? For what felt like an eternity, I finally opened my eyes. I gasped in shock as I saw the face of King Leo blankly staring at me. Din broke free of whatever held her head and in a lash of anger, fired off a beam of fire.

In that moment, I noticed the walls of flesh around me. King Leo rasped a breath, as if on life support. It dawned on me. I was unable to move anything but my head. I concentrated, borrowing from Din. Din swore again as her horn glowed and lit the area around us. I had merged with the walls around us. I then felt something wrap around my horn and a voice began to speak in my head.

A warrior cannot end their life themselves, or else they dishonor everything their ancestors stood for. It was King Leo’s voice. I was stunned.

‘King Leo? You’re alive?’ I asked in thought, finding it hard to physically speak.

Your friend did not do a good job at finishing her kill. But perhaps you can finish the job. He replied. I blinked quizzically. My friend?

‘Did… did you really need to die?’ I replied worriedly. King Leo chuckled.

That brash attitude of her’s certainly doesn’t help with killing intent. But yes, I knew it long ago the moment I took upon this “power”. My eyes widened. For some odd reason, I felt a sense of hope return. Thi is alive. Din growled.

If that brat failed to kill you, then allow me to finish the job! Din stated. King Leo didn’t turn to her, but replied happily.

Very well. Do what you must. But allow me to say one thing to Equestria’s champion. He said. I eyed the flesh merged face. Warrior or not, heroes of every generation have always had some form of tragic experience. It is part of the trade. He paused for a bit. I did not know the extent of what this power I was given could do. I should have listened to my subjects. I furrowed my look.

‘But then… why did you accept it? You risked putting Roam in jeopardy with us. What did Lux promise you?’ I asked. That quieted Din. King Leo’s mouth slouched open as he spoke.

It was not the goddess of light and her bearer. A representative said to be working for Queen Moonlight Sonata had granted it to me. I could not make out the face as they had a hood draped over them. Covered from head to hoof. He made a sigh that sounded like regret. I have made many mistakes before I have taken the throne. I had become complacent and curious. In that moment of weakness, I had unknowingly put my subjects at risk. Our neighbors have been importing so much of their resources to us not out of obligation or attempt to ally, but because of an outside influence. A question of who is what my investigators have been unable to answer appropriately.

Din and I exchanged glances.

‘Wait… so Pony Land is being influenced? Is that the reason they declared war?’ I asked. King Leo closed his slouched mouth in response, only to have it fall open again.

I cannot say for certain. Queen Sonata did make the announcement and declaration. However, with the trade investigations, our sources have come up with a different answer. Unfortunately, anything we’ve tried to push has been denied. The properties of these imports are still being investigated by our own researchers. There is a facility we have in the Zebra Lands, if you wish to know more. He replied. I studied the king’s face.

‘The Zebra Lands? I thought Roam and Zebrica were still on bad terms?’ I stated. King Leo closed his mouth.

It is by Zebrica’s request to maintain that appearance. The hatchet that both homelands and our kin had has long since been buried. This is in due part to the Exiles of the Savanna having made the deal with Pony Land to ally while Zebrica’s people only want peace. As much as you would believe Roam’s infighting is, it is only over the throne. Our kin in the Zebra Lands need allies themselves. But as all proud zebra are, they choose to handle the situation themselves. Din pulled against her binds as she replied.

So, your exiled kin have been making the deal with whoever has been lending out my sister’s power. And here I was hoping I had every reason to utterly destroy my sister for going against the taboo. I frowned.

‘You’re still going to beat her up over it regardless.’ I replied in annoyance. Din chuckled.

But of course. She replied. King Leo’s mouth slouched open.

My time as king is over. I have done what I can to ensure the next in line will last a little longer. I hate to say this, but Gladius is right. He truly is meant to be king. He said with a contempt sigh. I furrowed my look.

‘But you stated the Gorgons are terrorists. Is Gladius really an option?’ I asked. King Leo sighed.

Visar Galm was always the one to put words into my muzzle. Many decisions he states were the royal’s choices are indeed his doing. He ordered the expulsion of our kin and the true heir to the throne. He took advantage of the resources belonging to Pony Land and replaced my guards with the Forsworn, a group of barbaric raiders from the Scorched Lands. I frowned.

‘And what prevented you from stopping it?’ I asked. King Leo was quiet for a bit before finally responding.

It was too late. I had spent decades blinded by the overwhelming power and status of royalty that things were already well out of my care. It always struck me strange that The Visar would bring up decisions our ancestors have made prior to my leadership. It was as if he was there in every scenario of our history. Din hummed.

The overgrown chicken did give off an unusual aura. She replied. I arched a questioning brow at her, which she snapped at in response. One of us needs to pay attention! I looked back at the slack jawed king.

‘So… are we suspecting primordial interference?’ I asked. King Leo sighed in response.

I cannot say for certain. The Visar would know more. And my guess is he is currently escaping amidst the chaos. Quiet Fire. Champion of Equestria. Please… honor this foolish king’s dying wish. Stop The Visar. Learn what you can of the situation. Work with Gladius to find out what Pony Land is up too. This I ask as the first step for Roam to atone for our ignorance. I wasn’t sure what to make of all this information. But I did know that despite the backfire of this power lended to him, he had enough pony left in him to see sense in the end. I nodded seriously at the king.

‘You have my word, King Leonidas.’ I replied. Din slumped.

At least some sense has been retained. Vessel, we will discuss your inability to concentrate in a fight later! I have a sister that needs some explaining to do! She grinned as she charged a sphere of fire at the tip of her horn, aiming at the king. King Leo seemed to smile when his jaw closed.

I go now with my kin. To Eden or Hades. He said contemptibly. In a bright flash of flames, there was an ear piercing screech. Din and I felt ourselves being pulled up as King Leo’s face was enveloped into flames, which seemed to spread on the walls. We were pulled along by a force, further and further. Eventually, I felt something grab the back of my hoodie cloak and pull me out of the darkness. I coughed and spluttered air, seeing the mound of flesh shrink, fire spewing out of it in all places.

I looked up to see Steel look down at me, a look of contemplation over her. Din gave a pleasant sigh.

I’ll cherish this sight for as long as I exist. She swooned. The flesh was enveloped into a massive fire. Almost as if the entire arena was a brazier. The silhouette of King Leo’s amalgamation melted within minutes. With the last of the remnants of the king kindled, Steel reared her head back and from her horns fired beams of ice. The fire was quelled as the arena, leaving nothing but the warm winds of the Scorched Lands. Steel then rose me up to face her, as if I was a cat in trouble.

“The hell were you thinking?! You wanted to destroy the realm?!” She exclaimed. I flushed and rubbed my forelegs.

“I… I’m sorry… I wasn’t thinking properly.” I replied. Steel snorted.

“Sorry isn’t going to cut it! You’re one of the seven meant to protect this realm! Idiotic stuff like that is going to doom us all!!” She growled. I then sighed and smiled softly.

“For what it’s worth… my idiotic attempt got some information out of it.” I replied. Steel was about to speak when Shiva butted in.

What did you learn? She asked. Steel was dumbfounded. But her protest was ignored by the ice goddess. Din yawned and waved a hoof.

Too tired to care. Vessel, remember what I’ve said. She said. I slumped and nodded. I’ll talk about it, but Din isn’t my kind of idea for a therapist. I was about to explain when we heard a scream from somewhere to our left. Using Din’s eyes, I saw a flash of lightning and for a second, I thought Galavance had shown up. However, the griffon we saw was none other than the Visar. And he was holding onto Thi by the throat high in the air before dropping her. I saw a lilac blur zip up and engage with the griffon in the air.

My eyes widened. Without thinking, I wriggled out of Steel’s hold and soared towards them, Thi’s unconscious body falling towards the earth.

Chapter 15: Roam’s Atonement Pt. 2

Thi’s POV

We descended the steps, my arc pistol at the ready. We were careful as we walked further, my mind assuming that the griffon had laid out traps along the way. When we reached the bottom, I groaned at the sight of rocks blocking the way.

“Either Galm caused this or all the fighting from the two blocked it off.” I said. Cloudchaser rubbed her chin.

“If it was the latter, wouldn’t Galm just punch through it with that gauntlet?” She asked. Flitter crossed her forelegs in thought.

“I doubt he’d want to risk collapsing the tunnel in on himself.” She replied. Scribble nodded.

“Both good assumptions. And since this tunnel is narrow and has only one way in and out, he must have a hidden passage.” Scribble said, feeling the wall with his hoof. I darted my eyes in thought. With my magic, I took out the purple crystal. The rune was going crazy, probably due to the events above. I tilted the crystal this way and that. I have no clue how I can follow this, but I feel that using it could potentially help us out. I then levitated it to Scribble and gave a serious look.

“You can make out what it says, right? It only helped me find the queen.” I stated, hoping that I played it off. Scribble took it and rubbed his chin as he studied it. He waved the crystal around before stopping back up the steps.

“Good idea, Thi. Hercules’s gauntlet is filled with ancient magic. We got a stable reading.” He said. I somehow felt smarter than usual and surprisingly happy. Which baffled me. Ignoring the thoughts, I followed Scribble with the sisters in tow. We made our way back up the stairs, only for Scribble to stop and face a wall. I looked and saw, as I expected, the red insignia I saw earlier. I beamed.

“Knew something was off about that!” I stated. My friends looked at me and I quickly cleared my throat. “I mean uhh… I did see it on the way in here. I would have thought more about it if you guys weren’t in trouble.” I said. “Though, now that we are on the matter, if Galm escaped through a secret passage, wouldn’t this be a switch or something?” I asked as I brushed my hoof over the insignia and it glowed dimly. Scribble tilted his head slightly.

“If that’s the case, then it should respond to something… but what?” He asked more to himself. I tried to rack my brain as my friends proceeded to search around the insignia. I pulled my hoof away and the glow vanished. I boredly put my hoof on it again. Maybe something pops out for my friends while they search? Eventually, I sighed.

“I haven’t got a single idea of what-“ I blinked and stepped back as the wall in front of me began to crackle and slide apart, brick by brick. My friends grouped up as a new passageway appeared. Flitter smiled.

“Putting that archeologist mind to work!” She teased. I didn’t say anything as the two filed in. Scribble pat my shoulder and walked past me. I furrowed my expression and studied my hoof. I was starting to have a bad feeling about something. Putting the thought aside, I stepped in and followed my friends. We ended up in a hallway that led down a dark passage. I used a simple light spell at the tip of my horn to light the way.

What felt like a good five minutes of traversal ended us at the foot of a door. I reached with my magic and pushed the door open, entering into a room. The dim lighting and dusty cobwebs gave us an intimidating atmosphere. We entered cautiously into the room and began looking around. The Visar couldn’t have stopped here. I studied the walls and paintings as we searched. It dawned on me.

“Huh… I didn’t think the Roam Tunnels expanded this far out.” I said as I looked to see hieroglyphs on the walls. There were even depictions of what looked to be a society that had prospered here. As I moved along the wall, I spotted what appeared to be a retelling of a war.

Cloudchaser and Flitter studied the painting on a vase. Cloudchaser then looked up and gasped.

“Uhh, guys? Is it me, or does that look like Visar Galm?” She asked. I trotted over to them and looked at to what she was staring at. Sure enough, there was a griffon painted on the wall, dressed in different purple attire and headdress. He was holding up a strange relic up to a grinning serpent like creature. I understood this perfectly.

“So… The Visar sold his soul to a primordial being for immortality. There is a relic that binds his soul to this realm and every decade, he needs the blood and souls of creatures of any kind to keep his immortality going.” I pointed to what looked to be a sacrificial ritual with the relic over the griffon’s head. I pointed to the next painting. “He was Xerxes’s advisor long before his assassination.” Scribble’s eyes narrowed.

“That was several thousand years ago…” he stated. I nodded and pointed at the relic.

“My best bet is that the griffon has the relic on him right now. The Underworld was meant as a way for himself to retain it.” I hummed as my eyes followed the story. “Says here that due to his dealings with a god, he doomed Roam to a history of death and a curse upon the royalties that take power upon the throne.” Cloudchaser growled.

“How low can one creature go?” She stated. I looked at her.

“We need to destroy that relic somehow.” I called upon Excalibat, surprising my friends as I shouldered it.

“Thi?” Flitter began. I realized that I haven’t specifically explained how I was able to do this. I smirked.

“Let’s just say I can keep up better now.” I replied. I then held out my bat. “As for what I have in mind…” Scribble nodded.

“It’s the only sense we have. But if we are to follow through with it, we need to find The Visar.” He said, holding up the crystal. He waved it around before locking onto the wall. He clicked his tongue. “Better start looking.” I grinned.

“Step back. Time to end this path of history.” I readied myself before waving my bat over head with my magic. The eye flared up in green fire. With a heavy swing, several bolts of fire sailed out and exploded into the wall all the way through. On the other side of the wall we could make out another room. We stepped in and quickly cantered out into the room. It looked to be bunker of some kind. And lucky us, I spied a griffon groaning and pushing away heavy debris. I aimed my bat at him.

“Nowhere to run now, Galm! Your several thousand-year reign on Roam ends here!” I exclaimed. The Visar growled and deftly back punched a rock pinning his wing and shattering it.

“Annoying pests… How did you get in here?!” He exclaimed. I tapped my horn.

“Dumb luck.” I replied as my friends readied themselves. The Visar narrowed his eyes.

“Impossible. Unless that dumb luck has any ties to The Circle then-“ He froze and eyed my bat. He then grinned and began to chuckle, escalating into a gleeful laugh. “Such dumb luck indeed… so… what blood do you hold…?” He licked his beak. I shuddered and frowned.

“The only thing on the menu is your beak against my bat. And whatever relic you have on you keeping you to this mortal realm.” I replied. The Visar laughed again before clutching his robe.

“You were able to understand my story on the wall? Just who are you, Thi Billet? No wonder the Triad are searching for you.” He grinned. Cloudchaser smacked her hooves together.

“Enough games, Galm! Give yourself up for the name of Equestria and her allied Roam!” She stated. The griffon waved a wing dismissively.

“A little too early to think that, little filly. There is nothing keeping me from taking the throne now. All candidates, blood related or not, have been officially dealt with.” He said, making a motion across his neck. Flitter glared at him.

“And what do you plan to do now that you have it?” She asked coldly. The Visar shrugged casually.

“Plan my vengeance against the gods that wronged me.” He replied. Scribble arched a brow.

“Wronged you? How is asking for immortality wrong to you?” He asked. I nodded.

“Immortality is villain ideal number one. Just waiting for the monologue.” I grinned. The Visar sighed.

“Of course, the grand hero in both stories, villains to one another. More to the point, I did ask for immortality. It was the serpent’s promise of something more that I chose this path.” He said. I exchanged looks with my friends.

“Ouroboros?” I asked. The Visar smiled.

“But of course, being Equestria’s Champion’s companions, you would all be familiar with the World Serpent. I’ll make it short. He promised me everlasting influence so that I may lead the next generations of kings or queens to shape Roam into a nation of power and ideology. No more should we have to abide by the very words that created Roam. A single idea to shape and carve how we choose to.” He boredly flourished his claw. “Could you believe what was taken away out of the forefather’s very words? Lost to time itself. But it was because Roam was dead set on this one idea is where we are still to this very day. Only with some changes here and there.”

I shouldered my bat and shook my head.

“That still doesn’t excuse you of imprisoning creatures for your blood sacrifices. No matter how you look at it, being immortal won’t get you anywhere in life. Riches, power, pleasure and surplus of food and drinks are just second thoughts in the grand scheme of it. Are you really that corrupt to continue the cycle of bloodshed?” I asked.

“Yes.” He replied without skipping a beat. “I’ve already tainted myself with immortality. What more can I do aside from cursing the throne for several thousands of years? Start a war. Create a cult. Go on an adventure. Accumulate my place in history’s darkest and brightest moments. Conquer the world? A foal’s dream at best. The universe? That is too much to manage.” He then smirked. “To have fun? That sounds a bit more manageable.”

“You’re doing all of this for fun?!” Flitter exclaimed, appalled by the idea.

“To a degree. My duties as the guidance to the throne has been getting in the way of it. I grew tired and therefore must thank you, Thi Billet, for breaking my shackles so I may continue to do what I must. My next thing on the list to do is take the throne and see how long I can rule. Oh, and if the assassins try anything?” He lifted up some of his neck feathers. We saw an ugly scar all the way across the neck. “Let’s just say, their compatriots before have learned the hard way.”

The area began to shake. Galm glanced up at the ceiling.

“Sounds like those two are having fun. I envy them. Unless…” His eyes fell upon me. He clutched his robe once again, but this time, he ripped it off of him and threw it aside. I winced at the sight. So many scars along the griffon. Feathers tufted and fur matted. He clenched his prosthetic and it crackled with lightning. Hercules’s gauntlet glowing through the rust. “You want to make my day brighter.” Scribble stood next to me, making me arch a brow quizzically. Flitter and Cloudchaser floated above us, raring to go.

I smirked and with my magic, unclipped my arc holsters and held them up to Flitter. She took them in her hooves and returned a questioning look. I motioned for her to put it on while I levitated a sword over to Cloudchaser. The mare took it in her teeth and readied herself.

Scribble was the first to move. He clapped his hooves together, crushing a rock as the magical powder washed over his hooves. I twirled my bat and hopped to the side, the sisters separating right as Scribble flung out bolts of fire. The Visar dodged one bolt then deflected another with his prosthetic into the ceiling. Sunlight began to pour into the room. The Visar snapped his talons, charging his lightning before throwing it out. Scribble was quick and dove out of the way.

I sprang forward and swung my bat down. The griffon swiftly avoided it. I continued my swinging, the griffon casually avoiding my attacks. Realizing that he was backing himself into a wall, I flicked my head down and conjured a spring, backflipping away and swinging my bat to launch a bolt of fire that crashed into the sand at the claws of the griffon. With the sand kicked up, The Visar covered his face with a claw. Flitter fired a couple of shots into the cloud. However, The Visar was quicker than I thought.

He swiftly avoided the arc bullets and rushed Scribble. The stallion was unable to react in time as the griffon back clawed him hard across the muzzle with his real claw. As the stallion went rolling, Cloudchaser attempted an axe buck that The Visar moved back to avoid. The pegasus mare flapped her wings and chambered a couple of bucks at the griffon before resorting to grabbing in her teeth a sword from a knocked over armor set and began slashing away. She got a few good hits in, however The Visar grabbed her hind leg with a claw and bringing her around and over him, he slammed her down into the ground, knocking the sword and wind out of her.

The Visar saw me coming as he caught the blade and twirled it before blocking my bat. Our weapons clashed with each swing we made, dodging and ducking to cover our openings. I decided to play a little dirty. I made a strike that the Visar attempted to grab, only for me to vanish my bat. Leaving himself confused and open, I spun around and delivered a hard buck with both my hinds legs into the beak of griffon.

He stumbled back and screeched angrily. This time, we were on the defensive. I yelped, avoiding the griffon swing at me with the sword. I called my bat to block and deflect the blows. The bad thing about going against a griffon is the size difference. He swiped a claw at me and I felt my cheek get scratched, causing me to stumble back and wince in pain. I had no time to nurse it at all as I quickly had to spring myself away from the griffon bounding once to reach me and stabbed the sword into the ground.

Flitter fired three shots, pelting the griffon on the side. Galm winced, but he turned to face us. My eyes widened, seeing the arc bullets be pushed out from his body and the holes being cauterized. Flitter spat the pistol into the holster and looked at me with worry.

“Yes, I know. Never bring a gun to an immortal fight.” I depressingly said. I need to raid a Triad base or two to find better weapons against situations like this. The Visar rolled his neck before bringing his prosthetic back and slammed it into the ground. The ground shook, causing Scribble and I to lose balance. I saw the griffon rip a chunk out of the ground and heave it at us. I tackled Scribble out of the way in time while the sisters flew around and attacked The Visar.

Flitter grabbed hold of a vase and chucked it over the griffon while Cloudchaser distracted him. The vase shattered and the griffon quickly spun around and swiped at Flitter. The mare was quick to avoid him, leaving Cloudchaser to follow up with several punches and kicks in and out of the griffon retaliating. I helped Scribble up and he crushed a rock at the same time. The ground kicked up sand and dust, blinding the area.

The griffon unfurled his wings, swishing away the dust. He brushed Flitter, allowing him to quickly lash out his prosthetic and slug Flitter in the stomach. The mare flew back into the ceiling and landed on the ground unconscious.

“Flitter!” Cloudchaser called out. I rushed forward at the griffon while Scribble rushed over to Flitter. The Visar smirked and deftly avoided both me and Cloudchaser. Eventually, The Visar back clawed me with his prosthetic and I felt the wind leave me. Crashing into a table full of old books and rags, I gasped for breath, unable to move properly. I looked over, seeing Cloudchaser hold her own. The black belt showed surprising skill against a griffon, almost as if she’s gone against them before.

The Visar was beginning to show annoyance at the pegasus, unable to properly get a hit on her. I should start taking martial arts as well. My badass style needs to be more badass. Pushing aside an on-the-spot idea, I rolled off the clutter, coughing and painfully trying to push myself up. Cloudchaser zipped around the Visar, delivering a hefty buck to the back of the griffon’s head. There was a sickening crunch as I saw the head of Galm roll down and sag. The griffon stumbled forward, his head lolling. Cloudchaser grit her teeth in horror as the griffon spun around and cracked his head back into place.

Rolling his neck, he glared at the pegasus. He clenched his prosthetic, Cloudchaser already on the move. However, the griffon rose his balled prosthetic and upon unclenching his talons, the lightning sparked around him and shot out like a tesla coil. Cloudchaser was unfortunately caught in a few of the sparks, knocking her out of the air like a fly. I grit my teeth and swore under my breath.

‘Come on, legs! Move, dammit!’ I grunted and shakily stood up. The Visar was quick to move onto Cloudchaser. The pegasus mare balled up and covered herself as the griffon screeched and began mauling her with his talons, even pecking at her wings. Tufts of feathers flittered about. Scribble crushed a rock and tossed out lightning at the griffon, striking him in the chest. Finally getting my second wind, I twirled my bat and shot two bolts of fire. The Visar was struck on his good claw and side.

He screeched in pain and backed away, nursing his claw. He shakily looked at his claw, the claw red and beginning to bleed. His eyes widened in shock.

“What… what is this… feeling…?” He began. Scribble rushed over to Cloudchaser and pulled her back. Flitter had gotten her second wind and cradled her wounded sister while Scribble tended to her quickly. I cantered over to my friends and stood in front of them, bat at the ready. The Visar looked at me and then at the bat. “That magic… But I thought only he…” His beak quivered. “To wield such magic… is not dumb luck…” I shouldered my bat and smirked.

“What’s the matter? Can’t handle Badass Magic?” I nodded to his wound. “Looked like it really stung. Good to know that if an immortal bleeds, they can still be killed.” The griffon flexed his claw, utterly dumbfounded.

“Kill… me…? No… no no no…” His look was starting to become maniacal. He shakily looked to his side. A nice burn on his fur, grotesquely masking the color. “I still… have so much left to do…” Cloudchaser managed to push herself up, part of Scribble’s coat used as bandages.

“Face it, Galm. You picked the wrong time to throw your immortality around.” She rasped. The Visar looked at us, his eyes dilated in a panic. He then clutched his chest and with his prosthetic crackling with lightning, he threw his balled prosthetic claw up and a heavy amount of sand exploded into the room. I shielded myself, seeing the silhouette of the griffon take flight through the hole. I looked down and pulled myself out of flack high sand. This isn’t good.

“We’ll be buried alive! Scribble!” I shouted. Somehow, I figured the stallion already had a plan. He quickly rushed over, pulling us along as we huddled directly under the hole, the sand hitting us heavily. However, he had crushed a smooth stone under his hoof and all of a sudden, we were barreling upwards through the hole. We stayed close as we eventually broke through to the surface. We came to a stop as the sand was quickly turning into a funnel around our pillar.

We looked around, trying to spy where the griffon could have gone. It wasn’t long until we heard a loud screech and something big dive bombing towards us. I grit my teeth and held onto Scribble as I flicked my head down, sending all of us up into the air. The sisters used their Wonderbolt talents to quickly soar around us while I bounced me and Scribble to a rocky hill. The pillar we were just on shattered but not completely as with his prosthetic, Galm held up a chunk of the pillar and heaved it at us.

I couldn’t react in time as my worry was getting Scribble some breathing room so he could think of more ideas. In an amazing blur of lilac, the sisters soared at the pillar and rapidly swirled around it in a blur. They flew away from it once they had slowed its’ momentum and it crashed into the side of the rocky mountain. Flitter quickly flew over to me and passed me my holsters.

“I’m going to support sis as best I can. Cover us if we can’t react.” She said. I held the holsters in my magic as I watched Flitter meet with her sister to face Galm. Scribble winced as he leaned against me. He didn’t escape the underground unharmed. Yet, he was slightly grinning.

“They always wanted to pull their weight more…” He rasped. I couldn’t help but grin before ripping off my sleeve on my denim jacket and wrapping up his wound. I hummed before removing my jacket and passing it to him.

“Use what you can with it to tend to yourself. We are counting on you to think of a better idea.” I stated as I then clipped my holsters onto me. Scribble chuckled softly.

“Don’t expect too much. I’m running on steam here.” He replied. I turned and flicked my head down, bouncing up to meet the sisters. I landed on a conjured platform and readied my bat. Galm eyed all three of us.

“If I had known that ancient magic such as that abomination exists, I would have executed everything quickly…” He growled. He then made a motion, inhaling and exhaling before flexing his claws. “No matter. I may bleed but it will not stop me. Only delay the inevitable.” Cloudchaser pointed at him.

“Last chance, Galm! Turn yourself in! There is always room for second chances!” She stated. Galm began to laugh.

“Where do you think you are, Equestrian? Are you trying to follow the Princess of Friendship’s ideals? That’s no better than what Roam was built upon.” He replied.

“It doesn’t have to be this way!” Flitter chimed in. The griffon sighed and shook his head.

“The time for talking is over. Roam will be birthed into a new generation! Not even Princess Celestia herself could prevent it!” He marveled. “Now. Be so kind and die.” He rose his balled prosthetic into the air, the gauntlet glowing and crackled with wild lightning. I waved my bat in the air, letting the fire burn brightly in the eye before swinging it. The sisters broke apart and rushed at Galm from both angles. The griffon kicked off the air and avoided the two, twirling in a display of finesse before punching in Flitter’s direction, launching the lightning at her.

Flitter quickly dove under the strike while Cloudchaser flew back around and charged Galm with outstretched hooves. However, the griffon spun around, catching Cloudchaser by the head and brought her along before heaving her. I gasped and quickly bounded on my springs, aiming my horn. My magic laced together to form a net, catching Cloudchaser. The pegasus mare shook her head and gave me a small salute before kicking off to the air again.

I whipped out my arc pistol as Galm focused his attention on Flitter and began lashing out at her. The mare did her best to avoid the griffon, yet her side was slashed by a swipe, leaving her vulnerable to a follow up, which Galm took full advantage of. His prosthetic crackled to life and he punched Flitter hard across the face. The pegasus went crashing down into the sand.

“You’ll pay for that!!” Cloudchaser roared angrily. I grit my teeth and bounded down to where Flitter is, seeing Cloudchaser clash with the griffon. Lightning sparked wildly around them as I reached the mare. I rolled the pegasus over and she coughed, looking bruised and battered.

“Hold on, Flitter. I’ll get you to Scribble.” I stated as I proceeded to help her up. She pulled away from me, rasping for breath.

“I’m… fine… help… her…” She gasped. She didn’t look fine. Was a wing supposed to bend like that? She looked like she had a dislocated hind leg as well. For once in my life, I hesitated. I looked up to see Cloudchaser exchanging punches with Galm, the griffon unhappy with the fact she was able to get several good hits in and he barely got any. I looked over to where Scribble was, seeing him start to trek down the rocky hill quickly to our direction. I laid Flitter carefully down.

“Just hang in there. Scribble is on his way.” I told her. I stood up and sprang upwards, making my way to the clashing. Cloudchaser locked herself in with the griffon, baring her teeth at him angrily. I sprang around to the back of the griffon and let myself be carried with the momentum, aiming towards Galm. I rose my bat high overhead in my magic, aimed to strike. Cloudchaser gave Galm a couple of good slugs in the chest and face before bucking away from him.

Just in time as my bat made a heavy, wooden smack over the griffon’s head, something that would have shattered the skull of any normal creature. Galm slouched forward, tumbling through the air as I caught myself in my net. We watched the griffon tumble further down, anticipating the heavy crash into the sand. However, the griffon recovered and shook his daze. He clutched his chest, looking pained. I narrowed my eyes, seeing a slight glow coming from his chest.

“Bastard ate his relic.” I stated to Cloudchaser without taking my eyes off him. Cloudchaser wiped blood from her muzzle and spat before responding.

“Thought I felt something hitting him there.” She asked. Galm pat his chest, looking a bit relieved, yet worried. I nodded.

“If I can get a good hit in with a firebolt from Excalibat, we might have a chance at stopping him.” I told her as I stood up, wincing and rolling my neck. Cloudchaser smacked her hooves together.

“I’ll disarm him of the gauntlet. That’ll open him up.” She said. I smirked and readied myself.

“Good idea.” I replied. I had to admit, I still had my doubts when Fie picked them even though they have shown how capable they can be working together. I guess we all had the same idea after Hoofington. I can count on these two one hundred percent now. Galm seemed to snap out of his thoughts before flying up to face us. I smirked. “Starting to sweat there, Visar. Realizing something?” Galm flexed his prosthetic.

“Nothing that is too concerning, I assure you.” He balled his prosthetic and it crackled with lightning. I had an idea. I gave Cloudchaser a glance and a nod, which she then smirked herself in response. I quickly whipped out my arc pistol and popped a few shots at him, having fully spent the clip. The griffon held up his prosthetic, shielding his chest from the bullets. That was enough for Cloudchaser to quickly fly towards Galm and feint an attack. Galm fell for it. He swung his prosthetic, only for the mare to twist her body and wrapped her forelegs around the prosthetic.

Galm reacted a little slowly as Cloudchaser bucked him clean across the beak, using the momentum to flip herself over the limb bringing it behind Galm and exposing his chest. She wrestled with the griffon over the prosthetic, Cloudchaser being zapped a few times. But she grit her teeth and bared it. No holding back. I waved my bat over my head and with a heavy swing, several bolts of fire homed in on the griffon.

Cloudchaser yanked the griffon still and faced the bolts, his eyes widening. I grit my teeth, seeing the bolts explode upon contact with the griffon. Did she get away?? My eyes started scanning around the burning ball in the air. The fire quickly vanished, leaving smoke. I saw something fly away from the smoke, seeing Cloudchaser victoriously smiling with a glowing gauntlet in her hooves. I let out an excitable cheer, only to gasp as another thing flew out of the smoke. Before I knew it, I felt something heavy and sharp close around my neck.

I gasped for breath, batting my hoof at the metallic prosthetic that held me. I dropped my bat (it vanishing into flames as I did) and struggled to break free. Through one eye, I saw a murderous glare of a griffon meeting mine. His limb began to crackle with electricity. I then felt a sharp pain throughout my entire body causing me to stiffen and scream in agony.

“Thi!!” I heard Cloudchaser call out. My vision began to blur. When the pain subsided, I slumped. My ears were ringing and I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. The griffon screeched loudly at me as he held me up high. Everything went to black.

Quiet Fire’s POV

Cloudchaser dove and soared towards Thi. However, I was a bit quicker. In a fiery blur, I caught Thi and soared high into the air. I came to a stop, hovering in the air and looking down at Thi worriedly. She was unconscious, but still breathing. I then shot an angry glare at Galm, who seemed beaten and bloodied, but still kicking. Cloudchaser smiled in relief as she flew towards me. Galm tried to move, but whatever he did made him unable to do so as the griffon clutched his chest.

“Fie, Visar Galm is an immortal and his relic that keeps him going is in his chest. He used the Underworld as a means to replenish his immortality. We managed to whittle him down a bit, but only physical magic can work against him. I managed to yank the gauntlet off of him.” Cloudchaser said. I studied her and felt my blood boil. As amazing as she is still able to fly and smile, her entire body was slashed and bloodied in some areas, her bandages loose and cut as well. I turned around.

“Lean on my back.” I said. Cloudchaser arched a brow quizzically at me. “Trust me. You look like hell.” I gave her a small smile. Cloudchaser returned it with relief. She leaned onto me and I floated down, spying Scribble rushing over before carrying Thi on his back. My eyes widened as I saw Flitter almost as a mummy with her wings splinted, torso and forehead wrapped up. Scribble looked a bit beaten himself and exhausted, but still able to move around. Cloudchaser limped over to Flitter and the two sisters smiled at each other. I then turned back around and kicked off the ground.

Galm was sweating beads. His feathers seeming to fall off with every flap of his wings. He looked at me as I leveled with him and he chuckled.

“And thus, the demon rises from her blood feast to face the one she truly was hungry for.” He stated. “But a demon is no match for the will of an immortal.” I studied the griffon a bit more. His chest was glowing and dimming like a heartbeat. The air around us got colder as Steel descended down to us, shouldering her battle axe.

“This is a long time coming.” Steel said, shifting her axe into a readied position. I called upon my halberd and aimed it at Galm.

“Give up, Galm. You failed. King Leo is dead and the Underworld has been liberated.” I stated. “Your biggest mistake was dealing with the Triad for the sake of keeping yourself going. Should have backed out of the deal when they traded us off to you.” Galm rasped a laugh, coughing.

“What makes you think… the Triad had any right to how we handled ourselves? They’ve been using us for centuries. All the war talks have been a front to spread their influence further.” He coughed up blood, taking a moment to wipe his beak. “Roam would have been mine without their influence… but I see now I should have acted on the investigations…” He looked at his shaky claws. “Centuries upon centuries of steering Roam from a single idea… should this nation fall to nothingness?” I sighed and lowered my halberd.

“I am probably going to regret this, but do you really care about the nation that you would imprison ponies, assassinate kings and queens, lived through so many eras and purposefully made ties with the very nation that is dooming our realm?” I asked. Galm glared at me.

“I care not of what the creatures of Roam demand it to be. I care to strive away from what it was created upon. Derail a one-track nation. In my claws, I would have brought Roam out of the scorched sands and ashes into a new light. No kings or queens could handle that kind of responsibility. They would just listen to the words of fools and ancestry.” He held out his prosthetic limb and clenched his talons, sparking electricity. “It was fun to crush the follies of imbeciles. I would have fun paving the way to my glorious Roam. I would have fun standing amongst the gods and rubbing it in their incestuous faces that a lowly creature granted eternal life has bested them in their own game.”

There was a sudden laughter around us. Galm looked around. In front of us, a swirl of fire formed into a spectral alicorn, grinning with fangs visible at the griffon.

I like your spunk! The gods must suffer in their own makings! Crush each and everyone of them! Show them you are the only one who can keep this miserable existence on the correct path! Her gleeful look then turned to a glower. Is not something one should desire on a battery. You are unfit to even waste the time of taking the first steps among the stars. She cackled. But perhaps you deserve something a little more suited to that idea. A pacifier, perhaps? I know Tenebres won’t miss the one out of the thousands she has.

Galm was dumbfounded. A swirl of ice formed next to the Din, Shiva sharing a stoic expression.

This has been a long time coming, chicken. You underestimated my vessel and I for too long. Sister, I desire the first strike. She said.

Screw you! You’ll pull your punches! I’ll leave the scraps to you! Din snapped. Shiva hummed.

Perhaps we should pick a half of the chicken and go from there. She suggested. Din spat.

That takes the fun out of it! Keep your ideas to yourself! She retorted. I frowned.

“How about both of you shut up and let us do the talking?” I suggested in annoyance. The two sisters looked at each other and Din frowned. “Thank you.” I floated in between them and met Galm’s dumbfounded gaze. “Well, what were you expecting? Din to be a wise and levelheaded being whose control over fire should outweigh the mastership of even a fire alicorn? Or that Shiva to be a cold and cruel being of ice who deserved to be locked away in order to control her?”

Galm lowered his gaze to me. I aimed my halberd’s tip directly at his chest, the point kissing the relic inside. “Cease your ambition and stand down. We should be working together to prevent anymore bloodshed. The Triad certainly won’t work with you to prevent Roam from going off path. They yearn for it. They would want nothing more than the ancient magic and resources Roam has. What’s to say their main goal isn’t the total control and annexation of Roam and Zebrica? The way I see it, even with all that immortality, even you won’t be able to stop the Triad.”

I motioned with my head to my friends below us. “You experienced first hoof.” Galm was silent. I kept my halberd aimed at his chest as I waited for an answer. Galm is not the best creature for Roam in the slightest. But with the powers that run Roam are unavailable, I have to get through to something. Equestria needs all the help it can get. I heard Din hum with a detestable grin. Galm seemed to eventually snap out of whatever stupor he was in.

His expression turning into a glower once more.

“You mock my idea… the very thing that will ensure Roam to be my kingdom.” He gripped my halberd with his prosthetic and squeezed, as if he was trying to shatter the blade. Unfortunately, the gift of the serpent isn’t easily breakable, even by an immortal. “You spit on all I have done… all I have worked for… countless generations… centuries… wars and modernization… you would repeat Hoofington, wouldn’t you?” That struck a nerve with me.

“This isn’t about Hoofington, Galm! Answer for your crimes and be done with it! We’ve given you plenty of chances!” I retorted with a growl. Galm began to laugh a little brokenly.

“You who are blessed by the stars are asking me to atone for my crimes? To have Roam atone for its’ negligence? I am Roam.” He gripped the blade with his bloodied real claw, the blood trickling down the blade. “I… will bring my kingdom into the light. The nation will prosper with ideas. I refuse to lose to single minded simpletons… to decide Roam’s fate…” He was surprisingly strong as he shifted my halberd and brought me forward, my horn digging into his forehead as he glared at me. “Mark my words, Demon. You are beneath Roam. And there isn’t a damn thing you can do about it. Not the king. Not the whore of a queen. Not the blood to the throne. And definitely, not a damned World Serpent can do anything about it. Roam is above all.”

I was then hit with a blast of warm air, ice and fire flowing through me and striking Galm all the way through his chest. I looked on, disturbed by the maniacal grin Galm had as his world, his Roam, crumbled to ruins. The griffon tumbled downward towards the sand.

You flew too high, chicken. Din smirked while Shiva looked bored. There was a crash as I turned away, bowing my head sadly. Din rolled her eyes. Get over it, vessel. He was beyond reasoning the moment he started spouting that nonsense. You know full well the consequences of what I would do to those who boast so much about the domain of the stars. Shiva started scanning the sky as she chimed.

I agree with my sister. But onto another point. If you killed the king, did you manage to see anything that could dictate where our eldest’s power was derived from? She asked curiously as Steel floated over to us. Din blinked a bit before shrugging. I looked to Shiva.

“King Leo mentioned there is a facility in the Zebra Lands that might tell us a bit more about it. Maybe a little more than that from the sounds of it.” I explained. Shiva nodded.

Very well. Shall we be off? She asked. I shook my head.

“I have unfinished business here. We’ll meet you guys there.” I replied. Shiva nodded as Din could care less about what was being said. Shiva disappeared into Steel, the minotaur eyeing me.

“Could use the vacation.” She stated simply. I arched a questioning brow before she turned around and kicked off the sky, breaking the sound barrier further away before vanishing. Din groaned.

i can’t believe I have to tolerate my sister. I was so looking forward to crushing her skull under my hooves. She stated. I then faced her with concern.

“Do you truly think you can do everything by yourself, Din?” I asked. Din snorted.

Shouldn’t matter to you what I think. All you need to know is that mine and my sister’s goals have aligned. When it is over, I’m going to show her not to test me with that serpent’s power. She replied. I rubbed the back of my head.

“You really don’t trust anybody, do you? You really do feel like the whole world is against you.” I stated. Din met my expression seriously, walking towards me.

Perhaps it says a little something about you, doesn’t it? She said simply before vanishing inside of me. I was speechless. Am I really unable to fully trust everypony around me? That doesn’t make sense. I trust my friends. I shook my head and smacked my cheeks.

‘Get it together, Fie. You need to tend to your friends.’ I turned around and began to float towards them. I narrowed my eyes as I saw several parked metal behemoths around my friends and plenty of armed zebra around them. I frowned. ‘What now?’

Chapter 16: Reignite the Heart

When I landed next to my friends, Thi was leaning against Scribble for support. Flitter was doing the same with Cloudchaser. The armed zebras encircled us, their eyes watching us. Eventually, a group of zebra stepped aside as a general clad zebra stallion walked forward. He removed his helm, revealing a handsome and slightly grizzled features.

“I heard the tales for quite some time. Glad to see the tales hold true.” The zebra said, his voice surprisingly smooth like caramel with an accent behind it. I arched a brow.

“And you are?” I asked. The zebra bowed.

“Gorgon Commanding Chief Officer Gladius Pyke. Born and bred warrior from the Scorched Sands, ex-General to the throne’s guards, exiled amongst his kin and bastard to the throne.” He said smoothly. Thi winced as she waved a hoof at him.

“Think you guys can spare some of grandma’s secret recipe?” She asked. Gladius nodded and motioned to his soldiers. They trotted forward and gave each of us a red liquid filled bottle. I scrunched my muzzle as I studied it. Thi uncorked it and chugged like no tomorrow. She drank the whole thing and tossed the bottle aside with a satisfying sigh of relief. “That’s the good shit.” My eyes narrowed when I saw some of her wounds began to mend themselves.

I then uncorked mine and took one sip, only the splutter at the strong, bitter taste. My friends exchanged glances before taking their own. Flitter had to pat her chest and stick her tongue out. Cloudchaser reacted indifferent and Scribble looked like he had something sour. I then chugged mine and dropped the bottle, coughing from the bitter taste. Gladius chuckled.

“Grandma’s secret recipe is varied in personal consumption. But it works like a charm.” The zebra general smiled. His look turned serious and looked past us. We turned to see several Gorgons dragging a limp Visar Galm over to him. They threw him on the ground and aimed their carbines. To my surprise, Galm was clutching his chest, weakly panting. Din chuckled.

“Well, my long living friend. You are not looking so hot.” Gladius said, walking around the griffon. The griffon rasped and panted weakly in response. I noticed Gladius had a look of cold satisfaction. He then leaned down and lifted the griffon up by the chin to face him. “Twenty moons of exile. Twenty moons of planning. Nothing compared to yours, but I can’t say that this is an outcome you should have saw coming. Those tainted by the desire out of their holds is not suitable for any power.” He coldly met the griffon’s gaze. “Your execution begins now.” He then forced the griffon aside before bucking him in the side, rolling him over.

Several Gorgons piled onto the limbs of the griffon, who look terrified now. My friends and I looked uneasy at the sight. The griffon weakly protested as Gladius unsheathed his sword and aimed the tip at his chest. I looked away as I heard the loud pained screech from the griffon. In the corner of my eye, I saw the zebra shift before pulling back and holding up something. I looked back to see a cracked looking pendant, the cracks glowing bright white. Aside from the crimson covering it, it looked like an old traditional and regal pendant.

Galm gripped the zebra’s foreleg, the Gorgons racking their carbines at him.

“….It…. Back!…” He rasped. Gladius gave the griffon a stoic look. “Give it… back… my… Roam…” Din suddenly stepped out from me, her look disgusted. The Gorgons were shocked to see a spectral fiery alicorn move over to the zebra. Gladius eyed the alicorn with suspicion. Din gave one last grin at the griffon before taking the relic out of the zebra’s hoof with her magic and crushed it with both of her hooves, dropping the pieces onto the sand. The griffon took his last breath, his prosthetic falling to the ground and his eyes rolled back. Gladius flexed his hoof before speaking.

“I’ve heard that Roam had acquired the champion of Equestria. Yet the display we witnessed was both fire and ice.” His eyes then met mine. “An unusual harmony.” I snorted.

“Yeah, well Roam is lucky they focused on taking their anger out on King Leo.” I replied. Gladius’s eyes widened a bit before softening into understanding. He said something in zebra I couldn’t understand before changing his dialect.

“Then it is indeed fate that has brought you all here. And that fate decided the end of Roam’s despair.” He looked down at the griffon, spitting before stepping away and over to us. “Perhaps we can speak more back at the Grotto. We have some kin to attend too.”

It was a bit of a trek through the rocky hills, but eventually, we came to a decrepit ruin that Thi couldn’t help but mention that the Gorgons took a page out of the Triad book for set ups. Old EMI crates painted over with the gorgon head. Weapons decaled to fit the Gorgon Mercenaries as well as armor and the metal behemoths parked in specific areas of the hidden base. Gladius took us further into where the intel room is located. Cloudchaser, Flitter and Scribble were taken to the infirmary while Thi and I stood at a spool table decorated in a disorganized manner of papers and a map. Behind Gladius was a board that displayed the entirety of Roam. From the looks of it, they’ve been quite busy.

There was a zebra that recognized Thi and gave her a sweet smile, making Thi awkwardly rub the back of her head. I was tempted to tease her, but I was too exhausted to bother. We were given a stiff drink as complimentary welcome, which Thi and I pulled, feeling that old warm fuzzy feeling rest in our bellies. Feeling a bit better now and a little loose, Gladius wasted no time in talking.

“What have you’ve learned during your time in the Underworld?” He asked. Thi sighed and stepped forward. She began to explain the moment she infiltrated Underworld. What she had saw, experienced and gathered from it all. Steel seemed understanding, however the reaction Gladius gave when she mentioned the Forsworne and Queen Zeuli was something less than pleasant. When she finished her explanation, Gladius took in the information steadily.

“We had our suspicions that Galm was still in contact with his old raiding group. But to have replaced half the guards in attendance with them without anycreature knowing is quite a feat. I’m glad you were able to save Zee from further harm.” He said with a relieved smile. The zebra, known as Zeke, smirked.

“Speaking of. She’s been waiting for you, general.” He said. Gladius’s expression became happy, however it quickly vanished as he held up a hoof.

“In due time. I must gather what I can first.” He replied. Zeke facehoofed and shook his head quietly. It was my turn to explain what I’ve learned. Thi was a little worried that I had somewhat considered unaliving myself in a brief moment of panic, but the info from King Leo had Gladius contemplating.

“Old friend… why didn’t you listen…?” He muttered to himself. “So a research facility in our motherlands maybe a key factor into Pony Land’s interference? Are you certain Leonidas didn’t mention anything else?” He asked. I sighed and shook my head.

“Din offed him as per his wish after.” I said. Gladius hummed.

“How many others are there of similar caliber?” He asked.

“Seven including me.” I replied. Gladius rubbed his chin before looking back at the map. Thi put a forceful hoof on the table.

“Look buddy. I’m glad the Gorgons are able to get a proper hoof into Roam now, but that’s about as far as our help is going to take you. We have our own issues to handle such as preventing a war in Equestria. We don’t have time to be fixing yours.” She stated seriously. Gladius met her look with his own.

“A shame. Your help would have been vital to operations of taking the throne.” He said. I arched a brow.

“But no creature is on the throne anymore. Aren’t you supposed to be next in line?” I asked. Gladius smiled.

“A long time ago, yes. But I realized something in my exile. You maybe born into something greater, but your family is who you choose. To me, the Gorgons are my Roam. And I don’t need a throne for that. However, that is to say there isn’t a likely candidate. Only… one issue.” He turned to the map and pointed at a knife stabbed into a part of Roam. “She has sided with the Triad and stationed at their main HQ. We had been plotting the downfall of Visar Galm and the liberation of Underworld that we have no conclusive plan to acquire the kin in question.”

Thi looked back at me with a defeated look. I gave her a reassuring smile.

“Hey, at least we get to have a bit of payback against them.” I said. Gladius looked over his shoulder.

“It is part of the war effort to take back the throne. I take it your mind has changed?” He asked. Thi glared at him yet she must have been too exhausted to retort. She reached with her magic to the full bottle of the drink we had earlier and wrapped a hoof around me.

“We’ll think about it. But don’t expect anything grand. We are off to Pony Land after.” She said. “Ain’t that right?” I rubbed the back of my head.

“Uhh… sure. Not going to lie, I could use a proper night’s rest…” I yawned. My body was screaming at me. Thi pat my back and rose the bottle in cheers to Gladius.

“Here’s to a New Roam. You can give us the details later.” She said. Gladius smiled softly before nodding.

“Tis only fair after what we’ve witnessed. Rest well, ladies.” He said. Thi pulled me along out of the room and we made our way past the busy bodies of Gorgons and over to the infirmary. Descending the steps into an area where hay beds were lined with injured Gorgons, I spied my friends in the beds at the far end. Flitter was almost a mummy, her forelegs and hind legs hung up with a neck cast. Cloudchaser had her entire torso wrapped and forehead bandaged along with several stitches along her forelegs. Scribble had a cast on his foreleg and his torso wrapped. I looked between each of them with relieved worry.

“Thank Celestia you guys are alive…” I said. Cloudchaser smirked and waved a hoof cooly.

“Nothing we couldn’t handle.” She replied before wincing. I turned to Flitter and eyed her worriedly.

“Flitter. Are you going to be able to make it?” I asked. Flitter spoke a little weakly but smiled through it.

“They gave me something that is supposed to mend my bones quicker. Not sure what magic they are using… some sort of special recipe from grandma.” She replied. Thi looked at her with surprise before rubbing her chin in thought.

“Okay… who is this grandma?” She muttered to herself. I walked to her bedside and put a gentle hoof on her bed.

“You deserve the rest. We even brought you a drink to dull the pain a little.” I smiled softly, nodding to Thi. Flitter snickered.

“Am I supposed to be drinking while bedridden?” She asked. Scribble spoke up.

“You’re supposed to be fed by spoon with your injuries. It is highly not recommended to drink while in that state.” He said. Thi waved a hoof dismissively.

“Ahh, c’mon! You all pulled through a griffon who wouldn’t die naturally. Safe to say you earned one too, egghead.” She grinned and winked. Scribble surprisingly was quiet about it. Cloudchaser grinned.

“Sure, why not? All’s in a days struggle of saving the day.” She said. Thi laughed.

“That’s the spirit!” She said before popping the cork. We spent the next couple of hours drinking (I helped Flitter with her own drink) and chatting away, but eventually the doctors had to silence us and scold us for drinking, especially Scribble and the sisters who were supposed to be resting. Flitter was fast asleep, her face flushed from her drink. Scribble was also sleeping, yet Cloudchaser was wide awake, sneaking towards us as we were rounding the corner. She bumped her flank with mine and grinned.

I was a little drunk myself and blushed brightly with a smile at the mare. Thi gave her a playful nudge, bumping her into me and to my pleasant surprise, she blushed herself.

“Not bad at all, CC. You kicked major griffon ass.” Thi complimented. Cloudchaser gave an embarrassed chuckle.

“We made a kick ass duo.” She replied. Thi shook her head.

“Quadruo! Seriously, I may have had a little more doubts, but you guys came through. Scribble, Flitter and you! What do ya’ think, Fie? Pretty awesome?” She asked me. I nervously smiled at Cloudchaser.

“I-I would like to hear more about it.” I stammered with a shy brush of my bangs. Cloudchaser put a hoof proudly to her chest.

“I’d be glad too. Gotta’ admit, starting to get much better at the heroing.” She rubbed her chin in marveled thought. “This must be how Captain Rainbow Dash feels from time to time.” Thi took a pull from the bottle before responding.

“I think you are times better than Rainbow Dash! I don’t think she would handle a griffon better than anypony I know. Except for Daring Doo.” She stated with a slight slur. Cloudchaser smirked and whispered to me.

“Wait until she hears about the Gilda situation.” She said. I giggled a little. We eventually found an empty hammock in the barracks and Thi crawled in, hugging the bottle to her chest. I wasn’t that tired, just in a feel good mood. That and a certain mare was distracting me from any thoughts of sleep. Cloudchaser and I left Thi to pass out on the hammock and we went to take a walk away from the noise of the Gorgons. We found a nice, little seclusive lookout point of the ruins over looking the barren sands. In the background far off into the distance is a Roam city.

The sun was beginning to set and a cool breeze began to blow through. Cloudchaser leaned against a pillar and whistled.

“Not a bad sight. If I hadn’t come to appreciate our travels, I would have considered this boring.” She said with a small smile. I returned it sweetly to her. I was suddenly getting nervous.

“S-so, you’ve been having fun despite being… mauled by a griffon?” I asked. Cloudchaser snickered.

“I nearly got mauled by a Bugbear trying to get Flitter to snap out of it. Not to say the Raptorians weren’t close, but I think they were more surprised by this generation. I think stopping an immortal griffon could be added to the list of things a Wonderbolt has gone up against.” She stated. I smiled and looked out to the sunset. I heard Cloudchaser shift awkwardly before she sighed and walked over next to me. “So… I’ve been thinking more about what you… confessed back in Hoofington.”

My brain suddenly sent panic signals. ‘Oh goddesses I’m not ready! Nononono! Okay okay, calm down, Fie. You got this. The prettiest mare you’ve met is about to answer you! Don’t buck this up more than you did on the ship. You got this girl! Face the day!’

“Fie?” Cloudchaser asked.

“Yes! I mean erm… ahem… y-yes?” I replied quickly, hoping to play off my stammer as swallowing dry air. She gave me a smile, one that made my heart flitter with joy. But then, the panic set in again. I don’t know what I should do! Should I say something first? What would I even say?! Cloudchaser’s look softened as she stared towards the sunset.

“You know, I always thought that I’d be too busy living the life of a Wonderbolt than care about what others thought of me. But here I am, on a grand adventure with a demi-god.” She began.

“P-partial!” I quickly corrected before mentally slapping my soul across the plane. Cloudchaser smiled.

“Partial demi-god. And yet, I can’t help but find myself noticing just how much you are undertaking. I still find it hard to believe I encouraged you to do all of this. And when you… confessed to me before the incident, I…” My heart was skipping several beats a minute as she bowed her head and pondered what she was planning to say. “Well, I’ll admit, I was not expecting it despite the amount of teasing I was getting from Flitter.”

“O-oh?” I replied, a little surprised to hear that she didn’t catch on quite as well as I thought she did. Cloudchaser smiled a bit.

“Yeah. And I did notice, but I guess I wasn’t being honest with myself and more importantly not being honest with you.” She met my look and I felt a very tight feeling in my chest. ‘Oh Celestia, here it comes…’ Cloudchaser then put a hoof on mine and I felt my ears whistle steam. “It’s only been over a month and a half and we’ve done so much in such a short amount of time. I can only see us getting more preoccupied with saving Equestria from Pony Land. Not only that, you have to deal with Ouroboros after. I look up to a lot of strong ponies not because of their capabilities, but their tendency to selflessly put their valor and morals on the line and become acknowledged through their actions.” She shrugged.

“Yes, they may not be the same ponies they were afterwords, but the ones I admire always stay true to themselves no matter how bleak. When you saved Bulk Biceps from one of the lackeys, I couldn’t help but notice another strong pony. And when you came to me scared and uncertain of the future, I couldn’t help but think what would my heroes believe themselves to keep going? So I said what I thought you needed to hear.” I couldn’t help but smile and put my free hoof over her’s.

“It really did mean a lot to me when you said that. I… I’m sorry you had to see me like that. I… I’m not the one to confide into ponies…” I replied. Cloudchaser brushed a bit of my bangs away which caused me to change to match my shredded up hoodie cloak. She must have realized what she did and blushed herself. I couldn’t help but finish her motion. We both then laughed softly, the air becoming quite light. We met each other’s gaze and suddenly, the whole world around us didn’t exist.

“So… have you come to an answer?” I asked with a dumb smile. Cloudchaser gave me a pretty smile in return.

“I have. We won’t have a lot of time to relax.” She winked. I giggled, my blush still bright.

“Whose to say we can’t find the time?” I cooed, leaning in closer. Cloudchaser suddenly got nervous. It is rather cute she did.

“H-heh. I uhh… wasn’t expecting to get this far.” She admitted embarrassingly. “Y-you’re the first pony I ever could… openly try this with.” I giggled again and put a hoof on her cheek, caressing it softly. Whether this was the drink’s doing or something else, I was feeling too good to question.

“I’m not the type to rush this kind of stuff. At your own pace. But I will do one thing.” I then wrapped my hooves around her into a hug, burying my muzzle into her neck. “I know I pulled you into this for selfish reasons at first. Thanks to Thi, I’d say I achieved a goal along this journey. Not out of selfishness like before.” I felt Cloudchaser shyly hug me back.

“I’ll try not to disappoint then.” She replied.

That night was the best night of my life. After bidding Cloudchaser good night back to her bed in the infirmary, I found myself unable to sleep in my hammock. I was hugging the small pillow happily, my mind aflutter with thoughts about my now special somepony. Yet one thing remained. Uncertainty. I held the pillow tightly, my happy expression softening to disheartening. I’ve been betrayed and ghosted before in my life. And I definitely messed somepony else’s life, who I’m now forever haunted by. I made a vow that night I would never let that happen again.

I found sleep to catch me quickly when exhaustion reared itself onto me. However, my dreams this time were not of Table Top or the casualties of Hoofington. I was floating through the sky, my hoof being held by Cloudchaser. We exchanged smiles as she led the way through the clouds, Luna’s moon shining brightly down on us. I let the cool breeze hit my face and sighed pleasantly. I blinked, seeing Princess Luna herself resting on a cloud we passed. I looked over my shoulder to see her smile softly and give a small nod.

I blinked once and she was gone. I smiled and focused back to the pretty mare next to me, who gave me a peck on the cheek and causing me to be more of a girl than I thought I was. I was quite enjoying my dream when all of a sudden, upon blinking once more, I was sitting on top of a throne. A tall one over looking an expansive field of golden flowers as far as I could see. There was no sky. Only the vast expanse of space and stars.

I looked around, seeing that there were other thrones scattered around the area in a poorly made circle. What a bizarre place to be. It wasn’t long until I began sensing presences. They were heavy and I could tell they were there, but I could not see them. I heard Din hum amusedly, causing me to look up and see her sitting on a jutted area above the throne I was on.

Of course, Ouroboros would be the last to appear. A distorted, incomprehensible voice spoke. One by one, the scattered thrones began to be occupied by others. Aquarius and Katlyn, Shiva and Steel, Tenebres and her vessel, Ventus and Zalas, Gaia and Sharp Eye. However, one was unaccounted for. Lux’s throne was by its’ lonesome. However, a snake began to slither up and around the throne before taking a seat, the snake morphing into a bald, scalene pony. I shot an angry glare at the creature. He only gave a wave and helped himself to a glass of molten magma.

Of all the times to be calling us to a meeting. Shiva sighed, rather annoyed. She then met mine and Din’s gaze. Din rolled her eyes and proceeded to not care at all.

On the contrary, dear Shiva. Ouroboros began as he tossed the glass aside. I wanted every being here to be in attendance for a special announcement. Yes, even to the one who has challenged the very beings helping the realm. His slit eyes glinted in my direction. Din gave a low growl, but surprisingly kept her muzzle shut. Tenebres was the one who cleared the air.

Get on with it then, serpent! I was in the middle of something important! She barked angrily. To my surprise again, the others quietly agreed.

Of course! As you are all aware, a certain sister has been absent and from recent reports by Din and others, her power is being given to others less desirable. Thanks to the efforts of every being, most of that power has been returned, allowing us to find where Lux has been hiding. I scrunched my muzzle in confusion.

‘Wait… Lux was lost? Is lost?’ I leaned forward. “Are you saying Lux was hiding? Even though it’s clear she is still known? I thought our elements could sense each other?” I asked. Din clicked her tongue.

Silence! What does it matter to us? We can all keep ourselves hidden from the others. I for one will not bother with anything being said here. She hissed. Ouroboros snickered.

But Din, after all you’ve been doing, leaving one factor alone isn’t something you can just sit idly by. Regardless if you are tied to the bylaws or not, it’s the only reasonable thing to you. He grinned. Din flared, my throne swirling with fire.

I don’t need to hear any snark from the laziest being in existence! What was the Creation Mother thinking keeping you around?! You should have stayed in that exhibit and perished like the rest! She barked. I furrowed my look worriedly but Ouroboros laughed and clapped his claws together.

And that is why you are on your way to becoming Lux’s savior! You cannot ignore the threat of your realm being threatened.

Her realm?!

My realm?!

The six elementals proclaimed in unison. Gaia towered over Ouroboros.

We grow tired of you, Ouroboros! You promise us nothing! Only sweet lies! She growled.

I will not be discarded like some filth! Aquarius protested, her calm demeanor eerily rising in tone.

Let’s kill him now! Tenebres cackled. Ouroboros grinned as the three began to advance on him. He then held up a claw and snapped his stubs. In a blink of an eye, Aquarius popped into droplets, Tenebres evaporated into shadowy mist and Gaia crumbled. My eyes widened and jaw dropped when I saw the three scream and fall off their thrones. My concern was on only two.

“Gwyen! Katlyn!” I cried out, standing up in my throne. I hopped out of my throne and cantered out to them, only for Ouroboros to appear in front of me. He smirked and waved his claw, lifting up all three vessels and hovered them limply overhead.

Untethered to the bylaws no longer. Din, you’ve certainly left quite an impression. He said. I readied myself as Din appeared behind me, her expression murderous and angry. Ouroboros held up a claw. At ease. They are only dead because I decided it. And I can change it back to how it is. He then snapped his claw stubs and the three jolted awake gasping for breath all at once.

Gaia, Aquarius and Tenebres had also reformed under them, dumfounded expressions on their faces. Ouroboros casually waved a claw and we all found ourselves back in our thrones.

Now that I have everybeing’s full concentration. The matter of Lux. She has been keeping herself relatively hidden for a while now. Perhaps in fear of repercussions of having given out her power. She has only ever made herself known to the rest of you when she feels she needs to be found. Which brings me to another matter. The spastic fluctuations of her power and her vessel’s activity. Her vessel has been quite busy. However, she has made her purpose known that attending these said gatherings are meaningless and serve to only waste time.

For once, I agree. Din muttered. Ouroboros turned his attention to us.

“But you make it sound like she is in trouble. Is that the reason you gathered all of us? To hunt her down now that her power has returned to her?” I asked.

I thought I made that clear. Shiva chimed in, only to be met with an ember from Din who grinned maniacally at her.

Shut up! Din replied. Ouroboros held up his claws.

At ease, ladies. Shiva is correct. She has been actively hunting her down while the rest of you are mindlessly off doing your own things. As much as I could care less of what you all do, need I remind you that regardless of circumstances, we will all cease to exist if we do not unify. We do not need to be allies until that time. Afterwords, I will grant each a wish. He smiled.

Oh, it’s wishes now? Ventus spoke, rather unpleased. Promises and wishes. Two of the same coin, snake. I was so close to figuring out the tree until you gathered us here. If Lux is so much trouble, she shouldn’t have given her power willingly to others. She’ll get her punishment. She said.

Tree? What kind of tree? Gaia asked. Ventus waved a hoof dismissively at her.

Not of your concern. It will matter when the time is right. She said. Din laughed.

Holding known information, sister? Or are you trying to prevent me from gaining what is rightfully mine? Din smirked evilly. Ventus eyed her carefully.

Wouldn’t you like to know? She asked. Din snorted, her expression disappointed.

Dumb snake. Do you have anything else worth while that isn’t wasting our time on known knowledge? She sighed. Ouroboros smiled and nodded.

He’s getting ever closer. In fact, I think he had already sent his agents of malice ahead of him. Clock’s ticking, ladies. If you happen to come across beings of malevolence, do your best not to die, but also do your best to get rid of them. That is all. Ouroboros clapped his claws together. One by one, the elementals vanished along with their vessels. All except for Din and I. Din hopped down the throne with me as we walked over to the serpent. He smiled at us.

Something I forgot to mention? He asked. I frowned up at him.

“How often are you communicating with all seven?” I asked. Ouroboros sighed.

All the time. Yet, one has made it impossible to talk to. He glanced at Din, who only scraped the ground challengingly.

“So, you’ve been communicating with Lux then? If she’s that much in trouble, why hasn’t anything been done about it earlier? Is it so much for an elemental to not fend for themselves?” I asked.

I could have explained that to you. Din growled. I gave her an annoyed look.

“You’re difficult to talk to sometimes.” I returned my attention back to Ouroboros. “What do you know of that you aren’t bringing up? Withholding information so you can keep us playing your dumb game? If this all matters to your status and you genuinely care about the balance of a mortal realm, why have us jump through hoops? Are you that stuck up that you want to flaunt us around? It’s almost as if you are compensating for something else other than your lackadaisical attitude of being dangerously fired.” Ouroboros studied me with an amused smile.

Asking the right questions. If you must know, there is a certain nuance to all this. One of them is keeping face despite how badly things are. I’ve watched your gods go about their days with their own agendas and such and have seen time and time again that they all speak honeyed words to prevent things from spiraling out of control. Some of them succeed in it. However, if one who holds the most vital importance fails to do so and not handle it, then more would be lost than reputation. Such is the steps we tend to fall upon. He then focused on Din. Take that to heart, little fire spark. Everything is in steps. Not like there won’t be opposition. He then wiggled his stubs in a wavey motion. Toodles.

Din and I found ourselves into a black abyss. I questioningly looked at Din, who was fuming.

I can’t wait to cut his head off… She growled before looking at me. The hell you’re looking at?! I sighed and sat on my haunches.

“Din. Are we sure we want to be going against Ouroboros after that?” I asked. Din grinned.

Aww did wittle filly get scared at the big bad serpent? She mockingly cooed. I met her look with stoicism. Din’s look softened to annoyance. I’m not here to entertain you with your what ifs and buts. Ask your question wisely. I lowered my head, my thoughts racing with a certain decision. One that from this point onward would change how both I and Din worked together. Din must have heard my thoughts as she gave an annoyed grumble. I then rose my head to face her.

“I’ve been thinking on what Shiva had said. About you specifically needing allies. And well… considering how Tenebres fought and was constantly hunting us before, even being overwhelmed by Shiva, I think it’s time we need to rethink our strategy.” I stated. No surprise that Din gave an unamused raise of her brow.

If I recall, I’m not the one that has her head in the clouds all the time. She snorted. I nodded and motioned to her.

“Precisely. I haven’t been entirely myself as of late and you’ve been picking up the slack way more than you should. I’ve been not only holding myself back, but you as well as much as I hate to admit it. These past couple of encounters has got me to think a little more on our approach. We are still trying to get the hang of synergy and we have been shown to work well together despite our differences. But it’s not enough.” I looked around the black void. The very thing that Din has been idly resting in. A shut heart to a being of fire. Din narrowed her eyes at me.

Oh? Doubts and hesitation? I’m not convinced. I’ve gotten used to the still quietness of the abyss here. Is what I would say if that damned serpent wasn’t interfering a lot. If I had my domain here, I’d have a better time shutting him out. She snarled. I nodded.

“And I hadn’t realized how dire it was until after that meeting. You and I both know he only brought us along because he was throwing it onto us. The rest were there for presentation. Shiva has already begun investigating Lux’s power thingy and we just blew it off for now.” Din barked a laugh.

If you weren’t shackled to your “friends” then we would have handled it much sooner! Allies only serve to slow you down. Better to put them to better use. Such as stepping stones for my ascension! She grinned smugly. I nodded, which got her to look at me suspiciously.

“That is a way to handle things. It only serves to be a means to an end and sometimes you’d have to tie up loose ends. But that’s just how we mortals have always been handling things. Even our princesses are victim and aggressors of that. Royalty, commoners, beggars, we all are sharing a singular plane of existence that ties us to everyday life. Even gods step into that. Remember what Twilight said to you when you possessed me? Friendship isn’t always a solution, even if it’s something we ponies tend to head towards. You want ascension. But you need allies to help you with that. If you have friends by the end of it, you’ll know. Because the decision you’ll likely make will be contested.

“We may not always see eye to eye, Din. But you’ve been stuck with me and know what I’m about. So far, I’ve only learned about the outside you. And I can only assume the real you is doing her damndest to keep everything from spiraling out of control and feel that the only solution is to start over and try again. It’s because of that fact that you have been picked for ascension. But you will not be able to do it alone.” I put a hoof to my chest. “I’m saying this from the bottom of my heart. Let me help you this time. You need to conserve most of your magic and energy for when we really need it.” I held out my hoof and smiled to her. “The odds have always been stacked against us, Din. But I will fight for you if you fight for what you believe in.”

Din studied me quietly. I was expecting a snarky comment or retort from her as usual, but this time, she turned her head.

You sound just as annoying as he was. But then again, the second option would probably have been even worse. She said. I was confused as to what she meant by this, but she bumped my hoof with her’s, albeit hesitatively. I will hold you to your word. But the moment I hear or sense any doubt from you about this matter, then it’s back to the drawing board for this pathetic excuse of a realm. I was about to reply when I then noticed my sleeve catching fire.

I yelped and pulled away quickly, patting it. That only seemed to make the fire worse as it clung to my other sleeve. I looked up at Din in panic, but she was grinning down at me smugly.

Do you feel pain? She asked with a smirk. I blinked quizzically and looked down at myself. The fire was beginning to spread, but I didn’t feel anything. I flexed my hooves in confusion. Din sighed pleasantly and turned away from me. She then flapped twice, gaining enough height before engulfing herself in fire. At last! My realm sings to me once more! She marveled. I shielded my eyes as a bright flash of fire shone throughout the abyss.

When the light dimmed down, I lowered my hoof and gasped. I honestly don’t know what I was expecting. Barren lands of fire, a volcano, anything relating to elements of fire. To my genuine shock and awe, I was a quarter percent correct. What I wasn’t expecting is a vast expansive field of grass colored to that of fire. A strangely cool breeze rippling the grass to look like flowing fire. The sky was a clear night, the stars shimmering off into the distance. Around the expansive field were trees with leaves matching the grass, yet there were strange budding blue flowers. I looked back to Din, only to see her sitting under a bizarre looking tree. The trunk and branches intertwining into each other and the leaves glimmering like crystals in a bright light.

The more I looked, the more I noticed that there were massive cobblestones jutting around us, like an old ancient ruin long forgotten and crumbled to the ages. Din looked pleased as she relaxed under the bizarre tree and tenderly brushed a blue flower. It budded at her touch, a small blue flame flowing out of the center. Her eyes then fell onto me.

I’ve always admired the singing of my subjects. She stated. I took a step forward, only to stop as the small blue flame in the center of the flower fell to the ground and began to sway around, bounding about the area before taking off into the field.

“I… what is all this?” I asked finally. Din smirked smugly.

My paradise. I suppose I should be grateful for you opening your heart to me. But remember I am holding your word. I will be… devastatingly upset if my paradise would vanish. She replied. I was dumbfounded. However, Din was too enamored with her scenery to care about my existence. I watched several embers dance about, my ears picking up a faint giggling before they fluttered away in the wind. Din finally noticed me and sighed.

I wouldn’t mind if you do not disturb me with your presence. Begone with you. She said, standing up. I felt myself suddenly flying upwards, the vast field shrinking further and further. The last thing I saw was the moon, big and bright beaming down at me. I woke up with a jolt.

“The time is now, my kin. Roam is close to becoming the free nation it has been promised to be! But like many others, it cannot go unruled! The battle continues as we will make our way through the Scorched Lands and raid the main HQ of these Triad scum. We are to capture the chosen heir unharmed. We will discuss options once she has safely been returned here. Any questions?” Gladius proclaimed. Several zebra rose their hooves.

“What should we come to expect in retaliation?” One asked.

“Aside from arc fire and artillery, there has been reports from our mole that they have fully developed a weapon to surpass even their Iron Curtain.” Gladius replied. “They had begun development of a second one.”

“What about inside? Prisoners? Defenses?” A unicorn zony mare asked. Gladius nodded.

“The only prisoner is the heir. It is their main HQ. They wouldn’t want to risk anything bringing on prisoners. You are all clear to engage without question.” He stated. “Any final questions?” Thi rose her hoof. The room went quiet.

“So I’ve been thinking. If the heir is sided with the Triad, why would you consider it captured? If anything, they are maybe extending their hooves out to other creatures. They’d usually extort or sell off every creature, including ponies, rather than recruit.” She stated. Gladius arched a brow.

“I’m not sure what you mean.” He replied. Thi kicked back in her seat.

“I know the Triad inside and out. I spent a year disguised under them as to keep myself from being killed or worse. They are an all pony exclusive organization. Going hoof to hoof with Sonata herself and her estranged generals, they have time and time again have made it clear that every other creature is beneath them. Extremely so. I don’t know what’s causing the sudden change in ideal, but the heir could be in much more danger than shown or heard about. What I’m trying to say is that they are probably already dead and only have a body double to lure the Gorgons in.”

Thi rolled her hoof as she continued in a gesticulate manner. “I wouldn’t put that past them. If they had open dealings with Galm and Leonidas, expect a lot worse than some secret plans or waves of armaments and artillery.” Gladius rubbed his chin.

“Then what would you suggest we approach this?” He asked. Thi tapped her chin in thought.

“Give me one of the behemoths and some of those arc launchers. I’ll be the distraction for the outside. I will need to talk to the others, but if your mole can find the weakest point in their defenses, you’ll be storming that as I’ll be drawing most of the agro.” She said with a smile. I gave her a worried look.

“Thi, I know you can handle yourself and have been a one mare army against the Triad, but your luck can only go so far. Don’t forget, you have me to help.” I said. Thi shook her head and grinned.

“Appreciate the thought, Fie. But the Triad would use you as a bargaining chip in my distraction.” She replied. I somehow felt a sting from those words, yet I couldn’t help but feel ashamed of my own focus. Din was right. I need to focus a bit more. I heard a soft hum in my head before Thi beamed. “Actually, you are going to be pulling your weight. Just not in the way you want it to. You are going to help the Gorgons infiltrate the weak side to ensure they get in and handle their own business. When you can ensure they are squared away, you can join me in making some noise.” She smiled, yet I was still worried.

I’ll have to keep an eye on her. Gladius nodded in approval.

“As admirable and skillful as you are, Ms. Billet, it would be wise to at least have some form of back up. Zeke will lead his team to support you, at least from afar.” He said. Thi shrunk back a little.

“So long as they don’t get in the way that’ll distract me from being a distraction.” She stated a little unpleasantly. I shot a glance at her as Gladius looked around to his kin.

“As for the rest, you will stand guard here. Intel team will be relaying progress to the others as we go. Stock up and get ready. We move phase one at noon rise.” He said. The Gorgons shouted something in zebra in unison before getting up and moving about. Thi stretched and was about to stand up when I pulled her aside and out of ear shot.

“Thi, are you sure about this?” I asked. Thi blinked questioningly at me.

“Yeah. I don’t see how it’s any different from what we usually do.” She replied. I sighed and shook my head.

“I know you are capable of going up against the odds way more than any pony I know. But you do realize that the injuries you acquire through it are going to bite you at some point. Not even grandma’s secret recipe could help.” I stated. Thi rubbed her chin.

“I’m still not sure who this ‘grandma’ is…” she pondered. I put my hoof roughly next to her head against the wall, glaring at her.

“Thi, listen to me. As your best friend and partner in crime, I’m only going to ask that you not over do it. Our friends are in a bad state as is. If all of you are incapacitated, what am I going to do?” I replied a little sourly. Thi furrowed her look.

“What’s the big deal? Is this about our triumph over an immortal griffon? Let me remind you that you were the one who wanted to bring CC and Flitter along when we weren’t even sure of their capabilities upon starting this journey.” She stated. She then put a hoof on my shoulder and smiled. “Don’t worry about me, Fie. You are still the key in all of this. Just consider yourself a… errr… trump card against the Triad.” She said.

“Thi, they’ve managed to capture us on three separate occasions. It doesn’t matter if I’m harboring a god. What matters is that we all need to ensure we are okay by the end of it all.” I lowered my head. “Seeing Flitter, Scribble, Cloudchaser and you in such a state… I can’t bear the thought of it.” I pulled away from her. “I did some thinking last night and I’ve decided. From this point on, I’m going to do better than what I’ve been doing.” It was Thi’s turn to cast me a worried look.

“Th-that’s great and all, Fie. But I’m fine. Scribble, CC and Flitter are going to be okay. We’re okay. Just trust me on this.” She smiled. I heard Din softly hum in thought. A rather strange sensation to sense her thinking. However, I met Thi’s gaze.

“I do trust you all…” I replied. Thi grinned and reached with her magic, levitating a bottle of Roam wine over to us. I studied the bottle.

“Then maybe a bit more higher spirits to lift the mood. Just a little.” She said. I opened my mouth to protest but decided it better not too. I denied the drink, much to Thi’s surprise, before heading to meet with our friends. Flitter was up, her casts removed and her body freshly bandaged. She was just as surprised as we were. Thi asked a passing earth zony who this “grandma” really is.

“No creature knows. Some say she’s as old as our late immortal griffon. Some say she has inspired the entirety of our realm to pursue medicine. What we do know is that the products are always sold under that moniker. At this point, it could just be something some creature wanted to have a bit of fun with.” That only raised more questions with Thi.

We explained to our friends what was going to happen and made a back up plan if things decide to go south. By the time noon came around and all the Gorgons and present company included were fed, they began skittering about like worker ants. I watched them work while my thoughts ran with certain ideas I’d considered side plans. Din chuckled a little eerily, grinning smugly.

And thus, it begins. My ascension.

Chapter 17: Welcome to the Savanna

I sat with three Gorgons inside the belly of a behemoth. One was manning the main canon while the other was positioned inside a small opening with a mean looking arc gun attached to it. The other was looking through the slit, dried sand splattered glass. The beast rumbled along with a squad of others rolling behind us. The one manning the canon held a hoof to her ear. The link buds they were using was hijacked to work in the Gorgon’s favor.

I couldn’t help but admire the many talents that were behind this operation. And that made me depressed knowing that this maybe their last day in this realm. I can’t believe this is what the Triad want with Equestria. What was it all for? It was stated to be a breach of treaty, but I don’t remember hearing of anything about bad blood with Pony Land. They were using Din’s destruction as a means to pursue it. There has to be something more in this.

If I ever see General Lilac again, I’ll just have to ask her personally. Princess Celestia, Luna, Twilight and Cadence were not expecting this at all with their neighbors. Not that I’m not doubting that Celestia hasn’t led a war before. But to come from some land that we have no bad history with… my thoughts were cut off when the driver looked back at me and the cannoneer with a hoof over her ear.

“We’re coming up on the base. From the sounds of the comms, the Triad maybe onto us.” She said. I furrowed my look.

“Weren’t we going to make ourselves known anyway?” I asked. The zebra mare looked uncertain.

“It’s a delicate operation. Zeke, status?” She asked. The garbled communication was unintelligible for me. The cannoneer pegasus zony stallion looked grim.

“Damn. Looks like it’s full steam ahead.” He said, loading a shell into the container. I saw the gunner readying herself. I peered over the driver through the slit glass and saw a facility coming up. The driver put a hoof to her ear after a bit before looking at me.

“Your friend makes one hell of an entrance.” She said.

“What did she do?” I blurted out. The zony stallion smirked.

“Used an arc launcher to jump onto the main gate. From the sounds of it, she’s raising a lot of hell.” He said. The driver then pat my chest.

“We’re counting on you, Champion. Clear the way for us and we’ll back you up as much as we can.” She said with a smile. I suddenly felt nervous, but I quickly took a deep breath and nodded.

‘It’s do or die, Din.’ I thought. Din cackled and grinned wildly.

Revenge is a dish best served extremely hot! She exclaimed excitedly. I opened the lid overhead and quickly pulled my hoof back as something big crackled overhead, knocking the lid clean off.

“All units, open fire! Cover the Champion!” The driver shouted through her link bud. A chorus of loud booms rocked the earth, whistling through the air before crashing into the side of the facility wall. I quickly pulled myself out of the top and rolled off the behemoth. I landed on my hooves and began to gallop a bit forward, only to have to take cover as the facility began firing back with their own shelling. A loud alarm blared throughout the area. Peeking out from my cover, I could see they had some trenches around the field. It was as if they had expected the attack early on and it was just a matter of when they would attack. Din growled.

We aren't getting anywhere on your scrawny hooves! Can't these Gorgons do anything better than pathetic crystals!? Din stated. I smirked at an idea that came to mind.

'I know we should save your energy, but if we can pull off our synergy in bursts...' I began. Din went a bit quiet, humming in thought.

An interesting proposition. She said. I felt a warmth flow through me and before I knew it, I was up high in the air. I synced my head movement with Din and together we aimed my horn, a beam of fire cut through the fields, slicing a trench bunker in the process. Several explosions went off in a delay after the beam's trail. Din took control of flight as I withdrew my halberd. She led a couple of dive ins, cutting into the trenches. It was a bit of a blur, but I could see the Triad scrambling for their lives. I did my best to ignore the uncomfortable thoughts. This is what to be expected of war. I can't hesitate. Having cleared the way a bit, the Gorgons began advancing while Din dove me into a guard on the wall, which I then proceeded to knock out with a deft buck. It was my turn. I galloped down the walkway, swiping and bucking Triad out of the way. When one had rounded the corner of a lookout point, I intercepted the pony, jabbing twice into the pony's chest before locking my hooves around them and charging off the wall. We went over the railing, but Din unfurled her wings and took control of the flight pathing, leading me to recover just inches off the ground.

I called my halberd and twirled and spun it around, keeping the momentum going as Triads were unfortunately unable to react properly to the sudden appearance of myself. When the Triad gathered themselves to focus on me, I quickly conjured up four copies of myself and sent them out down and above the trenches. In groups or one by one, the Triad began to fall. My attention was caught onto a canon like contraption on the building. It let out a loud thump that shook the ground followed by a distant explosion. The Gorgons were firing back at it.

Din and I kicked off the ground, leaving my copies to continue drawing the attention of the Triad. We soared towards the device and hovered above it. Where would the vulnerable spot on this be? My eyes spotted a Triad sitting on the side of the canon and pulling a few levers. I held up my halberd and heaved it like a javelin, striking the controls of the device. The Triad pony balked and tried to scramble away, only to be caught in an electric spark as the canon circuited and exploded.

I called my halberd back and looked to the other one. Din took the liberty of sending a cluster spell directly at it, causing a chain explosion that blew a hole into the facility. I looked over to the Gorgons who were trudging over the trenches with their metal behemoths.

‘Let’s open up the way.’ I spoke towards Din. Din sighed.

After this, they are on their own. She said boredly. She formed a sphere at the tip of my horn and softly moved it away, making three in total. I then made a motion with my hoof and the three spheres floated towards the facility wall. All at once, three holes were blown outward, making enough space for the Gorgons to make it through. Din then flew towards the hole we created earlier and upon landing on the ground, I had to take cover behind a knocked over filing cabinet as arc bullets pelted in my direction.

I released my magic to my copies outside and conjured two to hop out of cover and rush the Triad. Hearing their screams, I quickly dashed out and galloped down the hall. The whole facility was in chaos. I sidled along the wall and peeked out around the corner, seeing Triad hustle to and fro with arc weapons at the ready. I glimpsed each one that passed by. No zebra amongst them. Where would they keep a member that isn’t a pony? Seeing the coast having cleared, I crept down the hall reaching to an open atrium. Three stories high and plenty of clean space. I could swear I had walked back into the Tri-Mourne Tower lobby.

I scanned the area, wondering where I should go. My eyes fell onto several Triads running for their lives across the atrium. One had closed the door and about to lock it when the door blew out of its’ hinges and sending the unfortunate pony into two others, crashing into the floor. The remaining five Triads turned and began firing back. There was a loud spring sound and my best friend sailed into the room, firing a black box looking contraption that sent out a red bolt that when connecting with the ground, made a cross pattern and traveled a bit.

The unfortunate Triad ponies were caught and their bodies limply flew to the sides. Thi landed and grinned smugly before dropping the black box. She looked up and spotted me. I smiled and vaulted over the railing, Din using her wings to stop me from hitting the ground hard.

“Did they ever mention about where she might be being held in this facility?” I asked, trotting over to her. Thi reloaded her arc pistol and a carbine before responding.

“Dunno.” She replied. She then looked down with a frown as a Triad pony, to my surprise, was still kicking. They crawled along the floor, clutching their side and looking quite rugged. “But they might.” She then trotted over and with a hind leg, bucked the pony over. They screamed in pain as she then aimed an arc pistol at them. “I’m still pretty pissed off at the Triad for how they were treating me and my friends. So, you better start talking and maybe I’ll be grateful enough to leave you alive.” I cast a worried look at Thi but kept my mouth shut.

I wouldn’t say the Triad deserved it. But I still felt rather uncomfortable suddenly. Din hummed amusedly.

Second thoughts? She asked. Her words shot back into my mind. I shook my head slightly.

‘I’m fine.’ I replied. The Triad pony looked up at Thi, terrified and shakily holding their hooves up.

“P-please don’t shoot! I-I have a family!” They stammered. Thi suddenly gave him a blank and cold stare.

“We do too. In Equestria and the Gorgons here in Roam. But I’m not here to talk sentiments with the likes of a tyrannical cult. You should have really thought about this choice when you joined.” She stated coldly. The pony shakily crumpled under her.

“Th-the benefits were too good to pass up! I had to support them!” They whimpered, beginning to pray to his Queen Sonata. Thi looked contemplative. I bit my lip and gave a defeated sigh before putting a hoof on her shoulder. Thi looked back at me and her expression softened. However, she aimed the arc pistol at the hind leg of the pony and pulled the trigger. They screamed in pain, writhing at her hooves.

“I have three more legs to work with. Tell me where you are keeping a zebra. Joined the Triad from what the Gorgons had gathered.” She asked coldly. The Triad pony nursed their leg, hunched over.

“Z-zebra? Among our ranks?” They rasped, cradling their leg. Thi sat on her haunches and nodded.

“Don’t play dumb. Triad are always in the know with their own ranks. This zebra must be special if they were willingly and able to join the Triad.” She replied. The Triad grimaced in pain before responding.

“You must… be as insane as the stories told… What makes you think a zebra is worth the light?” They replied. Thi frowned.

“Isn’t that the whole creed of the Triad? ‘We walk in the abyss to bring the light’. Unless I missed something in the many encounters with Sonata and her generals, I’d say your family would be sad to not hear from you.” She replied before popping another arc bullet into the other leg of the Triad. They screamed in pain again, rolling partially on the ground. Thi stood up and walked around the pony. “Running out of legs here.” The pony held up their hooves.

“A-alright! Alright!” They grimaced. “I-I don’t know about a zebra joining our ranks. B-but I do know that we had a recent surplus of zebra from the Zebra Lands to trade.” Thi met my look with disturbed disgust.

“Who’s supplying?” I chimed in. The Triad looked at me with a mix of hate and terror. Thi tapped their head with the barrel of her arc pistol.

“S-some militia calling themselves the Exiles. They d-demanded trade for captives they poached from the local villages for crystals! Wh-where they are taking their supply of crystals, I do not know! A-as for the captives, they are being shipped off to a facility off the coast in Pony Land!” They replied. I rubbed the back of my neck. This is getting a lot more complicated than I’d like.

“And what does Pony Land want to do with all these captives? I know it’s more than zebra. Why all the cloak and dagger for captives? Slavery? Test subjects? Dare I even ask, breeding?” Thi asked, her anger rising. The pony curled.

“C-cleansing and accepting the light! W-we plan to use the Fallen King to have every creature accept our ideals! That’s all I know for that, I swear!” They replied. Thi arched a brow.

“Does this ‘Fallen King’ have to deal with certain essences of King Sombra?” She asked. The pony nodded and Thi sighed. “Is there a cure being made? Or a serum to reverse it?” The pony trembled.

“Th-that information is only allowed to the science personal. I-I’m just a shift guard!” They whimpered. Thi slumped.

“Then where can we find the science ponies?” She asked. The Triad shook their head.

“Th-this isn’t a science facility. Th-the one in the Zebra Lands houses m-most of the research here.” They replied. “Th-that’s everything I can tell you! J-just please let me go!” I looked at Thi with concern. She met my gaze and sighed.

“Don’t look at me like that, Fie. We are this far in. No going back.” She said sadly. I didn’t say anything. She is right. If I denied anything with my own actions, I should have just quit while ahead. However, Thi flipped her arc pistol around and clocked the pony clean across the head. I rubbed my foreleg grimly. Thi holstered her pistol and looted the Triad.

“Thi?” I began. Thi looked at me. “I…” I was having trouble trying to bring up what I’ve noticed. I sighed. “Nevermind. I’ll talk about it later.” Thi smiled softly.

“It’s alright. I err… did get a little carried away.” She stated, rubbing the back of her head. “It does frustrate me that the Triad consider that this is their only ideal to strive for. I always wonder if things would be different if the old seats are taken out and new ones are put in play. Hard to do when the ringleader is practically immortal like our princesses.” I sighed and was about to speak when I heard hoofsteps approaching. It sounded like it was coming from above. I looked up to where I had come in from and flicked my ears. “How many?” Thi asked, readying herself.

“Just one.” I replied. I readied myself. The way they were walking was quiet, but confident. Or comes off as confident. It gradually became casual. We watched as a figure dressed in full black, skintight leather peer over the railing and lean cooly and suggestively down at us. Thi shook her head with a small smirk.

“Lo Mein, in the flesh.” She stated. My eyes narrowed suspiciously at the mare above us. The familiar red earth pony had done something differently with her blonde mane. It was tied back in a traditional bun with an exquisite looking hair pin that held it in place. Her cold, sharp eyes studied us.

“And here I thought you of all ponies wouldn’t be working with an exiled heir.” She replied boredly. Thi grinned.

“And yet, why am I not surprised you are bending over for the Triad. Of course, they would buy you out, old friend.” She replied. Lo Mein. Professional hitmare for Thi’s old mercenary group way back when. It felt like a lifetime ago since she “helped” us back in Trottingham before leaving my friends behind over the very thing that Flitter is afflicted with. I’ll let Thi take the reins on this one. Lo Mein sighed.

“Uncouth as usual. So, what brings you here of all places?” She asked, resting her chin on her hooves over the railing. Thi frowned.

“Looking for somepony.” She responded. Lo smiled.

“Certainly, it wouldn't be me. Perhaps a zebra, by chance?” She replied. It happened so fast that my brain couldn’t register it until I found myself being pushed away by Thi as she took several hits from an arc submachine. Thi staggered back and rolled over a table, bucking it and taking cover. I quickly scrambled to my hooves and took cover with her. Lo Mein frowned as she shouldered her submachine. “Slacking off a little. Getting too complacent, Billet?”

Thi growled and took a swig of grandma’s secret recipe.

“Getting really tired of these arcane greetings…” she muttered. She then looked at me. “Listen, Fie. The moment I begin firing back, you try and flank her. I know Din won’t bother using her powers over one pony not worth it, so I’ll buy some time for you.” She said. I heard Din hum but I put a hoof on her shoulder.

“I got a better one.” I said with a small smile. I then conjured two copies of myself and they nodded to her. Thi smiled and cocked her arc pistol.

“I fear the mare who practiced one spell a thousand times over one who practiced a thousand at once.” She said. We peeked over the table and ducked back almost immediately as arc bullets rained down over us. I heard her hoofsteps. She was moving around us. “Alright, Lo! This has been a long time coming! Your ass is mine!” Thi shouted. She shot out of cover, one of my copies in tow as she began firing up. I dashed out of cover, leaving my other copy behind and began to make my way towards the steps leading up to the second story.

Lo took cover behind some furniture up above and fired back. I couldn’t help but think what Lo is trying to do here. This doesn’t seem professional for her work.

‘Ask later, Fie.’ I thought to myself. I galloped quickly down the walkway, only to stop and duck behind some furniture myself as Lo directed her fire at me. I peeked out as Lo fired down at Thi, only to aim at me and causing me to shrink back before firing back down at Thi. ‘Dammit!’ I grit my teeth and ordered my clone who I left behind to srping out and heave the halberd at her. Bad news is, my clone coudln't duck back in time before Lo racked a new mag and lit my clone up.

I smirked and my clone puffed into smoke. I quickly order my other clone that was covering Thi to rush out and used the smoke for cover. My clone swung the halberd, sending a slash wave of fire up to where Lo was. The mare ducked and fired back, pelting my clone with holes and causing it to vanish. She then noticed me as I used the distraction to advance. I felt several arc bullets graze me, but I dove through and found myself under the third story walkway. Thi ducked back and reloaded herself as I began to make my way carefully towards the next set of steps.

“You got on me for the Lavan incident, but who's on you joining the very organization you fought against?! How far have you’ve dug yourself in?!” She shouted from behind cover.

“That is none of your concern, Billet! You continue to act in such a brash manner and this will always be the outcome!” She shouted back. I took a couple of steps up the stairs, only to tumble back as arc bullets fired in my direction. I had to give it to Lo Mein. She’s deathly focused.

“C’mon, Lo! You and I go way back! I’ll tell you what I know of the Triad currently if you just give yourself up!” Thi shouted.

“You’re a terrible liar! Who are you fighting for, Billet?! Certainly not for the betterment of Equestria!” I grit my teeth as I looked around, thinking how I should get up to her. Thi and Lo continued to exchange fire on one another. “Knighted by the sisters?! To protect your ticking time bomb of a ‘friend’?! What happened to serving no pony but yourself?!” She shot back.

“That’s rich, coming from a Triad hired agent! Tell me what you know about the zebra we are looking for!” I grit my teeth and decided on an idea. Borrowing Din’s power, I concentrated a ball at the tip of my horn, charging to make a decent size. I then aimed and with a grunt, released the magic. A pillar of intense fire melted a hole through the floor and with Din’s wings, I flew up and hovered just a bit over the mare.

Her gun trained on me, cautiously taking a few steps back away. I dispelled the magic with a wide swish of Din’s wings and charged her. She was unable to hit me, tackling her hard and both of us rolling along the ground. I managed to get my footing, only for her to adjust her weight and she pinned me down, jabbing the hot barrel of the submachine against me forehead.

Her eyes were cold and uncaring. However, I smirked. This caused her to hesitate, and I quickly conjured a copy out of me that disarmed the mare and put her in a choke hold. I stood up as Lo Mein struggled against my clone.

“Settle down, Lo. There was no need for any of this.” I stated with a small frown and dusting myself off. Lo eventually stopped struggling and coldly stared at me.

“How annoying…” she muttered. My ears flicked as I heard Thi spring upward and vaulted over the railing, aiming her arc pistol at Lo. She grinned.

“See? If you hadn’t stabbed me and my friends in the back we could be doing a lot more damage to the Triad.” She said. Lo rolled her eyes.

“Give me a break, Billet. You are in no right to chastise.” She said. I sat on my haunches and crossed my forelegs.

“Then why attack us out of nowhere? That isn’t very professional for an assassin.” I asked. Lo shifted, twisting my clone around her and gave a hefty head butt, causing my clone to dizzyingly and comically fall to the ground, vanishing. Thi readied herself but I held out my hoof to her. Lo dusted herself off non-chalantly as she spoke.

“To see if Billet has gotten more blood thirsty.” She said. Thi and I exchanged glances.

“I didn’t think you cared about me that much. I’m touched.” Thi replied sarcastically. Lo snorted with a frown.

“That isn’t a joke, Billet. The agency has labeled you a shoot-on-sight threat.” Lo replied, reaching for her ear and withdrawing a link bud that crumbled in her hooves. “Thankfully, your friend gave us the opportunity to talk a little.” Thi returned her snort.

“Unpredictable as always…” She muttered. “When you say agency, you’re talking about H.U.N.T.?” She asked. Lo boredly nodded.

“That and another organization I’m not allowed to talk about.” She replied. “Let’s just say, that was a warning greeting from both. You’ve become a dangerous mare, Thi Billet. Both you and your friends have already been labeled exiles from Equestria.” My heart sank.

“W-wait… what do you mean?” I asked. “W-weren’t the princesses and the others vouching for me? For us?” Lo shrugged.

“I’m not inclined to spill too much, but since I’m off the grid at the moment, the nations of Equestria do not want you back. All of you. Those two Wonderbolts are on leave upon returning back and to leave Equestria immediately upon termination. Thi Billet is sentenced to death the moment she steps hoof back on Equestrian soil. A lot of ponies are going to see you hang. As for you, Quiet Fire.” She looked at me coldly.

“They are just waiting for the events to pass over before burying your achievements. Forgotten and stricken from the records. You are also sentenced to death upon the events ending.” Thi narrowed her eyes.

“And how can we be sure this info isn’t just something to scare us?” She asked. Lo unzipped a bit of her black leather skintight suite and withdrew a device I recall from my time on board the Triad ship to Roam. She inserted a crystal and turned the device. A hologram projection of Princess Celestia, Luna, Cadence and even Twilight were looking down on us.

“This was a week prior to the events of your visit with Sunville.” Lo stated.

”My fellow subjects! We have heard your cries of outrage and concerns for the matters at hoof. We understand that the seven remain a consistent threat to the disappearances of kin and destructions to beloved homes. We, as the princesses, have formally come to an agreement. The ponies, Quiet Fire, Thi Billet, Silver Scribble and two Wonderbolts Cloudchaser and Flitter Glider are no longer welcomed in the land of Equestria.” Princess Celestia addressed, her look calm and regal as usual when she gave serious announcements.

”Do know that I and my sister, as well as our neighboring Crystal Empire have established an arrest on sight and brought before the courts should any of these ponies be seen.” Thi and I exchanged worried glances. ”Rest assured; the efforts of every creature are in full effect. We must remind you that even if the seven pose a threat to the person, they are needed to ensure survival of our realm. Killing any of them will result in the complete erasure of Equestria. Ensure your safety as well as others around the seven.”

We saw Twilight casting a sideways glance at the others. The only princess betraying her stoicism. And yet, despite this, I felt my entire mood shoot down. The hologram puffed into magical sparks before the crystal shattered along with the device. Thi bowed her head and sighed.

“I expected it of both of us. But to bring Scribble and the sisters into it? I don’t recall them ever making a scene of things in Equestria.” Thi stated. Lo dusted her hoof as she replied.

“Affiliation. You hoof selected them to be a part of this ‘grand adventure’. You knew the risks, Billet. You and your friend. So how is it a surprise?” Thi glared at her. I bowed my head sadly.

“I’m sure they have their reasons for announcing such things. It’s a part of their royal duty.” I rubbed my foreleg. “Still hurts to hear all of that…” Mentioning Sunville brought back those memories. How is the village getting on? Any trouble outside of the village? What about my home, Ponyville? My folks? Siblings? Friends? I put a hoof to my head and sighed. Thi pat me on the back and gave me a reassuring smile. Lo rolled her eyes.

“Yes, in any case, I must be off. Busy schedule.” She said walking past us. Thi frowned, watching her pass by.

“Hold on. Where's the zebra heir they are keeping?” Thi asked coldly. Lo brushed her tail against Thi’s muzzle insultingly.

“Better get back to your blood rampage. I’m certain more ponies are just dying to meet you.” She said, walking down a hall. Thi growled. "As for your question, you should probably move onto other pastors. Perhaps the Savanna might be a better relief of stress than this little ol' Triad base. Ciao." She disappeared around the corner, leaving Thi to stamp her hoof and snort angrily.

"One of these days..." She stated. I sighed again and rubbed the back of my head.

"So... are we done here?" I asked tiredly, uncertain if I want to continue chasing a wild goose that isn't worth our time. Thi looked over her shoulder and down at the first floor.

"As soon as I figure something out. You gave the Gorgons an opportunity so err... wanna' join or finish up other things?" She asked. I closed my eyes in thought. After taking a brief moment to debate myself, I opened my eyes and nodded to her.

"I'm with ya'." I said with a small nod.

Whatever Thi was looking for, she unfortunately came up empty hooved. The Gorgons were surprisingly quick on their raid against the Triad base. Before we knew it, the entire base was seized and any assets were being collected and piled together in the atrium. The Gorgons had certain... extreme views of how to handle prisoners. But it wasn't our concern. We spent a few hours helping around the place where we can before heading back with Zeke to the ruins so they can start moving base. It was night once more when we arrived. I don't know why, but I haven't done anything strenuous aside from allowing the Gorgons grounds and the surprise attack by an assassin and yet, I'm exhausted. Thi must have noticed this but didn't say anything. We trotted our way down to the medical bay.

Surprise to say, Cloudchaser, Flitter and Scribble looked to have not a single scratch on them. Thi scratched her head.

"It's like the fight with Galm never happened..." She marveled. "I should have asked Lo about this grandma character." She chuckled and nudged me. I only hummed tiredly in response. Cloudchaser walked over to me, giving a worried look.

“Everything okay, Fie?” She asked. I looked at Thi knowingly. She closed her eyes as if debating whether we should tell them or not. She then opened her eyes and nodded. I took a deep breath and began to spill everything about what’s going on. As expected, Flitter and Cloudchaser’s hearts sank at the news. Scribble seemed indifferent, but that stoicism doesn’t hide himself entirely.

“So now the whole world is officially against is.” He said. Thi sighed and nodded.

“I expected it for both me and Fie. But… sorry guys. Things are looking pretty dire.” She said. We were quiet, the atmosphere setting in a non-appeasing manner. Flitter broke the silence.

“So… what do we do now?” She asked sadly. To our surprise, Cloudchaser smiled and wrapped a foreleg around Flitter’s neck.

“Simple. We keep being our best selves.” She said. Flitter looked at her questioningly. “I mean, is it really that much of a surprise? Our nations are about to go to war. We are tasked by the Princess of Friendship herself to handle damage control. Twilight isn’t the type to just agree with exiling ponies she knows that are not evil. Errr… well Din excluded.” She said. I heard a hum in my head but I ignored it as my attention was fully rapt at the pretty pony. “Think about it. They probably wanted to prevent organizations that Lo has mentioned from actively hunting us to make our job a bit more tolerable.”

That seemed to perk us up as she continued. “The princesses bought us plenty of time. We just need to kick it up a gear.” Flitter chuckled a bit but then rubbed her chin worriedly in thought.

“But… what about our career? If it is to benefit our adventure… why terminate us?” She asked. Scribble scribbled in his journal as he spoke.

“That’s another simple answer. To solidify us as an official third party with no connections to the military with Equestria. We are supposed to be able to negotiate without anything holding us back. With no status and some anonymity, we’ll have a better chance of walking through Triad interrogations without them having dirt on Equestria.” He said. Thi nodded.

“Classic military coupes. One problem. Triad don't take no for an answer. And I think A couple of us are a bit too familiar with the way the Triad interrogate..." She said, trying to be a bit cautious about this. Cloudchaser blinked and gave a nervous smile.

"Oookay, well, on the other hoof, perhaps the Triad already knows enough. But there is one thing they still don't know." She smiled. "Learning their lesson. How many times have they done so but still get their flanks kicked?" Cloudchaser replied. I gave a small, sincere smile at her. Thi chuckled.

"You're taking the information pretty well. Honestly, I would be a bit stung about losing a military career if I was a Wonderbolt." Thi said. Cloudchaser gave a cool smile.

"More like I'm always going to be a Wonderbolt regardless of the outcome. Once a Wonderbolt, always a Wonderbolt. Besides, I don't want to disappoint my promise with Rainbow Dash." She said. Flitter smiled.

"You know, I do wonder how Rainbow Dash and the others are doing as well. Twilight must worry a lot about having to not see them for quite some time." She said. Thi shrugged.

"I wouldn't worry too much. They are the heroes of Equestria for a reason." Thi then stretched. "Welp, I'm going to call it in. We're going to be heading to Zebrica first thing in the morning. I'll explain a bit more once we are all rested up." Thi turned and waved to us before heading off in the direction of the barracks. I turned back to my friends.

"Are you sure you three are going to be okay?" I asked. Cloudchaser smirked.

"Good ol' Grandma watching out for us. How about you Flitter?" She asked. Flitter yawned and nodded.

"I'm going to turn in as well. Nurses want to ensure I'm plenty bed rested before getting up and moving about so much." She said, turning to walk back to her bed. Scribble got into his and continued to scribble in his journal. I motioned at Scribble to Cloudchaser, who shrugged in response. Figuring to leave him alone, Cloudchaser walked me to the barracks. I found myself feeling a bit more awake as we talked a bit more. Before I was going to climb into my hammock, I turned to Cloudchaser and held her hoof tightly. She blushed a bit but saw my concerned look.

"Cloudchaser... I just want to... understand something... M-more for my sake if anything." I began. "You... you didn't force yourself to go through with it right? It wasn't just a heat of the moment from the victory? I... I understand if we rushed it a bit, and if you did, I want to make it known it wouldn't change much and just need to work on each other a bit more." Cloudchaser studied me before rubbing the back of her head.

"Welllll, I'll admit I was in a feel-good mood at the time. But I promise, I had plenty of time to think it over while you were gone. I'm certain of us. Of what we can try going forward. I'm willing to give it a shot so long as we know we aren't going to have any regrets." She replied. I gave her a loving smile before pecking her on the cheek, causing a cute reaction of her wings to pop open in surprise and her chuckling nervously.

"Thanks, Cloudchaser. For giving me a chance. I'll try not to disappoint." I said. Cloudchaser gave a reassuring smile before waving goodbye with a wing and walking back to the medical bay. I climbed into my hammock and sighed happily, hugging my pillow. I found sleep coming to me quickly as I was lost in thought with a certain pegasus.

oooOOO000OOOooo

I found myself waking up in a crystalline seat. I took a quick look around. I was in the main room for the Cutie-Mark Map in Twilight's Castle. I was sitting in Twilight's seat. I looked down at myself. My battle worn hoodie cloak had changed to a flowing veil robe cloak of fire, my hood over my head.

'Is this a dream?' I thought to myself. My ear flicked when I started to hear voices coming from the door behind me.

"...It was the only thing I can think of! I just hope they are doing well on their journey." The voice of Princess Twilight said. I didn't move as I listened in. There are several hoofsteps accompanying her. Friends? The other princesses? I was right on both accounts. The door opened with Twilight leading the herd of her friends and our royal leaders, the Crystal Empire representative included, walked in.

"I'm sure Starlight, Sunburst and Trixie are fine. Starlight is still sending letters so we shouldn't worry too much." Rarity replied in her usual confidence. Their steps stopped and several gasps of surprise sounded.

"Fie?" I heard Twilight ask. I looked over my shoulder to the group and stood up, walking to the center of the room. I turned to face them and nodded. Twilight smiled in relief. "Thank Celestia you are alright. What about the others?" She asked. I didn't respond. The group exchanged concerned glances. Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes suspiciously at me.

"Are you really Quiet Fire? Or just another image Ouroboros magicked up?" She stated. I pulled down my hood, revealing my usual self to them. However, I noticed I had kept a stoic expression, regardless of how I'm feeling. I hummed in my head. I have to communicate with them. Concentrating hard, I found myself struggling to open my mouth. It came out as choking, putting a hoof to my neck. Uttering nothing but grunts and groans to form words. It took a bit before I was able to manage something.

"I... saw... message..." I rasped. Twilight exchanged glances to the others before realization dawned on her.

"Oh... you saw that?" She asked guiltily. "Listen, Fie, it wasn't something we wanted to come to a conclusion about. But the ponies of Equestria, even our neighboring nations, were calling for us to do something about it. I promise, you are all not exiled. It's just something to-" There was a loud pop that interrupted her. Discord floated above her, sipping the glass rather than the liquid that was supposed to be consumed.

"Now, princess, there is no need for excuses. Fie and her friends already know about the little hissy fits long before the message was even out. It should have been no surprise it was bound to happen." He said casually. Twilight gave an annoyed look.

"Now's not the time, Discord. I really need to-" She began.

"Apologize for a rational decision? My, my, it doesn't suite a princess well to back track on her words now. Am I right?" He grinned, waving his eyebrows at the other princesses who were none too pleased with his presence.

"What do ya' want, Discord?" Applejack arched a disappointed brow. Discord looked offended.

"Come now! Why would I want something when I already have the capability of having it all? Granted a higher power is limiting me, but when have I ever let limiters slow me down." He began to file his claw, kicking back in the air. “Think nothing of the sort. In fact, I’m here to fill in the blanks. As you can see, our dear friend is a little under the weather. Dry throat making it hard to talk and all. Not really herself but still here.”

I kept my hoof pressed to my neck, trying to utter more words.

“Looking… Zebra… Savanna… heir…” I rasped.

“What’s that, dear?” Rarity asked with worry. Discord floated over to me and pat my head.

“Allow me, friend.” He smiled. Discord began explaining everything that led up to where we were currently. The reactions were grim or horrified. I noticed Twilight looking panicked a little. When Discord finished in his Discord way, having reenacted some of our exploits theatrically, the room was silent.

“That’s so awful!” Fluttershy spoke, breaking the silence. Discord nodded sadly.

“She and her friends are doing their best through it all. And in the end, that is all that matters, right Princess Twilight?” He said, giving puppy dog eyes to her. Twilight shrunk back a bit. Applejack and Rainbow Dash frowned and stood in front of Twilight.

“Lay off her, Discord.” Rainbow Dash challenged.

“No… he’s right…” Twilight began. Everypony looked at her worriedly. She stepped forward over to me. “I’m so sorry, Quiet Fire… I relied on you too much. We were being overwhelmed ourselves that I felt okay putting that responsibility onto you. And now, everycreature is praising your exile.” I tilted my head slightly. What has happened while I was gone? One thing I do know now was Discord not joking about shadowing us.

I never thought he’d disguise himself subtly in my flame decal of my hoodie cloak. But if he was a graphic on my cloak in Roam, how is he here already? Oh right. God of Chaos. I tried to utter words again, Discord “translating” my grunts.

“What’s that? Oh my, the princess certainly does seem a bit frazzled as of late. But what can you do in a time of war? Even royalty cannot handle everything.” He said.

“Stop…” I rasped. I struggled, almost choking on myself to get words to come out. I felt myself being frustrated. ‘Come on, voice! Work, damn you!’ Eventually, I finally managed a sentence. “Final element... unknown… Zebra heir... know more. Roam… working with… to ally…” I groaned. “Need to find… heir… two birds… one… stone.” I met Twilight’s gaze and I smiled softly. “It’s… okay… we are… fine…” Discord looked disappointed.

“Such a party pooper. Nothing wrong with a little drama here and there.” He said.

“Discord!” The group said in unison. Discord smiled nervously, popping back over to Twilight and resting an elbow on her head.

“So, princess. What will you do now? Fie is about to stumble into enemy lines and the Triad are starting to make themselves known throughout Equestria. Things are looking pretty bleak.” He said with a contempt smile. Twilight looked lost. Okay, this is starting to get a bit annoying. I walked over to Twilight, waving away Discord before smiling and lifting her chin to meet my eyes.

“Be… your best… self… okay?” I rasped. Twilight studied me.

“But… what if my best self isn’t good enough?” She asked sadly. Twilight must have a lot of baggage piling up with everypony spread thin. I don’t blame her. I looked to her friends however and nodded. “They’ll… help… always…” Twilight blinked and looked back to her friends, who nodded in return in their own way. She returned her look to me. “Talk more… later… Work… to do…”

“W-wait, Fie.” Twilight began. “Ouroboros. He’s up to something. We think he might be setting you up for something worse than you can manage. I’m not sure what he’s trying to pull, but please, be careful.” I nodded knowingly. Discord scooped me up as if I was his pal, grinning at Twilight.

“Not to worry, princess. Ol’ Discord is keeping a close eye on her. If anything comes up, you’ll be the first to know.” He said with a wink. The rest groaned but Twilight sighed.

oooOOO000OOOooo

I found myself sitting in front of Din. She was resting herself under the tree, her eyes studying me. It wasn’t too long when Din finally spoke.

Need I remind you that I do not want to be bothered while I’m resting? She said with a frown. I blinked quizzically. Din rolled her eyes. When are you ever going to be aware of your own actions. It’s bad enough that Ouroboros keeps drawing your attention elsewhere. She sighed.

“Huh?” I replied.

”Huh”? Did your brain not develop at all or did your puberty and “fondness” for insignificant simpletons muddle your… you know what? I’m not even going to entertain this. How about you stay away from wandering in limbo. I couldn’t help but look at her in drastic confusion, even gesturing around myself.

“What are you even talking about?!” I exasperated. “What the hell did I do?!” Din snorted disappointingly.

Have you’ve ever decided to practice lucidity? You’ve done it before and yet you always seem to just mindlessly wander into other territory. She stated. I opened my mouth, still confused as to what she was talking about, but stoped as an inkling of realization nipped at me. Focusing on the thought more, things were starting to click. Din rested her head over her forelegs. I trust you’ll be more aware this next time. You promised. I felt myself being lifted up and Din’s realm began to shrink under me.

I jolted awake at the same time we hit the bottom of a hill drop in the metal behemoth. Thi panicked a bit and wiggled the levers, jerking us in motion. Scribble rubbed his head, having banged it against the wall of the beast from the impact. Thi came to a stop and sighed in relief.

“My bad, everypony.” She said with a nervous smile and chuckle. I was fully awake now, shaking away my daze as the top hatch of the beast opened up. Flitter and Cloudchaser poked their heads in.

“Everypony okay?” Flitter asked worriedly.

“Just more head trauma.” Scribble replied, rubbing the side of his head. Thi fiddled with the levers and got the beast to jerk forward again.

“I think we are stuck.” She frowned. One by one we climbed out of the beast. This model was lent to us by Gladius on our farewell. Disassembled of artillery in favor of armored transportation. Lighter frame but enough ballistic material to handle motors. It was the only means they could give us without threatening any boundaries of the Zebra Lands. I landed on the dry, grassy plain, trees dotting the landscape that made it feel like I was on a Safari tour.

We spent three days on the road, passing through Roam’s borders and into Zebrica. It was interesting riding through the valleys of Roam’s less sand ridden areas. We were even mistakenly honored by a passing village for the events the Gorgons handled three years ago. Though, we were running out of rations as we forgot to stock up before leaving, so it was interesting experiencing Roam’s culture.

Now being officially into Zebrica, the sun shone overhead, kissing our coats warmly as a cool breeze blew through our manes. Thi tapped the wheels of the beast, checking to ensure we weren’t SOL. My eyes scanned the horizon. I don’t know why, but I was expecting to be jumped by lions or something. Despite that, I was rather intrigued how different Roam and Zebrica were even though they are neighboring nations. Thi clicked her tongue.

“Shit. The treads broke and the wheels jammed on a rock. Guess we are walking rest of the way.” She said, walking over to us.

"Wow. Are we really in Zebrica?" Flitter marveled as she scanned the horizon of the field before us. Scribble withdrew his journal and opened it.

"We're in the Savanna, believe it or not. Specifically, the Zathura Belt. If we want to reach the nearest modern village, we'd have to travel eastward for a while." He said, withdrawing a map of Zebrica from his journal. We exchanged glances with each other as Thi took the map in her magic and studied it.

"Been to Zebrica often?" Cloudchaser arched a brow in a smile. Scribble shrugged.

"Had a rumor about the sighting of an Adjule prowling and terrorizing a village. Reports and evidence showed instead it was a lion that was painted to be a Marozi that a wealthy business Zebra unleashed to scare the locals into giving up their lands. Safe to say that the lion was also suffering from exile from his pack, so the two were in cahoots." He explained.

"That is such a wild story that I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't gone against a Kelpie in Manehatten." I replied, a little intrigued by the irony. Cloudchaser blinked.

"Wait... what's that?" Cloudchaser stated as she pointed ahead of us. We looked to see smoke rising off into the distance over a hill. Thi rolled up the map and gave it back to Scribble.

"Either a village or a savanna fire. Based on the burning smell, a gathering of poultices." She said with a sniff in the air. I walked forward and smiled.

"Village it is then. Let's see what we can gather about the Triad facility in question." I said. We gathered our stuff from the metal beast and began a trek through tall grass and an insane amount of bugs. I swatted away several mosquitos, but that didn't help any of us one bit. By the time we trekked towards a village that had several huts dotting the area, I was scratching at myself as well as my friends. Cloudchaser stuck her tongue out disgustedly.

"Should have brought bug spray." She stated. My friends and I continued walking further into the village, only to stop and look around. The bonfire in the middle was burning indeed, but there is hardly any pony around. I arched a brow and proceeded forward, peeking my head into a hut.

"Helloooo? Anypony home?" I called out. No response. My friends looked around, calling out to other huts. Scribble studied the bonfire closer and withdrew something from the ashes. I walked over to him after having no luck of finding anypony to see what he found. He then held it up to me.

"Triad. No surprise, but I'm questioning how their regalia is being used as kindling with no pony around." He said. "This was recently burnt."

"Guys, I think I found something!" We heard Thi call out. We cantered over to the direction she called us in and gasped. There were several zebra laying in the ground, their bodies mauled. However, each of them were groaning, as if this attack was fresh and recent. I quickly scanned the area with Din's eyes. I spotted what looked like several auto wagons driving away with a cart in tow. Nothing stood out other than they were plain auto wagons. It made me shift my frown. Scribble knelt down to study the wounds on a zebra, the mare opening one eye and screaming at the sight of Scribble. She started speaking in zebric in a panic. Scribble responded in zebric, gesturing at the zebra mare. The zebra mare looked confused and spoke. My guess is she was surprised a pony can speak zebra, let alone understand it. Scribble responded to the zebra's question with his own. Thi leaned over to me and whispered.

"Sadly, I've been around the world a bit and I still don't understand most languages. Just the hieroglyphs." She said. Scribble nodded as the zebra mare finished speaking, nursing her wound. Scribble turned to us.

"Seems we came at a perfect time. An Exile convoy just rolled through and 'put them in their place'." He said. Thi frowned.

"Exile?" She began. "Great. Our dumb luck put us in the right place at the worst time for these zebra." I then pointed in the direction I saw the convoy driving away.

"I managed to spy them just further down driving away in auto wagons. They had a cart in tow, but I didn't see what was in it." I said. Scribble turned to the zebra mare and spoke in zebric. The zebra mare was quiet for a moment before nodding and replying. Scribble bowed and turned to us.

"She's the village doctor so she'll be able to help the injured. We should get going while the tracks are fresh." He said. Thi arched a brow.

"Huh. Usually, you'd want to help creatures." She said. Scribble nodded.

"I would gladly do so if the villagers weren't cannibals." He said. We went quiet and stared dumbfounded at Scribble. He looked at us grimly, holding up the burnt regalia. "Lunch was cut short."

Chapter 18: Star Bright, Star Light.

Scribble told us what he gathered from our brief moment in the village. The zebra doctor is somepony from outside the Zathura Belt. She had told Scribble that she was doing her monthly run of the villages along the belt as part of a reformation act that the capitol of Zebrica passed with the village chieftains. Apparently, the newer generation that took the leadership of their respective villages wanted to break away from old traditions and wanted to expand to modern and new ones. Sounds pretty noble, right? Well, Scribble said it is going about as poorly as expected. Zebrica is a little bigger than Roam, which means that there are a lot of places of untouched or undiscovered areas which would house a lot of dangerous animals or native tribes. The R.E.Z.A. organization leading the charge to inaugurate the villages has only succeeded to several bigger communities and only a minority of smaller villages. Everything else is still a work in progress.

Scribble also managed to gather that the Exiles raided the village to not only set an example, but to rescue the "captives". With this info in mind, we easily put two and two together. We left the village in a brief fashion, following some freshly made wagon tracks. It didn’t take long for all of us to become annoyed with the bugs and humidity. Thi even randomly blurted out an apology about the mechanical beast we left behind, swatting away flies as we continued to follow the trail.

Yet, despite the bugs, pricking of shrubs and the dry air, there was something mystical about this place. We trekked up a hill and came to a stop, our breaths leaving us in a marveled manner. Expanding before us and dotting the land were trees, a river snaking off into the distance that split the land in half, mountains in the distance, an interesting rock formation and with the help of Din’s eyes, I spied a bigger village quite a way away.

I’m hoping that the smoke isn’t an attempt to cook more Triad. I shook away the thoughts, telling myself to not let the first impression sway me. I scanned the area a bit more.

“I see another village in the distance.” I stated. My eyes fell onto the tracks and followed them up to us. “The tracks are leading to it.” We looked to Scribble, who seemed to ignore us doing so. He then met our looks and sighed.

“You can’t expect me to know if every village or hamlet is safe for anything. It’s why Zebrica made warnings and allowing only minimal tourism. Not much else is known other than the magic they practice.” He stated. Thi rubbed her chin with a curious hum. Scribble shook his head. “Zebras don’t have horns. At least pure breeds. The magic they practice is rumored to be nature and all things wildlife. Even Mage Meadowbrook learned several things from Zebrica in her own studies.” Thi looked at him and narrowed her eyes.

“But what’s stopping them from having a horn…” She thought. I couldn’t help but chuckle with Cloudchaser and Flitter. Scribble sighed.

“Shall we move on?” He asked, starting to walk down the hill. We followed him as Thi replied back:

“C’mon! You know we’ve seen more than our fair share of weird! It won’t even be weird! Just awesome!”

With the sight of The Savanna fresh in our minds, we didn’t mind the bugs as much anymore. In fact, I decided to use a very small speck amount of Din’s power to warm up our area and keep the bugs at bay. We made the village our main destination, trekking through a bit of mud and some tall grass. We had to stop when we saw mother nature in all its’ glory. A cheetah dashed out of the tall grass, chasing what appeared to be an elk.

They raced through the plains, kicking up dirt before disappearing for a time. When we walked a bit further, the cheetah was seen licking its’ paw, clearly frustrated as the elk was swimming across the river. Unfortunately, a pack of Rockadiles were waiting. I’ve never seen a quick and unfortunate demise in nature. I couldn’t help but wonder how Fluttershy would take all of this in. We decided it’s best to continue with caution.

Even though we could handle ourselves, I doubt the Zebras would be pleased if foreigners decided to interfere with nature, intentional or not. The sun was high overhead by the time we reached the edge of the village. To my surprise and relief, this village seemed a bit more modern. Zebra of all heights and stripes mingled about, either in their huts or shopping. It also wasn’t that much of a surprise that our approach quieted some of the villagers and got plenty of eyes on us.

Some of the foals that were playing a game stopped and looked at us curiously. It was a little awkward with all the attention, but when Thi came to a stop and slumped, our day was about to get a little complicated.

“What should we tell them?” Thi stated, motioning at a pair of advancing zebras bearing spears. The zebra mares came to a halt in front of us and stamped them spear butts into the ground before stepping aside. We felt ourselves shrinking just a little as a pretty but intimidating sized zebra approached us. She looked down upon us, studying us. I exchanged glances with the girls when Scribble stepped forward and made a formal bow, speaking in zebric.

This made the zebra around us mutter in surprise. The massive zebra mare tilted her head with interest. She replied in her dialect, Scribble replying in kind. The conversation went on for a bit, myself and the others idling and fidgeting with our hooves as we waited. Suddenly, the zebra mare laughed and in clear pone-ish, spoke to us.

“Then I bid you all, welcome to our little village of pride.” She said with a heavy accent. The zebra around us were relaxed a bit now, but their curious eyes still followed us. “Come. We will discuss in my hut.” Thi smiled and nudged Scribble.

“Glad you are on our side, egghead.” She said. Scribble looked a bit distressed but nodded. Thi arched a questioning brow and shrugged at us.

“So, you all come as representatives of our kin in Roam. How are they fairing over there?” The zebra mare asked. She had introduced herself as Zikola, the lead huntress to the village. We sat around a small wooden table as Zikola stirred a pot over a fire. Scribble replied.

“The Gorgons had managed to overthrow several corrupt individuals from the throne and now they are looking for another heir to the throne. We helped them track down the next in line's location to Zebrica. We were wondering if you had seen a convoy pass through with ponies in tow.” Zikola hummed as she sprinkled some foliage into the pot.

“It is as you say. The Exiles did pass this way.” She replied. “Though with ponies I do not know. We do not question their business. They leave us alone as long as we do.” She then frowned. “Now if only they’d leave the lands alone as well. The animals are in a panic lately.” Thi leaned forward.

“Could it have to be dealing with a Roam facility here?” She asked. The huntress darted her eyes in thought.

“Unsure. The facility you speak of is further east beyond the Cliffbolt Formation. What I’m talking about is their illegal hunting privileges.” She said. Thi nodded.

“I don’t know much about The Exiles. But the Triad I do know. And I know they had their own poaching business a long time ago. H.U.N.T. shut it down though.” She crossed her forelegs with a frown. “I wouldn’t be surprised if the Triad are allowing The Exiles to poach the land for their services.” Scribble nodded.

“I agree. But poaching will always be something in the hearts of greed. What we can do is leave the land and its’ people alone and just focus on finding the heir.” He said. Zikola gave a smile at the stallion.

“I admire the ones who respects our culture and understands the land. Earth ponies certainly are tied to the land without realizing it as much. Their hooves are quite a… wonder.” She gave a playful smile. Scribble avoided any eye contact, looking quite distressed. The rest of us exchanged glances before snickering. Scribble cleared his throat before replying.

“I-in any case. Do you happen to know of a quick way to get to the facility?” He asked. Zikola frowned.

“Now why, in our great land, would you want to go there? Even if you could, you’d be shot on sight.” Flitter gave a worried look.

“How long have they’ve been terrorizing The Savanna?” She asked. Zikola studied the mare and sighed.

“For as long as I can remember. I was but a filly when they intruded upon our peaceful lands. First came the deforestation. Then came the poaching. Then the abductions.” Cloudchaser furrowed her brows.

“Have they desecrated ancient sites belonging to your ancestors as well?” She asked. Zikola looked a bit surprised but nodded.

“The tombs of our great ancestors have been pillaged and robbed of possessions meant to give them peace after death. It threw the Zebra Lands into utter turmoil for moons. R.E.Z.A. won’t do anything about it and they always state they are trying to unite the peace that was broken.” She snorted. “But alas, what can one do against iron and smoke? All our tribes want to do is live in peace.” She then brought Scribble into a hold as she continued. “It just makes my blood boil that they choose such methods against us!”

Scribble was starting to turn blue in the hold as he adjusted and managed to catch his breath before responding.

“W-we’ll help as best we can… ouch… tight…” He replied. Zikola began to mess with his mane as she sadly sighed.

“We would not want to trouble you all for the sake of the Savanna. It is quite dangerous. And even if you tried, you’d be captured or even worse.” She said. Scribble tried to squirm away from her, but to no luck. Thi smiled.

“Then allow us to introduce ourselves properly. We’re the badasses that are going to help out as much as we can. Just some ground rules. We are not here to be used to fight in personal wars against other tribes, communities or factions. The Triad is all we are inclined to manage. We cannot save everypony, but we’ll do what we can. All we ask is some food and some info and we’ll be good to go.” She said. Zikola looked a bit hopeful, but still uncertain. Scribble gasped for breath.

“W-we’ll even find out what happened to the stallions of your village…” he gasped. Zikola beamed and brought Scribble in for a hug.

“You would do that for us? But…” she then held out Scribble, the stallion’s eyes spinning. “No, we mustn’t. Tis not your burden to bear. I would not feel at peace if you all ended up gone forever.” I chuckled at the sight before replying.

“Not everyday a pony gets to know about Zebrica. Better start now than later.” I said. Zikola happily hugged and swayed Scribble happily, expressing her delight more with her language. Which Scribble froze.

“What?!” He exclaimed. “Uhh… I-I’m good. M-my stay won’t be that long.” Zikola laughed.

“Non-sense! It’ll be a magical time!” She said, giving him a playful look and messing with his mane. He managed to squirm out from under her and turned Thi around, pushing her out the hut with him walking behind her.

“A generous offer, but we must really go. Girls?” He motioned with his head. Zikola waved at us as we walked.

“Come back anytime, handsome!” She called out. As we left the hut, Scribble gave an exhausted sigh. Thi chuckled.

“What’s the matter? She seemed nice.” She nudged him. Scribble frowned.

“Take a look around and tell me what you see?” He replied. We looked at each other before doing so. Nothing stood out from what I expected out of a village. All except for one thing that began to dawn on me. Flitter answered for us.

“Huh… I just figured the stallions were out hunting or something.” She said. Scribble nodded.

“Too long from the errr… looks of it.” He said, shifting us away from Zikola’s hut. “We do need to gather as much info but…” he then looked at us. “Perhaps we should stick together in this one. Zikola may speak Equestrian, but that isn’t a guarantee for the others.” Cloudchaser rubbed the back of her head.

“So… why not ask Zikola then?”

“We can try somepony else.” Scribble quickly replied before motioning us to follow. “Hop to it.” We caught up to Scribble after letting several foals that were playing run past us. Thi rubbed her chin.

“I wonder what Zikola said to make him act that way.” She wondered.

We spent a good couple of hours gathering what we could. It all came down to this. The Exiles had abducted all the stallions from the village. Which was honestly quite baffling. What would the Triad need from stallions? I can think of only a few ideas but nothing too out there. We stood at the edge of the village, going over what Scribble had written down.

“So not only have the stallions been abducted, but the last village also had Triad captives rescued. We know the Exiles are working under the Triad but that’s where the sense ends.” He explained. Thi hummed in thought.

“There could be a lot of reasons for whatever it is. Frankly, we won’t know until we can manage to interrogate one. And it’s safe to say that the villagers won’t be so keen on giving us any idea of where one would be.” She replied. We heard a soft voice next to us in zebric. We looked to see a filly. She looked up at us curiously but knowingly. Scribble blinked and spoke in zebric. The filly responded, causing Scribble to rub his chin and start a conversation with the filly. We waited patiently as the two conversed. Scribble finally turned to us and wrote in his journal.

“We got ourselves a guide. She says she knows of a little hangout that the Exiles like to visit. A watering hole specifically. Easy for them to poach.” He explained. Cloudchaser smiled and ruffled the filly’s mane.

“Good work, kid.” She said. The filly batted at her hoof and frowned, causing Cloudchaser to nervously smile. I chuckled and leaned forward.

“If it’ll make you feel better.” I teased, lowering my head a bit to her. Cloudchaser blushed and got real nervous. Flitter and I giggled while Thi nudged me with the side of her flank against mine as she walked past after Scribble.

“C’mon. We got some tail to kick.” She said with a grin. The filly led us away from the village, picking up a stick along the way and using it as a walking stick, leading us down a hill and towards some dense grass. it was a good ten-minute trek when she turned to us and spoke. Scribble nodded and pat his chest, replying to her before motioning to us. He must have said something that made the filly snicker. Thi narrowed her eyes at him. “What did you tell her?” She asked.

“I only answered a question.” He replied, leaving it at that. Thi blinked and shook her head. The filly led us quite a decent way away from the village and pointed at a far-off bank in the river. She spoke to Scribble and Scribble gave a formal bow to the filly, who turned around and cantered back to the direction of the village. Flitter looked worriedly at the filly.

“Is she going to be okay?” She asked. Scribble nodded as he scanned the horizon.

“She’s not allowed to go past this hill. But she knows the place well enough that she has spotted the Exiles hanging around here often.” He explained. Thi rubbed her chin.

“Who’s to say the kid didn’t just prank us?” She asked. Scribble shrugged.

“If she did, I don’t think she would have so openly expressed her worry about her missing father.” He replied. Thi smiled.

“Fair enough. Fie?” She looked to me. I took a bit to realize what she wanted from me. Using Din’s eyes, I scanned the area. Aside from the grazing bison, prancing elks, fluttering birds and gathering hippos in the watering hole, nothing else stood out. Except for some fresh wagon tracks along the edge. I narrowed my eyes.

“Fresh tracks by the edge. I can’t tell which way though.” I said. Cloudchaser ruffled my mane.

“Flitter and I got this.” She grinned. I watched the two take off into the air and began to hover around, their eyes scanning the area around. I sighed happily, unaware that Thi awkwardly rubbed her head.

“So… I take it things are going well?” She asked me.

“Hmmm?” I replied dazedly. Thi slumped and looked to Scribble.

“You sure we shouldn’t ask Zikola? It could save us time.” She stated to Scribble. Scribble proceeded to open his journal and ignore her, skimming through his pages. Thi looked between us and frowned. “Am I missing something here?” After a bit, Cloudchaser and Flitter motioned at each other before flying back down to us.

“Saw some auto wagons speeding off towards that rock formation.” Cloudchaser said, pointing in the direction.

“We think we also saw their camp. They are tucked away behind some tall shrubs a little further that way.” Flitter stated, pointing away from her sister. Thi smiled.

“Awesome. Who’s ready to go say hi?” She asked.

“Is what I would have been happily to have done if anypony was around.” Thi said sourly as she shifted over a tipped crate of empty bottles. Our arrival at the poacher camp was indeed not what we expected. In fact, we were beginning to think we just stumbled upon an abandoned archeological camp site. Or at least, a checkpoint of some sort. But the possibility our marks were here. Signs show that there were recently slept in grass beds and half full bottles of alcohol.

Other than that, the whole site was a mess. Weathered tents and knocked over crates as if some animals had gotten hungry or curious. I shifted through some left behind luggage, only to find nothing of interest. Scribble brushed the ground, his eyes scanning along the tracks. He sighed.

“They really do visit this place often. But why?” He thought aloud to himself. Flitter scanned above the camp.

“I thought poaching.” She said. Scribble nodded.

“Yes, but more of the point, what are they poaching? Elephants? Cheetahs? Lions? Gazelle? If this was a poaching camp, how would they be able to move stuff from this close to a village? One that R.E.Z.A. does have direct contact with.” He said.

“Are we sure we can trust this R.E.Z.A. group?” Thi said with a shudder. “I’m starting to think abbreviated organizations don’t have the best interest for the world.” Cloudchaser scratched her head.

“Well, we still do have one location to look for. That rock formation. If they passed through the village and stopped here for a bit before moving on, then that’s our best bet.” She said. Thi nodded.

“Better move before sundown. Zebrica isn’t the best place for camping, especially at night out in the open.” She said. We left the camp behind and focused our attention towards the rock formation. Our awareness cautious as we proceeded as later along the way, we ended up having an encounter with a pack of lions stalking us. Fortunately, they lost interest after a bit. I heard Din chuckle as they did. The sun had skimmed the horizon when we finally reached a hill overlooking another expansive field. However, this one had more foliage and as Scribble pointed out in the distance, the Ahuizotl Jungle expanding further out.

Thi smiled. “Reminds me of the times of helping out Daring Doo. Wonder how that mare is doing right now?” She asked more to herself. As we got closer to the rock formations, we decided to take a small break. We faced the direction the sun was setting and chewed on our rations, sitting on a rock and just chatting.

I held Cloudchaser’s hoof instinctively as Thi began retelling a Daring Doo adventure. I blushed with her and she rubbed the back of her head nervously with a smile. After a bit of rest, we proceeded back on the trail. The sun was beginning to set by the time we reached formation. We looked around the area for a time before regrouping and sighing in unison. No luck.

Thi nursed her aching hoof as she sat on her haunches.

“Should have asked Zikola if she knew more…” she muttered. Scribble shook his head. Thi frowned. “And why is it so much as a big deal to avoid somepony flirting with you? You should have put it aside so we could have better info.” Scribble returned her frown.

“Excuse me for not wanting to entertain the idea of taking a married mare.” He said. Thi rolled her eyes.

“Then you should have told her no and just continued. Why play around with it?” She asked. Scribble shook his head.

“Playing around with a married mare is not ideal. I have denied her approaches in her language already. But none of this should matter in the current situation.” He shot back. Thi glared.

“It does if it hinders on the fact we need to get to Pony Land and stop a war! Hellooo? Did everypony forget that that is what we are on this mission for?! Equestrian lives are at stake and we are sitting here, holding hooves and flirting with mares!”

I frowned and chimed in.

“What’s wrong with that? If anything, it helps keep us sane on the matter that we are surrounded by blood and evil.” I said. Thi groaned in frustration.

“I could care less if you managed to get a date or have an interest in somepony. But I do care when it decides to hinder a serious matter. Scribble, I don’t care if she wants your foals, you could have gotten more info to help us out!” She stated. Scribble glared and frowned. Flitter looked worriedly at her.

“Thi, that was uncalled for.” She said. Thi snorted.

“Look, Thi. We all understand the importance of the mission. And yeah, we may have slacked on some info, but we’ve been tortured, beaten, harassed and starved. If there is any leeway to destress from it all, I don’t see what’s wrong with a little R&R having.” Cloudchaser chimed in. “It’s an awesome story you told us about your exploits with Daring Doo and that gave us some peace of mind.”

“Unless you are in a rush to have more blood on your hooves.” I muttered in annoyance. Thi shot a glare at me.

“Now that is uncalled for. This isn’t a game, Fie.” Thi replied. I returned her glare.

“No duh. But you certainly treat it as such. I’ve been thinking on what Lo had said to you back in Roam. She made you out to be rushing headlong into gratifying murder. And considering how I saw you entered into the atrium?” I lowered my head. “I’m supposed to be the monster here.” Thi stamped over to me and pressed her snout against mine, meeting my gaze angrily.

“How about you drop that notion and just focus on your own fights! I swear, if it wasn’t for Din, you’d be dead long before leaving Equestria!” She put a hoof to her chest. “I have said countless times that the Triad will not hold back and have openly committed atrocities in public, regardless of security. We’ve all seen it first hoof and have been on the receiving end of it all! It’s not gratifying! Lo never understood why I do what I do! And I don’t need my best friend taking the side of a paid assassin!”

I pushed back with my snout.

“I’m not taking the side of any pony here! I never asked to be a part of this! But seeing that my best friend went off and has been doing this for years, I can’t help but feel that maybe the mare I knew back in Canterlot has been gone completely. I don’t want to believe that, but your no remorse for others is not helping your case!” I shot back.

“I don’t show mercy to war criminals! And neither should you!” She snapped. “We need you alive! And frankly, your head being stuck in the clouds has nearly doomed Equestria several times over! Hell, you tried to off yourself in Roam against King Leo! If I’m screwed up in the head for justifying my fight against the Triad, what do you have for being so damn stupid!”

Lightning crackled between our eyes as we growled at each other. Scribble got in between us and pushed us away from each other.

“Enough of this. Arguing isn’t going to help the issue of finding the poachers, an heir to Roam or the missing stallion zebras.” He looked to Thi stoically. “You’re right. I should have put aside my comfort and gotten more info out of Zikola. But right now, we should be focusing on figuring out where they could have gone from here.” He looked to Cloudchaser and Flitter. “Could you two fly around and see if you can spot anything? Fie, I need you to scale this formation high enough and scan the area around us. Thi, can I get you to help me look over something I’ve noticed? I could use your archeological input.”

Thi glared between me and Scribble. She sighed and spun on her hooves.

“Fine.” She said before trotting off towards the formation. Scribble sighed and gave an apologetic nod to me before trotting over to Thi. Cloudchaser and Flitter looked worriedly at me.

“What just happened?” Cloudchaser asked. I “hmphed” and spun on my hooves. I walked over to a decently size side of the formation and began my ascent with Din’s wings. Cloudchaser and Flitter flew past me, only for Cloudchaser to stop and float down to me. “You okay?” I snorted and began scanning the area.

“Oh yeah, perfectly fine. Not like I have concerns or anything. Definitely none about Thi’s unnerving thrill against other ponies.” I grumbled. Cloudchaser put a hoof on my back reassuringly and smiled.

“You can tell me about it, can’t you?” She said. I sighed and rubbed my foreleg.

“I just… I understand the dire situation of what we are in. And granted, we could use the break for a time. But Thi… well… she’s always been headstrong even in CSGU. But she had never had any desire to physically hurt ponies unless provoked to a degree of intolerance. Sure, the trouble followed her because she had less than appropriate views towards our professors.” I bowed my head, my bangs darkening my expression. “Things change over the years. When Thi showed back up on my doorstep, the stuff I noticed was a bat with an eye and her change of style.

“Her attitude and indifferent nature is still the same. I shouldn’t be so surprised how she handles the situations, considering we’ve all seen it first hoof. But… I don’t know. I can’t help but feel that something clicked inside of her. Like she’s trying to prove something and it’s causing her to… well… be way too much of herself. Throwing herself full force into a hail of arcane fire with her own and seemingly enjoying it. I’m a little… scared and worried.” I met Cloudchaser’s gaze. “Worried that she’s putting herself too deep into bodies and holes that she won’t ever come back out of it. And scared of the one mistake that is ever so hanging over her. Lo Mien maybe a paid assassin, but her and Thi used to be in the same mercenary squad. There must have been some care for each other for an assassin to play off a shoot-on-sight order. It was like she was trying to stop her.”

Cloudchaser rubbed the back of her head.

“Well… Lo Mien gave off a very vague atmosphere about her back in Trottingham. And she did walk away from us with a dangerous serum when we were trying to stop a Raptorian and save Flitter. Flitter still has night terrors so I never gave Lo Mien much thought. Her and Thi did seem like they had good chemistry. I wonder if it wasn’t the incident with Lavan and six hundred thousand lives that started it all.” I sighed.

“Only Lo Mien knows that answer. I just want Thi to be okay by the end of this. She’s always had our best interest but she’s always done things by herself. If I wasn’t a main thing to save our realm, she would probably have stayed with me in Ponyville. Or… that could be just wishful thinking.” Cloudchaser was quiet for a bit before smiling softly.

“Regardless of it all, you are her best friend. And she definitely cares if she decided to come see you after six years. Either to protect you from some dumb prophecy or genuine homesickness, you were the first pony she thought of. She could just be a little bit frustrated because our encounters with the Triad have been way too action packed for her liking. And err... maybe having factions using us for their own favors. We’ve saved hamlets and villages before. I believe Thi will be okay. We just need to remind her every now and then that she is just a pony. Bring her back down to get her to think better on the matter.”

I looked up from my darkened expression and softened to a smile. I put a hoof on her’s and placed her hoof against my cheek.

“You just have this way to lift my spirits, Cloudchaser. I’m glad I met you.” I said. Cloudchaser blushed and laughed nervously, pulling away a bit and cleared her throat.

“I-I should get back to spotting the area. Can’t let Flitter do all the work.” She then hesitated, her eyes darting in thought. I was shocked as to what she did next. She gave me a quick peck on the cheek and took off quickly, her face bright red. I felt my heart soar.

Gag me with the scale… Din stated disgustedly.

‘Jealous?’ I chuckled. Din arched an unamused brow at me.

You’re kidding, right? She replied unenthusiastically.

Flitter had spotted a convoy approaching. We decided to lie in wait. Taking cover behind some rocks, Scribble readied himself to spring his trap. There were three auto wagons approaching. The lead wagon had an unpleasant decor at the front of it. A skull belonging to some sort of creature. It had to be Exiles. The wagons puttered through, slowing their speed. Were they planning to stop? Fortunately, yes. Night had fallen upon Zebrica and the lights of the auto wagons illuminated the area. The wagon doors opened and out stepped several zebra dressed in uniforms. A couple of them headed off to the side while the rest took up positions in a typical break from the road.

I gave a disgusted look as a zebra had taken the liberty to relieve himself by my hiding spot. My eyes fell on a zebra that seemed the leader of the herd based on the uniform. She flicked a lighter and lit a cigar, taking a puff and exhaling the smoke. I subtly made a motion at the zebra to my friends. They nodded and Thi pat Scribble’s back softly. Scribble crushed a rock, his hoof clap echoing around the zebras. The area illuminated with bright lightning, striking the auto wagons and overloading the crystal engines. The zebra panicked, looking around as the light vanished.

We made our move. One by one, we subdued the zebra. By the time the auto wagon engine crystals restarted, we had tied up the zebra altogether with one of Scribble’s earth stones. The lead zebra mare struggled in her restraints and growled angrily as we stepped into the light. She spoke in her language. Scribble stepped forward, his expression stoic as he replied to her. The zebra mare spat at him and I heard “Equestrian” in her words. Scribble replied to her, the words sounding a little longer than I thought they would be.

We idly waited while Scribble interrogated the group. He even asked for Thi to open up one of the auto wagons and place two rocks to the crystal engine. He then put two smooth stones on the ground by the zebra. He asked her to start it and when she did, the stones crackled with electricity and soon, the zebra were screaming in pain as the voltages flowed through them. Using this method, he managed to get some good info.

“They are indeed Exiles.” He said to us. “They have operations all over Zebrica. Their main base is in Wakula, just on the edge of the capitol. This group only handles smuggling trades. And wouldn’t you know it, they even partook in the kidnapping of the stallions in Zikola’s village.” Thi rubbed her chin.

“Anything else you were able to get? Such as Triad activity?” She asked. Scribble nodded and withdrew his journal, opening it and began scribbling something down.

“Actually, yes. The Triad has a hoof hold in Zebrica’s coastal islands. They “liberated” the natives from the islands and established a naval base. They are slowly pushing their way into Zebrica.” He stated. Thi sighed.

“I figured as much. Did they say anything about the Zetacan Temples?” She asked. Scribble turned to the zebras and spoke in zebric. The zebra mare growled, remaining quiet. Thi frowned and trotted over to the auto wagon. Another zebra spoke up in a panic, causing the lead zebra to retort angrily. But the other zebra broke down. Cloudchaser stared questioningly at the rocks.

“This is… surprisingly effective.” She said. Scribble shrugged.

“There is a drastic difference in voltage with arcane lightning compared to naturally scientific ones. Both lethal in high conduction, but arcane has a sharper sting.” He explained. “As for what they said, the Triad are currently digging into one of the main temples deep in the Ahuizotl jungle. For what they are seeking, they don’t know. But knowing Triad, something magically devastating.” Thi hummed.

“What happened to Ahuizotl…?” She thought to herself again. I was starting to feel a bit lost so I decided to walk over and shift through the auto wagons while the rest continued the interrogation. I could sense Din feeling restless.

Must we continue this questioning? We’re no closer to finding my sister. We should just leave this lot and head to the facility ourselves. Din said boredly.

‘Maybe there is something with this group that can at least give us something more…’ I thought. Din grumbled but I ignored her. I shifted through the seats, finding some loose bits that seemed exclusive to Zebrica, some dried snack rations and somecreature’s missing knife that was stained with what I hoped was just the metal decay.

I went over to the next auto wagon and opened the back first, my eyes widening when I saw a zebra mare looking up at me in panic, her eyes wide with fear. She was bound and gagged.

“Whoa, whoa whoa, easy. Easy. I’m not here to hurt you.” I said. The zebra mare muffled and moved her head as I reached for her gag. When I removed it, she spat at me. I wiped my cheek with the sleeve of my tattered hoodie cloak.

“Spiteful pony! You insult our great land, just to fill your pockets!” She shouted.

“Fie?” I heard Thi say from around the auto wagon. My friends rounded the sides as I held up a hoof at the zebra.

“Listen, I promise I’m not going to hurt you. Just let me help you out of there.” I said. The zebra mare moved away from me when I reached for her, her eyes angrily glaring daggers at me. I held up my hooves and stepped back a bit. “Alright, alright. Look, I’m backing away.” This surprisingly got the zebra mare to calm down. She looked between me and my friends.

“You… you’re Equestrian… not Euclidian?” She asked. I smiled and nodded.

“Yes. We’re here to help.” I replied. The zebra mare narrowed her look. I then proceeded to slowly reach for her binds. She didn’t fight it. With the help of my magic, I untied her binds and helped her out of the wagon. It wasn’t until she walked out into the lighting of the auto wagons did we see the bruises and cuts on her. Scribble tended to her while we took the liberty of searching the auto wagons thoroughly.

Our search came up with equipment of uncertain workings and a bit of arc weaponry. Flitter found a compact bow and quiver full of arrows, which she decided to take into her own possession. Thi took the liberty of using her magic to stock up her mags and arc pistols. The other bits of equipment we weren’t sure of and decided to leave alone for now.

“Just… who are you?” The zebra mare finally spoke as Scribble used a medkit from the auto wagons we looted to tend to her. Cloudchaser smiled.

“Just some ponies on a mission for peace.” She said. The zebra mare eyed the tied-up smugglers warily.

“Is there… a reason our homeland is receiving help now?” She asked.

“What do you mean?” Flitter asked. The zebra glared at the Exiles before speaking.

“These barbarians have been working for the Euclidians for as long as any of my kin can remember. They bring shame to our homeland for their vile deeds.” She angrily spat at them. One of the Exiles retorted in zebric, which the zebra mare responded in kind. Scribble had to interject.

“They won’t be any more trouble. At least this group. Which is what we want to ask. Were you recently kidnapped? Did they take you anywhere that could be of note that you could remember?” He asked. The zerba mare scoffed at the Exiles before turning to answer him.

“My name is Mystique Alegre. I’m an elementary teacher from a village in the Ahuizotl Jungle. I wish I could be of more help, but my main concern is getting back to my village.” She proceeded to crawl into an auto wagon and started messing with the levers. My friends and I exchanged glances. “I’ll explain as we travel back to my village. It is urgent I do so.” I shrugged.

“Works for me.” I replied.

Thi sped through the Savanna, the headlights on high and illuminating a good distance of our path. The rest of us held on as the road was less than smooth despite it being the most traveled on. Mystique had begun explaining the situation. She had been taken during the middle of her teaching session with foals when the Exiles stormed through and began to demand for their weekly “health inspection”. A fancier term for “Bring out the ones who are believers of the Order”.

Mystique states that this Order was an anti-Triad group that secretly has been exploiting and sabotaging activity. The Exiles are not being paid to go through Zebrica and abduct these zebras that were believed to still be a part of an Order that has been “violently disbanded”. In fact, it is hindering their work as the Triad are currently busy with their main facility. That doesn’t mean they aren’t getting paid. She also states that mainly zebra stallions have been getting abducted on rumors of “bringing a new breed of zebra” into the world.

This didn’t sit well with everypony. Mystique wasn't sure about it either and hoped it was only just rumors as the Exiles have abducted before for a number of reasons.

"So why leave the mares to fend for themselves?" Cloudchaser asked as she did her best not to fall out of her seat.

“Most of our kin believe that we are easy targets for exploitation. The stallions are usually the protectors of the lands and we the guiders. It is a lot more nuanced of it all, but I believe it is because we have angered the wrong kin.” Mystique replied, holding on for dear life. We hit a bump that sent most of us off the seats a bit.

“Thi, can you slow down?!” I shouted. Thi was messing with the levers.

“I’m trying! These things usually have a break lever, but I don’t know which one!” She replied in a bit of a panic. Good news is, we arrived at the jungle in record time. Bad news is that the road was now uncertain. Plant leaves and branches slapped and nicked us. Thi had a moment of realization and with her hind leg, pressed firmly down on a pressure plate like thing and the wagon shifted momentum. A loud screech sounded as the wagon jerked to a sudden stop, sending Scribble into the glass cover and me hitting my head against what is called a dashboard.

With the wagon stopped, everypony’s breaths were the only things we heard for a bit. I groaned and rubbed my head while Scribble pulled away with a dazed look, shaking it away before all of us looked to Thi. Thi gave a nervous laugh before slumping in her seat with an exhale.

“Everypony okay?” Flitter asked, pulling away from holding onto Cloudchaser. Mystique gasped and quickly scrambled out of the wagon. Thi and I exchanged glances and got out of the wagon with the rest. We followed the zebra mare hurriedly through the foliage. We came to a stop overlooking a hill. We heard a scream of a filly and my eyes widened.

Din stirred inside of me as we stared in shocked awe of a fire enshrouding a hut. There were other zebra around staring horrified. A small zebra filly was clutching a doll, crying in front of the burning house. My eyes fell onto several uniformed zebra, two having metallic packs on their back with a tube connecting to a strange, thin looking rod. Mystique grit her teeth and rushed down the hill.

“H-hey, wait up!” Cloudchaser called out. We followed after her. When we gathered with the rest, Mystique pushed her way through the crowd as one of the zebra back hoofed the filly, spouting angrily in zebric. Mystique shoved aside one of the villagers and galloped over to the filly, scooping her up and angrily shouting in zebric to the uniformed zebra. Thi looked grimly and I saw her reaching for her arc pistol. I put my hoof to stop her and shook my head before stepping through the crowd.

The uniformed zebra looked shocked, probably confused how Mystique managed to escape their group and able to get here so fast. I didn’t need to understand zebric to know what Mystique said, as the uniformed zebra was quick to draw an arc pistol and aim it at her, shouting something. I quickly pushed through the crowd, conjuring three clones of myself to move through the crowd. This was catching the attention of several villagers.

The uniformed zebra reached and began to yank at the filly, Mystique biting down on the zebra’s foreleg. He yelled in pain, probably swearing in response before aiming the pistol at her. I galloped forward and heaved myself towards the zebra, forehoof raised back. I delivered a hefty punch across the zebra’s muzzle, sending the zebra into the burning hut and crashing through the wall.

The other uniformed zebra were shocked and surprised by the sudden attack. Before they were able to retaliate, my clones dashed out of the crowd and began to subdue the zebra. One by one, the uniformed zebra fell unconscious to my clones and myself. When I downed the last one, I heard the hut beginning to cave in on itself.

Din cackled and I turned to see the zebra I had punched emerged from the hut, burnt in several places, but glaring angrily at me. I felt a warmth envelop me and the zebra’s eyes widened in fear. Din called to the fire from the hut and began to envelop me in it. None of it hurt.

‘What are you doing, Din?’ I asked her. Din chuckled smugly.

In due time. An idea struck me while you were idling about. She replied. The zebra were shocked as the fire flowed into my horn and vanished. Whatever fire remained of the hut was just embers and ash. I shifted my frown before meeting the burned zebra's gaze.

“Better start talking. Because I have a lot of questions.” I said. I furrowed my look in a realization before turning my head to Mystique. “Err… translate?” Mystique looked at me warily, still holding onto the filly. She then carefully looked to the uniformed zebra and spoke in zebric. The zebra was speechless for a moment. They then growled and shouted loudly. I was about to ask what they had said with Mystique when all of a sudden, something landed down in front of us.

I stepped back as the villagers screamed and began to run away. My friends cantered over to me, facing down a humungous quadra-ped hulk like monster that reared up and chambered its’ forelegs in front of them. Thi grit her teeth, swearing.

“Where have I’ve seen that before.” She stated sarcastically.

“Where did it even come from?!” Flitter stated in surprise. The robotic alicorn like robot unfurled its’ wings.

”TARGET PARAMETERS CHANGED. ENGAGE FOREIGN DISPUTE WITH LETHAL FORCE.” It spoke. Thi pulled me by the cloak.

“Take cover!!” She shouted. We scattered as Thi and I dove into the jungle foliage. The alicorn robot fired from its’ wings, the glowing spheres hissing as they snaked and swirled around the area, creating bright blue explosions. Thi and I felt ourselves being knocked to the side as one struck a tree we passed in a scurry to find cover. I groaned and shook away my daze, helping Thi up. We kept ourselves low in the foliage as the alicorn robot began to scan the area with a laser grid.

”READJUSTING. SCANNING.” It robotically rasped. I whispered to Thi.

“You’ve seen that thing before?” Thi nodded.

“Back in Trottingham. These things pack a lot of fire power. The one I took down was mostly a prototype.” She peeked out of the foliage to the robot. “Seems like the Triad completed what they needed. But I didn’t think the Triad would allow their highly advance tech to outside factions. Something is definitely going on inside the Triad.” I slumped a bit.

“So, what do we do? The usual?” I asked. Thi shook her head.

“I believe I was lucky with the prototype. We have an entire village to worry about. The most I can think of is luring it away.” She replied. I hummed in thought. I then heard Din hum amusedly.

Perhaps it’s time to unleash the idea I had. She said. I arched a brow.

‘What?’ I replied. Din sat up and grinned.

That insult of a creature is using enough of my sister’s power. I’m going to burn her. I blinked.

‘Wait… that thing is being powered by Lux?’ I asked dumbfounded. Din sighed.

It’s always a pain that your senses cannot pick up even the slightest bit of primal power. Oh well. I need you to get close and I’ll unleash what I’ve built up. I darted my eyes in thought. I had more questions about this, but when the alicorn robot seemed to have a lock on one of my friends off the side into the foliage, I decided to trust Din’s idea. I pat Thi’s shoulder and moved around her.

“Fie? What are you doing?” She whispered back. I smiled reassuringly at her before galloping out into the open. Calling out my quarter staff, I chucked it with my magic, the stick bouncing off of the robot's head. The eyes turned from blue to red as it faced me.

”TARGET ACQUIRED. ERROR. PRIMAL ENERGY DETECTED FROM TARGET. REQUESTING ADJUSTMENTS.” It spoke. I arched a brow at these words but I took its’ confusion to gallop towards the robot. ”REQUESTING ADJUSTMENTS… NEED ADJUSTMENTS…” Din began to laugh.

I felt a little nervous, but for some reason, it was totally lost. I slowed my pace to a walk, calling back my quarter staff and feeling a warmth flow through me.

“Shoot! Shoot! Kill her!” I heard a thick, heavy accented voice. I glanced over my shoulder to see the uniformed burnt zebra angrily spouting from the sidelines, salivating from the muzzle. I faced back to the robot.

”ADJUSTMENTS DENIED. AWAITING FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS.” It spoke. The warmth began to envelop me and the fire Din absorbed earlier flowed out of my body and at the tip of my horn. Din cackled.

I’m coming for you, sister! She hissed. We aimed our horns at the chest of the robot and I felt my hooves dig into the ground when the energy was released, destroying the body of the robot. I noticed something small and spherical launch out of the robot and then vanish into the beam out of existence. The robot crumbled to the ground, parts scattered here and there, sparking and hissing smoke rising out of it. I felt the warmth leave me as I scanned the sky, wondering what Din was looking for.

Din hummed pleasantly but remained silent. Slowly but surely, the villagers and my friends came out of their hiding. Thi smiled and whistled.

“Well, unexpected but worked out in the end.” She said, nudging me. I gave a soft smile in reply before Thi and I were pushed aside by the uniformed zebra. He looked dumbfounded and defeated, falling to his haunches. Mystique approached us carefully as the two of us were surrounded by the zebra.

“You… it’s you… the one called by the stars…” Mystique said. Thi and I exchanged glances as the rest of our friends approached us. I furrowed my look in worry. I was starting to have a bad feeling about this.

Chapter 19: Fire and Ire

Well, this is unexpected. I sat confused in the middle of a circle surrounded by zebra. Wood was stacked around up to my chest. I wasn't tied down or anything, but this still felt a little strange. My friends watched from the side lines. Cloudchaser rubbed the back of her head.

"Err... so, remind me again why the villagers are setting up Fie to a bonfire? Err... voluntarily?" She asked. I looked down at myself.

"Yeah, I'm not sure how I got talked into this." I replied. Mystique smiled.

"Your friend has been chosen by the stars. It is customary that we appease our ancestors' spirits with the presence of a Star Bearer." She said. "It has been written thousands of years ago when the first Star Bearer arrived into our homeland. Every year we celebrate it as the Star Bright Festival. We make effigies to burn to invite our ancestors to join in and partake in delicacies as well as commune with loved ones from beyond the spirit realm. However, a special rite had been recorded where one who will be selected as the next Star Bearer must undergo a special ritual to gain the blessings of our ancestors by exchanging a fraction of their power in their natural element." I looked worriedly at the stacks of wood around me.

'What is she talking about, Din?' I thought to her. Din snorted.

It does ring a bell... Almost as if I have done this before... She replied. I remember feeling... stronger through this. Mystique trotted over to me and put a hoof gently under my chin.

"The ritual is painless for the Star Bearer. I must remind you of some rules before we continue. You are to remain humble amongst the spirits. For they will provide you with blessings that you must treat with care. If you anger the spirits, you will be cursed. I have read the ancient texts for as long as I can remember. And it has given me a lot to learn about magic." I was starting to sweat a bit.

"I-I see... And you're an elementary teacher?" I asked, trying to remind myself why I was in this again. Din smirked.

This feels natural. Besides, there is no better way than to obtain more power for my ascension! She cackled.

'I hope you're right, Din.' I replied in my thoughts. I had to remind myself as well that I had promised to help Din to not hold her back. And if I have to become a volunteer to set myself on fire to commune with ancient zebra spirits, then for the sake of Equestria, I'll do it. Flitter scratched her head.

"Wait. If this is supposed to be done during a festival, shouldn't we have set it up as one?" She asked. Mystique chuckled.

"Unfortunately, the Star Bright Festival passed last month. And it has been several thousand years since the ancient texts had described such a method. But considering that nothing happened to the previous Star Bearer back then, and with careful following of instructions, we must treat the coming of the next Star Bearer as if the Star Bright Festival has never ended." She explained. Thi rubbed her chin.

"This is the first time I've ever heard of this process. Another quick question. What are we going to do with this one?" Thi bit down on a rope string and yanked the uniformed zebra forward, the zebra landing on his side and glaring up at them. Behind my friends were the zebra that had terrorized the village all gathered neatly and bound on a spit roast. Thankfully, the villagers here aren't cannibals as Mystique graciously explained to us, but they also don't have a jail or prison cell. So, they had to make do with what they have. Mystique frowned angrily at the zebra.

"Punishment for the wicked will be decided. I must ask that you please keep an eye on them while the ritual proceeds. As you might have guessed, we are not a community for this type of... interesting conflict." Mystique motioned to the other villagers who were either spectating, comforting others or helping stack wood around me. The zebra began to back away when I would assume the last bit of wood was tossed in, Mystique stepped towards me. "Star Bearer. You will now be graced by the ancestral dance of the dead to welcome our ancestor's spirits into the living realm. Your star will sense them."

I gave her a worried look as Din hummed.

Yes… I’ve done this before… but for what then…? She pondered.

‘So… what should I expect?’ I asked her. Din went quiet. ‘Din?’

Shut up. It’s starting. She hissed. My focus went onto three zebras bearing strange staves. The villagers began to stamp their hooves in a rhythmic beat, the torches lighting the area. Then began the chanting of a singular zebra followed by the chorus of the villagers. The three zebra in front of me began to dance, their hooves stomping to the beat as it got faster and faster. I heard the uniformed zebra shout something in zebric.

“What are they saying?” Thi asked Scribble.

“Spouting insults to get under the skin of the villagers.” He simply replied.

“Easy targets, we may be. But our spirits remain unbroken as wished by the ever stream.” Mystique spoke. The uniformed zebra grinned and spoke to Mystique. Mystique replied, annoyance clear on her face. Scribble then spoke up. The three were conversing with Scribble being the voice of reason for Mystique as the uniformed zebra gave a crazed laugh. Thi frowned and the sisters were unsettled. Mystique sighed and turned to my friends. “I fear we are not clear. More should be on the way. And it may not be pretty.”

Thi smiled and pat her chest.

“Leave it to us. Cloudchaser and Flitter. You girls begin patrolling above the perimeter of the village. Scribble will keep an eye on our intrusive guests here and I’ll look around on the ground for anything off. I’ll signal if I find anything. And Fie?” She looked to me. “Stay put.” I slumped and frowned at her.

“Don’t worry, not going anywhere.” I sarcastically replied. While my friends proceeded to do their patrols and guarding, I sighed and focused back on the dance. The rhythm was getting faster and faster. The dancer’s hooves moving so fast in a blur that they looked like they were gliding. Din stirred, standing up.

They are here. She said suddenly. I suddenly felt nervous. What should I expect? Wispy spirits floating around? Emerging from the ground and clawing at me? Would… would Table Top be apart of it all? I was getting flashbacks from all my Table Top encounters and the screams of the damned as Hoofington erupted into an amber mushroom cloud. I watched as the megaspell washed over me, setting my body ablaze. Yet, I didn’t feel anything.

The fire was instant. It grew higher and higher around me. I looked around in a panic. Din stepped out of me and walked down the stacked wood, her hoof steps setting the wood on fire. When she reached the bottom, the dancers glided their way aside for her.

‘Din?’ I asked. That’s odd. It is almost like she’s in a trance. Which is what I assumed happened as what she did next blew me out of the water. She unfurled her wings, displaying her regality proudly before starting to dance in tandem with the dancers. The fire from the bonfire began to snake towards her and around the dancers. The villagers must also be in a trance as well as none reacted in surprise to what was going on.

Or… is this all in my head right now? I’m suddenly feeling dizzy. I felt a warmth wash over me and I looked up. My eyes widened as I noticed spectral zebra bounding around us. Din got on her hind legs and used her wings to swish and sway mesmerically with her hooves and body unnaturally. Eventually, she came to a stop and held her hooves out high above her to the side while her wings furled upwards. The ghostly zebra glided down to her and lifted her up from the ground.

Din began to say something in a dialect I was not familiar with. It wasn’t zebric or pone-ish. She then turned to look down at me while the spectral zebra bounded around her. I wasn’t sure what I should do. I was too mesmerized by the sight to think clearly. Eventually, the spectral zebra bounded down towards me and circled me. Hollow, glowing white eyes met mine. Decorative ring accessories around the neck and hooves and fancy headdresses of varying design was most of what I could make out.

In unison, voices began to whisper around me. Quietly at first but grew louder when one zebra stepped forward and bowed. I don’t know how, but I understood what I needed to do. My body moved on its’ own and I returned the bow. I rose with the zebra and found my forelegs being held gently, my hooves leaving the ground as if I was light as a feather. I rose high into the air to face Din, who seemed to still be lost in a trance. The fire began to rise higher and higher until it enshrouded us.

Thi’s POV

I trotted away from the dancing, glancing quickly at Fie who was questioning her entire decision on this. It was an out of nowhere blurt when Mystique mentioned the Star Bright Festival as we rounded up the uniformed zebra. The details were shortened then, but Fie must have talked with Din for a brief moment or something as she agreed to have a bonfire built around her.

But seeing how she handled the situation earlier, it has me wondering something. That Alicron wasn’t able to engage Fie due to primal energy. I had made my way back towards the wreckage, my eyes falling onto the hissing scrap pile. I began to traipse around the wreckage, my brain racking with theories. How did Exiles get ahold of something that the Triad would not be willing to trade or give in the slightest? It must have been stolen. I don’t see how. Unless something else is going on.

After Roam and the Triad HQ raid, I couldn’t help but find some documents regarding certain dealings with Moonlight Sonata and a co-authorizer named N. At least, that’s what the line showed. There were also shipping documents, which was strange as this was just an HQ outpost for the Triad. A decoy in a sense. They must be getting all these documents from somewhere. One document stood out to me. A red folder.

In it, the contents were heavily redacted, save for one instance. Project Resonance. What I could gather, the words Prisma Core, Resonance and Creation Mother stood out. I tried using a data base that one of the Gorgons was so kind to hack into, but nothing came up for these words. Not even Project Resonance. I began to shift through the wreckage, the material surprisingly intact despite having the entire torso eviscerated by Fie. Burnt wires, fiber membranes, plating, damaged circuitry. Nothing worthwhile I could find. I trotted over to the massive head of the robot, the entire design intact.

Upon further inspection, this was remote controlled with no driver. My eyes narrowed in suspicion. I dug through the wiring carefully from the neck area, but nothing of worth. Perhaps the eyes? I called Excalibat with my magic, only to hop back and ready myself as the head of the Alicron jerked and began to blip.

”P-P-PRIMAL ENERG-G-G-GY DETECTED. REQUEST-QUEST-QUESTING A-A-A-ADJUSTMENTS.”

I cocked my head questioningly. I waved my bat, seeing the reticule pupils follow it. I had a sudden thought.

“What is your identification?” I asked stoically.

”ERROR-R-R-RR. VOICE NOT REC-REC-RECOGNIZED. E-E-EVAL-VAL-VALUATING-ING.” There was a chorus of beeps and blips before the eyes turned red and focused on me. ”EUCLIDAN TERRORIST IDENTIFIED, THI BILLET. E-E-EN-ENGAGE WITH LETHAL FORCE.” The head started to move. However, it wasn’t able to turn at all. ”CHASIS FUNCTIONALITY-Y-Y-Y ERROR. UNIT DISABLED. S.O.S. PINGED. BEGINNING SELF DESTRUCT SEQUENCE IN TE-TE-TEN. N-N-NINE. BRRRRTZZZZ. ZERO.” I stumbled back a bit in panic and braced myself.

Nothing happened. I blinked confusedly, looking back at the head.

”ERROR. BRRRZZZZTTTT. ERROR. BRRRRZZZZTTT. UNIT IN DANGER OF SALVAGING. REQUESTING ASSISTANCE.” I let out a quiet sigh of relief. I then walked over to the head and smirked.

“Gotta’ hoof it to ya’, Triad. Giving away your toys is just asking for them to break.” I said, tapping the eye with my bat. “Unfortunately for you, I’m the one that breaks it into a lot of pieces.” I then brought back my bat and with a heavy swing, I smashed the eye, breaking the lens and exposing the inner workings. I couldn’t help but shudder at the wiring and mechanical works. It was as if they had recreated nerves and tissue. To this day, I still don’t know how the Triad keep coming up with stuff like this.

I frowned as once again, nothing was seen of value to me. I wonder if Fie destroyed anything important to the Triad. I stepped back from the head and looked around. I could see the lighting from the fire. Thankfully, there was no smell of burning flesh. I was about to turn and proceed to investigate the area when I stopped upon hearing several bleeps and a garbled static with a voice coming through.

”Three four zero en route. Closing in distance. Seems the locals are celebrating. Request to crash party?” A distant, garbled voice said. There was quiet on the other end. Only static. ”Roger. Proceeding to salvage operation on one oh three. I’ll scout ahead zero zero two.” There was more garbled noise before another voice popped in.

”Remember three four oh. We are to keep the area unharmed, and the locals pacified. No bloodshed. This is a discreet operation.” I narrowed my eyes. Well, this isn’t good. As if on cue, Cloudchaser and Flitter soared down towards me.

“We got trouble.” Flitter stated with a desperate look. I sighed.

“Just heard the transmission. Come on, we’ve got to warn the others.” I said, picking up my canter into a gallop. We had to halt ourselves as the sound of something screeching grew louder and louder. Before we knew it, the ground exploded, sending all three of us into a tumble away from the wreckage. I somehow landed on my hooves and readied myself along with the sisters. Yet, my confidence took a bit of a step back.

A sleek, black and green insectoid Alicron with thin legs adjusted itself over the wreckage of the fallen Alicron. A flash of green traced the visor. It then turned to us.

“Well, well. If it isn’t Thi Billet. How unexpected, but welcoming.” The voice echoed through the robot. I grit my teeth, beginning to sweat. This isn’t good at all. I’m no robot expert, but this is for sure going to be tough. Cloudchaser was speechless and Flitter looked terrified. “What’s the matter? Cat caught your tongue? Seems you won’t be getting out of this one so easily as before, Billet.” The voice said with a snicker. The Alicron froze. “Yeah, yeah, I know. You sure you don’t want me to clean up here? They already started the fire. Might as well fuel it.”

I looked over as I noticed several villagers running away and screaming from the direction of the fire. The sound of somepony yelling in zebric. The robot shifted to the direction of the screaming.

“Things are getting interesting.” The voice said. It took one step forward and my brain kicked in. I can’t let it get to Fie or anycreature else. I whipped out my arc pistol and popped several shots at the visor. The robot froze and looked to me. “Really?” I then smirked and aimed at the fallen Alicron. I pulled the trigger and hit the bullseye. The Alicron whirred and bleeped.

”SELF DESTRUCT SEQUENCE REPAIRED. RESUMING COUNTDOWN. ZERO.”

“Move now!” I shouted. I galloped away along with the sisters flying after me. The head glowed brightly and we took cover down a steep small hill as the explosion rocked the earth. We heard the sound of the voice yelling and a loud, thunderous crash of trees and something heavy hitting the ground. I pushed myself off the ground and shook away my daze, looking to see the sisters doing the same. “Cloudchaser, Flitter. Get to Fie and Scribble. I’ll lure the Triad away!” I shouted, reloading my arc pistol.

“Don’t die!” Cloudchaser said seriously before taking off in the air. Flitter gave me a worried look before following after her. I took a deep breath and readied myself. I peeked out from cover to see the insectoid Alicron flail its’ legs helplessly.

“Of all the…!” The voice growled. There was a loud whistling sound and the Alicron shot itself up right with whatever propellant tech it used. I couldn’t tell if the self-destructed Alicron head had done any damage to the chassis. I did see some loose plating, which made me have an idea. “Yeah, I’m fine. The scout prototype self-destructed. Seems the body is still salvageable.” I stepped out of my cover and stoically walked in front of the Alicron. It looked down at me, the visor glowing green. “All signs reading green. Permission to exterminate the pests.”

I grinned and popped a shot at the visor before flicking my head down and bouncing into the foliage.

“Screw it, you handle salvage! I’m ending this once and for all!” The voice spat in annoyance. Good. Follow the mouse. I used the momentum of my springs and a mix of my acrobatics to keep myself going, moving away from the village as the Alicron began to barrel its’ way through the trees.

I found myself standing amongst the stars. Something I’m fully familiar with. However, the spectral zebra that surrounded me and Din was not something I had expected.

"Bearer of fire. Our second meeting pleases us. We welcome thee to our Paradise." The voices said in unison. Din bowed and I was speechless. Din then forcefully made me bow with her wing and glared at me.

“Remember what the shaman zebra said.” She hissed. I quickly nodded and bowed.

"To grace us with thy presence. We take it thou hath need of our blessings once more." Din stood up and I with her.

“I desire ascension. To rise higher than the other stars. Even the gods themselves. Those that would challenge the law of balance will answer to me.” Din said. The spectral zebras smiled warmly.

"Tis warming of hearts to hear such a strong desire. One that thou can achieve as thou hath shown." The voices replied. "We see that thou hath a new bearer." Their eyes fell onto me and I felt smaller than I ever did before. Din nudged me.

“Humble.” She hissed to me quietly. I was panicking. Din is being oddly complacent about this. She says she’s done this before, but I haven’t! What is she expecting of me?!

‘Okay Fie. Deep breath. Follow Din’s example.’ I thought to myself. I stood up straight and faced the zebra directly across from me.

“I am Quiet Fire. Vessel of Din. A pleasure to make your acquaintances ancient ones.” I said. The zebra bowed softly in approval.

"Thou hath chosen a polite one. We are amused." The voices said.

“I doth not recall who, but his image familiar and his mind my own mask. I cannot say the same for this one.” Din said, glancing at me. I felt my ears drop. The voices began to whisper. The whispers stopped before all eyes fell onto me.

"We sense a dark aura around this one. Thy mind is clouded. Thy will trembling. Tis a surprise thou hath made it this far. Yet, thou heart is kind. Hardened. Beating with the flame of thy bearer. An amusing one."

The voices began to whisper once more. Din looked calm and respectful, which was so surreal to me.

‘Din, can we trust this process? I’m not so sure about this.’ I thought to her, my red flags going off all over. Din rolled her eyes.

The process is not the issue, idiot. Remember your promise. This is beneficial for both of us. She grinned. I should have brought popcorn. I looked at her questioningly. The spirits eerily stood at attention all at once towards me, sending a chill down my spine.

"We hath come to a conclusion. Our blessings to thee, Star of Fire. Your last desire was to find thy heart. Thou now request ascension. Take upon thee newfound power. The power to freely walk between the planes of life and death itself." The zebra rose on their hind legs and raised their forelegs high into the air. A whispering chant began to crescendo around us. Din flashed with bright light as she stood proudly and stoically. The light began to shimmer around Din before flowing into her. When the light vanished, Din relaxed her posture and looked puzzled. The zebra bowed before her before turning to me.

"Thou hath darkness, but a kind heart. What doth thou desire?" The voices asked. I balked. I didn’t think about what I should really desire. I mean, I have mostly everything I want. Cloudchaser, a home in Ponyville, friends. I guess what I really wanted was to go home. To have this entire nightmare over with. I sighed and bowed my head. But I can’t have everything. I thought long and hard about this.

When I came to a conclusion, I picked my words carefully. Standing up straight and facing the spirits, I copied Din’s posture and expression.

“I desire to end this pointless war and have the creatures from Pony Land to the Dragon Lands and all over Equestria to maintain a normal and prosperous life for many generations to come. It’s… a tall order but in order to simplify it, the power to ensure that I can achieve all of that along with Din’s help.” I stated. The voices whispered before silencing.

"Thou desire is to keep the balance and paths of the creatures of this land in check. A noble and righteous goal. If thou were righteous. We fear we cannot bless this desire as the darkness coveting thou is pungent. But we can aid thou in cleansing it. We doth need a catalyst to ensure this cleansing proceeds expectedly. We know thou has it already, fortunately." The voices said. I was about to protest when Din hissed and forced my head to bow. I hissed a bit in pain but it helped to keep me from blurting out something I would regret.

“If that is the path I need to take to solidify my desire, then I welcome your aid, ancient ones.” I replied, hoping to be as humble as can be and not a little sour. The voices chuckled.

"Thou hath changed greatly, Star of Fire. We sense that thou truly hath the right path. We must ask to aid on our cleansing of your vessel." Din frowned a little.

“Good luck. The amount of clutter inside her head is enough to smother even the sun.” She said sourly to me. “Well then, vessel. Present the catalyst.” I looked up at her confused. She growled and pointed at my saddle bag. I arched a brow and began digging through my bags. Odd how I have everything on me in wherever Celestia knows we are. After digging through, it dawned on me. I withdrew the glowing scale of Malevolence.

I held it out in front of me and the voices began to speak loudly around us. The spectral zebra all began to rear and kick their legs out, stamping their hooves as well.

"Such a vile thing. But tis blessed by the follower of the ancients. This will suffice." the voices said as the zebra began to calm. The scale began to float out of my hoof and began to shimmer. A light started to seep out of the scale and pour into a pillar where a zebra in an intricate headdress and accessories formed. Din and I recognized the zebra.

“Queen Zeuli??” I gasped. The Roam queen turned to me and smiled kindly.

”A queen no more. But my faith remains within my blood. Tis good to see you again, Champion. I’ve dreamt of this day since I was a filly.” She said. She then turned to face the zebra and bowed. ”Fore bearers, heed me, for this one hath done a great service to my kin and my late husband. I ask humbly that you save her soul from the darkness within her. For her true potential lies with the stars.”

I was dumbfounded. Queen Zeuli knew about all of this? She dreamt of it? I need to ask Princess Luna when I can about her times in zebra dreams. The spectral zebra bowed to the queen before standing on two legs and raising their hooves high above them. A chant began in a chorus around us. Zeuli was lifted off her hooves, floating with her forelegs outstretched to the scale. When she reached the scale, she embraced it tenderly, closing her eyes.

”Exhibit your courage, Champion. For this will not be pretty.” Zeuli said in a motherly voice. Her figure began to fade away as the light from her flowed back into the scale. I looked to Din, who looked intrigued.

I can feel it… my rite of ascension ever so close to me. She grinned slyly. The light from the scale shimmered brightly. The zebra suddenly stopped chanting. The atmosphere around us drastically changed to a chill and eerie feeling. There was a moment of silence. All was still. I could hear my heart pounding in my chest. My eyes widened as the sickening sound of breaking bones went off all at once. The ghostly zebras all had their neck twisted or lopsided and began to laugh.

The light from the scale started to seep out a black fog. Soon, the area around us was enveloped into darkness.

"Face the dark, Champion. Ignite your potential."

I gasped and found myself standing in a desolate, barren land. Nothing but dead trees in sparse sights, rock formations jutting in no particular direction and dirt dunes of varying heights and distance as far as the eyes could see. A dry, chill wind blew through the area as the murky, orange sky gave this barren land a hue of a sickening orange. Not a single trace of anything living at all. Din stood next to me, her eyes scanning the area.

“Well then, vessel. Where oh where could the source be…?” She said. The wind seemed to pick up and I had to shield myself from a cloud of dust. I threw on my hood and looked around.

“Perhaps we can get a bird’s eye view?” I asked. Din eyed me.

“I can do that. The only issue. I’m not inside of your head. As you may have noticed, I am manifested physically. So, while I have the perfect capability of traversing this land, you do not.” She explained. I slumped.

“Zebra magic is so surreal…” I stated. I then had an intrusive thought. I tapped my hooves meekly together. “Err… then… can I…?”

“Start walking, vessel.” Din cut me off, pointing ahead of me with a disappointed expression. She took off to the air, leaving me to sigh and start my trek through the barren wasteland. The wind was insanely strong. I had to fight against it as I made my way over a couple of tall dirt dunes. When I managed to climb a third one, I gasped.

I couldn’t believe my eyes. The destroyed remains of Hoofington laid before me. The tall buildings charred and collapsed. The roads covered and shattered. What used to be the city of tomorrow, now rotting in the middle of all of this. I clutched my chest, feeling very hesitant to continue. I looked back over my shoulder.

‘Did I…? Did I just come from the station?’ I asked myself. I scanned the area, my brain piecing together the memory. I was a little off from the mark, but I for sure passed what used to be the station. Using my inner map, I traced what I could remember of the road. The main road that would lead to the location of the Tri-Mourne Tower where it all happened was there, but completely destroyed. I adjusted my hood and looked over my shoulder. Dirt and death.

I sighed and carefully began my trek down the massive dune towards the main road. As I got closer to what was once an area where taxi wagons would pull ponies to and from the city, Din descended from the sky and landed, waiting for me. She turned to face the city and smiled.

“Such good memories.” She sighed. My expression darkened. “Oh, lighten up, vessel. The city was rotting from the core. Whatever virtue or ambition spurred such a creation was an eventual outcome of corruption. Decent beginnings always fall to the abyss.” She cackled softly. I avoided looking at her.

“There were innocent ponies…” I muttered under my breath. Din did a small stretch before unfurling her wings.

“Stick to the path, vessel. Any misdirection will spell trouble for both of us.” She said, pointing down the main road. My eyes fell onto something fluttering down. I looked up with Din and watched as what appeared to be embers and ashes flutter down like snow. Din and I the noticed something beginning to glow further down the road. It was quite a bit of ways down. Din grinned widely. “There you are. Vessel, change of plans. I will allow this just once. Any mention of this and I will burn more than just an entire city.”

She seemed hesitant, but then got low next to me. I don’t know why, but I did my best to stifle a chortle. I hopped onto her back and held on when she stood up. Her wings unfurled and she took off into the air. I nearly fell off, but hugging her neck, I found myself steadying. Din was surprisingly soft and warm. Even her fiery mane felt silky. Din growled.

“Can’t believe this… Let’s make this quick.” She grumbled as we began to fly down the road. The dry, chill wind was a little fiercer than on the ground, but it didn’t bother Din at the slightest. It wasn’t until the ashes and embers began swirling and creating a blinding storm that Din halted her flight. We both started coughing as the air became heavy and unbreathable. Din lowered herself back onto the ground, the wind returning to normal when we hit the street.

I coughed up ashes and tried to clean my tongue with my hooves while Din slumped and heaved her breaths. She spat a liquid ember out and wiped her muzzle.

“Shit.” She rasped. I slid off of her and maintained my breathing to clear my lung. Din hummed and took to the skies once more. She went farther than when we had to land. But then, something red and dark sailed across the sky from the glow and struck her, causing her to tumble through the air and crash into a building. I balked and quickly made my way off the road and towards the building she crashed into. So much ash and covered pieces of building blocked off most or all of the passageways, causing me to scale some in order to reach into the tipped over building that had fallen into the other building Din crashed into.

I headed inside the tipped over building via a hole in the wall and opened the destroyed door enough to squeeze through, cantering down the hall and hopping onto a decrepit exit stairway. I grabbed ahold of the ladder and climbed it to reach the roof. A massive hole on the roof showed the impact of the crash. Peering in, I could see Din coming too amongst shattered furniture and ash. The sound of a radio playing smooth jazz could be heard. Din shifted slightly, the floor creaking as a warning.

However, when she tried to stand, the floor caved in and she fell through with a yelp. I put a hoof over my muzzle, trying not to laugh as Din pulled herself away from the ash pile that was forming around her. She did not look pleased. I don’t know why, but getting a bit of a laugh out of Din’s misery made me feel weightless. Din glared up at me and I made my way down to meet her. She dusted herself off and snorted.

“Are you done? Because this is a problem.” She said. I smirked.

“You’re alive at least. But you’re right. What even was that?” I asked after calming a bit down. Din shifted her wings to finish dusting herself off as she spoke.

“My own spell. Or what should be my own spell.” She said sourly. I tilted my head slightly. “It appears that some of my power is being used to hinder us. The sudden ash and embers. That red and black. As disgusting as it is, that is my power being tainted.” I rubbed my chin in thought.

“Could it have to do with the scale?” I guessed. Din turned to walk out of the building through the doorless entrance.

“I don’t care if it is Gaia’s rump. Something or somecreature is going to be crushed by me.” She hissed. I only shrugged in response. It could be a number of things. I still have no idea where we ended up, but even though this is Hoofington, it doesn’t feel like it. Din and I exited the building and proceeded to make our way back to the main road, the smooth jazz music growing quieter and quieter as we went.

Cloudchaser and Flitter hovered over the village as the insectoid alicorn robot proceeded to follow after Thi. The two spied Scribble being held hostage by the uniformed zebra. Mystique was also being held at gunpoint. How did they get out? Cloudchaser smacked her hooves together.

“I’m going in.” She said. Flitter nodded.

“I’m with ya’ sis.” She said, knocking an arrow. Down on the ground, Scribble frowned as if he was inconvenienced by this. The zebra pushed him forward, aiming the arc pistol. The zebra grinned and spoke in zebric at the stallion, who only narrowed his eyes. He then held out a hoof towards the zebra, causing the zebra to arch a brow questioningly.

“” He replied in zebric. As if on cue, an arrow struck the zebra in the foreleg, causing them to scream and drop the gun. Scribble rushed forward and quickly withdrew a rock and delivered a punch into the zebra’s chest, crushing the rock and sending the zebra off their hooves and over a table. The one zebra holding Mystique hostage was then struck with an arrow on the hind leg just in time for Cloudchaser to swoop in and do a fly by buck on the zebra, sending them into a spiral away from Mystique.

The remaining zebra aimed to fire upwards at Flitter, who had knocked two arrows and fired them off in tangent before zipping away from the arc fire. One arrow missed while the other struck the chest of a uniformed zebra. Cloudchaser motioned for Mystique to run before rushing two more, taking them out with swift bucks after a single flap of her wings. Scribble threw out a smooth stone and had it crack and break at colliding with the bonfire, causing the earth to shoot up and shield Quiet Fire.

“Where’s Thi?!” Scribble shouted as he took cover from being fired upon from a dazed zebra. Flitter zipped by and struck an arrow into the hind leg, causing the zebra to scream and nurse the leg as Cloudchaser responded to him while head locking a zebra.

“She’s luring away a Triad robot that came to retrieve the one Fie destroyed!” Cloudchaser replied. Scribble clicked his tongue.

“Then we have no choice but to do what we can here. We’re not leaving anypony or zebra behind.” He said. Cloudchaser cracked the neck of the zebra, causing them to faint before dropping them.

“Flitter and I will round them up. You go check and see on the villagers.” She said. The two hurried their separate ways. Cloudchaser met up with Flitter and the two nodded before descending and began their rounding up of the zebra. When the last one was tied firmly together with the others, Cloudchaser wiped her brow and hoof bumped Flitter.

The lead uniformed zebra spoke up, quietly at first before raising their voice angrily. They then smirked and looked up. The sisters exchanged glances before looking up, their eyes widening. How have they not noticed it? High above them, lighting up the night sky, was a massive pure white robotic alicorn hovering over the village. The head move, taking notice of the sisters spotting it.

“Girls!” Scribble called out, cantering over to them with Mystique at his side. “Good work. We have an issue.” He began. Flitter pointed up.

“S-so do we.” She said terrified. They looked up just as the robotic alicorn dropped down, landing with a crash that kicked up a lot of dirt. It stood straight up with the sound of metal being unstuck from the joints, the wings retreated into the body and the robot turned to them.

“Well, well. You three are far from home. To what brings Equestrians to the middle ring of the jungle?” The voice echoed from the robot. Cloudchaser stood in front of Flitter, glaring up at the robot while Scribble stoically studied it. The robot’s reticule eyes fell onto the uniformed zebra, who was laughing victoriously. He exclaimed something in zebric, causing Mystique to look mortified. The robot then looked around, scanning the area.

“Organics in the area. All cluttered together. Good. This will be a smooth process. You four. Bring that zebra forward.” It nodded to the uniformed zebra. No pony moved. It was the uniformed zebra that managed to break free of their binds and canter past them, grinning wildly and saying something in zebric. This caused the other uniformed zebra to panic and protest. Scribble looked grimly at the one proudly standing with the robot. They looked up to face the robot.

“I see… Well, as much as your enthusiasm is, commander, I am afraid plans have changed. Stealing tech from the Triad is a federal law punishable by death. You will be set before a court and tried for your transgressions.” The voice said. The zebra grinned and shrugged, seemingly replying non-chalantly to them. However, Scribble and the sisters had a terrible chill go down their spines. The head looked down to face the zebra and a subtle chuckle could be heard. “Followed protocol for the record. And with that being said.”

The metal hoof of the robot rose and before the zebra knew it, they were pinned under weight. The zebra looked shocked, struggling to keep themselves off the ground. They spoke questioningly to the robot.

“You did well to test a prototype scout model. Now we can iron out the kinks for more production value. Your free trial of testing is over, unfortunately. By order of our great Queen Moonlight Sonata, I bid you farewell.” The voice replied. It happened almost instantly and without the struggle. The uniformed zebras winced and Scribble, Mystique and the sisters looked horrified. There was no remorse for the late zebra. The only thing they are fearing is how easily it happened.

What made it worse was the robot alicorn scraping the ground with the very same hoof to clean it.

“Three oh four. Do you copy? Status?” The voice asked.

Thi’s POV

“You can’t run forever, Equestrian scum!” The voice echoed around me. I had taken cover under a hillside drop off, panting with my arc pistol at the ready. I managed to lure the insectoid Alicron quite a bit away from the village. However, what came next was me playing mouse and setting up hastily made booby traps that I was surprised didn’t blow up in my face. It came at the expense of a lighter saddle bag. If only I had a pocket dimension where I can store all the heavier arc launchers and weaponry.

I checked my mag, seeing that I was running low before checking what I had left. I had to use a lot of ammunition to misdirect the sensors on it. At least, that’s my thought process. Knowing the Triad, they always have something or another to know where individuals are. Especially their troops. I had to duck a bit as I heard the sound of a tree being ripped out of the ground and chucked overhead.

“Come out, come out, wherever you are!” The voice echoed. I peeked out of cover, eyeing the robot. As sleek and high tech as it looked, there are a lot of exhausts happening in the joints. I smirked and levitated out two arc pineapples and nodded to myself. I readied myself, taking a deep breath before dashing out of cover. As expected, my movement drew the attention of a sensor and the robot turned to me. I had to quickly flick my horn down and spring upwards as a rain of arc fire riddled the area where I was a second earlier.

The horn on the robot stopped spinning and opened one wing out, sending out glowing green balls towards me. I deftly and acrobatically avoided the projectiles, exploding brightly in the night sky behind me as I bounded through the jungle. I landed in a crouching position inside some plants with big leaves and peeked through the openings. There was something unnerving to see a giant robot alicorn cantering over. The reticule eyes darting wildly around to spot any form of movement from me.

An idea struck me. I hope this works. I spotted what looked to be a group of monkeys scampering in trees along with several birds fleeing. I stuck my tongue out and projected a spring in front of a fleeing bird and with a loud spring sound, the bird squawked and sailed over the robot. The robot came to a stop and opened fired from the horn. The bird recovered and balked, swiftly avoiding the bullets while I dashed out and galloped towards the robot.

I pulled the pins on the pineapples and chucked one into one of the foreleg exhausts and the other into the hindleg one. The robot stopped firing, realizing they were shooting at a bird. I dashed out under them and turned to give a salute before galloping away. I heard a growl from the robot and when it took one step forward, that’s when the pineapples went off. The hindleg exploded and toppled the back side of the robot while the other exploded into electricity.

“Son of a-!” The voice exclaimed before yelling at what I am guessing was the consoles inside blowing up in their face. The robot toppled onto its’ back, the legs stiffening as electricity shot through it. I let out a breath of relief before walking forward, calling Excalibat out in my magic. “Come on… work, dammit! What the hell did you do, Billet?!” The voice growled. I shouldered Excalibat and smirked.

“Equine ingenuity. That, and the Triad never learn their lessons. It’s the same ol’ song and dance everytime.” I twirled my bat in my magic as I walked around the front of the robot. “Gotta’ admit. The Triad seem to be in a bit of a rush or something. Which reminds me.” I brought my bat back and swung at one of the eyes, shattering it entirely and exposing the pony inside. They were wearing a white body suite and a helmet covering their face. However, they looked quite disgruntled. I reached in and bit down on the cuff of the suite and yanked the pony out. They wrestled a bit with me but giving a jab of the butt of my bat into their stomach caused them to crumple to the ground.

“What is going on with the Triad. Lately I’ve been hearing that some things have been rather… questionable.” I rubbed my chin. “How should I put it…? The Triad is being a little more incompetent than usual.” The pony coughed and tried to get up, but I struck the side of the pony with my bat and put a hindleg hard onto where I struck them. “Rumors of hiring other creatures. Abundance of resources for trade. Classified documents in place they shouldn’t be. And of course…” I glanced at the robot. “Procurement of dangerous crystal tech that the Triad are one hundred percent not willing to give up, in the hooves of poachers slash smugglers.” The pony coughed and chuckled.

“As if I should tell you anything. You’re a damned terrorist…” They rasped. I smiled.

“Then you should know what I’m capable of when I get my hooves on any pony on scene with Triad activity.” I shrugged. “Can’t help it. Been in this game for years and everytime, I’m seeing new faces. Are you somepony who replaced somepony else I took out? Are you somepony who willingly applied themselves to this life? Why throw it away for a tyrannical queen?” I frowned. “Why force me to do the things I do to my fellow Equines?”

The pony stared up at me, clutching their side.

“You don’t know anything… what has happened to our great nation of Pony Land! We are… the pioneers… to lead the next generation into the new tomorrow!” They rasped. I sat on my haunches and rubbed my muzzle in frustration.

“Same ol’ song and dance… a one-track mind… I’m starting to think everypony in Pony Land is under some sort of brain wash spell. Whatever the case is, something else is going on. Now, you can play nice and make my night better. Or I can just treat this as a normal Tuesday.” The pony continued to stare. They them tried to push themselves off the ground but I stood up and spun around, delivering a heavy buck into the helm of the pony, sending them into the dirt. The pony coughed and slowly began crawling towards a tree.

I walked over to them, my ears flicking when I heard something crackle from the robot.

”Three oh four. Do you copy? Status?” The voice garbled. I reached with my magic and shifted aside some circuitry before pulling out a communication device, levitating it over to me. I proceeded to sit on the pony while I flipped it around to see how I could respond.

“How do you work this thing?” I asked the pony. The pony gasped, struggling weakly under my weight.

”Who is this? You are on a military owned frequency.” the voice stated. I tilted my head slightly.

“Huh, guess it’s automatic.” I said to myself and held it up to my muzzle. “Howdy. Your friendly badass and Triad flank kicking pony Thi Billet speaking. Got your buddy here being a generous one and allowing me to rest my hooves for a bit. Though, can’t seem to say the same to your highly expensive budget wasted not too far off.” I said casually, shouldering my bat.

”Is that so? You truly do live up to the expectations, Thi Billet. Tell that idiot I told him so.” I looked to the pony, who grumbled.

“I think they get the hint now. So then. Perhaps you can answer some questions for me.” I replied.

”Oh no, Ms. Billet. You are in no position to ask anything. You see, I have three little ponies here that are just looking quite tied up and very squishable.” My expression darkened.

“You’re right. That does suck. Don’t suppose you are willing to negotiate?” I asked.

Quiet Fire’s POV

“Look out!” I called out, shoving Din forward onto safety as the makeshift bridge of debris began to crumble. I found myself falling, my hooves grabbing onto the edge of the roof of the building. Din peered over the edge and smirked.

“Afraid of a one-story fall?” She chuckled smugly. I looked down. Indeed, the fall isn’t fatal. It’ll hurt but I looked back up and frowned.

“It’s just going to be a pain in the ass to find an alternate.” I replied sourly. Din rolled her eyes and held out a hoof. I took it and she pulled me up. I dusted myself off and looked up at her. I smiled softly. “Thanks.” Din didn’t meet my gaze and continued to walk forward. I sighed through my snout and followed after her.

We spent quite a while traversing the ashen wasteland of Hoofington. I was starting to think that what we were trying to reach was out of our hooves. We found pretty quickly that our combat prowess was useless here when these strange creatures began popping up from the ash. I shuddered at the thought that they could be the ponies of Hoofington taking a grafted form of Din’s magic. They would just crumple to ash, only for another to take its’ place.

We had to take a lot of detours to avoid wasting time and energy fending off the creatures, having taken cover in a relatively stable looking building. We spent the next while using the roofs to avoid trouble. We took a moment to rest in a diner, which Din noted was quite “simplistic” as she put it.

“Well, yeah. It’s just trying to capture a retro style of an age long before ours.” I explained to her. Din’s eyes shimmered as if a dawning realization washed over her.

“So, they weren’t joking…” she muttered to herself in thought. “Vessel, would these places have… crepes?” I opened my mouth to reply when I froze, realizing what she asked.

“Uhh… I assume so. Sometimes they do, some places they don’t. I… can’t tell you for sure on this one. The one my family would go to was close by my old home. It was a waffle house mainly.” I chuckled a bit, the nostalgia flowing. “They made some pretty mean hotcake platters. I tried to mimic the recipe once but couldn’t get it right.” Din hummed.

“Then I wouldn’t want a crepe from you if you cannot make it right.” She said. I blinked quizzically.

“I mean… I can ask the Cakes to help me out.” I stated. “With a little practice, I could probably make one for you.” Din didn’t seem to show any emotion. She looked around the area as if she was reminiscing on something.

“Very well, vessel. If you can make a crepe worthy of a queen of her new realm, I would consider you adequate.” She replied. I was a bit dumbfounded. This was strange for me. And it only got stranger when Din had a sudden interest in asking about certain points of interest. She somehow found the concept of a jukebox to be quite complicated.

“So, these things play melodies automatically?” She asked. I rubbed the back of my head, slightly in amusement but also quite confused.

“Err… technically yes. You still get to choose what music you want. The machine does the rest.” I arched a brow at her. “I figured you’d at least know about it being in my head.” Din snorted.

“I wouldn’t call that clutter of trauma and hormones a 'library of knowledge'. One can only preoccupy themselves for so long in the dark and sometimes a queen needs a break from her place of comfort.” She continued walking and I followed her. “We may look through each other’s eyes, but my time is consisting of blocking out a snake and ensuring your muddled mind isn’t causing me my own headache. I will not apologize for my attitude about it.” I tilted my head.

“So… you only perk up in interest at the times things were relevant to your ideas?” I asked.

“My interests are of my own accord. My knowledge independent of the host. Some call it selective hearing. I call it relevant time waster.” She explained as we carefully stepped around a sunken floor to the exit leading out to the road. “The snake explains a lot of circles rather than the strait horizon. All we could do was act on his strings for as long as I can remember. I only know of the previous time I recall. Which if you put together, is the time during your great pillar Starswirl.” She sighed in annoyance. “And the time when the serpent began to go against the Creation Mother’s will.”

I listened quietly as she spoke while we walked down the road.

“Call it what you want, but the only ever good thing that came out of time was the chosen seven. The ponies of that era were full of ambition and conviction of paving the way for future generations. My own even inspired Starswirl to make a move against the Highest Evil.”

“The Highest Evil?” I asked. Din nodded as she spun and bucked with one leg, shattering a blockade of furniture to get around a high wall of debris from a fallen building. However, she did it a little too strongly and the way crumbled, blocking us off entirely. She frowned.

“Perhaps you should help me figure out how to progress. We are no closer to the center of the source.” She stated. I hummed in thought and looked around. I closed my eyes, mapping out the area to my knowledge of what I remember. Unfortunately, I do not recognize the area. However, when I opened my eyes, I noticed something. A pony in an alley, wearing a black cloak. Din sensed what I noticed and looked in the same direction. The figure motioned to us before turning and walking down the alley. I exchanged glances with Din.

“Well, we’re too far off from the main road. If it’s a trap, we can get out of it.” Din said. I arched a brow.

“Err… are you sure? I’m not entirely sure why we are here of all places and unsure of what we really need to do.” I replied. Din rolled her eyes.

“We are to clear your mind of past transgressions so that I can continue with my rise in power that you promised to aid in. If I knew you were this convoluted, I would have picked your friend. At least she gets the reality of this realm.” She said as she started to walk away. I shook my head at this.

“I doubt Thi would agree to having somepony like you trying to possess her and the destruction it brings.” I replied following after her. Din tossed her head back and laughed.

“She’s no better than I am when it comes to the destruction of everything she disagrees with. She also has the backbone to talk back on unreasonable statements when present company is ‘concerned’.” She grinned smugly. I frowned.

“Thi isn’t a monster. She’s just trying to do her best. To be her best self during a time where morals are grey.” I retorted. Din laughed again.

“Ahahahaha! That is so rich! You truly think she has the best interest of everypony involved? Don’t lie to yourself, vessel. We share thoughts and can sense it. You’ve taken notice long before the events of finding this damned heir. Just like how you pushed aside the hurt she caused by spending six years away from you with not even a single letter written back. Or did you accept that that’s how she’s always going to be from that point onward? That she is here to truly mend such a tear?” Din turned to me, her grin turning into a disappointed look.

“You’ve noticed her actions. You’ve observed how she handles your fellow ponies. Enemies or not, it’s all a means to ‘protect’ you. What will she do when all of this is over? Go back to be a freelance adventurer, throwing her gung-ho enjoyment of thrilling and death-defying moments to be the action hero she has trapped herself in? Or will she hang up everything and settle down and start a family? I may not see the future, but I can see bullshit. She’s even lying to herself about it, but she is at least aware of it.”

I was speechless. Din snorted. “When will you start accepting that she is holding you back? If you can accept the fact your ‘best friend’ has dug herself in so much blood and morally questionable antics, then you can accept the fact that this whole city you called a home was damned. The only best thing that has happened to you out of any of this is finally getting the acceptance of that mare you fancied. But…” she grinned slyly. “What’s to say that this isn’t the start of something that’ll sink you lower? I won’t be the one taking the reins when her pretty little head is rolling around at your hooves.” I felt my blood boil. Her smug look was really getting to me now.

I stepped forward threateningly. Din scoffed.

“Try as you might, little filly, I made the choice of picking you, baggage and all. It’s only fair we share it. Isn’t that what ponies do? Foster friendships? Bring each other up when the other is down? I’m doing you another favor. It would do me well to know you have some appreciation for me sullying my hooves with mortal complacencies.” She turned her back to me and continued walking, motioning with a wing. “I’ll give you time to think about it while we lure ourselves into a potential trap. Of course, I’m going to bail you out as usual. But I won’t be able to do so when the ancient ones judge you for eternity.” I watched her walk ahead of me.

My gaze fell to the ashen street. I didn’t know what to say or what to think. What Din said angered me beyond words. But at the same time, I just couldn’t act on anything. I couldn’t believe it myself. Yet, I had too. We are about to hit the start of the next month and we are no closer to stopping the war. All this pointless sidetracking. All this stress and decisions. It was like getting hit in the face with a ton of bricks. I followed Din, lost in my thoughts.

We headed down the alley and rounded the corner where we came to a stop. Everything that led up to this point is all for the sake of Equestria. And yet, I’ve been complacent and distracted. The weight on my back grew heavier. Everything flowed back into my mind. The fallout with my family. Table Top being screwed over in life because of my decisions. My failure as Celestia’s student. Thi rushing off to be a national threat to a neighboring nation. Spending six years in a rut of being cheated and ghosted by previous dates and using underground fighting rings and plenty of drink to numb it all.

My eyes looked up to Din under my hood. She came into my life without my consent. She made my life a living hell when she began manifesting herself. Her actions coming off as evil and threatening. But thinking about it more, she may have just been sizing up this generation’s will and competence. I thought back to every confrontation I had with her and my friends. Din has been threatening and dangerously chaotic. She caused plenty of destruction. Even created what we are standing in now.

Yet, all she said and done; it has always been to protect balance. I still disapprove of what she did with Hoofington, but she seems aware of what she did. All for our sake. What can I say in this situation? To her specifically? I had to accept it. She’s right. I am angry that she told the truth. And I wanted to deny it to protect… Thi? My friends? Myself? I don’t even know anymore.

I broke my thoughts when I noticed her staring stoically ahead without so much as a single motion. I followed her gaze and saw the black cloaked figure sitting ahead of us in a chair behind a broken table. We approached the figure curiously but cautiously. Things could get bad from here. And I was right. It got worse. The figure pulled their hood down and my eyes widened. Another pile of bricks were thrown at me.

There, looking at us with concern stoicism, was my late best friend from filly hood Table Top.

Chapter 20: Primordial Harmony

"Table Top??" I gasped. The stallion gave me a sheepish smile and small wave. Din had a smug smirk.

"Well look at that. He's actually not bad looking. I swear, there is such a thing as looking too much on the inside of some creature." She said. I found myself mesmerized, speechless and amazed at the same time, walking towards him slowly. I held up a hoof to reach him.

"Table Top? Is that really you? Are you...?" I began. Table Top sighed and gave a small smile.

"It's me. But not really the pony you remember." He replied. I haven't heard his voice in a long time. He sounded less nasally. I fell onto my haunches, still dumbfounded.

"But how...?" Table Top rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Well... I thought you knew, considering the zebra asked me to be here." He replied. I blinked.

"They... asked you?" Table Top nodded.

"Fie. I... It's great to see you again." He said with a smile. My vision suddenly blurred and I sniffled. Table Top balked and stood up, looking to Din who only shrugged in return. I began to sob. "Wh-whoa now. What brought this on?" He asked. I sniffled and rubbed my eyes.

"Wh-what do you think?" I replied. "We're in a place I can only assume is the dead realm." Table Top nodded with a reassuring smile.

"Yeah... I know you saw my grave back home. It gets a little boring sometimes just hanging around." He said. I looked at him, the tears still streaming down my face. "I gotta' say, you look great. Oh, err... great as you can be?" I sniffled and found myself sobbing again, falling onto my stomach and covering my eyes. Table Top rubbed the back of his head awkwardly again. "C'mon, Fie. You know I'm not good with... with this stuff." I sniffled and sat up, wiping my eyes once more.

"I-I know... I'm... sorry..." I said pathetically. Table Top tilted his head.

"What are you apologizing for?” He asked. I met his look and put a hoof to my chest.

“I… I was a terrible friend to you… I…” I choked a bit. “I did some awful things. I… I toyed with your heart… Acted so insensitive.” I wiped my eyes more, but the tears wouldn’t stop. “I should have… should have told you how I felt about us… I wasn’t… in a good place then…” Table Top smiled kindly and put a hoof on my cheek. His touch was so cold.

“It’s okay, Fie. I never held it against you. It did sting a little that you stopped talking to me before and after graduation and left Hoofington without saying goodbye. I kind of figured you were… well… trying to make the best of what you were given.” He sighed. “We weren’t foals anymore then. Things were bound to change. Our friendship lasted even in my death if it'll make you feel better.” I sniffled again and wiped my eyes.

“Wh-what do you mean?” I asked. “I treated you so badly in highschool… Even pushed you aside when you were just trying to help…” I sputtered. Table Top chuckled softly.

“But that was then. Your mother and father wanted you to have a better life, but you were always wanting to do things your own way. You weren’t just roleplaying a character in Ogres and Oubliettes, right?” He said. I met his look. Memories of my simple times of playing the game with my friends flashed. I always enjoyed the sessions because it always helped me escape what my parents wanted and school life. The memories then flashed to when I played O&O with my friends on the train ride over to Hoofington.

I always felt more myself when I took the role of my assassin character. However, I still wasn’t sure what he was trying to tell me. He seems to have read my mind as he softly scratched his cheek.

“What I’m saying is, is that you have always wanted to pick your own path. Even if one was laid out for you, you would think outside of it and carve a new one. You were never satisfied just going straight into things.” He then turned and looked over his shoulder, motioning to us to follow. “I’ll talk more along the way. I’ve been told by the zebra to not keep you guys in one place for too long.” Din stretched and began to walk past me.

“Fine by me. Come along, vessel. You have a promise to keep.” She said. I lowered my head, my expression darkened by my hood and bangs. I stood up and followed them after a brief moment of thought. I have to do this. This is my only chance to reconnect with Table Top and make up for my mistakes. We proceeded through the building before exiting out into another road. One that was littered with charred auto wagons, building debris and an overpass that we could scale up to in the destruction.

Which is where Table Top was leading us. Table Top stared at Din, the alicorn slowly beginning to be annoyed as we continued. When we reached the top of the overpass road, Din finally spun Table Top around and held him up by the cuff of his cloak with a hoof, glaring down at him.

“While I know I am pretty, it does not give you the reason to ogle me.” She growled. Table Top held up his hooves, terrified.

“I-I didn’t mean anything by it. I was just… curious as to what your story is.” He replied with a stammer. Din dropped him onto his flank and walked past him.

“I have more pressing concerns than to entertain a mortal with conversation. Why don’t you project it onto my vessel. I’m sure she’s wanting to make up for it.” She said boredly. I frowned and helped Table Top up.

“She really isn’t the type to entertain pointless interactions.” I replied. Table Top arched a brow.

“How long has this been going on?” He asked. I sighed and walked past him.

“Long story.” I replied. Table Top trotted up next to me before matching my pace.

“Well… we have time right now. We just have to follow this road for a while.” He explained. I rubbed my foreleg and looked over my shoulder.

“I guess you’re right. Okay. I’ll tell you. But then I want a favor from you.” I said. Table Top smiled and nodded. “I want to know what happened to you when I left. Don’t leave out anything. I… I want to catch up.” I smiled sadly.

Thi’s POV

I shoved the Triad pony forward and aimed my arc pistol as we arrived in the center of the village. I noticed some of the villagers peeking out of their hiding places, eyeing the robot alicorn. My friends and Mystique were pinned under the giant hoof of the robot as it shifted its' head in acknowledgement to our approach.

"Good filly. No pony has to get hurt any further." The voice said, the tone sounding smug. I shifted my frown and held the Triad at gun point.

"That wholly falls on how this turns out, Triad. You're down two robots. It's only a matter of time when the third falls." I replied. The voice chuckled and shifted its' weight. I heard my friends and Mystique groaning as pressure was applied.

"Better come up with something soon then, Billet." The voice replied with a hum. I smirked.

"I have something. Some info about Equestria in exchange for my friends." I stated. The voice scoffed.

"Info on Equestria is pointless. We already have everything we need. We can acquire the rest when the rumble of our technology and the raining of arcane magic falls upon the false land." They replied. I arched a brow.

"Yeah. What about the location of a very vital point of interest? Something I happened to find in Princess Twilight's own personal diary. Happened upon it when I got lost in the Castle of Friendship before starting this journey." I kicked the ground, hoping my bluff is convincing enough. The head shifted slightly.

"Oh? Let me guess. You found out how much she wants to frolic in the fields, singing about friendship and hope? How much she enjoys hayburgers to an un-princessesly amount? Perhaps some stallion or mare she fancies?" The voice replied boredly. I shook my head.

"The Tree of Harmony." I said. Scribble grunted, struggling to keep the weight off of him.

"Nrrgh! Thi? You better not-!" He began but the robot shifted the weight again.

"Silence, fool. I'm listening..." The voice said. I kept a confident bravado.

"It's no secret that Princess Twilight Sparkle and her friends are heroes because they hold the Elements of Harmony. Did you know they originated from the Tree of Harmony? It's deep in the Everfree Forest. Where, exactly, I'm not sure. But if you know how I and the Triad go hoof in hoof with magical artifacts and scenery, then my info is sound." I stated.

"Thi?? Why are you-?" Flitter grunted. I eyed them. I had to remain calm.

"Interesting. We know of the Everfree being an untamed land where the magic is less than desirable. But having something like that as a point of interest... How much do you know of the Everfree?" They asked. I rubbed the back of my head.

"I do know that the Castle of the Two Sisters are deep inside the forest. Lot of dangerous creatures and flora. Unnatural weather. All sounds like something the Triad would like to tame in order to gain an advantage on Equestria. And get this. It's right next door to the Castle of Friendship." My friends looked at me with uncertainty. I knew they wouldn't like it, but I have to keep everything calm. The head shifted in interest.

"Fascinating. A hoofhold like that would be quite beneficial. Anything else you have in that brain of yours before it gets blown out like a light bulb?" The voice replied. I smirked and jabbed the head of the helmeted pony.

"I know that I have a customized arc pistol I stole off a Triad general back in Roam that can penetrate the toughest of materials. Not alicron combatting, but helmet penetrating." I replied. "Nothing compared to the two alicrons." The helmeted pony sighed.

"Are you two done flirting? Zero zero two, get me the hell out of here." The pony stated. The head shifted.

"Not so fast. I have to say, I'm rather disappointed. You directly disobeyed an order from command and got a highly expensive prototype destroyed. All we had to do was retrieve the black box from the scouting prototype. Pretty sure communications was destroyed for you, but I've been ordered to retrieve both now." The alicron lowered its' head. My eyes narrowed, seeing the horn starting to glow. The pony balked. "Might be a little bit more paperwork, but casualties are common write offs." I gasped and immediately dove to the side as the horn blasted a beam, decimating everything in its' path. I looked over my shoulder and my eyes widened. A big hole, as if it was drilled through all the way into the jungle, was the only thing that was left. This is a step above their usual firepower. The head lifted back up and I heard the smug chuckle from the pony in the robot. "More data collected. Now then, Billet. Your friends here seem a little under the weight. I need something more concrete than just a princess's diary and a point of interest."

My friends were sweating, unable to push against the pressure and only trying to keep themselves from suffocating in the ground. I grit my teeth in worry. 'C'mon, Thi... What would Quiet Fire do in a situation like this? If only I had god like powers...' My mind raced with thoughts. I looked to my friends. They were desperately trying to push back against the heavy hoof. My eyes fell onto Flitter. An idea sparked. I'm going to be hated for this. But I have to make sure first. I called upon my bat and flourished it in my magic. I saw the head shift as if the pony inside took notice of something. However, that didn't stop the robot. I bit my lip and looked to Flitter.

"Flitter! Do you trust me?!" I called out. Flitter grunted, looking up at me from the ground with one eye open.

"Ngh! Wh-what?" She rasped. I stood up and aimed my arc pistol at the alicron.

"Do you trust me?!" I repeated myself louder. Flitter nearly slipped, having to push back in an uncomfortable position.

"I-I do!" She cried out. I grit my teeth.

"I hope you can forgive me for this! Hail to your king!" I shouted. Flitter gasped and froze. Please, please let it work! I looked at the alicron. The weight of the alicron hoof shifted and I saw the relief of my friends, save for Flitter who was grasping at her neck as black veins snaked throughout her body.

"What the-?" The pony inside gasped.

"SOMBRANITE SUBJECT DETECTED ALONG WITH PRIMAL ENERGY READINGS. REQUESTING READJUSTMENTS FROM COMMAND." The robot spoke. Cloudchaser dragged Flitter out from under the hoof and carried her on her back as she took off to the air.

"Hang on, Flitter!" She said with a struggled pant. Scribble crawled out from under the hoof with Mystique, helping her gallop away from the robot.

"Wh-what are you doing, you damned robot! Requests denied!" The voice growled. The robot began to jitter and stiffen, as if every bit of function it had was locking up on itself.

"DATA UNKNOWN. SOMBRANITE SUBJECT UNDETAINED. REQUEST APPROVAL FOR CAPTURE AND CONTAIN." It spoke. I took my opportunity. I rushed forward and flicked my head down, springing myself up towards the head of the robot. I landed on muzzle, holding onto the horn and twirled my bat, bringing it back to swing at the eye. My eyes widened as I saw the visor pull back into the head with a hiss and the pony levitated out an arc pistol. They pulled the trigger and I felt the shock graze my cheek, causing me to lose my grip on the horn and I tumbled into the ground. I felt the wind leave me. I saw a looming shadow over me and I looked to see a massive hoof hover over me.

'Dammit... not here!' I thought as I struggled to get my breath. The hoof grew closer towards me. I braced myself, only to feel the earth move from under me and I rolled out from under the hoof, the massive hoof crashing where I was seconds ago. I then felt the earth move again and I was carried over to Scribble, who had a vine around his hoof that glowed green. I gasped for breath as he pulled me up onto his back and waved his hoof of the magical powder.

"We have to buy sometime for Fie." He said. Mystique nodded.

"I'll see if I can convince our warriors to distract them." She said. Cloudchaser flew down, lowering Flitter and cradling her.

"Come on, sis! Fight it!" She said, holding her sister's hoof. Flitter gasped and kicked her hindlegs in a struggle as the black veins seemed to be caught in a regressing path and snaking. Mystique cantered over to her and examined the pegasus mare. She quickly stood up and looked to Cloudchaser.

"Keep her breathing. I'll be right back!" She said before cantering off towards the huts. Cloudchaser looked uncertain but held onto her sister.

"Hold on a little longer." She said before glancing at me. I finally found my breath and moved off of Scribble.

"I'm sorry..." I rasped, clutching my chest and hunched over. Cloudchaser said nothing. Her only concern was reassuring her sister. I looked over to the alicron robot who seemed to still be struggling with commands from the rider. My eyes fell onto the covered area where Fie is. 'Need to buy her time... right... what can I do?'

"Wow. I can't believe all of that happened. And the World Serpent is actually real?" Table Top asked. I had finished explaining everything to him as we traversed the ruined overpass, nodding to his question. His expression turned grim. “All the more reason to help you out. I maybe dead, but if the zebra were willing to give me a second chance to reconnect with my foal hood friend, then we got no time to lose.” I gave a soft smile.

“I’m glad you are with us, Table. I… I really needed this.” I replied, holding a hoof over my eye. “I’ve been… blaming myself for your death. Just the thought that I left you in such a bad way and to come home and find that you…” I sighed. “It was all my fault.” Table arched a brow.

“Really? Because last I recall before dying was hoping that you wouldn’t have had to see me six feet under.” He held his chest. “I can still feel the sensation but it’s… less so now that I was able to talk to you again.” Din came to a stop over the end of the overpass, a massive drop to the street below. She looked over her shoulder and frowned.

“Yes, yes. Let’s go frolic in the ash and embers before we can even get to the source.” She said in annoyance. “Or have you’ve forgotten in all your reminiscing?”

“I figured a being like you would have plenty of time to reminisce in decimating our home.” Table retorted. Din smirked.

“Yes, tis all well to admire my work. But I’ve quickly lost interest after we passed the main road.” She replied with a small sigh. Table Top and I peered over the edge, seeing the massive drop. He looked around with the rub of his chin before beaming and pointing.

“We can get down from here.” He said as he trotted over to the side of the bridge. The bridge had caved in along with several burnt auto wagons that piled into a convenient slope for us to traverse. Table grinned as he began descending. “It’s almost like we are going through an O&O session, Fie.” He said. I cautiously stepped hoof on the path, only to take a step back as an ominous groan and creak came from the auto wagon.

“Err… yeah… though I remember them being more exciting and less… cautionary.” I replied. Din rolled her eyes and descended the slope, ignoring the loud groan and creak.

“While we still have a physical body to get to, vessel.” She growled. I exchanged glances with Table Top before proceeding to follow her with caution. It was only when we hit the bottom street did Table Top speak up.

“So, Din.” He began, Din glancing in the corner of her eye. “It must have been a pretty wild time in your days.”

“My days?” Din asked with a narrow of her expression as we proceeded towards an opening through a building. Table rubbed the back of his head.

“Yeah. Fie told me this is like the… third time you’ve been called on? What was it like during your first time?” He asked. I eyed Table Top but Din “hmphed” coldly.

“Long forgotten memory. My guess is that me and my sisters were born. I only remember the second life to some degree.” She replied. I shifted my look. Table Top smiled.

“Then… what was the second life like?” He asked. Din’s wings shifted slightly as she looked around the building we had entered.

“Bland. The mortals had no ambitions and only lived to serve under banners. My previous vessel was the only thing keeping my boredom in check.” She explained. I hummed. Table Top asked her something I’ve been wanting to bring up but felt she would just give snarky replies or dumb riddles. I’m impressed she’s complacent. Now or never.

“Who was your previous vessel?” I asked. Din bucked open a door and we proceeded into the hall.

“Called himself a knight half the time, but his actions provoked the ire of those around him. You would think he wasn’t a knight with the way his compatriots viewed him. With the ones who did believe in him made him even more powerful of a mortal. One I dare say would be able to cut the World Serpent’s head if the Highest Evil wasn’t a concern.” She explained. “In the end, he perished to his injuries from the battle after successfully solidifying his legacy and allowing my sisters and I to banish the Highest Evil.”

I tilted my head a little. She had a small smile. A genuine one that as quickly as it appeared was immediately replaced with stoicism.

“He must be incredible if you hold him in such high regards.” Table Top marveled. “And he was a knight too? That’s so cool!” He motioned at me. “Fie may not be knight material. But she makes for a damn good assassin.” Din looked out the corner of her eye.

“My vessel is hardly any material worthy to remember. Sad to say she hasn’t done anything to earn my respect.” She replied. “Which is a shame. She holds much promise.”

“But I never asked for any of this.” I stated, stepping forward. “I never asked to be sharing my mind and body with a demi-god that doesn’t hold anything worthwhile to her own attitude. If you held your previous vessel in such high regards, why didn’t you follow his example with me?” Din continued to have her back towards me as she replied.

“Everything I have done has always been his example. Need I remind you that the imprinting does carry over. Fortunately, this’ll be the last time this realm will be in mortal danger. Once I ascend, I will shed myself from you and you can go back to being a sad, pathetic waste of space. I do not want to carry over all that clutter you have inside your head. The only thing I can think of is taking your zebra arts with me. It’ll be beneficial to up my repertoire of combat if need be.” I glared at her.

“Would a knight really go out of their way to destroy an entire city, innocent creatures or not, included?” I retorted. Din scoffed.

“He had his own ideals of what a knight should be. Razing an entire village of blasphemers? For a good reason, he did.” She stated.

“Blasphemers? Over our princesses?” Table asked. Din laughed with a smug grin.

“I believe it was a time when your ‘rulers’ weren’t rulers. I cannot recall exactly, but the reason justified against the Highest Evil.” She then motioned around us when we exited the building out into an open street. “Just as much justification there is for this.” I growled.

“I don’t see any justification in destroying Hoofington. Sure it was a bad place to be, but it didn’t call for it. The evils that roamed it would always be there, but that would always be the time when the good rise. My dad did his damndest to do that.” I replied.

“And yet, he gave up in the end, only wanting to end a major hold on the city before moving onto his family. Mortals know their limits, vessel. Yours has barely even been touched. Do not vouch for your kind if you cannot follow your father’s example.” Din replied boredly.

“He did not give up!” I snapped. “He continued to be his best self through it all! He never gave up! I know my dad and I know my mom wouldn’t want him to give up on anything!” I froze a bit. “Mom and dad… they wouldn’t…” Din smirked.

“Yes. What about you, little pony?” She chuckled. “Seems like giving you space to be your ‘best self’ really worked out in the end. ‘I missed you mom! I missed you dad! Oh, so sorry for being an awful daughter with hormones and a brain the size of a particle! I was rotting away in drink and depression, hoping that my life would be better when somepony knocks on my door unannounced and drags me out my abode! Oh! Woe is me!’” She mocked and gestured dramatically.

I felt my face going hot and my anger mixing in.

“Uhh… ladies?” I heard Table Top say. I shoved him aside and stepped up to Din, glaring angrily up at her.

“And what about you, little miss perfect?! Always bragging about how amazing and powerful you are yet you decided to pick me! One who has limited you far beyond than what you expected! You really thought I would run with this whole damned thing?! Bull!” I spouted, pointing at her. “You should have picked somepony then who had any desire to do this!! You picked me solely for the purpose that I am a possible love child between a demi-god and a powerful wizard of our legends!! But noooo! We come to find that Ouroboros has been lying! Been playing us like a damned fiddle so you can be satisfied even just slightly to not cut his head off!” Din growled at me.

“You dare assume?!” She snapped back.

“I don’t assume!! I know so!! It doesn’t take a genius to know that you are sorely crippled by your lack of understanding to the mortal realm!! Ouroboros has been taking advantage of that and we end up with more problems like this city we are in!!” I motioned around the ash ridden city. “Face it, Din!! You caused more problems for yourself by doing this, assuming I would be okay with it!! Time and time again I’ve tried to keep you in check, but you always kick and whine because you aren’t getting your way!! And you know what?! I’m glad you don’t!! Because this whole ‘clutter’ mess you mention!! Hahaha!! You reap what you sow!!”

“Ladies.” Table spoke. Din stamped her hoof, cracking the ground and clashing with my horn. I pushed back.

“You continue to deny me my ascension!! You promised me you would aid and now you are going back on your word?! This whole ordeal would be finished if it wasn’t because you ‘care’ for ponies!! You’ve nearly doomed us by letting yourself be consumed by a mad king!! If you weren’t my vessel, I would have burned you alive!!” She shouted.

“Then why won’t you do it!?! You have the capability to do so, but I know you won’t!! You need me to help you on your mission and despite all that is said and done, I’ve finally agreed to your demands!! I opened my heart for you!! Because you know why?! I just thought that maybe… just maybe for once you had any form of inkling of understanding why we mortals can match up!! Or have the countless losses you took remain ignored by you?!?” I let out a frustrative groan.

“Why can’t you accept the fact you failed!!? You failed in your chance of obtaining your realm!! You failed to properly handle this whole Hoofington situation!! You failed in besting your youngest sister and failed against not only Princess Twilight, but to my friends as well!! Why can’t you accept the fact you need help?!? And not just the physical kind, the mental kind!!”

“You are not so successful in that regard either!!” Din snapped back. “How dare you assume I failed!!!”

“Like I said!! I don’t assume so!!” I shot back.

“SHUT UP, BOTH OF YOU!!” Table shouted. We shot our angry glares at him, but the stallion stood his ground. “You two are acting like little children! Wanna’ know what I think? No pony can have it all. Not even the gods.” He motioned to me. “Fie, I’ve seen how you are when it comes to doing things yourself. You need help just as much as you believe Din needs. Back then, it wasn’t the mentality state, it was how you took everything on your plate and just couldn’t finish it. The work you did in CSGU showed that even if you knew you’d fail, you still went ahead! All those failures did eventually bring you down, but look at you now?

“You are the grand hero of Equestria! You are saving ponies! You even got acknowledged by the Princess Celestia, Luna and Twilight Sparkle! You got to meet the Elements of Harmony all at once and even became friends with them! So what if a few voices decided to exile you. You are still trying to do your damndest at being a hero! Those voices don’t know you, but the heroes do! And after catching up with you, I felt like I got to fill in a missing part of me I didn’t know I needed.” I couldn’t help but blush a bit, feeling my anger subside as I awkwardly rubbed my foreleg and bowed my head sadly. He turned to Din.

“Din, we get it. You are unstoppable. The prodigy being destined to rise above and spread your wings over a domain that should be yours. But you have to understand that we mortals maybe fragile, scared and stupid. But it’s because we recognize these faults, no matter how bleak, that we continue to strive for a better tomorrow. And there are those mortals that will go above and beyond to ensure that tomorrow is fulfilled. Even keeping a being like you in check. If you can recognize these faults and not look down upon them, you’ll notice that they could benefit you in the long run. You need allies. I don’t know how your previous vessel handled it, but if you are taking his example, then I can only see you being stuck. Because unlike him, you cannot perish unless your vessel does before everything is fulfilled!”

Din glanced at me, clearly unimpressed but quiet. He sighed and walked towards us.

“You two need each other now more than ever. You both have something to fight for, so why not combine it? You only say you have, but now it needs to be put into action. Show the realm, Fie, that you are the hero and champion. Show the realm, Din, that you are deserving of ascension. Both of you, show the whole universe that nothing stands in your way. That through harmony, a mortal and a god that has been shown to work well together, can also be friends. You don’t need to give up who you are. Because you both know.” He put a hoof on my shoulder and smiled up at Din. “Fie gave you a chance, Din. And now it’s time you give us a chance.” Din eyed him.

She then clicked her tongue and looked away with her forelegs crossed.

“The goody two shoes princess said the same thing…” She said. “Do all mortals share that outlook?” Table shrugged with a smile.

“The ones who are willing to be your allies I’m guessing.” He replied. “If you keep hearing the same lesson, then it is only right to jump on it.” I darted my eyes in thought and looked up to her.

“Table is right. Remember what I said to you when I opened my heart up?” I began. Din looked at me as I put a hoof to my chest. “That hasn’t changed. Because I needed your cooperation. But we need to stop having that mindset of tolerating each other for the sake of convenience. We need to start seeing this as a partnership.” I held out my hoof towards her. “I don’t assume that you don’t have balance in mind because I’ve already seen what you can do for it. Whatever your previous vessel had as a mindset isn’t our way. You can always remember him for what he is to you. But that was then and this is now. Let’s start making a new way for a change. Something that’s more us.” I smiled softly. “It’ll definitely help clear up most of the clutter that Table swept up earlier.”

Din studied me. This is the honest truth from me. Din, despite her incessant attitude and actions against everything, she has always been alone in her fight for balance. And while she needs me to keep herself going, it doesn’t need to be a parasitic relationship. I’ve realized that you can’t always have what you want, no matter how much you complain about it. Because it’s going to pile up and spill over, leaving a mess that will just get you stuck. But working together through the issues will not only benefit you, but also the one involved in it. Din must have read my thoughts as her expression softened a bit.

She sighed.

“Today’s generation is… confusing. But the point is correct. My previous vessel has always been fighting alone for the betterment of his mortals. Perhaps I was expecting somepony who had experienced the same up bringing would relate to the matter. I…” she hesitated. “I cannot hold anypony a candle to him. He understood me and helped me acquire something that would affect not only me, but my sisters as well. And loath am I to admit it, you did help me to some regards.” I tilted my head at her.

“Be it as it may that before we had our differences, how you treated and acted around me, you went out of your way to keep me grounded from going overboard, despite my ability to take control.” She looked out the window to the ashen city. “Perhaps I did make too much of a rash judgement.” She then bumped my hoof with her’s. “Alright, vessel. We will try it a new way. One that is befit for a queen of fire and a mortal of… subpar standards.” I couldn’t help but slump but smiled softly.

“It’s a start.” I replied. Table Top trotted past us.

“Great, glad that’s all sorted out and everything. But uhh… we should keep moving. You guys drew a lot of attention.” He said nervously. Din and I looked around us and I gasped. Ghostly hooves were clawing at the ground beneath us, on the walls and even from little corners of ruined buildings. There were a lot of them. We quickly began to canter away, avoiding the ghostly hooves that were shooting out of the ash and flailing to catch us.

We began to up our pace into a gallop. I looked over my shoulder and my eyes widened. Not only were the ash creatures rising, but some of the ash had peeled off, revealing a ghostly face of ponies. Pained and agonized expressions began to groan and scream around us. We were kicking up ash now as we raced through the streets, hopping over debris and moving around auto wagons. The screams of the damned were so loud I had to lower my ears to my head to drown out what I could. Table Top pointed up another slope.

“This way!” He called out as we raced to the slope. A quick glance showed that it was leading into the massive ash wall that the sickening red and black glow was coming from. As soon as we began climbing the ashen slope, I felt myself slipping. Din grit her teeth and bit me by the cloak hood and pulled me up. I was a little shocked but I smiled at her. Din seemed to hesitate a bit but she continued on with Table Top and I right behind her.

Din nearly reached the top when several ghostly and ashen hooves and claws shot out and grabbed her, beginning to pull her in. She grunted as she fought back against the forces. I looked to Table and nodded, both of us meeting her at her sides and began batting at the ash and waving the ghostly hooves away. I did my best to shake off the ones going for me and when we finally had enough room, Din pulled herself forward with mine and Table’s help and we went tumbling down the other side of the slope.

I landed with an “oof” on my side, Table falling on top of me on his back. We both shook away our daze as Din landed on her hooves and shook off the ash. Table pulled himself off of me and turned to help me up. We exchanged smiles before he started to laugh.

“Close one!” He chuckled. I chuckled in reply before turning to Din.

“Thanks for the save again. I still have a bit of ways to go to keep up, but I’ll get there.” I said. Din was quiet, her eyes studying me. She then looked past us and her look became serious.

“Then perhaps now would be a good time to make it up.” She stated. Table and I turned around and I gasped. We were in what would have been the main lobby for Tri-Mourne Tower. The crater blackened and charred. Small remnants of the once enterprising conglomerate of income for the city protruded from out of the ash. In the center of the crater was a blob of fire red surrounded by a black haze. Din stepped between us and snorted challengingly. “I believe you have something that belongs to me.” She called out.

There was no response. However, it seemed that the blob reacted to her call. The glow brightened and a tall pillar of red and black shot high into the sky. The ashen haze that had developed the moment we stepped hoof into the city cleared, only to be replaced with black clouds that funneled around us. Din and I readied ourselves as I held out a hoof to Table.

“Stand back, Table. This will get messy.” I said before grinning and glancing at Din. Din made a cool expression with a smirk.

“We’ll see how this goes.” She replied. Our eyes narrowed when we saw a hoof step out of the blob. A zebra figure emerged and began to walk forward. Then another. And another. Seven zebra in total emerged from the blob and lined side by side facing us, their spectral glow and pupiless eyes studying us. They then bowed.

“Ladies… do you hear them?” Table began. We looked over our shoulder to him. He looked to be in a trance. I gave a worried look. “They are speaking in so many tongues… ‘This is our blessing to you, Bearer of the Star of Fire. Overcome this divided animosity. Find harmony. Be free of all burden’.” Table began to walk past us. I put a hoof on his shoulder.

“What are you doing?” I asked. Table didn’t face me, but he smiled.

“They are asking me to help you in return for easing your troubles.” He said. I shook my head in confusion.

“What? Table, what is going on?” I asked again. Table finally turned his head to me and my jaw dropped. His eyes were pupiless and coat in a pale glow. My hoof then phased through him. He kept his smile as he spoke.

“Time is up for me. I… I’m sorry I wasn’t being completely honest with you about this. But I just had to do this. I didn’t want to believe our friendship ended over some bad communication. I wanted to remind you of that and they helped me to do just that. I had a really fun time catching up with you.” He put a hoof to my cheek. It was still cold but I could no longer interact with it. “I wish we could hang out a little longer, but you have some friends that you need to get back too. You have a realm to save.” He then looked at Din.

“It was nice to know you even if it was brief. I trust you to look after Fie. And believe me on this, she looks after her friends more than you think. Once you get to know her beyond the struggling issues mortals are prone to having.” He shrugged. “She also makes some pretty good hotcakes.” Din studied the stallion.

“I prefer crepes.” She replied. Table chuckled and moved away from us.

“Take care Fie. Din. This is the next step to your goals. Now give the forces against you hell.” I watched aghast as his form began to fade, a wisp swirling back towards the zebra. I held out my hoof.

“Table, wait!” I called out. I was too late. I was only greeted with a hot wind that began to blow towards us, causing me to shield myself. The zebra raised themselves and began to turn and walk back into the blob. With each zebra that stepped in, a red and black ball wisped around and vanished. When the last stepped in, the blob began to take shape. A blazing fire surrounding the silhouette of a pony. It rose to that of the size of an alicorn. A sharp looking horn dawned on the head and enclosed around dark armor that snaked down the spine. Pauldrons encasing the legs into heavy hooves and a flowing fiery mane flailed behind the silhouette. The fire that surrounded it eased, taking hold of the hooves and on the armor.

It reared up and kicked its’ forelegs out in a heavy, guttural whinny. Din grinned maniacally.

“How pathetic. If you seek to intimidate us, then that armor will do you no good!” She cackled. I called my halberd and got up on two, getting into a stance.

“Let’s do this, Din!” I spoke. She lowered herself and held a wing down to me.

“Get on, then. We’ll do it the right way.” She replied, not keeping her eyes off the figure. I smiled and hopped onto her back. It felt really strange still, but this time I won’t be holding back. Din grinned challengingly before beginning her charge in a gallop, causing me to hold on tightly. Din aimed her horn, ready to gore while the fierce figure charged us. I had a moment of hesitation, but I quickly dissuade my doubt and took a deep breath. No regrets.

Din and the creature were about to collide when Din hopped to the left and I followed up with a downward slash of my halberd, the blade striking the armor and sending the creature into a tumble from its’ momentum. Din skid and pivoted on her hooves, not wasting a single second as she charged again, her horn primed to gore. The creature wriggled to stand up and when it did, the eye was greeted with Din’s horn. She dug in deep and the creature let out a guttural whinny.

She hissed with a crazed smile, her fangs bearing.

“Hahahahah!” She cackled. I saw her horn begin to glow as the dark haze began to flow around us and the red being absorbed into the horn. "Vessel! Aid me in taking my power back!" I stood up on her back and hopped off of her, holding onto the creature as Din yanked her horn out of the eye. The creature reared and whinnied again before beginning to buck wildly. I held on for dear life, getting nicked a little by the armor. Din dashed around the creature and began to buck back at the creature, directing it to allow me to be able to make a move. When the creature began to direct its' attention to her, I adjusted my halberd and stabbed it into the back of the neck of the creature. It whinnied and reared up, causing me to hold on for dear life once more onto my halberd. I grunted and shoved the blade deeper, seeing the halberd beginning to glow a little brighter.

The black haze spewed from the wound, blocking my vision. I then withdrew my halberd and backflipped off the creature, landing in a readied position. Din flapped her wings once and with a bit of a flourishing flip, bucked the creature hard across the muzzle and sent it sliding across the charred ash. She landed in my usual zebra arts stance, cackling crazily.

“I can feel it! Hahahaha! This power!” She marveled as she examined her forehooves.

“Is it enough, though?” I asked her, keeping my focus on the creature that was flailing its' legs to stand up. Din smacked her forehooves together and snarled at the creature.

“Hardly. But we are getting there! Just a little more!” She then fell onto her hooves and her horn glowed. She cantered over to me and shifted my halberd up. I arched a brow questioningly and she grinned. “We should have a little fun with this. After all, there is nothing around here that we need to worry about.” I studied her and smiled.

“Yeah.” I replied. She then placed the tip of her horn on the blade of the halberd and like a match being struck, I felt the force kick back, digging my hind legs into the ground as the halberd seemed to extend and widened in a fiery blaze. I marveled at the sight. Din dashed away and readied herself.

“Don’t squander it! It doesn’t last long!” She called out as she charged the creature again. The dark haze from the creature flowing from the wounds began to take shape in the form of an alicorn over the body. Where the hooves were was actually claws as it brought them up and dig forcefully into the creature. With a sickening crunch, it ripped out the armor down the spine and gathered the dark haze to make a sharp and fierce looking halberd. Din roared as she flapped her wings and took off, firing a beam at the monster.

I looked down at the halberd and nodded. Using my magic to hold it, I galloped forward as the creature began to bat and swipe Din’s beams. Din skillfully dodged the retaliation, even deflecting the halberd with a nicely timed swish of her horn, sending fiery sparks everywhere. I galloped around to get behind the creature and using the full reach, stabbed the extended blade through the creature's chest. It let out a guttural pained whinny before turning around, carrying me and the halberd with the turn and smacking into Din. We went rolling quite a bit of a ways away from the creature.

It turned around again to face us, reaching behind and withdrawing the halberd. I grit my teeth and stood up, helping Din stand. The creature lowered itself and the body of the equine creature jolted and began to stand up like a zombified corpse. Din wiped her muzzle and grinned.

“We got enough for me to acquire all of it.” She said. I was about to call back my halberd when I had an idea. I matched Din’s grin and she nodded, having read my thoughts. “Strike fast.” She stated. We readied ourselves and closed our eyes. Together, we imagined splitting ourselves perfectly in half. I heard the creature whinny and began to charge us, swinging the halberds at the ready. Din and I opened our eyes and seven copies of ourselves appeared in a puff of fire.

The creature continued to charge, as if uncaring for the outnumbering. Din and I ordered our clones to engage while we proceeded to blend into the attack. The creature swung the halberds, aiming perfectly on two of us while the rest dodged, bounded and jumped around the creature. Each copy delivering blow after blows, turning the battle ground into a fierce war against an enormous monster. Soon, Din started ordering her clones to use magic and plenty of beams followed through the order. I ordered my clones to cover Din’s blind sides and before long, the creature was beginning to miss and flail about.

Din bounded away and unfurled her wings, charging a ball of fire at the tip of her horn. I bounded away from the fight and galloped towards Din. She lowered herself and I hopped onto her back where she proceeded to spin around and allowed me to be propelled high into the air with the force of her buck. She then spun and threw the ball of fire with her horn towards me. I twirled in the air and with one good kick of a single hindleg, punted the ball hard into the hazy creature.

When the ball collided, it blew up into a cluster, taking some of our clones with it while the rest backed away. The equine body was torn and limped while the hazy equine figure reared back, priming my halberd. I smirked as Din shot up behind me and brought her hindlegs in, connecting them to my own and gave me another propelling push that sent me towards the creature like a missile. Time slowed as I got closer, the halberd already in mid-swing. I called my halberd back to me.

It vanished from the creature’s claw. I collided with the creature, locking my forelegs on the horn of the haze, used it to flip around, and stab the blade of the halberd into the head. It violently shook me off, sending me tumbling into the air. Time slowed again as I managed to correct myself and drew back the halberd. Din soared by and struck her horn like a match against the blade before using a foreleg to catch me and chuck me back. I grunted as time sped up.

I roared as I plummeted downward, sticking my hindlegs out to catch my fall onto the creature’s head but locking my hooves onto the halberds shaft, piercing the extended and flaring fiery halberd into the creature. Using the momentum to bury the halberd further all the way through, I held on, feeling the overwhelming surge of power flowing into me through the halberd. Din landed hard on the creature and helped me bury the halberd further, the power flowing into her and I felt the overwhelming surge lessen.

“Together!” I shouted. “I will not hold back any longer! We will be victorious!” Din grinned.

“Nothing will stand in our way!” She hissed.

“This power is ours to see fit! And we will use it to restore this imbalanced realm to perfection!!” We exclaimed in unison. The creature whinnied loudly, a release of fire scorching the crater. A pillar of fire shot into the sky, the funnel splitting apart and the ash, peeling and flurrying into a blizzard like phenomena, revealed the ground. There was a blinding bright light that surrounded us, leaving me in a state of nirvana. I found myself floating towards the sky, the clouds parting away to reveal a starry bright night sky.

Luna’s moon enormous and shining brightly down on me made everything felt… peaceful. I then looked down and gasped as the ash surrounding Hoofington peeled away. The dead city now lush with nature’s life.

I see… The blessing of the ancient ones is quite a sight to behold. I heard Din say in my head. I smiled, feeling the warmth flowing through me. I examined myself. I still looked the same. However, I felt… whole. Like a part of me was missing and I finally found it. I noticed a passing cloud with some ponies sitting on it. Upon second glance, it was the ghostly zebra. Among them was Table Top.

Table Top laughed and smiled, waving up at me. I floated towards the cloud and Table cantered towards me, bounding off the cloud.

“You did it, Fie! You and Din!” He cheered. I was a little confused, but seeing Table smile, I couldn’t help but return it.

“You always had a strange way of making others smile.” I replied. He grinned and shrugged.

“That’s what ya’ get when you’re my friend.” He said. The zebra approached me and bowed.

”You’ve done well, Star of Fire. It warms these troubled minds the sight of harmony between you two.” The voices said. Din phased out of me and smugly grinned.

Shall we keep the zebra magic a secret as usual? She asked with a hum. The ghostly zebra returned her grin with a smile.

”For the good of balance and all things for the cycle of life. You are now fit for ascension. The last step is to find the one whose bloodline can call upon the attention of the higher powers and all seven are gathered.” I furrowed my look.

“How can we know when we’ll find the one with the bloodline?” I asked. The zebra bowed.

”We are not allowed to say. Tis a journey for yourself to discover.” The voices replied. I exchanged a glance with Din, who snorted in annoyance.

To suffer such a trifle. No matter. Perhaps the war will draw them out. She said. I looked to Table and smiled softly.

“I’m glad I got to see you again, Table Top. I… wish I could have been a better friend and at least wrote to you.” I said. My spectral foal hood friend smiled.

“It’s not your fault, Fie. I wasn’t really too worried. Because I always felt one day we’d see each other despite the circumstances. You’re definitely a lot cooler than last time.” He winked. I giggled and bumped my hoof onto his chest, knowing I would phase through if I went further.

“When it’s my time, perhaps I can introduce you to my other friends as well.” I said. Tables expression faltered and he bowed his head.

“That… sounds like an amazing thing to imagine.” He said. I tilted my head worriedly.

“Table Top?” I asked. He looked up to meet my gaze and smiled sadly.

“Where you’re going, I cannot follow. Neither can the others. But I’m certain the view will be amazing.” He replied. I didn’t like this response. I reached out to him but he pulled away and floated back to the zebras. “You two need to head back. You have a realm to fix and friends to laugh with.” I watched with a defeated look, my vision becoming a bit blurry. The zebra looked to me.

”Be well, champion. Your fate lies elsewhere.” The voices began to chant, low at first before reaching to a crescendo. Din phased back into me and I felt my entire body go limp. It was hard to see through the tears. The last thing I made out was Table Top waving sadly with a smile to me. Then everything went bright.

Thi’s POV

I dove to the side as the alicron pelted the area with a rain of arc fire from the horn. The horn spun rapidly before taking aim at Cloudchaser, who was soaring through the air. She swore through her teeth and did a skillful twirl before diving in and out of the arc fire. I scrambled to my hooves and galloped around the robot, pelting the body with bolts of green fire from Excalibat. The metal remained unsinged. The robot unfurled its’ metallic wings and with boosters from the back of the legs, skated quickly around the area, destroying three huts in the process before targeting me with bolt projectiles that hissed out of the wings.

I flicked my head down and sprang away from them, flipping and twirling in the air between each jump to avoid them. Having dodged the last one, I conjured a small platform and swung my bat, throwing out several bolts of fire. The wings retracted and the horn glowed. A faint shimmer could be seen and when the bolts of green fire reached the alicron, the robot made one smooth motion of its' head and deflected all of them away from it, the bolts crashing into the jungle somewhere.

I clicked my tongue and flicked my head down as the alicron aimed its’ horn and fired up at me. I was doing well until a stray bullet caused me to sharply crane my neck and sent me into a tumble through the air. I flailed a bit before Cloudchaser caught me in the air. Unfortunately, the alicron was still unloading arc fire and Cloudchaser yelped in pain when a bullet nicked her wing. We went spiraling and tumbling through the air.

Being quick to react, I weaved a net with my magic and caught both of us before hitting the ground. Cloudchaser grit her teeth in pain, trying to flex her wing. I looked up and my eyes widened. The alicron skated over to us and rose a hoof.

“Goodbye, Thi Billet!” The voice echoed gleefully. I saw in the corner of my eye Cloudchaser shifting and putting something on her foreleg. I looked to see her wearing Hercules’s Gauntlet.

‘She kept it??’ I asked myself in surprise. This is bad. I was about to stop Cloudchaser but the hoof began to descend on us. Cloudchaser shot up onto her hooves and with a hefty punch, collided with the metallic hoof. A crackle of lightning sparked upon contact and the alicron went stumbling back. Cloudchaser screamed in pain, clutching her leg and crumpled to the ground, writhing in pain. I was shocked, but I quickly turned on the alicron and stood up. I called back my bat and flourished it before charging the stumbling alicron.

I flicked my head down and sprang up high towards the eyes. I held onto the horn and without hesitation, swung my bat and smashed the eye open, revealing the helmeted pony inside. This time I was ready. The pony drew an arc pistol and fired, but I shifted myself to the other side and smashed the other eye open. I switched again and dove into the cockpit, wrestling the pony for the gun. I gave a couple of good slugs to the helmet, the pony becoming dazed. Taking the arc pistol in my magic I aimed at the pony.

A thought then struck me. No, I need this one alive. I then aimed the arc pistol into what I assumed was the contraption that allowed them to pilot the robot and unloaded the entire mag into it. Sparks ignited and the pony shielded themselves. I reached in and locking my foreleg around theirs’s, I yanked them out and tossed them below me, letting go and landing deftly onto my hooves, cantering away as the alicron began to topple onto its’ side with a crash.

With the robots finally quelled, I finally got a moment to breathe. I turned on my hooves and looked down at the winded pony. I glanced up to see Cloudchaser limping over to me in pain.

“Go to Scribble, CC. I’ll take care of this.” I said. Cloudchaser winced, nursing her foreleg. However, she glared quietly at me and used her wings to carry herself over to the others. Mystique was rubbing some poultices on Flitter that eased her trigger, but the mare was still struggling. I turned my attention back to the pony. “Alright, Triad trash. Maybe you’ll have a looser tongue than your late co-pilot.” I bucked the pony over and aimed the arc pistol at the helmet. “Tell me everything. What the hell is going on in the Triad? Where are you keeping Roam’s heir? What are the Triad looking for in the temples?”

I fired a bullet that grazed the helmet, causing the pony to flinch. “I’m starting to get impatient.” The pony gave a nervous chuckle, but my glare caused them to go quiet. I frowned and fired another round next to the helmet of the pony.

“D-dammit… You really are the Triad Killer.” The pony chuckled again and removed their helmet, revealing to be a bald mare with a nasty scar running down her face. “Alright… you win… again…” I waited for her to continue, keeping the arc pistol aimed at her as she sat up with a pained wince. “What is it that you really want to know?”

“Start by telling me why the Exiles were allowed to use the Triad’s tech when I know damn well they wouldn’t have given it up.” I stated. The mare lowered her head and rubbed the back of it as she spoke.

“The Exiles thought they were clever and stole from us. However, we received a direct order from General Lilac to ‘let them have their fun’.” She grinned. “That’s code for data gathering via third party.” I narrowed my eyes.

“Seems they didn’t take into account this ‘primal energy’. Thanks to my friends, it was easy to take you both out.” I said. The mare chuckled smugly.

“And yet, you resorted to activating the Sombranite trigger in your friend just to get a higher advantage against us. I have heard you would do anything against our beloved organization. It’s a wonder how your team even got along.” She smirked. I felt my anger rise, but I told myself to keep calm but firm.

“Regardless of that matter, you are still at gun point here. Do you know if there have been any internal changes to the Triad? Such as allowing other creatures to join the organization?” I replied sternly. The pony was quiet for a moment before replying.

“I have heard we had made an exception with one as an outside agent. She has proven to be quite steadfast and had quickly shown up the higher commanders but refuses to take the position any further. It caused quite a stir in our ranks for quite some time. And then we received new orders. To begin in Zebrica, we would need to acquire certain specimens as per the order of this new agent.” She shrugged. “For what, it isn’t clear. But the Exiles were more than happy to follow it to a tee.”

My expression narrowed. “Is this new agent from Roam?” I asked. The pony shrugged again.

“Who’s to say? It doesn’t matter where, as long as General Lilac is happy to know our great queen’s ideals are not tampered with.” She replied. I darted my eyes in thought.

“So why stallions? Is there a reason for it? Certain plans?” I asked sternly, reminding her I have the upper hoof here. The pony clicked her tongue.

“That is one agent who doesn’t like to loosen their muzzle so openly.” She replied. I arched a brow.

“Interesting.” I said. My ears then flicked when I began to hear a lot of blips coming from the robot. I moved around the pony, keeping my pistol trained and faced the robot. It jittered and shuddered, a strange blue glow emanating from inside the eyes.

”ACTIVATION OF PROTOCOL -BRRRRTTZZZZ- REWRITING CODE WITH OLD ALGORITHMS.” The crackling voice of the robot spoke.

“Do these things just have a mind of their own at times?” I asked the pony. However, the pony was transfixed on the robot. The alicron began to move a little.

”DATA COLLECTION SUCCESSFUL. RE-ENGAGING ORIGINAL COMMAND.” The robot said, the voice beginning to sound less robotic and more… feminine? I couldn’t help but be transfixed as well at the change of the voice. The robot pushed itself off the ground and stood up right over us. ”THE STARS… OH… How beautiful they are.” I felt a massive chill go down my spine. The eyes began to glow brightly and an aura began to resonate off the robot. “I desire more knowledge of this newfound unknown variable. Could it be? I’ve been given another opportunity to continue my research?”

The voice was eerily soothing. My eyes then fell onto another glow off in the distance.

‘That’s… in the direction of the other alicron…’ I thought to myself. Another glow shone brightly not too far off from us. We looked to see the first alicron Fie destroyed beginning to move. The pieces of the robot beginning to rise from the ground and float over to the robot. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Even off in the distance, the pieces of the other alicron I defeated is floating over to this one. The wings extended from the robot and peeled away, revealing the energy that powered the robot in the shape of feathers as the scrap from the other robots accumulated into bones.

The robot’s entire body began to combine with the scraps of the others, making a completely different and sleeker chassis and armor for the forelegs, hindlegs and helmet. The robot shifted, the movements no longer stiff.

”Compatible specimen detected. Initiating ‘harmonize’.” The voice said. From the eyes, something lashed out towards me. I dove aside, ready to retaliate when my jaw fell as the Triad pony was caught. She struggled against the thin and thick cables of the robot.

“Wh-what is this?! Let go!” She struggled. It wasn’t long until more shot out and began to drag her forward. “N-no! S-stop! I command you to stop! In the name of our benevolent queen, cease!!” She cried out. But the cables continued to wrap around her. “H-help! Somepony! Anypony!” She struggled to face me, trying to lift a hoof out to me. “Help…!” I was dumbfounded. What the hell is going on?! The pony screamed as the cables lifted her, violently flailing about before retreating into the eyes.

The head leaned back and a bright light shone as the pony’s screams became silent. I took a few steps back, unable to look away. The head lowered and an insectoid visor slid quickly to cover the internal eyes.

”Neural link established. Data collection processed to new servers. Will you be the next test subject?” It shifted its’ head to me. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t believe it. I was paralyzed with fear. My mind unable to comprehend what was happening. The robot turned to me and raised its’ left hoof. From the scrapped together pieces, a blade of energy emerged from the hoof.

“Thi! Get out of there!!” I heard Scribble shout. I couldn’t respond. I was speechless. Just what the hell are the Triad testing? The hoof crossed the chest and rose high, ready to strike. I grit my teeth.

‘C’mon, legs! Move!’ I thought to myself. But I couldn’t. Just the thought of what just happened was something I just could not comprehend. I then felt something tackle me as the hoof slashed down, burning a neat cut in the ground. I went rolling with whoever, snapping out of my paralyzes. I looked to see a disgruntled Mystique eye me.

“Your friend needs you! Now move!” She shouted. I blinked and looked over my shoulder.

“Fie?” My eyes fell onto the covered bonfire that was still burning. I grit my teeth once more and stood up, helping Mystique as the robot turned to face us.

”Do not run from science. What must be thought of can always be executed.” the voice said. Ignoring the robot, I galloped with Mystique, narrowly avoiding a rain of arc fire that seemed to solidify and jut the ground with white crystals. I reached the bonfire and punched on the stone.

“Fie! Fie are you awake?! C’mon, Fie! We need you now more than ever!!” I called out. Mystique tackled me again as we narrowly avoided the energy blade. The rock wall crumpled down and I gasped as it collapsed onto where Fie would be. “No!! Fie!!” I screamed out. The robot was floating in the air, the energy wings crating a sharp hot wind. It aimed its’ horn at us and the white crystals stabbed the ground around us, creating a cage. I was about to flick my head down and get both me and Mystique out when the robot landed hard over the crystals and peered down at us.

Mystique began to pray in zebric as she held onto me.

‘No… I won’t die here! Whatever happened here…! I refuse to die!’ I called my bat and readied myself to swing, the green eye flaring brightly in a sickening green hue. I roared and was about to swing when the robot perked up.

”Primal energy…? Stronger than the one wielding the sword. Could it be?” The robot turned to face the rock covered bonfire. I panted and peered through the gap of the crystals. The fire began to seep out of the rocks and ignite brightly. Suddenly, a loud explosion sent the rocks flying. A smile crept on my face. All my doubts at this moment gone in an instant.

As if descending from a throne of fire, my best friend, surrounded in flames, amber slit eyes and a fiery mane and tail flowing behind her, faced the robot. She took a quick look around before her eyes fell on me. She smiled and looked up to the robot.

”Subject Star Bright? You’ve returned.” The voice said. Fie tilted her head curiously, but it quickly vanished when the maniacal grin of Din took her expression. My heart sank. Din had possessed her once more.

“Din! Don’t do this!” I called out. Fie’s head swished, a fiery wisp trailing the tip of her horn and she unleashed another fierce beam of fire that struck the visor of the robot, making it raise its’ head. Some scrap fell off of it but it regained its’ stance and faced Fie.

”Rebellious as ever. Mortals have tainted you far more than projections predicted.” It said, raising its’ hoof and drawing its’ energy blade. ”Heed this, Subject Star Bright. I am Rosette Nebula. And I will see to your containment once more personally.”

Chapter 21: The Great Protector

It all felt strange. Din and I stared up at the massive robot before us. What has happened while I was out?

Interesting… Using whatever my sister has to keep itself going. Shall we teach it a lesson, vessel? Din cackled. I grinned and nodded. With a single swish of my head, I aimed my horn and blasted a good bit off the robot’s head. I clicked my tongue, realizing I was still a bit loopy from the whole spiritual journey we just went through, it didn’t strike me as anything noteworthy in this confrontation. That is, until it called itself Rosette Nebula. Din froze in place.

‘Din?’ I asked. Din narrowed her eyes.

That name… The good doctor? She wondered. I balked and dove to the side as the robot alicorn slashed downwards. I called my halberd and clashed with the follow up, deflecting the blade. Din snorted. No matter. Vessel, wash your magic on this misbegotten abomination. I am feeling rather powerful right now. She grinned challengingly. I was impressed that the robot was able to keep up a ferocious press of attacks.

I deflected the blade here and there, throwing in a few flourishes and dodges to try and throw it off. It maintained a focused stand, causing me to kick off the ground with Din flying me upwards. The alicron aimed its’ horn and began to fire these strange white crystals that I could see was full of arcane magic. Din had me twirl and flipped in the air, avoiding the volleys and unleashing her own volley in return. The robot deflected most with its’ blade before throwing up a bright shimmering barrier that dissipated the oncoming magic from Din.

The alicron then unfurled its’ wings and took off from the ground. It was insanely quick and I was lucky enough to deflect the fly by slash of the energy blade. I let out a soft exhale, calming my breath.

‘I wonder if we can get something out of it. It’s sentient, right?’ I asked. Din hummed as we watched the robot spin around and unleash several spherical balls of magic that hissed and soared wildly towards me.

Perhaps. I’m quite curious of this Rosette Nebula myself. She said as she threw up a fire barrier that made the projectiles sail off course and explode in bright colors behind me. I swished my halberd and kicked off the air, rocketing towards the robot and clashing with the energy blade once more. Every blow exchanged was deflected or blocked, almost like a majestic dance was taking place.

And through this exchange I couldn’t help but feel lighter. As if a massive weight has been taken off of me. And for some reason, Din was sharing this sentiment I sensed.

‘Seems we can synergize properly this time.’ I commented in my thoughts as I flipped over a slash and bucked the back of the head of the robot, sending it swaying away from me.

This power is amazing! Ahahahaha! I’ve never felt more alive! This is only a taste of ascension! It’s wonderful~! Din gleefully said as I conjured seven of my clones and ordered them to charge the robot. The alicron started unleashing several barrages of artillery as my clones dodged and twirled through them. Reaching the robot, they began to distract it with pokes and jabs with the halberd. I smirked.

‘Alright, Din. Together.’ I thought to her. I held up my halberd and striking the blade with my horn like a match, I flicked my halberd out and the blade and shaft extended greatly in a fiery blaze enshrouding it. I flourished my halberd before diving low, ordering my clones to keep its’ attention above itself. With the robot distracted, I held my halberd tightly, primed to strike. Din cackled and mimicking my stance, we swung the halberd upwards, slicing the robot in half.

I spun around in the air to face it, seeing the lower half fall into the jungle with a loud crash. The upper body, however, was still flapping its’ wings. I blanked a bit when I saw the robot shriek and its’ body began to glow. Din hissed and flew me away as the robot screamed, unleashing a torrent of lightning and energy that struck my clones and traced along the ground, kicking up a lot of dirt and dust. The alicron clutched its’ head and shook it violently.

”It hurts!! It hurts!! Arrrrrgggghhh!! My queen!! Help me!!” It shrieked; a different voice having taken over. Din scoffed.

The poor soul. All the better we are doing her a favor. She commented. I gave a disturbed look and nodded. The robot turned its’ head to me. I never thought a robot could show a pained expression that turned into anger. It sent a chill down my spine as it drew its’ energy blade and charge me, shrieking in the process. I readied my halberd and blocked a blow, only for me to underestimate the force of it. I was sent rocketing away, Din and I working to straighten ourselves.

The robot chased and began to swing its’ blade violently, the arcane electricity sparking out of it with every motion. I deflected and dodged, unable to find a proper opening.

‘Dammit! This thing is tough!’ I thought. ‘I can’t get an opening!’ Din hummed in thought as I went sailing backwards when the robot gave a surprise right hook. Din smirked and I sensed her idea. ‘It’s our only shot!’ I commented. Din scoffed.

Don’t get too ahead of yourself! She retorted. I smiled smugly, readying my halberd.

‘Pot meet kettle-’ I then heaved my halberd like a javelin right as I said: ‘-You’re black!’ The robot deflected the halberd and Din grinned smugly. The robot shrieked and swung the blade downward, slicing right through me. However, the image it slew vanished into a burning flame of embers. Having emerged from my halberd’s fire, I grabbed the halberd and spun it in my hooves, aiming the blade and kicking off at high velocity towards the robot.

It looked up just in time for me to pierce right through the robot all the way through to the other end. The robot froze in place, the wings breaking apart as I soared upwards from a downward dive. I looked to the robot and narrowed my expression. The robot turned its’ head to me, a hoof outstretched towards me.

”Not bad… Subject Star Bright… You really were… the best… a mind like mine… could achieve…” It said before the voice changed; ”Peace… at last…”

As the robot fell, it began to fall apart, the scrap breaking away as it plummeted. I blinked, remembering something Din said and closed my eyes. I reached with my magic, not to grasp, but to feel. My magic washed over the robot and when I opened my eyes, observing it crashing into the jungle foliage, I could make out a web of magic all around me. Din, however, had me focus on one particular strand of the web. It led eastward. Taking a better look, I could make out the top of a temple.

The strand connected to the top. Feeling rather happy with this, I began to make my way back to the village. As I approached, I couldn’t help but wonder. What was all that about? Rosette Nebula? A sentient robot? The Triad really are still an enigma with certain projects. I found myself floating above Thi and Mystique, who were looking battered but unharmed. Thi grinned and saluted to me as I gave one good swing of my halberd and shattered the crystals. I landed on the ground and Thi rushed over to me.

“Fie! That was amazing!” She excitedly said, holding my hooves. I smiled until she narrowed her look. “That is, unless you are Din.” Oh, she has this coming. I gave a maniacal grin and did my best cackling impression I could. Din frowned.

Flattery is an insult. She stated. That made me crack into a normal laugh and I pat Thi’s shoulder.

“It’s alright, Thi. It’s me. And Din. Well, both of us really. But I’m still me.” I said. Thi studied me, her mind probably still racing with questions. However, her eyes widened and began to pull me along.

“We have to check on the others.” She said. I nearly stumbled as she hurried me along. When I arrived, my expression softened. Scribble was tending to Cloudchaser. Her hoof bandaged and splinted. Flitter looked pale and distressed. However, Cloudchaser smiled at me.

“That was quite a show, Fie. Rocking a new mane style too. Though I’m not sure how to feel about the fire effects.” She teased. I giggled and closed my eyes. I gave the energy all back to Din and I felt the warmth leave me. When I opened my eyes, I examined myself. Normal and the usual plain empty. I then looked to Flitter.

“Are you alright, Flitter? You don’t look so good.” I asked. Cloudchaser then glared at Thi and Thi gave a wince and rubbed her foreleg.

“Errr… about that Fie.” She began.

“What a sight, to see such a star so bright.” Mystique said as she rubbed something on Cloudchaser’s leg. We had gathered in the area where the bonfire was, the villagers shifting through the wreckages of some of the huts. Flitter, having recovered a bit, looked sadly around.

“How long does it take to build a hut?” She asked sadly. Mystique smiled.

“It takes a few days with all the help here. But you should be more worried about the poison that sleeps inside of you.” She gave a grim look. “I am afraid that your long exposure to the substance has caused some harm to your health and psyche. The flower you call Pocket Gold is worse than the Poison Joke.” Thi sighed and gave a solemn expression to Flitter.

“Again, I’m so sorry, Flitter. It was the only thing I can think of to give you guys the space needed to get out.” She said. Flitter rubbed her foreleg.

"U-unexpected, honestly. But... we are okay in the end, right?" She said with a small smile. Cloudchaser snorted and silently crossed her forelegs once Mystique had patched her up. Scribble sighed, the stallion looking more exhausted by the second.

"I hope we managed to get some info out of this." He said, looking at Thi. Thi softly exhaled and nodded. She began to explain what she learned from the pony she interrogated before the events of this transition happened. I've never seen Thi so tired. When she finished, Scribble opened his journal and began scribbling down in it. I walked over to Cloudchaser, who was examining her hoof. I noticed a strange gauntlet next to her. I pushed it aside a little and sat down next to her.

"You okay, CC?" I asked. Cloudchaser shrugged.

"Just a little sore from using Hercules's Gauntlet." She furrowed her look at the gauntlet. "It was the only thing I could think of." She glanced at Thi. Thi's ears lowered and she kicked the ground softly. Flitter stood up and smiled, walking over to her sister.

"Cloudchaser, I'm fine now. Really. Whatever Mystique did, I feel a little lighter." She then had a thought which she turned to the zebra. "You don't happen to know about a certain... 'grandma'?" Mystique blinked blankly.

"I'm not sure who you are asking for. If you are asking for the Elder of our village, we do not have an Elder anymore. R.E.Z.A. has provided aid for the elderly and are providing for the villages." She explained. Scribble spoke without looking up.

"A lot has changed since R.E.Z.A. showed up. I wish we could know more about it, but if the destruction of those 'Alicrons' have alerted the Triad to our presence, then we are only good for putting this village in danger." He looked to Mystique. "Do you know of a safe place for your kin to hold out? Perhaps notify R.E.Z.A. to aid in relocating?" Mystique looked around her village, her kin mourning over the loss of destroyed homes. I was relieved however to see that no zebra was badly injured. She sighed and closed the medkit.

"I will talk to my kin. We can relocate to a neighboring village that is occupied by R.E.Z.A. We'll leave first thing in the morning." She replied sadly. I gave a reassuring smile and walked over to her, patting her back.

"I'm sorry we caused a disturbance by showing up out of the blue. I promise we'll make it up to you." I looked over my shoulder to my friends. "I know where we are going to go next. It's not a facility, but who knows. It's where the robots came from. They were powered by Lux to some degree." I looked back to Mystique. "My guess is the Triad stationed there are occupying the temples looking for something. If not, already found it and are just doing more digging. We'll chase them out. And who knows." I turned to my friends. "We'll probably find more info about the whereabouts of Roam's next in line." Mystique stared at me in awe. My friends smiled and nodded.

"You... you would do that for us?" Mystique asked. I pat my chest and winked.

"You and your village gave Din and I a chance to get better acquainted with one another. Zebra magic is on a whole other scale than I thought. It's only fair I do something in return. That and it benefits Din's search too. We'll make sure the Triad are out of your hair." I held out a hoof to her. Mystique studied me. She eventually smiled and wiped a small tear from her eye before taking my hoof, helping her up.

"I don't know how to thank you. All of you." She said. Thi rubbed her snout with a smile.

"It's kind of what we do. And if I didn't know better, Fie. You seem completely different now than you were before." She said. I waved a hoof with a playful grin.

"I'll tell ya' more about it later. We should rest up while we can. We are going to be trekking east." I replied. Mystique balked.

"But that's... oh no..." She began.

"What's wrong?" Flitter asked. Mystique motioned to the jungle.

"The Great Protector roams these jungles near the temples. You'll be crossing into his territory." She said.

"The Great Protector?" Cloudchaser asked, tilting her head.

"The Great Protector was born from a star. They have been protecting this land for centuries. And with the intrusions of the Exiles and these Triads, the jungle has been restless. We've been hearing The Great Protector cry out for the jungle when he's supposed to be in a slumber." She explained. "I fear that angering him further will only cause the complete destruction of the jungle. And with the restlessness, it'll spread out into the Savanna. If you are to head towards our ancestor's temples, be extremely cautious. I know not of what The Great Protector will do when he sets his eyes on you." I rolled my neck and stretched a bit, nodding.

"Thanks for the info, Mystique. We'll be leaving once we are rested." I replied. The area went quiet when we heard a growl rumbling loudly. Cloudchaser readied herself.

"The Great Protector!?" She asked at the ready with my friends. I blinked blankly and looked down at my stomach, hearing it growl. I gave a nervous laugh and tapped my hooves together.

"That would be me. I'm hungry." I said with a blush.

It was still early morning, the sun not having peeked out yet. But the dusk sky showed it was time to go. The villagers had erected a small bit of shelter from the fallen structures of their huts, having worked quickly to manage it. We bid Mystique a farewell as the villagers were beginning to mingle about and readying to relocate. With a full belly and a happier mindset, I left the village with my friends in tow. We didn't have the best sleep, but I felt fully energized. I looked to Cloudchaser, her hoof casted as she floated next to us with Flitter next to her.

"Any pain?" I asked her, pushing aside a big leaf of a plant as we proceeded into the foliage. Thi took the lead, using a piece of the destroyed Alicron as a machete to cut through the thicker foliage. Cloudchaser shifted her leg and smiled.

"Tingles. Mystique says the remedy she used would help mend the bones quicker. And considering the healthcare in Roam, I trust zebra medicine over Equestrian medicine any day." She said. "Seriously, whatever they do mends things faster than I can read the entire Wonderbolt's training regimen. How have they not taken advantage of this?"

"Because Zebrica has a bad history with greedy corporations and foreign affairs ruining the ecological state of their land. All they ever want is peace, yet the magic that the zebra practice is valuable to the point that there was a time when a lot of bits were thrown into the land, only for the zebra to deny it and pay the ultimate price for rejecting their offer. Which was paying off the wasted bits with work with no pay." He explained. Flitter gasped in horror.

"That's evil! How can anypony do that!?" She exclaimed. Scribble sighed.

"Like I said. Greed will always remain in the hearts of creatures. Thankfully the tribes united their communities and chased out the moguls. Ever since, Zebrica has been extremely wary with foreign trades and limiting tourism." He replied. Thi grunted as she got slapped with a leaf, hacking at it in frustration before responding.

"And with the Triad around, it's going to be more than just a repeat of history. They'll raze all of Zebrica for the search of their magic. The fact they haven't done so yet means that they found something extremely important and are focused on it. That or trying to maintain a neutral ground in order to win Zebrica's favor for the war." She looked over her shoulder to us. "Either way, Zebrica is in way more trouble than Roam is at the moment. We can't save the entire nation. But we can at least make a dent for them to fight back like before." I rubbed my chin in thought.

"Speaking of that. We are heading to a temple. If the two alicrons came from there, they must have been onto the Exiles long before they stole the first one I destroyed. The magic was quite dense which means they have been there for quite a while." I replied. Din hummed with a smug smile. Cloudchaser's ears flicked and she shushed us.

"Does everypony hear that?" She asked. We quieted and listened in. The sound of something humming getting closer and closer. Thi clicked her tongue.

"Hide." She whispered. We ducked into the foliage and kept low, keeping our attention on the sound of the humming. It was getting louder and louder. It wasn't long until the beams of wagon lights shone past our hiding spots. Three auto wagons hummed by us, their speed slow as they trudged through the foliage. Thi frowned. "A transportation convoy. Looks like they are heading to the temple." She whispered to us. There was a loud metallic grind followed by the lead wagon coming to a stop and getting tail ended by the other one. We watched as a few Exiles stepped out and swore at each other (from what I'm guessing due to the growls) and started examining the wagons. The bigger one in the back was close but not too much. The back of the wagon looked like we could hop in and keep ourselves hidden. Which is what everypony seemed to have in mind. We snuck out of our cover and hurried over behind the wagon. I helped Scribble into the wagon before following after, followed by Thi. Cloudchaser and Flitter were quiet to float into the wagon. The back of the wagon had a lot of covered up barrels and space for us to squeeze into and hide under the tarps.

We remained quiet and waited for the Exiles to finish up their run through before we felt the wagons jerk and begin to move. It was a bit of a bumpy ride but it wasn't long before the wagons came to a stop. We heard the Exiles speaking to each other, having to remain low when two of them proceeded to check the back of the wagon. Seems they were having a lazy day as they only looked in the back and scanned it with their eyes before waving the wagons through. When the wagon came to a stop, we waited a bit for the Exiles to finish up and the sounds of their hoofsteps getting further and further away. I nodded to Thi and we both crept out the back of the wagon and took cover behind a stack of crates and barrels, the rest of my friends following suite. Cloudchaser quietly marveled at the sight.

The temple was massive. It towered above the treetops and had a brilliant shimmer to it when the sun started to rise over the mountains. Expanding before us is the activity of passing Exiles and, upon closer inspection with Din's eyes, Triad as well. However, it seemed that the Triad were not lifting a single hoof to help the Exiles in anything. They were shadowing the activities more than anything, their arc weapons seemingly at the ready for a quick take down. Thi must have noticed this too as she clicked her tongue again.

"Where do we even start?" She asked. I pointed to the temple.

"We have to get in there." I said scanning the temple. I frowned. "But I don't see a way in." The ground began to rumble a bit and we looked to see at the bottom of the temple two massive stones sliding aside as a convoy had arrived. The Triad waved the wagons in and the other wagons coming out. When the wagons had finished moving, the stones slid back into place and we watched as turrets slid out of the wall and began to scan the area followed by several Triads patrolling. Thi turned to us and we gathered together.

"Alright, how should we go about this?" She asked. "Any ideas?" Flitter tapped her head in thought.

"Perhaps doing the usual disguise as a guard?" She asked. Thi shook her head.

"Unfortunately, I think that security system is set to recognition. We'll be lit up before the magic tracing spell on their uniforms kick in." She said. Cloudchaser shrugged.

"What about seeing another way in around the temple? There could be a crack that the Triad aren't covering." She said. Thi smiled.

"A good idea. But with how big the temple is, I am not sure we'll find it in time. I'm more worried when the Triad will start making their way into the village." She replied. Scribble peeked out and scanned the area.

"Repeat what we did when we got in?" He asked. "We saw convoys enter and exit." Thi rubbed her chin.

"Another swell idea. Only, I think the Triad are a bit more competent than the Exiles. They'll definitely do a thorough inspection." She said, tapping her horn in thought. I hummed in thought.

"What if... we have the Exiles rebel against the Triad?" I suggested. My friends looked at me with raised brows. I blinked blankly. "What? I mean, from what I'm putting together, the Exiles are pretty miserable under the Triad banner. Even if they have some free reign to some degree, there has to be a fault somewhere that makes them want to overthrow the Triad." I rubbed my chin. "We just need to give them a little push." I looked at Thi's machete. Din must have facehoofed.

This realm is doomed if that even works. She said.

'Hey, I got the Princesses to go undercover. Probably not a good plan, but who knows?' I replied to her. Din arched a brow.

If I recall, only one simpleton fell for it. I smiled slightly.

'A successful endeavor.' Thi waved a hoof at me.

"You okay, Fie?" She asked. I snapped back to attention and levitated her machete to me. I then snapped off a bit of the metal and peeked out from around corner. I ducked back a bit when a passing Exile trotted by. I carefully tucked the piece into the uniform pocket. The zebra did not notice. I beamed and ducked back to my friends. Scribble stared at me in a stoic manner.

"Any other bright ideas?" He asked, looking to everypony else. The others proceeded to rack their brains while I peeked out and studied the area. Using Din's eyes I followed the zebra I stuck the piece of Alicron in. I heard my friends discussing something, yet my attention focused when the zebra proceeded to talk to two more Exiles. The conversation seemed casual until two Triad guards walked by and started barking something at them. The Exiles didn't look too pleased. However, one of the Triad ponies blinked quizzically, withdrawing a strange device with a crystal on it. The Triad waved it in the direction and pointed the device at the zebra. A few more Triads approached; guns trained on the zebra. I observed as the situation seemed to escalate a little more, a small smile creeping up on me. I focused on the lips of the ponies, wanting to practice my lip reading.

"Empty your pockets!" The Triad with the device ordered. The arc guns trained on the zebra, catching the glares of the other Exiles around the area. The zebra said something I couldn't quite read, but they proceeded to empty their pockets. When the piece of the alicron fell out, one of the unicorn Triads levitated it and the pony with the device waved it over the bit. The expressions of the ponies turned cold. "We got a saboteur." The pony mouthed. The zebra replied in shock and from the gesturing they were doing, trying to explain their innocence. It wasn't until another Exile approached the group with their own posse that the tension began rising. One of the Triads held a hoof to their ear and said something and suddenly, the alarm blared.

"Shit, were we spotted?" Thi spoked, having quickly drawn her gun. I waved a hoof at them.

"Just the push I gave them." I said, the small smile remaining on my face. My friends must have exchanged confused glances before peeking out. The exchange between the Exiles and the Triad were starting to get heated as guns were being brought out and the Triad smugly displaying power over the event. I turned to my friends and waved for them to follow. "Now we move." I whispered. Thi smiled softly and nodded, my friends shrugging to each other before we proceeded to move around the events transpiring. We crept past several Triad onlookers, seemingly grinning at the events. We sidled through the first check point before making our way to an overlook tower. Thi mentioned that having a better eagle's eye view can help us find a better way to get in further. As expected, upon sneaking into the tower, there were two Triad guards idling in chairs, playing cards. Thi cleared her throat and leaned coolly against the entrance.

"Fellas? Got room for five more?" She said with a grin. The Triads looked at us and one of them dropped their cigar from their muzzle. Subduing the guards, Cloudchaser and Flitter scanned the area while Thi and Scribble shifted through the stuff that the Triad had on the tables. Nothing worthwhile, but Cloudchaser and Flitter did spy less Triad guarding the westward area. Ensuring that the guards were neatly tied and tucked away, we headed back down and crept towards the area. There were indeed a lot less Triad idling and patrolling, but we ended up running into an issue. The turrets that were scanning the area. There was no way we'd be able to move freely or from cover to cover without being picked up by the sensors. We decided to rack our brains once more. Thankfully, the sound of gun fire began ranging out along with shouting, causing us to stay put as the Triad began to mobilize. With the coast clear, that left us with just the turrets. I was planning on blasting them with Din's power, but Din shut it down.

We should really be saving our energy for something vital. Wouldn't you agree? She stated in annoyance. I sighed and nodded.

'You're right. Never know if we need to fight another Alicron here.' I thought. I used Din's eyes to scan the area around us, spying what appeared to be a box building near what I would believe to be the westward entrance. I tapped Thi on the shoulder and pointed to the building. “Perhaps the security shut down button could be there?” I asked. Thi put a hoof on her forehead to scan the area and hummed.

“Could be. Only one way to find out.” She replied. We were about to move when we had to duck back into cover at the sound of several arc bullets ricochetting near us. I looked over my shoulder and slumped. The Exiles were pushing the Triad back. This isn’t good. The Triad mobilized the retreat back and now we were unable to move from our spot. I facehoofed.

“Dammit. Worked a little too well.” I stated to myself in annoyance.

It always amazes me that this realm hasn’t gone to megaspell fallout years ago. Din commented amusedly. Thi clicked her tongue.

“Might have to fight our way out. Get ready everypony.” She said, cocking her arc pistol. We readied ourselves with bated breaths. The gunfire ringing all around us now. Suddenly, a loud grumble shook the ground. My friends looked at me and I blankly blinked.

“That isn’t me this time.” I said. The ground began to shake, less so at first before increasing. We looked over and saw the trees in the jungle began to crack and rustle, as if something huge was barreling through the area. The gunfire quieted as a loud roar rang out loudly through the jungle. Thi slumped.

“What now…?” She groaned. Our eyes widened in surprise as something humongous barreled out of the jungle, chucking two trees with ease over the area. The Triad and Exiles scrambled, some of them unfortunately getting pinned or crushed. I heard the stories about the Ursa family. But to see an actual Ursa Major, I felt like an ant, even with Din. The Ursa Major roared loudly and angrily, the mouth frothing as it stood on two, claws out.

“The Great Protector… is real?!” We heard one of the Exiles loudly state along with the panicked chatter of the Triad.

“All units, open fire!” One Triad ordered. Gunfire soon rang out, all concentration on the Ursa Major. To everypony’s stark surprise, the bullets phased right through it. Thi glanced at her arc pistol and holstered it with a disappointed look. The Ursa Major fell on all four and charged, easily batting away auto wagons, ponies and zebra alike. The turrets turned and began to fire. Yet it phased right through the creature.

Thi looked over to the building and waved to us.

“C’mon! Now’s our chance!” She said. We bolted out of cover, nearly avoiding a wagon that was chucked away by the rampaging Ursa Major. We reached the box building, only to stop to see Triad beginning to funnel into it. One turned their head and noticed us.

“Hey! That’s Thi Billet and her cohorts! Intruders!” They called out. The turrets suddenly bleeped and aimed at us. We scattered as the turrets began to fire down around us. I dove behind a concrete barrier. Thi began to fire back just as some Triad began to return fire from inside the building. Flitter fired several arrows from behind cover, pelting some of the Triad’s hooves. Scribble had lent Cloudchaser some of his arcane stones and the two were chucking firebolts like grenades.

All hell was breaking loose. I grit my teeth and tapped my head.

‘Think, Fie, think!’ I growled to myself. A memory struck me and it turned into an idea. ‘Din!’ Din cackled.

Remind me to thank the zebra properly. She hissed gleefully. I looked to the Ursa Major that had ripped the turrets from out of place and tossed them aside, crushing Triad and Exiles, who in turn were backstabbing each other with gun fire. I felt the warmth flow around me. Din and I combined our voices as I stood up.

“Creature! Hear our voice and listen!!” Our voice rang out. The Ursa Major was about to attack some cowering Triad when it stopped and looked around. Its’ eyes fell on me. I stared it down. “Obey us and you will ensure your vengeance against the disturbers of your lands!!”

“Fie??” I heard Cloudchaser say. The Ursa Major turned and roared loudly at me. I stood my ground. The Ursa Major took note that I wasn’t backing down and resorted to grunts. Din caused me to crack a grin.

“You are to aid us in this endeavor! Destroy these obstacles on your temple and allow us to aid you in return!! This is the star’s promise!!” Our voice finished. The Ursa Major studied us before looking at the turrets that were suppressing Thi. The Ursa Major growled before roaring and charging the building. The Triad shrieked and scrambled. It was too late. The Ursa Major stamped on the building and reared up on two, swatting one of the turrets then biting down and ripping off the other one. The Ursa Major then dug its’ claws into the metal door and ripped it away, chucking it behind it and crashing into the jungle. The Ursa Major looked to me and I nodded.

“Everypony in!” I called out. My friends were baffled but they quickly bolted out of cover and together we rushed under the Ursa Major as it turned and roared loudly again, charging back to the direction it had came from.

We raced down the hall, Thi laughing excitedly.

“Since when could you do that?!” She said to me. I shook my head, panting as I replied.

“Dunno! I have a vague memory of Din ordering a couple of ponies to bow with her voice!” I looked over my shoulder. “I didn’t think it’d work!”

Hmph. Neither did I think the broken bit would work either, but here we are. Din replied. We quickly entered into a large atrium, slowing our pace and took cover behind some crates. The alarms continued to blare as Triad hurried about, as if scrambling to station themselves for a possible invasion. Yet, when we saw several metal behemoths began to rumble to life and an alicron being rolled out, things were starting to look a little hectic. I looked to my friends.

“Alright, we made it this far. We are looking for something regarding to Lux. Borrowed power, energy sources, ancient relics. Anything that might clue us in on activity that could put us closer to stopping the war entirely. We should also keep a look out for the heir to Roam.” I peeked out from cover. “At this point, we might as well kill two birds with one stone.” Thi chuckled.

“Killing birds sounds gratifying. A little revenge never hurts.” She said. I gave a worried look to Thi. I hope I won’t regret this.

“We should split up into groups. Cloudchaser and Thi, you two should stick together. See if you can find anything regarding the heir. Scribble and Flitter, see if you can find documents or anything top secret the Triad could be holding here. A lab or anything.” I smiled. “I’ll help our new friend distract the Triad.” Thi nodded, Cloudchaser not looking too pleased but nodded as well. Scribble put a hoof on my shoulder and gave a small smile.

“Glad to see you back, Fie.” He said. I smiled and nodded as Flitter and Scribble bolted from cover and began to make their way cautiously down the atrium. Thi smiled at Cloudchaser.

“Ready to kick some flank?” She asked. Cloudchaser shifted her casted hoof and rolled her good one.

“Let’s not get too crazy.” She said before glancing at me. I smiled reassuringly to her and she sighed before taking off with Thi in the opposite direction. I turned back to check if the coast was clear.

‘Sorry, CC. But I know you can at least knock some sense into her.’ I thought to myself. Seeing that the atrium was clear, save for some far-off Triad, I galloped across the room and headed for the stairs. I arrived at the third floor of the atrium and made my way through what I would believe to be the actual temple structure. Wall scones lit the way, but the clash of spotlights lining the halls with a cable running through ruined any mysticality this temple might have once had. I followed the hall, being careful when I would hear the sound of Triad mobilizing further down.

I used Din’s eyes, seeing that the web of magic surrounded us densely. Din gave a frustrated sigh.

So much clutter here than your head. At least we can carve our way through. She commented. I noticed that some of the web strands began to glow a bright amber before disappearing. With most of the density gone, I noticed a bright and unusual glowing strand that stuck out like a thin line. I followed it down halls and through rooms. The Triad were deep in excavation. Whatever they were looking for, they probably combed the whole surface of the temple.

I eventually arrived at a bigger room, one that expanded like a warehouse. This must be the main entrance. I looked over the railing and saw the massive door that were most likely hidden behind the massive stones. The room had a red ambient glow from the alarms. Auto wagons were lined to make room for more metal behemoths that were ready to funnel through. Using Din’s eyes, I scanned the area. A small building jutted out above the entrance. That must be where the control room is for the door.

Being cautious, I crept hurriedly along the catwalk, reaching a set of stairs that led down to the main area. I frowned when I reached the bottom, scanning the area again. It doesn’t appear to be an easy way to get to the main room. Of course, leave it to the Triad to make a room that is accessed somewhere deeper into the temple. Din cackled softly.

I have a promise to uphold. What can the Triad do to us that they haven’t already? She grinned. I felt a bit relieved.

‘Oh good. It would be too much of a pain to scour the temple.’ I replied. I felt the warmth envelop me and I stepped out from the doorway. The Triad were too busy mobilizing to notice the intruder casually walking out into the middle of the room. Before anypony noticed, Din swished my head and aimed my horn at the room. A large fire beam blasted the building jut, creating a hole. The confused panic of the Triad could be heard as I kicked off the ground and hovered up to the hole Din created.

The Triad inside the room were baffled and wide eyed when they saw me enter and look around.

“H-how did you get in?!” One Triad asked as several guards entered the room with guns trained on me.

“Who the hell cares! Open fire!” One of the guards stated. The chorus sounds of arc fire rained around me. Yet, I didn’t move. The barrier Din created did well to redirect the bullets. Instead, the bullets began to destroy the contraptions around the room, even ricochetting back and disarming a couple of Triad. There was a loud crackle and burst of sparks from the contraptions that was then followed up with the ground shaking.

“The door is opening! Ready yourselves!” I heard a voice call out from down the main area. I smirked and swished my head, rearing up and then slamming my forehooves on the ground. The barrier expanded and burst, knocking the Triad away and knocking them out. I let out a soft exhale.

‘If I was able to do magic like that, I think my parents would have made me a combat mage in the ranks of Canterlot.’ I thought. Din scoffed.

Are you making a jibe at me? She scowled. I chuckled and turned to look out the hole.

‘Maybe. Thankfully, I can only do one simple illusion spell. Starting to appreciate my lack of magic.’ I replied. Din rolled her eyes.

Not even Starswirl would be able to comprehend the language my magic holds. She stated. The ground began to shake. Rhythmic thumping followed and the Triad waited with bated breath. All was quiet. I furrowed my look.

‘You know… Maybe I didn’t account for the size of the entrance and the Ursa Major.’ I thought with a rub of my chin. The door suddenly blew open and a starry purple fog enveloped the room. I stared in awe as the fog started chucking aside the behemoths and Triad alike. The fog then began to sparkle, creating a formation and soon the image of the Ursa Major appeared. It roared loudly, growing in size before regaining its’ original size. It nearly took up the whole room.

‘Huh… good to know that Ursas can do that.’ I commented. The Ursa Major grunted, realizing that it was quite too large to fit. The starry purple fog enveloped the room again and the size of the Ursa shrunk and faded. I then looked around the room. ‘Well, we did our part. I wonder if this room has anything worthwhile.’ I threw my hood up, adjusting it to fit nicely on my head before stepping over the unconscious Triad. Sad to say that most of the contraptions surrounding this place is riddled from the trigger-happy ponies. Save for a couple of crystal television screens.

I studied the crackling images and hummed. ‘Hold on… those ponies look familiar…’ I noted. It was hard to make out with the screen tear. But looking at the second monitor, it flicked to what appeared to be within a containment cell. I then balked, recognizing the starry attire. “Trixie??” I said out loud. My eyes weren’t playing tricks. The unicorn magician looked to have seen better days. She was laying on her side, curled up and staring blankly at the wall opposite to her.

I furrowed my look. ‘That isn’t good. What is she doing here?!’ Din sighed defeatedly.

We have other important matters to attend to. She said. I studied the tearing monitor next to Trixie’s. I could make out a certain manestyle that I know is unique to another pony. I narrowed my eyes.

‘Din, Lux’s strand. Do you see anything else that sticks out?’ I asked her, having a thought. Din shifted her frown but had me follow the strand. Din’s eyes then narrowed. I noticed it too. A light blue hue trailing along the white strand. My heart sank a little. Din hummed.

Perhaps it isn’t too late for your friend. The connection isn’t there. But they are dangerously overlapping. She said amusedly. I looked to the monitors and nodded.

‘I’m coming guys.’ I thought to myself before cantering out of the room and following the strand. I galloped quicker than I thought I could, my eyes following the white and blue strand. The Triad must be distracted with the Ursa Major intrusion as I barreled down the hall, coming across no opposition. I followed the strand through the temple rooms, being careful as to not trigger anything that might direct attention to me. I then came to a doorway that looked to have been installed by the Triad.

This is where the strand phased through. There was a glowing pad next to the door and I examined it. I clicked my tongue.

‘Guess we are doing this loud.’ I thought. I stepped back and called my quarter staff, enveloping it in fire to form the halberd and I jammed it into the door. I grunted and pulled, feeling a bit of warmth surround me. Din sighed and mimicked my action. Together, we pulled the halberd and the door slid right open.

Make it quick, vessel. My sister still needs her punishment. She said. I nodded and called away my halberd, galloping in. I slowed my pace when I began to pass containment cells. No creature appeared to be in them fortunately. Save for the cell I came across. I put a hoof on the glass cell, seeing Trixie in the same spot as she was before.

“Trixie! Trixie it’s Fie!” I called out, knocking on the glass. Trixie didn’t respond. She looked completely out of it. I bit my lip in worry. What did the Triad do to her? I looked around, not wanting to expend more energy from Din than I had already.

“There is a guard that went to the bathroom down the hall. They were the one that locked us in here.” A monotone voice said. I blinked and looked over my shoulder. My eyes fell on a grey mare with a purple straight mane. Her expression stoic and her rock-colored tunic tattered. Upon closer inspection, she is an earth pony. “You might want to be careful. There could be more I haven’t counted.” I blinked quizzically but then nodded and crept further down the hall.

Sure enough, there was a guard that was washing her hooves outside the bathroom. She was whistling a tune, drying her hooves off. I snuck up behind her and before she knew it, I brought her into a headlock and pulled her away. She began to kick her legs out, struggling against me. Zebra arts is a scary thing. I quickly jabbed the tip of my hoof into the center of her ribs to stifle the lungs before cracking her neck and causing her to fall unconscious. Laying her down, I dug through her pockets and withdrew a keycard.

I stuffed her back into the bathroom and quickly made my way back to the cells. I swiped the card and opened both cells. The earth pony stood up and walked out while I rushed into Trixie’s cell and helped her up. She had a dead look to her eyes but thankfully she is still breathing.

“They ran some awful tests on her. Seeing as they weren’t getting anything, they threw her back in here.” The pony said in a monotone voice. I arched a brow at her.

“You’re quite calm about this.” I stated. She looked me in the eyes.

“I’m terrified.” She replied with no emotion. She then helped Trixie onto her back and looked to me. “I’m Maud Pie. Nice to meet you.” I tilted my head, recognizing the name.

“Pinkie’s sister? What even happened?” I asked, rubbing my chin.

“We were handling an issue in Vanhoover when we ended up taking a wrong turn. We spent days out on the sea before being thrown in here.” Maud explained. I narrowed my eyes.

“Then… it’s as I feared. I’m guessing Starlight hasn’t been released.” I said. Maud blinked.

“Yes.” She replied. “Her and Sunburst.” My expression turned grim.

“Do you know which way they went?” I asked. Maud looked around before pointing to a door further down the hall. I smiled and nodded. “Keep yourselves hidden. I’ll get them out.” I began to gallop down the hall, hearing Maud’s voice as I did.

“Becareful, Quiet Fire.” She called out in a monotone expression. I hurried over to the door and swiped the keycard. The pad blipped and the doors swung open. It was like I had jumped out of time and into the past. Everything beyond the door is natural temple. I followed the strand all the way through, taking sharp turns before reaching an entry way. I must have arrived at the center of the temple. The room was massive.

It almost reminded me of where the Sun Dial was back in Trottingham. However, the bridge was completely Triad made. When did they start making this? It led to a center column that hissed open to a circular platform. I turned around after entering an elevator that was the center of the column and pressed the button. With a hiss, the door slid closed and a subtle hum could be heard as I went downward. Din hissed and cut the connection to the magic as it was starting to get a bit blinding.

The source is here. Just a little further. She said, an eerie grin creeping along her muzzle. The platform came to a stop and the door hissed open. I galloped down the long hallway before reaching a door. I swiped the keycard and entered in, only to stop and gasp. Another massive temple room. Yet a giant drill like contraption was sparking away at what appeared to be a stone doorway. My eyes fell onto a massive generator looking device. Inside it, I spotted Starlight Glimmer.

She was floating in the air in a trance, her horn releasing a spiral of magic all around her. I grit my teeth and called my halberd. Twirling the halberd in my hooves, I jabbed the butt of the halberd hard into the casing and the glass shattered. A blast of cold wind and magic shot out and sprayed everywhere, causing me to shield myself. Starlight was shot out of the cylinder and I rushed to catch her. The massive drill began to shut down. The mare looked like she had been through hell. Laying her down gently, I studied her for any injuries.

‘Seems they overloaded her magic. She’s suffering major burn out.’ I noted, putting a hoof to her head. My ears flicked when I heard the sound of something cocking behind me. I glanced over my shoulder, seeing several Triads aiming their rifles at me. One of them grinned and held an arc pistol up to a disgruntled and tattered Sunburst, who looked terrified.

“The fact you made it this far just shows how much of a dangerous mare you’ve become, Thi Billet.” I arched a brow. I then began to chuckle and stood up after laying Starlight down gently. I turned around and removed my hood, grinning. The Triad’s eyes widened. “You!”

“Me.” I replied smugly. Studying the pony, it appears to be another lead head of this operation. I then motioned to the device. “Must have been frustrating trying to drill into whatever you are looking for. Guessing your own weren’t powerful in magic alone.” The Triad flushed angrily and held Sunburst up a bit, pressing the barrel into his face.

“Don’t think of using your demi-god bullshit, Demon. We may not be able to kill you, but we can at least make you suffer!” They barked. I shook my head.

“You really want to unleash the demon you think I am? Because you aren’t wrong. Lessons are never learned with your group. I’ll never understand why you would go to this much length to throw your lives away.” I replied. The Triad growled.

“Shut up! Our queen’s ideal is law! It is the truth! We will gladly give our lives to see the light of this land return! To guide the ponies from the darkness! You may mock us, but our ideal justifies the ends! The relics that do not belong to hooves or other limbs of the pathetic wastes that roam this realm belong to the Queen! Long may she reign!”

“We walk in the abyss to guide the light!” The other Triads spoke. I glanced between them before looking at Sunburst.

“Either way I see it, my friends and I are going to walk out of here. The amount of times you’ve all had us under one roof you just couldn’t keep things together. Of course, I’m speaking loosely.” I stated before taking a step forward. The Triad shifted, aiming at me while the one holding Sunburst hostage waved their gun at me and tapped the barrel against his cheek.

“Say what you will. The fact of the matter is that your endeavors are pointless. Our only salvation is to find the one truth! With it, nothing will stand in our way!” They grinned. I slumped and rubbed the back of my head.

“I see what you mean now, Thi.” I stated to myself. My look softened. ‘But they are still ponies.’ The Triad chuckled.

“Tell ya’ what, Demon. How about you power back up the drill yourself and allow us to enter the vault. We’ll get what we came here for and we will let your friends go. You can continue your pointless crusade against us. We all know nothing will change no matter how many lives are taken or how many things are destroyed. The ultimate goal is the survival of this realm!” I frowned.

“How about leaving Zebrica entirely alone? Dismiss the Exiles and restore the homes you’ve destroyed? Refurbish the temple back to how it was? Let the angering spirits and nature rest? Maybe stop being a total maniacal cult group bent on destroying everything for a dumb ideal that lost meaning.” I furrowed my look. “Why must we shed so much over this? You and I are ponies. One in the same. We shouldn’t be kidnapping each other and other creatures. We shouldn’t be fighting each other. What happened between our nations?

“Why is Queen Moonlight Sonata so hell bent on taking out opposing nations? What have we done to gain such ire? Was it something we said? It can’t just be the actions I made in Hoofington. That was just an excuse. There has to be more to it. So why? Why do you continue to follow the ideals that have no more meaning? Why can’t we just achieve one harmony?” I held out my hoof. “Why not be friends with each other?”

“You are not looking at the bigger picture, Demon.” The Triad smirked. “Not like you’ll understand it anyway or deserve it for that matter. Now then, if you are done spouting pointless inhibitions, save your friends by being a good little filly.” I shifted my frown and slumped. An idea struck me.

Mortals I will never understand. These must be major faults. Din commented.

‘Faults that just seem so muddled by meaningless struggles. Either way, we found the source of the matter. Shall we?’ I asked her. Din sighed.

I hope your idea has merit here. Our luck can only get us so far. She said. I smiled and turned to the drill.

‘Why, Din! You aren’t one to question luck.’ I giggled. Din waved a hoof in dismissal.

I don’t believe in it. But I cannot deny the events before hoof. At this point however it’s full improv. She replied boredly. I felt the warmth envelop me and I held out my hoof. I closed my eyes and let the magic wash over me. I then began to push it out of my hoof. The pillar of magic connected to the drill body and it roared to life. Our power must have gave it an extra kick as the drill began to spiral quickly and make leeway into the stone. I heard the Triad marvel.

“Excellent! We are ever so close!” The pony said. The drill roared loudly, rolling further and further into the stone before it kicked itself through. I released the magic and panted, giving the power back to Din. I looked to the Triads who were in awe at the sight. The lead Triad shoved Sunburst away and walked past me. Sunburst crawled to Starlight and held her in a cradle, looking up to me. I gave an apologetic look to the stallion before turning to the Triad.

“Well done, Demon!” They said pleasantly. They then waved their hoof and the Triad soldier advanced into the vault. I made a subtle motion for Sunburst to get out of here with Starlight before following the lead Triad to the vault. Upon entering the vault, my jaw dropped.

The room was lined with solid gold. Coins, jewelry, artifacts, you name it. A few of the Triads began to laugh and cheer at the sight of the riches. The lead head stood at attention.

“Soldiers! At attention!” They called out. The soldiers blinked and quickly lined up in front of the lead head. “We are here for one thing only. Do not be sidetracked. You’ll tarnish the Queen’s ideals with your greed.” The soldiers saluted and began to spread out. I looked over my shoulder to see that Sunburst was carrying Starlight on his back before waving at me to follow him. I took a quiet step back, only to stop when I heard one of the guards call out.

“I found something!” They said, rolling in a tall gold-plated mirror. The design had intricate zetecan designs, a bear head dawning the top. The lead head withdrew a parchment and studied it.

“Good work.” They grinned. “Our Queen will be pleased with the relic. The only thing that can be taken out of the vault. Hop to it.” The soldiers began to wheel out the mirror. I stepped aside and watched them roll out the mirror. When the last guard exited, that’s when the ground began to shake. I arched a brow.

‘Did the Ursa Major finally make his way in?’ I asked myself. It wasn’t until the Triad lead growled and turned to their soldiers.

“You imbeciles! Which one of you has it! Put it back now!” They ordered. The ground began to shake wildly that it was hard to keep our footing. I looked in the vault and gasped. Was it just me or was the gold multiplying and getting bigger. The vault began to spill out coins and accessories that then heated up and started to melt. The golden sludge was starting to rapidly trail the temple ground towards us. The guards panicked and began galloping away. I grit my teeth and turned to tell Starburst to run, but the stallion was already at the elevator.

“Fie, hurry!” He called out. I didn’t hesitate and galloped away.

“Move it, bums! This mirror needs to get back!” The lead Triad ordered. The Triad soldiers lifted the mirror and began to gallop towards the elevator. We ended up reaching the elevator all at once. Without hesitation, Sunburst closed the door, leaving one unfortunate Triad that was too slow to follow us. He banged on the door but the platform was already beginning to rise. The last thing I saw was the stallion getting washed away.

The elevator raced upwards as the Triads were regaining their breaths. I withdrew my halberd and stood in front of Sunburst, glaring at the Triad ponies. The lead Triad clicked their tongue.

“For all that I care for, we are done here!” They said. There was a clatter and we looked to see one of the Triads scramble for a gold coin. She looked up and sighed in relief before freezing up upon seeing the lead glare down at her. “Traitor!” The lead hissed. The mare held up her hooves in terror.

“I-I-I didn’t… I just… my sister is sick! I wanted to give her something from out of state!” She stammered. The lead looked at the mare in disgust.

“You nearly compromised this entire operation! What did I say?! You insult the queen with your greed!” They barked. The temple began to shake again. The elevator finally reached the top and proceeded out and across the bridge. I turned to Sunburst.

“Trixie and Maud are okay. They are waiting for us back in the cells.” I whispered to him. He looked exhausted but nodded. Before we could step out, the lead spun on their hooves and aimed an arc pistol at the mare. No words, no hesitation. The mare crumpled to the ground. The smoking barrel of the arc pistol hissed. The lead then aimed at us.

“None of you are leaving alive! Get that mirror going!” They ordered. Rocks began to hit the elevator platform, knocking out support. The Triad guards panicked and began to race out the elevator platform. “You buffoons! The relic!” The lead barked. It fell on deaf ears. The lead growled before turning to us and aimed the pistol. They smirked, my senses picking up the killing intent. They pulled the trigger but I was quick to push Sunburst out of the way and duck. The bullet cracked the mirror’s glass.

This caused the lead to balk and their face turning red. They then tackled me and I began to wrestle with them. I grunted but looked to Sunburst.

“Get out of here! I’ll catch up!” I called out. The pony was surprisingly strong and I found myself on my back as the pony drew a knife and aimed at my chest. Sunburst galloped out the elevator and looked over his shoulder to me. A rock fell and crashed onto the pad, closing the elevator on us and we began descending down the shaft. ‘Shit. We have to get out of here Din!’ I struggled. This pony tried to stab at me but I managed to buck them off of me and kip-upped from the ground.

I got in my stance and faced the Triad. They roared angrily at me and began to swing their knife. I dodged and side stepped, bumping into the mirror. I was planning on moving when something caught me. I looked back. It was like I was glued to the mirror. The pony laughed menacingly and raised the knife to strike. I lifted a hind leg, batting the knife away before following it up with a kick across the pony’s head. They fell unconscious. I struggled against the mirror. Was it just me or was it trying to pull me in?

The elevator had reached the bottom. The glass on the other end filled with molten gold. I could make out the stallion from before, an agonizing expression in solid gold. I looked between the mirror and the impending doom. I made a decision. I took a deep breath and leaned into the mirror. I felt myself being pulled in, like I was diving into a viscous pool.

When my body entered the mirror, I found myself in a spiral of multi-color spectrums swirling around me. My body elongated into a spaghetti like motion. I screamed in pain, feeling the bones in my body began to crack and tingle. The world soon faded to white.

Chapter 22: Not The Stratadon

Thi’s POV

I galloped down the hall, Cloudchaser flying just above me. I’ll admit, I was a little worried that Cloudchaser might be hindered by her broken hoof. But the mare clearly made a point to several Triads that she needed only two hindhooves to do the job. The alarms blared loudly throughout the base. From the sounds of it, Fie managed to get the Ursa Major inside. Cloudchaser and I found ourselves taking an elevator downward.

I readied my arc pistol and positioned myself on one side with Cloudchaser on the other. When the door opened, we peeked out to see the coast was clear. We stepped out into natural temple grounds. Yet, something I couldn’t help but notice that threw me off upon seeing it. It was like we had just stepped outside. The sound of birds chirping and exotic animal sounds rang out. Cloudchaser rubbed the back of her head.

“Did we leave the temple?” She asked. She then soared upward, only to bang her head against something solid and float back down, rubbing her head. “Nope… still inside… ouch.” I looked around and withdrew the makeshift machete. I studied the scrap piece.

“Still can’t over the fact that it worked. Somewhat.” I marveled. Cloudchaser nodded and floated forward.

“Fie certainly is incredible.” She said. I glanced at her. Suddenly, the air got a little tense. I sighed quietly before hacking away at the foliage. Cloudchaser and I stuck close as we proceeded. It almost felt like we were being watched. The more we proceeded, the more I began to piece this together. We were crossing a bridge over water when I peered over at my reflection. “Huh. It’s a terrarium…” Cloudchaser looked at me quizzically.

“A what?” She asked.

“A terrarium. A natural developed ecosystem contained to thrive with what it is given.” I looked around. “I know the Zetecan temples are incredible. But this terrarium must be a century or more moons older.” I proceeded to walk with Cloudchaser, keeping to what I assumed was a pathing that the ancient zebra may have used. “The ancient ones must have wanted to turn this into a park or something.” Cloudchaser raised a brow.

“Like… an actual walk around the park?” She asked. I nodded.

“Temples aren’t just for religious worships or tombs. It can also be a civilization, like El DeBronco. Yet, instead of a city of gold, this must have been a preservation site. We are just in one part of what could possibly be a city.” I couldn’t help but smile a little. “I wonder what the ancients really did back then.” Cloudchaser looked blankly at me. I chuckled and waved a hoof. “R-right. Getting a little off track. Don’t want to bore you too much.” Cloudchaser seemed contemplative but then smiled.

“Nah. Just forgot that despite your background, you do enjoy a simple hobby.” She replied. We proceeded further through the self-thriving jungle, the animal sounds being everywhere yet nowhere. It struck me a little odd. The more we advanced, the more I began to question. Where are these sounds coming from? Most importantly, where is the end to this terrarium? Is there a connection to another room? How big is this place? My thoughts were interrupted when I bumped into Cloudchaser.

The pegasus was staring ahead, jaw agape in awe. I followed her look and followed suite. It was like we had just went back in time. The room expanded further out into a massive coliseum like space. At the opposite end is a massive golden statue dawned with plenty of gems resembling that of a bear. Serpent like pillars traced downward into what appeared to be a pool of water. Around the entire area were bridges and scaffoldings that must have been placed there ages ago from previous excavation teams.

Foliage grew in areas of the space below us and sunlight began to pour in from the ceiling. I found myself smiling dumbly.

“It is a civilization!” I laughed a little. “I’ve seen a few hidden cities, but this feels like it was just on the cusp of becoming one!” Cloudchaser smirked and rolled her eyes playfully.

“Scribble is missing out.” She said. I coolly waved at her.

“Egghead has plenty of areas to geek out on.” I replied, my eyes darting around the area. I then frowned and sighed when I spied an eye sore. “But as usual…” I pointed down the edge and Cloudchaser followed. Far across from us, Triad containers and crates were stacked and lined down towards what appeared to be Exiles coming in and out of a hole. Cloudchaser hummed.

“What are they digging for?” She asked. I cocked my arc pistol and shook my head.

“Nothing good. Zebra relics are just as dangerous as Equestrian relics. C’mon. We have to see if it can get us closer to our objective.” I stated before beginning my descent down a ladder to one of the scaffoldings. We began to make our way towards steady ground as traversing the scaffoldings proved to be quite rotted. One wrong step and the whole thing would collapse. Thankfully, there were no issues reaching the ground level of the space. Stepping onto solid ground, we looked around.

Walking a bit further, I noticed the structure we were passing had what appeared to be a destroyed carpet and old, musty furniture inside of a small window. I felt a small excitement send a shiver up my spine. Our path had us pass several of these houses, leading us to have to cut through one as our path appeared to have been blocked by structural damage from decay. I squeezed through the window with Cloudchaser following suite and I landed on the wooden floor. I coughed as the dust was a little too much.

“How did anypony manage to get through anything here?” Cloudchaser asked as she floated around the area. I waved my hoof in front of me before stepping over to a table. Ancient scrolls and decayed parchment littered the place. The shelves next to the table had a variety of things lining them, from linen to scrolls to books and even vases. I brushed my hoof softly over the open scroll. The hieroglyphs were faded beyond recognition. Cloudchaser tapped a jar that seemed to have a wilted flower inside of it.

We looked around a bit more, only to find nothing else of interest before continuing on. Getting closer to the center of the space where the pool was, I held up a hoof to Cloudchaser, my ears flicking as I heard voices. We moved into cover and peeked out, seeing a few Exiles shifting through crates. They were speaking zebric, making me wish I studied the actual language rather than reading about it. Cloudchaser leaned in towards me.

“What do we do?” She asked. I was about to tell her what we usually do, but my eyes fell onto her cast.

It was the only thing I can think of. The mare’s words resonated in my head. As confident as I was about taking on Exiles, Fie and Flitter would be utterly pissed at me for getting Cloudchaser hurt anymore than she is already. That and I have to find a way to apologize to Cloudchaser about earlier. Something tells me I’m going to be making a lot of apologies to my friends.

‘Alright, Thi. Focus. Going to have to remain covert enough to ensure we are okay.’ I studied the area, mapping out a path in my head. My eyes then fell onto the pool. The rickety bridges that crossed over looked sketchy. My eyes followed the pathing and I noticed that one of them led to a pulley elevator that reached where the Exiles were digging. Another thing I noticed. There were no Triads observing all of this. At least, not in this main area. There could be some further in the dig site.

I turned to Cloudchaser and whispered to her.

“Cloudchaser, I need you to sneak back and see if you can float yourself around the site. Keep yourself hidden. I’m going to have to cut through here.” I said. Cloudchaser arched a brow.

“Are you sure? I know you can handle yourself but do you really want to shoot up an ancient city?” She whispered back. I shook my head.

“I try to avoid it but opposition could care less. But for your safety and our friend’s sanity, you should sneak around away from here. I can’t get you caught in your condition.” Cloudchaser studied me. She seemed a bit disappointed, but she then nodded.

“Alright. Just becareful. I’m not the only one that’s going to affect somepony’s sanity.” She said before creeping back towards where we came from. When she was a good distance away, she began to float herself through the foliage and disappeared out of sight. I took a deep breath and readied myself. Waiting for my chance, I snuck out of cover and quietly began to move from cover to cover. The further I proceeded, the more I noticed that these Exiles seem to be on their own. No Triad involvement.

Did this group sneak away and are trying to dig the site for themselves? They must have commandeered the crates and containers as leverage I’m guessing. With the firepower they were holstering, I could assume I was right. Waiting for two Exiles to finish their conversation and focus on looking up at the statue in awe, I snuck past them and climbed down a ladder. Arriving at the bottom, I turned to see the pool was bigger than I thought. There were channels that spread out, making them into canals.

I looked around and spotted what appeared to be a half-submerged bridge leading to the foot of the statue and a scaffolding leading upwards. I stepped out onto the bridge and felt it bob at my weight, soaking my denim jacket. The water was surprisingly cold. I took a deep breath and with caution, made my way over the half-submerged bridge. The way the bridge was floating and swaying in the water nearly threw me off balance a few times. I looked over my shoulder to ensure an Exile wasn’t taking in the scenery as I was crossing.

I began to steady my pace and progress further, sighing in relief when I made it to the end. I climbed the ladder, stopping to peek over the ledge, only to duck back when Exile hooves passed by. They were chatting each other up, unaware of what they had passed. Pulling myself up, I crept quietly behind them. They came to a stop, still chatting. Unfortunately, they were blocking the way up to the next level of the scaffolding. I sighed and called Excalibat to me.

I approached the two and they had to do a double take to realize I wasn’t one of them, only to be greeted with a bat over their heads and knocking them unconscious. I stepped over them and proceeded up the scaffolding. Thankfully, I didn’t run into trouble scaling the scaffolding. When I touched natural temple ground again, I looked around the edges, hoping to spy Cloudchaser.

Unable to spot her, I continued by creeping along in the foliage eventually reaching a hill that led down towards the dig site. I peered out from the massive leaves of a big plant to observe the area. My ears flicked at the sound of pickaxes and a jack hammer. Once again, I noticed no Triad involvement, confirming my suspicion. At least this’ll be a cinch if I do end up getting caught. The Exiles outside were going through drinks while the other Exiles were wheeling out rocks and going back in.

‘What are these zebras digging for?’ I asked myself. As if on cue, a voice in zebric echoed from inside and the Exiles outside nodded to each other before entering in. I did one last look to see if Cloudchaser had arrived. Still no sign. I took a deep breath. ‘Now or never.’ I thought to myself. I hurried out of my hiding and kept to the shadows as the Exiles proceeded further into the hole. One had taken a wall torch and lit it, casting elongated shadows that I used to help me navigate from out of the light.

I had to duck back when I rounded a corner, peeking out to observe the Exiles coming up to a set of steps leading upwards to another entryway. Two Exiles took the liberty of guarding the stairs while the rest continued. I hummed in thought. ‘How should I go about this?’ I asked myself. ‘I can always do the direct approach, which honestly I feel like doing. But I don’t want to risk a cave in because something here is fragile. I can try the femme fatale. Nah, that only works on Triads. Although…’ I shook my head. ‘Focus. Need to get past zebra guards.’

I racked my brain, trying to think of something that could work. Suddenly, the shouts of panic from the Exiles echoed from inside the entryway they went into. The two guards at the bottom of the steps spun around and aimed their arc rifles up towards the entry way. I watched quietly as two Exiles galloped out of the entryway as a dark smoke bellowed out from the entryway. One Exiles must have asked what was happening, but the one that replied said something so hurriedly that I couldn’t make out what they were saying.

‘Decahedron? A shape? Was there a trap they set off? It’d be no surprise as the ancient Zetecans valued their privacy and respect for riches.’ I thought to myself. However, I balked and ducked back as I saw a boulder get chucked out of the entryway and began to bounce and roll down the stairs. I heard the shouts of the Exiles as the boulder barreled down the steps and then crashing and rolling a bit to the side when it reached the bottom.

I stepped out of the shadows of the corner and towards the steps. It was hard to tell in the lighting, but I swear I could make out fresh stains on the steps. I began to make my way up the steps, having my bat and arc pistol at the ready. Reaching the top, I took point at the side and peeked in. The smell was awful. Brimstone from what I gathered. The room was surprisingly dark, but I could see the torch that one Exile had lying on the ground. I reached for the torch with my magic and levitated it over to me.

I took another deep breath, bracing myself for whatever is in here. Being mindful of my steps, I proceeded inside the room. It must have been a big room as a cold draft was able to blow through. The smell was beginning to be a bit suffocating that I ended up tripping over something that I couldn’t make out due to my blurry vision. I coughed and looked down, feeling soaked. My eyes widened when I saw a pile of fleshy mush that was coated in a strange substance. What kind of creature was this?

I looked down at myself, seeing that I had fallen into a small water pool. I frowned and wringed my denim jacket with my magic as I stepped out. I then heard a gasp and I quickly whipped around with the torch, seeing a cowering Exile curled up and shaking. She was muttering something I couldn’t understand. I was about to reach a hoof down when the zebra mare panicked and swung her hoof at me. She had knocked the torch out of my magic and the torch went sailing through the air.

The torch struck something and suddenly the room began to light up, the pillars igniting around us. With the room illuminated, I had to shield myself from the sparkling gold around me. When my eyes adjusted, I could see piles of gold and rotted furniture dotting the corners and edges of the room. The floor beneath me was split four ways by a pool of water that canaled through small openings at the walls. I looked to the mush pile and saw that it was a half-eaten carcass of some kind of creature.

The zebra mare was still cowering at my hooves. I frowned.

“Get ahold of yourself. What happened here?” I asked. The zebra mare didn’t respond. Despite how nice the room looked; the smell of brimstone was still strong. I coughed and covered my muzzle, taking another look around. This must have been a treasury. My eyes then fell onto what I assume was a hunting trophy above me. It was massive and made up most of the ceiling. I could feel the cold draft flowing through the snout.

‘The Zetecans were quite the architects.’ I marveled. Yet, despite the way the serpentine trophy livened up the room, it made me question. Why in the treasury? This would be something to display over the whole civilization. The zebra mare then grabbed ahold of my drenched sleeve and stared wide eyed and horrified at the ceiling.

“Str-St-Str…” She muttered. I arched a brow.

“Spill it out. I have questions on other matters and would like comprehensive words.” I stated. She pointed up at the ceiling. I looked up just in time to see something viscous drip from the mouth of the trophy in front of me. The eyes then opened. Slit, yellow eyes studied me. I was dumbfounded.

“Stratadon!!” The zebra mare shrieked. I stepped back as the zebra mare scurried away, galloping out of the room in a screaming panic.

“H-hey! Wait!” I called out. I felt the viscous saliva drip onto my back. It was warm and smelled awful. I gave a disgusted groan and shook off the saliva before stepping back as the head of the Stratadon began to move. A low rumble shook the room, the creature shifting its’ head and beginning to break away the ceiling. The entire ground began to shake. I was unable to find my footing and trip back into the water. “Urgh. Going to have a nice long shower after this…” I stated to myself as the Stratadon finally pulled its’ head free from the ceiling. A rush of water flowed into the room, creating more and more flowing water that broke through the walls.

Finally getting my footing, I gasped and ducked the powerful snapping jaws of the Stratadon. It lashed out again, only this time breaking a wall that led out to the main area. The water swept me off my hooves and I went tumbling down a slide. It was a short ride as I then found myself being shot out and tumbling through the air. I yelled in panic as gravity took hold. I braced myself, unable to recover with my magic when I then felt my entire direction change. I opened my eyes and looked down to see Cloudchaser underneath me.

She grinned down at me before flying down to solid ground. I pulled away, wobbling a bit as the ground was still shaking. We then looked up as a loud roar rang throughout the area. The Stratadon broke through the wall, knocking down some scaffoldings in the process before beginning to scale the side of the wall.

“What in Celestia’s flank is that?!” Cloudchaser balked. I steadied myself before responding.

“A Stratadon!” I replied. Cloudchaser turned to me dumbfounded.

“I thought those were filly tales to scare foals into behaving!” She replied. I removed my denim jacket and shook it.

“Stories do have their references.” I said sadly, seeing that my jacket was now ruined beyond anything. I tossed it aside and looked over the edge. The Exiles down below began firing up at the creature. Unfortunately for them, it only angered the monster. Stratadons aren’t like normal dragons. Some would call them pseudo-dragons. They do not inherit dragon blood, but they are a long distant cousin of the dragons. Unlike dragons, these creatures are entirely aggressive and can even measure up to the size of the biggest dragon in the Dragon Lands.

However, those records were ages old. Many believe over the moons the Stratadons to be just a myth. And with no previous records, it remained that way. Their hide and scales are extremely durable, so it was clear why the Exiles weren’t doing anything to it. Cloudchaser clicked her tongue.

“What do we do? We were supposed to find info about the heir.” She said. I looked back over the edge, seeing the Stratadon scale the wall, the tail breaking open the wall and allowing more water to flow in. The pool in the center of the area was beginning to rise. The Stratadon continued to roar and scale the wall, every step it took breaking and allowing water in.

“I don’t think finding info on the heir here is going to matter if we end up drowning.” I commented. Cloudchaser and I began to make our way around the edge of the area. We ended up being blocked by a building that had been built there into the wall. I then flicked my head and sprang out over the edge and conjured a platform to land on. Cloudchaser flew after me and together we headed towards where we came from. I could see below the Exiles retreating and firing up at the creature.

The Stratadon hopped off the wall and landed on a towering pillar, screeching with its’ claws dug into the structure. The weight of the monster broke the pillar, causing the Stratadon to land hard onto the ground, the head landing in the rising water and creating a tall wave that washed several Exiles away. The Exiles scrambled up the steps that I hadn’t noticed when we entered. We booked it over to the entrance where we entered (I having touched the ground from my platform when we did) and continued our momentum, passing by a couple of Exiles that were shocked to see us.

My eyes widened as straight ahead I saw the same Exile from the treasury room rapidly pressing on the pad for the elevator. The Exiles behind us started shouting, causing the zebra mare to look over, her look of horror clear on her face as she then pressed the button faster. I looked over my shoulder and I gasped, seeing the Stratadon scale up to the entry way and roar, jamming its’ head in. It shimmied its’ head towards us, jaws snapping. The elevator dinged and we all piled in, Cloudchaser bashing the pad with her good hoof just in time for the door to close right when the Stratadon bore down on us.

The entire ground was still shaking as we began to ascend. The three Exiles, Cloudchaser and I took a long moment to catch our breaths. The zebra mare threw off her uniform and stomped on it, panic still on her face.

“Done! Done! Enough!” She spat at the uniform. Cloudchaser and I watched quietly as the mare vented her frustrations onto the uniform. The other two Exiles exchanged glances before taking off their uniforms and tossing them down. One of them looked at us, his eyes studying us cautiously. Cloudchaser smiled softly and made a zipping motion across her muzzle. The zebra sighed and slumped against the wall of the elevator. The zebra mare seemed to finally settle down, sitting on her haunches and hugging herself, tears starting to form.

Cloudchaser then floated over to the mare and sat down next to her, putting a reassuring hoof on her shoulder. The zebra mare looked at her, her expression softening. I narrowed my eyes at this, feeling a tad annoyed by Cloudchaser. Yet, I remained quiet as right now, the ground was still trembling. Did the Stratadon make it through? Is it currently still chasing us? I looked at the floor lights, seeing we were about to reach the end.

I withdrew my arc pistol and checked it. I frowned, realizing that my arc pistol was waterlogged. At least I have Excalibat. I motioned to Cloudchaser and she pat the zebra’s back before walking over to me.

“Good luck.” Cloudchaser said to the mare and nodding to the other zebras. The elevator opened and Cloudchaser and I hurried out of the elevator, retracing our steps to the main lobby. We were halfway when I realized that the three zebra were following us. I turned to them.

“What are you doing?? Go, shoo!” I hissed in a whisper, waving my hoof at them. One of the stallions shook their head.

“No go.” He said with a thick accent. I tilted my head quizzically.

“Huh?” I asked. The other stallion pat his chest and motioned to the other two.

“We… go… to you.” He said. I slumped.

“I am not following.” I sighed. Cloudchaser chuckled.

“They want to follow us. I’m guessing until we get out of here.” She said. I shook my head.

“No way. They are Exile. They could give us away for all we know.” I replied coldly. Cloudchaser put a hoof on her hip and frowned.

“I think their gesture of stamping on their uniforms and the ‘done enough’ exclamation means that they are done being Exiles. And I don’t blame them. These zebra may have been forced to join against their will. You never know.” She floated over to the zebra mare and pat her back. “She could be an elementary teacher herself. Or probably just trying to get by. Or maybe a mare napped victim. Yeah, we won’t know, but the language barrier of reaching a hoof out in need to somepony is universal.” I sighed and rubbed my muzzle.

“Whatever. They can follow, but once we are out of here, they are on their own. And if they give us away, I’m not going to apologize for my actions.” I stated. Cloudchaser snorted in response before looking at the mare and smiling with a wink. The look on the mare’s face lit up. I rolled my eyes and motioned. “C’mon, we are stalling too much.” We proceeded back towards where we came from again, having to stop halfway back once more as the temple began to shake violently.

The zebra mare began to panic but Cloudchaser put a reassuring hoof on her and nodded. The two stallion zebras tumbled over themselves. Rocks began to fall around us.

“Dammit, what happened?!” I exclaimed in frustration. I steadied myself and looked to Cloudchaser. “Double time!” I wanted to gallop or at least canter, but the ground shaking made it nearly impossible. The ground stopped shaking when I was lifted off the ground. I held onto Cloudchaser in confusion. She had one of the stallion zebras slouched over her back, the other stallion holding on from underneath her and the mare being picked up like a kitten to a mother. The strength of this mare impressed me as she flew down the hall at a reasonable speed, dodging rocks and ensuring we weren’t careening into the wall on turns.

Cloudchaser was beginning to sweat and pant through her teeth, her expression determined to get us out of here. Her eyes widened as we saw the rocks beginning to narrow the path to the exit. She put on a burst of speed, growling to herself. We all braced ourselves as Cloudchaser dove through the exit and we all went rolling along the ground. When we came to a stop, I shook away my daze and pushed one of the stallions off of me, standing up and dusting myself off. The temple was still shaking, but less violently than before. The alarms were blaring as a PA echoed out.

”Warning. Warning. Temple foundation compromised. All personale please evacuate. Warning. Warning.” The robotic voice spoke. I waved to the others.

“Let’s go!” I shouted. Cloudchaser panted and stood up, wincing in pain. I was about to go help her when the zebra mare decided to pick up Cloudchaser onto her back and smiled to her, nodding. Cloudchaser weakly smiled back and the zebras nodded to each other. They began to gallop past me. I slumped but followed after them without hesitation. We proceeded past the hurrying Triads and Exiles in an everypony for themselves. When we galloped out into the main entrance, I spied Flitter and Scribble with several Exiles around them.

‘Shit!’ I grit my teeth and called Excalibat, ready to engage when the zebra mare carrying Cloudchaser called out to them. Flitter beamed and hurried over to her, Cloudchaser giving Flitter a pained wave.

“Sis! Oh, thank Celestia you are alright!” Flitter said, hugging her. Cloudchaser winced and pat her sister’s back.

“Thanks to our new friends here. Seems like you guys got new friends too.” She replied. Scribble trotted over to us as Flitter smiled.

“They were planning on leaving the Exiles after the incident outside. Fie was right. There is a small group of Exiles wanting to leave their barbaric ways behind and start fresh. They just needed the push to escape Triad watch.” She explained.

“Seems we got more coming.” Scribble said, pointing past me. I turned around and my eyes widened.

‘Wait, I know those ponies…’ I thought to myself. Indeed, they looked like hell, but they galloped over to us.

“Oh, thank Celestia! You guys are here!” Sunburst exclaimed in relief. I noticed Starlight Glimmer on the back of Sunburst unconscious while Trixie was dazed out on the back of a grey colored earth pony with a purple mane and stoic look. I looked around.

“Where’s Fie?” I asked. Sunburst looked over his shoulder nervously.

“I-I wish I could say behind me. But she was fending off some Triad for us to escape. Said she’d catch up with us. I thought for sure she’d be with us by now.” He replied. I scanned the area, only spying Triad and Exiles scurrying about or towards us to the entrance. I flourished my bat.

“I’m going after her!” I shouted as I began to gallop forward.

“Thi, wait!” I heard Flitter call out. I ignored her and got halfway down the main area when the ground rose up beneath me. I lost my balance and rolled off the debris, landing onto my back with an “oof”. A slender, long serpentine neck slithered out of the ground and screeched loudly. I grit my teeth.

“Not the Stratadon…!” I groaned in frustration. I scurried away as debris began to fall around me. Sunburst stared in horrified awe.

“A Stratadon?! Here?!” He exclaimed.

“Everypony out!” Scribble shouted, motioning at the zebra. They galloped in panic towards the entrance with Scribble, Flitter, Cloudchaser and myself in tow. The Stratadon’s claws burst out of the ground as it was pulling itself up from the floor. Said floor was currently crumbling in on itself. I made one last glance, hoping to spot a fiery comet to swoop in and save the day. Scribble pulled me back and I followed.

The sun shone high overhead as we galloped out of the temple. The temple itself was caving in on itself in several places. Most of the auto wagons were gone and steadily driving off the lot with others. The Ex-Exiles managed to acquire three auto wagons and called out to everypony, including us. I stopped and shook my head.

“I’m not leaving Fie!” I shouted, spinning back around and heading back to the temple. I felt somepony stop me and I looked to see the zebra mare. She shook her head in a pleading expression. I growled and shrugged her off. “Do what you want. But I’m not leaving my best friend behind!”

“Wait, Fie!” I heard Cloudchaser call out. I turned to glare at her, but I saw Flitter and Scribble trotting over to me. “We’ll go too. She’s our friend as well!” I shook my head.

“Get the others out of here. I don’t feel comfortable leaving Sunburst and the others with Exiles.” I said. Cloudchaser glared at me as I spun around and began to gallop off towards the temple. She zipped over me and stood in front of my path.

“They aren’t Exiles anymore, Thi! Why are you being like this?” She asked coldly. I pushed past her.

“Now is not the time to be hotheaded, CC. Just do your job and ensure the safety of the others!” I retorted. Cloudchaser growled.

“And let you get yourself killed?? Want me to do my job, then let us come with you to get Fie!” She exclaimed. I spun around and glared.

“Don’t be an idiot! If she dies then we are all dead! You have a broken hoof! Sit this one out and help Flitter and Scribble protect the others! Simple as that!” I snapped. Cloudchaser scraped a hind hoof on the ground.

“You matter to Fie just as much, Thi! Somepony needs to keep you levelheaded!” She stated.

“I didn’t ask to be watched over! Fie had a plan and I followed! Things change and things go fubar! You’re a damned Wonderbolt! Follow the damn orders!” I shouted. The temple burst open at the middle and a serpentine head emerged, screeching loudly. The Stratadon broke through and began to climb out. With space to do so now, it unfurled its’ dragon like wings and flapped them in a stretching manner. I shielded myself as stray rubble from the temple crashed around us. I groaned.

“What do we do about that?!” I heard Flitter say as she hovered over to us with Scribble galloping with her. Scribble looked up at the Stratadon and his look turned grim.

“That Stratadon is going to terrorize Zebrica! We can’t let that thing roam free!” He stated. I flourished my bat and flicked my head down, springing myself upwards.

“Damned stubborn mare!” I heard Cloudchaser growl. I made my way high up into the sky to face the Stratadon. It licked its’ muzzle before its’ eyes fell onto me. I then waved my bat over my head, the eye flaring brightly with green flames before I swung and unleashed a torrent of green firebolts.

The bolts struck the Stratadon, a few striking the snout and one hitting the eye. It roared in pain, batting at its’ muzzle. It growled and let out an angry screech before taking to the skies. It hovered over me and lashed out, causing me to flick my head quickly and sail away from the monster to avoid its’ powerful jaws. Smoke seeped from the corner of its’ muzzle and gaps of its’ teeth and snout. It took a deep breath before bellowing out thick smoke.

I quickly bounded up and away from the smoke, avoiding it just barely before returning with a volley of bolts. As I bounded around the creature, retaliating when I could, I kept a lookout to see if I could spy Fie. I must have looked a little too long as I found myself tumbling through the air to avoid being swipe at by the claws. I quickly weaved a net with my magic and caught myself. I pushed myself away, only to gasp as the Stratadon screeched and opened wide for me. I canceled my net and let myself fall.

However, Excalibat was an unfortunate victim to the jaws. With a loud crash of the jaws, Excalibat snapped in two, the green fire dispersing and the eye blackening as the pieces tumbled out of the air. My eyes widened in shock as I heard a distant scream inside my head. I flipped in the air and sprang myself towards the pieces, catching them in my magic. The Stratadon brought its’ tail around and swiped me, causing me to crash into the side of the temple.

I was alive, but damn did it hurt. I groaned in a daze, looking through my blurred vision and seeing the Stratadon growl at me. It opened its’ mouth with a screech and lashed out. I braced myself, waiting for the eventuality of death. When it didn’t come, I opened my eyes and gasped. Thank Celestia for watching over us! The Ursa Major had the Stratadon in a head lock, wrestling with the scalene creature.

It roared loudly before slamming the head into the side of the temple. My vision still a bit blurry, but I held the pieces of Excalibat close to me and pushed myself off ground. The temple was still shaking. I wanted to spring away, but a sharp pain in my head caused me to wince. Of all the times for burnout to happen. I looked up and saw Cloudchaser and Flitter fly down towards me.

“Are you okay??” Flitter asked worriedly. I didn’t respond but looked sadly down at Excalibat in my hold. Cloudchaser zipped under me and scooped me up onto her back. The sisters took off just in time as the Ursa Major and the Stratadon wrestled with each other where I was seconds earlier. Both creatures snapping their jaws at each other, claws lashing out. The Ursa Major had a face full of point-blank smoke breath, but the bear back pawed it before clamping its’ jaw over the muzzle of the Stratadon.

The smoke came out in bursts, blood spilling and flinging out of the Stratadon. The Ursa Major held on, shaking its’ head violently in an effort to rip the head off. The Stratadon stabbed a claw through the Ursa Major, the claws having an effect and making the Ursa let go in a pained roar. The Stratadon followed up with a tail swipe clean across the Ursa’s face, sending it crashing into the jungle on its’ side.

The Ursa pushed itself off the ground, struggling a bit. The Stratadon made one flap of its’ wings and jumped over to the Ursa, pinning it with its’ hind claws. It began to claw and lash at the Ursa, drawing what I assumed was what Ursa would have if being bled out. I grit my teeth and pulled out my arc pistol. I aimed and pulled the trigger, only for nothing to happen. Remembering what happened to it, I then chucked it and it hit the back of the Stratadon’s head. That caught its’ attention.

Cloudchaser and Flitter balked as the Stratadon turned to us and screeched, charging us on all fours. The sisters avoided the snapping jaws of the monster, flying circles and confusing it. I then had an idea. I looked down at Excalibat.

‘One last mission, old friend. Make me proud.’ I thought to myself. With the Stratadon confused, I timed myself, rolling off of Cloudchaser’s back and falling towards the creature. I let out a cry of rage, priming both pieces of Excalibat at the splintered ends facing the monster. I dug both the splintered ends into the eye of the monster. I held on with my hooves as the Stratadon roared in pain and began to shake its' head. I couldn't hold on for long as I ended up getting flicked high into the air, the pieces of Excalibat slipping out of the eye and tumbling with me. Flitter and Cloudchaser zipped up and caught me. I watched as Excalibat fell into the jungle, never to be seen for the rest of my life. With the Stratadon flailing about, the Ursa took its' chance. It roared and tackled the Stratadon, the claws slashing down on the creature. The Stratadon flailed under the Ursa, unable to toss it off to retaliate. The creature screeched loudly until the Ursa bit down on the neck and shook it violently.

The Stratadon's tail swished and flicked, kicking up a lot of dust that covered the Ursa and itself. The wrestling and flailing lasted for a good minute before things settled. We squinted our eyes as the dust began to clear. We saw the silhouette of the Ursa rise and step out of the dust, dragging a limp Stratadon in its' teeth. The wounded Ursa dropped the Stratadon on the ground and stood on two, roaring loudly in triumph. Flitter looked to Cloudchaser and the sisters seemed to make a silent agreement before floating away from the sight. They carried me down towards Scribble and the Exiles, the latter cheering at the sight of the Ursa Major. I stumbled a bit when the sisters put me gently on the ground. Scribble walked over to us.

"That was an amazing show if you were trying out for the Dare Devil Derby." He said stoically to me. My mood was entirely shot, only replying to him with a "Mmm". Scribble arched a brow and looked to the sisters. They only shrugged in response. I then perked up, realizing something. I turned around to face the temple.

"Fie?" I asked out loud. My eyes scanned the sky, trying to look for any sign of fire or a sign of movement from any part of the partially collapsing temple. Nothing. I proceeded to trot towards the temple, ignoring my friend's calling out to me. I began to gallop towards the entrance, my eyes scanning the area before coming to a halt. The main entrance was blocked off by rubble. The temple was rumbling from further within on the other side. Perhaps the other entrance? I began to gallop through the battle torn field, rounding the corner only to see that the carnage left by the Ursa Major had created a blocked entrance. Maybe the other side?

I galloped back towards the main entrance and realized that the other side was facing a cliffside moat. The other half of the jungle across from it with no way to get across. The temple began to groan and rumble before the top of it caved it. I had to gallop away as rocks were crashing down around me. I had instinctively went over to my friends as we galloped away from the collapsing temple. An Exile inside an auto wagon called to us to hop on. I hesitated, taking one last look for any sign.

I hopped onto the side and the auto wagon and it began to speed off. The zebra did not slow down until we were quite a bit away from it, meeting up with the other Exiles. We all watched as the temple collapsed layer by layer. The Ursa Major could be seen hunched over the Stratadon, possibly enjoying a meal. Yet while everypony else was marveling at the sight of their “Great Protector” being triumphant, my eyes continued to scan, not faltering in my hope to see any sign of Fie.

It wasn’t until the temple fully collapsed on itself did Cloudchaser put a hoof on my back.

“Thi. We could really use your help.” She said. I didn’t say anything, sensing that Flitter and Scribble were standing behind me. Cloudchaser looked over her shoulder to them.

“Thi, Fie is fine.” Scribble said. “She wouldn’t let herself be caved in. If anything physical happened, Din wouldn’t let themselves be killed so early. She is still hell bent on achieving ascension after all.” I shook my head.

“You don’t understand, guys. Any assortment of things could happen. Something could be seriously wrong. We have to find her.” I said before getting up and heading towards the auto wagon, pushing aside two Exiles who were chatting. Cloudchaser floated over to me as I climbed in.

“Thi. We are just as worried as you are. We are coming with you.” She said. I shot a cold glare at her before starting up the auto wagon.

“Do your damn job.” I retorted before pressing the pedal down and sped off, leaving my friends behind and nearly running over an Exile. I retraced back onto the road and made my way towards the temple, my thoughts racing with worst case scenarios about Fie. On top of this all I was angry with my friends. Who the hell do they think they are? They don’t know Fie as well as they think they do. I know Fie. We’ve been through thick and thin since CSGU.

I still haven’t properly apologized to her either. I don’t care how long it takes. I’m going to shift through the entire ruins to find her. I balked and pressed on the brake pedal, coming to a halt as a massive paw stamped down in front of me. I leaned out the side of the auto wagon and stared up at the Ursa Major looking down at me. The yellow and red eyes observing me with suspicion. After a bit, the Ursa turned and walked away, the trees bending aside for it. I let out a small sigh of relief before continuing on.

I came to a stop and stepped out when I reached the foot of the temple. The whole place was nothing but rubble. Any ounce of the once ancient civilization, at least this one, is now buried until somepony comes along and uncovers it. And that pony would be me. I looked around the area. It looked entirely like a war zone. All was quiet. I walked over to the entrance and started to shift aside rocks with my hooves. I was still feeling a bit burnt out with magic. As I proceeded, my mind went back to a good time.

A time where Fie and I were taking on the whole world together, despite her studious nature back then. Always pushing herself to pass exams despite knowing she would fail. Never giving up even after failing. I envied that about her. I paused in my shifting and sighed. I guess I still envy her to this day. She had been dealt a terrible twist of fate, yet she has always done her best to make the most of the situation. I worried that all the stress of it would cause her to be apathetic, but I was glad it only distracted her.

And after seeing her after whatever the zebra did, she seemed entirely chipper. As if she had accepted herself on a spiritual level. I felt my mood shoot down as I began to kick at a rock. She’s getting further and further ahead of me. I’m the one that’s supposed to protect her, yet there she was acting like the grand hero. I growled and bucked at a decently tall rock in frustration. Why her of all ponies? Why is she the one that has to deal with all this crap?

Why was her picture on that damned mural?! What do the damned stars have an interest to her?! Why didn’t they pick somepony else?!? Why! Does! It! Have! To! Be! Her!! I tumbled forward as the last buck sent me face first into the dirt. I panted exhaustively, pushing myself off the ground. Unable to do so, I let myself fall onto the ground flat on my stomach. My body screamed at me, causing me to no longer move. I sighed. I’m so damned pathetic.

Chapter 23: Strange New Realm

Two Weeks Ago

In a realm that is entirely different from Equestria, a city glimmered in the snowy season. The day of love approaching ever so quickly, fliers spread across light poles and electric poles advertising a party bash for the event:

Hearts and Hands Celebration at Canterlot High. All families and ages welcome! Enjoy the pleasantries of music, dancing and food as the Rainbooms perform. All donations will go to Foals Whole Foundation. Celebration begins February 27th -29th from 7 PM to 9PM.

One of the fliers peeled off the light pole and began to flutter through a carrying breeze. The night’s moon shined brightly over the sleeping city. The flier traveled quite a bit of ways through the city, even passing a private academia school before heading further out to the suburbs. It flittered past several houses of notable design, then towards a school courtyard. The building tall with an intricate dome at the top. In front of the school was a pedestal where there was once a majestic equine proudly rearing up stood. The flier landed on the pedestal, sticking to it.

It wasn’t until a rainbow glow shimmered from a crack in the top of the pedestal that the flier flew away into the breeze. Colorful orbs wisped out of the crack and hovered around the pedestal before separating away and vanishing into an unknown area. Not too far off onto the sides was a green glow that shone brightly as if from nowhere. The path leading away from the school led to an outdoor garden.

The garden having signs of tender love and care, the flowers and plants covered by material to keep them warm and protected from the snowy elements. Three rocks made a formation that arced inwards towards the center of the garden, and a snow-covered fountain. The glow from the rocks grew brighter and brighter until a crackle of energy sparked above the fountain. Magical energy began to flow from the rocks, conjoining at the center above the fountain and creating a small swirl of light.

It grew bigger and bigger until it was wide enough to match the width of the fountain base, creating a portal that crackled with energy. Out from the portal came a sickening fog of purple and black, washing over the fountain and spreading throughout the garden. The flowers began to wilt and rot. A limb emerged from the portal. Then an entire body. The figure was cloaked with what appeared to be shadows covering the entire being. The figure stepped down from the fountain and walked a bit further away from the center. The figure looked back as the portal glowed intensely before exploding into a magical spark. The rocks shattered, leaving the figure to look around.

“I was expecting a little more. Oh well. There is a lot of ground to cover. What do you say? See what would be rightfully ours?” A childish voice spoke gleefully. From inside the mind of the figure is a pitch-black abyss. Glowing purple slit eyes narrowed into glee.

But of course, bestie. Think of all the friends we can have under our kingdom? The others can have that pathetic failure of a realm. This is just waiting to be explored! The gleeful voice laughed. Our shadow will loom from as far as this realms coast! All of it will be ours! And there is nothing that’ll stop us!

The childish figure grinned under the hood, the movements gliding away from the withering garden. As quickly as the figure appeared, they vanished into the shadows. Yet there was one thing that was unaccounted for. When the portal burst into a spark of magic, a wave washed through the entire city, shaking the foundations of buildings. Further in the suburbs in a mansion, a girl lay sleeping with her dog resting lazily in a basket at the foot of her bed.

The wave washed over the room, causing her to change her sleeping posture but unable to wake. The girl’s desk riddled with pieces of tech and computer gizmos as well as a couple of devices pushed aside. One such contraption blipped to life, the arrow going crazy on the scale. Tonight, a dark shadow has emerged into this realm. One that would be the epicenter to a series of strange events leading to a clash that this world has never seen before.

Present Day

I found myself sitting under the tree with Din resting comfortably on the trunk. I stared out into the fiery colored grass and blue flowers. All was quiet between us. Din finally stirred and looked up.

It seems that we are now able to wake up. Such a strange feeling of change. She commented. I blinked and rubbed the back of my head.

“I don’t feel any different.” I stated. Din rolled her eyes.

Because you are not awake yet. Though I must admit that was quite a gamble. She smirked smugly. I motioned to her.

“You could have blasted us out of there and we’d be fine. Why didn’t you react?” I asked. Din sighed boredly, her hind leg swaying limply off the trunk.

I could. But I was also curious as to where the mirror would take us. The strange magic coming from it distracted me. She bluntly stated. I slumped.

“Well then. I guess I’ll check and see what’s going on with us now.” I stated, standing up and walking forward. Din waved boredly.

Don’t hurry back now. She said. I walked further down the field before coming to a glowing doorway. I took a deep breath.

‘Alright, Fie. Now or never.’ I told myself. I reached out a hoof and entered the light, Din’s realm fading away around me.

oooOOO000OOOooo

“Hey! Hey you! Get up! Get up, you lazy slouch!” A voice said. My eyes began to open and I groaned, my body aching strangely.

“Huh…? Wha…?” I slurred. My vision was blurred but opening my eyes more, I saw a strange creature looking down at me. They were balding with a strand of their mane combed over the bald spot. They were also rather chubby and wearing a neatly pressed brown suite and tie. Their coat was rather purple but upon closer inspection, there was no fur at all. Only black strands of hair along the forelegs. Or… were they legs? The look of the creature frowned down at me.

“Get up you! This is not a resting place! This is public property and you are disrupting the peace of my museum.” He said in a grumpy gruff voice. I shifted onto my side and pushed myself off the ground. I froze, my eyes falling onto my forelegs. No… not forelegs. I studied my “legs”. What are these things? Somehow, I was able to flex them. My other foreleg had the same things. A shot of panic flowed through. I looked down at myself. I was wearing clothes with my tattered hoodie cloak covering them.

Long black cargo pants, what looked to be shoes fashioned strangely into an odd shape, and a black shirt. I examined my legs again. There were no signs of fur anywhere. Was this… skin? I noticed the balding chubby creature arch an unamused brow at me.

“Are you feeling well?” It asked. I was dumbfounded, still fascinated by what I was seeing. I then tried to stand up, finding that my body pushed with my hindlegs. I ended up flailing my arms and tipping over back and forth to try and balance myself. I planted both hooves… err… whatever I had now onto the ground and steadied myself with my “legs” outstretched. I noticed I was acquiring several looks from other creatures. I managed to take a deep breath and balance myself.

“Look, kid. I don’t have time for this. Get out of my museum. You’re scaring my customers. Security, please escort this ruffian out.” The creature said with a frown. I brought my “forelegs” back into my chest as two strangely uniformed officers stepped forward and spun me around. One had their limb hovering at my back and began to lead me away. I tripped over myself, landing hard onto a marble floor. It was extremely weird to walk. The two officers had to steady me as I tried to walk with them.

I heard the other onlookers laughing and pointing at me as I was doing a strange walk. Eventually, I managed to find the proper rhythm to walking when I was then led out of the building and pushed a bit away from the door. I nearly stumbled and flailed my arms to balance myself, spinning around and holding onto a massive pillar. I looked at the officers and they crossed their "forelegs".

“You alright, kid? Are you under something? Did your friends put you up to this?” One of them asked. I leaned against the pillar to support myself.

“I-I don’t know? I just… woke up here. Where even is here?” I asked. The officers looked at each other quizzically. One rubbed their chin with one of the stubs on the foreleg.

“Must have hit her head harder than I thought. I’ll call the paramedics. Watch her, will you?” The officer spoke before doing a strange bound into the building. The other officer studied me.

“What were you thinking, lying down in the middle of the floor like that? Not only that, trying to make a fool out of us with your strange walking! What is your deal?” The officer asked. I pushed myself away from the pillar, my “forelegs” flailing a bit as I steadied myself.

“I’m not trying to make -whoa- a fool out of any -eeee- pony.” I replied, nearly tipping over again. The officer arched a brow.

“You’re doing it right now.” They said. I looked down at myself.

“It’s just hard to walk in this… this… what even happened to my legs?!” I exclaimed a little. “And I’m wearing more clothes than usual!” The officer frowned.

“You better keep it that way. You’re in public young lady. I don’t care what you do at home, but you’ll be in a lot of trouble streaking around here.” They stated coldly. I blinked and looked at them, confused as to what they mean. Din hummed in my head.

It appears this realm requires clothing. Vessel, we are to figure out how to get back and I’d rather not have any complications. I gave a nervous smile.

“Err… I’ll keep that in mind officer.” I replied. The officer nodded as the other one bounded out of the building.

“Paramedics will be here in ten minutes. How is she doing?” They asked. The other shifted his look.

“Aside from thinking about streaking, I think she might need more than paramedics.” They replied. The other officer put their “legs” on their hips.

“Do you know where your parents are? Have a place to go home to?” The officer asked. I was about to reply when Din butted in.

Vessel. This realm has entirely new laws I’m sensing. Better to not bring too much attention to us for now. She said. I darted my eyes in thought.

“I-I do have parents and they are uhm… on vacation currently in… Estonia?” I replied, hoping to sound like I knew what I was talking about. The two officers exchanged glances.

“Estonia? Heard that place is nice this time of year.” One said. The other crossed their “legs” and looked down at me.

“And your place of residence?” They asked. I darted my eyes in thought, trying to come up with something.

“Uhhh… I’m… actually in the suburbs… Just hanging around the uhhh… city. Passing time.” I lied. Well, it really wasn’t a lie. But Hoofington was long ago. I heard the sound of sirens and looked down the steps of the building to see a strange looking auto wagon pull up. Now that I notice, there were a lot more strange looking auto wagons. Some sleek, some bulky and some looking like they had seen better days. Many creatures of varying height, design and clothing were walking down sidewalks and across street crossings.

‘At least there is some familiarity here.’ I thought to myself. Two different uniformed creatures, one looking feminine and the other masculine hopped out of the wagon, the feminine one carrying a red duffle bag with them and bounded up the steps towards us.

“Did you call about a person injured?” She asked. Person? Is that what these creatures are called? Such an alien realm yet somehow familiar. The officers motioned to me. The female person smiled and knelt down, putting their stubs under my chin and studying me. She then held out my “forelegs” and rolled up the sleeve of my cloak. “Does it hurt?” She asked when she started flexing my “legs”. I blinked questioningly but shook my head.

“Alright. Arms are looking good.” She then examined the open part that the stubs were attached to. She put her stubs on the joint and flexed them. “Does that hurt?” She asked. Again, I shook my head. “Wrists and palm okay. No damages to the fingers as well.” She then put her, what I am now guessing I have to call hand, onto my forehead. When she pat my head, as if feeling for my temperature, a realization came over me. When she removed her hand and proceeded to check below me, I put a hand over my head.

‘Where’s my horn?’ I asked myself, my panic increasing. ‘What happened to my horn?!’

Ease yourself vessel. Remember, no attention. Din reminded with slight annoyance. I took a deep breath and calmed my panic. The paramedic examined me top to bottom and pulled away, turning to the officers.

“Everything checks out. No broken bones or injuries. Temperature is normal as well.” She then looked to me as the masculine person came up the stairs with what looked to be coffee cups. “Do you need help getting home? We can take you.” She smiled. I shrunk back a bit.

“Oh, no. You don’t have too. I can walk. Err… yeah, walk.” I said. One of the officers sighed.

“Look, kid. Don’t be causing a ruckus around here. This city has laws and they must be followed. Look both ways before you cross the road. Don’t go down any dark alleyways or be lured by strange characters. Keep yourself with friends if you have to. Understand?” The officer spoke. I gave a reassuring smile and nod. The officer tipped their hat before turning with the other officer back into the building. The paramedics left, both enjoying their cup of coffee and leaving me to stand at the top of the steps.

I looked down at myself again.

‘Am I stuck like this? How do I change back?’ I asked. Din hummed.

Perhaps a certain spell over this place. Maybe I could… no… Din sounded shocked. I arched a brow.

‘Din?’ I asked.

No, no, no!! No!! What kind of sick, twisted joke is this?! She yelled. I furrowed my look worriedly. This is going to take ages to untangle!! Of all the rotten…! Dammit all!! There was a brief moment of silence. We have a problem. Your natural magic is… closed off I should say. In turn, that has denied me any access to it as well allowing me to not share mine. Everything is all twisted and tangled! I have to untangle it all manually! Such a pain! Din was swearing up a storm for a bit. I waited patiently, idling as she swore uncontrollably. When she finished, I was about to speak when she interrupted. Make yourself useful, vessel! Study the laws of this world! We have nothing better to do until we can find out how to get back to our realm! She growled. We are not wanted here. I sighed and looked down the steps.

‘Guess I should take a look around the city. Alright Fie. Baby steps. Time to blend in.’ I told myself. Easier said than done with the way I was walking down the steps.

Walking around the city was quite a feat in of itself. I didn’t realize how big it was. I must have spent a couple of hours wandering. Thankfully in that time, I managed to get accustomed to walking. It wasn’t long until I observed what the persons here called “joggers” bounding by did I decide to try my hoof err… hand at doing so. I had tripped over myself a few times, but eventually I managed to end up running down a couple of blocks, nearly causing a couple of auto wagons to screech to a stop and blare a loud noise at me.

I couldn’t help but laugh a little at the running. It was completely different to galloping but it exhibited the same rush. The only problem I noticed is that I felt a bit slower. I ended up jogging to a park where I noticed some stylish looking younger persons running an obstacle course. I asked one of them what they were doing and they explained the concept of parkour to me. I spent the next thirty minutes observing the way the persons moved through the obstacles.

Feeling a bit confident and realizing that this is something I tended to do with my training with Namaste back in Equestria, I decided to try my hand at it. I failed a couple of times but on the third go, I pretended to imagine this as my training. I was soon hopping, vaulting and climbing up over heights and obstacles, getting several cheers from the others as they were kind enough to encourage me to keep trying.

I finished the course with a little flip and landed on what they call “feet” and I bowed at the applause. I sat at a bench on the side and took a moment to catch my breath. One parkourist was kind enough to pass me a bottle of water, which had a different way of opening. I twisted the cap and chugged it like no tomorrow. I then bid them farewell before heading out of the park and down the sidewalk to continue my exploration of the city.

This place was incredible. The technology they had was so similar yet built differently. I had asked a passerby about the many televisions behind a glass wall and they looked at me funny before walking past. The more I observed the persons around me, the more I noticed something had on them. A strange looking tablet that they were constantly swiping their fingers on. I managed to sneak a peek on a few of them. The tablets had some images on them with words accompanied underneath them. Some were watching moving images with strange effects sprinkled into the images. Another had an interactive image that had all these weird colors.

When I asked about it out of nowhere to the person, they awkwardly replied and explained that it was a collect ‘em all game where you could spend actual money to get rare collect-a-mons or play and grind out for resources to get them. I was a little lost in the explanation, but I thanked them for the info and jogged down the sidewalk to continue my exploration. The cool breeze and the light snow that covered the city made it quite a homey sight.

I couldn’t help but be reminded a little of Ponyville. Though with the way some persons here interacted with one another, it’s safe to say that the values are far from Ponyville standards. More like Manehatten or Dodge Junction. After a while, I started to become hungry and feeling parched as well. I looked around and saw a stand that I can familiarize with as a food stand. When I jogged over to them and asked what they were selling, the guy looked at me funny.

“They are hotdogs. It’s uh… all we are selling.” He said. I tilted my head.

“Hotdog?” I asked. I could only picture a dog on fire. The person looked me over and sighed. They had an expression of pity.

“You look like an okay kid. Here, I’ll give ya’ one on the house. But the next one ya’ gotta pay.” He said, reaching into the box and pulling out a strange red-looking thing, sticking in between a bread bun. He then poured what I was guessing was ketchup and handed it to me. I awkwardly reached over and bit down on the food to hold it in my mouth. When I pulled away, the person gave me a disgusted and strange look. I blinked and realized what I was doing.

I flushed and proceeded to grasp the bread bun with my hands and began to chew on the food. A juicy, meaty taste was fascinating yet delicious. I perked up at the taste. Usually, we would eat anything green or hay. The creatures here must eat meat then. Does that make them partial griffon? Regardless of the matter, I walked away from the stand, chewing hungrily at the hotdog, the ketchup resting on my… muzzle? Mouth? I’ll call it mouth for now. I finished the hotdog and felt satisfied.

“I don’t know why I hadn’t tried meat before. That was delicious!” I said aloud.

Shut up! I’m trying to concentrate. Din hissed. I coughed a bit and pat my chest. I forgot to ask the stand owner if they had anything to drink. I looked around and found another familiar thing. These were usually found in CSGU from what I recall. I rushed over and bent down, pressing the button and tasting the refreshing cold-water flow down my throat. Feeling satisfied with food and water, I wiped my mouth with my sleeve and proceeded to continue my exploration.

It was only now did I realize I was standing in front of a tall and massive purple building with a crystal class dome overhead. A purple and blue flag with the words dynamically painted as “SB” were displayed along with what looked to be an equine figure surrounded by a crystal heart. I narrowed my looks and rubbed my chin.

‘That’s… odd. Why am I getting Crystal Empire vibes here?’ I asked myself. I began to walk down the pathway that led to the building entrance. I pressed my face against my hands to peek through the glass. The halls were sparkling clear, a display case lining the main lobby with trophies, flags and pictures. Several fliers and banners displayed around the lobby as well. I found myself reaching for the handle of the door, pushing against it to find that it was locked.

I frowned and jiggled the handle. I then started to push, realizing it wasn’t locked but just being stubborn in opening. I grunted as I pushed against the door.

‘C’mon! Open!’ I groaned. I was about to turn around and try to buck it when the door opened towards me, bumping me in the rump and sending me rolling down the steps.

“Oh dear!” I heard a voice say as I landed on my stomach. I groaned and shook away the daze. “Are you alright?” I shook away my daze and furrowed my look. That voice… why is it familiar? I noticed somepony err… someone reaching out to me and I took it, being helped up. When I looked at the person, my jaw dropped in shock.

“Princess Cadence??” I blurted out. There was no hiding the similarities. Rosey mixed hair, pink hue and dressed in a business dress and suite over pink coat. She did not look like the pony I’m familiar with however. There as quite a bit of makeup to her. She gave me a questioning raise of her brow.

“Err… I am Cadence. Principal Cadence to be exact. No princess here.” She said with a small chuckle. I flushed and pulled back.

“O-oh. Sorry. You just… look like somepo- errr… someone I know.” I replied. Cadence arched a brow.

“Really? How peculiar. Can I ask your name?” She spoke. I rubbed the back of my head.

“Quiet Fire. I’m… not from around here.” I replied. Cadence smiled.

“Nice to meet you, Quiet Fire. Are you planning on attending Crystal Prep?” She asked. I arched a brow.

“Crystal Prep?” I asked. Principal Cadence motioned to the school.

“I have some free time so I can show you around.” She said. I followed next to her, looking around as we walked up the steps and she pulled the door open. I entered into a big lobby, the scuffing of my shoes making squeaky sounds as I walked further in. I spun around slowly in awe. “This is the main lobby. Here, students tend to gather and mingle or study while they wait for their next period to start.” We walked towards a glass case full of the trophies. “This is a memorial of all the accomplishments that the students here at Crystal Prep have contributed. Their athletic and academical achievements are displayed here as to inspire the next year’s freshmen to push for their own goals and even contribute to more than just Crystal Prep’s achievements.”

Principal Cadence walked down a hall and I followed, fascinated by the design of the place.

“Down these halls are all sorts of curriculars. We not only provide standard and advance courses, but active clubs that all are welcome to join. We have archery, fencing, football, ballet and choir just to name a few. Our most popular one is band club. Nothing gets the school spirits rising like a good song or two.” She chuckled. I tapped my fingers together bashfully.

“I-I’m more of a martial artist than a musical pony. Person!! I meant person!” I said, quickly correcting myself. I gave a nervous laugh as Principal Cadence arched a brow.

“Riiiight… Well, we do also have a martial arts club. In fact, I believe we are about to be in the championship this week.” She said as we continued walking. We went through a pair of double doors into what I would assume was a gymnasium. My eyes fell onto several students in karate gis sparring or running through motions. My eyes lit up a bit. I then noticed somepony I recognized as well on the sidelines.

“Shining Armor…?” I blurted out again. I noticed Principal Cadence arching another questionable brow at me.

“Have you’ve met Dean Shining?” She asked. “Or is he someone who looks like him?” I felt my heartbeat racing as she seemed to narrow her eyes suspiciously.

“Nope! I’ve seen him around and he helped me with uhh… a thing that happened at the uhh… place. Yeah.” I quickly looked around, fanning myself with a hand. “Err… you don’t happen to have a library?” I asked, hoping to change the subject. Principal Cadence rubbed her chin but smiled.

“Of course. I can show you it.” She then waved to Shining Armor who noticed us and waved back with a handsome smile. I couldn’t help but notice something when we were heading back to the main lobby and turning down a hall.

“So… are you and Shining Armor a… thing here?” I asked. I noticed Principal Candence flush brightly to match her skin hue.

“O-oh! N-no, no! He and I aren’t really a thing.” She replied, with a bit of uncertainty. I hummed in thought.

‘So, the Shining Armor and Cadence here aren’t together. They are similar but completely different. I guess I should treat any familiar faces as new ones.’ I thought to myself. Principal Cadence cleared her throat, brushing her business dress a bit.

“H-here we are. The Crystal Prep library.” She spoke as she opened the door. I couldn’t help but let out a breath of awe at the sight. The shelves towered high and seemed to connect through the second story balconies. Several ladders could be seen leaning against the shelves. This would definitely give Twilight another several hours to read through everything twice. Principle Cadence motioned around. “We have everything a studious mind can indulge in. Advance courses, human history and even fictional novels dating back to the eleventh century.” I blinked and looked at her.

“Human history? Eleventh century?” I looked around and rubbed the back of my head. “Err… you don’t happen to have anything for modern day, do you?” I asked. Principal Cadence nodded and waved me over to a table. A black and white screen faced me with what looked to be a board with letters on it. These buttons were smaller however than my world. And jumbled together.

“If you want to catch up on latest news and such you can read about them on the library computers. If you want to follow what trends are going on, we have that too, but this is a place of academia. To learn. You can follow trends during recess periods or after school on your cell phone.” She stated sternly. I blinked as I was pressing the buttons on the board while she talked. I turned to her.

“Cell phone?” I asked. There was a loud noise that rang in my ears. I looked around, wondering where it came from.

“Classes are over. I’m sorry, but I must attend to my duties. I’ll get someone to help you look around. When you are finished, you can meet me in my office.” She said as she walked over to the door. “It’s just up the stairs on the third floor, first double doors you see. You can’t miss it.” She then gave a small wave out the hall and a student walked over. “Flitter Glider will be able to show you around.” My jaw dropped when I saw a female person walk in, wearing a purple cardigan and a plaid purple and black skirt, high socks and button shoes. There was no mistaking the mint mane and pink bow on her head. She looked a little confused but then smiled.

“Of course, Principal Cadence. It’ll be my pleasure!” She said. Principal Cadence nodded and closed the door. Flitter skipped over to me and held out a hand. “Hi there! I’m Flitter Glider. You must be new here.” She said. The resemblance was so uncanny that I nearly forgot to speak.

“Oh uhh… Quiet Fire.” I replied, hesitant at first but shook her hand. She seemed rather chipper. Something I grew used too with Flitter before the Trottingham experience. ‘Remember Fie. Treat familiar faces here as new faces.’ I told myself. I then smiled and rubbed my chin. I was a little curious. “Don’t you have a sister?” I asked. Flitter blinked but then nodded.

“Yes. Though she doesn’t go to this school… anymore.” She said with a small sad sigh. I balked and waved my hands out.

“S-sorry. I just thought I saw someone who looked almost like you in town.” I said. Flitter smiled.

“It’s alright. So, what did Principal Cadence show you so far?” She asked.

“Oh uhh… just the main areas.” I replied. Flitter tapped her chin.

“Did she show you the cafeteria?” She asked. I shook my head.

“N-no. I don’t think sooOOO!” I was then pulled along by Flitter as she beamed.

“Good! Because it’s my lunch period and I’m starving. I could go for Caesar Salad.” She stated. She pulled me along as we weaved in and out of students that were gathered together or walking by. I had bumped into a few students who gave me confused or annoyed looks. We then arrived at a set of double doors that Flitter pushed open, and I was blinded by the shining floor of the cafeteria. It was rather big and spacey. Like you could fit several more tables into here and still have enough room.

Plenty of students in sweaters, shirts and long sleeves mingled about with trays full of food and sitting at tables. CSGU didn’t have a cafeteria from what I recall. Most of the students would just eat at the local cafe nearby the school. Flitter led me to wait in line, taking a tray. When we got our food (Flitter having a nice-looking salad while I had this food called chicken cordon blu with mashed potatoes and mixed vegetables and a shiny apple on the side) we sat at a table and Flitter started to chew on her salad while she pulled out a pink tablet that I have seen everyone here have and scroll through somethings.

I scratched the back of my head and studied my food. I poked at it with my fork before giving the chicken a taste. My eyes widened and I perked up. This. Is. Amazing!! I proceeded to lean in and use the fork to help me rip into the chicken, getting a bit of the gravy on my chin. When I pulled away and chewed happily, I noticed Flitter eyeing me strangely. Realizing what I did, I blushed and took a napkin to wipe my mouth.

“Sweet Celestia how have I not tried meat before?! I wonder what kind of other variety of meats they have here…?” I spoke happily. Flitter swallowed and raised a brow.

“Uhhh, yeah… Anyway. Do you follow any bands?” Flitter asked. I brought the apple to my mouth and bit down on it, taking a chunk out of the apple before tilting my head.

“Bandssth?” I spoke with my mouthful. I began to chew as Flitter scrolled through before showing me.

“Lately I’ve been following this metal band called Skull Cruncher. They have the best light show in all of the whole world! I especially like their song Crazed Minds Think Alike.” She said. I stared blankly at her. I then swallowed and wiped my mouth with my sleeve.

“Where I come from, it’s mainly pop, electronica or orchestral. Sometimes jazz.” I stated remembering my neighbors Octavia and Vinyl Scratch. Flitter beamed.

“What about rock?” She asked. My mind shot back to the temple.

“I’ve had enough of rocks for one day.” I stated, rubbing my arm. Flitter giggled.

“No, dork. Rock as in the musical genre. You ever heard of the Rainbooms?” She asked. I arched a brow.

“Can’t say that I have.” I replied. She then swiped her finger over the tablet and tapped something before showing me a black screen. I was about to ask what I was looking at when images popped up and began to move. “This happened during the Battle of the Bands that Canterlot High hosted. Some crazy special effects, don’t ya’ think?” I watched as it looked to be from the front stage of what appeared to be three girls singing on stage. The music was entrancing at first before being interrupted by a musical number somewhere off screen.

When the image turned, it zoomed in onto a group singing at the top of a hill and playing on instruments. I couldn’t quite make out the faces, but something about them were familiar. The video suddenly went crazy as the girls that were on stage began to transform with sea like wings on their back and projected images of sea like monsters rushing the group. The group then fought back with their own harmonizing song, winning against the creatures with a fantastical display of lights and rainbows.

Flitter grinned. “Neat, huh? What if I told you that those special effects were actually real magic.” She said. I tilted my head.

“Magic? Like… magic magic?” I asked. Flitter nodded and tapped her tablet again before showing me another moving image of what appeared to be a crazed individual opening up portals around the area. My jaw dropped when I noticed that some of the portals had certain views of Ponyville. However, the images showed that a strange girl faced down the creature and turned into something beautiful, sealing up the portals and clashing with the creature. The video ended there.

“I fumbled the last recording there. But ever since the Friendship Games, things began to feel a bit different. We even heard that a spring break trip went crazy at some point that involved magic. Crazy right?!” She exclaimed. She then furrowed her look and sighed, sitting back down sadly. “Yeah… it’s amazing that most of us know that magic exists for real. But… I can’t help but not be too excited about it.” I was still recovering from the sight of seeing Ponyville in the images.

I managed to gather myself and eye her.

“So… it’s safe to assume magic really does exist here?” I asked. Flitter nodded sadly, poking her food. I was about to ask what was wrong but the loud sound rang in my ears again and Flitter stood up.

“Err… sorry I couldn’t show you around like you wanted. I have to get to class. I’ll… see you later?” She asked as she gathered her things. I smiled and nodded.

“Yeah.” I replied. She gave a friendly wave before walking off with the crowd out the door. I looked down and poked at my food.

‘So… magic does exist in this world. And not only that, it looks like monsters too.’ I thought.

Yes. I could smell it in the air. It’s magic from our realm mixing in with the pathetic excuse for magic here. Din stated. I crossed my arms.

‘Those moving images… there were those portals to Ponyville… Equestria…’ My eyes widened and I smiled. ‘Then we can get back to our world! We aren’t entirely stuck!’ I said, punching the air happily. Din snorted.

One problem. Where can we find that creature that opened those portals? More importantly, why is this more complex than that muddled brain of yours?! Din stated in frustration. I arched a brow.

‘Anything I can do to help?’ I asked.

Doubtful. Just continue finding info on how to get us out of here. It’s rather unstable here. She said. I hummed.

‘Then… shouldn’t we also figure out what’s causing the instability that you are picking up? Aren’t we supposed to be fighting for balance here?’ I asked.

We are not supposed to be here. Our duty lies back in the other world. Let me tell you something before the serpent decides to mention it and confuses us. Each world has its’ own laws and balance to dictate itself on. Any outside laws acting upon it will send both worlds into total damnation if it were to be meddled with. Not like we can’t do anything at the moment due to this mess. But even if we were, I would prohibit you from using anything aside from your own innate talents here.

I nodded my head. ‘Makes sense enough. Then I guess we should start in the library.’ I replied to her. I quickly finished my food before pushing the tray away and jogging out of the room. I didn’t make it far as when I rounded the corner, I bumped into someone, knocking both of us over. I shook away my daze. “Sorry about that.” I quickly said. I saw a hand reach out and I took it, being helped up. My eyes widened when I caught a good look at the figure I bumped into.

Stoic demeanor, blue skin and white hair. He was wearing a yellow sweater, tan slacks and loafers.

“Silver Scribble??” I blurted out again. He arched a brow, bending down to pick up a book bag.

“Professor Scribble, if you please. You should be a bit more careful.” He said in a familiar stoic voice. I was baffled as he walked by, adjusting his glasses. “Pardon me.” He disappeared around the corner with the crowd, leaving me to scratch the back of my head.

‘I wonder if…’ I began to think before shaking my head. ‘Focus, Fie. To the library!’ I spun on my heels and jogged back towards the library, still unable to get over seeing both Flitter and Scribble here. Mentioning a sister to Flitter must mean that there is a Cloudchaser here. And most definitely now a Thi Billet. But… these aren’t my friends here. ‘Doesn’t mean I shouldn’t give them the cold shoulder…’ I told myself. I shook my head and smacked my cheeks before stepping into the library and closing the door. I took a deep breath and looked around. The library was empty and I nodded to myself.

I sighed and face planted into an open book. The stacks of books next to me toppling over into another pile of books. It’s been a long time since I sat down at a table and just read my mind out. I decided to pick up books on biology and some history. I even found a book called a “yearbook”. It had pictures of the students in younger days partaking in certain stuff to be displayed and signed. I spotted a young looking Cloudchaser and Flitter. They looked so close to each other.

I couldn’t help but snicker when I spied Silver Scribble. Apparently, he is an alumnus that graduated super early for his age and became a professor to teach at Crystal Prep. I knew he was smart, but this Scribble must be the new Einstein. My eyes then fell onto a girl who I couldn’t help but see an uncanny resemblance to Twilight. Her hair was a little bit of a mess, as if she had finished a science project of some kind and didn’t look quite too pleased or excited about her picture being taken.

Funny enough, the name under the portrait did say “Twilight Sparkle”. Nothing else stood out save for what I read that the school used to have a different principal at the time. Principal Cinch. The way she postured herself gave off quite a prideful vibe that didn’t sit well with me. I pushed the yearbook aside after I finished reading a passage in a book before closing it and slumping in my chair.

‘Did you know that Starswirl the Bearded here is not only an iconic astrologer, but also had an alias that was called Merlin and was the tutor to King Arthur? I do now.’ I thought tiredly. No matter which way I looked at it, this dimension and ours are connected in some strange way. A lot of history here paralleled major events in our own history. Which would be exciting if I wasn’t in a bid to find info on anyway to get out of this realm. The events never explained anything about portals or mystical creatures.

Well, aside from the current cryptids that this world has. But nothing that stood out. My eyes then fell onto a computer. I hummed in thought. ‘What if anything had happened in recent times?’ I asked myself. I got up from my seat and moved over to the desk. I studied the board and began to tap at the buttons with my knuckles. The screen flickered to life and I saw strange icons on it. I tapped more buttons, trying to figure out how to maneuver through this. Was there a special button or something? I lifted up the board and examined it from underneath.

I put the board back down and scratched my head. I tapped the side buttons and this time I saw something move. A white pointed icon. I furrowed my look and tapped the buttons again. It didn’t move. I sighed and bumped something with my fist, causing the pointed icon to skate across the screen. I blinked and looked to see a strange device connected to the screen. I meekly shifted it and saw the pointer move again. Feeling a bit more understanding of this, I held the device in my knuckle, fumbling it before managing to use my hand to have better control of it.

There were two buttons on it that I quickly found that highlighted one of the icons and the other brought a menu up. Taking another moment to adjust to this, I then clicked on a horse icon and something popped up displaying words and images. I took a moment to skim the words before trying to figure out how to move down to finish reading cut off words. I found another thing on the separate device that allowed me to scroll down. I couldn’t help but think that the Triad had a much easier time making stuff like this for pony accessibility.

It seems like this was made with these fingers in mind. In my world, the Triad would just have buttons assigned to things. This is just… mathematics with letters. Eventually, I managed to adjust and navigate the menus. I began to search for stuff relating to this year’s events. Nothing happened through New Years save for a celebration. Nothing for a parallel holiday to Hearts and Hooves. I checked last years and saw that there was plenty of strange events that were going on.

Such as a yacht having sank off the coast with all attendees alive and found back home with no info on how they got back. Another was the events that transpired in a place called Camp Everfree. Tall black berry brambles covered the camp for an hour before a flash of bright prismatic light of colors destroyed the brambles and freed the campers and employees in it. It was then followed by a fundraiser that stabilized the camp for future generations. There was also something about a Starswirl festival too.

But nothing that stood out aside from a perfect Post Crush show where two lucky fans got to play with the band. I sighed however as everything seemed to go back to normal news. That was until I found an article going back two weeks ago. I read the report in my head.

‘An earthquake rocked the city last night, causing a power outage that lasted for several hours. Power was restored and the day remained uneventful after. That is until a group of students reported about a strange figure that was seen floating off the ground in the suburbs. I am not one to believe in magic, but as one student stated: "It was extremely creepy, like one of those Creepy Fettuccini stories. A shadowy ghost floating through the streets!" Another such strange occurrence is a mysterious decomposition of a Canterlot High student's garden.

‘We spoke with the caretaker of the garden, Wallflower Blush, about her thoughts on the matter. However, the caretaker was too distraught over the hard work she put into the garden and was thus unable to comment any further. My condolences to you, Wallflower Blush. I am a green thumb myself and am sad as well to see such a lovely sight that won first place in the annual Botany Care Competition.’ I skimmed more of the passage and leaned back in the chair, covering my mouth in thought.

‘An earthquake that happened two weeks ago? A shadowy figure?’ I darted my eyes. ‘Guess our next bet is this Canterlot High.’ I thought to myself. Din sighed in frustration. ‘You good?’ I asked.

The Apex of the World will not be bested by silly string, dammit!! She barked. I chuckled and kicked back in the chair.

‘Perhaps its’ time we both took a break. Enjoy your alone time?’ I suggested. Din shifted in my head before sighing in defeat.

Mark my words you damned web of confusion. I will have your head when I get back… She growled. I was curious as to what she was dealing with but I stood up and stretched before walking over to the door. I paused as I heard voices on the other side.

“I’m a little worried. She was supposed to see me in my office.” I heard Principal Cadence speak.

“I’m sure everything is fine, Cadence. She could have just been lost in the well of knowledge that is the Crystal Prep library.” I heard Shining Armor say.

“Maybe. But did you see how she was dressed? It was like she had just come out of the woods.” Cadence spoke. My eyes widened and I looked down at myself. I didn’t account on the fact that I did look like I had gone through hell and back despite the pristine clothes underneath the cloak.

“You’re overreacting. I’m sure she means no harm.” Shining replied. Cadence sighed.

“You’re right. If anything, she looks like one of Canterlot High’s students who took a wrong turn. I know those eyes. They remind me of Twilight.” She said. Shining chuckled.

“You’ll be seeing her for dinner tonight. She’s been wanting to do that for a while now.” He said. I stepped away from the doors and looked down at myself.

“It’s strange though. Her eyes were... odd. Like they had this sort of... strange effect going on with them." She replied. I covered my eyes, looking through two of my fingers in shock.

'I forgot about my eyes!!' I panicked.

How inconvenient. Like I said, vessel. We are not wanted here. The sooner we leave, the better. Din stated. I clutched my chest and looked around. I have to get out of here. I threw my hood up and began to jog down the library aisles, looking for any sign to get out of here. I spotted a window off in the corner, looking what appeared to be someone's old hang out corner. A beanbag, some left over notes and books. I hurried over to the window and opened it, peering out to see that it was quite a drop down to bushes. I don't know how durable my body is unlike in my world, but it's now or never. I climbed onto the sill and then hopped out, landing into the bushes ungracefully. I pulled myself out of the bushes and began to run down to the street. To my luck, a bulky auto wagon was parked, letting off some persons and letting on others. I quickly crossed the street, ensuring I looked both ways before doing so and rushing into the auto wagon. I found an empty seat and took it, keeping my head down and letting out a sigh of relief. The auto wagon jerked and I watched as Crystal Prep got further and further away. I leaned against the seat and crossed my arms.

At least we have more knowledge of what to expect in this world. And it seems magic, as recent as it is, is running amok here. This could be beneficial to our return home. Din spoke.

'Beneficial how? To power up portals?' I asked.

Some leverage over the World Serpent. Now that I know of another existence connected to the one currently in peril, there is no doubt that this could be the next location for the World Serpent to "entertain" himself. Not only should we find the creature that can open portals to our world, but we could also use that power for our own against the snake. Nothing more satisfying than seeing that bastard squirm! She grinned maniacally. I tapped my chin.

'I don't know Din. Perhaps we should focus on ensuring we are prepared to go against the magic here. No use controlling for blackmail if we can't get a grasp on our own.' I replied. I heard Din smack her hooves together with a cackle.

That damned tangle will crumble before my hooves!! She shouted. I frowned.

'Okay, what the hell is going on in there?' I thought, blinking once and finding myself amongst the flowing fiery grass. I saw Din entangled and biting down on some string like ethereal material, wrestling it with all four hooves and legs. She spat out the string in her mouth and looked up into the sky. I followed her gaze and my jaw dropped. The sky was flowing with the string like material, connecting to the stars. I couldn't tell where it started and where it ended. Din blew a fiery bang up and tapped her hoof on the ground looking annoyed at me. I gave a nervous smile. 'You're probably busy. I'll leave you alone now.' I said before blinking out of the realm.

Chapter 24: Canterlot High On High

I got off the auto wagon back in the city. I wasn't sure where I was anymore. This whole city was like a maze. I walked up to a board that looked to be a map. I studied it, trying to figure out where Canterlot High would be. It was good to know that this city is called Canterlot City. Familiar name aside, the map was proving to also not be helpful. This is about the same thing Din is dealing with. Din snorted.

Unlike I, a map cannot physically be manipulated on the charted pathing. Perhaps ask a local to save time. Din said boredly. I sighed and nodded.

"Yeah, yeah. Perhaps I should make eye contact and have them realize that my freaky eyes are going to draw more attention!" I stated aloud. Fate must have been cruel today because as soon as I finished my sentence, something blew right into my face, blackening my vision. I flailed my hands at my face, trying to pull off whatever was covering me. Din cackled as I finally pulled whatever it was off of me and looked at it with annoyance. My expression softened as I noticed it was a blank paper. I flipped it over and found it to be a flier. "Huh. Watch the Rainbooms perform at Canterlot High." I skimmed the flier again. There was an address but looking around, I had no idea where I should even start. I looked at the passing persons before walking up to a female person and holding up the flier. "Err... excuse me. Do you know how to get to Canterlot High?" I asked. The person looked to me. They had black greasy combed hair, wearing sunglasses and a leather jacket and jeans. He lowered his glasses to eye me before studying the flier. He then grabbed the flier from my hand and crumpled it before dropping it on the ground.

"Take my advice. Don't bother with that dumb school. It'll only hold you back." He said. I arched a brow. I recognize this kind of posture and attitude. A certain pony back in CSGU always put it on around Thi and I to act tough.

"I was just asking for directions. Oh well." I replied with a non-chalant shrug and walking past him to catch the attention of the next passerby. "Excuse me, do you know how to get to Canterlot High?" I asked a passing old looking female person. The person turned to me and arched a brow.

"Canterlot High? That's quite a way out of the city. You're better off taking a bus that'll take you to it. There is a bus station down that way that often leaves for Canterlot High." She said, pointing down the road. I smiled and waved at her.

"Thanks." I replied. The old person nodded before continuing her walk. I turned and was about to walk down the sidewalk when the guy stood in front of me, blocking my path. I put a hand on my hip and raised a brow at him. "Can I help you?" The guy studied me.

"You look like you've been through a few scuffs. Do I know you from somewhere?" He asked. I crossed my arms and shrugged.

"Maybe. Or you could just be psyching yourself out. But I'm guessing a tough guy like you has done more than just a few scuffs." I replied unamused. That seemed to catch his attention. He rubbed his chin before poking my head. I batted his hand away with a frown. The guy backed away, hands up.

"My bad, girl. I was going to ask if you were Thi's sister. But I guess I was wrong." He said. My expression softened.

"Thi? Thi... Billet?" I replied.

"The one in the same." A voice said from an alley. We looked and my jaw dropped. Leaning coolly against the wall, twirling a balisong between and around her hand and fingers, dawning a denim jacket over a white shirt, skinny jeans and what looked to be some mean looking boots, red hair that draped to one side in a primmed fashion, was the uncanny resemblance of my best friend. She flicked the blade closed and raised a suspicious brow. "Do I know you?" She asked coldly.

I took a moment to register what she asked me, shaking my head.

"O-oh no. S-sorry. Just uhh... heard rumors about... someone named Thi." I replied. Thi pushed herself off from the wall and got up in my face, scowling and studying me.

"Oh yeah? Who told you?" She asked, her eyes narrowed in suspicion. We locked eyes and she raised a brow. "Whoa. Freaky eyes. How are you doing that?" I balked and covered my eyes.

"Oh! Nothing's going on with my eyes! Nothing at all! You're just imagining things." I replied quickly, looking between my fingers and giving a nervous smile. Thi pulled back and crossed her arms unamused.

"I'm watching you, kid. If you're an agent of Slap Happy, well, we have ways of making you talk." She said, flicking out the balisong and making a slitting motion across her neck with the back of the blade. The guy walked over to her and put an arm around her.

"Let's get out of here, babe. We're supposed to be at the meet up an hour ago." He said. I watched the two walk off, Thi looking less than pleased. I slumped and put a hand to my head.

"This is starting to freak me out a little. Am I going to be running into Cloudchaser next?" I said to myself. Din snorted.

We are on our way to a place where you are more than likely to meet familiar faces. No drawing attention for the hundredth time. Din replied, grunting as I heard her shift. She suddenly smirked and looked pleased with herself. One down! Several... thousand more to go... ugh... She said defeatedly. I rubbed the back of my head, looking back down the road where Thi and her supposed fling disappeared to. As I walked to this bus stop, that whole interaction unlocked a memory for me. Back in CSGU when Thi and I were caught up in a bad prank gone wrong by Butcher and his gang, Thi had dated this one stallion very briefly. She only went on one date though and she told me it was the worst thing she's ever experienced. An expensive restaurant that served less than mediocre food for high society. As if she didn't despise high society more than she does now. It was a shame. The stallion wasn't that bad of a pony. Even Thi acknowledged it, but she just couldn't go through with it. At least it worked out in the end.

Thi left on a boat to become who she is now and not only leaving me behind but caused the stallion to be down in the dumps for several weeks. Eventually he moved on with his life. Last I recall, he had hooked up with a fashionista and started his own business. I bumped into a metal post, cutting off my train of thought and startling two persons sitting on a bench. I rubbed my head and gave them a sheepish smile. I threw my hood back up over my head and sighed quietly to myself. It must have been an hour that passed before the bus showed up, which I can now familiarize with the auto wagon. I stepped into the bus and took a seat next to a guy jamming out to his headphones. The bus began to move and it took it five minutes to reach the next stop. It then took another seven to reach the next, causing me to stand up and let the guy out as he seemed ignorant to the world around him with his music blaring loudly in his ears. Sitting back down, I looked out the window and watched the city buildings rush by. This was so surreal. It wasn't that long ago I was fending for my life in a Zetecan temple and now here I am in a strange new world.

I wonder what my friends are up to. Did they manage to handle finding info on the heir? Did they make it out okay? The whole place felt like it was going to collapse any minute. I then thought to Sunburst, Trixie and Starlight along with that other earth pony Maud. Maud seemed to know the ponies well enough. I hope they are doing well and are safe. I can rely on my friends to take care of themselves. But the realm couldn't. I clenched my fists at this thought.

'Hang on guys. I'll find a way back home soon.' I thought to myself. I spent the next seven minutes watching the sights go by before we ended up passing suburban houses. Strangely designed auto wagons began to roll by the bus as we reached what appeared to be a building with a glass dome at the top. It nearly looked exactly like Crystal Prep. Yet the design was red bricks and a casual type feel about it. The bus came to a stop and I was about to get off when I stopped and saw students begin to pile in. I moved aside for them to take their seats, the students chatting and laughing with each other, even doing some interesting finesses with their accessories. I squeezed myself out of the bus and nearly tripped over myself. There was a bell that rang from the building and a voice began to echo out.

"Remember students! Sign ups for the gardening club are still available. If you are interested, please talk to the president of the gardening club, Wallflower Blush. That'll be all and we'll see you tomorrow." The voice said followed by a click. I looked up at the cloudy sky. Is school ending for the day? What interesting timing. I weaved in and out of crowds of student with relative ease. It wasn't as crowded as Crystal Prep. I then made my way to an alabaster pedestal in the middle of the walkway. I could see my reflection off of it.

Vessel... do you sense it? I heard Din say. I placed my hand on the pedestal and closed my eyes. It was faint, but I could sense something. Din clicked her tongue. It's there. But I cannot be sure. I need to untangle more. Just continue finding info. She stated. I sighed.

"I know, Din. I don't need a reminder every hour." I said aloud. I looked up and my eyes widened. I could have sworn I saw something shimmer up from the pedestal and vanish. It had a strange hue of colors about it too. I looked around, seeing that the coast was clear as the students appeared to be already on the buses and mingling with each other. I scooched around the other side of the pedestal and with a hop, I grabbed onto the edge of the pedestal and pulled myself up. Kneeling down, I brushed my hand over a crack in the pedestal. Closing my eyes, the faint sense was much more visible. I opened my eyes and smirked. 'We're close, Din. This is going by rather easier than I thought it would be.' I said, looking over my shoulder. I narrowed my eyes, studying the area. 'Hold on... this area is...' I remember back to the moving images Flitter had shown me. I lowered my head and adjusted my hood when I came to the realization. 'Yeah, this is the place alright. Now then... where can I find a creature that opens up portals?' I turned around and hopped down from the pedestal, looking up at the building.

Canterlot High. What could this place have in store for us?

Upon entering the school, I was impressed that this was also a clean school. Yet, the floor wasn't as crystal clear like Crystal Prep. But I could still see my reflection off of it. There is a different display case of achievements followed by a massive bulletin board that was dotted completely with fliers and papers. A tall frame of black and white photos of what I'm assuming was the building back when it was founded hanging high up on the wall for all to see if they bothered to look up. There was even a portrait of a kind looking old woman smiling in the picture. I looked around, spying other students still roaming about. My eyes fell onto a group that I recognized. Derpy Hooves, Bulk Biceps and Lily Rose were walking together and chatting. I noticed another pony I'm familiar with. Photo Finish. Equestria's infamous shutter bug with a canny eye for all things fashionable. Another pony I recognized who was dressed extravagantly in a magician attire was Trixie. She had proclaimed herself the great and powerful and also the most fashionable magician in Canterlot High before striking a pose that Photo Finish dismissed and told Trixie to do something more to capture "da magicks". Trixie was confused by this but did a redo of her introduction. I looked away and saw a group of guys chilling by the lockers. One was strumming his guitar while the other two were playing with a hackie sack with their feet. An interesting game, but I'm not here for that.

I started to wander the halls, taking in the sights of everything. This place was definitely much livelier. And every person here looked jovial to be in each other's company. I walked by a room that had some sort of rock music playing. As nice as it sounded, I continued on until I reached a two-way hall. One led to a set of double doors that I'm assuming led out of the school or to another room and the other way continued on with classrooms and even a janitorial closet. I continued on until my eyes fell onto a sign reading:

Principal's Office

I came to a stop in front of the door and hummed in thought. 'At Crystal Prep, Principal Cadence sounds like she owns the school. If the title of Principal here is ruler... then perhaps the ruler of Canterlot High is also a principal?' I held out a hand to the door handle and froze. Should I be doing this? I'm about to enter into the big wig's place of domain. I don't know why I was expecting to open the door to find myself in a big, long throne room with whoever was sitting on the throne. I took a deep breath and opened the door. I peeked in and my eyes fell upon the back of a familiar computer.

"Come in." A voice said from behind the desk and computer. I hesitated but entered into the room. I somehow felt disappointed. The office space was rather small, but it was roomy enough. Plenty of shelves with books, strange knickknacks accompanying the shelves, a couple of picture frames on the walls that showed a group of persons all lined up and grinning at the camera. There was even a blue triangular flag that had a cartoonish letter design on it reading WC hanging over the desk. The person behind the computer shifted over on the chair and my jaw dropped. There was no mistaking that rainbow hair.

"Princess Celestia...?" I mouthed to myself. The female person before me looked stern yet had an air of friendliness about her. She wore a tan suite and pink slacks with gold looking high heels. She raised a brow slightly.

"Can I help you?" Celestia asked. I once again took a moment to register words.

"Err... uhh... yes... I was wondering..." I tapped my fingers together bashfully. Oh Celestia, this threw me off entirely that I forgot what I wanted to ask! Celestia smiled and leaned forward on her desk.

"Are you new here? I didn't realize we were getting a new student." She said kindly. I was starting to freak out again. This is the parallel ruler of Canterlot City!? And she also runs a school too!? The resemblance was just too much that I had to take a seat on the chair across from her desk. Celestia gave a worried look. "Are you alright?" She asked. I sighed.

"Just... a little exhausted." I stated. She pursed her lip in thought before beaming.

"I know what'll perk you up. Luna, can you bring me some tea?" Celestia called out to a doorway just a bit of ways from her desk. My eyes widened again as I saw the uncanny resemblance of Princess Luna walk out of the room with a tray with teacups. She wore a pink blouse with blue slacks and a darker shade of blue looking high heels. She smiled warmly at me.

"Already prepared, sister. Who do we have here?" She asked as she placed the tray down and began pouring tea into the cups. Celestia laced her fingers together as she leaned coolly back into her chair.

"I'm going to find that out as soon as she has her fill of tea." She smiled. Luna nodded and picked up a teacup, walking over to me and handing me the cup. I took it and gave a tired but small smile in return. The princesses being as hospitable as ever. I took a small sip of the tea, the bittersweet taste flowing through me perked me right up indeed. I savored the feeling of warmth relax me.

"Wow. This actually worked. What's in it?" I asked curiously. Celestia took a sip of her own while Luna leaned coolly against Celestia's desk, dipping a bag into her tea before responding.

"Just an herbal tea. Nothing special. It does help me relax after a long day of schoolwork." Celestia snickered. Luna smiled.

"I find it helps me to sleep better at night. Sweet dreams are always prepared best with a nice cup of tea." She replied, taking a sip of her own. Celestia placed her cup down and nodded to me.

"Now then. What can we do for you?" She asked. I took a bashful sip of my tea and thought about it.

'Keep it on the downlow, Fie.' I took a deep breath before speaking. "I was just wondering if this place has seen anything strange as of late." I began. The two exchanged casual glances.

"Not that we are aware of. Aside from the strange occurrences that happened last year, nothing stood out." Celestia said matter-of-factly. Luna tapped her teacup with a finger in thought.

"Although, there was that earthquake we had two weeks ago and the mysterious decomposition of a student's garden." She stated. Celestia nodded sadly with a sigh.

"A tragic loss of hard work. Wallflower did an amazing job with the school garden." She replied. I tilted my hooded head a bit.

"What happened to the garden?" I asked, recalling the passage I read on the computer. Perhaps there is more insight here than whatever the article had wrote.

"It was rather strange." Luna began. "It all happened the day after the earthquake happened." Celestia gestured with a hand.

"There is an ongoing investigation that someone might have poisoned the garden in an act of sabotage or revenge. But for what reason is still unknown." Celestia said. She then smiled. "The officers are on the case however, so we need not worry too much. Are you here to apply for the gardening club as well? They could really use the help to bring life back into it again." I hummed in thought.

‘Maybe something we can find in this garden…’ I thought to myself. I then smiled and nodded.

“Why yes, actually. I wouldn’t mind trying my hoo- hand at botany.” I replied with a small smile. Celestia and Luna smiled.

“Excellent! Allow me to get someone to show you around.” Celestia said before bringing a microphone to her. “Muffins? Can you please come to the principal’s office? Muffins, to the principal’s office.” She said. I lowered my head and stared into the tea. My mind was still trying to comprehend all of this. All this time this world is connected to ours. It’s fascinating if it weren’t so confusing. I thought back to the images of the portals.

Ponyville was seen along with other sights of Equestria. I don’t remember ever seeing portals pop up out of nowhere in Ponyville. But then again, I could have been anywhere and not realize something. Ponyville had a strange way of having stuff happen at certain times that you can miss something like a Bugbear attack because you refused to go to a wedding. Or completely be unaware of a Changeling invasion on Canterlot because you were drowning your sorrows and fell asleep.

I could sense that Celestia and Luna were quietly studying me as I sighed a little tiredly. I took another sip of my tea before Luna spoke.

“I am afraid we didn’t catch your name.” She said. I peeked out from under my hood to them.

“My name’s Quiet Fire. I’m not from around here. My folks are in Estonia for a vacation and I’m just passing the time by wandering around town.” I said.

“Estonia? An odd place to be vacationing this time of year, but who am I to judge?” Celestia said. Luna smirked.

“Not as odd as snowboarding down Rockheft Mountain in the summer.” She said. Celestia returned her smirk as the door opened behind me.

“Ahh, Muffins! Excellent timing! Would you be a dear and show Quiet Fire here around? She’s wanting to be a new member to the gardening club.” She said. I looked over and studied the familiar mare. She had this strange posture about her, but that bubbly smile and walled eyes were iconic to the core. Just looking at Derpy here made me feel home sick. I wonder how her and the family are doing? She was wearing a warm colored striped long sleeve shirt with a grey tee with a muffin decal on the shirt, white shorts and some warm colored striped leggings and sneakers.

She held up her thumb happily.

“Of course, Principal Celestia!” She happily replied. I smiled and stood up, taking one last sip of my tea and placing it down on Celestia’s desk.

“Don’t be a stranger, Quiet Fire. My door is always open.” Celestia said.

“I know, princess.” I said without thinking. I balked and covered my mouth, catching Celestia and Luna raising a questioning brow at me. I gave a nervous smile and laugh. “S-sorry, I meant to say Principal. Had the two err… mixed up…” I said, hoping to play off the slip up. I then hurried out the room, Derpy scratching her head in confusion before shrugging and jogged after me. When I reached the main lobby, I adjusted my hood and let out a soft sigh of relief. Derpy caught up to me and put her arms behind her back.

“Hi, I’m Muffins! It’s nice to meet you!” She said with a smile. I couldn’t help but return the smile.

“Quiet Fire. Muffins, huh? You sure you don’t go by any other name?” I asked curiously. Derpy hummed and skipped in her steps.

“Well, close friends call me Ditzy because I’m a… well… a bit clumsy.” She said with a small chuckle. I gave a playful smile.

“Bet you had a few tumbles here and there.” I said. Her cheeks flushed redly.

“I… tend to drop things now and then. Like the time I nearly dropped Flash Sentry’s guitar in the middle of a show. Thankfully only the stage lights fell. The guitar was safe.” She replied. I giggled.

“Somethings remain the same.” I commented. “So, where is this garden?” Derpy beamed.

“It’s this way!” She exclaimed, jogging out the doors. I wasn’t expecting her to jog off but I quickly caught up to her as we turned off the path into the wooded area. It wasn’t that far away from the school than I had originally thought. Yet, arriving at the gardens, I couldn’t help but feel like the atmosphere had become overbearingly sick. Derpy came to a stop and she bent down at a pocket of dead flowers. She sighed sadly as she gently caressed the wilted petals. “Thankfully, within the next couple of days it’ll warm up enough for us to start planting again.” She said.

My eyes narrowed suspiciously as I looked around. I spied three rock formations surrounding the center where a fountain was. I walked over to the fountain and brushed my hand over the smooth stone. Din stirred and hissed.

This aura… How can it be?! Din spoke. I could sense her anger rising.

‘Let’s not jump the gun too much here. Remember, magic does exist in this world. It could be any number of things.’ I reminded, sensing her next thought. Din snorted and scraped the ground.

Dammit, this world’s magic is so weak to sense because of this damned tangle! I want my power!! Din yelled in frustration. I gave a worried look.

‘Just take it easy, Din. Getting worked up this early isn’t going to help. I’ll help you out in a bit, just let me finish up here.’ I thought to her. Din sighed, remaining quiet after. Derpy walked over to me.

“It’s a nice fountain, isn’t it?” She asked with a smile. I blinked and looked at her.

“Huh? Oh! Uhh… yeah, it’s surprisingly smooth. Has this recently been built?” I asked.

“I installed it myself.” A voice said behind us. I looked to see a light green skinned girl with emerald messy hair that went down past her shoulders and a yellow and brown knit sweater, jeans and sneakers walk forward, her hands covered by mittens as she carried two potted plants in them. Derpy beamed and rushed to hug the girl, who did her best to prevent the plants from falling from her hand. When one did, it was then caught by another person that had showed up.

A handsome male person with blue spiked hair and a slightly mango colored skin and blue eyes gave him a kind look. He wore what looked to be a sports jacket over a white tee with a lightning decal, jeans and some sneakers. He smiled and held up the plant as Derpy blushed embarrassingly and pulled away from the girl.

“S-sorry, Wallflower. I’m just a little excited. We have a new member for the gardening club!” She said happily. The girl’s, Wallflower Blush, eyes lit up.

“Really? A new member? That’s amazing!” She said with a smile. The male person grinned.

“Told ya’ those fliers would work.” He said. Wallflower smiled softly.

“I think Principal Celestia made that clear.” She said. The male chuckled and walked over to put down the potted plant.

“I’ll get the bags of fertilizer.” He said before jogging off back towards the school. Wallflower walked over and placed the potted plant down next to the other one before turning to me.

“I… I didn’t think anyone would be interested.” She said meekly. I scratched my hooded head.

“Well, I’m not that good with botany. But I can always learn, can’t I?” I said with a grin. Wallflower nodded shyly before kneeling down, picking up a trowel and began to dig into the ground.

“I could always use the help. This… garden meant a lot to me. It was going to be my graduation gift to the school.” She then shifted her expression in frustration. “But then someone had to go and ruin it all. Why would they do such a thing?! What did I do to deserve this??” She stated before what looked to be a knowing look befell her expression. Derpy smiled kindly and pat her back.

“It’s alright, Wallflower. Rose said she’ll be coming in with an order from her parent’s flower shop tomorrow. This garden will shine like the spring sun in no time!” She said with a determined gesture of her fist. Wallflower smiled up at her. I froze. Now that Derpy mentioned spring, I couldn’t help but remember the self set deadline I had. I sighed and kicked the ground a little. Still down two power elements and still not closer to stopping the war. Celestia, what have we’ve been doing? We shouldn’t have gone on this wild goose chase.

That’s the most sense I’ve heard since being here. Din commented with a struggling grunt. She then cackled triumphantly. Bested by my prowess! Vessel, I have untangled a small amount of my magic. You should be able to feel it flow through you. I blinked and looked down at myself. I did feel a small tingle. But nothing notable. I flexed my fingers.

‘Better than nothing!’ I smiled softly in thought. Din scoffed before going quiet. I looked over to Wallflower and darted my eyes in thought. I then walked over and knelt down next to her. She looked at me and smiled, picking up an extra trowel and handing it to me.

“Wanna help uproot the dead flowers?” She asked. I took the trowel and nodded. Wallflower directed me on how to properly uproot the flowers without making too much of a mess. I had to hand it to her, she knew her plants. We spent a good while discussing plants (well, Wallflower explaining the type of plants but I found it interesting to learn more stuff) while the male person came back with a wheelbarrow stacked with bags of fertilizer. Derpy helped him, who then introduced himself to me as Flash Sentry.

“You must be new here. I’ve never seen your face.” He said with a smile as he placed a fertilizer bag down. I jabbed into the root of a flower as I replied.

“I’m not from around here. Honestly, I just kinda' wandered into the school.” The three exchanged glances.

“Must be exciting to see a new place and new faces.” Derpy said as she began to uproot some dead plants on the opposite end of the fountain. I nodded.

“A little confusing. But I… can safely say I have nothing too bad to worry about.” I replied with a small smile.

“I bet your old school was quite something.” Flash said as he began to unwind a hose. I shook my head.

“It was grand. But nothing stuck out too much. Though I ended up err… failing in some classes and had to think of other opportunities.” I replied, being careful not to spill too much. Wallflower smirked softly.

“Well, at least you get to start over fresh. Not many people get that chance on the first go.” She said. The way she said it sounded like it was a personal experience. But I didn’t jump on it and shrugged.

“Meh. I was stuck in a rut for a long while. But somethings happened and now I’m… well… just trying to figure out what I want to do properly this time around.” I replied. Wallflower clicked her tongue as she stabbed into a dead plant.

“Stubborn… mmffh! Flash, can you get me the sheers?” Wallflower asked as she stuck her tongue out and worked at the plant. Flash nodded.

“On it.” he said before walking over to a gardening box. My eyes fell onto the plant and I noticed something off. There was a bulbous black shape connected to the roots. “Whoa! What the!” I heard Flash exclaim. I looked over and my eyes widened. I noticed a wilted leaf flailing about and grabbing ahold of Flash’s hand that held the sheers. He struggled to pull away, successfully doing so before scrambling away as roots began to pop out of the ground and try to wrap around Flash’s legs.

Wallflower yelped as the bulbous shape popped out of the ground and yellow beady eyes blinked up at her. We stepped back in surprise as three more bulbous shapes popped out of the ground. Derpy gasped as another pair of bulbous heads had grew sharp teeth and began to snap at her. Derpy ran around and hugged Wallflower close as we backed away from the growing vines that were now entangling the fountain. Flash cut some roots with the sheers to break free of some that had got ahold of his ankle before backing up into us.

“Wh-what’s going ?!” Wallflower panicked. Din hissed.

I thought so. I’m not going to sugarcoat it, vessel. This has Tenebres all over! That damned brat got here before us! Din spat. A dawning realization fell on both of us. By the Creation Mother, Tenebres is here… Din repeated as if the realization hit her like a ton of bricks. The bulbous heads popped out of the ground revealing a tangle mess of roots creating a body. A couple of them hopped onto the fountain and began to do a small jig while the roots around the garden snaked out of the ground.

“What do we do? Something tells me this is Equestrian magic in play!” Flash stated. I arched a brow.

“Equestrian magic?” I asked.

“It’s a strange kind of magic that came in from another world!” Wallflower stated, backing away with Derpy from the roots. “We still don’t know how it works! It just pops up out of nowhere lately!” Flash batted away some roots.

“C’mon! We need to get Sunset and the others!” He said seriously. We began to run when Wallflower tripped and fell. I came to a stop and saw her pulling her leg away from roots that entangled her. The bulbous shadowy figures bounding towards her in an eerie jig. I grit my teeth and rushed forward.

‘I have to do something! C’mon! Come to me!’ I thought to myself as I tried to help Wallflower pull against the roots.

“H-help me!” She called out, her eyes pleading up at me. I wrestled with the roots with Wallflower, the girl trying her best to pull against them. Din shifted and hearing an angry cry of frustration, I felt a tingling sensation one after another.

Of all the rotten luck!! No magic!! Powerless!! I will not let this stand!! Tenebres, you brat, you are going to get what’s coming to you personally!! She roared. I felt a strong tingle that suddenly created a bright light to blind us. Wallflower and I were yanked backwards as the roots let go of her. I winced and helped her up. I then felt something in my hold. I looked down and my eyes widened.

‘The staff! Din, you did it!’ I cheered in my head.

Shut up! I am in no mood for jovial celebrations! Put my sister in her place! This means war! She barked. I held out a hand to the others.

“Get out of here! I can hold them off!” I said, taking a stance that surprisingly felt natural. I flourished the staff and readied myself.

“Don’t be crazy! We need to get help!” I heard Wallflower call out.

“Listen to me! This isn’t the normal kind of magic. Do what you have to, but let me handle this one!” I called back.

“But-!”

“C’mon, we gotta’ get the Rainbooms!” Flash said, pulling Wallflower along. I smirked as I faced the creatures and flailing roots.

“Alright, Tenebres. I think you had enough fun. Time for the same old song and dance.” I challenged. The roots lashed out and I managed to break the dried roots with ease with one good swipe. I blinked quizzically. Odd. It’s like everything is flowing naturally this time. Perhaps it’s because I’m on two constantly now. And it’s a bit easier to hold the staff. I twirled it around my hand and caught it with a grin. I guess zebra arts is an advantage here.

I then held my staff at my side and rushed the roots and creatures. Everything felt smooth. Easier. Like I was so much better at doing what I usually do. I even did some flashy flourishes and dodges, smacking and jabbing at the shadowy creatures, even giving one a kick that sent the creature into the tree and splattering against the bark. Good, they can still be dispelled with actual attacks. I dodged and weaved in and out of the roots lashing out at me.

I eventually backflipped onto the fountain head and crouched at the ready. My eyes darted around. No matter how many roots I’ve bested, they keep showing up. Something dawned on me.

‘Wait a minute… they all came from underground. And the source of this is around here somewhere…’ I looked down at the fountain. I gave an apologetic look before standing upright. ‘Sorry, Wallflower.’ I raised my staff over my head and spun it between my fingers before stabbing it into the fountain. The ground began to shake and tremble as the ground then shifted. The fountain rose high as a massive shadowy bulb creature rose from the ground.

I pulled out my staff and kicked off the fountain, landing on my feet and facing the creature. It was big, but it seemed to not want to come out of the ground. Yellow beady eyes and a massive, jagged maw loomed over me. It let out a groan as the roots retreated into the ground, popping back out on both sides of the creature and entangling in themselves to create a thicker stump. The two remaining shadowy creatures bounded up to the fountain on the head of the creature and made taunting motions at me.

I shook my head in disgust. No doubt the work and design of the vessel. I twirled my staff around my body before catching and aiming it at the creature. The thick roots reached over and entangled around the wheelbarrow, flailing it before bringing it down on me. I jumped to the side and proceeded to dance around the violent smashing of the creature trying to squash me with the wheelbarrow. I nearly slipped, giving the creature an opportunity to bring the wheelbarrow down on me.

I brought my staff up and with a grunt, deflected the roots and wheelbarrow over me, sending it back around and smacking into the creature’s face. It roared in pain, flailing its’ roots about. I yelped as I dodged and cartwheel flipped away from the lashing. I deflected several more blows from the creature before ending up being disarmed, the roots lashing back around and wrapping around my waist. I struggled to break free, but the roots didn’t budge and only tightened.

‘Shit, not good!’ I thought. I looked over and reached for my staff, trying to call for it. But it didn’t poof back into my hand.

Where the hell is it?! I heard Din spat, shifting through my head.

‘Din! Now would be a good time to do something here!’ I panicked, my legs kicking as the creature moved the roots above it. The creatures jigging on the fountain were shuddering, as if laughing at me. I growled and managed to punt one as the creature brought me closer, hovering me over its’ maw. I felt the roots let go and I yelped, quickly grabbing onto the very edge of the roots. The creature groaned and began to shake its’ roots, trying to get me to let go.

I felt my finger begin to slip.

‘No, no! I can’t end here!’ I panicked. I don’t know what’ll happen, but I felt that if I died here, Equestria is still doomed. I then noticed something glowing pink sail by me and my eyes widened. In a blast of pink confetti, the roots were severed, dropping me. I then felt someone catch me at high speeds and brought me back down to earth. I blinked in confusion. I felt the wind of someone dashing away before seeing a heavy rock sail over my head and crashing into the back of the creature.

It roared in anger before turning to face me. Suddenly, a conjoining of projected diamonds soared around with a girl riding on one. She waved her hands and sent a flat diamond at the other root, severing it. I stared in awe as I then saw a flock of birds chirp angrily and began to distract the creature, followed by a floating rock with a purple aura around it smacking the creature. The roots popped out of the ground and regrew the creature’s limbs, flailing wildly.

“Are you okay??” I heard a voice ask. I looked up and my eyes fell upon a rather pretty girl with fiery red hair in a different shade to mine. She was wearing a strange sparkling dress that looked a bit sharp at the points and black leggings with fiery boots. I also couldn’t help but notice the ears on the girl’s head. They resembled that of a pony’s. Not only that, her hair seemed to trace down her back into an actual ponytail. I wasn’t able to find words as I looked back to the creature. My jaw dropped.

Surrounding the creature, each one using their special talents to combat the creature, was none other than the heroes of Equestria. Twilight Sparkle, looking completely different than her yearbook, waved her hands that were glowing purple and hovering around the creature, using the roots against the creature. Rarity soared around the creature on a flat diamond, chucking them to sever most of the roots. Fluttershy stood at the sides, but she was clearly ordering the birds to help her friends.

Applejack ran by, carrying a massive boulder that she chucked easily at the creature. The flailing roots shattered the rock, only for Pinkie Pie to shake something her hands happily before chucking them, the contents glowing and causing a confetti of explosions. And of course, Rainbow Dash zipped around the creature, taunting the creature.

“Can’t hit me!” She laughed before zipping away. The creature groaned and swiped around itself, causing the girls to scatter and retaliate. I felt a comforting hand rest on my shoulder and I looked up to see the girl smile.

“It’s okay now. Leave this to us!” She said determinedly before jogging over to the others. “Ready?” She called out. The rest of the girls broke away to stand in formation behind her. Something on their necks glowed and the girls began to shimmer and glow, floating up into the air. The fiery headed girl held out a hand at the creature while the others held out theirs to her. I couldn’t believe my eyes. The Elements of Harmony are here too?! The girl’s eyes glowed brightly and with their powers combined, a rainbow shot out of them, twisting and twirling before striking the creature and enshrouding it in the colors.

The creature gave one final pained roar before a pillar of rainbow shot high into the sky, parting the grey clouds and bringing in the sunset color of the sky shimmering down around us. When the dust settled, the girls touched ground and grinned triumphantly as the creature laid motionless before them.

“Aww yeah! Another day, another bit of dark Equestrian magic getting its’ butt handed too!” Rainbow Dash cheered.

“I’m excited too!!” Pinkie Pie chimed in excitedly, confetti popping out of nowhere. The fiery headed girl turned to us.

“Everyone okay?” She asked. Rarity gave a sad look as she examined her sparkling costume dress.

“Aww, I just had this cleaned!” She whined. I stood up, dusting myself off as Wallflower Blush, Derpy and Flash ran over to us.

“Way to go, Equestria Girls!” Flash cheered. Wallflower pushed past everyone and looked around the area. She fell to her knees and bowed her head sadly.

“My garden…” she sniffled. Everyone looked at each other before the fiery headed girl gave a reassuring smile and held out a hand to her. Wallflower looked up, wiping her face.

“The important thing is no one got hurt.” She said. Wallflower sighed and stood up by herself.

“I’m gonna’ head home…” she said, turning and pushing past everyone, her shoes dragging against the partially snow-covered dirt. We watched her slink away past the trees before Fluttershy broke the silence.

“Poor Wallflower… I just feel awful that her garden is ruined.” She said sadly, hugging a bunny.

“Jus’ what in the hay is this creature supposed ta’ be?” Applejack asked as she scratched her head and studying the creature. I kept quiet, not wanting to draw attention just yet. I walked over and picked up my staff, examining it while the girls discussed the concept of the creature.

“I have no idea. I’ve never seen a creature like this. Or read about them. But whatever it is, it’s clearly dark Equestrian magic.” The fiery headed girl replied.

“Could it have something to do with the earthquake?” Fluttershy suggested. I observed Twilight reach behind her and messed with something. It made a loud screech before the glass shattered and the device fell apart. She adjusted her glasses in shock.

“It must be pretty strong Equestrian magic. I was beginning to think I turned a knob wrong on it. Thankfully, I made a spare!” She smiled before pulling out a similar device. Her friends smirked as she turned on the device. It didn’t shatter the glass or break apart this time. Yet whatever readings it was getting, it was solid. Twilight studied the device a bit longer before I noticed the fiery headed girl look at me. She then walked over to me as Flash Sentry and Derpy walked over at the same time towards me.

“Glad they showed up when they did, huh?” Flash grinned. I stabbed the staff into the ground and nodded. I had to admit, it was a close save. I smiled and peeked out from under my hood.

“That was quite a show.” I commented. The girl rubbed the back of her neck with a smile.

“Just another Wednesday.” She said. She then held out a hand. “Names Sunset Shimmer. You must be new.” I nodded and was about to shake her hand when Rarity’s shriek caused us to look over. Pinkie Pie and Rarity were ensnared by a thick root, being tossed around while Twilight wrestled with the other root from attacking. The creature stirred and groaned awake, its’ massive maw snapping. Rainbow Dash zipped around the root, trying to save Pinkie Pie and Rarity. Applejack jumped onto the root and began to wrestle with it with the grace of a ragdoll.

Sunset gasped and rushed over, only for the other root to break free of Twilight’s hold and smacked Sunset in the chest, colliding with Twilight and Fluttershy. It was then followed up by the root swatting Rainbow Dash out of the air and crashing into a dead flower bed in a daze. Rarity and Pinkie Pie screamed as the creature hovered them over its’ massive maw. Thankfully, Rarity managed to calm down enough to summon a sharp gem that prevented them from falling into the maw of the creature.

However, the snapping motion caused them to be punted by the fountain head on the creature’s top, crashing them into the other girls.

“Oh no! Hang on!” Flash called out as he rushed over to the hose and began to use it as a makeshift whip to draw the creature’s attention. It was unfortunately yanked out of his hold when the creature bit down and ripped the hose out along with the water pipe. My eyes darted around the creature. I noticed something hazy coming from the fountain head. Using my own eyes, I then spied a crack on the fountain head. Exactly where it was struck by Rarity’s gem. I balked when I saw the creature turn to Flash and loom over him. Flash braced himself as Sunset shook away her daze and reached out to him.

“Flash, no!” She called. I sprinted towards the creature, flourishing my staff before sliding to a halt in front of Flash Sentry. I faced the creature and jabbed the bottom of the maw hard with the tip of the staff, causing it to back away. I started to jab at the creature, acting like a lion tamer before it decided enough is enough and bore down on me. I flipped away from the creature and in a flowing motion, spun the staff around me and went into a criss cross motion from a standing spin and stabbed the staff into the crack, shattering it and feeling the dark and cold wind of Tenebres’s magic spew out like blood. I held on as the creature reared up and roared in pain.

I planted my shoes onto the fountain, stabbing the staff further into the crack before pulling out and with a backflip, shattered the fountain head from the crack and releasing the dark haze that spewed wildly around the area. I had an ungraceful landing as I tumbled backwards and smacked myself in the back against a tree. The creature roared and flailed about, beginning to deflate like a balloon. The roots withered and crumbled as the creature gave one final groan before becoming motionless. It then poofed into a shadowy liquid that hissed in smoke before vanishing entirely.

I stood up and flicked the shadowy blood from my staff and debated how I should put it away. I felt a tingle and it puffed away in a faint light. I stepped carefully around the broken fountain head and walked over to Flash, helping him up.

“You good, Flash?” I asked. Flash was a little dumbfounded.

“Yeah… uhh… I’m fine.” He said. “How did you…” He was interrupted as the others approached me.

“That. Was. Awesome!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed with an excited smile.

“That was mighty impressive.” Applejack grinned.

“Simply elegant, darling!” Rarity commented. Sunset Shimmer crossed her arms with a smile.

“Nice moves. But… how did you know where to hit it?” She asked. I rubbed the back of my hooded head.

“Lucky guess?” I replied with a small nervous smile. Derpy walked up next to us and sighed.

“What are we going to do about the garden? Wallflower spent all her time last year working on this place!” Derpy said sadly. Applejack smiled and tipped her hat up, stamping on the trowel and flicking it up towards her as she skillfully caught it.

“Leave that ta’ us. We’ll get this place fixed in a jiffy.” She said with a wink. I looked to Sunset who smiled and shrugged.

“Wanna’ help? We could always use the extra hands.” She said.

Vessel, remember. Din said sternly. I sighed.

“Sorry err… Sunset. I uhh… promised my folks I wouldn’t be out past curfew so I’ll just… head on home.” I said giving a farewell salute before spinning on my heels and jogging away. I followed the direction Wallflower went in and came out onto the path. I looked up to the sky, seeing that the parted clouds were beginning to form again. However, the sky was beginning to darken. I bit my thumb nail in thought. ‘Shit. We don’t have a place to stay for the night.’ I thought.

I looked over to Canterlot High and hummed. Ensuring I wasn’t being followed, I adjusted my hood and jogged towards Canterlot High. There has to be a place to shelter for the night. I took cover behind the pedestal as I spied Principal Celestia and Luna locking the front entrance. They were chatting to each other before walking off towards an empty lot. Ensuring that they got into their auto wagon and drove off was when I made my move. I jogged over to the front entrance and jiggled the door.

Locked as expected. I looked around and studied the design of the school. I noticed several rain pipes against the walls and dotting the school. I beamed as I looked up to the roof.

‘Maybe they forgot to lock the roof doors?’ I thought to myself. I grasped the rain pipes and tugged it a bit. It creaked somewhat but it felt secure. I put one foot on the wall and hoisted myself up, planting my other foot down and holding on tightly to the pipe. I scaled the pipe carefully before reaching the very top of the school. Hoisting myself up again, I landed on the roof of the school.

It was quite open and a little chilly up here. I walked over to the massive glass dome and peeked in through the dirtied glass. I noticed that this was overlooking the library. I beamed and walked around the dome, finding a door that, to my jubilation, was unlocked. I quietly entered the stairway, closing the door behind me and descending the steps. At the bottom of the steps was a door that I opened and closed behind me, stepping into the expansive library. It wasn’t as fancy as Crystal Prep’s, but the amount of shelves might as well outshine the place.

As the clouds covered the sky, the entire library got dark to the point where I couldn’t see without feeling against the shelves. I ended up tripping over something and let out an “ow” as I shook away my daze. I squinted my eyes and could make out the shape of a bed. I found it a little odd there was a bed in the middle of the aisle, but I wasn’t complaining. Is what I would say if it didn’t feel like sleeping on a pile of stiff boards. I eventually realized after fumbling a bit that it was books taking the shape of a bed.

‘Somepony is creative.’ I frowned in thought. I sighed and laid down on my side staring blankly into the darkness. I blinked once and found myself standing in a field of fiery grass. I saw Din looking disgruntled as she massaged a string in front of her. The sky was still an eye sore. I quietly walked over to her and sat down on my haunches. She didn’t acknowledge me, or at least didn’t look my way. She did however levitate a tangle mess of string quietly over to me. I smiled and took it in my hands. Or should I say, hooves.

I quickly realized that here in Din’s domain, my true self was still a pony. Something that made me smile more as I began to massage the string and working to untangle the mess before us. My alien body is asleep, yet here I am forever awake to a beauty that would befit a queen. While it’s not something I want Equestria to turn into, I can however appreciate how everything was pleasant on the eyes. I noticed Din smiling a little. I shrugged with a grin. She must have read my thoughts.

Chapter 25: The Looming Shadow

Throughout the night, strange occurrences began happening throughout Canterlot City. Police sirens blared loudly as they barreled after a speeding vehicle. Inside the police vehicle, the radio was garbling words to the officer behind the wheel. The officer picked up the radio and spoke into it:

“Roger that. Heading westbound down Palamino Bay.” The officer spoke. From the speeding vehicle being chased, three bandits dressed in black attire and purple bandannas shifted through a bag full of jewelry. The one behind the wheel was constantly looking through the mirrors, doing their best to swerve in and out of traffic. They had nearly side swiped another vehicle before making a sharp turn down a road, speeding downhill.

“Can’t this thing go any faster…?” The driver hissed. They glanced back, seeing their partners chuckle at the riches they had stole. “Can’t you idiots do something to throw them off?! Anymore swerving and it’s going to be you lot flying out the window!” One of the bandits scowled.

“Shut it! Just keep your eye on the road. We’re going to be big once the boss sees the jewelry we scored!” They chuckled.

“Yeah, but don’t you think it’s weird that were paid to steal common gems?” Another asked. The last one smacked the chest of the other.

“The hell you talking about? We didn’t get paid to ask questions. Now shut it and help me with this!” They spoke, holding up a bucket of feathers. The other bandit looked questioningly at the bucket before the other one grabbed a bucket of black tar. The windows were rolled down and the two poked their heads out on each side of the vehicle.

“The Slap Happy surprise!” The bandit with the tar bucket laughed as they tossed the bucket out and splattered two officer vehicles that got close. The vehicles swerved, the wipers trying to wipe away the substance. Yet, the other one followed it up by tossing the feathers out, the feathers sticking to the tar and causing the officers to swerve wildly and crash into other pursuing officers. One vehicle however swerved perfectly through the chaos, gaining speed. The bandits balked and ducked back in.

“Book it! It’s that hero cop!” One barked. The driver grit their teeth.

“Of all the times for her to be active!!” They growled before jerking the wheel quickly and barreling through oncoming traffic. The horns blared from the citizens swerving out of the way. The officer vehicle however was matching pace on the other side of the road. The bandits were starting to sweat. Yet, from the pursuing vehicle, a female officer smirked confidently as she shifted gears and broke away, leaving the bandits confused as to why.

It wasn’t until the driver looked back on the road did they now know. The vehicle barreled out of the other road, pitting the vehicle and causing the escaping vehicle to spin out of control. The bandits yelled as they broke through a chain link fence and barreled down a hill into a under canal that was dry this time of year. They sped down the area, their hearts pounding in their chest. They began to laugh a little as they seemed to have gotten away. That was until the driver looked in the rear view and their jaw dropped.

The officer vehicle barreled through the chain link fence and raced down the hill before popping into the canal and continuing pursuit. The other bandits freaked out.

“How stubborn is that woman?!” One of the bandits asked. The driver glanced back ahead before their eyes widened.

“What the f-!”

The pursuing officer gasped and pressed hard on the brakes. A shadowy haze enveloped the area and the criminal’s vehicle vanished into the darkness. As quickly as the haze happened, it was gone. The officer came to a stop and stepped out of her vehicle, flashlight waving around the area.

Nothing.

In another part of the city, a figure in a trench coat and hat walked down a darkened hallway. His eyes and face covered by the shadows. He readied his trusty revolver and pressed his back against a wall, bracing himself to break into the room and arrest the mark he’s been chasing for months. Taking a deep breath, he announced himself as a detective before kicking open the door and aiming his revolver. Waving it around the room, the detective narrowed his eyes under the shadows.

Seeing as no one was here, he lowered his piece and stepped carefully towards a desk. Through the small lamp light he spied a ledger. Taking a quick look through, he came across a vital piece of evidence to would make his mark face severe jail time. That was until he heard the sound of struggle and a cry for help from the other room. The detective readied his piece and approached the door, hearing a strange giggle coming from the other side. He then kicked open the door to the bathroom and aimed, only to look shocked to see the legs of his mark kick wildly before being sucked into a black void in the wall.

The void vanished in a black haze, leaving a message in black liquid that was hissing with steam.

Be my friend?

In another part of town, an underground club that had pop music playing and people dancing and enjoying a good time rocked the foundation. Over by the door, a muscular bouncer waited. He turned when he heard the door knock. He peeked through the slit window. Seeing as no one was outside, he closed the window and turned back to guarding the door. There was another knock and the bouncer made a small frustrative groan. Opening up the window again and this time looking around, he spied some colorful balloons.

He arched a brow before opening the door a little, stopping to see a small figure in a winter jacket shivering. The face was hidden under a hood.

“S-so cold… can I please come in?” The childish voice asked. The bouncer looked back to his post before stepping out and closing the door behind him.

“You’re a little young to be alone, little kid. Where are your parents?” He asked. The figure sniffled.

“Why won’t you let me in? I’m so… cold…” the child voice spoke. The bouncer crossed his arms.

“This club is for eighteen or older. I’m sorry, but I can’t let you in.” He said. He then did a double take and his jaw dropped. Odd. There is always a line waiting to get into the club. He doesn’t remember chasing off guests. At least not the over the age ones. In fact, where was the other bouncer? He’s supposed to be out here. The bouncer’s eyes widened when he felt something hot and sharp in his stomach. He looked down and saw the child figure pressing up against him for warmth.

The figure then raised their head and he was frozen with terror. Beady yellow eyes stared up at him and a strange, jagged maw moved slightly as the voice spoke.

“You should have let me in. We could have been best friends.” The child voice giggled. A dark haze rose up behind the figure and the bouncer couldn’t believe his eyes. The screams of the damned could be heard. Not only that, but his entire skin also went pale when he heard the outside bouncer’s voice call for help from inside the void. A black, sticky tar like substance creeped up the bouncer's body, causing him to shake violently as the child like figure pulled back and giggled.

“Now we can play together! Mistress will be so thrilled to have a new friend!” The child like voice gleefully spoke. The bouncer had transformed into a being of slender disproportions, beady yellow eyes looking down at the figure. The creature then turned and opened the door, making a courteous bow to the figure. The child like shadowy being skipped happily inside the building with the dark haze creeping out onto the dance floor. The slender like creature slipped inside and closed the door, the haze turning the room from a bright and colorful fun vibe into a nightmare of a time.

In another part of the city, a group of gangers were just chilling around some old furniture, loud rock music blaring. They were not dressed eccentrically at all. But they wore a vest that signified their belonging to a gang called Gates of Cerberus. They were chatting with several others that were hanging around that were all doing their individual thing. It wasn't until one of the gangers opened a fridge that held their drinks did things went from chill to terrifying. Dark tendrils lashed out of the fridge and ensnared the ganger, causing them to panic yell and alerting the others. When they turned to see what was going on, they saw their fellow ganger's legs kicking wildly as they were pulled into the fridge.

A dark haze enveloped the area as the gangers readied themselves with whatever they could find. However, the furniture began to spring to life, developing beady yellow eyes and horrifying amalgamations of sticky tar and shadows. The fridge opened the freezer head, the yellow beady eyes looking around before it stood up, creating limbs for itself out of the littered stuff around the place. The gangers did their best to fend off the sudden appearance of these creatures, but as quickly as they appeared, the gangers vanished, being pulled into the dark haze.

High up above the city hall, a shadowy cloaked figure sat over the edge with her legs kicking casually with a small tune being hummed. The figure pulled down her hood, taking in the fresh air. Pink skin and blue bedridden curly hair and white freckles dotting the pleased expression on the girl's face. When she opened her eyes, dark purple eyes swirled with a dark haze.

"Isn't this just grand, Tenebres? A whole new realm for us to play in!" She gleefully smiled. From inside the mind of the child, the dark alicorn grinned as she sat upon a sharp and dark throne.

And it seems our friend group has grown exponentially! With all these friends to play with, nothing can stop me from claiming what should have been mine! Tenebres grinned. She then motioned with a hoof. And my vessel gets to have all the friends she wants! A win-win! The girl giggled.

"You and I together, partner!" She exclaimed happily. Both of them then gasped and the girl stood up, sensing something was amiss. Tenebres, however, began to grow angrier.

Of all the rotten luck... why is she here of all places!? How did she even get here!? Tenebres yelled in frustration and stamped her hoof. No, no, no, no! This will not happen! I've waited far too long to have my own realm! My sister will not take it from me! The girl bit her lip in worry.

"Wh-what do we do, Tenebres?" She asked. Tenebres sighed and rubbed her muzzle. She then blinked at an idea and a grin creeped along her muzzle.

We continue to gain friends. Din lost to us before but I don't doubt she managed to gain something from her failure. So why not fight fire with fire? This world has plenty of magic in store! All we need to do is find it and harness it for our own! Then when she comes to try and drag me back, she'll be sorely overwhelmed! The girl grinned and looked over the city, the wind blowing her cloak and hair dramatically.

"That sounds like fun! Where do we begin??" She asked. Tenebres giggled eerily.

We bide our time. The magic will show up eventually. Let's just focus on making friends for now. Who knows? Perhaps our friends can even tell us where the magic is hidden. Tenebres began to laugh, rising in tone while the girl excitedly shook her arms before jumping with joy and laughing with her. The night grew still from the occurrences then, leaving plenty confused and afraid. Canterlot City, as blissful and ignorant as can be, could not see the ever-looming shadow bearing down upon it.

Morning had risen and I felt awful. Sleeping on a bed of books does not sit well with whatever my body calls bones. And despite having slept early, I spent most of my time awake in my mind helping Din untangle the mess. All in all, we managed to untangle a good amount of it and I could feel our power flowing back through me, although it was still faint. I yawned tiredly, doing some stretching before throwing my hood back over my head. The dark clouds were gone and I could see the sunrise making the sky beautiful.

'Alright. Time for a little more exploration.' I thought. Din, however, chimed in.

Vessel. The events from yesterday has me bothered. Tenebres is running amok in this realm, no doubt wanting to claim it as her own. We shouldn't waste time and hunt her down. She said with an annoyed growl. I sighed.

'I'm all for that, Din. But we have no way of getting back yet. When we find her, it's going to end in a conflict that will put this whole realm in danger. I hate to say it, but we need to find a way to get a method to go back home before dragging Tenebres down with us. I'm going to take a look around the school. This world's Flitter showed me the pic of that creature we need to find so we should start here.' I replied to her as I made my way towards the balcony of the library. 'Not only that, weren't we also going to try and leverage the magic of this world against Ouroboros? Seeing this world's Elements of Harmony in action showed me that leaving those girls unattended could be potentially worse for the realm if Tenebres manages to find out they harness it.' Din hummed, shifting in my head.

Then... why not do that pathetic thing mortals tend to do. Make friends? Yes, make friends with those girls. She said a little hesitantly. I smiled as I descended the steps to the main library floor.

'C'mon, Din. No need to be shy. If they are anything like our world's heroes, then they'll be a bit understanding.' I said. Din scoffed.

Whatever. Now if you'll excuse me, I must untangle a massive knot here. Oh... She winced and I arched a brow. I can't tell where it starts... dammit. I cannot wait until we can get out of here... I giggled to myself before freezing as I noticed someone behind a desk. I looked and saw to my recognition shock, Ms. Cheerlie, who also returned my surprised look.

"Oh my! I didn't hear anyone come in! Wait a minute..." She narrowed her expression suspiciously at me. "I made a full run through last night. How did you get in here?" I rubbed the back of my hooded head, beginning to sweat as I tried to come up with an excuse.

"S-sorry, Cheerlie. I uhh... well... I..." I began. Ms. Cheerlie arched an unamused brow. I blinked. "Studying is magic, as they always say!" I said before zipping towards the door and running out of the library. Having ensured I was a good distance away from the library, I sighed in relief before looking around. The hallways were partially empty save for the early bird students. I couldn't help but feel a bit of nostalgia for the early mornings I had in CSGU. I'm not sure what time this school starts, but at least it gave me time to just wander around. I found the way to the gymnasium, a computer room, the music room and the cafeteria. Taking a bit of a detour out the school and exploring the outside, I spied a field that was quite bigger than I thought. Bleachers sat over what looked to be a buckball court. Or what this world would consider buckball. After having explored most of the school in and out, I couldn't help but think back to the garden. Maybe I should have helped. If I'm to make friends with those girls, I need to show them my Ponyville values.

Nodding to myself, I made my way back to the garden. When I arrived, my jaw dropped. It was like the whole place was brand new! A much more intricate and pleasing looking fountain laid dormant in the center of the garden, freshly painted fences and built flower beds and garden patches dotted the areas, a dirt pathing that made the garden feel like a park. On top of that, there was also a cozy looking garden shed not too far off with all the tools needed for a garden. Taking a closer look at the garden patches, it seemed that seeds were freshly planted here. I scratched my hooded head with a finger.

'Perhaps those seven exhibit Ponyville values more than I expected.' I thought.

"Quiet Fire?" A voice asked. I looked over my shoulder and saw Wallflower Blush walking into the garden, looking around in awe. "Did... did you do all this?" I shook my head.

"Wish I could say I did. Those seven must have spent all night doing this." I said with a small smile as I looked around. Wallflower Blush walked over to the fountain head and knelt down, brushing her hand softly over the freshly planted soil. I peeked out from under my hood to see her smile and... tears flow down her cheek. She sniffled and wiped her face. "Those seven must be pretty cool to go out of their way to do something like this." I spoke, hoping to lead into a conversation for info. Wallflower stood up and nodded, turning to me with her arms behind her back in a bashful manner.

"Yeah. They really are something. Especially Sunset Shimmer." She said with her eyes at the ground. I crossed my arms and tilted my head. "Well... it's not like its' entirely a secret. Only a select few know about it. Last year I made a... horrible decision. One that nearly caused the destruction of their friendships. If it wasn't for Sunset Shimmer sacrificing herself like she did, then there wouldn't have been... well... this." She motioned to the garden. "I promised to myself then that I wouldn't do something so heinous anymore. And now, I try to make every interaction count. Such as putting out a call for help on our garden. Flash was also kind enough to volunteer even though he isn't affiliated with the gardening club."

"Sunset Shimmer sounds like a nice girl." I replied with a small smile. Wallflower Blush twirled her hair nervously.

"Well... not exactly. I mean, she is now. But she wasn't when she first started out." She replied. She then began to explain to me how Sunset Shimmer was the bad girl of the school. Always throwing her popularity into manipulating the students and staff and even sabotaging friendships. Then, as if from nowhere, Princess Twilight Sparkle showed up and challenged Sunset for the crown she stole. That event led to the magic being released into the world. Wallflower explained that the magic is pretty unpredictable. It happened during a Battle of the Bands where three sirens were about to unleash their dark magic, only for Twilight Sparkle and friends to stop them. I couldn't help but smile, but also come to a realization my world's Twilight Sparkle knows about this place and that she does visit occasionally. When she explained what happened at the Friendship Games, my attention perked up when she said that this world's Twilight Sparkle tried to destroy this realm to get to Equestria. Wallflower sighed as she finished explaining the events.

"Ever since then, the magic has been feeling a bit rampant. I... also can't help but feel I contributed to it when I found the Memory Stone and tried to erase everyone's memories." She said. She looked at me, bracing herself. "Please don't be weirded out by me trying to erase memories. I... I wasn't in the best state at that time." I smiled and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"If there is one thing I know, everyone has second chances. If Princess Twilight gave Sunset Shimmer a second chance and those seven gave you a second chance, then there is no harm no foul. Believe me, I'm not a saint myself. But I am trying my best. Because at the end of the day, you can only be your best self." I replied. Wallflower rubbed the back of her neck before smiling softly.

"That's... actually some good wisdom there." She said. I gave her a playful punch on the arm, causing her to hiss a bit in pain and rub her arm.

"Don't get used to it. I'm actually quite dumb and do a lot of things that most people shouldn't." I said. Wallflower giggled. "So, do you know when they will show up to school?" I asked. Wallflower shrugged.

"I'm not sure. We can go to the cafeteria and see if they show up?" She asked. I blinked and rubbed my stomach. I then smiled and began to walk with her back to the school.

"Yeah, I could go for a bite." I said. As we walked back to the school, I noticed more students beginning to show up. Some were even pulling up in auto wagons and parking in the lot. There were plenty of faces I recognized being from Ponyville mainly. Wallflower and I waved to Derpy as she pulled up with Bulk Biceps in an auto wagon. The more I chatted with Wallflower, the more I began to enjoy her company. Despite being a bit of a recluse at school, she did seem to make some friends by herself. We began to talk about our interests and some funny things that happened to us in our lives. I managed to make a compelling story about my origins and any slip ups I made were joked about in a friendly way. When we arrived to the cafeteria, I sniffed the air and perked up.

"Are those... hotcakes??" I asked, feeling my mouth drool. Wallflower Blush arched a brow.

"You mean... pancakes?" She asked. I made my way over to the line and looked at the display of food. Everything looked surprisingly delicious. Wallflower handed me a tray and I looked to Granny Smith behind the counter.

"Can I have four hotcakes please?" I asked her. Granny Smith smiled kindly and nodded before taking a spatula and giving me some disappointingly small looking hotcakes. I frowned slightly. "Aren't hotcakes usually bigger?" Granny Smith arched a brow.

"I don't know what ya' mean, girlie. 'Ah have to make enough ta' feed tha' whole school, ya' know." She said with a stern wave of the spatula. I slumped and looked over to Wallflower Blush who was stuffing her tray with greens and what looked to be oatmeal. I looked back to Granny Smith, who was waiting patiently with me. "Are ya' goin' ta' have anythin' else?" She asked. I gave a nervous smile and pointed at an apple. She used some tongs to grab the apple and place it on my tray. I then walked with Wallflower Blush over to a table. I sat opposite from her as she began to eat her food. I poked sadly at the hotcakes.

"Everything okay?" Wallflower asked. I sighed.

"Just missing home a little. The hotcakes there are bigger than... whatever this is." I replied. Wallflower rubbed her chin curiously.

"What was it like?" She asked. I blinked and darted my eyes in thought. Even though the existence of my home realm is known to people here, it's completely different with me. I'm an Element of Power that isn't supposed to meddle in this world. Unable to think of anything properly, I decide to think about Hoofington. I explained to her my foalhood (childhood as it is called in this world as I was reminded) back then. When I finished telling her my life story, Wallflower blinked.

"Wait, you went to college? But then... what are you doing back here in Canterlot High?" She asked. I began to sweat a little.

"Oh, uh... I just... wanted to relive highschool life. Principle Celestia was kind enough to let me apply for the year as an aid." I lied, hoping to play it off. Wallflower raised a suspicious brow.

"I've never heard of a college student wanting to relive high school life. Not only that, but you do also play off as a high school student surprisingly well." She said. I rubbed the back of my head.

"Thanks, I guess?" I said. I then looked past her and my eyes perked up, seeing the door open and Sunset Shimmer and the rest of the girls walk in, chatting away. Wallflower blinked and looked over her shoulder.

"Oh, there they are." She said with a small smile. I then noticed her hesitating. I smirked and stood up, patting her shoulder.

"C'mon. We should thank them for the work they did. It's only the neighborly thing to do." I winked. Wallflower rubbed her arm nervously before smiling and nodding to me. She stood up and we walked over to the group. Sunset noticed us approach and closed a journal she was writing in.

"Oh, hey guys. What's up?" Sunset said. I gave a small nudge to Wallflower. She stepped forward, looking quite nervous.

"Err... I heard from Quiet Fire what you did. I... thank you so much." She said. Applejack tipped her hat.

"Aw, shucks. It's the least we can do after what happened." She said.

"Though, I can't explain it still." Twilight spoke up. "The readings were just all over the place. I've adjusted every variable to it and it's still going off." She then pulled out the device from earlier and held it up. The arrow in the glass was going crazy. Sunset rubbed her chin.

"If it really is dark Equestrian magic, where did it come from?" She asked. The device suddenly screeched and the arrow steadied itself in the red. I heard Din cackling and a tingling sensation flow through me. Twilight adjusted her glasses and studied the device, waving it around. The arrow went all over the place when she did but then steadied when she turned back to us.

"I'm guessing that creature caused all this dark magic floating around." Rainbow Dash stated with a cross of her arms. Twilight sighed.

"I just don't understand. Nothing is wrong with it." she said, patting the side of the device. Sunset then walked over to me.

"Do you have any clue what that creature could be? You did seem like you knew what you were doing." She said. I started to sweat again.

"What? Oh, no! Like I said I got... lucky." I replied.

"Darling, those acrobatics you did wasn't just luck." Rarity spoke and eyeing me. "Not only that, but your attire is also utterly filthy! It's almost as if you had gone through more fights than you play off." Sunset narrowed her look a little. She then smiled and held out a hand to me.

"Earlier we didn't get to greet each other properly. I'm Sunset Shimmer. Nice to meet you Quiet Fire." She said. I rubbed the back of my head and took her hand, shaking it.

"Uhh... likewise." I said. All of sudden the world faded around Sunset and I. Sunset gasped as we found ourselves amongst the field of fiery grass. A shocked realization dawned on me as I stared at her. Sunset looked around in confusion. Suddenly, the fiery grass began to rise up as actual fire this time, surrounding us. The blue flowers dotting the field bloomed brightly and mixed into the ever-growing fire. Sunset gasped in horror and looked past me. I didn't even need to turn to know what she saw. From the rising fire, Din cackled evilly, escalating loudly as the fire rose.

Ahahahahaha! My fire! My precious fire returns! Now I can burn this realm the shadows seek to claim! Din marveled with an evil wide-eyed grin to the darkened sky. She then looked down at us and her look changed to surprise, but the grin stayed. Oh? Well then... the fire in you is quite an interesting sight. Din narrowed her eyes and a scowl formed. However, it is very rude to try and rummage through personal memories of mine. Begone with you! Din unfurled her wings and flapped them once, spreading the fire around us. The world faded back in and Sunset quickly pulled her hand away from me. I was in shock while Sunset looked at me in horror.

"Err... Sunset? Are you alright?" Applejack asked. Their eyes fell onto me, including Wallflower's. A loud sound rang throughout the room and without a single word, I pushed past everyone and jogged out of the cafeteria. I ended up jogging out of the school and down the sidewalk away from the building. I ran for a while before coming to a stop and panting for breath. When I finally caught my breath, I continued walking, pulling down my hood further and keeping my head down.

'What the hell was all that, Din!?' I asked her angrily. Din looked up from her current string she was untangling boredly.

You should really be asking yourself why that girl was able to invade my domain. But it's no surprise. She holds the phoenix's fire in her after all. She grinned. Such a beautiful fire it is indeed. I shook my head and put a hand over my eye.

'Then why did you come off as an evil being!?' I stated. Din scoffed.

One would be elated when their precious beloved returns to them. You should understand since being in the moment is a mortal thing. She replied. I sighed.

'You do realize that we've been compromised now?? That's going to make us getting home even harder! Not only that, but we were also right there with the very people that have any form of idea how to get back home!' I groaned. Din snorted.

I'll admit. Both of us did not expect that mortal to have a special ability about her. Even though they harness the Elements of Harmony, that one has something more to her. It makes the thought of harnessing this world's magic all the more exciting. Din grinned. That fire must be with me! And I will have it! I glared angrily.

'Any chance of it is gone now, so tough luck!' I sighed. 'Back to square one.' I felt my stomach growl. 'Maybe find a waffle house or something. I can't think on an empty stomach.'

Equestrai Girl's POV

Sunset Shimmer remained froze in shock. Rainbow Dash waved a hand in front of her.

"Helloooo? Anyone home?" She asked. Twilight pat Sunset's back.

"Sunset? Are you okay?" She asked. Sunset finally snapped out of her stupor and looked around.

"Wha? Where did she go??" Sunset asked as she looked around.

"Err... she ran out of the cafeteria." Wallflower Blush responded.

"You look pale, sugar cube. Perhaps you need ta' go to the nurses?" She asked. Sunset sighed and rubbed her head.

"I-I'm fine, AJ." Sunset replied. She then studied her hand. "I'll explain what I saw later in the music room. I just need a moment to comprehend what I just saw." Wallflower Blush rubbed her arm with a wince.

"What... did you see?" She asked. Sunset gave an apologetic look to her.

"I'm... sorry Wallflower. If you can meet us in the music room after lunch, I'll explain everything. I promise." Sunset said. Wallflower didn't look at all happy with the answer. And how can they blame her? She made a new friend and that friend may be a dark and twisted entity. At least, that's what Sunset was thinking. But why, she would ask herself. Sunset Shimmer and the others bid farewell to each other as they were heading to their classes. Sunset sighed as she walked with Twilight towards their trigonometry class. Twilight was finding it hard to get a word out before she finally spoke.

"Sunset, are you sure you are okay? What did you see in Quiet Fire?" She asked worriedly. Sunset hugged the journal in her arms and sighed.

"I'm not sure what I saw. I think it's better if I explain it with everyone present." Sunset replied. Twilight smiled softly.

"I understand. Try not to let it get to you so much. I hear that this test is going to be a bit of a doozy." Twilight smiled before adjusting her glassed proudly. "Not that I am sweating on it or anything." Sunset gave a small chuckle and nodded.

"Thanks, Twilight." The girls entered the room of their class and took their seats. The students chatted with each other while they waited for Ms. Cheerlie to enter the room. Twilight looked over her book to get some last-minute studying in while Sunset opened up the journal in front of her. Clicking on the pen, she flipped through the pages. She came to a stop at one of the pages and sighed sadly. She knew that Twilight does take a bit to message her back, but lately, Sunset hasn't been getting any responses at all. She had explained what had been going on for the past two weeks and was looking for answers to see how they can go about it. Unfortunately, it was only silence. Sunset bit her lip nervously and began to jot down in her journal.

'Dear Princess Twilight. I hope my messages are reaching you. I understand that you are quite busy lately. It'd be nice to just hear how you are doing.' Sunset paused and tapped her chin with the pen in thought before continuing to write. 'You won't believe what happened to me today. I met this girl named Quiet Fire and she helped us defeat the monster I mentioned last night. Today, I found her hanging out with Wallflower Blush in the cafeteria and I had a feeling something was off with her. I just.' She paused again. 'I could really use your advice. Something tells me that Equestrian magic is starting to get powerful and I'm not sure how I can stop it from getting out of control. Your faithful student, Sunset Shimmer.' Sunset closed the journal and put it away in her bag as the door opened to the classroom. Twilight and Sunset's brows raised as a different teacher walked in carrying a book bag. He looked rather disgruntled. Black frazzled hair, an unkempt white goatee and brows with glasses covering bloodshot yellow eyes with red pupils. He wore a multicolored pinstripe suite that was yellow and thin on one sleeve, loose with a patch and yellow on the other sleeve and brown as the torso. A red and white stripe tie hung loosely around his neck. He also wore multicolored slacks with one leg being green with a white patch at the bottom and the other tan with a brown patch at the bottom. He put the book bag on the table and flourished his hands.

"How do you do, fellow student! I must ask that you all take your seats so we can begin today's lessons." The man said with a smile. The students murmured to each other until one rose their hand.

"Err... where's Ms. Cheerilie?" The student asked. The man sat on the desk and gestured.

"I'm afraid Ms. Cheerilie had an important matter that came up. A relative of her's not showing up back home last night I've heard. You know how family matters are." He said. He then snapped his finger and a piece of chalk appeared in his hold. "Now then, you can all call me Professor Discord. I will be your substitute teacher while Ms. Cheerlie is out." He said as he wrote on the black board, spelling out his name. Sunset made a concerned expression. She remembers Princess Twilight mentioning a character named Discord that tends to cause trouble when he wants. Her eyes then narrowed suspiciously at the man.

'It could just be a coincidence that this Discord and that Discord aren't the same. I shouldn't worry too much.' Sunset thought. Discord had a glint in his eyes as he then turned and reached for a book, opening it.

"Now then, who can explain to me the concept of the variable X and Y in contrast to Z?" He asked as he read over the book. Twilight rose her hand.

"Err... Professor Discord? Aren't we supposed to be doing a test?" Twilight asked. Discord waved the chalk in his hand and nodded.

"Yes, yes. We'll get to that. But I want to hear everyone's thoughts on the question I asked." He replied. The students exchanged glances with each other, but it was Twilight that spoke, adjusting her glasses.

"X and Y are just placement variables that equal to Z. It's just basic math." She said. Discord sighed and tossed the book aside.

"That's the boring explanation. Why not giving it a little more pizazz!" Discord said. Twilight arched a brow.

"I don't quite follow." She replied. Discord walked around the class with his arms behind his back.

"Let's say that X is light and Y is dark. What would light and dark equal too?" He asked. No one spoke. "Anyone?" He then nudged Twilight. "C'mon, you know the answer! It's as easy as basic math." He grinned. Twilight rubbed her arm awkwardly.

"Balance?" She asked. Discord nodded.

"The brightest mind even in this generation! But tell me. What does balance as X have in comparison to, and I'm just throwing this out there, stability to Y? What would those two have with Z?" He asked, walking back to the desk. "It'll be on your test, Ms. Sparkle. Unless anyone else have the answer. How about you, Ms. Shimmer." Sunset Shimmer raised a brow in confusion.

"Err... I'm not sure." She replied. Discord turned to the board and began to write on it. However, everyone only blinked once and the board was completely filled out with an equation. Twilight adjusted her glasses again and squinted.

"Hold on... this is the formula for equivalent exchange. What does alchemy have to do with trigonometry?" She asked. Discord tossed the chalk aside and grinned, turning to the students.

"An excellent question, Ms. Sparkle! One that alchemy does not matter in the long run! It's the symbolism behind it all." He then took a pointer stick and tapped the board. The students were confused as the formula seemed to move with the tip of the pointer stick. Eventually, Discord swirled the letters and numbers, turning the formula into the Ouroboros symbol. Sunset Shimmer arched a brow, questioning how Discord was able to turn the formula into the symbol. He tapped the board. "Now, referring to my previous question, what does balance have in comparison to stability?" He eyed the students, grinning rather smugly. No one answered. "Simple. It equals to harmony. Just like light and dark, you cannot have harmony without balance and stability. Exchanging light and dark to create the basic attraction of balance is all well and done, but without stability, the formula doesn't work. Now, not only does balance have light and dark, but there are also other variables that make up balance. Let's call them sub variables." Discord then picked up the eraser and wiped away the symbol before writing down on the board.

The students paid attention this time, hoping to catch the estranged professor in the act of whatever finesse he was pulling. Discord branched seven lines to seven symbols surrounding a circle. With a few more touchups, he took different colored chalk and connected the lines to the symbols, creating a strange diagram of multicolored lines in the circle. Twilight had to rub her eyes to ensure she wasn't seeing things. Somehow, Professor Discord drew the lines so perfectly that not only did they connect to one another, they were patterned into an illusion, creating a rainbow-like effect that the students were unable to comprehend as well as they thought. Discord pulled away and tossed the chalk aside with a satisfied look before turning to the class.

"Who can tell me what each symbol signifies?" He asked, eyeing the class. The students were still trying to comprehend the illusion on the chalk board. Twilight frowned and stood up.

"Professor. No disrespect but we are supposed to be learning trigonometry. Not whatever this is." She said. Discord looked boredly but reached into the book bag and withdrew a stack of papers and a teacher book.

"Yes, yes. Your 'test'." He then smiled and leaned over, sticking the stack of papers into a paper shredder. Twilight looked horrified.

"Noooo, what are you doing!?" She panicked. Discord smiled before shredding the teacher book next, having to use a bit of force to do so. With that done, Professor Discord returned to face the class.

"Come now, Ms. Sparkle. This is far more important than some silly formulaic test that has no educational substance in life. You already know what a circle, square and a triangle is. You already know that messing with one angle changes the posture. You can measure the circle's circumference as much as you like. But it doesn't matter how big it is. It's the matter of how perfect you can make it. In short. Balance plus stability equals harmony." He tapped the desk. "It'll be on the test, Ms. Sparkle. Now, since you are already inclined, care to tell me what each symbol signifies?"

"That was really bizarre." Sunset Shimmer said to Twilight as they were walking down the hall. The first four periods went by quickly after the Professor Discord class. Twilight could not get over the fact that Discord shredded their tests.

"How can he just shred up Ms. Cheerilie's work like that?? Aren't substitute teachers supposed to just sit there and just let us study?" She exclaimed, gritting her teeth. Sunset smiled.

"Relax, Twi. I'm sure Professor Discord... err... well, I'm honestly not sure why he did it and what lesson he was trying to give us." Sunset replied, trying to think of what the class meant. Twilight sighed as they stepped into the music room.

"I have half a mind to complain to Principal Celestia about it." She replied.

"Complain about what, darling?" A voice asked. The two girls looked to see Rarity sitting on the grand piano and stitching at a red fabric. Sunset spoke for Twilight.

"Had a substitute teacher fill in for Ms. Cheerilie. He was rather... eccentric." Sunset replied, trying not to come off as off putting. Twilight walked over to sit on one of the steps and pulled out a book.

"You're telling me. The guy was crazy! He shredded an entire trigonometry book! A whole book! I feel attacked!" Twilight exclaimed. Rarity nodded, a little focused on the fabric in her hands.

"Mmm, that's nice darling." She replied. Sunset smirked at her next words.

"Not only that, he wore this really strange suite. Had a lot of clashing colors." She said. Rarity finally perked up and looked shocked.

"Oh my. Was it paisley? Striped? Plaid?" She gasped in horror. "Polka dots...?" She bit her lip in worry. Sunset chuckled.

"Patched. Though to be honest, I'm not sure what he was going for. He started talking about balance and harmony for some reason." She replied.

"You mean like the perfect harmony of a triple chocolate and caramel walnut glazed hot fudged cupcake!?" The excitable and bubbly voice of Pinkie Pie exclaimed, having zipped into the room and leaned over to the conversation. She displayed the very same dessert up to the girls before eating the whole thing whole and chewing happily, licking her lips after with a blissful smile. "Ahhhh~ So good~" She then reached into her pink curly hair and pulled out a normal cupcake before consuming it and taking a seat next to Twilight. The other girls entered the room, Sunset spying Wallflower hanging back a little.

"Not exactly, Pinkie." Sunset grinned.

"Well, we're all here now. So, Sunset. What did ya' want ta' tell us?" Applejack asked, taking a seat just behind Twilight and Pinkie Pie. Rainbow Dash leaned against the piano with Rarity putting down her fabric to listen. Sunset looked to Wallflower and went over to her, taking her hand and leading her into the room.

"Well, how should I put it?" She glanced to Wallflower, who was waiting patiently for her to continue. "The thing is... when I shook her hand, the whole world around us melted. I was in a field of grass that looked like fire. It also had these strange blue flowers. But that isn't the weird thing I saw." Sunset studied her hands. "The grass became actual fire and from it an... an alicorn appeared out of it." She looked to the others. "I know it sounds crazy, but where I'm from, I only know of three alicorns. Four counting Twilight."

"What's an... alicorn?" Wallflower asked hesitantly. Sunset crossed her arms, remembering back to a time when she read a book about ancient races.

"It's... kind of a complicated thing. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are natural born alicorns. They can live longer than anypony I know. Some would call them immortal. It's one of the reasons they rule Equestria currently." Sunset looked between each girl as she continued. "Twilight mentioned that her and Princess Cadence aren't natural born, but gifted. They don't have the normal life span of a natural alicorn, but they can live longer than normal. But here's the thing. I don't remember there ever being anything about a fire alicorn. Or any other alicorns for that matter. Records don't date back that far." Rarity gasped.

"Are you saying that Quiet Fire might be an ancient alicorn come to our world?" She guessed. Sunset shrugged.

"I don't know. But I do know one thing. The way she handled that creature in the garden. She knew where to strike it and had insane acrobatics. That's someone who has dealt with these kinds of things longer than anyone. Not only that, Flash said that she was holding them off until he got us. She must have been pretty spry to hold it off for so long." Pinkie Pie gasped.

"What if she brought the dark magic into this world!?" She exclaimed. Sunset hummed with a furrowed look.

"A bit jumping the shark there, but I'm not sure. I have to find more clues about it. But we don't even know where she went. She left without a word." She replied.

"P-perhaps the roof?" Wallflower suggested. They looked to her and she blushed. "I-It's where I went when I was... thinking a lot before finding the garden." The girls looked at each other worriedly. Sunset smiled and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"C'mon, Wallflower. She's your friend too. If we can just hear her side of the story, we might be able to know what is going on." Sunset said. Wallflower met her eyes.

"D-does this mean I get to come with you?" She asked.

"Duuuuh. You're our friend too ya' know." Rainbow Dash said with a smile and nudging Wallflower as she walked by. "We're Wonder Colts! We're riding the friendship train till the end of the tracks!" The others smiled before standing up and nodding. Wallflower gave a shy smile and nodded.

"O-okay."

Quiet Fire's POV

I stood over the side of a bridge in the park, sighing sadly and staring at my reflection. Seeing myself for the first time, I couldn't comprehend how much this world had altered me. I felt so alien in my body now. The fact that we were exposed so easily also shot my mood down. What kind of powers does Sunset have?? Din was acting non-chalant about it as she was too focused on untangling the mess in our magic. I spent the next few hours trying to decide what I should do to find more info about anything. I couldn't think of anything and just decided I needed to clear my head a little. I bounced my leg restlessly, my thoughts racing with ideas.

'Should I just keep wandering around? Who should I ask? If everypony here is parallel in some regard to Equestria, and magic is known in this world, can I be sure that everypony here has any idea what to do about it? I heard Din sigh in annoyance.

Perhaps you should stop worrying less about it and just confront them. The secret is out, but if we can keep it contained to just them, then we needn't worry about meddling with the balance of this world. Din said. I sighed.

"That's the thing, Din. I've been through highschool in Hoofington. Believe me, teens like to talk a lot. Gossip even more. Not only that, but an entirely different school also knows about the magic. It's only a matter of time before we have to try and contain two schools to keep the balance in check." I said. I then heard several sirens blaring loudly and I looked up, seeing several auto wagons drive by hurriedly down a road. I hummed and pushed myself away from the bridge to jog down the sidewalk to see where the auto wagons were going. They turned the corner of a street and continued to speed away out of sight. 'Why so many?' I asked myself. Deciding what I should do next, I started to jog down towards the sounds of sirens. Eventually, I found myself coming across a crowd of onlookers behind a barricade. Several officers standing behind them and watching the crowd as several more were standing outside a building. I adjusted my hood to ensure my face was hidden before pushing through the crowd a little. Getting a better look, I noticed there was some sort of black tar leading into the building. I arched a brow and looked to a male person in a business suit observing. "What's going on?" I asked.

The male person looked at me.

"Not sure. But from what it sounds like, another disappearance." He replied. I tilted my head.

"Disappearance?" I asked. The male person looked confused before taking out his tablet and swiping his thumb before showing me some images accompanied with an article.

"You don't follow the news? Strange disappearances have been occurring all over the city. Every time they investigate, it's always this black tar that is left behind. Not only that, some eerie words too. Some think it's a mass serial kidnapper hell bent on making a poor joke, but the issue is that it's happening almost simultaneously in several locations. Last night, at least seven places were found to have this same black tar all over with the people disappearing." He explained. I remained quiet and looked back at the sight.

Tenebres has a full head start, ey? How annoying. Din spoke. I felt another tingling sensation flow through me after she said that. We should do an investigation of our own, right vessel? Since you're so bored. I nodded. But then, how am I going to get into the building without the police here arresting me? I don't want a repeat of Manehatten. I looked around confused when I started hearing surprised screams.

"What is that thing!?" I heard a female person call out. I saw several onlookers pointing upwards and I followed their look. My eyes widened when I saw something black crawl out onto the building side and begin to scale upwards. It looked like a spider creature. The officers down below were aiming up at the creature and gunfire began to ring out. The people began to scatter. I was pushed back into an alley and frowned.

Lucky for us, I just untangled a set that'll allow us to reach it. Plus, I'm looking to take a break from all of this and need to vent some needed frustration against my brat of a sister. Din grinned maniacally. I nodded and I felt a small warmth flow through me. Din unfurled her wings and I took to the sky, a shroud of fire surrounding me as Din's way of protecting us from getting blindsided if the creature reacts to us. We soared out of the ally and towards the creature as it reached the top of the building. It was about to scurry when Din landed me in front of it and I called my staff to me, twirling it around myself and aiming it at the creature.

"Not so fast, Tenebres. This time, we're on the hunt." I said stoically. The spider like creature jittered before eight pairs of beady yellow eyes met mine. It screeched at me, taking an attacking stance. I readied myself, only for it to spew something sticky at me and caught my hand, sticking me to the roof door. I pulled against it, finding it hard to move. However, Din cackled and my fist caught on fire, breaking the sticky web like substance. Taking the opportunity at the creature's expense, I rushed it, Din enshrouding me in fire once more to break the web substance it tried to spew at me. I tackled the creature with my shoulder and we went sailing off the roof, crashing into another building. The spider like creature screeched and flailed its' legs. But I pulled back and stabbed my staff into it. Din hissed excitably and unleashed a torrent of fire that injured the creature greatly. Yet, it spewed more of the web like substance, sending me sailing backwards into the opposite building's wall. I grit my teeth, seeing the spider like creature catch itself, sliding down the side of the building before limping its' way back up it.

"Oh no you don't!" I growled. Din enshrouded me in fire once more, breaking away the web and rocketing towards the creature. Tackling it again, this time Din directed me upwards, my staff buried underneath the spider. Din laughed maniacally, unleashing another torrent of fire into the creature, the shriek ringing throughout the area. Suddenly, the creature did something that took me by surprise. A hand reached out to me. And not just one hand. Several other hands. My eyes widened in horror as I saw the faces of people in agonizing terror, shouting and screaming at me that it hurts. This gave the creature plenty of time for it to bat me away with one of its' legs. As it fell, it then grew sticky wings out of it and caught itself in the air. Din corrected my mid-air tumbling and we observed the creature swaying in the air, clearly in pain before it turned to tried to fly away. I was about to go after it when Din hummed.

Let's follow it. She grinned evilly. I blinked at this and smiled.

'Huh. Didn't think about that.' I replied. We watched the creature get further and further away, appearing to head away from the city. When we saw it land into a warehouse like area, that's when Din kicked off from the air and we sailed towards it. Landing in an open space of the warehousing field, we spotted the creature limping away into a warehouse. I jogged after it, pressing myself against the wall when we spotted it melting into a vent. My eyes followed an imaginary pathing before setting on a door. I jogged over to it and jiggled the knob. I frowned and took a step back, bracing myself. With a hefty side kick and Din's fire, the door blew off its' hinges and I stepped in. It was a little dark, but with a quick snap of my fingers, a small flame illuminated most of the area around me. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary for a warehouse, but progressing out into the open, my eyes fell onto the black sticky substance all over the place.

I looked around, trying to spy any sign of movement. I stepped over to a blob of the black substance hanging against a shipping container and tilted my head. I took my staff and started to jab it, breaking away the carapace like texture. When it broke apart, I stepped back in shock as several people tumbled out of the cocoon. They were covered in the black substance. I knelt down to examine them and upon further observation, they looked no worse for wear, save for the possible stiffness of being encased. I then saw one male person stir and shake away his daze.

"Urgh... what happened?" He asked. I bobbed my hand to let the flame hover in the air while I helped him up. He had a bit of a muscular build. Handsome features, green hair covered by a black beanie, red shirt over a white long sleeve undershirt and some grey long cargo pants and sneakers. He tried to shake off the substance, but it stuck to him like glue. "Well, that's going to be hard to wash off. Who are you?" I wasn't able to respond as I heard the skittering of legs. I spun around and aimed my staff to see the spider like creature take a defensive stance at me. "Oh god, what is that!?" The male person panicked. I then shoved him away and twirled my staff around me, deflecting a spew of the black substance and rushed the creature. It lashed at me and I brought my staff up to catch it. When I did, I grit my teeth and with all my strength, I pushed it off of me and vaulted with my staff, planting a heavy fiery kick into it and the creature splattered against the wall. I readied myself again, keeping my senses alert for anything else.

My eyes narrowed as I focused on the splatter. The telltale sign of defeat for a Tenebres lackey. To my surprise as well, the people that were in the creature were stirring awake as the black substance vanished. I eased my stance and stabbed my staff in the ground, looking around. The boy rushed past me and began to help the people up from the ground as everyone else was coming to. I looked to the floating flame and waved my finger to have it float over to me. When it approached me, I grasped the flame and crushed it in my hand, my fist burning brightly before I tossed up the flame and it exploded like a firework, setting the black substances still around the warehouse on fire. The people freaked out as the flames snaked through out the warehouse. Din cackled, marveling at the flames that burned Tenebres's shadows. When the substances were fully burned away, the remaining cocoons dotting around the warehouse vanished, freeing the trapped people inside of them.

I looked out from under my hood to the boy and smiled with a shrug.

"This is just a bonus." I said suddenly. I didn't feel like explaining to the random people around me as I wanted to explore the other warehouses for any other signs of Tenebres activity. However, the sound of sirens told me that won't be happening any time soon. I sighed in annoyance. It'll be a pain in the flank to explain to the authorities about things. My staff disappeared as I rushed to another door that led out to the main area of the warehouses. As I took off into the air, I heard the boy call out.

"Hey wait! Who are you!?" He called out. I kicked off the air without responding and soared away from the warehouses, looking down to see a lot of police auto wagons roll by on a street underneath me and heading to the warehouses.

Tenebres has a lot to answer for. Din growled.

'We need a better way of keeping ourselves relatively anonymous while handling this.' I replied to her. I then looked down at myself. 'Need to blend in better.' As we soared across the sky, I used Din's eyes to scan the ground area. My eyes fell onto a relatively massive building that looked like a shopping center. Din directed me down to the ground, having landed behind the building in the wooded area behind it. When I emerged from the wooded area, I sighed and made my way around the building and stood in front of the entrance way. An intricately designed bronze sign reading "Canterlot Mall" hung over head. A lot of people were going in and out of it with bags full of stuff they bought. My eyes darted in thought. So many things piling up here. Din and I definitely have our work cut out for us. I couldn't help but worry about the others back in Zebrica. I know they can handle themselves, but I need to be there with them. Din is right. We don't belong here.

Chapter 26: New Hero, New Problems

Equestria Girls POV

The day progressed at Canterlot High was relatively uneventful. The bell rang for the end of school and the students were chatting happily with each other as they proceeded to do their after-school activities. All except for the Rainbooms and Wallflower Blush. The group were resting by the school's pedestal, Rarity still working on the red fabric, Rainbow Dash boredly rolling a soccer ball with her shoe, Fluttershy playing with her animals and Spike, Applejack was playing twenty-one with Pinkie Pie at the top of the pedestal, Twilight is looking over a book and Sunset rested against the pedestal with Wallflower standing up and kicking her leg idly. Sunset sighed as she closed her journal she was looking over and looked over her shoulder to the pedestal. She put a hand to it, the open base of the pedestal shimmering.

"Still nothing from Princess Twilight?" Fluttershy asked, noticing the bothered look of Sunset Shimmer. Sunset sighed again and nodded.

"It's been two weeks. Something must have really come up in Equestria." She replied. "She usually responds within a few hours or a day or two. I'm starting to get worried."

"Probably some internal Equestria conflict that only a princess can handle." Rainbow Dash suggested before juggling the ball with her legs. "I'm sure they can handle it." Wallflower rubbed her arm again.

"So... you all just sit around when a magical crisis goes on that you need the other Twilight's help with?" She asked. Twilight looked up from her book.

"I wouldn't say it like that. It's just a thinking place." She said. Sunset set her journal down on her knees.

"We can't rely on Twilight to drop everything at a moment's notice to help us. With our geodes, it's up to us to settle the rampant magic as best we can. I'm just wondering where Quiet Fire ran off too. How did she even get here? Is she even from Equestria? And how is there another alicorn?" Sunset began to smile a little. "What kind of dark Equestrian magic are we dealing with? Where is it coming from? How does it relate with Quiet Fire?"

"You're doing the look again." Applejack stated with a small smirk. Sunset blinked in realization and blushed with a bashful smile. There was the sound of buzzing and Sunset gasped, a hopeful look on her face as she looked at the journal. The buzzing sounded again and she slumped seeing that the journal didn't buzz and glow. Twilight, however, blinked and looked at her backpack. The buzzing was coming from inside. She reached inside her backpack and pulled out her cellphone, seeing Timber Spruce was calling.

"Timber Spruce??" Twilight raised a brow, a look of concern on her face. The others looked to her as she answered the phone. "Timber? I haven't heard from you all day. Is everything okay?" She asked. The girls waited as Twilight listened to Timber's explanation. "You what!?" Twilight stood up in shock. "But when did... how!? Are you okay!? You're not hurt are you??" She panicked. The others exchanged concerned glances. "Wait, who saved you?? A girl in red? An entire warehouse? What even happened??" There was a momentary pause, Timber's voice muffled on the other end in the quiet. Twilight sighed in relief. "I'm glad you're safe. But please be careful on your way home." Twilight was quiet again to let Timber finish before saying goodbye and disconnecting the call. "Well... I think we might know where Quiet Fire went." Sunset stood up with a hopeful look with the others.

"Where is she??" Sunset asked. Twilight rubbed the back of her head.

"That's the thing. Timber said she bolted after hearing the police sirens approaching." Twilight replied.

"Are we sure it's Quiet Fire?" Wallflower asked. Twilight adjusted her glasses.

"He described her wearing a tattered red cloak and threw fire around. Sunset, I think she might be an actual alicorn come to this world." She replied with a slow realization. Sunset punched her fist in the air.

"Yes!! At least we have an idea of where she might be now! Err... what even happened to Timber Spruce?" She exclaimed before quickly showing concern for Twilight.

"Timber Spruce was just doing a quick errand for him and Gloriosa when all of a sudden he was pulled into this black haze. The next thing he knew, he woke up to see that girl defeating the creature and freeing the other people it captured." She explained with her own worried concern.

"Then it's good to hear that Timber Spruce is alright. So, she has a good side to her." Applejack smiled before hopping off of the pedestal.

"And even better that she ended up saving those people. What with all the disappearances that have been going on, I'm just glad no one was hurt." Rarity stated. Pinkie's phone buzzed and she swiped to read the notification.

"But then that was just one bit out of the many others!" She exclaimed before looking upside down to the others and showing her phone. They looked to see a news article about recent kidnappings again. Sunset checked her phone to read the same article as Pinkie Pie and saw that Timber's explanation holds true.

"Look at this!" Sunset said. The others gathered around her as she hit play on a video. It showed a crowd of people gathered around an apartment complex that was quarantined by several police officers. Suddenly, screams rang out and the camera focused on the building, showing a black mass of a creature crawling out of a window and screeching loudly before scaling the building. When the gunfire rang out from the officers, that's when a fiery comet rocketed up towards the creature, cutting it off at the roof. The video showed the fiery ball tackle the creature into the next building before being sent into the wall of the apartment in a black sticky web. The fire still surrounded the figure, but they could make out a silhouette of a hooded figure, burning the web and tackling the creature again before dragging it up into the sky where a blinding flare happened. The camera man tried to zoom in properly, but the shakiness didn't help the footage. The creature grew wings and began to fly away while the fiery figure observed it before taking off after it.

"Are we still sure that's Quiet Fire?" Rainbow Dash asked, looking rather excited about the action-packed footage. "Because that was awesome!" Sunset was a little confused on this.

"Okay. First the living garden and now a giant shadowy spider?? Did this really all happen after the earthquake?" She asked. Fluttershy looked concerned as she spoke.

"And all those gunshots. T-terrifying..." She shivered.

"Maybe." Twilight replied to Sunset's question, tapping her chin in thought. She then turned and reached for her backpack, pulling out a journal and holding it up to everyone. "And I think we can find the answers with this." Rainbow Dash smirked and pointed at her coolly.

"That's always the answer to everything." She said. Twilight adjusted her glasses.

"Yes, but this might actually help us understand where this dark magic is coming from. I found it last month after doing some cataloging for Ms. Cherilee in the library. I found it in the restricted section." She replied, flipping open the book.

"There's a restricted section in the library?" Sunset asked, thinking back to when pony Twilight freaked out about discovering a restricted section of the Canterlot library when she was dealing with the Memory Stone incident. Twilight gave a bashful smile before clearing her throat and reading the title.

"All Things Magical. Believe it or not, I found it in the non-fiction area. And the author, Megan Williams, had a lot of interesting things to say." Twilight said, her eyes scanning the pages.

"Megan Williams? That's a funny name!" Pinkie Pie commented, giggling a little before eating a chocolate cupcake.

"It's an old name dating back centuries ago. And I thought it sounded familiar too. Doing a bit more research, I discovered something." She slung her backpack over her shoulder when Spike hopped into it and motioned for the girls to follow. They exchanged glances and walked back into the school. Twilight came to a stop in the main lobby, looking up at a portrait of a kind old lady hanging on the wall. Wallflower rubbed her chin.

"You know, no one ever really looks up." She commented. Sunset squinted her eyes.

"Is that Megan Williams?" She asked. Twilight shook her head.

"No. It's Sarah Bell. The founder of Canterlot High. Back in the old days, she used to be the daughter of a wealthy ranch owner. As she grew up, she found that she loved children and enjoyed teaching them. So, when she graduated from her school, she wanted to go on and teach the next minds of tomorrow the joys of expressing not only their educational prowess, but their innate talents to shape the world and their lives through all forms of academia. Sports, literature, knot tying even. All the curriculars we know today are part of the foundation ideas she had set in stone." She explained.

"So, she made a school for kids like us to be awesome. We already knew that!" Rainbow Dash said proudly. "But what does she have to do with this Megan Williams?" Twilight slumped a little.

"I'm getting to that. As I was trying to say. The name Willams sounded familiar because I remember doing some research on the history of Canterlot High for a history project a few months ago." Twilight looked back into the book. "Get this. Sarah Bell wasn't actually named Sarah Bell. It's the name she took when she married. Her maiden name is Sarah Williams." The girls looked up at the kind old woman smiling down at them. "She's the great-great grandniece to Megan Williams! And from a quote she said in an interview article when she opened up the school, she said this: 'I wanted to open up a school of not only just education, but to show the world that the bright minds of tomorrow are more than just a one-track minded generation. They all have special talents that make them unique to themselves and will forever shape the future we will have. It was something my great-great grandaunt told me when I was a bright-eyed naïve girl myself. She helped me realized I enjoyed learning and implementing what I learned to teach my friends their own special talents. I can still smile knowing that she doesn't have to worry about the future and can enjoy her peace.'" Twilight looked up to see her friend's reaction. Rarity fanned a hand toward herself in awe.

"Wow. That is such an inspirational idea!" Rarity said with a smile.

"Okay, that is pretty cool." Rainbow Dash said with a bashful smile and rub of her head.

"That's a woman I can look up to." Applejack commented.

"She sounds like a lovely person." Fluttershy chimed in.

"Yay!! Fun school idea giving!!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed excitedly, having thrown out confetti around them in joy. Wallflower looked up at the portrait in awe.

"There really are people like that? Amazing." She marveled. Sunset and Twilight smiled at each other to their friend's reactions before Sunset rubbed her chin in thought.

"So, what does Megan have to teach us with that book?" She asked. Twilight nodded.

"Well, from what I read, she described most of her life working on her family's ranch. But then, she started talking about how a strange creature from a magical land crashed into her well from the other side of a rainbow. She was then whisked away by the equine creature with wings to a castle where she soon found herself having to help these magical creatures against a dark force. She was given a pendent that housed this powerful magic that helped her combat these creatures to fight against the dark magic and bring peace back to their land. There's a lot of interesting moments she had noted about each creature. Like how there was a monster named Scorpan who used to be a prince that was cursed by the dark rainbow." Twilight explained.

"Scorpan? But... how is that possible?" Sunset spoke. "From what I read back when I was Celestia's student, Scorpan was an ancient warlock that helped Starswirl the Bearded during a time of crisis. How can he be a prince cursed as a monster?"

"History can be lost in translation if you ask me." A voice said. The girls turned around to see Professor Discord walking down the hall with his book bag over his shoulder. He grinned at them. "You can never be too sure if things are true or not." Sunset glared and readied herself.

"Professor Discord? What are you doing here?" Sunset asked suspiciously. The intense atmosphere had all the girls on edge a little. Discord, however, looked bored and cleaned out his ear with a pinky, flicking the wax away.

"On my way out after grading test scores. I must say, the bright minds of the future do need a bit more work." He then looked up at the portrait. "Ahh to be young again. That is a woman who had her priorities straight. And as charming as ever." His eyes then fell on Fluttershy. "Though, I can't hold a candle to just anyone really." Fluttershy squeaked a bit and stood behind Applejack. Discord looked between the girls. "What's with the intense looks? Can't a professor check up on his students and see that they are not staying past curfew?"

"Curfew doesn't begin until we close up, professor." A voice said. The girls looked to see Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna, Celestia crossing her arms with a raised brow and Luna with a hand on her hip. Discord sighed and shrugged.

"Always so serious. That complexion doesn't really suite your beauty, Principal Celestia." He said casually. Principal Celestia shifted a frown.

"Charming. But I must ask that you please try not to freak out the students with your... questionable teaching methods. I've gotten a lot of concerns about you." She replied. Discord smiled and turned to the exit, shrugging again.

"The bright minds of tomorrow deserve to have an interesting class rather than the boring hum drum day-to-day. Liven up the place a little! You can't just rely on prep rallies and school spirit alone." He said.

"We always make everything interesting!" Rainbow Dash said with a confident smirk. Discord waved a hand lazily.

"Yes, yes. Education and friendship is magic and all that. Wonder Colts united! Until tomorrow, girls." He said before flicking his wrist and snapping his fingers to bring out a rose. He tossed it to Principal Celestia, who caught it in confusion. "And do try to relax a little, dear Celestia? You too, Luna. No need to fret over everything." And with that, Discord walked out the school, closing the door behind him. Pinkie Pie scratched her head.

"You're right. He is wacky!" She said.

"And that suite. Ugh! Why would someone wear something so gaudy to school?" Rarity commented. Sunset Shimmer turned to the sisters.

"Where did you even find the guy?" She asked. Principal Celestia rubbed her chin in thought.

"He's always been working here. He's just never been assigned as a substitute before." She replied. Sunset raised a questioning brow.

"I'll say! He destroyed a teacher book in a shredder! And our tests!!" Twilight exclaimed. Vice Principal Luna chimed in.

"While his teaching methods are a little... unorthodox. He does have a degree in education and learning from the Everton Independent and Study Program." She explained. Twilight's eyes widened. Principal Celestia smiled and placed the rose in her vest suite pocket.

"He does bring a certain air about the school. But I think it's time you girls went home. We are about to close up." She said. The girls chatted amongst themselves as they turned to walk out the school with the sisters. When everyone was outside, Pinkie Pie suggested they carpool to her house for a slumber party. Everyone agreed (except the sisters as they had their own home of course). Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and Rarity got into Rarity's car while Sunset, Twilight and Rainbow Dash got into the Apple Family's personal truck. The girls noticed Wallflower awkwardly standing outside the car. Rainbow Dash rolled down the window.

"You coming or what?" She asked with a grin. Wallflower bit her lip.

"Is it... okay for me to do so? I haven't really had a sleep over before..." She said. Sunset leaned over and motioned for her to get in in the back with them.

"Then allow us to treat you to an all-out pizza hangout." She smirked. Wallflower darted her eyes in thought, softly smiling. She stepped into the car, Twilight scooting over for her and the girls began to pull away from the student lot. While in the truck, Twilight read over the book once more, skimming some of the pages before coming across a passage.

'Magic is always around us. It's how we handle it is the biggest responsibility to the balance of our world.' Twilight then couldn't help but remember Professor Discord's lesson about balance and harmony and the conversation they just had. A realization came over her. 'Does that mean Professor Discord knows about the dark magic?? No, no. That's ridiculous. Unless...' She studied the book again. Seems that more research is needed to be learned.

Quiet Fire's POV

I took a walk in the Canterlot Park, wanting to find a place to rest for the night. Earlier, when I had arrived at the mall, I didn't realize how big a shopping center could be. I was so transfixed on everything around me I was unable to move until Din snapped me out of my stupor. Taking a walk around the mall, I found all sorts of interesting shops that even Equestria couldn't think of. There was also a shop I passed by called Spicey Tropic that had all sorts of strange characters on graphic tees, accessories and even some stuffed animals that I found interesting. However, when taking a browse at the clothing, I noticed the price tags. They were in a currency I am not familiar with. I had observed in the shop that customers paid with paper currency. Unfortunately, I left my saddle bag behind in Zebrica before doing the bonfire thing. I had forgotten to take it with me to the Zetecan temple and thus wound up here without anything to my name. I sighed and had walked out of the store defeated. How am I going to get anything in this world? Thankfully, there was a robbery that happened at the jewelry store in the mall that security was struggling to catch the thief over. Taking my chance, I set myself up ahead of the thief and tripped them on their way out. They had turned to draw a knife on me, but I quickly disarmed them and knocked them out with a deft chop to the neck. Before security arrived, I pickpocketed the thief and turned him over with the jewelry returned. Denying a compensation discount coupon for saving the jewels, I had walked away and moved out of sight. I dug through the thief's wallet and found a good stack of the paper currency. Not needing anything else, I discarded the wallet in the trash and walked into a clothing store.

I came across a hoodie that made me smitten with the casual and cool design of it. It was red with a white hood and black long sleeves. Apparently, there was a discount with winter items, so I ended up buying the hoodie and removed my battle ridden hoodie cloak, folding it up and replacing it with the hoodie I bought. Checking myself in the mirror, I felt satisfied and pleased with my purchase. I then proceeded to get myself what this world calls a backpack from Spicey Tropic. It had a neat fire decal with the rest being black and the zippers colored white. I tossed the hoodie up and decided to grab myself a quick bite to eat at this place called a food court. With a full belly and something to go, I stuffed my hoodie cloak into my backpack and my wrapped-up paper bag of food and the currency in a smaller pocket, I walked out of the mall and wandered around for a bit longer.

With nothing interesting happening in the area right now aside from people talking about the recent events of several missing people found in the warehouses and the giant spider creature, I ended up in the park currently and took a seat at the bench. I sighed and stared up at the grey clouds. I could tell it was getting darker. Another day going by and no way to get home. I shivered a bit as the cold breeze blew through. Today is the last day of this month and heading straight into the spring season. Winter Wrap Up must be being planned right now. I know with war being on the horizon, it shouldn't stop Equestria from doing normal celebrations. I sighed, feeling home sick once again. I held up my hand outstretched to the sky. Sadly, I don't think I'll ever be able to go back. An exile to my own nation. I then put my arm over my head.

'Living in a world of magic can be quite the struggle.' I thought to myself.

Speak for yourself. All this power and its' being wasted on meaningless things. Mortals have grown too comfortable with what they were given rather than pave the way. You know, despite our enemies, one seems to at least to try and evolve the next generation. Din commented. All day I was feeling the tingling sensation. I wondered how much she has untangled. I'll find out tonight anyway. Right now, I wanted to just destress. I closed my eyes and let the cool breeze wash over me. Stuffing my hands in my hoodie pockets (something I found to be quite comfy), I imagined being back home. Ponyville looking lush and peaceful as ever. The ponies neighborly and always helping one another out. I could just imagine myself coming home to the greetings of the four mares that are living in my house currently, watching over the denizens while I'm off being a demon to some and a hero to others. My eyes shot open.

'Wait... my angels!' I beamed. I looked ahead. "Fire's Angels." I stated. I was expecting the loud thunderous cracking of the four mares to appear. However, nothing happened. I blinked and hummed. "Fire's Angels." I repeated. Nothing. I sighed and rubbed the back of my hooded head. 'Well damn. Could at least let me check up on my home...' I frowned. My ear twitched when I heard voices approaching. I remained how I was as I peeked out from under my hood. My eyes widened as I noticed Flitter Glider walking down the path, busily on her phone. She then came to a stop and sighed, brushing her bangs aside and warming her hands. Checking her phone again, she tapped on it several times with her thumbs before looking around. She then looked over to me and waved. I was about to wave myself when I heard someone else approach behind me. My jaw dropped as I recognized that hairstyle anywhere.

There she was. This world's Cloudchaser. The athletic looking girl with cerulean spiked hair reaching down halfway to her back, a blue sweater with a golden horseshoe on it, a skirt and some leggings with sports shoes. I don't know how I felt about this. She looked strangely pretty in this alternate body. Yet, my heart wasn't racing with excitement at the sight of her. More like anxious. I lowered my head and put a hand over my chest.

'That's because she isn't my Cloudchaser, Fie.' I thought to myself, opening my eyes. 'All the more reason to return home. And need to start planning a proper date.' I kicked the ground a little in thought. 'Is there anything good in Zebrica that I can take her to? Maybe some place when we arrive in Pony Land? I hope maybe somewhere in Pony Land that isn't tyrannical. I don't know why, but I imagine Pony Land to be filled with trenches and bunkers along with factory work and the military lining up, marching in platoons and saluting an alicorn figure as they marched by. I shook my head. 'Keep an open mind.'

"What took you so long?" Flitter asked in annoyance. I peeked out from under my hood to observe the two sisters.

"Gee, sorry for running through martial arts classes. Tomorrow is the big day. I need to ensure I can beat Chop Block." Cloudchaser replied. Flitter sighed and shook her head.

"You know, Thunder has been asking about you. You should really text him back." Flitter replied. Cloudchaser rubbed the back of her head as the two began to walk together away from me.

"Oh. Well, I've been meaning to tell him something anyway. Though... I haven't been able to come up with the right words. I don't want to sound like I'm being off putting." She replied. The conversation grew quieter as they moved further away. I leaned back into the bench and felt my mood shoot down.

'At least these two don't have to worry about anything aside from schoolwork. I can already tell that my Cloudchaser and Flitter would be envious of their counterparts.' I chuckled to myself sadly. I closed my eyes once more, being lost in my thoughts. Thoughts that were eventually cut off when I heard a scream. My eyes shot open and I stood up. Din shifted in my head.

I sense a powerful force. Tenebres. She said. It was coming from the direction the two headed off too. I could hear several more people screaming and some of the citizens running away further down. I grit my teeth and sprinted out of the park, nearly slipping on the rocky path before booking it down the road. Running towards the direction of the fleeing people, I turned the corner and came to a stop when I saw several equine shadow lackeys cantering around a fountain head plaza. This must be Canterlot Square. I saw someone's legs kicking as they were absorbed into a shadowy equine while another was fleeing, only to be caught and begin to be absorbed into the black haze of the creature. Vessel, above! I gasped and looked up, seeing a gargoyle like creature floating over the plaza, waving a trident and sending out several bat-like creatures. I was about to call my staff when Din hissed. Don't use it right now! It'll tangle up more!

'Then how the hell can I do my job!?' I growled. I looked around, seeing onlookers trying to film the events. 'And why are people so stupid!?' I held out my hand to the onlookers. "The hell are you people doing!? Get out of here!! Run!!" I shouted.

"Help!!" I heard a scream. I looked over and my eyes widened in horror. I could see Cloudchaser reaching for her sister as she was being pulled into a shadowy equine. Flitter did her best to pull against it, but Cloudchaser was sucked in with Flitter following suit, her legs kicking before vanishing completely. I felt my blood boil and I sprinted after the creature. I bounded off a light post to gain momentum before rearing back my fist and delivering a hefty punch to the face of the equine. A solid hit. The creature was sent onto its' side and splattered into the ground. Landing with a skid, I saw Cloudchaser and Flitter looking around confused, the black substance over them. They helped each other up and I turned to look up to the gargoyle creature. I threw my hand out to them. "Run! And don't be heroes!" I called out to them. Cloudchaser and Flitter looked at me with shock and awe before Cloudchaser's expression softened and she nodded, grabbing ahold of Flitter's hand and the two running away. I tossed out my arms to the gargoyle creature, the attack on the lackey catching every creature's attention.

"Still here, Tenebres! Whatever you're planning, we're going to stop it! And you're coming home right after!" I smirked and got into my stance. "Your sister says you're grounded too!" Din rolled her eyes in disgust.

Please stop showing off and do something about this. I'm nearly done untangling this mess. Only a hundred more to go. Din snorted. I readied myself as the gargoyle waved its' trident overhead and aimed at me. The equine creatures on the ground reared up, kicking their forelegs out before charging me with the bat like creatures following them from above. I hopped back several times before doing a backflip and springing off of the building behind me. I slugged a bat creature all the way through and flipped onto the back of one of the equine creatures. I dug a hand into the body and lit my fist on fire, causing the creature the whinny in pain. I then began directing the creature in its' wild bucking, splattering the other equines. Only two got wise and didn't approach. With the creatures that were defeated, the people that were captured got up and began to flee. I dug my hand around inside the body of the one I was riding on and felt my hand grasp something. Taking a hold of it, I stood up and pulled the person out of the equine. I landed with the person, realizing it was the museum curator from when I first entered this world, coming too and looking startled.

He looked at me and then to the creatures. I let go of his suite as he panicked and fled from the area. I could hear the sirens close by. The bat creatures shrieked and began to dive bomb me. I swiftly bobbed and sidestepped them before catching one and throwing it down before punting it into the fountain. It splattered upon impact followed by the gargoyle landing on the fountain head. It tilted its' head at me, the yellow beady eyes and grinning maw observing me. I proceeded to punch, dodge, kick and jump in and out of the dive-bombing bats. With the last one crushed under my shoe, I faced the remaining two equine creatures. I smirked under my hood and motioned for them to bring it. One decided to charge me and with a flourishing flip, I planted my shoe right into the chin of the creature, sending it up on two. The motion felt natural.

I quickly rushed forward, jabbing quickly several times into the creature to raise it up even more off balance. However, with me no longer being a pony, a buck would be hard to do. So, I improvised. I jumped up and brought both my legs in before lashing them out hard into the body of the creature, sending it tumbling away and splattering at the hooves of the other creature. The person that was inside the creature looked around in confusion before panicking at the sight of the equine panicking in front of them. They fled the area with a scream as I spun and kip-upped from the ground, getting back into my stance. I panted a little, the alien body I am in making me realize I don't have quite the stamina as I do as a pony. I wiped my cheek and grinned. The equine creature refused to move. Then, the gargoyle rose from the fountain and floated over to the equine creature and landed on the back of it, creating a makeshift rein around the muzzle and raising its' trident high in the air as the equine whinnied and reared up, kicking its' forelegs out.

I slumped which then turned into me yelping as I dove and rolled onto my feet as the equine charged me. The gargoyle creature directed the equine around and began to gallop around the plaza. I stood up and readied myself. It flourished its' trident above its' head and aimed the point at me. I wasn't expecting a beam of magic to shoot out of it. I brought my body back hard, falling onto my back as the beam sliced the fountain and causing the cold water to spray around the plaza. I stood up and using Din's warmth to keep me dry and unbothered by the cold, I sprinted out and timed my jump onto the table as another beam shot out of the trident. I noticed a plate with half-eaten food and I quickly kicked it up wards to me, knocking the food out. I then chucked the plate like a slicing disc and it struck the head of the gargoyle. That only seemed to piss it off. I flipped and kart wheeled from one table to another, avoiding several more beams before landing on the ground and sprinting around a light post just in time for the beam to miss me. I growled.

'This is getting annoying! Can I use my staff now?!' I hissed. Din remained quiet and I groaned in frustration. My eyes then fell onto something. There was an acoustic guitar laying on the ground. A street performer must have left it in an attempt to flee the monsters. I eyed the gargoyle before rushing out of my cover, dive rolling to avoid a beam and grasped the guitar. Picking it up, I adjusted it in my grip before sprinting towards the gargoyle. It halted the equine creature, twirling the trident in its' hands above its' head before directing the equine towards me and charging me. I came to a halt and timing my strike, I clashed with the creature's chest, using the guitar as a bat. This caused the equine to rear up in pain. When it stomped on the ground in an attempt to squash me, I zipped out from under it and brought myself up onto the back of the creature, tapping the gargoyles back and smirking. It tried to reach for me, but I ended up climbing up its' back and brought the guitar high over my head, bringing it down and not only cracking the stone skull of the creature, but shattering the guitar too with a note playing upon impact.

I then flipped off the head of the gargoyle and balanced myself on the back of the equine's head. I clenched both my fists and with an angry growl, I swung. Left. Right. Left. Right. Left. Right. Overhead. Upper cut. I jumped up and brought my fists together, my fists catching fire. I then brought them down hard on the skull of the creature, shattering the stone and also squishing the equine with the body of the gargoyle creature. I rolled off the ground and stood up, hissing in pain as my hands twitched and bled. I then watched as the gargoyle's body shattered when it crashed into the ground, the black substance around the plaza finally vanishing. Ignoring the stinging pain of my hands, I couldn't help but notice. If I recall back to my other fights with the other elements, if I destroy the heart of theirs, all their influence will vanish, leaving them in a vulnerable state. I furrowed my look and walked over to the shattered gargoyle.

I wish it was, dear vessel. But with the amount of destruction and meddling Tenebres has been doing, I doubt the heart will be so easy to find. We have a whole city to scout out. She said as I felt a tingling sensation flow through me. I looked at my hands and saw that the wounds were healing. What a time for her to fix the healing factor. With my hands no longer tingling and free of pain, I flexed them and looked around. The sirens were getting louder. That's my cue to leave. I was going to run in one direction, but two auto wagons pulled up with two officers from each auto wagon stepping out and aiming their arc pistols at me, shouting at me not to move and keep my hands up. I winced and turned to run in the other direction, only for more police auto wagons to show up with the officers all pointing arc weapons at me. The plaza was lit up with the many blue and reds. I then noticed a few heavy armored auto wagons pulling up with people dressed in black armor with rifles aimed at me. I looked to the sky to see two floating sky ships I have never seen before shine a bright light down at me, causing me to shield my eyes.

"By order of the Canterlot Police and the city, keep your hands up and do not move!" A voice echoed from one of the fluttering, hovering machines. I clicked my tongue. Din cackled.

Foolish mortals. Having to let a child clean up your act? I grow tired of incompetence. Din grinned maniacally. I felt a warmth flow through me and a ring of fire began to circle around me. I heard several gunshots start to go off, but the bullets were eviscerated in the fire before they could even reach me. Din unfurled her wings and kicked me off the air. I snapped my fingers as Din rose me higher into the air. A small flame lit at the tip of my finger. I then crushed it, holding it to my chest. Feeling the warmth grow the fire, I then raised my arm up over my head and released the flame. A bright and blinding flare shone, blinding the onlookers and officers around me, giving Din enough time to direct me away from the plaza and sailing downward to hide us further inside the city, descending into an alley. I landed deftly on my feet and jogged forward a bit before stopping and panting, hunched over. I studied my hand again.

"Really... missing... pony... strength..." I rasped. Taking a moment to catch my breath, I shook myself off and sighed. "So much for laying low. I take it we are throwing caution out the window?" I asked.

Have you've forgotten about the bylaws? I believe it calls for our interference due to a brat throwing her tantrums around. We do not belong in this world. Our very existence will cause natural destabilization of this world's order. I do not know how much time we have before the crack in this realm unfolds, creating a rift that'll doom this world. So far, I haven't sensed any instability yet. But I cannot guarantee it for sure. We still need to find a way to get back to our world and ensure Tenebres comes along with us, either kicking and whining or fatally unconscious. Din chuckled and shrugged. Either way, somepony is going to get a good spanking when I get ahold of them. I slumped.

'Not only that, but war is on the horizon and we need to be there before the summer solstice. Put me in a toaster and call me a strudel, this is a mess.' I shook my head. ‘I thought we were past bylaws.’ Din chuckled.

Only the ones that the serpent made himself.

At the very top of a building overlooking the plaza, the cloaked child stared down with a worried look, arms crossed and a constant tapping of her button shoes.

“Ohhh… Why do the adults always ruin everything!?” The child groaned.

Be at ease, my dear vessel. We have all the friends left over and more to come still. Divide and conquer, as somepony once told me. Tenebres grinned. The child put a hand to her curly head and ruffled it.

“I just want everyone to have fun…” She pouted.

“Mistress!” An excitable voice called out. The child looked over her shoulder. A small figure in an oversized winter jacket skipped towards her accompanied by a long and slender creature. The child frowned.

“Mitzi. Why is our friend like that? He doesn’t look fun to play with.” She said. The shadowy childlike figure slumped.

“I’m sorry, Mistress. This one had too much of a strong will. He had thought of his family. Which made me feel bad so to not make him sad to make you sad, I asked the family to join us! Even more friends!” The shadowy child gleefully jumped for joy. From the dark haze that formed behind her, several deformed figures emerged. An amalgamation of tendrils and black sticky substances. The child winced but rubbed her chin in thought.

She then smiled and turned around to face Mitzi and skip to her, leaning over.

“You’ll get there Mitzi! Great job on acquiring more friends! Though we need to work on your creativity, it’s a solid start.” The child said, patting the hooded head. Mitzi’s beady eyes widened and a blissful expression was attempted. Tenebres sighed proudly.

Isn’t friendship a beautiful thing? Tenebres sniffled a little. I can’t wait until we show off our friends to my sisters! They’ll have to listen to me with everycreature supporting us! The child giggled and pirouetted skip over to the edge of the building before throwing her arms out into the wind.

“A kingdom fit for queens!” She marveled.

Equestria Girls POV

The sounds of instruments could be heard from a house. The garage door was open and the Rainbooms were jamming out to a song they planned to play at the last day of the charity fundraiser. Wallflower was jamming out, patting her hands softly against her legs and bobbing her head to the beat with a smile while sitting on a stool.

The girls had Pony’d Up, a phenomena that happens to them everytime they play music, but freely accessible now thanks to the geodes they wear around their necks. When they finished playing, the girl’s pony ears and long ponytail hair vanished, returning the traits back to normal. Wallflower gave a small applause while the girls excitedly gushed about their performance.

Twilight took a drink of her water before leaning against the wall with her back and began to read through Megan’s book. Sunset noticed this and walked over to her.

“Found anything yet about this dark equestrian magic?” Sunset asked with a reassuring smile. Twilight hummed before tapping at a passage.

“It’s not quite clear, but she mentioned having gone against three witches before with the ponies. They tried to spread a lot of filth throughout Pony Land, but that’s about as much as I can make a connection to dark magic.” She sighed and closed the book. “If Quiet Fire is from Equestria, then why appear now? And right around the time when those dark creatures and disappearances happened?” Wallflower blinked when her phone’s notification went off.

She checked the notification and gasped, standing up.

“Girls. I think Quiet Fire was seen at the Canterlot Plaza!” Wallflower exclaimed. She tapped her phone when the rest gathered and she showed them her screen. The article headline made the girls have different reactions.

“Canterlot City in peril. Stand aside magical girls, a new hero is in town?” Twilight read, adjusting her glasses. Sunset continued, skimming the passage.

“With the recent disappearances, police reports, yadda yadda… here we go!” She tapped on Wallflower’s phone. “No one knows who this mysterious girl is, or where she came from. Onlookers described her as a savior from the heavens who valiantly rushed in and saved the people from an unknowable fate. Police have sent out a request for any knowledge of this fiery figure and to report any suspicious activity to local authorities.”

“A new hero? Guess we gotta’ step it up a notch!” Rainbow Dash smirked challengingly. Applejack slumped and frowned.

“It ain’t a competition, Rainbow. People could have seriously gotten’ hurt.” She stated. Rainbow Dash shrugged confusedly at her.

“What? We’ve saved the day and plenty of people before. We’ve been recognized by the city. If anything, if there are new heroes in town, then they have to be taking an example off of how awesome we are!” She then strummed her electric guitar as if to make a point. Rarity was examining herself.

“I do wish we looked a bit more fabulous in the pictures, but its’ hard to just even keep anything maintained what with all the running around and physical confrontations on occasions.” Rarity sighed as she pressed a loose thread into her outfit, planning to fix the disaster soon.

“Not to mention the injuries.” Fluttershy commented, eyeing Rainbow Dash.

“Part of being a hero, Fluttershy!” She winked in reply. Sunset rubbed her chin while Wallflower skimmed through the article on her phone.

“But why is she doing it? She just appeared out of nowhere and started saving people. We need to find her.” Wallflower spoke. Twilight cleared her throat and posed proudly to them.

“I think I might have a solution.” She grinned.

Quiet Fire’s POV

I sighed, trying to get comfortable inside a kid’s play place in a park. It was the only open shelter I could find that was roomy enough for me to sleep in. I had snapped my fingers to create a small flame and let it hover to warm me. I took the last bite of a taco and crumpled up the bag. I was planning on tossing it aside, but the security guards from earlier kept replaying “we have laws in this world”, causing me to hesitate before deciding to use it as kindling for the flame.

Feeling the warmth of Din’s fire, I sighed and closed my eyes, finding myself in the fiery fields. I walked over and sat on my haunches next to Din who was busily working away at a tangle. I smiled and reached over to help her. Din paused a bit and studied me as I did. Helping her with the tangle, she remained quiet before going back to the tangle. I shifted over and focused on my own. Din has done quite a lot to fix the mess my new body created for us.

The stars were starting to get brighter. Throughout the night, we worked together, unaware that not too far from where I was sleeping, I was being watched.

Chapter 26: Natural Strange Friends

Equestria Girls POV

The sleep over went off without issues and by morning, the last day of the school week had arrived. The girls got dressed and ready for school, carpooling once more. When they arrived at the school, they already started hearing the chatter about the new heroine that showed up out of the blue. As they walked through the halls, they were greeted by several students and some of them commenting on the new competition.

Applejack had to remind the ones that did that it wasn’t a competition and in fact are thankful for a bit of a break. Rainbow Dash, however, was gloating about how they could do the things the new heroine did but better, causing the others to cringe at the mixed receptions they were getting throughout the day. Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle’s trigonometry had returned to normal without Professor Discord around and it made the two suspicious.

When lunch came around, the girls discussed what they should do for the last performance if the charity after school before quickly devolving into discussions on the potential of Quiet Fire being Equestrian or not. No one had a logical conclusion save for the info that she isn’t from this world. With the break period going into the next for them, Twilight finally executed her suggestion and led the girls to the science room.

“I texted Principal Celestia this morning to see if she’d let us borrow the science room for a theory project. And a little something I’ve been meaning to finish for a while now.” She walked over to the back rooms of the science room and with her magic, she waved a bulky machine out of the closet, levitating it over to a table and placing it down. The dust puffed around them, causing the girls to cough and wave away the dust.

“What is this?” Wallflower Blush asked, tapping her finger against the machine. Twilight proudly smacked the machine and presented it to them.

“This old thing? Why just a little something I’ve been working on when I enrolled here. I uhh… still was a bit bothered that the magic was here so I wanted to ensure I wasn’t making things up. Of course, after Camp Everfree I just kinda’ put it off. No point in reading magic if we, ya’ know, use it.” She replied with a wiggle of her fingers in explanation. Pinkie Pie began to study it from all angles before sitting on the edge of the table with her legs crossed coolly.

“So, this magical reading do-a-thingie-ma-thingi-jig will help us locate Quiet Fire?” She asked with a casual smile. Twilight nodded with her arms behind her back.

“Mhm. In theory per se.” She said. Sunset hummed with a smile.

“Interesting. So, what do have to do?” She asked. Twilight adjusted her glasses.

“Well, for starters, I need to adjust a few things. But while I do so, I could use everyone’s help gathering up some samples.” Twilight gestured to the holes at the top before bringing over vial tubes. “The samples we have to get are from the areas where the magic was released throughout the school. Figured since Canterlot High has been exposed to it, no point in going into town finding it.” She began to mess with the wires as she continued. “We don’t need actual magic. Just like the dirt, trees or pieces that have been exposed.”

The others picked up a vial each and Rainbow Dash saluted.

“On it!” She said before zipping out of the room in a rainbow blur. Rarity and Applejack walked out of the room with Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie following after (Pinkie Pie happily skipping rather than walking). Wallflower Blush picked up a vial and scratched her head. Sunset smirked and picked up her own, wrapping an arm around her.

“C’mon, Wallflower. You and I on a mission to discover who that girl really is.” She said. Wallflower smiled bashfully.

“This is kinda’ exciting.” She admitted. Sunset smiled and walked with her out of the room. The two girls walked out of the school and Sunset began to walk immediately to the pedestal. She hummed and looked around.

“Dirt is fine she says, but I think we need something a little more concrete.” Sunset spoke. Wallflower walked around the statue pedestal before her eyes fell on the ground. She squinted her eyes, seeing what looked to be a half-buried piece of the statue. She smiled and reached down to pluck it from soil. She wiped her thumb to clean it a bit to reveal it a part of the horn from the statue. Seeing as it was a little too big to fit in the vial, she decided to scoop up what she guessed were more bits of the statue and pocketed the horn in her back pocket of her jeans before walking back around, shaking the vial up to Sunset, who was brushing her hand on the pedestal. Sunset beamed and gave a thumbs up to her before having a thought.

“Let’s head to your garden. Maybe there is a sample we can take from there.” She suggested.

“Uhh, are you sure?” Wallflower replied uncertain. Sunset took ahold of her hand and with a small yelp from Wallflower, the two jogged towards the school garden. When they arrived, they saw Derpy with a watering hose and watering the soil. She beamed and waved excitedly at the two.

“Sunset Shimmer! President Wallflower!” She greeted.

“Err… you can just call me Wallflower, Muffins.” She said with an embarrassed flush of her cheeks. Derpy blinked in worry, a hand over her mouth.

“Oh no! I’m so sorry!” She said. Wallflower rubbed her arm again but smiled and pat Derpy’s shoulder reassuringly, causing the girl to smile. “What are you two doing here at this period?” She asked.

“Just needing a quick sample from the gardens.” Sunset said with a wink. She then knelt down and scooped a small bit of the soil into the vial before standing back up and dusting her knees off. Derpy smiled before a realization came over her.

“Oh, Wallflower! I was going to ask if you need me to trim the rose bushes today.” She said. Wallflower tapped her chin.

“Is it that time already?” She asked. “Uhhh… yes, please.” Sunset waved to Wallflower and the girl waved to Derpy. “I’ll see you after school, okay?” Wallflower then turned and jogged away from the garden as Derpy waved to them. Derpy started humming a tune and watering the soil again, unaware that a dark haze had begun to develop from the woods behind her. The two girls jogged into the school and back to the science room where Twilight was putting together last-minute additions while Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie were idling at the table.

“‘Sup.” Rainbow Dash waved coolly. Sunset looked around.

“Where’s Aj and Rarity?” She asked.

“We’re here.” Applejack panted, looking a little annoyed as Rarity walked in with an entirely different casual look. “Somebody wanted ta’ make a quick change of clothes in the music room after we got our samples.”

“Oh, Applejack, darling, one always must carry a change of clothes with them. Plus, I want to look the part for when we go out searching for Quiet Fire.” She said with a satisfied smile. Applejack facepalmed and shook her head before walking over with both her’s and Rarity’s samples. Twilight clipped on a compartment and screwed it in before smacking it on the side with a pleased smile.

“Done! Now then. Everybody stand back, this might be a little… sciency.” Twilight put on the goggles and stuck her tongue out as she concentrated on turning some knobs and dials before pressing a button. The machine revved to life and began to jitter. The girls looked on with bated breath, ensuring they were quite well enough back. Twilight beamed and then took one of the samples. “Now, for the theory!” She said. She stuck the vial tube into a side rotating cylinder that whirred to life and brought the vial into the machine. The girls could see the back of the machine being glass, seeing the machine shake and stir the sample before lifting it up and a sound of a microwave whir sounded.

Pinkie Pie chewed on some popcorn, watching in awe before sharing it with the others. Twilight’s glasses glinted, taking another device and flipping a couple of switches and then turning a knob. The machine began to jitter violently, as if something inside of it was bouncing around. Each girl winced and grimaced, anxious and worried that something might go wrong. The machine jumped up and rapidly twirled in the air before landing back on the table and becoming still. A loud ding rang from the machine and Twilight eyed it without blinking.

Suddenly, the glass began to shimmer with a rainbow-like color and Twilight stood proudly.

“A success!” She exclaimed. Pinkie Pie cheered and whooped before tilting her head.

“What did it do?” She asked with a smile. Twilight smirked.

“Glad you asked! This machine reads the variables of the color spectrum and combines it into a formula, thus allowing the inner calculator to measure it via speed of light, sound and other methods thus creating an aurora borealis effect to signify the measurement and scale of the sample via magical properties and other assortment of elements in a three-point one magnitude of travel.” She explained. Everyone went quiet.

“That’s… certainly are those words you said it does.” Rarity replied, trying her best to reassure her supportiveness and not come off as confused. Twilight looked at the girl’s reaction and slumped.

“It reads the samples and rates them on a color spectrum of potency. Look.” She pointed to the glass. “The one Fluttershy brought reads the color spectrum and picks out the one it calculates to be the dominant force of magic. You can see the rainbow, but the major color that you see is green.” She held up the other device in her hand to show a circular color spectrum with a compass like hand pointing to colors. “To make it easier to understand, this basically tells us this magic is common and weak.”

“Oooh. Sciency.” Pinkie Pie awed, pressing her face against the glass to observe the colors. Twilight frowned and shooed her away a little.

“One thing I do need to mention, depending on the samples, it might take an hour or so. So, we’ll each test one sample and handle the rest of our next class period. I’ll switch them out on my way to my other classes.” Twilight spoke. As if on cue, the bell rang and everyone got ready to head to their other classes. Twilight switched out the sample to Rarity’s and levitated the machine back into the backroom closet, closing the door and walking.

With the room empty this period, one such figure stepped in after a bit, looking around. Professor Discord hummed with a mischievous smile, walking over to the closet and opening the door. He walked over to the machine and tapped his chin in thought. He then had an idea and with a calm demeanor, he snapped his fingers, a vial matching that to Sunset Shimmer’s was switched out. Discord examined the vial and sighed.

“This one needs a bit more push. Thankfully, being Quiet Fire’s dearest friend that I am, she’ll thank me for this later.” He spoke to himself.

“Discord, you are a genius!” His other self-proclaimed. The two shook hands before snapping their fingers and disappearing into thin air.

Earlier That Morning

The child woke up in a ragged state. She yawned before getting up and handling personal business before getting dressed for the day. There wasn't much to the space she occupied. At least it had working plumbing and a shower. Nothing compared to her old living place back in Equestria. The moment she thought about the other realm she gave a verbal grunt of disgust.

Ready to play some more? Tenebres asked, the element of shadow well rested herself. The child smiled and nodded, adjusting her long-sleeved tux colored bouse and frill skirt, grey shorts and white leggings with button on shoes. She daintily tapped her shoe to adjust it properly before calling to her shadow, her own shadow forming the cloak. Throwing up the hood, she opened the rickety door and stepped into a dark haze that formed when she did. She only had to blink once to come out the other end, overlooking a rundown factory building that hasn't been in working condition for years in this realm. It took some scouting to confirm it, but the people currently residing in the factory are not favored by the community. Not only discarded delinquents or dropouts from public schools, but also ones that failed to get into the most advance academic one, Crystal Prep or even the middle-class school of Canterlot High. The child's shadowy friends had done some reconnaissance, and it seems like something big is about to go down today. The child smirked and giggled to herself. She wants in on the party.

These people are sorely lacking friendship and what better way to make the party better than by inviting everyone she knows? She sensed the presences of several of her newly acquired friends with Mitzi skipping happily towards her.

"Mistress! Everyone is gathered inside! Seems like they also invited some other friends over. Double the friendship!" Mitzi gleefully cheered. The child winked and gave a thumbs up to her.

"Excellent work, Mitzi! I always knew you'd come through!" She smiled. Mitzi began to giggle excitedly before pirouetting in place in pure joy.

"Mistress complemented me! I'm the bestest friend for Mistress!" She exclaimed. The child shook her head and turned to the shadowy creatures.

"You are all my best friends now! Tenenbres as well!" She turned around and pointed triumphantly at the factory. "Together, we will rise above the cruel adults and show them that childhood is never over! We can have all the nap times and playtimes we want! Eat all the berries we want and... and... and throw a celebration!" The child had darted her eyes in excited joy at this thought before rushing over and happily picking up Mitzi and spinning her around, laughing. "Bestest friend bonanza!" Mitzi punched the air happily and the shadowy creatures made a poor imitation of the excitement.

"Bestest friend bonanza!" She cheered with the creatures grunting in fluxuation with it. The child put Mizti down and turned to attention with her hands behind her back under the cloak, facing the creatures.

"Alright, listen up! Some big ol' meanie adults are all gathered around and plotting some wicked ploy against one another! It's up to us to show them that the beauty of friendship is the greatest ploy anypony can have!" She then blinked at the realization of what she said and frowned with a hum. "No... that doesn't sound right. Ah yes! We will spread the magic of our friendship to all the ponies- no wait, that also doesn't sound right. Mmmm... uhhh..." The child scrunched her face in thought with a single finger on her chin. Having completely lost her train of thought, she scratched her curly blue hair and sighed. "Ahh well. You all know what I mean!"

"I thought it was rather noisy up here." A voice said, causing the child to look over her shoulder curiously to the new presence. Tenebres suddenly smirked.

What a surprise. These girls are different than the ones that live in this realm. Almost a familiar smell to home, don't you think? Tenebres chuckled softly. The child furrowed her look.

"What do you want, smelly adults?" She asked. Three girls emerged from a fire exit and grinned mischievously. One had a yellow tinge to her skin and bushy orange and yellow hair, red eyes and wore a leather jacket over a purple shirt, dark purple leggings and some purple boots with orange and yellow strings securing the boots to her legs. The other girl to her right had long twin-tailed hair with a blue highlight tracing down it from her bangs, a pink tinge to her skin, amythest eyes and wearing a green punk vest, white shirt and purple leather pants with purple go-go boots. The other on her left, the child noticed that didn't seem to be in a bright state of mind as she chowed down on a taco, had a blue tinge to her skin, ruby eyes, a sea-colored blue hair with highlights, a dark plum jacket over a blue tank top, a pink skirt and some pink and white knee-high shoes. The one in the bushy hair stepped forward, looking intimidating.

"So, you are the source of all the negativity going on around the city?" The girl spoke, raising an unamused brow. The child spun on her heels and leaned forward with a smile.

"Oh, nononono, don't be silly! We don't spread negativity. That's no fun at all! Friends need to be positive and in high spirits! It's the only way we can work out our differences and achieve the goals we strive for!" The child skipped over to them before walking around them, studying them. "So... you aren't from this realm are you?" The twin-tailed girl spoke with a cross of her arms.

"And we take it you know why we are here." She asked coldly. The child shook her head and giggled.

"Hehe, nope! But if you want friends, then you came to the right girl! My group is always open for more!" She replied. The bushy haired girl shifted her weight, putting a hand on her hip.

"We are here to get in on this 'fun' you are having. Consider it an... extension of partnership. You have something we want, and we will, in turn, give you what you want." She spoke. The child skipped away from them, coming to a stop to at the edge of the building.

"Something I want... What do you think Tenebres?" She asked with smile.

There is nothing wrong with willing friends. These three can prove useful. Perhaps they can stall my sister and her vessel enough to keep her from ruining our fun. I'll lend then some of our power. Just a small fraction of it. Tenebres replied with a tap of her chin in thought. The child giggled.

"Okay!" She then spun on her heels and faced the three. "Welcome to my friend group, you three! You are all honorary Fickle Spark's friends!" Fickle smiled. "What are your names?" The bushy hair girl smirked smugly.

"I'm Adaggio Dazzle." She then pointed animatedly to the twin-tailed girl. "That is Aria Blaze and this... err... special case is Sonata Dusk." She directed her pointing at the long ponytailed girl. A dark haze began to surround them and the shadowy creatures began to circle them. The three balked and stood back-to-back with each other. Fickle giggled before stepping through the haze, her purple eyes glowing brightly and shimmering with a shadowy swirl. A bright smile on her face as she spoke.

"Nice to meet you! You must be real special creatures for Tenebres to allow you this fun time! Perhaps you can return the favor for the power we are giving you?" The three girls looked uncertain as a menacing and eerie giggle surrounded them. "Have all the fun you want! Make more friends if you desire too. The more the merrier! If you see a nasty meanie adult that has fire around her, don't be too rough with her. It's no fun ripping apart a toy. It's better to use it as a... punching bozo." From the shadowy haze, Fickle stepped out and leaned forward with a hand outstretched, smiling up at Adaggio. The three girls looked at each other before Adaggio took a deep breath and took her hand. It all happened in a flash. The shadow swallowed the three girls instantly, the only thing being heard through the abyss was the humming lullaby of a child.

Quiet Fire's POV

I tapped the side of a vending machine. I had begun a patrol the moment I woke up. Something that Din and I discussed while finishing untangling another set of magic strings. Din wanted me to start searching for Tenebres's heart so we can draw her out. I kept my hood on to prevent people from noticing my eyes. Before I moved onto patrolling the city, I wanted a quick drink of water. I had put in a single paper currency inside, but when I pressed the buttons for my drink, nothing happened. I frowned and began tapping at it, hoping my jostling on the machine would get it to work. I then gave a good kick against the glass and several drinks fell from their rows. I winced and looked around, hoping no one saw what happened. Thankfully, it was still early in the morning, so I quickly reached in and pulled out three waters for myself, stuffing two in my backpack while taking a casual pull of the other. I couldn't help but wonder if this world has cider or some sort of alcoholic beverage I can whet my thirst with. For some odd reason, I could go for a stiff drink. It's been a long while since I've let loose. Oh well. Water is the better second option.

News got out about my fight in the plaza. Apparently, the news that people were talking about were claiming me to be a new hero in town. Which had me a little confused.

'There is more than one hero here from what it sounds like.' I commented to myself.

If that is the case, then they better not get in our way. Our justice is our own. Din said boredly. I smiled and nodded.

'Yeah, I know. Though, maybe they would know anything about portal opening monsters.' I replied. Din hummed.

Fair point. We should ask them if they show up. She grinned smugly. I turned down an alley way, wanting to ensure I'm out of sight before using Din's wings. However, I turned down at the wrong one as I heard voices from further in. From what it sounds like, it was a standard brawl going on. However, my curiosity got the better of me and I sidled up to the wall, peeking around the corner. My eyes widened as I saw a familiar girl swing a bat over a thug's head before they dog piled her, finally disarming her as she kicked and struggled against them.

"Get your hands off me! Dammit, Slick Back! Why are you betraying us!?" Thi growled angrily. I narrowed my eyes as I saw that same guy from earlier push himself off the wall, combing his slicked back hair.

"I got what I needed, doll. Nothing personal. It is sad though." The guy, Slick Back, replied, walking up to her and holding her up by the chin to face his smug grin. "The payout is far more important than what the Townies are offering. Didn't realize how poor the gang is. Makes sense in the state of the neighborhood they live in." Thi spat at him.

"At least they don't backstab family!" Thi growled. "And here I thought we actually had something!" The guy chuckled and spun on his heels, combing his hair again.

"It was a nice ride, Thi Billet. Taming such a fiery temper was quite a thrill. But I've grown tired of the tango we were doing." He then snapped his fingers. "Leave her in the trash. That'll get a message out to the Townies." He said. I sighed and stepped out of my cover, crossing my arms and leaning coolly against the wall.

"Then maybe you heard that if your dance partner can't keep up, how about trying a different one?" I called out. Everyone froze and Thi looked over, her eyes widening in surprise. I kept my head down but peeked out from under my hood with a smirk. Slick Back turned around and raised a brow.

"Who the hell are you?" He asked casually. I took the last swig of my water, crushing the bottle and tossing it into the dumpster across from me.

"Oh, just someone... asking for directions." I replied. Thi narrowed her eyes at me before a realization dawned on her. Slick Back seemed to piece it together too. He then leaned his head back and laugh.

"Hahahah! No kidding? You're that fiery dame from earlier asking about Canterlot High? Well, well. Not too high and mighty of standards for society, are you?" He grinned. I shrugged and shifted my head to look out from under my hood.

"Didn't you hear? I'm quite the sensation lately." I replied coolly. One of the thugs's eyes widened and she turned to Slick Back.

"Boss, this gal is that heroine they have been talkin' about!" She exclaimed. I pushed myself off the wall and turned to face them, throwing back my hood to reveal my face. I stared them down stoically, my eyes glowing in the darkened alley way. This seemed to unnerve the thugs. Slick Back tilted his head.

"You can't be serious. What made you piece that together?" He asked. The girl thug stammered.

"H-had a cousin that was one o' them kidnapped people at the warehouse. Said a girl in red with fiery red hair and freaky eyes saved them." She explained, clutching her pipe close to her chest. I sighed and slumped.

'I need to bury my head like an ostrich at some point so people can stop talking. Oh well. Cat's out of the bag. Might as well let it claw everything.' I stuffed my hands into my hoodie pockets and eyed each thug. "Let Thi go. No one has to get hurt here." Thi was dumbfounded. However, Slick Back clicked his tongue and snapped his fingers.

"Take out the trash, guys. She's just a fan of that goodie two shoes that showed up out of nowhere." He said. The thugs looked uncertain, but they steeled themselves and faced me with scowls. I then began to walk towards them calmly. This caused them to hesitate. "What the hell are you waiting for? Get her, you louts!" Slick Back barked. One thug must have buckled under the stress as he yelled loudly at the top of his lungs and charged me with the chain whip twirling above his head. He then lashed it out at me. I reacted by spinning on my heel, letting the chain wrap once around my body before sticking my leg out and hooking the rest of the chain, yanking the thug forward. Keeping my balance, I delivered a downward kick into the arm of the thug, disarming him of the chain whip. When he stood back up, I pivoted on my foot and lashed out a kick into his sides, sending him crashing into trash cans. The other two thugs rushed me, one had a crowbar, the other the pipe. I brought my right arm out and grasped the chain around me, quickly wrapping it around my arm before flourishing the rest of the chain around me.

I lashed out the chain around their arms, yanking the chain back to bring them together. I flicked the chain to whip both of them in a disarm manner, causing them to drop their weapons before I yanked again, bringing them forward towards me. I caught them at the side of their heads and clocked them together, causing both to slump unconsciously at my feet. I unwrapped the chain around my arm and faced the thug still keeping Thi hostage. The thug backed away, pushing Thi towards me.

"Y-you can have her! I have nothin' to do with this!" He stammered before taking off. Thi studied me and I only smiled at her before we both turned our attention to Slick Back. he scowled and reached behind him, pulling out what looked to be a makeshift knife out of scrap metal and a blade to some piece of machinery.

"Gotta' do things yourself." He growled before rushing us. Thi pushed me aside and flourished her bat before clocking the guy hard into the chin with an upward swing. His feet left the ground, his sunglasses flying off of his face before he landed hard on his back. Thi panted a little before shouldering the bat. I then walked past her and stood over Slick Back. I then stepped on his sprawled-out arms, causing him to wince in pain before I sat down hard onto his stomach, knocking the wind out of him. I rested my hand against my cheek boredly as I stared uncaringly down at him.

"So, what's your deal, pal? Why are you going around treating fair damsels in distress over higher pay?" I asked. Thi balked.

"Hey! I am not a damsel; I am a badass in distress!" She retorted. I only smirked playfully at her retort before quickly returning to a cold look at Slick Back. Slick Back growled and remained quiet, but the shifting of my weight on his arms with my shoes must have started to become unbearable to him.

"Aaarggghhh! Alright, alright! I'll talk! Dammit... beaten by girls no less..." He said.

"This would have been avoided if you had just stopped this and also given me proper directions." I retorted casually. "Now, you know how this goes. Who do you work for? Why are they doing it? Etcetera, etcetera." Slick Back clicked his tongue before speaking.

"I was given a fair pay by the generous Moto Cross to stage a coup at the Dandelion Metal Smelting Factory. I was ordered to silence anyone that would interfere." He growled. "I would have gotten the major player out of the way too..." I only shook my head at the ridiculousness of this situation.

"So, where is the factory?" I asked. I ensured to remind him that I can break his arms right now and that got him to talk.

"Not too far from here! Just take a right at Dodge Junction Street. Can't miss it." He rasped in pain. I then stood up, applying more pressure to his arm and bending down enough to pat his cheek.

"Good boy. Thi? He's all yours." I said before stepping off of him. Thi was a little shocked by this but when I walked by her and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, she looked at me. "And don't kill him. He's not worth all that built up baggage and blood." I then pat her shoulder and Thi bowed her head in thought. I walked over to the side of the building and stuck my hands in my pockets, leaning my back against the wall coolly and observing her. Thi looked at her bat and I saw her fist clench it tightly. She then stomped over to Slick Back, who was nursing his arms and trying to de-escalate an angry red head with a bat.

"It's over Slick. Moto is going to get it next." She said coldly, spitting on him, stomping on his sunglasses and then clocked him over the head with the bat. She panted and wiped her lip before shouldering the bat and turning to look at me. I only shrugged with a cool smile. "Just who the hell are you...?" She asked.

"I really wish I can tell you. But what you only need to know is that I'm a friend. And I know that at some other place and time, you'd do the same for me." I said with a wink. Thi furrowed her look suspiciously at me. "So. What now, badass?" Thi motioned with her head for me to follow. When I did, we began to make our way down the alley hurriedly.

"If Moto is going to stage a coup against Heckle, then Canterlot City is going to have to deal with a lot more than just shadowy monsters kidnapping people." Thi explained as we then picked up our pace into a jog. We raced down the sidewalk before taking a sharp turn at Dodge Junction Street and I could see a factory down the road. It must have been really old fashioned. Something out of an industrial era. Or... whatever they called the locomotive age parallel to Equestria. Yet, the whole fence looked to be a rusty but current install from the old ones that might have been there. Barb wire and danger signs of electric fencing were plastered at every chunk of fencing. Thi swore under her breath before coming to a stop at the front of the sliding gate. Inspecting the gate, it seems that the barb wire above it had been cut recently. Thi tapped her chin in thought, but I had an idea already. I walked over and pressed my back against the fencing, cupping my hands together and bending down. Thi cracked a smile and I helped vault her over the fence. I then turned and began to climb the fence myself. My sleeve got caught on the barb wire and I gave it a yank, ripping a bit of the sleeve and it caused me to tumble over the fence, landing onto my stomach and knocking the wind out of me.

I took a moment to get the wind back into me before seeing a hand reach out to me. I looked up to see Thi grinning down at me and I smiled, taking her hand as she helped me up. We then began to power walk down the dirt road towards the factory.

"So. You're really that new hero that's been popping up all over the news?" She asked. I nodded, looking around.

"I guess I am. Though, I can't say I shouldn't deserve that title just yet. I have yet to do any major damage to cause complete outrage amongst the people." I replied to her. Thi and I took another turn down and walked past a factory, the one I thought we were going too, but then I noticed a couple more that were disconnected from this one.

"Are you kidding? My dad works as a communications officer at CCPD. He's been coming home lately all fussy about some new chick with superpowers causing an uproar." She said with a smirk. "He's kind of funny when he's all mopey." I had a thought pop into my head.

"So... when you say new chick. And from what I can assume... are there other superheroes out there?" I asked. Thi and I got low and began to hurry our way across the field, stopping behind a spool and peeking out.

"You could say that. There is a total of seven and they usually are seen hanging out together during their heroics. However, word was quick to get out that they were just seven high school girls with magical powers. Funny enough, they attend Canterlot High and play in a charity band called the Rainbooms." She explained before looking at me. "Is that why you were asking for directions to Canterlot High?" I shook my head as we scanned the area.

"Not really. I was looking for something else that led me to Canterlot High. It was by sheer coincidence that I ended up discovering they held the Elements- errr- magical elements." I replied, quickly correcting myself. Thi focused on something straight ahead, causing her to duck a little.

"I see. Get down. I think we are a bit late to the party." She said. I peeked out from behind her to see what she was looking at. I could make out a group of strange leather jacket and leather pants wearing individual bearing weapons of all kinds via scrap or razor discussing something with strangely casual looking people. I used Din’s eyes to scan the area a bit more. It didn’t seem like anything bad is happening. Yet. “So. What is it that you are looking for in town?” Thi asked.

“Well…” I began, debating if I should tell her the truth. However, I noticed that whatever was being discussed was turning quickly into a heated argument. Suddenly, Thi groaned. I looked over my shoulder to her to then see where she was looking. I noticed three strange looking girls walking together to meet up with the heated argument.

“Who are they?” I asked. Thi gave a disgusted wince.

“They call themselves The Dazzlings. They showed up one day and sided with the Townies. I don’t know what freaky magic spell they have him under, but they caused a lot of issues amongst the gangs. And I so hope they are the ones planning this coup, because I’ve been meaning to knock some teeth out.” Thi growled. I heard sniffing from inside my head and I heard Din cough in disgust.

Those three smell of my sister. Din gagged. I furrowed my look in worry.

‘Tenebres?’ I asked.

Worse. Aquarius. She growled. Then, she hummed. Vessel, look. I found myself focusing on the three girls. I squinted my eyes. There was a distortion around them. They are from our world. Interesting… Din cracked an evil grin. I nodded slightly before patting Thi reassuredly on the shoulder. She looked at me with a raised brow and I smiled.

“I believe you are right about those three. So, do you have a plan?” I asked. Thi studied me a little in shock. She seemed a bit conflicted. That is until she grinned determinedly and looked out from cover.

“I was thinking we just strut in and explain ourselves.” She replied. I smirked and was about to speak when we suddenly heard a harmonizing note of voices. Thi froze in place, looking as if she was in trance. I arched a brow.

“Thi?” I asked with concern. I waved my hand in front of her face. She didn’t react. The singing was starting to get louder and a black haze started to creep in. Din clicked her tongue.

She’s near… Din spoke. My senses were going through the roof. I put a worried hand on Thi’s shoulder and shook it.

“Hey, Thi!” I said. I felt a tingly sensation flow through me and Thi blinked in confusion before shaking her head.

“Wha? What was that?” She asked, rubbing her head. She met my look before looking out of cover. “I knew it. Those she-demons are evil.”

“Then let me take the lead on this one. You see if you can reach this Heckle guy and snap him out of whatever.” I told her before standing up and rushing out of cover.

“Wha? Hey, wait for me!” Thi called out in a whisper. I ignored her and ran down towards the factory. The Dazzlings continued to sing, motioning to the tranced gangers and leading them inside the factory. As I approached, one of the Dazzlings noticed me. She tapped the shoulder of the bushy haired one and she turned and grinned smugly.

“Well, well. Seems we missed one, girls.” She said. I came to a stop and readied myself. The bushy haired Dazzling’s eyes glinted. “And it seems this one isn’t under our spell. I take it you are this ‘scary’ adult who throws fire around? Or are you just one of those annoying Rainbooms?” I only smirked and got into my stance.

“Perhaps you’ll find out soon enough.” I replied. The lead Dazzling chuckled menacingly before snapping her fingers. The three began to sing and a dark haze began to roll in from nowhere. Din cackled and grinned maniacally.

You call that singing, fish breaths? You are so off key! She hissed. This caused the Dazzlings to narrow their eyes, as if hearing the voice of Din threw them off. Yet, they continued to sing and the gangers that were led into the factory soon filed out and circled me. I glanced to see Thi finally catch up to me and readied her bat. Her eyes fell onto a guy and she growled before aiming her bat at the three.

“The games up, she-demons! Let the Townies and The Harleys go!” She exclaimed challengingly. The three continued to sing uninterrupted before floating high up into the air. When they reached a crescendo in their song, they stopped and grinned evilly and triumphantly down over us. The clouds beginning to darken.

“You don’t know how long we’ve waited for this! Our power stronger than ever! Our hunger sated! No more living off of tacos and toast! No more living this boring human life! All human scum will adore us! Our time is now! The Sirens will return to Equestria stronger and powerful than before!!” The lead laughed. I tilted my head before laughing myself. Thi looked at me in confusion while The Dazzlings hissed at me. “What’s so funny?!” I was hunched over a bit, holding my stomach.

“Ahahahaha! Oh that’s -hahaha!- That’s pretty funny!” I replied, wiping a tear.

“You mock us?!? Then allow us to show you why we are to be adored!!” The Dazzlings began to sing and a dark haze seeped out of them, swirling around the entire area. I smiled and swished my arm out, calling to my staff. When it appeared and I grasped it, I brought it out in front of me, twirling it multiple times over my head before stabbing it in the ground. A blazing fire erupted out and circled us, dispelling the haze. Thi stared dumbfounded at this. The Dazzlings hissed.

“Whatever Tenebres offered you three, you’ve made a terrible mistake.” I looked up at the three stoically. “Equestria has no need for simpletons who have no idea the part they play. Rethink your options, Dazzlings. This is your one and only chance.” I called out to them. The lead one was shaking angrily before throwing her arms down in anger.

“Rip them apart! Go! Obey us and we will grant you all that you desire!!” She pointed at me. The tranced gangers groaned and readied themselves, approaching us. I kept my staff embedded into the ground before getting back in my stance.

“Stay near the staff, Thi. Trust me. No one is going to die or fall to the shadows today.” I said. Thi was quiet. But then she smiled and readied herself at the approaching gangers.

“This is one hell of a morning.” She replied. The Dazzlings continued to sing while the gangers rushed us, weapons primed to strike. Together, Thi and I showed some creative teamwork. Almost as if we both knew that, despite strangers to one another, we had a strange bond that felt natural. We kicked, punched, covered each other’s backs and synchronized our attacks together, sending the gangers off their feet and knocking them out. When I kicked the wind out of one, I looked over to see Thi hesitate with one ganger.

The guy held a sharp looking scraped together saw bat. I quickly rushed over and blocked the swing with my arm. I grit my teeth and smirked, moving rather quickly and snapping the scrap apart with a good palm strike before stamping a foot and flowing my arms together to then lash them out towards the stomach, making the guy hunch over and fall to the ground unconscious. Thi pushed past me and held the guy in her arms, her look worried. I tilted my head a little before hearing the frustrative growl of the Dazzlings.

I turned to face them, looking up to see they had sprouted fin like wings on their back.

“Well, this is a drag…” the twin tailed Dazzling spoke.

“Major buzz kill!” The long ponytailed one chimed in sadly. The lead one seemed to take a deep breath and let herself exhale to cool herself off. I crossed my arms at them.

“This is not the last. We’ve been out of the game for too long.” She then snapped her fingers above her head. “Let’s get out of here. We’ve got bigger plans in store.” She grinned smugly. The Dazzlings turned and began to fly away. I clicked my tongue.

“They are going to be a pain in the ass later.” I commented.

All the more reason we should put the sirens in their place. Be it as they may, they have been here too long that they have been afflicted with synchronization to this world’s laws. I raised a brow in question.

“So… you don’t want to burn them?” I asked.

I never said that. Din grinned smugly with a glint in her eyes. We’ll deal with them later. My sister is nearby. Priority first.

“But we don’t have a way to get back home yet.” I replied, walking over to my staff and holding onto it. “What are we even going to do once we get a hold of her?” Din hummed smugly.

What else do we always do when putting my sisters in their place? We’ll keep them unconscious until we can find a way to get home. A little burn mark here. A little fire there. You get the gist. I sighed.

“And what if she’s just throwing us off?” I asked.

Then we continue to hunt. If she wants to play mouse, then by all means. She’s only delaying the inevitable. Din cackled.

“Who are you talking to?” I heard Thi ask. I looked over my shoulder to see her looking at me with concerned suspicion. “What were those Dazzlings talking about? Sirens? Equestria? What is even going ??” I gave a soft scratch of my chin.

“Err… it’s a bit of a wild story. I’ll tell you about it later. First, I need to handle something.” I snapped my fingers and a fire lit on the tip of my index. I then floated the flame over to her and she admired it in awe, her eyes shimmering in wonder. “It’ll follow you until you are safe with your friends out of the factory. This is going to get messy and I don’t want any complications.” Thi looked between me and the guy she was cradling.

“What’s your name?” She asked. I smiled and gave a cool salute.

“Quiet Fire. But my friends call me Fie.” I replied. Thi seemed to pause to take it in before she nodded and helped the guy up over her shoulder.

“Don’t do anything dumb until I’ve thanked you properly, Fie.” She said before jogging off while carrying the guy, the flame floating close by her. I moved away from my staff, knowing that she’ll be back to gather the rest while I walked towards the dark haze that was now surrounding the entire factory. I stepped into the haze and entered into the factory.

Equesteia Girls POV

Over the morning between classes, Twilight would stop by the science room and let the samples run their course. Applejack’s, Rarity’s and Fluttershy’s took between an hour or two while Rainbow Dash’s and Pinkie Pie’s took a little longer. Wallflowers ended up having a strange multi reading, the spectrum calculating all colors of the rainbows. After lunch and the start of the break period, Twilight had noted down the strange sample before using Sunset’s, which seemed to make the machine hiccup strangely before continuing its’ reading.

Sunset and Wallflower decided to walk together to the garden to check up on it (and Sunset wanted to observe something that’s been bothering her). Sunset had noticed that Muffins hasn’t shown up in two of her classes. Which is unusual as Muffins is never late. Wallflower suggested she must have been caught up with something or had gotten sick. When they arrived at the garden, Wallflower proceeded to check the soil.

Everything was freshly watered and yet the watering can was knocked over. Sunset looked around, something sending off her red flags.

“Is it just me or did the atmosphere change?” She asked aloud. Wallflower picked up the watering can and examined it. She narrowed her eyes, seeing a shimmer in the reflection of the can. She gasped when the image became clearer and she turned around, facing the wooded area. Sunset was quick to react, rushing over and readying herself. “What is it?” She asked, her eyes darting. Wallflower nervously pointed into the woods.

“I-I thought I saw s-s-something tall move behind the tree there.” She stammered. Sunset took a serious expression, looking around.

“Show yourself!” Sunset called out. The two waited with bated breaths, their senses high alert. Sunset squinted her eyes and saw a shimmer of a shadow. Yet, to their intense relief, Derpy walked out from the woods and waved to them. Wallflower and Sunset wiped their brows. “Oh, it’s just you Muffins.” Derpy walked over to them, giving them a reassuring wave of her hand.

“You alright, Muffins? I haven’t seen you in geography or art class.” She asked. Derpy gave a thumbs up with an enthusiastic nod of her head. Wallflower finished up her round with the garden, Sunset and Derpy helping out before the three began to walk back to the school. Sunset couldn’t help but notice Derpy was dragging her feet a little too much, but she shrugged, thinking she was probably a little tired from today. When they bid Derpy goodbye and began to make their way to the science room, Sunset tapped her chin in thought.

“There is still something bothering me though.” She began. “I’d thought I’d find some hint at the garden, but maybe I’m not looking in the right place.” Wallflower had her arms behind her back, tilting her head slightly at her.

“What are you looking for?” She asked. Sunset scratched her head.

“When we were fixing up the garden, I remember how you found the Memory Stone by digging it up. What if there is another artifact buried here in the school grounds? But… I don’t even know where to start looking.” She asked.

“Then perhaps you should start thinking outside the box.” A voice said. They froze and turned around to see they had walked past Professor Discord reading a book.

“Don’t do that! It’s creepy!” Sunset frowned while Wallflower sighed a bit in relief from the surprise. Discord licked his thumb before turning the page, not looking up from the book while replying.

“A lot of things are starting to get creepy. Shadows are literally popping out of the walls and ceilings. Quite fascinating really.” Sunset raised an unamused brow before balling her fists up. She then crossed her arms to confront Discord.

“What’s your deal? You’ve been nothing but cryptic. And what do you know about those shadow monsters appearing around town?” She asked impatiently. Discord looked up from his book this time and put a hand to his chest.

“My deal is a great number of things. And one that is just looking out for friends. Though I won’t lie, I have been enjoying the little chaos going on. Though it’s lacking something far grander than the norm.” He said. Sunset darted her eyes in thought, piecing together something. She then quickly grabbed ahold of Discord’s arm and waited. Discord looked unbothered as he kept reading his book. When Sunset couldn’t read his memories, she pulled away and glowered at him.

“You’re not a normal professor, are you? You weren’t even hiding it! You’re Discord, the god of chaos.” She said. Wallflower raised a questioning brow with uncertainty.

“God of chaos?” She asked. Sunset held out a hand in an attempt to put herself between Wallflower and Discord.

“He’s from Equestria. He gave Princess Twilight and her friends trouble before, but he’s been supposedly reformed. Yet, a god of chaos doesn’t rest easy, does he?” She challenged. Discord closed his book and bowed.

“Right on the snout.” He chuckled. Wallflower balked.

“But… a god?! Th-that can’t be… real can it?” She asked, shaking a little in horror. Discord snapped his fingers and a tiny version of Wallflower appeared in his palm. She repeated the words in a chipmunk voice before suddenly popping into confetti like a balloon. This terrified Wallflower even more. Sunset faced him, keeping Wallflower behind her.

“Oh, I assure you, dear, gods and goddesses are very real just like magic in this world is rare. Though, I wouldn’t say rare any longer. You see, I’m not supposed to be here in this realm. But I wasn’t given much of a choice.” Discord poofed away and appeared behind Sunset and Wallflower, dressed in a shining full set of armor, long flowing blonde hair and posing heroically on top of a rock. “You see, I am on a grand quest to help a dear friend out on her journey! To valiantly watch her back!” He then poofed and reappeared in front of them, wearing a swashbuckling outfit and cutlass, poised in front of him in a fencing manner. “High stake fighting and overseas diplomacy!”

He poofed again and appeared on Sunset’s shoulder in a strange tunic, flowing locks and a bow, knocking an arrow aimed away from her. “Dangerous and vast unknowns in the world yet to be discovered!” He poofed and reappeared behind them in a shaman like attire and stirring a cauldron. “Mystical properties of varying degrees and effects!” He then poofed and reappeared in front of them with his fingers wiggling. The two looked to see Twilight and the others as puppets on strings, doing little conversations. “I’m Twilight Sparkle and I love books and science and friends!” The Applejack puppet removed her hat in a greeting before doing a jig.

“I’m Applejack and I speak country and love wrangling pigs! Eeyup!” He then brought in Fluttershy’s puppet, who did a petite bow and gestured limply. “I’m Fluttershy, the kindest and most entrusting friend! Wow, Discord, your mane is looking rather pleasant today!” Discord looked touched. “Why, thank you, Fluttershy. I’m using a new product that keeps the grey hairs out and the young in!” He then snapped his fingers, returning himself back against the wall with the book in his hand.

Throughout all of this, Sunset and Wallflower were looking around to see if anyone was seeing this. Yet, no one paid attention. It was like they weren’t even there. Sunset glared at him.

“Helping a friend? Who?” She asked suspiciously. He then snapped his fingers and a cellphone appeared out of thin air. He swiped his thumb and then tapped the screen before showing it to them. It was the video when the spider attacked. Sunset looked a bit shocked. “You’re trying to help Quiet Fire?” She asked. Discord pocketed the phone and smiled.

“Indeed. You see, she’s a mare out of time and out of second chances. The clock is ticking for her in this realm. Same goes with the one who she is hunting. And I guess, same goes for me.” He explained. Wallflower rubbed her forearm nervously.

“M-mare?” She asked. Sunset beamed.

“So she is an ancient alicorn of fire! She must have appeared in this realm to hunt all these shadow creatures!” Sunset stated. Discord wagged his finger.

“You are only a penny right. There is much more nuance to it. But I think I’ll allow Fie to explain it. After all, she’s the one that Princess Twilight Sparkle entrusted with saving Equestria during a time of strife.” He then gasped and put a hand against his mouth in a sarcastic manner. “Oh my, I must apologize. I do have a habit of spreading gossip. Fluttershy has been so kind to try and help me through the issue. If only this realm’s Fluttershy could understand me.” Sunset blinked.

“Wait. Princess Twilight asked her to what?” Sunset asked. Discord pushed off the wall and checked his wrist watch.

“The bell is about to ring. I’ll see you and Twilight in class. Au revoir!” He said before snapping his fingers and vanishing instantly. Wallflower looked as if she was trying to comprehend her entire life while Sunset was rather confused on what Discord told them. The two walked silently back to the science room where Twilight was jotting something down in a notepad. She looked up from the machine and saw the expressions on their faces.

“Did something happen?” She asked. Sunset explained to her what had happened and this caused Twilight to chew the top of her pen. “But, how is that possible? A god of chaos? What does he even want with this realm?” Sunset hugged herself.

“I don’t know. But one thing is for certain. We have to find Quiet Fire. She’s the only one who has any idea of what’s going on with the dark magic. And I'm starting to get worried about Equestria.” She blew her breath out in annoyance. “Discord will not be helpful from what I recall Twilight writing to me about him. At least, not directly.” Twilight looked at them in concern.

“Thankfully it’s the last day of the charity event. We play what we can and start planning on how we can start going about this.” She replied. The machine suddenly hiccuped, causing Twilight to yelp and duck behind the desk as the machine coughed, jumped and twirled rapidly in the air, even bouncing around the room comically causing Sunset and Wallflower to duck before it slid back to its’ original position upon reaching the table. The three remained low until the machine dinged and a strange symbol began to appear in the rainbow of colors.

Twilight stood up and adjusted her glasses.

“Fascinating…” she marveled before jotting down in her notepad. Wallflower peeked out from behind the desk.

“W-what?” She asked nervously. Twilight took out a device and began to tinker with it along with the machine. The two watched as the color was drained out and the symbol vanished. When Twilight held up the device, it showed the symbol projecting itself over the device and crackling a bit. She beamed.

“We can start our search now.” She stated.

Chapter 27: Call of Canterlot

The interrogation room of the CCPD. The lights flicked on and a figure was silhouetted behind the lamp. The iconic trench coat and hat accompanying the figure, whose face is hidden by the shadows. The man leaned back in his chair with a note pad and pen. The only thing he asked the people he interviewed:

“Noticed anything unusual in your kidnapping?”

The first was the museum curator. The balding man was stricken with nervousness and sweat. The silhouetted man reassured him that he is well under care and just needs to know the answer to the question from their perspective. The curator dabbed his head with a cloth.

“I-it was dark. A-a-and cold. And the screaming… oh god the screaming…” The curator replied, his look terrified. “I-i-it was like sinking into an ocean… An ocean of the damned…”

“And this person who pulled you to safety. Did you get a good look at her?” The man asked. The curator nodded hesitantly.

“I-I-I didn’t know… she… she was that troublemaker I kicked out of my museum! She… she’s a monster… no one is able to move like she did…”

After getting the info from the curator, he went onto the next, calling them in. A young man with green hair and a beanie.

“Would a monster go out of her way to save everyone? Those people were scared. They had every right to be. But she saved us. I don’t understand why the officers are so adamant on arresting her.” He said sternly. The man took note of this before finishing up the interview and calling the next one in. They described their experience as exhilarating as it’s’ not every day to be in the events of danger and excitement. The man took note on the pad for the individual to potentially seek therapy before calling the next one in.

This one spoke about how it felt like the shadows were whispering sweet words into their ear. Listing off their darkest desires (which the interviewee was kind enough not to spill for the record). Another spoke about how the girl saved his girlfriend from the dark shadowy creatures. When he got to a pair of sisters, one who is from Crystal Prep and the other a Canterlot High student, the Crystal Prep student seemed to provide some solid information.

“It happened all so fast; I wasn’t able to comprehend it until Cloudchaser was being pulled in. It was dark, cold, scary. So much screaming. I wasn’t sure if I was holding onto Cloudchaser anymore. Suddenly, the darkness vanished and we looked to see that girl looking at us.” Flitter said.

“She was amazing! I’ve never seen someone move around so skillfully like that!” Cloudchaser chimed in. Flitter nudged her and Cloudhaser smiled bashfully. “B-but of course, I had to ensure Flitter was alright. She told us to get away, and we did, but Flitter…” She looked to her and Flitter leaned onto the table, her hand on her head as if trying to comprehend it all.

“That girl… I at first wasn’t sure why she was familiar. But seeing her eyes and a glimpse of a fiery head of hair… she was that girl I met in Crystal Prep. Principal Cadence wanted me to show her around the school. She was nice. A little curious. Didn’t seem at all off. Well… except for her eyes. They had this strange swirling fire inside the irises. It was really freaky. I just thought it was some sort of special contact lens she wanted to walk around with. You know, since everyone is usually out for the next big trend. She even wore a rather filthy looking cloak. Like she had slept outside for weeks and got into a fight with a stray animal or something.”

The man jotted this down. “Did you manage to get a name?” He asked her. Flitter tapped her chin.

“I think her name is Quiet Fire. That’s… about all I can really say.” Flitter looked at the man with concern. “Is she really that fiery comet that fought that giant spider?” The man shifted in his seat.

“That is what we are trying to find out. And you two have been extremely helpful. One last thing. Did she mention anything about looking for something? Or somebody? Any reason as to why she is doing what she is doing?” Flitter was quiet in thought before shaking her head.

“I’m sorry, sir. That’s all I know.” She replied. The man jotted something down before nodding to them.

“You both are free to go.” He said. The two stood up and exchanged concerned glances before being escorted out by an officer. When the door closed, the man re-read his notes. ‘Everything is there, but the vital clue is still missing. What is her relation to the shadow creatures? And this “Tenebres” Quiet Fire called out. Latin. Fitting for the monstrosities. But from what the witnesses reports it seems like she’s been fighting them for a while.’ The man tapped his mouth with the pen in thought. ‘I won’t really know for sure until I can find her. But the moment the officers get close, she just escapes.’ He sighs. ‘If the CCPD weren’t on edge lately, they are certainly on high alert now. Someone is going to get hurt with just normal activities on their watch.’

The man sighed before standing up and adjusting his hat before stepping out of the room. He turned and walked down the hall into the next room where three individuals were waiting. One was holding a sketch book and scribbling something on it. The other two, a male officer and a female in a business suite, turned to him. He nodded.

“Chief. Secretary.” He greeted. The chief of police nodded in return.

“Detective. Nice of you to join us. What were you able to gleam from the witnesses?” He asked. The man whipped out his notepad and flipped to the pages.

“Young female, possibly between the ages of seventeen and twenty. Orchid eyes, detailed with a strange characteristic of swirling fire in the irises, fiery red hair, was last seen wearing a rather run down cloak of some kind now possibly wearing a red hoodie with a white hood and black sleeves. And from what we’ve all seen on the news, has the ability to control fire.” He flipped through his notebook. “Oh, and your wife also says to don’t forget to take the chicken out of the freezer.” The chief nodded.

“Such an endearing character. Did you get everything, Pallet?” The chief asked. The one holding the sketch book was scribbling hurriedly down for a moment before turning the sketch around. The secretary rubbed her chin.

“Just a normal kid with bizarre characteristics.” She said.

“That ‘bizarre’ kid is the key to stopping all the kidnappings and we need her to aid us in anymore information about who’s causing all these strange creatures to appear in the first place.” The chief stated as the sketch person handed them the sketch. He then handed it to the secretary. “Make sure this gets out to all outlets, we need every eye, every ear.” The secretary took the page and nodded.

“Very well, sir.” She said before stepping out of the room. The detective rubbed his chin curiously.

“Haven’t seen those Rainbooms lately. Perhaps they might know something as well.” He suggested.

“The Rainbooms are not twenty-four seven heroes and while their help has been vital in simple burglaries, construction mishap or a cat stuck in the tree, have we’ve actually seen them do anything about the shadow creatures?” He replied to the detective before walking out of the room, the detective following him.

“So it’s been established. But the events at Canterlot High. She-demons, magical portals, rampaging plant monsters and science projects. It’s clear that this world is changing, chief, and we need to look at our options.” He said. The chief chuckled.

“You worry too much, old friend. You still believe in magic?” He said with a smile. The detective side-eyed him.

“Your inability to think of it as a stand in fact is a mystery I’ll probably never be able to solve.” He muttered under his breath. The chief pat his shoulder.

“You’ve been working too hard, Wild Fire. Take the day off. Go spend time with the wife and kids.” He said.

“I’ve never married nor fathered.” Wild Fire replied stoically. The chief nudged him with a wink.

“Then relax with someone who you fancy. Perhaps a certain female cop?” The chief grinned.

“Officer Cloud Mist is just as busy as I am. If anything, she needs the break because she has two kids and as a single mother, her work isn’t healthy.” Wild replied.

“I never mentioned Officer Mist, Wild. Using the full name in mention though?” The chief replied rather amusedly. Wild Fire gave a look of annoyance before tipping his hat.

“I’ve got work to do, chief.” He said before turning down the hall.

“I enjoy these talks, detective!” The chief called out before continuing walking the other way. Wild Fire reached his office and opened the door. The room was a bit of a mess with chinese take-outs missing the can and a ruffled rug from the many pacings the detective had. Wild Fire walked in and removed his trench coat and hat, putting them onto the coat hanger. Handsome features, golden eyes and ironically has a bed ridden fiery head of hair. He loosened his tie before walking over to a cork board. The entire wall around it was littered with notes, pictures and string. Several bigger pictures were the center of the board, each X'd out with his mark the center of it all with several question mark post-it notes around the man. For months he had been tailing this man. Trying to find an angle of how to catch him guilty. He would have gotten him too if these strange magical occurrences haven't been going on and sucked his mark into a black abyss.

He then spun around to the opposite wall, another cork board in a similar, yet less so, fashion. In the center was a picture of Canterlot High. Around it were the Rainboom's portraits from their yearbook. Notes around the pictures each noting every girl's power and quirks. He had the honor of meeting each one individually during a missing diamond that was stolen over the summer break. The Rarity girl seemed to be much more enthusiastic about it than the others, who were more inclined to search everywhere they could think with less than expected finds. On the board above the picture of Twilight and Sunset were the pictures of Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna. Charming ladies who each hold a high regard to every student, not just the Rainbooms.

Dotting also on the board was a picture of Sunset when she had transformed into a she-demon, Twilight as Midnight Sparkle, the students boarding the buses to Camp Everfree as well as certain events of the Friendship Games (one note had "Is this even school appropriate?" written above the moto cross arena). Above the board was a plastered collage of words spelling out "magic?". He walked over to the board and whipped out his note pad. Making some final touches, he ripped out the paper, showing to have a nicely drawn sketch of the witness's description of this new girl that had appeared out of nowhere. He pinned the sketch on the board and took a green string, connecting it to Canterlot High. Writing several notes on the post-it notes, he stuck them around the sketch. One having in red ink: "Connected?". Wild stood back and was quiet as his eyes darted around the board. His brain piecing together what he can. He then went to his desk, sitting down and slouching against the back of his chair.

He gave a soft sight before pulling out a flask and taking a swig of it before pocketing it back, then placing his revolver on the desk and went to lean forward, vanilla files spread out over the table. He glanced over to a picture of his younger days. Bright eyed and ready to take on the world. He couldn't help but chuckle to himself and put the picture face down before booting up his computer. He spent a couple of hours scrolling through his case files, doing reports and even checking up on the news. His eyes fell onto a video that was posted six seconds ago, showing the factory near the edge of the city. It had a dark, grainy filter about it, but when he clicked the video and it played, the dark and graininess of it made sense. He couldn't believe his eyes. A dark haze had enshrouded the factory. The camera person ducked back behind a corner when they spotted three figures flying out of the haze and soaring overhead. The video ended and the detective stood up quickly. Holstering his revolver, he rushed to his coat and hat, putting them on before jogging out of his office, nearly knocking over the secretary.

"Oh, uh, detective! I have your... coffee." She said, slowing her words as the detective was already out the door. Wild rushed to his car and got in, swiping his phone and sticking it to his holder. He started the car and sped off the lot, several officers looking confused. One, however, found the hurried detective to be interesting and turned her vehicle on before speeding out as well, tailing the detective. Wild removed his tie and tossed it aside into the passenger seat, making his way down the road with his lights and sirens blaring. He looked in the rear view and noticed an officer vehicle following him, the lights turning on and alarms blaring. He only smirked before continuing his speed down the road. It took him several minutes to reach the area, coming to a halt just a block away from the factory. He stepped out and removed his hat, looking on in awe at the dark haze, the several onlookers filming already. He glanced over his shoulder to see the officer vehicle pull up and the officer stepping out. A pretty, ponytail blonde haired woman with sharp eyes and a stoic look narrowed her eyes.

She walked over to the detective and studied the dark haze. She pressed on her walkie.

"Five eighty-nine, requesting back up over at Daisy Metal Smelting Factory, over." She said. There was a garbled reply before she nodded to Wild, drawing her gun and holding it down in front of her. "Detective." She greeted stoically. Wild coolly smiled at her before drawing his own revolver and checking it.

"Always a pleasure to work with you, Ms. Mist." He said. The officer and the detective waited a bit for the other officers to arrive, sirens blaring. One of the officers told the others to block off the roads and get the onlookers back. With back up taken care of, the two proceeded forward, hurrying down towards the factory.

Quiet Fire's POV

I snapped my finger and a fire lit at my tip. I looked around the darkened factory. So much graffiti plastered the walls and floor as I walked forward. My senses on full alert, making my way to the middle of the factory. Tall, empty kiln vats lined with each other symmetrically, a strange machine that I would assume where the molten metal would pour out of for the workers to cast and cool the metal. Walking past the machinery, I looked up to the ceiling, seeing catwalks and a chained cauldron hanging over head. I hummed in thought to myself.

'Hey, Din. Shouldn't we do something to Tenebres to goad her out?' I asked.

Fair idea. Let's try it. She grinned evilly. The flame at my tip grew brighter that I had to open my hand for it to grow. I furrowed my look before crushing the fire and knelt down, slamming my palm into the ground. The whole factory lit up and I heard a scream from somewhere. I stood up and looked around, getting into a defensive stance.

"Ow! That really hurt, you big meanie!" A child like voice said. Din cackled.

Afraid of a little fire, little one? You know what happens when you get too close. She grinned smugly.

"Say what you want, but mistress isn't going back to that dumb realm!" The child like voice echoed around us.

"She's making a big mistake trying to meddle in this realm! She's coming back with us!" I retorted. Another voice rang out, one that was distorted and deep.

"Do you not want to be mistress's friend? She is quite fun to play with." The voice spoke. There was then a chorus of giggles and the skittering of feet that made me put my head on a swivel. Another voice echoed out of the darkness.

"Come play with us. Everyday is a fun day in the darkness." A feminine voice spoke.

"Hide and seek! Hide and seek!" Two childlike voices spoke gleefully. I grit my teeth and spun around, hearing the pattering of feet behind me. The giggles began to echo around me. Everything went quiet. I calmed my breathing and stood still in my stance. I then sensed a presence behind me and I quickly spun around, lighting my fist on fire and holding it out to a horrifying slender like creature with beady yellow eyes. It hissed with a jagged maw before retreating into the darkness. Din growled.

Fun time is over. Time to take a long, excruciating nap. Din spoke. I then felt myself warming up before raising my hand overhead. A fire bolt shot out and hit the bottom of the cauldron, the firebolt exploding into magma and filling up the kiln vats, creating a red glow in the factory. Several hisses could be heard around me and I quickly spun around, readying myself.

"This one is mean!" the voices echoed. "Nasty, evil adult! Wants to ruin playtime! What should we do, Mitzi?" Everything went quiet as a child giggled. I then spun around and my eyes widened in surprise at hooded winter jacket childlike figure was hanging upside down. Their beady eyes meeting mine and the maw split open into a wide grin.

"I know! Let's play tag! Mistress always love playing that game!" The creature said eerily childlike. Din grinned widely and confident.

Heh. Goodluck, brat. I don't play fair! She hissed. The child put their sleeves together happily.

"Then I won't play fair either! Heeheehee! This'll be fun!" They giggled before the ceiling began to drip with black substance. I looked up and gasped, seeing the slender creature looking down at me. The maw opened and lashed down at me.

When Wild Fire and Cloud Mist got close to the factory, they aimed their weapons over to the gate, seeing several unconscious people resting at the open gate. Both recognized the attires as belonging to gangs. Wild and Cloud approached cautiously before Wild knelt down to check the pulse of one of the gangers.

"Breathing. But it doesn't appear that these two gangs knocked each other out." He said. There was the sound of a grunt and the two aimed their weapons at a figure emerging from the black haze, a flame bobbing around her. The girl panted and trudged over to them before placing down the knocked-out ganger. She rolled her arm and did a double take at the two authority figures. She slumped and held up her hands.

"Look, officers. This is a big misunderstanding." She said. Cloud eased her aim while Wild lowered his.

"Well. No surprise officer Billet's daughter is hanging out with bad crowd. Fortunately, you aren't going to be arrested. Yet." Wild stated. Thi Billet grimaced. But her expression softened before she turned around.

"Then you're going to have to wait. Fie is still in there." She said. The two exchanged glances.

"Friend of yours?" Cloud asked stoically. Thi turned to them and glared.

"She quickly became one. What's it to you, miss no friends?" She retorted. Cloud only raised an unamused brow while Wild stepped forward.

"Are there anymore inside?" He asked. Thi shouldered her bat, hesitating. She then shook her head.

"I... managed to get everyone out." She replied. Wild smiled softly.

"Then stay here. We'll check out the factory." He said, taking a step forward. But Thi grabbed ahold of his trench coat quickly and stopped him.

"You're better off sticking with me." She said seriously. Wild studied the look on the girl. He then looked at the bobbing fire. He was quick to piece things together. His excitement rising a bit. He then looked over to Cloud.

"What do you say, officer? This'll be your chance to finally question the fire starter." He said. Cloud nodded before cocking her gun and walking over to them. Thi took the lead.

"Fie said to stick near the flames. It's what keeps the shadows from surrounding us." She explained. Cloud's eyes darted quietly around the area.

"And where does this shadowy haze even come from?" She asked. Thi shrugged.

"It just rolled in when we confronted The Dazzlings. You'll never believe this, but they are apparently monsters from another realm." She said. Wild hummed.

"That much I gathered with the shadowy creatures. Would you believe that some still don't believe in magic after all this?" He smirked at her. Cloud shushed them and aimed her weapon ahead of them. Wild and Thi readied themselves, their eyes watching the area around them. They then heard the sound of wings flapping. Thi looked up and gasped before ducking with the two as a shadowy creatures swooped down over them.

Cloud Mist aimed up, locking onto a creature before firing off two shots. Wild was always impressed by the officer’s aim. The detective then turned, seeing three bat like creatures swoop down again. Being quick on the trigger he managed to hit two out of three. The last one shrieked and dived at him. Thi shoved him aside and brought her bat over her head and swung down, crushing the creature in a black sticky puddle. Thi gave a disgusted look and shook her hand.

“Ew, what the hell is this stuff??” She asked partially annoyed. More shrieks could be heard.

“Anyone has a bright idea?” Wild asked, reloading the three shots he spent. Thi hummed, looking at the fire around them. She then had an idea that could turn the tide.

“We need to get to the factory! It’s safer there!” She called out, patting Cloud’s back and motioning for them to follow. Cloud fired off two shots before quickly following Thi and Wild. They sped through the haze, the fire pushing it around them before coming to an open area in front of the factory. Quiet Fire’s staff still planted in the ground to keep the darkness at bay. They had made it just in time as the bat like creatures that were chasing them began to break and only two unfortunately were burned flying into the open area.

Cloud Mist, Wild Fire and Thi Billet took a moment, Cloud reloading while Wild looked up at the factory. He then looked around the area, the distant sounds of screams coming from inside the haze.

“What is even all this? And how is this fire keeping the shadows at bay?” Wild Fire asked, more to himself aloud. Cloud Mist scanned the area, her senses high alert. Thi jogged up to the factory and was about to open the door when she froze, seeing the black substance form all over it. She gritted her teeth and looked around.

“Fie is inside the factory! There has to be another way in!” She stated. Wild and Cloud exchanged stoic glances before Wild stuffed his hand in his pocket.

“Didn’t you say that the fire keeps the shadows at bay? Then perhaps we just need to heat things up a little.” He said, his eyes falling to the staff. Thi blinked and scratched her head a little.

“Right! Which is totally what I had in mind!” She lied.

“Do you really think it’ll work?” Cloud asked calmly. Wild shook his head.

“This is magic. Way beyond what we normally deal with. And since we can’t back out now, we have to try something.” He said. Cloud crossed her arms.

“Resourceful.” She commented. Wild took a hold of the staff and tried to pull it out. It didn’t budge. He arched a brow before holstering his revolver and grasping the staff with both hands. He took a deep breath before trying to lift it up. Nothing. Cloud rubbed her chin before walking over and grasping the staff with both hands and together the two tried to lift it up. Still nothing. The two pulled away, panting a little.

“How is it so heavy?” Wild asked. Thi jogged over to them.

“Huh. Fie was able to swing that thing around like nothing. Is it really that heavy?” She asked, taking the staff in her hand and pulling. It still refused to budge. Thi hummed. All at once, the three had a singular idea. They looked to the bobbing fire. Thi stuck her tongue out and reached for it. It flared a bit when her hand got close and she hissed in response, shaking her hand. “Ouch! That stung!” She stated.

Wild Fire rubbed his chin. He then took Thi’s bat out of her hand (much to her protest) before sticking it out. The fire didn’t flare. In fact, when he started to wave it softly under the flames, it followed. Without a second thought, he carefully directed the flame over to the staff. When he managed to have the flame hover over the staff, that’s when it flared greatly, as if it had ignited from a bonfire. The screams around them were louder, exclaiming the pain of shadows.

The three backed away as a pillar of fire shot high into the air, splitting the haze before washing over the area. The shadows retreated or melted into puddles of black substances. Wild handed the bat back to Thi as all three were staring in awe at the sight.

“This is going to be an interesting report to file.” Cloud commented. Thi looked over to the factory and pointed.

“Hey, look!” She said. They turned to see the black substance burn away. The three nodded to each other before jogging to the door. Wild took point and counted with his fingers quietly from three. When he reached one, he then shifted and kicked the door a few times, knocking it open and a cold breeze greeted them in the darkness. Yet, they could see the red glow from further within. The three made their way in and came to the main area of the factory.

“Fie? Fie are you here?!” Thi called out.

“Lookie! New friends!” A child like voice echoed around them. All three felt a chill go down their spine as the atmosphere grew heavy. They readied themselves, the detective and officer darting their eyes while Thi looked for any sign of Quiet Fire. The child like giggle was then followed by two more children giggling. Cloud Mist looked up and aimed her pistol, taking a step back as a long and slender shadowy figure with beady yellow eyes stepped down from the ceiling.

It unnervingly swayed with the movements as it circled them. They felt the ground tremble rhythmically, causing them to look and see a bulky mass of shadows stamp around the side of an active kiln. It opened its’ massive jagged maw to reveal a bloodshot eye staring at them. They then looked to see two tiny plant like shadows giggling childishly as they danced above the catwalk.

“What the hell did you do with Fie?!” Thi growled, aiming her bat at the massive creature.

“Din’s vessel? Why we are taking great care of her.” A childlike voice replied around them. “She is being quite stubborn to be our friend. But she’ll come around eventually.” The child then giggled. Wild Fire aimed his revolver at the slender figure.

“So, what’s your game, then? Why are you kidnapping people?” He asked, keeping his revolver trained on the figure.

“Mistress has been lonely since as long as she can remember. It was so sad to see. But then we came along and made it all better for her! Now she wants to show that her friends can be our friends! And in turn, that’ll make our friends her friends! It’ll be a friendship bonanza!” The child like voice cheered. Cloud narrowed her eyes.

“What is your ultimatum? There has to be more to it than that.” She stated coldly. The childlike voice sounded very pouty.

“There is no ultimatum, dummy. We just want to be happy with mistress! Not like you’ll understand! Adults never understand!” There was a loud sound and the three watched as a sickening squelching sound was followed by a winter jacket wearing childlike figure descending from the ceiling. A giant blob of shadow connected to the back of the figure. The child shadow put its’ sleeves to its’ maw, giggling. Thi looked disturbed. Swallowing the disgust, she readied her bat.

“What did you do with Fie?!” She asked. The child swayed above them, head tilting to the side in a shrug.

“She’s in timeout. A bit of time in the embrace of our mistress’s shadows will surely make her become our friend!” The child replied. The figure then crossed their arms. “And we don’t need adults to ruin our playtime! In fact, I don’t think you are fit to be mistress’s friends! So, make like a sheep and get lost!” The slender figure shuttered before opening its’ maw. Cloud shoulder shoved Wild and Thi away before diving to avoiding the creature. Cloud Mist rolled deftly onto her feet and fired at the creature.

The slender figure swayed and shifted, slithering over to the wall and merging into it. Thi and Wild scrambled to their feet. Wild balked and pushed Thi aside, tripping back on his feet and landing on his rump as the bulky monster snapped at them. Thi grit her teeth and booked it up the catwalk, only to stop when the two flower like creatures bounded and danced around her. She felt a wet slap that stung her cheek.

“Ow! That hurt, dammit!” Thi exclaimed angrily. The second shadow creature lashed out tendrils the wrapped around Thi’s arm and hand that holding the bat, causing Thi to tug back while the other creature jumped onto her back and covered her eyes while pulling on her. She grunted and stumbled along with the creatures. “Let go!” She shouted. Down below, Cloud Mist dodged around a pillar, narrowly avoiding the piercing limb of the slender creature. She took a deep breath before dashing out and firing at the monster, the bullets only going through it with no injury.

She narrowed her eyes, having to roll to avoid another tendril lashing out. The creature seemed to laugh at the officer’s attempts. Cloud retreated out in between the kilns, grazing a burn on her arm that singed the sleeve. She dove and rolled to avoid several tendrils that slithered and lashed out at her. She was about to run around the opposite kiln when she tripped.

She looked down and tugged her leg, seeing that the black substance stuck to her. It then began to drag her around the kiln. Not too far off, Wild was pressed against a corner and a pillar, keeping himself from being snapped into the maw of the creature. It squirmed its’ way in as Wild managed to squeeze through and ran behind it. The creature pulled away, breaking the pillar in the process before turning to the detective.

It roared loudly at him. However, it was a mistake that worked in Wild’s favor. Without hesitation, he fired his entire cylinder into the eye, black liquid spewing out from the wounds. The creature shook itself violently, knocking over a kiln that burned the tendrils around Cloud’s legs. She quickly kicked off the last tendril and scramble to avoid burning alive as the molten magma flowed out of it. The slender creature shrieked in pain. Above in the catwalk, Thi managed to yank away the bat and punt the flower creature away into a railing before reaching back and ripping the creature riding on her back.

She then chucked it onto the ground and began stomping on it. Black liquid splattered onto her, but the creature managed to wrap itself around her leg and throw her over and down the catwalk stairs, tumbling onto her side and nearly knocking the wind out of her.

She looked up and gasped as the flailing bulky creature stomped around. Wild grit his teeth, about to charge to save her when in a blur, Cloud Mist slid by and yanked Thi by the leg just in time when the creature stamped at where she was a second ago. Wild let out a quiet sigh of relief before rushing over and helping both of them up. The child like figure began to shake angrily.

“Grrrrrghhh! What are you doing?! The adults are winning! Punish them!” It cried out angrily. The three stood side by side, readying themselves as the wounded creatures began to advance on them. Suddenly, a blinding flame roared in front of the child like creature, causing her to gasp. The other creatures hissed and shrieked in fear. The three looked on in shock.

Quiet Fire’s POV

Well, this sucks. I found myself sitting cross legged with my arms crossed over my chest. I tapped my finger against my arm as I was floating in a black void.

As annoying as that was, I feel this is a good chance to go over a way on how to handle everything. Din said matter-of-factly.

“Oh yeah? I’m all for suggestions.” I replied with a sigh.

We’ll play victim long enough for the creature to drop its’ guard. I already have our escape covered. Now then, what have we’ve learned so far of this world? Din asked. I hummed in thought.

“Clothes are important. Magic is known. Meat based foods are delicious. Tenebres and her vessel have been running rampant for about two weeks in this world. My question for that is, how did they even get here?” I listed. Din snorted.

It’ll be too much of a pain to hunt down every portal from Equestria to this world. We shouldn’t focus on that. What we need to focus on is finding where Tenebres and her brat are hiding. Tenbres’s stench is starting to become overwhelming in this realm that it’s hard to pinpoint where the source is coming from. Din explained. I sighed.

“So, what, do we just tackle every shadowy creature we come across until we draw her out? Because frankly, if we are to go off the behavior of that Mitzi creature, Tenebres is fully aware we are here. Perhaps she’s just biding her time right now.” I replied.

Yet she doesn’t learn her lesson. Much like a child who has no awareness in their infancy. But no, we don’t need to hit every back alley to draw her out. Din grinned smugly. We make enough noise that even her “friends” can’t handle. She has to eventually do things by herself.

“But what if she doesn’t? She just continues to sit in the shadows and do nothing? We are better off finding her heart to get her to stand down.” I said.

And I agree. If I know my sister, I think I have several ideas of where she might have her heart close to. Din chuckled softly. A child is always closer to their dolls and toys more than the relationships of others. They don’t judge or treat you any different much like rocks. I tilted my head questioningly.

“So… we go and burn down toy stores?” I asked. Din shook her head.

As much as some toys need to be burned, I’m talking more organic. Like that Mitzi creature. She said. I only nodded as that made as much sense as the rock metaphor.

“So then, how long do we plan on being in here?” I asked. Din hummed pleasantly.

Give it a few more moments. The show is just getting good. She said. I raised a brow.

“What show? What do you see?” I asked, taking her eyes. Her eyes pierced through the veil of shadows and I could see the factory floor. My jaw dropped as I saw three people facing off against the shadowy creatures.

“Mom?? Dad??” I spoke aloud. The resemblance was uncanny. My parallel mother as a police officer and, to some ironic degree, my dad pulling off the detective look. Thi Billet was struggling with two creatures while Mizti seemed in a bliss state. I stood up and Din sighed.

You remember they aren’t your parents and friend. Din spoke. My fist clenched and I looked at her with a glare. Din rolled her eyes. Alright, fine. Just because I don’t want to hear you whining and having a repeat of the Star Bright festival. Din snorted. Stupid name. She then stood up and I softened my expression. I then put a hand gently on her neck and she glanced at me with a hint of disgust.

“Think of it this way. We’ll not only be clearing up my conscience, but I’ll also…” I darted my eyes in thought before smirking at an idea. “I’ll also double the crepes.” Din shifted a frown.

You’re a terrible bargainer. But wishful thinking and all that. She sighed with a shake of her head. She then swished her head and cut a fiery opening into the veil of shadows. Din phased into the back of my mind and I grinned.

‘Shock and awe.’ I thought to myself. I then ran forward and jumped into the opening, my hand reaching out. I then grabbed the head of the child like figure as I jumped out of the opening and planted both my feet into the black and sticky body. The beady eyed child widened their eyes in shock.

“H-how?! That veil was fool proof! No light could reach there!!” They shrieked. I grinned determinedly.

“Then allow me to burn that mistake into your mind!” I replied before gripping the face. I then felt a burning warmth surround me and I transferred it into the creature. A massive flame erupted around Mitzi, causing it to shrilly scream in pain. She protested loudly how much the burning hurts, calling out her mistress’s name.

“FICKLE!! MISTRESS FICKLE HELP ME!! IT HUUUUUUURRRTTTTTSSSS!!!” It screamed. Mitzi began to flail around, but I held on. I noticed the spilled out molten magma. I held out my free hand to it, drawing in the heat of it to make the fire burn even hotter to the point the flames turned blue and the magma hardening. I held on for as long as I could, the body of Mitzi shrinking and melting. As she melted, I noticed several silhouettes of people inside of the body. I grit my teeth tightly.

‘I will not burn them! Our flames are to protect balance! These people belong to the balance! I will not burn them!’ I thought furiously in my head. When Mitzi melted enough, I then lessened the flames and yanked the creature back, the both of us tumbling as the shadowy blob exploded. I shielded myself and saw the many people Mitzi has absorbed fall onto the floor, scattering about. They all looked like party goers and several ship workers. The people groaned and began to come to.

I stood up and shook myself off before looking around. The slender figure that had taken me by surprise earlier writhed before melting into a black puddle. A muscular man laid unconscious on the ground. I saw a bigger creature melt into a puddle blob of black shadows. From the looks of it, it was an actual manifestation and not a person powered one. The two creatures that Thi had fought off also melted, revealing two kids. The one who was the slender figure came too and looked around. When he spied the kids, he scrambled to his feet and rushed over to them.

The kids stirred awake and they called him “dad” in relief before hugging him. I crossed my arms with a satisfied smile at the relief of the people being okay. I then noticed Thi jogging over, giving me a surprise hug before pulling away.

“That was intense, Fie! What even happened to you?? What happened to everyone here?? What do you know of those Dazzlings?? What in the wide world is Equestria?? Who even are you?? Why did I even hug you?? I have so many questions!!” She exclaimed. I gave a nervous smile and pat her shoulder.

“Err… let’s just focus on getting these people out of here.” I told her. We then heard a cough as my parallel parents approached us. We looked to see the child like figure sit up and began to shake angrily before flailing its’ arms and legs.

“No fair, no fair, no fair! No, no, no, no, no!! Adults are so mean!! And ugly and smelly!!” Mitzi growled angrily before pointing at us. “Why do you have to exist?! Why can’t you all just be friends to my mistress?! Why must you fight the darkness so much?! We only want to protect you!! To be your friends!!” I raised a brow.

“Tenebres really needs to rethink her creativity.” I stated before walking over to the creature. Mitzi suddenly froze and shrunk down as I stood over them. “Fickle, is it? Your mistress? Where is she?” The child shook their head furiously, covering what would be ears if it had any.

“No! I will not tell! I’m not telling a dumb adult!! Snitches get stitches!” She shrieked. I sighed and shook my head. I then held up a hand and snapped my fingers, igniting a ball of fire in my palm. Mitzi whimpered. “You should be thankful I’m in control. If it were Din’s way, well, she would do a lot worse than just asking questions.” I then knelt down and smiled. “So, why don’t you play nice and I’ll even give you a special reward. One that I think you’re going to like.” I said happily. Mitzi shook her head.

“I-I don’t trust you!! I’m not telling you anything!!” They screamed.

“Then perhaps you can tell me.” My mom said. Err, well parallel mother. Mitzi moved away from me slightly as my mom got down on her feet and wrapped her arms around her legs. “It’ll be alright. We all make mistakes. I am an officer of the law. I promise everything you say will not be used against you. I’m sure Fickle is very worried about you, but we need to know where she is so we can take you to her.” She said in a strangely kind and motherly way yet keeping her iconic stoic look.

Somehow, I was feeling a mix of jealousy and envy. Mitzi continued to whimper, uncertain about the officer. My dad then stepped forward and knelt down.

“You can trust us. You clearly care about your mistress and… surprisingly show a lot of human behavior. I don’t know how I should feel about this, but as protectors of peace and servers of justice, officer Mist and I can ensure that nothing bad will happen. But you need to understand. You cannot be kidnapping people.” He rubbed the back of his head, clearly conflicted about going along with this. My parallel mother made it hard to tell what she was thinking. Mitzi looked between them before eyeing me terrified.

I shifted a small frown. ‘I’m not sure what my parents are thinking, but let’s go along with it for now.’ I thought to Din. Din scoffed.

We need to get rid of it. Very well. We will do so once it takes us to Tenebres’s vessel. She sighed with an unamused cross of her forelegs. I doused the flame in my palm by crushing it and stood up.

“Be on your best behavior and I’ll be on mine. All I want to do is talk to your mistress. I will keep Din in check for you.” I said. Mitzi shook her head slowly.

“N-no… you don’t follow. Only they follow.” Mitzi spoke. I narrowed my eyes.

“Then I don’t trust you to be with them. You tried earlier. You sure you want to encur my fire again?” I asked a bit coldly. Mitzi whimpered but my mom stood up and put a hand on my shoulder.

“I believe you have some other business to attend to, don’t you?” She asked me. I met her eyes and she remained stoic. I sighed and rubbed the back of my head before looking over to Thi.

“Sorry, Thi. I’ll explain myself later. But my pare- err- officers are right. I need to check up on something. Maybe we can meet up later?” I spoke towards Thi. Thi crossed her arms and pursed her lips in thought.

“How about… Coinky-Dink? It’s an old school diner. I could really go for a burger.” She said with a cool smile. I smiled and pressed my fist gently at her shoulder before walking past her. I looked over my shoulder to my folks.

“Becareful you two. When things get too much, just run. I’ve dealt with other power elements and they do not care for the well beings of mortals. Do not try to kill her either. If either one of us dies, the realm is doomed to nothing.” I then reached for my hood, only to find that I had burned my hoodie to ashes. Only my shirt, pants and shoes remained. I frowned and looked around. I appeared to have burnt my backpack too.

Though, amongst the black, I saw red. I walked over to it and pulled my hoodie cloak from the substance. With a quick wave of my hand, I burned off the substance and threw my cloak on. Throwing up my hood, I then proceeded to head to the door. Before I stepped out, I looked over my shoulder one last time, seeing the awe struck and confused looks of the people at me. I then nodded to my folks before Din’s wings unfurled brilliantly and I took off into the sky, calling my staff back as I did.

‘Up for a little game of follow the mouse?’ I asked Din. Din gave a stretch before smirking smugly.

I have our options covered. She replied.

Back at the factory, Cloud Mist put a hand to her hip and eyed Wild Fire.

“She has a striking resemblance to you, detective.” She commented. Wild Fire rubbed his chin.

“Noticed it too? Didn’t think I’d have a mini-me running around with fire powers. Though, I’ll admit, I don’t know who. She kind of reminds me of you to some degree.” He replied. She raised a brow in small amusement.

“What’s your clue?” She asked. Wild Fire smiled coolly.

“Has a certain… fire in her eyes. And seems to have a kind heart.” He replied with a small cough. Cloud Mist smiled softly.

“Smooth, detective.”

Equestria Girl’s POV

Word got out about the factory attack. The images of three figures soaring overhead and out of sight brought up a lot of theories among the students. However, seven certain students knew exactly. Rainbow Dash bounced her leg restlessly as she leaned against her locker, swiping her phone. Sunset rubbed her chin as she read the report over twice now.

“‘Ah jus’ don’ get it. Didn’t they lose their magic? How did they get it back?” Applejack spoke unamused.

“They probably got it back during that earthquake." Rainbow commented a little annoyed by the sighting of the three.

"And it also seems like they have a connection to those shadow creatures too. I think we have a source." Sunset spoke with a determined smile.

"But... wasn't their magic music?" Fluttershy asked as she tossed a dog treat to Spike, who caught it. "I may not know much about mythology, but didn't Princess Twilight mention they feed off of negative energy?"

"All the more reason why they may be causing it. They could have found an Equestrian artifact and are using it to regain their magic. All the despair from kidnappings. They've been probably enjoying every single second of it." Sunset replied with disgust.

"Or, perhaps it's something external that isn't supposed to exist?" A voice spoke. The girls looked to see Discord walking down the hall with Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna. Sunset looked between them before exchanging a confused glance to the others.

"What do you mean?" Sunset asked carefully. Celestia and Luna crossed their arms in confusion. Discord gave a small grin.

"Oh, just trying to get in on this whole trend thing you kids seem to be doing now a days." He replied with a small chuckle. Sunset crossed her arms and raised a brow suspiciously.

"Uh huh..." She said.

"Is there something we can help you with?" Twilight asked, adjusting her glasses. Celestia spoke up.

"Professor Discord wanted to show us something and thought it'd be nice to invite some students to participate in a small out of class project with us supervising." She said.

"Out of class project?" Rainbow asked. Discord nodded and walked past them.

"Indeed! I think you'll like it! Quite the game changer might I add." He winked to Sunset. Sunset and Wallflower exchanged confused glances. "Oh, and Wallflower. Do be a dear and see if you can find us a fortuna acchidemia, if you will." He told her. Wallflower blinked.

"A fortuna what?" She asked with a scratch of her head.

"It should be an plant growing in your garden. You should know, you've been keeping good care of it." He said. Wallflower raised a brow.

"But... none of the plants are even ready to sprout. How could anything have grown yet?" She asked.

"Magic." He stated with a wiggle of his fingers. Everyone exchanged glances.

"Err... Professor Discord. Is there a point to this? You haven't even told us specifically what this out of class project is." Luna stated. Discord flourished his hand.

"In due time, dear Luna. Girls, if you would be so kind?" He said, motioning gentlemanly towards the school doors. The confusion was clear on everyone’s face. But deciding since Celestia and Luna are supervising, it shouldn’t be that bad they all thought. Sunset eyed Wallflower who seemed puzzled. She put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

“C’mon. With Celestia and Luna around, they’ll see Discord isn’t all he’s cracked up to be.” Sunset smiled. Wallflower returned it with her own before the two walked after their friends. Discord had gathered everyone in front of the pedestal while Wallflower walked down towards her garden. Discord leaned coolly against the pedestal and reached into his suite, pulling out some chalk. He then opened the box and began passing the chalk out to each one, save for Celestia and Luna.

“Uhhh… what are we even doing?” Rainbow asked, scratching her head.

“We are going to do a simple, artistic diagram. Each of you has received a represented color of chalk. Basic, I know, but trust me, this is for the betterment of all your classmates and even the citizens of Canterlot City if my math is correct.” Discord replied. Sunset arched a suspicious brow.

“Alright then, Discord. What do you want us to do for this ‘project’?’” Sunset asked. Discord cleared his throat and withdrew a scroll. He then opened it, showing a strange looking diagram of a circle with strange symbols spread around it. Rarity blinked.

"Is that supposed to be Canterlot High?" She asked.

“You might want to take a picture to keep yourself memorized, but each one of you will be drawing these symbols based on the colored chalk you are holding and in these specific locations around the school. Think of it as an independent study slash group project for funsies." He said.

"And uhh... how exactly is going around the school and drawing some weird symbols on the ground a project?" Applejack replied. Discord pointed at the scroll.

"It's a good friendship activity, I would think. Isn't that what the Wonder Colt's school spirit represents?" He asked with a sly grin. The girls scratched their heads and exchanged glances, unsure of what point Discord was trying to make. Regardless, the girls decided to go along with it for now, taking a picture on their phone of the scroll before separating. Celestia and Luna approached Discord as Sunset walked over not too far away from them. In fact, her color symbol is only a few feet in front of the pedestal. She knelt down and glancing at her phone, she began to sketch the symbol.

“So, professor. What would you have us do? Watch the girls draw in the areas?” Celestia asked. Discord casually waved a hand towards her.

“Actually, yes. Once the girls are finished and regroup here, I need you both to go to the areas and spend at least a minute of observing the area. Be on the lookout for anything colorfully off.” He explained. Celestia and Luna exchanged confused glances.

“Colorfully off?” Luna asked. Discord nodded as he withdrew a book and opened to a page.

“In due time. For now, just enjoy the fresh air.” He said with a smile. Sunset frowned as she had finished up her symbol. She stood up and dusted herself off before turning to Discord.

“Alright, ‘professor’. I’m going to go check on Wallflower. Don’t pull anything funny.” She said with a narrowed expression. Discord sighed.

“Sunset, it’ll only be difficult for everybody if you don’t have hope or trust that this study activity is beneficial. For once, I am directly trying to help. Believe me, this calls for my intervention.” He said with a bored look without looking up from his book. Sunset rolled her eyes before turning to jog down the path towards the garden. When she arrived, she slowed herself and looked around.

“Wallflower?” She called out.

“Over here!” The panicked voice of Wallflower spoke. Sunset jogged hurriedly over to the area and saw Wallflower on the ground and wrestling with a wriggling plant. The bud hissed and snapped at her. Sunset balked and rushed over to her, grabbing at the entangling stems.

“What happened?!” Sunset spoke as she pulled at the stems, freeing Wallflower’s arm.

“I-I don’t know! I noticed this plant growing and figured this is what Discord wanted me to get!” She grunted, struggling against the stems. “I wasn’t expecting it to spring to life!” Sunset and Wallflower wrestled with the snapping and hissing plant. Wallflower reached into the back of her jeans and withdrew the statue horn of the broken statuette and began to jab at a stem. What the two weren’t expecting was the flower suddenly screeching and the statuette’s horn glowed brightly in a rainbow prismatic fashion.

Sunset saw the stems loosening and she pulled Wallflower out of the flower’s hold. The two fell back as the flower hissed and snapped its’ buds. Wallflower looked down at the horn, puzzled. Sunset gasped and stood in front of Wallflower as the plant lashed out at them. Sunset held up her hands in brace for the attack. Sunset’s hands suddenly glowed and a yellow beam of magic pushed the flower back. It hissed and flailed in front of them.

Sunset looked down at her hands in shock.

‘Magic… laser?’ She thought. Suddenly, she felt a surge of determination and faced the plant. It almost felt natural to her. Despite being in this world without her prior use of magical abilities, she knew this one pretty well. Sunset brought up her hands outstretched in front of her and smirked, unleashing the magic. The flower shrieked as it washed over it, shrinking in size. Wallflower stared in awe as the flower shrunk to that of a normal sized flower.

Sunset closed her hands to cancel the magic and began to laugh excitably.

“My magic… I can actually use my magic again!” Sunset beamed. Her eyes then fell onto the flower. Dainty and still. She hummed before smiling. She used her magic, grasping the stem of the flower and plucking it before levitating it over to her. Sunset laughed again and punched her fist in the air. “Yesyesyesyes! It’s like re-experiencing magic all over again!” She beamed. Wallflower stood up, dumbfounded.

“What just… happened?” She asked, looking down at the horn. Sunset turned, happily taking her by the arm and pulling her along.

“Come on! We have to show the others!” She laughed. Sunset felt like a little filly again. So much so that she had a bit of a skip to her step, the flower still levitating next to them. Wallflower, still puzzled, had a different take on the matter. When the two arrived, Discord looked up with a raised brow.

“Something exciting about picking a flower?” He asked. Sunset chuckled as the others began to show up.

“You aren’t going to believe this, but… well, here!” Sunset smiled. She reached for Discord’s book and the magic grasped it. She yanked it from his hold and levitated the book over to her, catching it and coolly closing the book. The girls circled her excitably.

“Wow! You can do that now??” Fluttershy marveled.

“Awesome!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

“But… I don’t understand.” Twilight spoke. She then waved her hand and levitated over her backpack, catching it. “I thought magic gave you telepathy?” Sunset beamed.

“I know, right! I can do magic again!” She beamed. Discord cleared his throat and the girls looked at him.

“Yes, yes. The flower, then?” He asked, holding out his hand. Sunset narrowed her look before waving the levitating flower over and putting it in his palm. He clasped it and smiled. He then snapped his fingers and the flower poofed on top of the pedestal. It lowered itself and suddenly, the roots entangled around it. The flower began to grow and then blossom. The petals began to shimmer with a rainbow color. The girls oohed and awed in wonder. Celestia and Luna looked dumbfounded.

“What is going on??” Celestia asked. Sunset turned to them.

“Professor Discord isn’t really a professor. He’s the god of chaos from Equestria.” Sunset began. The two women eyed him and Discord turned and bowed.

“At your pleasure.” He said. Celestia and Luna looked a bit unnerved by this revelation.

“Wait… a ‘god of chaos’?” Luna asked. Sunset crossed her arms and side-eyed him.

“Long story. But he’s a bit of a troublemaker in Equestria.” She began. “Which is why we were so on the fence about him suddenly wanting us to do this. So, Discord. Why are we doing this?” The others looked at him, not pleased by this. Discord looked a bit stung by everyone glaring at him.

“Your looks wound me. I’m a changed draconequus! The Princess of Friendship will vouch for me! Fluttershy will also tell you how wonderful of a tea party host I am!” He said, popping in a tea plate and tea cup, taking a sip from it.

“Then explain.” Celestia said, raising a brow. Discord looked between everyone. He then slouched and sighed.

“Alright, fine. You win.” He said defeatedly. “But I haven’t been deceiving or causing mischief this time, I swear! I never lied to you when I said that I am not supposed to be here.” He checked his nails as he spoke. “The balance of this realm is already in chaos as is. What with all the news outlets and social media this world runs on. They won’t be able to see the magic around them now that it is here, slowly seeping into this world from Equestria.” He then looked at the flower. “This flower feeds off of Equestrian magic. Not in a parasitic way, but to lessen the… volatility of the magic. In Equestria, magic is tamed, discovered and explored upon. Here, you humans think the magical thing is something from the 50’s.

“Those ‘symbols’ I had you draw were nodes to channel the magic flowing throughout the school evenly. And from the looks of it, it appeared to have worked.” Discord smiled smugly as he looked to Sunset. Sunset’s jaw dropped a little as she studied her hands. She then looked to the pedestal.

“So… the magic from Equestria is flowing from the pedestal?” She asked. Discord casually nodded and gestured with his hand.

“But of course. Thanks to Twilight keeping the portal open, the magic has been freely moving in and out. But instead of just the portal, it is also funneling out through another means. If I recall, Princess Twilight explained to her friends about a certain issue that came up here involving a desire to know magic?” He then looked to Twilight, who flushed and shrunk back. Rainbow Dash and Applejack positioned themselves in front of her. Sunset clenched her hands.

“So then… my friends and I can control our magic… better?” She asked. Discord nodded.

“Precisely. Though I wanted it to be a surprise for you all. Because we will certainly be needing you seven to have better control of your magic. Not just for the sake of the city, but for the sake of Quiet Fire.” He then put a finger to his lips. “I won’t kiss and tell. I’ll leave that explanation to her. This question was your one and only freebie.” He winked. Sunset and the others looked at each other. “Celestia, Luna. Please, won’t you do as I have said? Your valuable inputs would be beneficial.”

The two principals exchanged glances worriedly. They then walked off, leaving the girls to turn and discuss amongst themselves the possible new magic they might acquire. Wallflower hung back, unsure if she should join or not. She held the horn in her hand and studied it. It was glowing in the grooves a rainbow-like color. Discord’s eyes glinted mischievously as he spied the horn in her hand.

'It’s only a matter of when.' He thought.

Chapter 28: Coinky-Dink World

Fickle laid boredly in her bed. The day progressed rather against her. Not only that, Tenebres wasn’t in the best of moods.

She always ruins everything!! Why can’t she just disappear!? If we weren’t so needed I’d kill her right off the bat!! Tenebres shouted in anger, stamping her hoof. It’s not fair! It’s not fair! This is my realm! She will not have it! I refuse! Fickle sighed.

“Give it a rest, bestie. There are plenty of other things we can do to get her off our back.” She replied boredly.

Hmph! From what I can tell, you don’t have a single clue yourself! Why don’t you just shut up and let me think?! Tenebres barked. Fickle frowned angrily.

“Hey! We were making plenty of friends! And there are still a whole lot more out there just waiting to play with us! We also have some friends from Equestria!” She retorted.

Having friends will not do! We need more than friends! We need power! Using the serpent’s power is leaving a bad taste in my mouth! Tenebres went quiet and her eyes widened at an idea. Ohhhhh. Yes, that’ll do nicely… She giggled. Fickle blinked questioningly.

“What?” She demanded. Tenebres shifted on her dark throne and grinned.

The big kids want to trash all over our newly built sandcastle. Well then… two can play it that game. We need friends and we need power. Yes. Lots of power. This world is filled with untamed magic. How about we have a scavenger hunt? Find the sources of this untamed magic and have a little fun? And I know just where to start… Fickle blinked as three pillars of shadows formed and swirled in the room. From the shadows stepped out the Dazzlings. Adaggio smirked smugly.

“Allow us to help with that.” Adaggio spoke. Fickle rose from the bed and kicked her legs casually over the edge of the bed. “We have spent thousands of years in this realm. Far too long has this world taken from us. Now, we aim to take it back. And with this power you’ve granted us, we are obliged to return the favor.” Fickle smiled.

“What do you think, Tenebres?” Fickle asked. Another dark swirl of shadows appeared, taking the shape of an alicorn. The alicorn rose up and faced the Dazzlings, their surprise clear on their face. Tenebres’s shadowy purple eyes looked between them with a grin.

A mutual partnership, you seek? That sounds like fun. Only because I demand it so. Because I know how you adults play. You want to use this power for as long as you can. And you’ll probably want to try and swindle it from me. Tenebres giggled and her shadows grew around her. The Dazzling’s arms began to darken and crack, causing them to grunt in pain and fall to their knees, clutching their arms. You’ll do us the favor of finding this magic. You will give it to us. This power I lent you is not yours to see fit! A sharp smile spread on her muzzle. Once we obtain this magic, this realm is as good as ours. We are willing to help you get your own magic back, but that will be the extent of our aid. Now then, with that being said, I’m not going to shackle you to how you do things. Cause as much trouble as you want. It doesn’t matter to me. The magic must be mine!

The Dazzlings looked between each other, their pained expressions clear. Adaggio then bowed her head.

“W-we’ll do… what you ask… Tenebres…” Adaggio winced. Aria and Sonata followed suite. The Dazzlings hid their shamed disgust beneath their winces. Tenebres giggled and did a small little trot of joy.

Good! As for us, bestie. We will do our own scavenger hunt! Shall we begin? She said, melting into the ground and taking the place of Fickle’s shadow. Fickle stretched and hopped out of the bed before skipping happily out the door. Before she closed it, she leaned through the opening.

“Have fun, adults!” She beamed before closing the door. The pain of the primal’s shadow vanished, causing The Dazzlings immense relief that they nearly crumpled onto the floor. Sonata rubbed her arms.

“D-do we really have to do this, Adaggio?” She asked.

“Silence!” Adaggio snapped, the sweat dripping from her brow as she shakily studied her hand. She angrily grit her teeth and clenched her fist. “We’ve come this far to back out now! I tire of this human trash heap. Do you not tire of it as well?!” Sonata and Aria exchanged glances.

“What do you want us to do?” Sonata asked.

“I can think of a few things.” Aria rasped. Adaggio painfully pushed herself up from the ground and stood, swaying a bit.

“We just stick to the plan. Once we are free of this realm and this damned deal, Equestria will be ours to feed upon! And this time, not even those Elements of Harmony will stand in our way.” Aria frowned and stood up, shaking her wrist.

“Then why don’t we trash that school? They are the reason we lost the magic we had earlier. And I would so enjoy having my voice back.” She said. Sonata stood up and smiled.

“I kinda' had fun with our natural voices.” She said.

“This is more than just our voices, you buffoons!” Adaggio snapped again, turning to them. “This is revenge long coming! You are not seeing the bigger picture!” Her face flushed angrily before she shut her eyes and took a deep breath, adjusting her outfit and dusting off the skirt calmly. “But before we can do any of that. We need as much energy as we can store. So, let’s not waste time and cause as much despair as possible.” She then snapped her finger and a swirling pillar of shadows appeared. “That brat and her shadow can have this filth ridden place as much as she wants.” Adaggio turned and walked into the shadows with Aria and Sonata following suite.

Quiet Fire’s POV

The day progressed strangely uneventful. Din and I spent a couple of hours tailing my parallel folks. I waited in the shadows as they conducted their investigation. They hit several places that Mitzi had hit prior to being made. However, it led to coming up with one thing I’ve noticed. Tenebres loved to move around a lot. All the places felt random and not worth a second glance. Perfect for her to store the kidnapped citizens to turn into her shadow lackeys. I snacked on a pastry that someone gave to me for free as they had apparently recognized me from the plaza.

After that interaction, it was taking to the skies as to not give myself away, as grateful as I am for the free snack. The last location they visited was a painting gallery. The place had been closed up from what I overheard from my dad when Tenebres’s lackies ransacked the place. The paintings were defaced or destroyed and the curator missing. There was one question my folks asked Mitzi that made me narrow my look.

“So, how long does it take for the transformation to solidify?” Wild asked. Mitzi, who had been chicken toed and seclusive, fidgeted.

“Our friends can be instantaneous or take a while. So long as darkness is in their heart, the process can go either way.” They explained. “I-I showed you all the places mistress has been to. C-can I go?” Cloud Mist knelt down to their level.

“We still need to find your friend. Do you have any other ideas as to where she might be?” She asked. Mitzi fearfully shook her head.

“P-please let me go.” They replied with a whimper.

“Look, we will when you can show us where your friend is. It is vital that we find her.” Wild spoke. Mitzi held their sleeves to their hooded head.

“No… no more! I don’t want to do this anymore! Wh-why hasn’t she come get me yet??” The beady eyes widened before they looked at the two. “You are the ones preventing her from showing up! You already have her! You’re just trying to be meanie adults and keep me away from her!” Cloud held up a hand calmly.

“Easy, easy. We do not have your friend in custody. We wouldn’t have been pulling you all over the place if we did.” She said. Mitzi shook their head.

“Liars! Adults always lie! Try to save their own hide! Mistress always said adults lie through their teeth! It’s why they all deserved to be silenced! Why they all deserve to be reformed!” Mitzi cried. Wild raised a brow.

“Reform? Like, turning into shadow creatures?” He asked. Mitzi glared at him.

“I won’t say anymore to a dumb adult! I want to go back to my friend!” Mitzi cried. Cloud slowly reached for her in an attempt to comfort her, but Mitzi hissed and melted into the ground, the jacket dropping to the ground. The shadow slithered past them and dove into an auto wagon. The auto wagon jerked and revved. Shadowy limbs began to emerge and form limbs to the wagon. Wild and Cloud drew their firearms and readied themselves. One of the shadowy limbs slithered over as onlookers and citizens had a mix of stay and record or run away.

The limb entangled a lamp post and ripped it out. Wild and Cloud ducked as it swung over their heads, forcing them to retreat into the gallery. Mitzi slammed the lamp post down angrily.

“I’m tired of being led around! Give me my friend back!” Mitzi screeched. I adjusted my hood and stood up from the fire exit balcony of the next door apartment. Din unfurled her wings and I took off into the sky. Mitzi approached the gallery and thrusted the lamp post into the glass doors. My parallel folks took cover around the center wall and aimed.

“Enough, Mitzi! Stand down!” Wild called out.

“Shut up! You wanted to use me to get to my friend! Adults are evil! They don’t deserve to be our friends! You are not our friends!” Mitzi cried.

‘Time to end this.’ I thought. I then let myself drop and stuck one foot out, slamming hard into the roof of the auto wagon, shattering the glass and breaking it apart at the force of the landing. Mitzi jumped out from the auto wagon and began to flee along the ground. I threw out my hand and a wall of fire stopped Mitzi in its' tracks. It tried to go out into the street, but I then spun on my heel and drew the wall of fire around us, trapping it from escaping. Mitzi emerged from the street and looked around in a panic. I stepped off the destroyed auto wagon and approached the creature, my expression stoic. "I warned you." I spoke.

Mitzi began to whimper and groveled at the ground.

"N-n-no! I-I must return to my Mistress! I-I-I have too! She needs me! I'm her best friend!" It cried. I held out my arm to my side and called my staff. Mitzi held up their shadowy claws.

"One last chance. And I'll make it quick." I held my free hand in a fist up before igniting it. Mitzi cowered and tried to crawl away, but any further and it'd be caught in the wall of fire. Not like I was in a merciful mood anymore. Mitzi seemed to be out of words now. "Cat got your tongue? Who am I kidding. You probably ate one before.”

“P-p-please… no…” Mitzi whimpered.

I hope my sister feels this one. Din cackled with a grin. I then stood over Mitzi and brought my fist back. Without another word, I threw my fist down directly onto Mitzi’s face and it splashed into it. I then unleashed a hell fire so hot that the shadowy being began to bubble, bloat and even ignite the body. Mitzi let out a pained scream before popping and splattering the area. I stood up and flicked my arm of the substance, the shadows hissing into steam and vanishing.

‘Well, that was a waste of time.’ I thought before turning around and seeing my folks emerge from the gallery. They looked at me, a little hesitant. I sighed and lowered my head enough for my hood to cover my stoic expression. “You both knew I was following. I wasn’t lying when I said power elements could care less.” I put a hand to my chest. “My power element, Din, doesn’t care for this realm. Only the balance and stability so she could claim it herself. At least, that was her original goal. Now we strive for something greater.” I looked over my shoulder slightly to the charred spot. “We aren’t supposed to be here.”

My father rubbed his chin. “Then… how did you get here?” He asked. I rubbed the back of my hooded head.

“There was a portal in a mirror that sucked me into here. I… had no choice. It was that or be solidified into molten gold.” I stated. Both of them raised a brow.

“Then, is it alright to ask if you can answer some questions down at the station?” Wild asked. I shook my head.

“I can answer three questions now but I do not want to deal with the police. Trust me, Manehatten already experienced it.” I spoke.

“Manehatten?” Cloud Mist asked. I smirked and held up one finger.

“First question. It’s a city in my world. One of many.” I replied. Wild put a hand on her shoulder and nodded. Cloud crossed her arms and patiently waited.

“What are these power elements?” He asked. I casually twirled my staff in my hand.

“They are elements that are intended to keep the balance of the realm. My realm specifically. There are seven in total. As you can guess based on my fire and Tenebres’s shadows, we are represented as such. In fact, Tenebres is just a happy little happenstance. We had no clue she was here until after I showed up.” I sighed. “Now that she’s here, we are intending to bring her back to our realm. Without Tenebres, my world will cease to exist.” I then held up two fingers.

Wild hummed and rubbed his chin. “How can we help you track down Tenebres?” He asked. I smiled.

“I wouldn’t want you both to get injured or worse doing so. But if you can keep an eye out for a possible little filly with a pink coat and blue curly mane, then that’ll be great. If you are still unsure if they are Tenebres.” I pointed at my eyes. “Study the eyes. It’s what gives us away. Even through contacts if you look close enough.” I replied.

“Filly? As in… horse?” Cloud asked. I wagged my finger.

“Sorry, that’s all the questions I can offer right now. I have a schedule to keep. So, allow me to ask you something.” I replied. Wild raised a brow. I then had my staff lean against my shoulder while I bashfully tapped my indexes together. “D-do you… know where Coinky-Dink is?”

I soared through the sky over the city boredly. My eyes scanned the ground, searching for a diner that has a retro fancy “car” as my folks called them looking like it had drove itself into the roof. It sounded strange to me to label auto wagons as cars. The more I start to observe and learn about this world, it is so fascinating, at the same time, unnerving.

You know you’re only going to have those officers question you more. It doesn’t jeopardize our mission telling humans where we come from. Din commented suddenly. I shrugged.

“Yeah but… it’ll be weird and awkward to explain to them that I’m a pony from a parallel world. It’s strange enough to comprehend being in this body, let alone having these.” I replied, wiggling my fingers in front of me. “If I’m freaked out by this, then it should be the same for them. Better we just be vague about it for now. And if anyone asks a little more, we can just say magic.” Din rolled her eyes.

It won’t be me this time if it backfires. She spoke. My eyes then fell onto an auto wagon that looked like it had crashed into a building with neon lights circling the edge of the roof. I descended from the skies and into the side of an alleyway. I adjusted my hood and peeked out from the alley. Surprisingly, the coast was clear. I stepped out and looked up to the strange, retro style diner. I could faintly hear what sounded like some old school rock playing inside. I pulled the door open and stepped inside.

It was strangely chilly, and the atmosphere felt weirdly bubbly. Along the walls were black and white photos of what I’m assuming were famous singers and performers back in the day in this world, some memorabilia and upon looking in the opposite direction, booths with red puffy looking designs in leather and a familiar looking juke box that I would normally see at the waffle house back in Hoofington. I was once again reminded at how parallel this world is to ours.

“Hi, welcome to Coinky-Dink! Please have a seat and someone will be with you!” A voice spoke. I looked to see behind a bar a woman in an old school server outfit complete with apron and small white and red hat. Her black hair tied in a bun as she seemed to glide over to a smoothie station and wipe around it with a cloth. I awkwardly walked towards the very far end booth and took a seat. I nearly sunk into the seat. Din hummed in my thoughts.

Vessel. See if they have crepes. Din spoke. I raised a brow.

‘Huh… do power elements even get hungry?’ I replied. Din boredly dismissed this reply with a wave of a singular wing.

Do not amuse yourself. We do not feel the need to sustain ourselves with mortal food. We feed off of the ethereal stream. Just like every creature does. She replied.

I smirked.

‘Nothing wrong with trying to feel more down to earth.’ I stated amusedly.

I said not to amuse thy self! Din retorted. I then hummed.

‘If I get you one, how will I be able to feed it to you? Do I just eat it? Is that how it works? Wait… does that mean that whenever I eat something you taste it as well?’ I asked with a dawning realization.

Nay. You will transfer it into the ethereal stream. It maybe weak in this world, but it is still around us. Just hold it and act like it’s your weapon. I arched a brow and scratched my head.

‘A-alright. I’ll try.’ I replied as I picked up a laminated menu. Browsing through the options, I couldn’t help but notice most of it was yogurt and desserts. Realizing I was on the dessert menu, I browsed the menu again to see that there were all these weird sounding words. ‘Not even the waffle house in Hoofington has this many names. What’s a Wonder Hunger Quarter?’ I thought to myself. I pursed my lips and browsed the names again.

Eventually, my eyes fell on the breakfast menu (which to my pleasant surprise is a twenty-four seven menu) and noticed they did have crepes.

‘Which would sound appealing to you? Strawberry? Banana? Hazelnut Chunks?’ I asked. I felt Din take over my sight and browse the list. My eyes fell onto Sundae Surprise. I heard Din hum.

What is this surprise it offers? She asked. I giggled a bit.

‘It’s just a word they have to make it sound appetizing. Thematic in a sense.’ I replied. Din decided to go with that while I decided on hotcakes once more. The waitress skated over to me and asked what I would like. When I finished ordering, I leaned back into the seat and looked out the window. I could see people walking by and auto wagons puttering on. It took a surprising five minutes to bring me my order and I licked my lips hungrily at the bigger, fluffy looking hotcakes. Next to me was the crepe. When the waitress skated away after pouring me water, I looked at the crepe.

I put my hand on it and hummed. I closed my eyes and let myself relax. I felt the warmth flow down my arm and ignited the crepe lightly. I concentrated on reaching it out to Din. I blinked once and found myself standing in front of Din. She eyed me narrowly. I looked down at myself, remembering that in her domain, I’m still a pony. I then closed my eyes and with my magic, I reached for the crepe from the open source of magic.

The crepe appeared in a burst of fire and levitated in front of us. Din took it in her own magic and sniffed it. I watched curiously as she licked the whip cream, getting some on her snout. She then studied the crepe before taking a simple bite out of it. I’ve never seen her eyes brighten. I watched her chew and saw her posture shift pleasantly and her wings shift as well. I then blinked and found myself back in the diner. I looked to my hand and saw my hand clean of the crepe. And upon further observation, the waitress didn’t see.

I began to enjoy my hotcakes as another waitress skated in while putting on an apron. I looked out the window, seeing that the day had progressed to sunset. The diner began to slowly fill in with people. Still no sign of Thi. I sighed and tapped my empty plate, being bored out of my mind. I must have been zoned out that I didn't notice someone tapping on the window. I snapped out of my daze and looked to see, to my shocked surprise, Flitter Glider. She gave a small smile and a wave. I gave a bit of an awkward wave before she walked around and into the diner. I wasn't quite prepared for this encounter, but she took a seat across from me and studied me.

"H-Hey, Flitter. Err... this is quite a... surprise." I began, trying to clear the air. Flitter giggled.

"Don't be so bashful, Quiet Fire. It's no secret you are the one going around and saving the city currently." She said with a small wink. I shrunk further into my seat.

"O-Oh..." I replied. Flitter chuckled and waved a hand at me.

"I only jest in that everyone knows. But I did recognize you when you saved me and my sister from that awful creature in the plaza." She said. "Let me properly say thanks at least." I gave my best smile I could manage, still a little shell shocked from the surprise visit. "So, why are you lounging about so boredly at Coinky-Dink?" She asked. I blinked and rubbed the back of my head.

"I'm... actually waiting for someone." I said before looking at her. "Someone else." Flitter perked up and clasped her palms together.

"What a coinky-dink. I'm waiting for someone as well." She said with a playful wink. I was about to respond when I realized what she did. I then giggled.

"Then I'm glad I saved such a funny person as you." I replied. Flitter then stood up and waved with a smile out the window. My heart skipped a beat when I spied Cloudchaser wave at her with a smile through the window before jogging into the diner. She walked down towards our booth and I suddenly lost all confidence. 'What the hell am I doing?? This isn't my Cloudchaser! Chill the hell out, Fie!!' I panicked silently. Flitter scooched over to let Cloudchaser sit and for the first time in my life, well... this realm's life, Cloudchaser spoke to me.

"Who's the new gal, Flitter?" Cloudchaser smiled. Flitter nudged her and motioned at me.

"The gal who saved our life in the plaza." She replied. Cloudchaser's eyes lit up and she looked at me. I blushed and brushed my bangs away.

"No way... you're the one who saved all those people? Even at the warehouses?" She asked, her eyes sparkling in admiration. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat.

"Err... y-yes...?" I replied awkwardly. Cloudchaser slammed her hands on the table and stood up, leaning over the table.

"How did you do all of that acrobatic stuff?? You made that entire encounter look like you do it almost consistently!" She beamed. I began to sweat a little.

"I-I do, technically. Err... I mean... just... lucky?" I replied. Flitter nudged her sister hard in the side with an elbow sternly, causing her to hiss and rub her side, sitting back down.

"Ow." She hissed a little.

"Don't mind Cloudchaser. She can be a little... geeked out about anything fighting related." Flitter sighed. I rubbed the back of my head with a smile.

"I-I don't mind that. I-In fact, I enjoy talking about martial arts too." I stated. Cloudchaser leaned forward.

"So, what do you practice that makes you do all that? Muy Thai? Jujitsu? Craw Magraw?" Cloudchaser asked with an excitable smile. I couldn't help but giggle.

"Zebra arts." I replied. That caused both of them to raise a brow. Realizing what I said, I flushed brightly and waved my hands out in front of me. "No! Not zebra! I-I-I meant... err... monkey?" I corrected. Cloudchaser sat back down and rubbed her chin.

"Monkey style... huh... a bit unorthodox, buuut, it really did save our hides back there. Thanks for the save, by the way. I... honestly wasn't sure what I'd be able to do." Cloudchaser replied, rubbing her arm awkwardly. I shook my head.

"No one would have been able to handle all of that. Tenebres's lackies aren't that much of a push over, but they are pretty fragile." I responded casually. I then face palmed as I realized I spoke a little too much. I then sighed. What's the point of hiding it? It's not like I'm going to tell them I'm a pony.

"Tenebres's lackies?" Both said in unison. I gave a nervous laugh. My eyes then saw someone running by and I perked up a bit to see Thi finally enter the diner, nearly tripping over someone as they exited. With a quick apology, she panted and wiped her brow.

"Sorry for being so late, Fie. Traffic was bad. Apparently, the painting gallery was hit by one of those shadowy creatures, but of course, you arrived on the scene. Though..." she was about to continue when she saw the sisters sitting at the booth. They both waved at her. She smirked and put a hand on her hip. "Who are your friends?" I blinked.

"O-oh. Thi, this is Cloudchaser and Flitter Glider. Girls, this is Thi Billet." I introduced. Thi rubbed her chin and look at Flitter.

"You're a Crystal Prep gal?" She asked. Flitter nodded.

"I know. Sad, isn't it?" She snickered. Thi smiled before taking a seat next to me.

"Those snobs wouldn't know sad to begin with." She replied. She then sniffed as if smelling something in the air before pointing at Cloudchaser. "You got the smell of Canterlot High on you." We all raised a brow.

"You... you can tell by smelling?" Cloudchaser asked awkwardly. Thi waved a hand in front of her with a snicker.

"Sorry. Believe it or not, I used to be a Canterlot High student myself. Barely graduated, but I know the smell of good values." All three of us exchanged shrugs. Thi then nudged me. "Well then. Do they know..." She began. I nodded.

"It's okay. We can trust them." I said. Thi smiled.

“Good. I didn’t want it to be weird when I start asking. Who are you, Quiet Fire? And where did you come from?” She asked. Thi and the sisters leaned forward, eager and interested to hear my story. I looked between them before taking a deep breath.

“Alright. I guess I’ll begin when I… happened to gain these powers.” I began.

Equestria Girls POV

The sound of music was playing throughout the school gymnasium. Students were dancing to the beat while the lights shone and flowed through the crowd. On stage, the Rainbooms played their instruments in a harmonious chorus. In the back of the crowd away from everyone and idly tapping her hand against the wall is Wallflower Blush. She held the horn in her other hand, studying the design of it.

It continued to glow a dim, prismatic rainbow glow that captivated the girl in curious wonder. A curious thought crossed her mind. She held the horn up in front of her and waved it around. When she flicked it, her eyes widened when colorful sparks crackled out of the tip. She looked around the gym and saw a basket of dodgeballs piled together. She stuck her tongue out and waved the horn, flicking it towards the dodgeball. She gasped when a ball soared out of the basket and towards her, clocking her in the face.

Hissing in pain and rubbing her nose, the dodgeball bounced away from her. She studied the horn again before deciding to try it again. This time readying herself, she waved the horn and flicked it at the dodgeball. Instead of it coming towards her, the dodgeball shot away and clocked Derpy in the head. Her head flinched, but she didn’t seem to react expression wise. Wallflower winced and hurried over to her.

“S-sorry, Muffins. I-I didn’t mean to do that… well… I’m not sure what I did.” Wallflower spoke apologetically. Derpy looked down at the ball and in a strange motion, slouched and limped downward, struggling to grasp the ball. Wallflower rose a brow in question. When Derpy finally picked it up, she then placed it weirdly into the basket, patting the ball before awkwardly dragging her feet in a strange manner past Wallflower. Wallflower scratched her head. “Err… Muffins? Are you feeling okay?” She asked.

Derpy didn’t respond and kept walking. Wallflower narrowed her look worriedly. ‘She’s probably a little tired.’ She thought. Wallflower looked down at the horn and smiled softly. Deep down she felt a wondrous excitement, increasing her curiosity more and more. She swished the horn in front of her, admiring the colorful light trail that showed up with her motion at the tip of the horn. She then felt someone bump into her and she looked to see Bulk Biceps slouched forward. He made an eerie and strange turn to her. “Oh hey, Bulk. If you’re looking for Muffins, she went that way.” Wallflower said cautiously and pointing in the direction Derpy went.

Bulk didn’t respond. Wallflower studied his expression. He was smiling, yet he wasn’t blinking. “Are you okay?” Wallflower asked. Bulk nodded his head before doing a strange walk away from her into the crowd. Wallflower blinked questioningly. She then began to study the crowd. It took her a bit to notice, but when the Rainbooms started playing their next song, some of the students had a strange movement to them. Almost limp with a slouching posture. Wallflower scratched her head, suddenly having red flags go off.

She then looked down at the horn. ‘Something is strange. I wish I knew what was going on.’ She thought. The horn then sparkled and glowed, causing her to yelp a bit and aim it away from her. A colorful bolt shot out and popped into the crowd. Shimmering sparkles sprinkled around the crowd. The Rainbooms continued playing, figuring that being pony-upped caused a magical reaction. Wallflower gasped as she then noticed some glowing strings amongst the crowd. They appeared for only a moment before disappearing. The crowd continued to dance like nothing happened.

Wallflower shook away her daze and looked around. The Rainbooms finished their song and the crowd clapped and cheered. Rainbow Dash cleared her throat and spoke into the mic.

“Thank you, Wonder Colts! Before we go, we have some great news! We raised enough money for the charity that we went over the goal! Rainbooms are going to be playing down at the plaza in Canterlot City for the kids to enjoy!” She exclaimed with a smile. The crowd cheered. “It’ll be a big event so keep a look out on social media when we are going to be setting up the date! Thank you, and goodnight!” The Rainbooms walked away while waving to the cheering crowd. Wallflower jogged around the crowd and over to the stage, slipping into the back to see the group chatting away.

Sunset spotted her and waved.

“What’s up, Wallflower?” She asked. Wallflower rubbed her forearm nervously.

“You… did you see what that shimmering glow was?” She asked. Sunset smiled and was about to respond when Rainbow Dash happily wrapped an arm around Sunset’s neck and playfully slugged her arm.

“That was sick! Our magic is really awesome that we are creating sparks of it for the crowd!” She said. The girls agreed. Wallflower shook her head.

“No. Well, yes, but-“ Wallflower began.

“I must say, it was quite the spectacle. Ooooh, I hope I get to wave my hand around and levitate objects like Twilight and Sunset.” Rarity chuckled and studying her hands.

“‘Ah’ll say. ‘Ah can’t help but wonder what mine is going to evolve into. Maybe ‘Ah can super jump?” Applejack questioned with a grin and examining her boots.

“Eewwww! Maybe I’ll be able to grow canon arms that one blasts confetti and the other frosting of whatever I choose!” Pinkie Pie excitedly said, waving her arms in front of her with an accompanying mechanical sound from nowhere.

“Oh! Maybe I’ll be able to conjure up diamonds! I have a fabulous idea of what I can use them on!” Rarity clasped her hands in joy. Wallflower held up a finger.

“Uhh, girls?” She began.

“I wonder if mine will allow me to turn into a tree.” Fluttershy giggled. Rainbow arched a brow.

“Why a tree?” She asked with a scratch of her head.

“It just sounds fun.” Fluttershy beamed in reply. Wallflower looked out to the crowd and furrowed her expression worriedly. Sunset noticed this and put a hand on her shoulder.

“Something wrong?” She asked. Wallflower sighed and rubbed her forearm again.

“Just… something feels off.” She began.

“Off? We rocked this night! I don’t know about you, but I’m in a pretty awesome mood!” Rainbow Dash proudly stated. Wallflower looked down into her collapsed fist, the horn glowing dimly. Sunset studied it.

“Whoa. What’s going on with that?” She asked. This caught the girls’s attentions. Wallflower scratched her head.

“Not sure. But… I think it can let me do some magic.” She explained. She waved the horn and flicked it, the colorful light trail following the tip. From out of nowhere, a dodgeball clocked her in the back of the head, bouncing off down the stage. Wallflower gave an annoyed groan and rubbed the back of her head. Sunset grinned.

“Really? That’s amazing!” Sunset happily said. “I can’t believe this. Discord can be actually pretty helpful.” She said. Twilight pursed her lips in thought.

“I don’t know. He said what’s happening is calling for his direct aid.” She adjusted her glasses as she continued. “He even stated he’s ‘not supposed to be here’. Maybe there is some sort of… err… balance thing that he has to follow? I’m still unsure of why he needs us to use our magic better.” She then gasped and panickly grasped her bangs. “I forgot about the sample!” Twilight quickly spun on her heels and took off out of the gym and down the hall.

The girls looked at each other and took off after her. Wallflower held up a hand to stop them, but she sighed defeatedly and took off after them. As she left, an ominous dark haze began to creep in from the outside exit and creep along the conversing and still partying students. When the girls arrived at the science room, Twilight waved out the machine only to be greeted with a flash of multi-color lights that shimmered around them. The girls let out a breath of awe and wonder.

Twilight lowered the machine on the table and looked into the glass. The rainbow was solidified.

“Wow… what are we even looking at?” Rainbow asked. Twilight looked up from the machine.

“Earlier I did some last-minute gathering around the pedestal. I noticed a strange patch of grass on the ground. Something that didn't look right.” She explianed.

"Didn't look right?" Sunset asked. Twilight hummed before looking to Wallflower.

“Wallflower, the horn.” She said. Wallflower arched a brow. Hesitating, she withdrew the horn and everyone’s eyes widened at the shimmering rainbow glow. Suddenly, the horn shuddered in her hand and she dropped it in surprise. When the horn hit the ground, it bounced and floated up over their heads. The machine began to hiccup and whir, floating in the air along with the horn. Together, the two objects shot out a rainbow light that swirled around the room, blurring in a spiral of colors.

The girls gathered together, uncertain of what is happening. They then began to hear a voice.

Open your hearts. Let the magic unite you to the end of the rainbow. It echoed. The girls began to pony-up. Pony ears on their heads and their hair elongating into ponytails. Wallflower felt a sharp pain in her head and she groaned, falling to her knees and clutching her head. Sunset knelt down to help her when she froze, feeling herself fall into a trance. The others followed. The girls began to float in the air, their eyes glowing brightly.

An alien sensation began to flow through their minds. As if countless generations of magic washed over them. Constellations, historic moments, strange creatures and of course, ponies.

In a time of need, friendship has always prevailed. Never lose heart. Seek greater knowledge. For it is the Creation Mother’s will.

Wallflower found the sharp pain to be unbearable. Sweating profusely, she pushed herself to stand up. She stumbled over to a table and climbed up it, looking through one eye at the glowing horn. She reached out to it and managed to grasp it. The rainbow light flared and shot a pillar through the roof and into the sky, causing a shock wave that rumbled the city. Everything went black for all of them.

Somewhere in the city, The Dazzlings walked out of a store, having sated their hunger for negativity and leaving the weakened people inside to argue. Adaggio chuckled evilly, feeling pleased with the familiar feeling of power and magic. She had a confident swagger to her walk, sighing pleasantly while the other two looked around just as satisfied. They then paused when they felt a cool wind of magic wash over them, followed by the ground shaking.

Adaggio’s eyes widened and she looked up to the sky. Aria crossed her arms with a smug look.

“Well, Adaggio? Seems our opportunity has presented itself.” She spoke.

“I wonder if Canterlot High is doing tacos for the Rainboom charity event.” Sonata spoke with a lick of her lips. Aria slumped and frowned at her.

“Really?” She asked sarcastically. Sonata shrugged non-chalantly to her when Adaggio began to laugh.

“Ahahaha! This is it! Revenge will be sweet! Nothing will stand in our way once we acquire this newly discovered magic!” Adaggio grinned. “Ladies. Let’s feast.” Adaggio rose a hand and snapped her fingers. Shadows began to melt up from the ground, creatures with beady yellow eyes jumping around. As the Sirens walked down the road, their eyes glowing bright yellow menacingly in the rising moonlight, Canterlot City began to be washed over by a looming shadow.

The Sirens began to sing, their song being carried by the shadow and cold winds that blew through the city as the screams of terror began to erupt all around.

Quiet Fire’s POV

Time seemed to fly as I chatted with Thi and the sisters. I did my best to answer their questions during my exposition. Seeing their reactions to knowing that there is a ponified version of themselves that I’ve personally journeyed with made them have a partial existential crisis. Yet Flitter, being the positive nature she is, suggested that even through dimensions, we were destined to be friends no matter what. And I couldn’t help but find that sweet of her to say yet a little embarrassed how corny it sounded. But we laughed about it.

When I mentioned Silver Scribble, Flitter couldn’t help but question me why him.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“No offense to Professor Scribble. But he has a bit of a tendency to… get lost in his own books. Today, he was going over a formula for our project and he just went quiet, finding the book more fascinating than teaching it. He’s a clever guy, but a bit of a… well… distracted case.” Flitter explained. Cloudchaser blinked.

“Hold on. Silver Scribble? Didn’t Principal Cinch graduate him early because of how insanely smart he was?” She spoke. Thi blinked.

“How smart?” She asked. Flitter lazily pointed with her spoon from eating her yogurt at her.

“Twilight Sparkle is like the only student who could rival him. But of course, we never got to see that happen. Cinch wasn’t the best person to be in a place of power.” Flitter replied. Thi hummed.

“It’s been a couple of years since I’ve really heard anything about the rival school. So, Cinch isn’t the principal anymore?” She asked.

“Not after the Friendship Games.” Cloudchaser replied. “Which was a really wild time. And it seems the world changed after that encounter.” Flitter hummed.

“Then… if you came here through a portal from Equestria, wouldn’t you be able to take one back?” She asked. I sighed and nodded.

“I don’t even know where to begin. I thought Canterlot High because of that video you showed me. But now, I can’t really go back or have any way to. I need to find Tenebres’s vessel and get back home with her. I wished I had a better chance to ask those girls about it, but I uhh… panicked when Sunset Shimmer ended up stumbling into Din.” I replied. “Didn’t help that Din came off as an evil entity at the time.” I felt Din shift but I ignored it. Cloudchaser raised a brow.

“You didn’t need to panic or worry about it. Trust me when I say this, Canterlot High has been through quite a lot. Everyone is pretty friendly and basically know one another. We even host pep rallies twice a month. And our rivalry with Crystal Prep isn’t serious anymore and just a show of sportsmanship.” She spoke. “I’m sure Sunset wouldn’t have freaked out as much. She may have had a mean streak before, but she’s proven herself to be a stand-up gal.” Flitter sighed.

“And yet, you are still struggling in some advance classes that you didn’t pay attention to while in Crystal Prep.” Flitter said boredly. Thi tilted her head.

“I’ve been meaning to ask. Why do you two go to different schools?” She asked. I was curious myself. Flitter didn’t hesitate.

“Someone wanted to experience all that magic and had grown tired of Crystal Prep’s attitude at the time, so she switched to Canterlot High in order to ‘find new air’.” She said. Cloudchaser narrowed her look at her.

“You’re putting words into my mouth, sis. Yeah, I was curious and excited because of all that happened there, but the classes weren’t really sticking to me. That and the teachers didn’t like my ‘strange’ methods of creatively answering questions. Why do I have to show work? I can present it.” Cloudchaser smirked. “Canterlot High would allow me to pursue that creativity more openly, rather than have it contained to just my mind.”

“Be it as it may, you certainly left on awkward terms. Thunder hadn’t been in the best state. Of course, he’s better now, but you should have said something.” She frowned. Cloudchaser lowered her head and sighed.

“I just… I don’t know. It’s not like I don’t like him anymore. I just needed some space.” She said. I don’t know why, but I was feeling indifferent about this. Realizing it a bit more, I couldn’t help but smile a bit.

“Well, it’s not like it’s bad terms either. Perhaps you should properly sit down and talk about it.” I spoke. “Always better to get things off your chest. Trust me, it’s a bit of a relief to have it off of you. I confessed to Clo…. Cloudy Blaze and she gave me an answer that was not a yes but not a no. The patience was worth it.” I then sighed. “Now if only I can get us a proper date going.”

Thi grinned and nudged me.

“You’re a hero. I’m certain you can find the time in between your daring doos.” She said. I nodded blankly, my attention drawn to several people running past the window. The others seemed to notice.

“What’s going on?” Flitter asked. We continued to watch as people began to run for their lives. Din stood up.

Sister… She growled. I adjusted my hood and stood up. Thi scooched out of the booth to let me out. I jogged out of the diner and my friends followed. Before I could step further, an auto wagon crashed onto its’ side right in front of us. I looked over to see a demonic looking shadowy sea creature. Sharp fins running down from the head to its’ back and also onto its’ elbows and knees. It carried a what looked to be a half-eaten stop sign sharpened into a spear.

It loomed over a mother and her child, its’ beady eyes studying them. Not too far from it, equine shadows galloped and knocked aside auto wagons, chasing after a group of terrified citizens. Accompanying these creatures were little shadow creatures that seemed to bound about and causing some small bits of vandalism. I put my arm out towards my friends.

“Get back in the diner! Keep everyone from going outside until I clear this up!” I ordered. Thi stepped forward.

“Let me help!” She said determinedly. I shook my head and smiled.

“I appreciate it, Thi. But I’ll appreciate it more if you do what I say. I don’t want to worry about you while I’m doing this. Better I keep a clear head.” I winked. Thi looked a bit defeated but nodded. The three ran back inside as I ran out into the middle of the street. “Hey, uglies! Is it me you’re looking for?!” I shouted before withdrawing my staff, twirling it above my head before slamming the butt of it down on the street, causing a pillar of fire to rupture around me. This indeed caught the attention of all the shadow creatures. I readied myself, staff poised to strike in retaliation when I heard a menacing laugh. I looked up and my expression narrowed. High above, three figures floated over the rampage. The shadow creatures began to gather below them, facing me. The lead Dazzling grinned smugly.

“What a coincidence. To find you here of all places.” The bushy haired Dazzling spoke. “You won’t ruin our fun this time! Go, underlings! Crush her!” The three pointed at me and the shadow creatures began to charge. I smirked.

‘Ready, Din?’ I asked her.

Do you really have to ask? She replied with a hint of annoyance.

‘What? Nothing like a little bit of one against one hundred.’ I said. Din cackled and smacked her hooves.

I hope they send a thousand. That’ll even the odds pathetically. Din grinned widely. I swished my staff into a ready stance and rushed the creatures. I felt the warmth flow around me, my hood falling off as I rocketed through the air and crashed into a fiery inferno in the middle of the creatures. One by one, I twirled and lashed my staff out while dodging, kicking, punching and even flourishing to show off a little. To who, I wasn’t sure. I just felt cool doing it.

I eventually faced down the fish like creature and clashed my staff with its’ sharpened sign spear. The creature managed to nick me a bit, my cloak starting to look extremely ragged from it, but I pressed on. Deflecting the blows, I managed to see an opening that allowed me to knock the sign downward and step on foot on it. The creature hissed and pulled back the sign, but I had already hooked my shoe on it. It had brought me close and with its’ momentum, I gave a heavy round house right across the face.

Din’s wings allowed me to kick off the sign while the creature swung wildly. Din cackled and brought me in with perfect timing. I caught the shaft of the sign just below the sharpened metal and jabbed my staff into its’ neck, causing it to let go of the stop sign. With Din’s strength helping me, I spun my staff and the sign around me in flourishes, throwing off the creature’s retaliation. I then swung the sharpened sign, slashing the creature before stabbing it through its’ chest and impaling it into the side of a building where I proceeded to then land on the shaft of the sign and gave a deft swing of my staff, beheading the creature in a violent spray of the black substance. The creature went limp before melting into a puddle and vanishing.

I crouched to balance myself on the sign and looked up towards the Dazzlings. I saw the lead looking quite angry.

“Grgh! I’ve had enough of this! If you want things done, you do it yourself!” She growled. The three’s eyes glowed red and rose their arms into the night sky. My eyes widened in surprise when I saw three tall and scalene fish like horse creatures appear above them. They looked mean. The three took a deep breath before singing a single note in harmony, a distorted ring aiming towards me.

‘Uh oh.’ I quickly hopped to the end of the sign’s shaft and used it as a springboard just in time as the area cracked underneath me. I soared high up into the sky and met with their level. The Sirens charged me, circling around me when they got close. Din scoffed.

Know your place, worms! She growled. I felt a burning warmth surround me and I spun my staff around my hand before giving a quick swish that sent out the flames around me. The Sirens hissed and backed away when the flames struck them. However, the three then began to circle in a strange way. I felt myself being hit in the back by a tail and I went rocketing into the side of a building.

I shook away my daze and looked just in time for them to group together and began to sing. I couldn’t react in time and I felt the force of the sound wave pancake me through the building. I came out the other side and crashed into a fire escape railing. Falling down wasn’t pleasant either. I landed hard onto a dumpster lid and rolled off onto my back, feeling the wind get knocked out of me.

I took a moment to gather myself and shake away my daze. Rubbing my head, I looked up and gasped. One of the Sirens hovered above the buildings and began to sing. I rolled away on my side and scrambled to my feet as the ground cracked where I was moments ago. I sprinted towards the exit of the alley, only to stop when another Siren appeared and hissed, whipping her tail under her and grazing my cheek. I backed away as the last Siren appeared just above the other blocking my way. The one above floated down, squirming her way in and snapped its’ sharp teeth at me.

I smirked.

“Ever seen a pony eat meat?” I asked suddenly. The Sirens blinked and looked at me in confusion. “I wonder what grilled Siren tastes like?” I felt the warmth envelop me and I slammed my palm into the ground. The fire erupted. Thanks to the alley, the fire funneled upward and out, catching the three Sirens directly. They hissed and backed away, taking to the sky. Din unfurled her wings and I rocketed out from the alley to meet the Sirens in the sky.

The Sirens grouped again and began to sing. This time, I brought my staff in front of me and using both of my hands, I spun the staff quickly, turning it into a propeller. Din’s fire flared at the tips, colliding with the song waves. I grit my teeth and using her’s and my own strength, I pushed against the fierce song. Din cackled maniacally with a wide-eyed grin as we got closer and closer to the Sirens. Their eyes widened when I dispersed the fire and their song, spinning around and bringing my staff hard into the stomach of the yellow one, sending her upwards.

I then quickly followed it up with a round house to the blue one, lining her up with the magenta one. I then struck both of them in the stomach with my staff and spun them around before launching them upwards as well. They collided with each other, and I quickly rocketed towards them. The lead Siren was surprisingly quick. She smacked the other two with her tail hard and sent them directly into me. She hissed and began to sing, pressing the weight of the other two against me.

With my free hand I made a fist and ignited it. I struck my punch right through the blue one before piercing through the magenta one. I continued to rocket towards the yellow one who widened her eyes in surprise. I pierced right through the yellow one and she let out a pained scream. I flipped and spun in the air, looking down to see the images of the Sirens retreat and vanish into the Dazzlings. They were knocked down into the ground, one landing on top of an auto wagon, crushing it, the other bending a light pole and landing hard on the cement and the lead hitting the ground directly.

I soared downward and landed in a jog before stopping and narrowing my look. All was quiet, save for the alarms going off in the auto wagons. My eyes looked between the three Dazzlings as they came too. The bushy haired one pushed herself off the ground, painfully clutching her side while the other two limped over to her, one clutching her arm and the other slouching with her arms limply in front of her. The lead glared at me as she stood up, swaying a bit.

“You… think you have the upper hand, don’t you?” She growled. I looked down at myself. I was just as ragged and injured as they were. But unlike them, they don’t have a primal healing factor. My poor hoodie cloak though. The wear and tear made it look like I was wearing a shredded-up cape. The lead waved her hand in dismissal. “Don’t get full of yourself! This is just a minor set back! We still have plenty of power left to return to Equestria. We just… need a bit more!” She winced in pain. I adjusted my staff in my hold.

“I’m ready when you are.” I replied coolly. The Dazzlings glared at me before the ponytailed and twin tailed ones began to run away, taking to the sky. The lead pointed at me as she turned.

“Try as you might, there is no way you’ll save the city and stop us!” She then grinned evilly. “Good luck, ‘hero’.” She then turned and ran away before taking to the skies after the other two. I sighed.

‘Din, how are you fairing?’ I asked.

Please. Unlike you, I have hardly broken a sweat. However, if those three plan to return to Equestria, we should capture them. They definitely know of a way to get back. She grinned. I rolled my shoulder.

‘Either way, I want to conserve your energy for when we really need it. That actually hurt.’ I groaned. I then heard a rev right next to me and looked to see a helmeted individual on a bi-wheeled auto wagon. She stuck a handout to me. Through the visor, I saw Thi.

“Seems like you need a bit of help going after them. Allow me.” She said. I smiled and looked to see Cloudchaser and Flitter amongst the crowd of onlookers. Cloudchaser punched the air in a cheer.

“Go get ‘em, Fie!” She called out.

“Don’t get hurt too much!” Flitter cheered. Their cheers were followed by the applause and cheers of the onlookers. I flushed a little at the attention I was getting and instinctively hid my blush by throwing up my hood over my head. I then smiled and got on the back of the auto wagon with Thi and held on to her as she revved the wagon and planted her boot down to turn the wagon around before speeding off towards the direction of the retreating Sirens.

Chapter 29: Magic in the Air

Equestria Girls POV

The girls came too in the dark of the science room. Sunset Shimmer shook away her daze and looked around.

“Is everyone okay?” She asked as the others came to.

“Urgh… aside from a pounding headache, I’m good.” Rainbow replied.

“What happened ta' us?” Applejack groaned, rubbing her head.

“Can we all keep our voices down a little…” Rarity rasped, rubbing her temples. Twilight looked to see Wallflower on the floor unconsciously, the horn in her hand. It glowed brightly in a rainbow color. Twilight knelt down to her and shook her by the shoulder worriedly.

“Wallflower! Are you okay?” She asked. Wallflower groaned and came to. She pushed herself off from the ground and shook away her daze.

“What… happened?” She asked.

“It appears that your full potentials are now unlocked.” A voice spoke. They looked to see Discord leaning coolly against a table. “Isn’t that just exciting??” He snapped his fingers and his outfit turned into a sailor uniform with a skirt and long boots, his hair having changed into long blonde twin tails and struck a pose with a pink wand with wings on it at his side. “Able to freely pony up and unleash your powers of friendship on your adversaries and save the day as you usually would!” He snapped his finger and returned to normal as he appeared behind Wallflower.

He then held up her arm with the horn. “And what a discovery! The key to it all!” He then leaned in, pretending as if people were listening. “Best hold onto that. They will surely need it.” Sunset frowned and faced Discord.

“You better start explaining what happened, now!” Sunset glared. Discord looked hurt.

“You don’t think I had anything to do with this, do you??” He lied. Sunset wasn’t sure and she groaned in frustration.

“W-well… I don’t know what, or why, but I know you did something!” She stated. Discord held up his hands innocently.

“I’m innocent! And why are you so hostile about a great thing??” He smiled and put a hand to his chest. “I, for one, would relish in the moment of being a genuine superhero! Isn’t that what you girls wanted?”

“Wellll…” Twilight began.

“Of course we’re superheroes!!” Rainbow Dash jumped in. “I can’t believe you all still haven’t accepted that! When are we all going to stand up and start acting like heroes? The magic picked us and we haven’t let it down at all since, have we?” The group was quiet. Sunset sighed and smiled.

“Dash is right. We embraced the magic and received our geodes as proof that we can use this magic for the betterment of not just our lives, but for those in need of help.” She began. “And since I’ve brought the magic with me and started this whole spiral, I feel obligated to clean up my mistakes. And I know I won’t do it alone this time.” She then looked at Wallflower. “What do you say, Wallflower? Want to be a hero as well?”

Wallflower balked but quickly look down at the horn. Her eyes studied it in thought. Was this something she wanted to do? Something she felt worth it? The thoughts of her days with the memory stone came back to her. She grasped the horn and took a deep breath.

“I’ve made mistakes too. And I’m… lucky that I have you all to have given me a second chance. I… I won’t make those same mistakes again.” She replied. Yet, despite the bravado, she had a bit of uncertainty in the back of her mind. But seeing the supportive smiles of the others, she felt a little relieved with this decision. Discord clapped excitably.

“That’s great! I’m so proud of you all for coming so far in your personal journeys! But now, if you want to try out your magic, I recommend exploring the sights and scenery of the city. Though, don’t mind the shadows. They aren’t kidnapping people right now. More like causing a lot of noise for some strange reason.” Discord tapped his chin at this thought. Sunset blinked.

“Wait… are you saying Canterlot City is in trouble?” She asked. Discord looked at her blankly.

“Isn’t that not what I just said? Ugh, kids these days with their lingo.” He grumbled slightly. Rainbow Dash cleared her throat and stuck her hand out.

“Ladies?” She grinned. Pinkie Pie enthusiastically stuck her hand in. Rarity followed and soon Applejack. Twilight was a bit hesitant but gave a smile at the sight of her beaming friends and stuck her hand in along with Fluttershy. Sunset Shimmer stuck her’s in and they all looked to Wallflower. The girl rubbed her arm nervously. Taking a deep breath, she walked over and with a small smile, put her hand in as well. Rainbow Dash smirked. “Alright. It’s hero time!!”

Canterlot City. Currently terrorized by a waking nightmare. Shadowy creatures stalked the roads and buildings, scaring or attacking people. Several hundred were injured, possible casualties included. The Canterlot Police and rescue teams had sirens blaring all around the city. Gunfire rang out and some citizens bore weapons to try and fend off the creatures while most ran away in fear. Up on top of the museum building, Fickle stood upright, her cloak and hair blowing in the wind as she observed the terror below.

Some of the citizens were using the museum as a refuge with several armed swat personal firing onto the shadowy creatures. Tenebres cackled.

Perhaps those three aren’t as useless as I thought! Haaah, look at all our friends laying down their lives to allow us our moment of searching~ She swooned. Fickle looked uncertain, biting her thumbnail. Tenebres sensed the worry. Have you’ve forgotten, vessel? Even if our friends fall, they only return to me and once they are recovered, they’ll be fit to play again! Including Mitzi. Why so worried? Fickle murred in worry thought.

“That Quiet Fire. Just what even is she? To defy that dumb snake and now to cut down our friends like nothing? What evil is walking this realm?” Fickle spoke nervously. Tenebres sighed.

Remain focus on our hunt, vessel. For if they catch us, I cannot guarantee your safety against them. We need power in order to put her in her place. She replied. Shall we? Fickle took a deep breath and nodded, shaking off her nervousness.

“Y-yeah. I’m with ya’ bestie.” She said. She then stepped off the building and floated down onto the top of the steps. Her cloak draped around her body in a shadowy wisp. She startled several of the swat surrounding the entrance that were being backline support for the frontliners.

“What the? What are you doing, kid! Get inside!” One swat person rushed over and said, grasping her arm. Fickle glared and her cloak sprang to life.

“Don’t touch me, you filthy adult!” She hissed. The cloak wrapped around the swat personal who screamed and struggled to break free. The shadow consumed them.

“What in god’s green earth is that?!” Another spoke. Fickle rubbed her arm and smiled innocently before turning to them. She held out her arm to her side and something protruded out of her cloak. She grasped it and withdrew a fierce looking shadowy scythe. She twirled it around her before bringing it back and slicing at the retaliating swat.

The shadow phased right through them, causing them to scream in pain, dropping their firearms and clutching at the supposed wounds that had a shadowy flame spewing from them. From the wounds, the shadows enveloped them, turning them into shadowy creatures. Fickle giggled and leaned against her scythe.

“Howdy, new friends. Want to invite more?” She then pointed with her thumb over her shoulder. The creatures shuddered and began to rush down the steps. Fickle skipped a little towards the entrance of the museum, seeing the people inside panic and back away. Her cloak shot out and broke the doors off their hinges, pinning several people and knocking over several others. The people began to scatter throughout the museum, everyone fending for themselves.

Fickle shouldered her scythe and hummed a small tune as she walked in and looked around. Her eyes fell onto a display of knightly armor and her eyes lit up.

“Whoa… an actual knight’s armor! That is so cool!” She said happily. Her cloak whipped around and shattered the display case before wrapping around the armor. It brought all the pieces together and morphed into a blob of shadows. From those shadows rose a fierce looking knight in shadowy armor. The helmet glared with purple eyes and knelt before Fickle. She felt a little giddy. “Yay! My very own knight in shining armor! Where were you when I dreamt of you~” she swooned with a blush.

The shadowy armor didn’t respond. Fickle giggled and spun around on her heels, pointing down the hall.

“Alright, Sir Hemlock! Help your new queen find anything that looks magical! You’ll see it sparkle with rainbows!” She said determinedly. The armor rose up and looked over a display case. It punched the glass and grasped an executioner’s sword before walking with Fickle further into the museum. The two came to a tall mirror in one display that had red velvet curtains around it. Tenebres shifted.

Well, well. I sense our old realm from the mirror. How amusing! Let’s break it! She giggled. Fickle raised a brow.

“Why?” She asked.

We aren’t planning on going back! Might as well prevent anymore of my sisters from trying to bring us back! She replied.

“What about Din and Quiet Fire?” She asked. Tenebres hummed.

Fair point. We should probably save one and banish her back into that pathetic realm. And when we do, we’ll shatter it and this realm will be all ours! Fickle smiled.

“Always brilliant, bestie!” She giggled.

Not without you doing the manual labor, bestie! Tenebres replied. Fickle nodded to Sir Hemlock and the armor took the executioner sword and brought it down onto the mirror, shattering the glass and breaking the frame. Colorful wisps of magic floated up, but Fickle stuck her hand out and the wisps retreated into her. She then turned and happily skipped back down the hall.

“C’mon, Sir Hemlock! Let’s find some more! And maybe even a new friend!” She cheered. The armor turned silently and followed after the girl.

“Help!!” A man cried out. He was on the ground and backing away as a shadowy equine reared up over him. The man whimpered and braced himself when all of a sudden, a rainbow blur zipped by just as the creature brought its’ hooves down. Several of the equine creatures and shadowy monsters sensed the power and turned to face a group of girls in sparkling outfits stand defiantly against the horde. Rainbow Dash zipped over to safety, leaving the man with the officers before zipping back over and floating with her wings over her friends.

“Alright, tall, dark and uglies! Who’s ready to get their butts handed too!” Rainbow grinned. Sunset smirked.

“Rainbooms! Pony on!” She said confidently. Applejack raised a questioning brow.

“Pony on?” She asked. Sunset flushed and rubbed the back of her head.

“Errr… we’ll work on the phrase.” She said. The creatures hissed or whinnied and faced them. Rainbow Dash was the first to move. She zipped around the creatures, throwing them off balance and leaving Applejack to charge and punch at two of the creatures. They went flying away and splattered into bits. Several creatures rushed Applejack, but Rarity swooped over, surfing on a gem and throwing out more gems to shield Applejack. She pushed them back, leaving Twilight to beam them down with magic. Fluttershy trembled as five creatures advanced on her.

“Hold on, Fluttershy!” An excitable voice shouted. Pinkie Pie chucked her sprinkles at the creatures. They glowed pink and when connecting with the creatures, they exploded into sparkles and confetti. The creatures fell at the feet of Fluttershy, who seemed traumatized by it. Pinkie Pie rushed over and grabbed her by the arm to run away from several more creatures that chased them. As they ran, Pinkie Pie tripped with Fluttershy, Pinkie rolling on the ground and crashing into the side of an auto wagon.

Fluttershy groaned and pushed herself off the ground, gasping in horror as the creatures rushed the dazed Pinkie Pie. From her backpack, the animals that she smuggled into school today saw the horror on her face and nodding to each other, they jumped out and called for their friends. Fluttershy saw her animal friends reach out to one another and together, a swarm of birds and squirrels rushed out of trees. The squirrels chewed on acorns before spitting them out in a rapid-fire manner at the creatures, which stopped them in their tracks.

The birds swopped down and began pecking at the monsters. Disoriented, Fluttershy’s bunny, Angel, hopped in front of her, reassuring her with a nod before chirping at the animals. Pinkie Pie shook away her daze and saw the animals fending off the creatures. She reached into her hair and withdrew two cupcakes. She shook them and they began to glow.

“Fluttershy, call them back!” Pinkie shouted. Fluttershy snapped out her stupor and stood up, hesitating a bit before putting a hand on her geode and calling back her friends. The animals broke away, allowing Pinkie to chuck the cupcakes, creating a frosty of explosions with confetti included. The creatures were mixed into the frosting, melting away from the fatal injuries. Pinkie Pie stood up and dusted herself off with a smile as Fluttershy rushed over.

“Pinkie Pie! Are you alright??” Fluttershy asked worriedly.

“I’m more than alright! That was amazing Fluttershy! Glad to have you on our side.” Pinkie teased with a wink. Fluttershy blushed but the mood quickly vanished with several more creatures swooped down, causing them to take cover. Sunset looked to Wallflower after beaming down a creature.

“Wallflower! Can you use that horn?” She asked, ducking and firing a beam at a shadowy creature. Wallflower looked unsure, having taken cover behind a bench. She held up the horn and studied it.

“I-I’ll try!” She called back. She looked to see Rarity struggling with a massive creature, protecting a family of two.

“Hold on, Rarity! ‘Ah’m comin’!” Applejack called out, rushing over to her. However, another massive creature stepped in front of her and swung a limb into Applejack, sending her crashing into garbage cans. Wallflower gasped and looked down at the horn. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and waved the horn.

“I wish… I wish… to help my friends.” She spoke. The horn began to glow brightly and a stream of rainbows sailed out of the horn and into the seven. All the girls felt a sudden surge of power. Rarity felt stronger and easily pushed the creature off. Rainbow Dash swooped in and kicked the face of a creature and sending it stumbling. Rainbow Dash laughed before zipping around the area, knocking up the smaller creatures, leaving Twilight to fire a beam and toss debris at them.

Fluttershy gasped in surprise with Pinkie as the trees seemed to come to life and along with a horde of woodland animals appearing out of nowhere, began to chase and smack around the creatures. Pinkie Pie shuddered and rose her arms up. She laughed happily as her cupcakes she was about to throw had changed around her arms into canons. She jumped on top of the bench and roared happily.

“Party Arm Canons!!” She cheered before running into the creatures, blasting confetti at a force that pierced through the bodies all the way. Sunset Shimmer smiled and suddenly felt a surge of power go down her spine. She began to find herself floating, feeling a warmth flow through her. Her hair began to flail like fire and in a spectral display, feathery flaming wings and a majestic curled feathered tail appeared. It was such a brilliant sight that it caused everyone to focus on her.

Sunset’s eyes glowed and a ring of fire swirled down her arms before she collapsed the flames and threw her arms out. Fiery feathers fluttered around her as the beams disintegrated the shadows, spreading out like it had during the Friendship Games. As quickly as the display happened, the rainbow that went into the girls ribboned out of them and back into the tip of the horn. Wallflower stared dumbfounded at the horn before looking on in awe at the majestic sight of what she could only describe as the wings and tail of a phoenix descend.

The characteristics vanished and Sunset knelt in its’ place. Sunset rubbed her head and shook away the daze before looking around. The area was clear. Her friends walked over to her as Applejack helped her up.

“Sunset… that was amazing!” She spoke. The girls agreed silently with a nod of their heads, speechless as the magnificent sight of what looked to be a phoenix to them burned freshly in their minds. Sunset groaned, feeling a bit woozy.

“What even… happened?” She asked.

“You… you were a phoenix…” Rarity began.

“I was?” Sunset groggily replied. She then looked to Wallflower, who took a moment to realize that she was being looked at and rushed over to her.

“Are you girls alright?” She asked worriedly.

“Better than alright! Did you see us?!” Rainbow Dash excitably stated. “Pinkie Pie even got party canons for arms!” Pinkie Pie held up her arms in a cheer before realizing the canons were no longer there. She raised a confused brow. Sunset, still reeling from that powerful feeling, looked to Wallflower.

“That’s some pretty powerful stuff in that horn.” She stated. Wallflower winced and looked down at the horn.

“I-I’m sorry… I didn’t know it was going to do that…” She said, a little terrified.

“Don’t sweat it!” Applejack said with a smile. “It was the boost we needed.” Wallflower looked uncertain. Doubt began to nip at her. There was suddenly cheering and applause.

“I can’t believe it! It’s the Rainbooms!” A voice cheered.

“You girls are heroes!” Another cheered. The girls looked around. Rainbow Dash proudfuly wiped the tip of her nose with a thumb.

“Heh. Now this is a crowd I can get behind.” Rainbow said with a wave to the crowd. Fluttershy trembled behind Applejack.

“S-so… many… people… watching…” she whimpered. Applejack pat her hand reassuredly. Sunset waved a little awkwardly, still a bit puzzled by all of this. Her attention then shot to the sky when three shadows passed them on the ground. She gasped, seeing The Dazzlings soar high overhead past the moon. Sunset pointed up.

“Look who it is!” She said. The girls looked up to see the retreating figures of The Dazzlings. From the blaring sirens around the city, they heard what sounded like a motorcycle revving closer and closer. They then noticed a familiar red garb bellowing behind a figure in a motorcycle speed down the road, seemingly following The Dazzlings. Sunset looked to the others. “C’mon! We need to help Quiet Fire!”

Rarity nodded with a smile before conjuring a big gem in front of them. They all stepped on and Rarity carried them hastily down the road, the crowd cheering as they went. Yet, those cheers were drowned out by terrified screams around them as they sped by. They wanted to help, but Sunset was certain that stopping the Dazzlings would put an end to this nightmare. Silently agreeing to this, Rarity sped them through, gaining some height. Rainbow Dash scanned the ground and pointed.

“There she is!”

Quiet Fire’s POV

Thi revved the auto wagon, weaving through the traffic. My eyes followed the silhouettes of the fleeing Dazzlings high overhead. I have no idea where they are fleeing too, but I have some questions that need answering. As we sped down a street, I noticed movement in the corner of my eyes. I looked over my shoulder and saw shadows jumping out of the walls and turning into equine bi-wheeled creatures. On their back were helmeted looking figures wielding sharp looking bludgeoning objects.

“We got company!” I shouted over the noise to Thi. Thi glanced over her shoulders and revved the auto wagon more. She popped a wheelie before gaining speed. I called to my staff and readied myself, holding it out to my side. The creatures caught up to us and flanked both our sides. I stabbed my staff at the one on our right. The one on our left got close and swung at Thi, who ducked and brought her boot up and kicked the creature away. The auto wagon wobbled a bit, but Thi corrected and sped along the road.

“Hang on!” She shouted to me. I did as she then made a sharp right turn. One of the creatures didn’t react in time and crashed into a pile up of auto wagon. The other, however, had jumped over the pile and turned to our direction. Up ahead, more shadows jumped out, the same creatures giving chase. They managed to position themselves around us, swiping their weapons at us. I deflected them and Thi did her best to kick away the ones that got a little too close.

“Duck!” I shouted. Thi did and I sat up, twirling my staff over my head and with a heave, I threw my staff out in front of us, smacking the creature in front. It then boomeranged around us, an amber light trail making a flashy show of disorientation as it struck the creatures one by one. Thi swerved to avoid the creature in front as I caught my staff. Thi looked up.

“They are heading for Canterlot Gate Bridge!” She shouted. I looked ahead. Tall structures with a long cabling arch connecting from the side of the road to the massive steel iron arcs asymmetrically supporting the bridge. The Dazzlings were indeed heading towards it over the riverbank. Thi revved the bike and took another sharp turn. We sped all the way down, ignoring the honking of some citizens before turning again and speeding down the bridge.

I looked to the side, seeing that The Dazzlings haven’t made it across the bridge yet. I held my staff over my head and in a bright flare of fire, the spectral halberd formed around my staff. I then leaned back and took aim. Timing myself, I heaved my halberd like a javelin towards the Dazzlings. I saw the twintailed one turn and her eyes widen in surprise. When my halberd zipped by them, it then popped into a ball of fire, sending the Dazzlings into a tumble and landing onto the bridge.

Thi sped up a bit before coming to a screeching halt. I hopped off the auto wagon and ran over towards The Dazzlings. I came to a stop when the three pushed themselves off the ground, rubbing their heads. The bushy haired one was staring daggers into me and I readied myself with a swish of my staff poised to defend.

“Grrrrggh!! What even are you!?!” The bushy haired one exclaimed angrily. I didn’t respond but narrowed my eyes, waiting to see if she would lash out an attack. She was shaking, her face red and not from the blood trickling down from her head to her cheek. She stood up and a dark haze began to envelop the area. “We’ve been trapped here in this hell for far too long, having to abide by the whims of the mortals! Starving of magic and of home!! Equestria was going to be ours! And when we find a way back, we’ll crush those who would get in our way!!” She pointed at me. “We have a good thing going here, and I am not going to let you ruin our one chance to be free!!” I eyed the dark haze.

“Then do you know of a way back? Did Tenebres promise you freedom in exchange for something?” I asked suddenly. “You made a grave mistake making a deal with a primordial being. Give up that shadow and turn yourselves in. This is your one and final chance.” The bushy haired one grinned, her expression showing a demonic side.

“As if we’d tell you! We’d rather die with what dignity we have left than to suffer another moment in this prison!!” She growled.

“Uhh… she’s putting words in our mouth. We’d rather not die.” The twin tailed one chimed in. The bushy haired one spun around and back handed the twin tailed one, sending her rolling a bit away from them. The ponytailed one gasped in shock. The bushy haired one glared at the ponytailed one and the ponytailed one backed away, mortified.

“A-Adaggio, c-calm down, p-please?” The ponytailed one stammered. The bushy haired one, Adaggio, held up a fist as if to punch her. The ponytailed one flinched enough that she fell back and cowered a bit. Adaggio didn’t strike with her fist. Instead, she planted a boot into the stomach, knocking the wind out of her and causing her to crumple into the ground in a fetal position, clutching her stomach.

“I’ve had just about enough of you two! You both don’t seem to care about getting back to Equestria or helping in ensuring our victory!! Fine then! I don’t need you two!! I can do this on my own!!” She angrily shouted before turning to me. I tilted my head and frowned.

“If that’s how you treat your friends, then you don’t belong in Equestria.” I spoke. Adaggio leaned her head back and laughed.

“Ahahahaha! Please! They aren’t my ‘friends’! They never were my ‘friends’! We were not born of the same eggs either! Our magic was stronger with the three of us together, but with this darkness allowing us to use our magic without an artifact, then what’s the point of having friends!!”

“It has to deal with everything, Adaggio!” A voice spoke. I looked over my shoulder to see the girls from Canterlot High float down. Sunset Shimmer stood at the front, looking down at the Dazzling. “Friends are what keep you from striving too far into the dark. Trust me, I know what that’s like. All that power and darkness. It won’t solve your problems. It’ll just leave you alone and stranded with no one to fall back on. Give up this path, Adaggio. And maybe we’ll forgive you.” Sunset hopped off the gem and walked over to stand next to me.

“Grrrrgh! What does it matter, Sunset Shimmer?! You intentionally came here on your own free will! Mine was ripped away by those damned ponies! Mark my words, Equestria will know my wrath!” The dark haze began to thicken around her. I grit my teeth and readied myself once more.

“So much hate...” I said suddenly. I couldn’t help but have a strange feeling of worry. Din shifted and sighed.

Do not worry yourself with that. We’ll cross that bridge when we get there. Just focus on capturing those Sirens. Din spoke. I gripped my staff tightly and nodded. Adaggio clutched her head and began to laugh as the dark haze began to swirl around her. The clouds darkened and began to crackle with lightning and thunder. A cold wind blew through the bridge, having to plant my feet to keep myself from being blown away. The shadow around Adaggio began to change her. Her hair elongated to a ponytail, pony ears on her head and sharp, sea like wings on her back. She rose into the air, her arms out to her sides as the haze grew darker and darker. Then, a massive claw emerged from the haze and stamped down in front of us. A long, snake and horselike head emerged overhead along with another claw before the body reared up. A sea serpent body slithered around, knocking Sunset and I away into Thi. I shook away my daze and gasped at the shadowy serpent like creature. Adaggio's voice echoed from within it.

"It's time I have my revenge, Rainbooms! No more humiliation! No more ridicule! This world and Equestria will do more than adore me! They'll worship me!! The name Adaggio will be the new ruler!!" She exclaimed. The body of the shadowy spectral serpent dove off the bridge and into the water where it slithered out not too far from the bridge and opened its' maw. An angelic voice resonated loudly and the bridge began to tremble and wobble. Some of the metal cabling snapped and whipped around us. I gasped and quickly picked up Thi on my back and scooped Sunset up before taking to the skies. Rarity quickly rose to the sky with me as the bridge began to collapse. I looked to see the other two Sirens stand up and retreat into a swirling pillar of darkness individually. I then looked to the others, putting Sunset down on the gem and holding onto Thi.

"What are we going to do about that!?" Twilight exclaimed as we looked on at the massive creature. Adaggio's tail slithered into the water, the tail slapping the surface as she eyed us. She then leaned back and began to sing. We broke away and dodged to the sides. I looked over my shoulder to Thi.

"Sorry, Thi. I need to set you down." I stated. She nodded as I soared towards the side of the bay and placed her down on the sidewalk. A lot of people were looking on in horror, some even recording it. I sighed a little at the curiosity of this world before taking back to the skies. I floated up next to the gathered Rainbooms.

"What's the plan, Fie?" Rainbow Dash asked. I narrowed my eyes at the creature.

"Think of one. I'll distract Adaggio for as long as I can." I replied, calling my halberd back. "Tenebres's magic isn't normal magic. Keep back." I then kicked off in the air and sailed towards the creature. Adaggio hissed and moved around in anticipation of me approaching, lashing out a shadowy claw that I flipped around to avoid. Like a comet, I soared around Adaggio, hearing her growl in annoyance at avoiding everything she did to try and swat me. She did manage to catch me with a tail slam, however. I put my halberd up and blocked the massive tail, using Din's and my own strength to push back. Adaggio cackled and flicked her tail, causing me to stumble with the sudden weight change. My eyes widened as I saw her claw coming at me. I turned and saw the other one and with a loud clapping sound, I felt my body scream as I was pressed in between her claw's palms. I grunted, trying my best to keep myself being smooshed. Din had mimicked me to help me push back against the force.

Grrrrghhh! Getting cocky, little fish! Din hissed. I felt a sudden warmth flow from me. A blazing inferno swirled around me into a ball and expanded, pushing Adaggio's claws away. She grunted as she tried to fight against me, but Din and I pushed against her and expanded the ball of fire, blinding her in the process. Taking the chance, I twirled my halberd and sliced into the chest of the shadows.

I saw Adaggio, her eyes glowing red with her sharp sea wings having grown largely and connecting to the body of shadows. I stabbed my halberd on the side to keep myself rooted before reaching in and grabbing hold of Adaggio. She hissed and delivered a sucker punch across my cheek. I growled and yanked her, but she pulled back, trying to push me off if her.

“Unhand me!!” Adaggio roared, swinging at me with her fist. All her swings connected to me against my cheek, head and stomach. I felt my grip lessen and she grinned, booting me away before sealing up the wound. I held my stomach as Din soared me away from her when she shifted back and swiped her claw. I coughed and took a bit to catch my wind, at the cost of getting hit with the tail into the water. I planted my feet hard into the wet mud, pushing against the weight of the tail.

‘I’m… blacking out…’ I thought as I felt my entire body scream and my vision beginning to blur with the lack of oxygen. I fell to one knee, still trying to push against the weight. Suddenly, the tail lifted and disappeared into the murky water, allowing Din to propel me upwards and break the water’s surface. I slouched as she struggled to keep in the air as I coughed up a lungful of water. Getting my second wind, I steadied myself in the air.

“Annoying pests!!” I heard Adaggio hiss. I looked up and saw a rainbow blur zip quickly around the creature. The creature was flinching in some parts of its’ body before Rainbow Dash soared away to avoid a claw swipe. I then saw Twilight Sparkle and Rarity flanked her, Twilight firing a beam of magic and Rarity tossing out sharp looking gems that sliced into the shadows.

I felt a gentle hand on my back and I looked to see Fluttershy smiling at me, her wings flapping behind her. She put a hand over her necklace and I saw the water began to ripple. Fishes and several sharks heeded to the call of Fluttershy and began to nip and bite at the base of the creature. I saw Rarity direct Applejack’s gem around the creature, allowing her to use her strength to punch the cheek, causing her to recoil with the force. However, Adaggio growled and lashed at her with a snap of her jaws, Rarity quickly moving Applejack out of the way before chucking a sharp diamond through the body of the shadows.

Sunset Shimmer floated up and with Twilight together, they fired their beams of magic, soaring around the creature in an effort to find a weak spot of some kind. Adaggio roared.

“Enough!!” The creature looked downward and began to sing. The water exploded, knocking away the girls and the fishes. I balked and rocketed towards the creature, giving a good smack over its’ head with the butt of the halberd to get its’ attention. That stopped her from singing and lash at me with its’ jaws. I dodged and maneuvered over and under her, however, I was unable to react at the slither of the body and was punted away.

I hit the side of a railing and bounced over it, landing on my stomach. I coughed, feeling achy all over.

“Urgh… going to feel that in the morning…” I winced as I painfully pushed myself up.

“Fie! Are you okay??” I heard a voice. I looked over and from the awe-struck crowd being pushed aside was Wallflower with Thi and the sisters with her. Thi helped me up and I held my side, feeling a lot of pain there.

“I’m durable… than I look…” I replied, giving Thi a tired smile.

“This is insane! Everything you girls are doing to her is having hardly any affect!” Cloudchaser spoke, looking out to the bay as the Rainbooms continued their attack on the creature.

“That’s the power of a power element…” I rasped. “Adaggio has so much hate inside of her that it’s keeping the shadows…” I winced at a sharp pain that interrupted me. “I have to dispel it at this rate, but I’m not sure how…” My eyes then looked to the girls pelting Adaggio with their powers. My eyes lit up in thought. “Of course… the Elements of Harmony!”

“The Elements of Harmony?” Flitter asked. I limped away from Thi and over to the railing.

“The Rainbooms hold a special power that exists in my world. Din, our previous sole purpose is to boost the Elements of Harmony to stabilize the balance. What would one power element be able to provide the Elements if we were to do so?” I asked aloud.

Sadly, the effects of such will not make a difference. It requires me to use all my magic. And as we can see, we are running on fumes here. Din replied stoically. I clenched my fist.

“We have to do something. Will anything happen to you if your magic is spent?” I asked. Din hummed.

I’ll end up sleeping for a while. But I see where you are going with this. Din grinned. On one condition. When I wake up, I want a full plate of crepes and some good news about the whereabouts of my sister. Fail to do so and I will go back to being the spiteful bitch you make me out to be. I couldn’t help but smile and nodded.

“Deal.” I said as Din unfurled her wings and I took off from the ground. I sailed like a comet up towards the fight where I then stopped, seeing Sunset being knocked back with the help of Rarity’s gem protecting her. Sunset panted, clearly showing exhaust.

“We can’t keep this up forever!” She exclaimed. I put a hand on her shoulder.

“Sunset. If it’s’ anything like my world, then you girls hold the Elements of Harmony. Our past sole purpose as a power element is to boost the Elements of Harmony to stabilize the balance. Din and I are going to lend you our power.” I told her. Sunset looked at me.

“Are you sure that’ll work?” She asked. I smiled determinedly and nodded.

“It’ll work.” I said confidently. Sunset studied me before smiling determinedly and we fist bumped before she called out to the others.

“Pinkie!! What’s the word!?” She shouted. Pinkie Pie, who had been aiding Rarity by tossing sprinkles and treats out during the fight, perked up and beamed. She nudged Rarity and the two nodded.

“Alright, ladies!! Light ‘er up!!” She cheered triumphantly. The Rainbooms soared away from Adaggio, who swiped at air before looking at us. She cackled and began to sing, the sound wave washing over us and knocking us back. We stood firm and faced her down. Sunset nodded to everyone before the six positioned themselves in a ring behind Sunset. They combined their magic into her and her eyes began to glow as a red aura began to swirl around her. I floated above them and positioned myself in between the six and Sunset.

‘Alright… here it goes…’ I thought to myself. I saw the glow of light began to develop into a bright rainbow that shot high into the sky, pushing aside the dark clouds. Sunset then held out her arms and aimed the beam at Adaggio. The siren screamed in reaction to being hit, yet to no one’s surprise, the shadowy creature remained unfazed. I then closed my eyes and felt the warmth flow around me. I held out my halberd in front of me and I heard Din began to chant something I couldn’t understand.

I opened my eyes and watched as a ring of fire surrounded me and quickly envelop me into a sphere. From the tip of my halberd, an amber beam shot up and crossed the rainbow beam, the flames trailing the colors. Sunset shifted along with the six. They must be feeling the power flowing through them. The rainbow began to brighten and shimmer as a sphere of light dispersed more of the dark clouds and began to grow bigger and bigger.

I suddenly felt a sharp pain rock my body and I screamed in reaction.

“Fie?!” I heard Sunset say.

“Don’t worry about me!! Just keep it going!! I’ll be fine!!” I struggled. I gripped my halberd tightly, feeling my body stiffen and unable to move. What is this sensation?? Why does it hurt so much?? My thoughts were cut off when I noticed a ribbon of rainbows sailed out and vanish into the girls. I then began to see Sunset’s clothing change. A flowing white dress, golden winged boots and bracelets, a horn appearing on her head and fiery wings protruding from her back. Fiery feathers fluttered around us.

The rainbow grew larger and I watched as the ball of light expand larger and larger before wings sprouted from it. In a magnificent display of magic, the pure light took the form of an alicorn. It reared up and kicked its’ legs out in a majestic whinny of triumph.

“NO!! I WILL NOT BE BESTED AGAIN!!” Adaggio roared. The creature opened its’ maw and began to sing, dark energy combining with the sound and striking the alicorn. Yet, it swished its’ horn, dispelling the attack. Sunset rose her hands into the air and the combined harmony of the friends shot into the alicorn. The alicorn aimed its’ horn and when it unleashed a powerful rainbow, rocking the entire city, Adaggio screamed. “NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!”

The creature’s silhouette was the only thing you could see through the colorful lights. The creature’s silhouette vanishing to only Adaggio’s silhouette. The city was rocked again as a massive pillar of light and rainbows formed a mushroom cloud, parting the bay water. The clouds were pushed aside. The city was then sparkling. A multitude of colors fluttering throughout. The rainbow mushroom cloud didn’t last long as the light soon vanished, leaving a sparkling pillar.

I felt a wave of relief flow through me when the Elements of Harmony were finished. I panted, sweating profusely from the excruciating pain of boosting the elements. My eyes widened when I saw Adaggio floating in the air before beginning to fall towards the bay. I quickly kicked off the air and sailed towards her, catching her before soaring upwards. I looked down at her. She was unconscious to my relief. I looked up and saw the alicorn stare at me before vanishing into the light.

Vessel… I grow… weary… Din rasped weakly. I furrowed my look worriedly before nodding and soaring down towards the cheering crowd where the Rainbooms gathered. The girls were happily patting each other and celebrating. As I landed, I saw the ribbons of rainbow flow out of the girls and over to Wallflower, who held up the horn and studied it in awe. She then smiled and rushed over to the girls, joining in on the celebrations.

I panted tiredly, feeling my body ache as I limped over to them. They looked to me and rushed over, nearly knocking me over as they surrounded me.

“We. Are so. Awesome!!!” Rainbow cheered. I panted and smiled weakly. Sunset looked at me worriedly.

“Are you okay?” She asked me over the cheering crowd. There was the sound of sirens as the police decided to keep the crowd back away from us. I looked through the crowd to see my parallel dad smiling as a dumbfounded man stood next to him. I managed to read his lips.

“Do you believe in magic now, chief?” He smirked before walking through the crowd. I saw my parallel mother being a part of the crowd control. I then winced as a wave of exhaustion hit me and I fell to my knees, slouching over Adaggio.

“Fie!” I heard the voice of Thi. I looked up weakly, seeing my vision blur a little to the sight of Thi and the sisters rushing over to me. My gaze then looked to see my father kneeling down to my level and put a hand on my shoulder. His look studied me.

“How are you feeling?” He asked me. I panted and nodded.

“Rather… tired…” I rasped weakly. He then smiled in relief before looking down at Adaggio.

“So. She’s the cause for all the strife the past two weeks and a half?” He asked. I shook my head.

“No. She is the cause of tonight’s pain and suffering with two others. But she isn’t the source. Just a pawn in the grand scheme of things.” I rasped. “And just like her, I want sleep. Here… you take her… and wake me up… when she does…” I shifted Adaggio to my father as I said this before feeling the whole world spin. The ground was quick to catch up to me.

That night, the shadows vanished and a sparkle of light shimmered magically throughout the city. Rescue teams and alarms were all around, trying to clean up what chaos there was left. On top of a tall building, Fickle Spark looked around her in childish awe at the spectacle.

“Pretty…” she marveled. Tenebres, however, was not sharing the same sentiment. She was speechless, yes. But her shocked stupor betrayed it.

Is Din… really the cause of this…? She muttered. That power… That… is my life’s purpose…? To be… a battery…? she held up her trembling hooves and her shocked stupor turned to anger. It all makes sense now… Din is… willing to sacrifice herself for this realm… that isn’t even our own?? That the serpent has no knowledge of?? Her eyes glared. She plans to use this against the serpent?? No… against us?? Nononono… This power is mine… It is rightfully mine. I will not… be compared to a life support battery…

Fickle furrowed her expression into worry. “I-is everything okay, bestie?” She asked worriedly. Tenebres didn’t respond. Her mind was racing with the dawning realization. As if everything was clicking together for her. Din had developed so much power in such a short amount of time. And the serpent’s hardly compared. Had she obtained such tainted power that is limiting her from reaching such a potential? Yes, Tenebres knew the answer. And her sisters must realize this as well. Tenebres shook her head.

I’ve come too far… to be labeled as such. This world will be mine… And I will do it without the serpent’s power… Fickle blinked and she felt a cold shiver run up her spine. As if something had left her body. Tenebres looked up and eyed the swirling rainbow magic in front of her. Her eyes narrowed as she noticed how brightly they were compared to earlier. Another realization hit her. One that slowly made her creep into a maniacal smile. And I have Din to thanks for this wonderful gift. Fickle tapped her fingers together nervously.

“Bestie?? You’re scaring me…” she whimpered. Tenebres hummed and shifted.

Vessel. I agree with you. This spectacle is pretty. Very pretty. So pretty, in fact, that it works in our favor. Can you feel it? See it? The magic in this world. It is now potent. Everything around us. This world has changed. And it’ll be ours to claim! She smiled. Fickle blinked.

“Really?? So, we can still have our fun??” She asked hopeful. Tenebres chuckled quietly.

Oh yes. The fun has been doubled, I should say. She grinned. Fickle blinked as she noticed two swirls of darkness appear behind her and out from the shadows stepped Aria and Sonata. Fickle studied them and she smiled.

“Oh, you two survived? How wonderful!” Fickle beamed. Aria had an angry frown and her hands on her hip. Sonata looked down sadly, rubbing her arm. Both girls were battered and beaten. Fickle giggled. “Sad that your other friend couldn’t make it. She’s missing out on the pretty sparkles!” Aria snorted.

“What friend? For all we know, she could be dead.” She said sourly. Sonata didn’t say anything. Fickle sighed.

“A tragic loss, huh? I know that feeling all too well. But when Tenebres came into my life, I felt so much happier. It’s just the matter of sticking together through thick and thin like you two have!” She stated happily. Aria side-eyed Sonata, who didn’t bother to make eye contact.

“Whatever… I got better stuff to do.” Aria said before turning around to the shadowy pillar.

“Oh, Aria!” Fickle began. Aria stopped without turning her head. “No need to be a sour puss, silly. There is all the time in the world here! And the magic has been stirred awake! When you two are ready, we have something for you to do in the meantime. Goodnight!” Fickle waved to Aria in a friendly manner. Aria clenched her fist, hiding her anger under the darkness of her expression before stepping through the shadows and vanishing. Fickle hummed as she noticed Sonata not moving.

“What’s the matter, Sonata?” She asked. Sonata winced and backed away a bit from her.

“N-n-nothing… Just… thinking is all…” Sonata replied. Fickle pat her shoulder reassuringly.

“It’s okay. You can tell me. We are friends. And friends listen to each other’s problems no matter how small or large.” She said softly. Sonata looked uncertain.

“I-I-I don’t know… I guess… I’m going to go… sleep…” She said. Fickle looked at her worriedly.

“Oh, okay. If you ever need to talk, I’m always available!” She said with a smile. Sonata bit her lip in uncertainty. She then turned around and walked back to her shadowy portal, dragging her feet as she did. The girl vanished into the shadows and the portal disappeared. Fickle sighed and tapped her head in thought. “They must be really upset their friend left them. I know how that feels…” Fickle spoke, thinking back to a previous memory of hurt. Tenebres gave a pleasant hum in her mind.

And now that I’m here, our lives have been for the better, haven’t they? Tenebres said. Fickle nodded happily.

“Of course, bestie! So, do we keep looking for magic?” She asked.

Of course. We should rest for now and see how things turn out for the time being. The magic will reveal itself. She giggled. Fickle snapped her fingers and a dark pillar of shadows formed in front of her. She stepped into the void of shadows, vanishing, leaving only the city ambiance and the beauty of the sparkling lights shimmering around the city. However, one figure emerged from the shadows. Having disguised himself as a part of the water tower off the side, Discord dusted himself off.

“Hoho. I must say, the going is getting good! And with that settled, I think I can enjoy some vacationing time in this world!” He then snapped his fingers, his outfit turning into a Hawaiian shirt and short khakis and flip flops. Several objects of touristic manner popped into existence and floated next to him. “I’m sure Quiet Fire can figure out the rest now. All this heroing stuff can really tire a draconequus out. I’ll leave that stuff to Princess Twilight and her friends. Oh… that just gave me an idea…” Discord chuckled to himself before snapping his fingers and vanishing out of existence to his destination.

Chapter 30: A Moment of Respite

Four Days Later

I opened my eyes, unable to move. I was floating in the expanse of space. The stars shimmered and the nebulas coloring the darkness. This felt strangely familiar. I looked around, expecting a giant serpent to come sailing by. Yet, something else caught my attention. Five stars shimmered brightly before circling each other in a dance. They then shot towards me and I rightened myself up. I was no longer a human. Just my good ol’ unicorn self.

The stars circled me for a bit before stopping and the visages of the other power element vessels appeared. I blinked and noticed Din sitting next to me, her look staring straight ahead. The visages of the others then solidified and their eyes open. Gwyen, Katlyn, Zalas and Steel blinked and looked around. Their eyes fell on me.

“Fie! You’re alive!” Gwyen beamed. I smiled and waved at the griffon.

“Hey, Gwyen. Been a while, I know.” I replied. Katlyn crossed her arms and smirked.

“Beginning to think the whole world was goin’ crazy. Alright then, lass?” Katlyn said.

“I was expecting you in Zebrica. But then you just… vanished.” Steel spoke. “Shiva sensed Din no longer present. What happened?” The others looked at me. I rubbed the back of my head.

“Err… funny story. Steel, I was planning on heading to the facility in Zebrica. But my friends and I got sidetracked into helping out a village against some Exiles and Triad and an Ursa Major. Just… ya’ know. The usual stuff.” I casually explained. Zalas shook her head slightly, the aquatic lizard eyeing me.

“Tisss not a helpful casssse.” She spoke. I gave a bashful smile. Katlyn looked around.

“Where even are we? Did Ouroboros call us again?” She asked.

“On the contrary. I was the one who did.” Din spoke suddenly. We all looked at her quizzically. Gwyen scratched her head.

“Err… you can do that? We can do that?” She asked. Din smirked smugly.

“I’d like to see my sisters try to compensate for their lack of power scaling at the moment. Speaking of…” she then stood up and flared brightly. “Wake up, troglodytes!! Your queen demands your presence!!” Din roared suddenly, causing us to cover our ears from the sudden startling.

“You are no queen of mine, sister!” A fierce and imposing voice spoke. Gaia formed in front of Gwyen and stared Din down.

“The realm is still up for grabs. Just because you’ve been getting all this power doesn’t make you worth our time.” Aquarius spoke as she stepped forward in front of Katlyn.

“Must we be so loud? The mortals are much quieter than you lot.” Shiva spoke as she rubbed her muzzle upon appearing. Din scoffed before her eyes looked to the side. Out of nowhere, Ventus appeared and planted a hard hoof into Din’s cheek. Ventus stoically glared at her before her eyes widened. Din grinned as she pushed back against the punch. Ventus stepped away.

“Try again, little filly.” Din maniacally smiled. Ventus snorted.

“What happened to you?” Ventus spoke. Din returned the annoyed snort.

“Not that it should concern you, but I have my reason for… ugh… calling you all here.” Din began. “My vessel will try to fill in blanks, won’t you?” She looked at me. I blinked and tilted my head.

“Uhh… sure?” I responded quizzically, curious as to what Din is doing. Din then looked to the others.

“Your concerns are not needed. My vessel and I are in a bit of a bind, but as inconvenient as it was, it did make me realize somethings. I take it none of you have heard from the youngest of us, have you?” She eyed the others.

“I have no time to entertain a filly.” Gaia spoke dismissively.

“Tenebres is probably sulking somewhere again.” Ventus replied. Din nodded with a smile.

“Yes! Somewhere! Only, not sulking and more being… well… a little brat.” She then scowled. "My vessel and I have stumbled into a world that is very much parallel to ours. And the magic there is… well… now it is potent.” She said. The surprised looks from the elements threw me for a loop.

“You are in another world?! Do you not realize the consequences of what you are doing?!” Gaia snapped. Din looked at her boredly.

“I’m sure a smart one like you will tell me what I already know.” She replied. Gaia’s eyes flared in a green fire.

“Mock me, will you?!” She growled. I frowned and stepped in front of Din, looking up at Gaia.

“Gaia, we will get to the point of the matter. Just sit down and let Din explain.” I said with a frown. Gaia eyed me angrily.

“I do not take the words of a vessel! Out of my way!” She stamped her hoof.

“Gaia, enough!” Gwyen spoke. Gaia spun around to her. Gwyen frowned. “For once, we aren’t called by the serpent. Wouldn’t this be considered a relief? Something is really wrong. And as one of the seven, we need to do our part to help stabilize the balance, remember?” Din clapped her hooves with a smile.

“Finally, some creature with a brain! Do be a dear sister and listen to your vessel, won’t you? Because, as much as I loath to admit this, this opportunity will not happen again.” Gaia eyed us before scoffing and stepping back. Gwyen smiled at her.

“Thank you. Continue.” She said. Din cleared her throat.

“Yes, we are aware of the consequences of what we have stumbled upon. Do know, it was by mere coincidence. In this world, Tenebres is running rampant and disrupting the laws of balance in this new world. We aim to stop her and bring her back to our realm. We do not belong there. Our very presence is disrupting. We have a clue as to how to get back. It’s just a matter of getting Tenebres back. Now then, with that being said, this new world has an… unusual magic about it. One that I intend to use against the serpent himself.”

Everycreature remained attentive as Din continued. “With this magic, I’ll be able to ascend beyond what I was originally created for. And one I hope to achieve. And perhaps, you all can receive this same benefit. For I will need your aid in stopping the World Serpent from continuing his sloth.” She looked between them. “Do not take this as it being from the kindness of my heart, I still despise you all. But if we are to free ourselves from this cursed loop, then I will use this magic to give to you as I see fit.” Shiva spoke up.

“So, you intend to bring that magic back to this realm? I sense the bylaws do not apply to this fact.” She said. Din grinned.

“Yes, my frozen hearted sister. Then you know where I am going with this.” Din replied. Ventus spoke.

“But will it work? This’ll be the first time all of us have experienced any form of freedom.” She stated. I chimed in.

“You all don’t need to keep living the way you do now. Look at your vessels. They all bring to you benefits that you wouldn’t have previous. Our lifetime is a time of freedom and opportunity. To go out and see what’s beyond a simple realm. You all can work to achieve this same power as Din has. Gwyen, Katlyn, Zalas and Steel. You are all living your own lives and keeping your element in check, right?” They exchanged glances before nodding. I put a hoof to my chest. “It took me a long time to realize that doing that was only causing a lot of hinderances from doing what we were set out to do. Yeah, we may not have been given a choice in the matter, but don’t believe that anything has changed out of you. All of you. The elements are not the serpent's playthings and we are not tied to the strings of fate.” I smiled. “It took me a spiritual journey and an old friend to reassure us of that. We need to stop treating each other like parasites.” I motioned to everycreature. “What vessels you had previously are no longer their ambitions. You are in newer ambitions, and you both need to work towards achieving it.

“Gwyen, you want to see Appleloosa and the entire canyon to prosper not just economically, but endemically, yes?” Gwyen crossed her foreclaws in thought. She then met Gaia’s look before nodding.

“We… have been providin' tha' creatures of Appleloosa a better ecosystem that is benefittin' even tha' buffalo. Galavance an' Rita have been chippin' in as well. Gaia… you did mention how serene even a barren wasteland like Appleloosa could blossom into an evergreen of nature? It doesn’t have to be just green. You benefit an' strengthen when the earth prospers. Instead of twisting it to as you see fit, why not nurture it to grow as it is?” Gaia studied the griffon.

“Are you saying… I should work with you to nurture the earth as it stands now? Despite all the vile mortals trampling and killing my beloved trees?” She asked. I nodded and chimed in.

“Silver Scribble had said that greed will always remain in the hearts of mortals. It’s the follies we develop through our means. But if you, Gaia, and everycreature else can recognize that, accept that our follies are always going to be there, no matter what, we can work with you to create that harmony that will keep us going. And you can continue to be free.” Katlyn smiled.

“Like a true adventuring spirit. A mare after me own heart. What say ye, Aquarius? We’ve been in a few scuffles and we certainly have come a bit o’ ways in terms of partnership. The crew will come around and start treatin’ ye like family iffin’ that what ye want?” She said. Aquarius studied the abyssinian.

“I…” she began but faltered. “I desire the knowledge to know more of the world. The beauty of the sea calls to me.” She spoke. I smiled and looked to Ventus and Zalas. Zalas didn’t say anything. But Ventus spoke up.

“I’m perfectly satisfied with what I have received.” She said. I blinked and exchanged a glance with Din.

“R-really? Nothing to think about?” I asked. Zalas smiled.

“Ventussss and I have a coexissstance already. What we would like issss to provide aid when called upon. It’sssss boring ssssstanding guard over a tree.” Zalas said. I looked to Din and she gave a shrug.

“A-alright then. You can bet there’ll be plenty of action once we uhh… find a way back with Tenebres.” I said with a swish of my hoof. Din narrowed her eyes suspiciously at Ventus.

“I’m keeping my eye on you, sister…” she glowered. Ventus remained stoic and unimpressed. I then looked to Steel and Shiva.

“Any word about Lux on your end?” I asked. Steel shook her head.

“The facility was a bust. However, I’ve heard tales of your friends causing all sorts of trouble with the Triad. Specifically, the red headed one. She’s been stirring the hornets' nest far more than Shiva and I would like.” My look furrowed into worry.

“Is she okay?” I asked. Steel shrugged.

“If you count mass murder as okay, then yes?” She replied. Panic shot through me. Oh no, oh no! Thi is going to get herself killed!

“W-what about the others?” I asked. Shiva shifted as she replied.

“They have joined R.E.Z.A. in an effort to hunt down your crazed friend.” I looked to Din and Din rolled her eyes.

“Like I said, vessel. Anyway, since you are being a dear and keeping tabs on my vessel’s companions, would you care to knock some sense into that other one? I would rather not have to go through another zebra magical acceptance thing.” Din spoke. Shiva studied her. “Something amusing, sister?”

“You took my advice to heart.” She replied bluntly. Din flared.

“Don’t get too comfy! My desire remains the same as it ever was!” She then turned to the others. “I will repeat myself!! I do not care for any of you!! My own desires are inclined to look past it in an effort to maintain what the serpent held!! I do not care for your friendship! I do not care for honeyed words!! We are the seven who have broken our ties of the World Serpent! We are free!! All I ask is that you do not squander the magic I plan to give all of you when we need it most!! That serpent’s head will be cut one way or another and I will ascend beyond the stars!! We cannot ignore what the Creation Mother made for us, but we can deny the inheritance of a false god!!”

She leaned back and snorted, looking down on them. “Heed my words!! I am the Apex of The World! And I will not be cast aside when I have worked too hard for my rite!! I do not care what you all do!! Just don’t get in my way, am I clear!!?” Everycreature remained quiet. Din scraped the space. “Good! Now then, vessel. It is time for us to wake up and continue on our way back home. We’ve been out for too long.” I was about to ask her what she meant but thought better of it for something else. I turned to Gwyen, Katlyn, Zalas and Steel.

“Before I forget, I have a feeling I won’t be able to make it in time for the gathering. If I do, we’ll still meet up in Manehatten coast. If not, we’ll meet at the Tree of Power. Zalas knows where it is.” Gwyen smiled.

“Can’t wait ta' see ya' again. Things have been gettin' intense over here in Equestria.” She replied. Katlyn nodded.

“With the Triad having taken over some vital points of interest, the Equestrian Navy has been rather tricky to avoid.” She spoke. I blinked.

“Wait… the Triad are on the move??” I asked. Zalas nodded.

“Equesssstria is currently trying to take back their holdsssss. That ssssity in the ssssky hasssss been active. Huntersssss caught in the crossssssfire.” She explained. Gwyen looked at me worriedly.

“Fie. Equestria is beginnin' to hear the first songs of war. We’ll try what we can on our end. But we need ya' back. Everypony is goin' crazy!” She exclaimed. I darted my eyes in worry.

“And I can’t call on the four watching over Ponyville in the world I’m in currently… dammit… Why so soon?? I thought they planned to march when the Spring Solstice happens?” I spoke.

“It’s as your book friend says.” Steel spoke. “Greed will always remain in the hearts of mortals. The Triad are also at fault for it.” I didn’t say anything. My experience at the Zetecan temple was par for the course. I sighed.

“We’re trying. Just try and keep yourselves out of too much trouble.” I said.

“Take care, lass. The world seems bleaker without ye.” Katlyn spoke. I nodded and walked back towards Din. One by one, my friends and their elements vanished, leaving me and Din to stare ahead.

“An entire world riding on your shoulders and an entire ascension on my back. We do have our work cut out for us, eh?” Din began with a smug smile. I only nodded. Din shifted her look slightly. I then shook my head.

“I won’t let it distract me. Focus on finding a way home, get Tenebres back home and restore the balance. Together.” I said. Din studied me before nodding coolly. Space melted around us.

My eyes shot open and I rose out of a bed. I looked around, shielding my eyes at the bright colors of the walls around me. I was also hearing a loud ringing in my ears. I tried to say something, but I wasn't sure what I was saying. I laid back down and just remained still. My auditory bodily function eventually came back and I heard the sound of something beeping. Then, came my voice. I could feel the vibrations as I tried to make words. I then began to remove my hands away from my eyes and slowly opened them. My vision blurred but the images eventually became clearer. I groaned and rubbed my head, the beeping getting louder and louder until it was right next to me.

With my vision returned, I looked around now. It was a familiar sight, yet different in a way. This isn’t the Ponyville Hospital. I groaned and found that moving was out of the question. I was hooked up to these tubes and a machine. I sighed and continued to lay in the hospital bed.

‘Well, damn. How long am I stuck in here for?’ I frowned as I thought to myself.

On the bright side, sleep is amazing~ I heard Din spoke. I blinked groggily.

‘But… don’t you sleep usually when you have time in my head?’ I asked her.

When I rest to recover, I’m idle. I laze about. As calming as it can be, I get bored. What we did caused me to, what I believe, is called Magea Stasis. The term resonates for me somehow… Ahh, well. Whatever it means, I feel great! Din spoke. She was eerily chipper. Just then, the door to hospital room opened and in walked a nurse and my parallel father. He thanked the nurse before the nurse gasped and eyed me.

“You’re awake!” She exclaimed before rushing over to check the machines. My father arched a brow before walking over to the side if my bed. The nurse seemed to look puzzled.

“Something the matter?” Wild asked. The nurse hesitated.

“I… I’m going to get the doctor.” She said before hurrying out of the room. I weakly looked at him.

“Huh?” I said with a rasp. Wild looked at me and shrugged, clearly unfazed by me waking up.

“Enjoyed the rest?” Wild asked me casually. I rubbed my forehead and shrugged weakly.

“I’m still sore.” I replied. Wild smiled softly.

“Guess fighting a legion of shadow monsters and a leviathan will do that to you.” He said before looking at me stoically. “That being said, are you okay to answer some questions?” I chuckled softly and lazily waved my hand.

“Not like I’m going anywhere. But can I ask something first?” I began. Wild met my look. “You wouldn’t happen to have any info on Tenebres’s where abouts, have you?” Wild studied me. He then rubbed his chin.

“You really are uncanny to me. Who’s your mother, if I may ask?” He asked. I blinked and shook my head.

“I… can’t say that. It’s super weird and I don’t want to make things awkward.” I replied. Wild hummed before nodding.

“I understand. As to answer your question, we have not been able to track down Tenebres or a young girl based on your description. Ever since you and the Rainbooms took on that monster, that’s all anyone is covering. Global news, social media, even political debates unfortunately. Our department has been piling up with missing persons and found persons. The attack left over four hundred injured and thirty-six fatal.”

This didn’t sit well with me. I remained quiet as my father continued.

“You’ve been out for quite a while. Everyone has been getting worried.” He then motioned past me with his head. I looked over and my eyes fell onto several cards and a present. Wild removed his hat. “Four days to be exact.” My eyes widened and I sat up.

“Four days!?! Ow!!” I held my side and winced as a sharp pain shot through me. Wild lowered me back down.

“Better you stay in for now. It’s not pretty outside.” He said. I looked at him worriedly. “Let’s just say, be glad I’m the only one you’re talking to right now.” I sighed and put my arm over my forehead, the empty alien feeling of my missing horn bothering me a little.

“I can’t be here. I’ve wasted too much time.” I said. Wild narrowed his look.

“That’s one of the questions I want to ask. What does it mean for our world when you are present?” He asked. I met his gaze.

“I told you, I ended up here with no choice. What Din tells me, however, is that if Tenebres and Din continue to exist in this world, both of our worlds are doomed. I have to get back home with Tenebres.” I explained. Wild nodded before pulling up a chair and sitting down.

“Then. Care to explain from the start? Specifically, how you came about this magic?” He asked. I smiled weakly. I explained to him how it all started. How I ended up with Din, how my journey led me to here, how my very existence is questionable to this world and so on and so forth. When I finished explaining, Wild was jotting down in his note pad. He had filled out at least twenty pages worth of notes. He then pocketed it in his trench coat and nodded with a smile. “Thank you. I still can’t believe that you are from an alternate dimension. And a pony no less?”

“I did say it’d be weird.” I said with a nervous smile. Wild put a hand over his mouth in thought.

“But it all makes sense. Ever since the incident at Canterlot High. It all stems from there. And all this time magic has been seeping into our world.”

“And possibly other things that Equestria may have banished.” I chimed in. Wild nodded.

“Right. So why would our world be used as a prison for monsters?” He asked. I shrugged.

“I can’t give you a correct answer on that. My guess is that we have no clue your world exists. But from what I gathered of my own, only the entire school of Canterlot High, Crystal Prep and a select few individuals know Equestria exists physically.” I replied. Wild’s leg began to bounce a little.

“So… you sure you can’t tell me who your mother is? Err... at least the name in your world?” He asked. I couldn’t help but roll my eyes playfully.

“I can tell you one thing. I’m not your daughter and most likely the mare shares no similarities to your interests in this world. Like I said, it’s… weird to explain.” Wild remained stoic at the response.

“Right… pony.” He said before standing up. “Well then, I appreciate the time and will not keep you from rest any longer.” He then put his hat on and turned to walk out of the room. I sighed and rested my head down. I then looked over to the cards and present on the bedside table. Looking just above, I could see a calendar. It was already the start of the spring season. If time is parallel in this world to Equestria, then would that mean Winter Wrap Up is happening? My eyes feel onto a later date. The spring solstice.

Seeing it made me anxious. My thoughts were cut off when I heard the door open again and the nurse came in with the doctor. He looked over a clipboard and then eyed me.

“This week just keeps getting more and more interesting. Hello, I’m Doctor Swift Heart. I just have a few questions for you.” He began. I sighed and stared up at the ceiling.

Can I go back to sleep? Din asked sarcastically.

The World is Changing: Magic in the Air.

A headline has been making the waves. The city has been quietly recovering from the events four days ago, with buzz that has been on every forum, social media, news outlet and even a debate among the government. What began as a series of theories and accusations of special effects has become the eye opener.

Magic is real. Those that have believed in it rejoiced in the possibilities. And those that didn’t have had mixed receptions. And of course, the special cases believe it to be something else convoluted. Regardless of the words and actions, Canterlot City could not deny that the events that have been happening have been just that. And what has the people excited is the heroes that appeared to harness it.

The city’s own Rainbooms have also been the headlines of several news outlets. All wanting to interview the girls who saved their city. While no words have been given by the Principal and Vice Principal of Canterlot High, in which the heroes attend, police have been issuing protective services as to keep the girls from being overwhelmed and the students that attend the school to continue their studies without the invasion of privacy.

It is safe to say, however, that the world is changing. For better or worse, only time will tell when the events progress.

Equestria Girls POV

Sunset Shimmer glanced nervously at her phone. The Rainbooms had gathered in the privacy of the music room, each one sitting quietly and swiping at their phones. Sunset eventually got up and began to pace around the room. Her frustration starting to rise, causing her to grind her teeth in thought. Pinkie Pie saw this and reached out a hand to her’s. Sunset blinked and looked back. Pinkie handed her a cupcake and beamed. Sunset smiled softly and took it.

“Thanks, Pinkie.” She said, taking a small bite out of it. Pinkie Pie nodded happily.

“Chocolate always helps me to relax!” She replied, taking a big bite out of her own. Applejack looked up from her phone and began to tune her bass.

“Still no word about Quiet Fire?” She asked Sunset. Sunset sighed and swiped at her phone, taking another bite out of her cupcake before swallowing and speaking.

“Nothing. Not even a word about Tenebres or the other two Dazzlings. It’s been four days. Something should have happened by now.” She replied.

“With all the craze going on, I think it’s safe to say that Tenebres is laying low. Same with the other two Dazzlings.” Twilight spoke as she put away her phone and began to tinker with a compass like device.

“Perhaps we should lie a bit low as well?” Fluttershy asked.

“I agree with Fluttershy.” Rainbow Dash spoke. “As awesome as we were, the other day at work, we had to close the shop early. We sold out of practically everything because people wanted to see me.” Rainbow rubbed the back of her head. “I’m also supposed to be meeting with the head of the sport’s store tomorrow. They want to use me as the poster girl for more products. It’s a little too much right now…” Rarity sighed.

“I agree, darling. While thrilled I am to have so many followers on my accounts, the err… emails have been rather… ahem… awkward. And I haven’t been able to catch a break to finish my new line of clothing I planned to unveil at work tomorrow.” She said.

“That’s what you are concerned about? ‘Ah had random strangers come by an’ try to help aroun’ my house! Couldn’t sleep a wink for two days because they decided to throw a hoe down in front of our yard.” Applejack frowned.

“And I’ve been trying to calm the animals. So many people believe that animals can talk now and try to get along with them. It’s… admirable, but it’s’ scaring them away from their habitats. And someone might get hurt, critter or otherwise.” Fluttershy said, hugging Angel close to her.

Pinkie Pie chewed on a chocolate bar before speaking.

“Coinky-Dink has been running out ice cream and food! We’ve also been closing early because of it! I’m all for parties but it’s a little much to keep up right now!” Pinkie Pie said, sighing a little. Sunset looked around.

“Anyone seen Wallflower?” She asked.

“Girls!” A voice said. As if on cue, Wallflower excitably burst through the door and rushed in, her eyes lighting up. “Come to the garden! Quick!” She said before taking off jogging down the hall. The girls exchanged glances before setting aside their things and rushing after Wallflower. The girls made their way out the school and towards the garden, only to stop and look up. Wallflower stood by what appeared to be an arching entrance of trees leading into the garden.

She proudfully had her hands behind her back, grinning ear to ear.

“Neat, huh? C’mon!” She then jogged into the garden and the girls followed. The seven came to a stop and their eyes lit up as well, their breaths leaving them. The garden had a complete makeover. While their own work remained untouched, trees and plants decorated the area. With the snow having melted long ago and the weather starting to warm up, colorful plants of all sizes bloomed.

The girls walked around in wonder.

“Wallflower… this is amazing!” Sunset said with a smile as they looked up at a giant purple lily that bloomed over the fountain like a ceiling lamp as the sunlight gave it a soothing and cool colorful vibe. Wallflower beamed.

“It surprised me too. I found the lily blooming over the fountain. It gave me an idea and inspired to work in a bit of magic too.” She then reached into the back of her jeans and withdrew the horn. She waved it in front of her. “Everything else was my doing. A little bit of imagination and a bit of practice, I figured out how to work this.” Sunset studied the horn.

“Are you sure about it? I mean, don’t get me wrong, this is incredible. But with our run in on magic lately, I’d be a bit careful about it.” She replied. Wallflower sighed.

“I… know what you mean. But I promise I have been very careful about it. The magic doesn’t work if I don’t wish with all my heart. Like this.” She then aimed at what appeared to be a budding dahlia flower. Wallflower waved the horn around, her eyes closed. “I wish… I wish… for this dahlia to blossom.” She then flicked the horn, aiming it at the flower. The dahlia bloomed as if time had sped up. Sunset let out a breath of awe. Wallflower giggled. “It was how I was able to help you all out during Adaggio’s rampage. All I wished was for you all to win and then… well.”

Twilight walked over and adjusted her glasses, squinting at the horn.

“Huh… You don’t mind if I do something real quick.” She said before withdrawing a compass like object. Sunset arched a brow at the device before her eyes widened in realization.

“Are you sure you want to be using that?” She asked cautiously. Twilight smiled and waved a hand reassuredly at her.

“Don’t worry, I redid the schematics and math. I’ve pretty much made it able to sample the magic and give me a reading based on a color spectrum. It won’t steal magic or open portals. Trust me, I tested it on myself.” She said. Wallflower and Sunset exchanged concerned glances before Wallflower held up the horn. Twilight aimed the device and the lights began to glow around it. It then popped open and a colorful wispy orb floated out of the wand and into the device. Twilight closed it and hummed a small tune as the girls waited for something to happen.

The compass lit up with a multitude of colors. The device then popped back open and the wispy orb floated back into the horn. Pinkie Pie skipped over and looked at the device.

“Ewwwww, colorful!” She smiled. Applejack scratched her head.

“So… why a color spectrum?” Applejack asked.

“I’m glad you asked. Science can measure a lot of things, but one thing that science hasn’t been able to measure is the theory of magic. There have been a lot of ways that may make sense on paper, but since science is just another form of magic, actual magic couldn’t be measured accordingly. That is, science didn’t account on me!” Twilight grinned and wiggled her fingers at the device. “I figured what’s the simplest way a human can measure something unquantifiable? By looking at it. Through colors.”

“Kind of like that machine?” Fluttershy asked with an amused smile. Twilight nodded.

“Precisely!” She beamed proudfully.

“So… what do you do when you get a measurement?” Rainbow asked. Twilight opened her mouth to speak before realizing her words and tapping her chin in thought.

“I uhh… wasn’t able to get that far yet. I guess… we just use it to see how strong the magic is. Going by the many colors in the reading, Wallflower’s horn is powerful stuff. I still need to adjust somethings, but I think we can make something out of it.” She said.

“Well I, for one, am inspired by such beauty!” Rarity said pleasantly. Her eyes widened at an idea. “And I have just the idea for my current line! Flora Couture!” Sunset rolled her eyes playfully with a smile. Sunset’s phone went off. She reached into her pocket and looked at the caller.

“It’s from detective Wild Fire.” She said before answering it. “Detective?”

“You have a detective’s phone number?” Rarity blinked. Sunset listened in, nodding her head.

“Mhm. Mmm. That’s great news! When is she going to be discharged?” There was a momentary pause. “Oh boy. Anything we can do to help?” Another pause from her. “Got it. We’ll head on over to the station once classes are finished.” She then disconnected the call and looked to the others. “Detective Wild Fire wants to meet us at the CCPD station. He wants us there when they start questioning Adaggio.”

“But I thought they threw her in jail.” Rainbow Dash spoke. Sunset nodded.

“Guess there are still some blanks needing to be filled. They are going to transfer her over to Paradise Isle Prison after.” She explained. Wallflower nervously held the horn close to her chest.

“Do I… have to be there?” She asked. Sunset smiled.

“If you want. It’s just a quick in and out. Or you can go ahead and we’ll meet you up at the hospital. Quiet Fire woke up.” The girls perked up.

“Is she alright?” Applejack asked worriedly. Sunset nodded.

“Still bed ridden, but signs shows she is stable.” She replied.

“Oh, thank goodness. I was worried she might have… err… over done it.” Fluttershy said with relief. Sunset furrowed her look to thought.

“Yeah… must have been a little too much.” She replied. The bell rang. The girls looked at each other before jogging back to school. Gathering their stuffs from the music room, they bid each other later before heading off to their classes. Sunset and Wallflower chatted a bit more before Wallflower waved to her and headed for (she was dreading it) P.E. The day progressed uneventfully, the school still buzzing with the events from four days ago. There was one thing that Sunset had noticed, however.

Some of the students were looking a little pale. Not only that, they’ve kept a blank expression throughout classes and having a weird walk. Some have taken notice of this but they all wrote it off as just a trend chasing. And Sunset thought so as well. When classes finally ended, the girls met up in front of the pedestal, the flower still glowing with the magical effects. Wallflower looked up at it and hummed. Sunset eyed her slightly, curious as to what the introvert’s thoughts were.

“Alright, so how are we getting to the station?” Rainbow Dash asked. “I can run down there of course. But are we carpooling or what?” Sunset rubbed her chin and smiled.

“You know… I’ve always wondered how it felt to just fly to school and back. I wonder if…” She then held out her hands and they glowed. She let her magic surround her and with some concentration, she found herself lifting up from the ground. She opened her eyes and beamed, looking down at herself. But due to her excitement, the magic faltered and she fell onto her rear with an “oof”. Sunset winced and rubbed her tail bone as Wallflower helped her up. “Err… I guess we can have Rarity fly us over.” She said with a nervous smile.

Rarity smiled smugly in a playful manner before tossing out a gem that expanded big enough to fit all of them. Wallflower waved to them.

“I’ll catch up with you girls. There’s something I'm wanting to check on.” Wallflower replied, studying the horn. Sunset nodded.

“Try not to get into too much trouble!” Pinkie Pie teased with a wave. With the girls on board, Rarity soared them high into the air and made their way downtown, Wallflower watching as they did. Wallflower, however, was unaware of the dark haze that was creeping up behind her.

Quiet Fire’s POV

I laid boredly in the hospital bed. No matter how many times I’ve visited the hospital before this whole journey, there was always nothing to do. Not even the TV could satisfy my restlessness. I need to do something active. I asked if I could walk around the hospital a bit, but the doctor told me that they wanted to ensure I hadn’t developed internal injuries and want me to go through therapy. It eventually got to the point that I planned to sneak out.

It wasn’t the first time I have done so. And it wasn’t because of being short on funds. I wanted to avoid so many questions and when I felt better, I’d walk out and act like I was discharged. Somehow, I think it’s going to be tricky to do that here than in Ponyville. I did read through my get-well cards. One from Cloudchaser and Flitter giving me positive wishes, Thi’s being a tad strange, but I found it endearing. The Rainbooms had a bigger card with their signatures and some good vibes comments.

I then looked at the present and was curious to open it. However, it was a little further away than I’d like and I’d wince in pain when trying to reach over to it.

‘Din, is the healing even working?’ I asked her boredly. Din scoffed.

I’m spreading my magic to aid in my own recovery. You’ll just have to make do with normal, mortal healing. She stated.

‘But I’m sooooo boooooored!’ I complained.

Indulge in yourself, why don’t you? Your simple mind has some urges that are left unattended that… frankly I want to burn. She said in disgust. I wasn’t sure what she meant, but I could go for a stiff drink. That always perked me up after a hospital visit. Though, now that I think about it. It has been a long while since I’ve poisoned my liver. I missed the warm feeling in my belly, but at the same time, I felt a bit more energetic sober. Ahh well. Nothing like a victory drink.

‘Now if I can only just get out of here…’

“Enjoying your stay?” A voice spoke, startling me.

“Hazabawahuh?!” I flinched, only to wince and hold my side. I looked over to see a strange looking person in a multicolored suite sitting down and reading a book.

“It is nice to see you too, Quiet Fire. Been some time since our last talk.” He said, smirking. My eyes narrowed at him.

“That voice… Discord?” I asked. The person looked up from his book and his yellow and red eyes glinted.

“Indeed it is, my friend.” He said with a smile. My eyes widened.

“Wait… how are you here?!” I pointed at him. Discord kicked back in his seat.

“Really now, have you’ve forgotten that I said I’d be keeping an eye on you? It’s in the second chapter.” He said. I blinked at this before shaking my head.

“Wha? Don’t start with your nonsense now. What happened??” I retorted. Discord sighed and closed his book.

“If you recall, I’ve been disguised as a decal on your cloak. Have been since you left Canterlot. Does that answer your question?” He asked with an unamused raise of a brow. I was about to speak when I thought about it a bit more. I then slumped back into the pillow.

“You know I had no choice, right? I was stuck to the mirror and going to be turned into solid gold.” I said. I blinked again. “Wait, if Din was curious about the mirror, why didn’t you get us out??” I asked. Discord rubbed the bridge of his nose.

“In our world, that serpent has limited me in my powers. I cannot help even if I wanted too. But I can do some work arounds. Stuff that gives somethings a little… push.” He said, making a gesture with his hand. I blinked and groaned, remembering the events.

“Right… Then… have you at least figured out a way for us to get home?” I asked. Discord pretended to tap his shoe in the air as a leg rested on a knee.

“I have been doing some searching, yes. But then I realized to myself and I was like-“ He then snapped his finger and a copy of himself popped into existence. “‘Discord, our friend has been working too hard in saving the world, perhaps she could do with a little bit of a vacation! Isn’t that so thoughtful of me?’” The other Discord nodded approvingly.

“Why, of course it is! And maybe even take some time off to yourself too! Nothing like partying in another dimension, as Pinkie Pie would say!” He winked at me before popping out of existence. Din growled.

The Lord of Chaos speaks tongues. She hissed. I narrowed my look.

“So… you did revel in the chaos that has been going on?” I asked suspiciously. Discord scoffed a couple of times.

“I… Well… okay… maybe a little enjoyment out of the chaos, but I never went out of my way to cause it! You must believe me that my intentions this time are to help us. The Rainbooms had the push, but they are a little slow on the upkeep of what I’m putting down.” He said with a flourish of a hand.

“Probably because you like to speak in circles. But then… does that mean you being here allows you to freely use your magic?” I asked. Discord wagged a finger.

“I cannot send us back with my magic. Doing so will create a singularity that will surely destroy this world. And you being the hero, you wouldn’t want that as a part of your genocidal record.” He smirked.

“Low blow, Discord.” I frowned in response. Discord scoffed again as if he had been rightfully accused of something vile.

“Then what do you expect me to do? While it’s true that I have free reign of my magic again, you and I both know we cannot be here. I bet Din will vouch for that as well.” He replied. I heard Din snort in annoyance as he continued. “Be it as it may, this time it does call for my direct aid. I’m all for ponies figuring out their own struggles, because if friendship has taught me anything, it’s to support them through their trying times. Just as Princess Twilight and the others have for me.” I raised a questioning brow.

“Uh huh…” I replied. Discord held up a finger.

“Would it help you if I told you I have an inkling of where Tenebres is hiding?” He said, his eyes glinting. I narrowed my look.

“Whatchu’ talkin’ about?” I asked suspiciously. Discord put a hand on his chest as he proudly puffed it out.

“Being the good friend that I am, I had tracked down the last known location of Tenebres. I spotted her meeting up with those two other sirens. You should start at the museum where we first came here.” He nodded. “Trust me! I haven’t let you down yet!” I sighed and bumped my head against the pillow out of boredom.

“That’s nice and all, but I’m stuck for another few hours before they can fully discharge me.” I said. Discord rubbed his chin. He then had an idea, a lightbulb popping up over his head. He grabbed it and took a bite out of it like a cookie before snapping his fingers. A strange glass bottle of red liquid appeared in front of me. I instantly recognized it. “Grandma’s secret recipe? How did…?” Discord shook his finger as he chewed on another bite of the lightbulb like a cookie.

“I don’t kiss and tell for anypony, Fie. Just consider it a… push.” He said with a stuffed smile before tossing the remaining lightbulb into his mouth and chewed. When he swallowed as I took the bottle in my hand, he stood up and stretched.

“Well, visiting hours are almost up. I’ll meet up with you when you find out what to do next. Ciao!” He waved to me before popping out of existence, leaving me to look at the bottle. Din grumbled.

As annoying as he is, the draconequues is right. We mustn’t waste more time here. She said. I nodded in agreement, popping the cork and then drinking the liquid. The bitter taste flowed down my throat, nearly making me cough. I drank all of it and winced at the awful after taste. However, I felt the tightening pain in my sides wane and a burst of energy course through me.

After a few minutes, I felt my pain ease and feeling normal. I smiled and sat up. Din shifted.

Zebra magic works all the time. She said, sounding a lot more energetic than previous. I looked down at myself. Carefully removing the tubes and putting then aside, I shifted off the bed and felt a cold chill when my feet touched the tiled surface. I stretched to test how well I was fairing. Completely normal. I grinned and flexed my fingers. With a silent nod to myself, I looked over to the present.

I took it and proceeded to open it. My eyes lit up in awe as I then pulled out what was my clothes entirely pressed and cleaned. Beneath it was a red hoodie cloak. A new and improved one. Stripping off my hospital gown and dressing into my clean clothes, I studied the design of my new hoodie cloak. The fire decals were colorful this time, lined with a woven silk to give it an eye-catching flare. On the very back was what appeared to be the design of a fiery majestic equine creature with her eyes closed and embroider lined wings unfurling up and over the shoulders. From the horn of the equine figure was a, what appeared to be, depiction of magic weaving up and creating a veil of fire that lined the edges of the hood. The cuff of the sleeves were thicker with a button strap that would allow me to roll up my sleeves and keep them from falling.

My eyes then fell onto a fashionable folded note tagged to my hood. I took it and read the fancy cursive.

Quiet Fire. Consider this a gift from yours truly, a Rarity original in a new line of inspiration! You have the weight of the world on your shoulders, darling. And what better way to tackle it than to look stylish doing so? From yours - Rarity. P.S. The others would love to catch up with dinner at some point. Give us a call, okay~? Din shifted in my head curiously.

Is that supposed to be me? Din asked. I smirked.

'Insulted by a fashionista?' I asked amusedly. Din was quiet for a moment.

Tis a better form of flattery than your pathetic attempt. Din replied stoically. I chuckled and held up the hoodie cloak.

'That's the Element of Generosity for you.' I replied to her. I tossed my hoodie cloak around me and put it on. when I clipped and tied the front of my hoodie cloak, I swished it out with my arms and examined myself. It felt real cozy to wear. Not loose and not tight. Just the right fit. I pat my chest, feeling satisfied with the new hoodie cloak. I then turned to the window and opened it. No use going out the front door and having to be confronted by hospital employees. I got stuff to do.

I stepped onto the sill and Din unfurled her wings behind me. I took off into the sky, fiery spectral wings fluttering from the effects of a newly energized duo ready to begin their hunt for Tenebres. There was something vindictive about being the hunters after spending some time before being hunted by Tenebres.

As we flew through the sky, my eyes scanned the ground. In the distance, I could see that reconstruction of the bridge was coming along. But it also seemed that several main streets in the city were closed down, leaving a lot of auto wagons stuck.

‘The city certainly has its’ work cut out for it.’ I thought.

Mortals here will never know the pure freedom of independent flying without limits. Din commented with a satisfied smile. May the queen reign supreme.

Chapter 31: Tension Rising

The Rainbooms landed in front of the station where several officers waited for them. Cloud Mist stepped out and approached them, removing her officer’s hat.

“Apologies for the short notice, girls. Right this way.” She said before turning and leading the girls through the station. The looks they got was a mix of admiration and disappointment. But the Rainbooms paid no mind to this as they were led to the back and entered into a room with a two way glass window. On the other side, strapped into a dolly like a insane lunatic animal, was Adaggio. Fluttershy bit her lip warily.

“Isn’t that a little… extreme?” She asked.

“It’s more than necessary to ensure the safety of everyone involved.” Wild Fire said as he sat up from a table. Sunset and the others studied Adaggio. Sunset couldn’t help but notice the dead look in her eyes. While Adaggio may not be responsible as the source, she felt that jail time wasn’t a fitting punishment. But, she wouldn’t want execution either. Wild Fire looked out the side of his eyes to them. “Adaggio has been in that state ever since you girls saved the city. We believed she may be in a coma like trance from the… magical effects.”

“Well… she’s still in one piece. I think.” Rainbow spoke. Twilight studied Adaggio with a hum. Wild adjusted his hat.

“We were hoping you girls would be able to get something out of her. She seems to respond to Sunset Shimmer’s name and the Rainbooms as mentions.” He said. Sunset looked to Twilight.

“Twilight, can you come with me? Maybe we can get a reading on her magic.” She said. Twilight nodded and Cloud Mist led the two out of the room and into the interrogation room. She closed the door behind her and stood guard as Sunset and Twilight took a seat across from Adaggio. The two exchanged concerned glances before Sunset began. “Adaggio? It’s me,
Sunset Shimmer.” Adaggio’s eyes widened a little in response. But nothing was uttered. Sunset narrowed her look. “You knew what you were doing when you decided to team up with a primordial being. I’m guessing what you didn’t account for was Quiet Fire showing up to stop you.”

Adaggio remained speechless, but they noticed her eyes give a look of denial. The device around Twilight’s neck began to vibrate. Twilight held it up to study it when it suddenly popped open and Adaggio’s eyes widened, the color seeming to fade from them. A small wisp of magic flowed out of her throat and over to the device, where it rested and swirled softly at the center. The two began to hear a faint singing voice. Sunset looked to Cloud Mist and motioned to cover her ears. Cloud Mist looked to the glass and covered her ears. Twilight and Sunset leaned in. The voice was calling to them. Sunset reached out a hand and the world melted around the two. Twilight looked around in a panic while Sunset stood up and readied herself. The squawks of seagulls and the crash of water against rock could be heard.

Accompanying these sounds was a song. It sounded sad. Lonely even. Sunset and Twilight stuck close as they saw a bright flash of light in the distance of the dark abyss. It then glowed and shimmered, causing them to shield their eyes. When the light dimmed, they smelled salt water in the cool breeze. The ocean water washing against their shoes and the sounds of seagulls around them. Looking down, they were standing on a small patch of island with nothing around them, save for several rock formations. The song grew louder and the two turned around, their eyes widening in surprise.

On a jagged and flat rocky formation rested an aquatic equine creature as told by the legends. The creature’s head aimed at the sky, eyes closed and a soothing voice singing. The two readied themselves to counter spell the Siren, but instead, a strange feeling washed over them. It was as if they could feel her emotions. A sense of longing freedom. To be adored. Not to conquer but to worship. A sense of magic that isn’t as powerful as she believed it to be.

The verse changed to loneliness. Of three wayward souls finding companionship on clashing ideals but mutual want of admiration. A bond that, at first came off as untrustworthy and one off, became more than that. The song ended with a desire to sing as they had once done ages ago, to be free from the cage they were thrown into. The Siren then lowered her head and put a hoof to her chest.

When her eyes opened, they fell onto the two.

“Come here to gloat? So be it. My chance for freedom has long been surrendered.” Adaggio spoke aloof. Sunset and Twilight looked at each other before Sunset stepped forward.

“We didn’t come here to gloat, Adaggio. We just want some answers.” She replied.

“You’ll find naught here. Begone, ‘err you be lost to the stream.” Adaggio replied.

“Adaggio… what was that song you sang?” Twilight asked suddenly. Adaggio’s fin tail swished against the crashing water.

“Tis a lullaby we sang ages ago. We created it as a beacon to find our way home. Tis long since failed us. There is no point to it anymore.” She replied, looking out into the ocean. Sunset and Twilight exchanged glances once more.

“Every song always has a point, Adaggio. It’s always sung from the heart. You of all creatures know that. Isn’t that how you want to be adored?” Sunset spoke. Adaggio didn’t respond. “Your magic is powered by your song. Shouldn’t you use it for good instead of trying to conquer Equestria?” Sunset asked. Adaggio turned her head to them, a spiteful glare crossing her expression.

“Thou know not of what you speaketh! Conquering Equestria twas never our plight to begin with! Tis a lie bespoken upon us by that damnable Starswirl and his companions!” Adaggio hissed. “The quaint little village that we doth terrorized hath been a boon for our starvation! We only needed to feed! Creatures, we are. But monsters, we knoweth well! And that village your “heroes” saved hath been unkind to each other! Tis coincidence we stumbled upon it!” Adaggio snorted angrily. “Yet, behind the veil of blackened hearts, there were those that looked upon us. Complimented sweet tidings and praised us for our beauty. But the magic twas not filling.”

Sunset and Twilight looked at each other. Sunset crossed her arms and thought on the subject.

“Your legend strikes a memory. I remember reading that the Sirens were planning on using their dark magic to conquer Equestria. You’re saying it’s all a lie? Then why send all those shadow monsters to attack the city?? What did you need to gain from doing that?!” Sunset motioned around them. Adaggio shifted her position on the rock.

“Twas my only choice. I needed enough power to return to Equestria. The filly gifted us the darkness which bolstered our magic beyond anything doth can imagine! But…” Adaggio looked contemplative. “Honeyed words soothed our weariness. Encouraged us to make friends.” She snorted in disgust. “Twas a plague on our minds. All I thought twas to return home. To hear upon admiration once more. The darkness tales so.” She then bowed her head and laid it against the rock. “Thy wish upon the others to follow suite. All for naught.”

“Are you saying… you weren’t in control?” Twilight asked nervously. Adaggio didn’t raise her head.

“Never hath I spoken on such. My control twas true. My actions intended. No apologies granted nor given. Tis a choice I desired.” She replied.

“But why?? Adaggio, you and the Dazzlings have been working so hard on your voices after the Battle of the Bands! We saw it at the Starswirl Festival! You have a following! Fans even! You all are adored one way or another!” Sunset put a hand to her chest. “Take it from someone… somepony… who went against her mentor’s wishes and stole a crown of magical power all for a reason I thought would benefit me! It was thanks to Princess Twilight Sparkle to show me that the light of magic and friendship is all the power you ever need!” Adaggio eyed them. Twilight bit her lip in thought, before sighing and stepping up next to Sunset.

“Sunset is right. I too was a victim of my own faults. I wanted to learn all I could about Equestrian magic. To understand why it was coming into our world and how we could achieve it. I nearly destroyed this world and Equestria in the process! It still haunts me to this very day, but it was thanks to Sunset Shimmer, who had redeemed herself amongst her friends, did I too walk her very path.” Twilight smiled at Sunset. “I’m here now thanks to her and everyone else. You didn’t need the darkness, Adaggio. You had friends and admirers. All you had to do was look behind you.”

Adaggio lifted her head and studied the two. She then shifted a frown and dove into the water, her figure rippling and distorted as she swam around them. Sunset and Twilight went back to back, on alert for any sudden attacks. Adaggio then splashed out of the water and rested herself on the patch of island, towering over them.

“Humans will always be scum. Same with you ponies. Thou art naught on equal terms with one such as I. That, I promise thee.” Sunset slumped in exasperation.

“Then what do you truly want, Adaggio!? You’ve already lost your companions! What little dignity you had left was lost to the shadows and you were beaten by us. Twice! What more do you have to lose??” She challenged. Adaggio shifted backwards a bit.

“What I truly want…” She darted her eyes in thought. She then looked past them and the two looked over their shoulders to the empty jagged rock formation. “That… is one question I have to think about. But mark my words, Sunset Shimmer. I will not stop my vengeance against those that hath tossed me into this prison. With the magic now potent and lively, tis only a matter of time. Begone with you.” Adaggio was about to turn when Twilight held out a hand.

“Wait! We need to know where Tenebres is hiding! You had direct contact with her, can you at least tell us that?” Twilight asked, standing firm. Adaggio snorted and leaned down towards them, her snout blowing their hair with a puff of air. The smell of sea and salt wafted over them. She then pulled away from them.

“The filly in question moves around too much for a proper location. However, the darkness that resided in me whispered words. Chatter to be exact. Of your school.” She then back flipped into the water and began to jump in and out of water, getting further and further away from the two. The area melted around them and a bright light blinded them.

When the light dimmed, the two lowered their hands and saw themselves back in the interrogation room. The small bit of magic wisped out of the device and back into Adaggio’s throat, causing the color in her eyes to return and her inhaling as if she had been underwater without her gills. Sunset looked with a narrowed expression, seeing Adaggio’s still dead looking eyes. Cloud Mist put a hand on Twilight’s shoulder, who was still in a bit of stupor.

“Everything alright, you two?” Cloud Mist asked stoically. Twilight blinked and looked to her, nodding in hesitation. Sunset and Twilight left the interrogation room and back into the other room.

“What happened in there?” Applejack asked with worry. “The whole room lit up for a second.” She said. Sunset put a hand on her hip and a finger under her chin in thought.

“I’m… not quite sure. I think we spoke to Adaggio through our hearts or something.” She looked to Wild Fire. “We… didn’t get much. But she did say that something might be going on at Canterlot High.” She then blinked when she heard her phone go off. She looked at her phone. “It’s Flash.” She then answered it. “Flash? I’m in the middle of something. Can I call you back?”

”Sunset! You have to help us! The school is under attack and-“ Sunset’s eyes widened when Flash started to grunt as if he was struggling against something and the sound of his phone dropping. ”Don’t let go! I got you! Grrrrgh! Sunset!! You have to help us! Get off of me!! W-wait! No!” The call disconnected. Sunset balked.

“Flash?? Flash?!” Sunset spoke. Nothing. She looked to the others. “Canterlot High is under attack! We have to help our friends!” Wild Fire looked to Cloud Mist who nodded before stepping out alerting several officers. Wild nodded to the girls.

“We’ll catch up. Go.” He said.

Quiet Fire’s POV

I stared up at the building of the museum. It was unfortunately closed due to the attack from The Dazzlings. There were security guards walking around outside. I hummed and decided to try the roof. Din landed me onto the roof and I jogged over to the roof entrance. Finding it unlocked, surprisingly, I stepped in and descended the stairs, opening the door at the bottom and peeking in. The hallways were dark, but using Din’s eyes, I could see perfectly fine. Din hummed.

I sense the traces of magic. Stronger than it was previously when we arrived. She stated. I snuck quietly into the hall and made my way through the exhibit, following Din’s gaze. We passed by several display cases of old war relics and then one display that was empty with another that had shattered glass around it. Din frowned before directing my gaze down a hall. Keeping my own awareness alive for any sounds of security footsteps, I proceeded into the next exhibit.

I stopped in front of a display that had red velvet curtains around it. Whatever was here before is now gone. The yellow tape crossing it off made for an interesting tell tale sign as there was a strong sense of magic here that Din noticed. Deciding nothing else was interesting, we proceeded down another exhibit. Fossils and what looked to be dinosaur bones were displayed.

I looked up at the skeleton of a T-Rex and hummed. No magic here. Din suddenly turned my head to the left, as if sensing something wrong. Being on guard, I approached the area and looked around. Din then had my eyes fall onto an empty display case. The glass around it showed signs of it being shattered to get into it. Lo and behold, we could see wisps of magic floating around the pedestal. I hummed.

I approached the display and read the plaque:

It is believed that the cave this crystal was dug up from was the birthplace for the legend of King Arthur. Founded by famous astrologer, Starswirl the Bearded, these crystals have been recorded in ancient documents depicting their use in the war against King Perceptical the Perceptic Tyrant. It has also been studied to show that there maybe a special property that made these crystals, but that is speculation.

I tapped my chin. ‘Sounds like we have a clue. But what would Tenebres need with that crystal? If it is what the plaque says it is, it’s possibly another Equestrian artifact that wound up in here.’ I sighed. ‘I’m starting to see where Thi gets her paranoia about artifacts being used for evil schemes. At least it isn’t the Triad that got a hold of it.’ I had a dawning realization. ‘Are there even any Triad here? That would be trouble.’

I believe that it maybe a different cult in this world. But that is not our concern. I have a hunch that my sister plans to use this crystal to bolster her power further. If you’ve noticed, the magic that was here is powerful. Din said. I blinked.

‘How powerfuI?’ asked. Din hummed.

Perhaps I forgot to mention. But as a power element, not only can we give the magic, but take it as well. Though, there is nuance to that rule, I’ll keep it simple. We exchange for a coexistence. Tenebres is taking as much magic as she can and most certainly plans to unleash it against us and this world. She must have somewhere to keep the magic hidden, however. Holding onto it can prove to be a pain in the ass.

“Hey, who goes there!” A voice said. I quickly tossed up my hood and looked over my shoulder. A flashlight was aimed at me. “You’re not supposed to be in here!” The security guard walked over, reaching out to me. I swiftly sidestepped around the guard and he stumbled.

“Sorry, sir. I was just on my way out.” I said casually before power walking away.

“Hey, stop!” The guard called out, rushing over to me. Din smirked smugly and unfurled her wings behind me majestically. The guard stopped and fell onto his rump. I stopped and looked over my shoulder.

“It won’t happen again.” I said. Din then kicked me off the ground and we crashed through the dome glass, taking off into the sky. We soared through the air and I began to scan the ground. “Hope we got what we came here for.” Din hummed.

It begs the question of where she is hiding the magic. Sadly, yours appears to be closed off to us. This world deems it so. She said. My eyes then fell onto flashing lights. Using Din’s eyes to get a further look, I saw several officer wagons barreling down the road. Following the road, my eyes fell onto what would be Canterlot High. My eyes widened, seeing the school having a dark haze dome surrounding it. Din and I put on a burst of speed towards the school. My eyes then noticed the girls riding on a massive gem.

“Looks like we didn’t need to search that long.” I commented before making my way down towards them.

Rarity brought them down just across the street from the haze, their eyes wide in shock. I could hear what sounded like the screams of the damned from the haze. As Sunset took a step forward, I noticed several puffs of black smoke shoot out from the haze and circle around the girls before landing in front of them. From the shadows emerged who I recognized as Trixie, Flash, Bulk Biceps and Derpy. Their eyes had a dead look to them, their posture slouched as if hanging from strings and their mouths having black lines down to their chin.

They shivered and began to bounce around each other, as if performing a ballet dance. Sunset threw her arms out and fired a beam at them in an effort to stun them. Yet, their odd dancing caused her to miss. They then in unison began to pirouette and lash out their limbs in a strike. Sunset went stumbling onto the floor while Rarity held up her diamond shield around them. I used Din’s eyes and noticed a faint set of strings attached to them, oozing with shadows.

‘Perhaps we can get more answers here.’ I thought before calling my halberd. I kicked off in the air and like a comet, I sailed down and as the four lined up to strike all at once, I twirled my halberd and slashed horizontally just above them. The strings snapped and flailed around before retreating into the haze. I shot upwards and came to a stop, looking down at them. Rarity lowered her barrier and the girls cheered. I floated downward towards them and looked to see Flash, Bulk, Derpy and Trixie come too.

“Urgh… The Great and Powerful Trixie… has a tummy ache…” Trixie sickly said, green in the face a little.

“So… dizzy…” Derpy swayed. Bulk shook away his daze and helped Derpy to steady. Sunset leaned down and helped Flash up, who rubbed his head with a wince.

“Why is the earth wobbly…?” He rasped. He blinked and noticed Sunset. He smiled. “You made it.” Sunset nodded before looking serious.

“What happened Flash?” She asked. Flash took a moment to get his footing before replying.

“I’m… not sure…” He then looked to me. “I was in the middle of practicing with my band when out of nowhere, this dark haze came into the gymnasium and people started vanishing. Before I knew it, I felt like I was stabbed with a knife several times over and no longer in control of my body.” He looked back to them. “I… I was aware of what I was doing to you all… I couldn’t control it… I’m sorry.” Trixie, Derpy and Bulk nodded apologetically. Applejack stepped forward.

“As long as you are okay. Any others inside?” She asked. Flash nodded.

“Anyone that hasn’t gone home after school. We have to save them!” He replied. Sunset nodded.

“You four stay here. The police are arriving any minute. Girls, let’s go.” She said. The girls began to rush towards the haze.

“Wait!” I called out. Too late. The girls collided with the haze and a slight distortion caused them to rebound away from the haze. The girls landed on their backs or rear with a chorus of “oofs”. Sunset winced and rubbed her tail bone. Flash bent down and helped her up as Sunset looked at me.

“What just happened?” She asked. I looked towards the haze, Din’s eyes scanning the area.

“It’s a barrier. One made by Tenebres’s magic.” I shouldered my halberd. “Listen. What we dealt with at the bay is nothing compared to what Tenebres is capable of. She’s one of the seven. A primordial being. Her magic can influence even the strongest of wills. I can’t tell you for sure if she’s here or not. But the fact of the matter is that when you go in there, it will not be pretty.” I stoically explained. “There is no guarantee I’ll be able to help. Hopefully, she’s after me and will allow you to do what you need to do.” I then stepped in between them and the barrier. ‘Ready, Din?’ Din shifted in response.

I twirled my halberd with a swish, catching it and aiming the tip of the blade towards the barrier. I then stomped my foot and jabbed the tip into the haze. With a loud pop and a strong force of cold wind, Din's fire created an archway. I pulled my halberd back and adjusted it in my hold, looking over my shoulder.

"Be prepared for anything. Tenebres will not hold back." I told them. The girls exchanged uncertain glances as Din snorted, smacking her hooves together.

I'll fight fire with fire! Din grinned challengingly.

'Down girl. We need to keep a level head. She got the better of you last time. If you want to put her in her place, let's focus up.' I thought to her as I stepped through the archway. Din growled, her anger quietly rising as I could sense her remembering what Tenebres had done to her. I made my way down a bit and glanced over my shoulder to see the girls walk in after me. Din shifted.

Vessel, above! She said. I stopped and readied myself, looking up above. My eyes narrowed as my gaze fell onto a ball of shadow floating around the prismatic glowing flower. The ball then floated up above the flower and in a puff of dark smoke, a headless creature wearing what appeared to be a circus attire and a floating top hat presented itself in a showy manner before bowing to us. I tilted my head in confusion. The creature then flicked its' hand and withdrew a familiar object. My eyes widened in horror. The statue's horn.

“Wallflower?” I said suddenly. The creature made a strange motion before snapping its’ gloved fingers. In a puff of black haze, I heard the Rainbooms gasp in horror. Wallflower hanged limply in the air by several strings attached to her. The creature then held out the horn to her, bowing elegantly. I saw the gloves wiggle and flex at the same time Wallflower blankly reached for the horn and took it in her hand. She then waved it over her head and a crackle of dark lightning sparked from the tip.

The lightning crackled around us, snaking along the ground and scorching the sidewalks. The creature seemed surprised by the lightning itself and danced around the strikes. It then stopped and wiped its’ nonexistent head before waving its’ fingers and forming a shadowy orb over the tip of the horn. Wallflower leaned back and brought the horn behind her before chucking the ball at me. I quickly deflected the ball over my head, which was a terrible mistake. The ball popped over head and split seven ways, washing over the Rainbooms. They screamed in shock as the shadow began to swallow them at the feet.

I gasped and rushed over to Sunset, grabbing her hand and pulling against the force of the shadow. My eyes darted around, seeing the others get swallowed into the shadows. I swore loudly before shifting my halberd and stabbing the blade into the shadow and ignited it. This released Sunset Shimmer from the shadow and I went backwards with Sunset stumbling over me. We quickly scrambled to our feet and Sunset’s fist clenched, looking up at the creature.

“Let my friends go!” She challenged it. The creature seemed to make a gesture of laughing before snapping its’ finger and Wallflower disappeared into a familiar shadow pillar. The creature seemed to get a kick out of our struggle before rolling the hat over its’ shoulders and then bowed, waving its’ fingers as the door to the school opened up. The creature then dissipated into a dark haze and flew into the school. Sunset and I rushed after the creature, entering the school without a second thought.

The door slammed shut behind us, enshrouding us in darkness. I snapped my finger and ignited a flame to light up the area around us. We could hear whispers all around us.

“Stick close.” I told Sunset Shimmer. She nodded as we proceeded further into what I would assume is the main lobby of the school. It was too dark that I couldn’t see fifteen hoof steps in front of me. Err… footsteps… ahh buck it. It’s too damned dark. I glanced over my shoulder, seeing Sunset looking a bit distressed. “You good?” I asked her. Sunset looked uncertain but nodded.

“I just… hope nothing too bad happened to them. Or anyone here for that matter.” She said sadly. “This magic… what even is it??” I could tell she was a bit frustrated.

“It’s alright, Sunset. I know how to fix this. But I need you to keep a cool head. Primordial influences don’t affect me but like I said.” Sunset nodded with a sigh at my words.

“I know. I know. I’m cool. Where would we even find them?” Sunset asked after taking a moment to breathe. I stopped and looked up with a frown.

“Two guesses.” I said with a hand on my hip. Sunset looked up and our gazes fell on several neon signs of varying designs pointing down the hall. Sunset looked a bit baffled.

“What…?” She began. I adjusted my halberd.

“Keep your eyes and ears open. Usually, walking into a trap is the best way to find someone or something.” I said as we continued to walk.

“That’s… not a reassuring argument.” Sunset replied with concern towards me. I smiled a little and shrugged.

“It worked a couple of times.” I said. Din sighed.

Barely. She commented. We continued to follow the signs, eventually finding ourselves standing at a door. It looked to be the principal’s office. We exchanged a careful glance before I opened the door. Stepping through, I suddenly felt a weird sensation of vertigo. The room was twisted in a way that you couldn’t tell if it was up or down. Not only that, there was a set of stairs that, upon following, led to a set of stairs that were upside down or all around. Sunset and I traversed the stairways, ending up confused as to how we ended up back to the start.

It took us a bit to find the right path. When we did, we wound up in a twisted hallway, the lockers elongating into whatever you would call the ceiling or walls. Eventually, the lockers began to turn into steps that curved downward. Sunset and I made it halfway down the locker steps when they then flattened all at once and we lost our footing, yelling as we slid down the path of lockers. The lockers began to make waves as the whole world around us began to make a psychedelic effect that made Sunset a little green in her face.

When we tumbled onto steady and even ground, I helped Sunset up and steadied her.

“Urgh… Are we there yet…?” She said dizzily. I stoically looked around the area. I waved the flame over to me and bumped it with my palm, floating it high over our head and letting it light up the darkness. My eyes widened in horror. Sunset shook away her daze and looked around, covering her mouth in horror. It was like we had stepped into a toy aisle.

All the students of Canterlot High, including what looked to be the teachers, were all lined next to each other or even above and below each other. They encircled us, their dead, blank expressions staring at us as their strings hung them limply like lifeless puppets. I readied my halberd to my side while Sunset looked around us.

“Wh… what happened to them…?” She shuddered. Using Din’s eyes, I looked around the area. The haze is stronger here. Even Din was finding it hard to make anything out around us. My eyes then fell ahead and I aimed my halberd in a readied stance in the direction of footsteps. From the shadows emerged Wallflower Blush. Sunset readied herself as Wallflower swayed with her steps.

I couldn’t help but notice she was dressed in a blue frill dress and her hair was neatly primmed and straightened. Almost as if she had become a doll. I looked at the sight with a disturbing expression. Wallflower jittered a bit before tilting her head.

“Help…. Me….” Her pained voice spoke without moving her mouth. “It…. Hurts….” Her body then began to move, the sound of bones crunching as her body looked mangled before straightening and gave a courteous bow. A swirling smoke of shadows swirled around Wallflower and she began to grow taller and taller. Sunset and I backed away as Wallflower towered over us and reached a hand out towards the puppetted students. From the rows descended Fluttershy, Applejack and Pinkie Pie. Wallflower then reached to the other side and Twilight, Rarity and Rainbow Dash descended.

Their blank expressions meeting ours. The dark haze around us then swirled and began to enshroud the girls, making their bodies crack to life.

“Join us, Sunset Shimmer.” All six said in unison and began to circle us.

“It’s not so bad being like this.” Pinkie Pie spoke, though her voice sounded strained a little.

“It’s pretty awesome. No worries or stress. Just go with the flow.” Rainbow Dash, her tone sounding like she was in pain, said.

“Join us.” Rarity spoke.

“Join us.” Twilight followed suite. Then it was Fluttershy and then Applejack. Sunset darted her eyes with a disturbed expression.

“No! You need to break free of this! This isn’t you!” Sunset replied in desperation. She then looked to Wallflower. “Wallflower, please! I know you can hear me! You have to gain control!” I shook my head.

“We’re going to have to actively free them. Cut the strings.” I said as I readied myself. Sunset gave an apologetic look to Wallflower before nodding and letting her magic lift her up from the ground.

“Hang in there. We’ll get you out.” Sunset said reassuringly aloud. I stoically stared down Wallflower until she waved the horn and started to float over to me. Din unfurled her wings and the two of us scattered. Sunset did her best to direct herself around her puppetted friends while I tried to get a higher advantage to cut the strings. Which was harder than it was as I had to stop myself from committing to the swings as students were used to jump in the way.

Everytime they did, it was followed by their laughter, as if taunting me. It also didn’t help that Sunset tried to avoid hitting her friends with her magic, only for it to directly do so (intentionally by the creature) and causing them to scream in agony. It was Fluttershy that did so to protect Twilight. Yet, the scream waned into a giggling fit from both of them.

“Heeheeheehahaha! It… hurts… help… Hahahahaheehee.” Fluttershy blankly gestured. Twilight floated around Sunset.

“The screams… make them stop… Heeheeheehee.” Twilight said with a strained tone. Sunset froze in horror as Pinkie Pie joined in and circled around her.

“Don’t be afraid, Sunset. Join us! Then we can have all the fun like we used too.” She said excitably. Sunset lowered herself and fell to her knees.

“No… Please, you have to snap out of it! You’re my friends! You’re stronger than this!” She pleaded. As this was going on, I was trying to get at the strings, but Wallflower was being directed like a ballerina around me, making it hard for my halberd to get anything. I looked over and saw Sunset curled down on her knees, shaking her head. I grit my teeth and without hesitation, I kicked off the air towards her, only to be stopped by Rainbow Dash, Rarity and Applejack laughing at me and doing small jigs in a taunting manner.

My eyes widened as I could see strings emerge from the haze and snake towards Sunset. Din suddenly roared, igniting a bright fire around me.

You will not have the Phoenix!! She angrily shouted. I couldn’t react to what happened next. Six copies of myself shot out from the fire surrounding me and tackled the Rainbooms. Vessel!! I blinked out of my stupor and kicked off the ground, swooping down and scooping Sunset away just in time. The strings slithered back into the haze and suddenly, the whole school students and teachers floated out of their positions and began to grow.

Sunset and I stared in horror as the laughs from the school students and teachers echoed around us. Wallflower waved the horn in a pirouette and aimed it at us and the puppetted students and teachers rushed us. I balked.

“Gotta’ go!” I said as I quickly spun around and kicked off the air, sailing down the dark hallway. Din put on a burst of speed as I did everything to avoid being swiped at. I glanced over my shoulder, seeing Lily, Rose and Rain Drop flanking me while Applebloom and a teacher, whom I’m certain resembled a certain resident donkey in Ponyville, appeared from the shadows and laughed at me, waving their limp arms and hands.

I quickly twisted my body, Sunset holding onto me as I zipped past them. Correcting myself, Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo were up ahead, having emerged from the shadows and seeming to topple over a locker together. Din flapped once and gave us enough height to sail over it. However, another locker toppled and Din and I couldn’t react. Sunset, however, swished her arm out in front of her and blasted a hole with her beam spell. She held on tightly and I straightened my body, Din bringing her wings in and with a twist, we sailed right through the hole and out the other end of the locker. Din unfurled and continued to maintain our speed.

“We have to find that lackey! It has to be around somewhere!” I stated, gritting my teeth as I avoided Celestia and Luna swiping at me along with several other students. I then felt a rush of wind and a rainbow blur pass under me. My eyes widened as I looked to see Rainbow Dash jump and performed a hattrick that connected with my back. I went downward and Sunset and I rolled along the ground after hitting it hard.

I managed to land on my feet and swished both my arms out around me,
Creating a barrier of fire. The puppets laughed and began to dance around us as Sunset sat up and shook away her daze.

“How can we even find it?!” Sunset asked, probably feeling a bit woozy. My eyes began darting around the puppets, trying to see if I could notice anything unusual. My eyes fell onto Wallflower, who was waving the horn around, the colorful light trail following the tip through the haze. My eyes narrowed at an idea.

‘Din. Sunset Shimmer is a phoenix, right?’ I asked. Din snorted.

Not likely. She holds the power of the Phoenix. Capital P. A deity who bears the origin of the species. What are you suggesting? Din replied, her senses on high alert.

‘Can we let Sunset have some of our fire for her own?’ I asked. Din clicked her tongue.

The girl will burn herself for trying! My eyes fell onto the horn and Din read my mind. Hmph. I question your ideas more and more. It’s a wonder how we are still alive. She sighed. I smiled.

‘Because I have you.’ I replied. This made Din quiet, but I felt her warmth flow through me. I then noticed several copies of myself appear from the flames. Taking a quick look, I noticed that my hair was flowing like fire and it had grew a long ponytail followed by pony ears on top of my head. Din’s amber slit eyes met mine through my copy and I nodded. I looked over my shoulder. “Get ready, Sunset. It’s time to save this school with everyone in it.” I said with a smile. Sunset looked questioningly at me.

“What are you- Hey, wait, Fie!” She called out. I swished my hand and my clones shot out of the barrier and began to swing away, not intending to hit, but to make the intention to cut the strings to get the puppets to back off. With that succeeding, I rocketed out of the barrier, avoiding a couple of swipes from Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie, accidentally using Twilight’s face as a spring board and sailing through the legs of Rainbow Dash, who had tried to intercept me with a kick. I then reached out to Wallflower, who was being yanked back quickly by an invisible force, yet a little too late.

I locked my arms around her’s and flipped myself under and over, twisting the arm and causing Wallflower to let go of the horn. I gave an apologetic look before quickly planting my shoe into her side and caught the horn, landing on my feet into a sprint before Din flapped her wings and I went sailing back towards Sunset. I didn’t get far however as I was soon dogpiled by several students. I struggled to break free of their hold. I managed to yank my arm free and heaved the horn through the air.

“Sunset!!” I shouted. The last thing I saw before the blank expression of Twilight, with a shoe print across the bridge of her nose, met mine, laughing.

“Hahahaha! That hurt!” She said, sounding a bit annoyed. I gave an apologetic look before smirking. Suddenly, a bright light shone behind her and the puppets let go of me. I landed on my feet and nearly tripped as I looked on at the sight. From my fire ascended a majestic phoenix. Inside of the spectral bird was the silhouette of Sunset Shimmer. With a loud screech, the projection of the phoenix vanished and Sunset took a step forward. Her entire being having changed to the same manner against Adaggio.

She held the horn in her hand and stared down the puppets. She then tossed the horn up high over her head and in a colorful rainbow light, the hallway was lit up, blinding the puppets. I could see the strings attached to everyone visibly now. Sunset then waved her arms, her hands glowing before she held them out and several gold beams shot out of her hands and sliced the strings.

One by one or in groups, the students and teachers fell limply onto the ground. Sunset then held up her hands over her head, her eyes glowing brightly and shot a red beam into the horn. This was followed by a blue one, then a yellow one, an orange, a blue and a violet and lastly a pink one. The horn then exploded into a bright rainbow wave that washed over the entire school. My eyes saw the magician like creature fall out of the ceiling from a shadowy hole and landed hard on the tiled ground.

In a bright flash of light, everything had returned to normal. We were standing outside in front of the school, the students and teachers on the ground around us. Looking around some more, I could see the officers standing behind with quite a bit of onlookers. I smiled and looked back over to Sunset Shimmer, who met my look and smiled as we turned to the magician creature. It looked shocked and terrified at the sudden change of control.

It wiggled its’ gloved fingers, as if trying to control whatever it had left. Sunset gave it a hateful look.

“Fie? If you’ll do the honors.” She said. I called back my halberd and held it at the ready. The magician crawled back, waving its’ hands in a begging manner. I loomed over the creature as it shrunk back. I smirked.

“Tough luck, Tenebres.” I said before stabbing the blade through the creature’s chest. Din cackled evilly and ignited the tip, the fire torrenting out of every end of the outfit. With no head to scream, I could sense Din feeling less than satisfied about the ordeal. Regardless, the magician clawed at itself before reaching out to me and vanishing into a charred pile of fabric. I pulled back and called away my halberd before taking a deep breath and giving all the power back to Din.

I then turned around and saw Wallflower pushing herself up with a pained groan. I smiled and walked over to her, reaching out a hand. She looked up at me and took it. I pulled her up and she took me by surprise by hugging me. I let out a small sigh of relief before patting her back before she pulled away. We looked to see everyone else coming too. Sunset helped up Twilight and beamed as the two hugged, followed by the rest of the Rainbooms going in for a group hug.

Cheers began to erupt from the onlookers. The police advanced and began to aid the students and teachers to come to and help them up. I looked up, noticing something glinting and held out my hand. The horn floated gently down from the sky and into my hand. I studied the colorful horn with a hum.

“Powerful magic, huh…” I said. Wallflower reached out a hand to it before stopping and pulling back, rubbing her forearm bashfully.

“Y-you should probably hold onto it. Better it was in the hands of someone who cannot put the school in danger… again.” She said. Sunset and the others approached us.

“You didn’t put the school in danger, Wallflower. No one would have saw this coming.” Sunset said with a reassured smile. The horn in my hand glowed and a rainbow ribboned out of Sunset and back into the horn. Sunset regained her normal Pony Up outfit as she examined herself. I arched a brow before pocketing the horn in my back pocket.

“Perhaps I should hold onto it for now.” I then smiled. “Glad everyone is okay.” I blinked as I saw Twilight’s unamused raise of her brow. I could see my shoe print still across her bridge and I gave a nervous laugh and smile. “Ehehe… s-somewhat okay.” Twilight rolled her eyes before grinning a little. I then looked past them and saw my parallel dad approach us with another male person.

“One hell of a show again, girls.” Wild said with a small nod. Rainbow Dash playfully punched Sunset in the arm.

“Gotta give all the credit to Fie and Sunset here. They really saved our hides.” She said with a wink. The male person with Wild nodded and looked around.

“I must say, these past couple of weeks were quite an eye opening event. Who’s the owner of this school?” The man asked.

“That would be me.” A voice said. We looked to see Principal Celestia and Vice Principal approach with my parallel mother at their side. The man smiled.

“Ahh perfect. I would like to ask a few questions if you do not mind?” He asked. Celestia and Luna glanced at each other before Celestia nodded.

“Of course.” She said. The man motioned.

“Right this way.” He said. Celestia and Luna walked with him while Wild sighed a little. Something was bothering him. He then removed his hat and looked to us.

“Canterlot High will be closed until a full investigation is complete. Consider this an early Spring Break.” He explained. Rainbow Dash pumped her fist.

“Aww, yeah! Now we can actually put our heroing to work!” She cheered. Wild cleared his throat.

“Unfortunately, that is to remain on hold. The chief was ordered by the city to do a thorough investigation on you girls. Your jobs have already been contacted and you’ll be placed under custody until questioning is finished.” He said with an apologetic look.

“What?!” Rainbow Dash balked, but Sunset held up a hand to her.

“We’ll be happy to answer any questions. But we cannot guarantee a full coverage. There are still somethings we still don’t know.” She said.

“You don’t have to be in the dark any longer.” A voice said. My instinct had kicked in and before anyone could register, I had called my halberd and aimed the axe blade out to my side, holding right at the neck of a girl that appeared out of a shadowy pillar. She let out a startled “Eep!” And held up her hands. I looked over and narrowed my eyes. It was one of The Dazzlings. The pony tailed girl shivered and remained where she was.

“Sonata?” Sunset raised a brow before crossing her arms. “Should have guessed The Dazzlings were behind this.” The look of daggers were glaring in the direction of Sonata all at once from the girls. Sonata gulped and kept her hands up.

“I-I give up! I-I’m not here to fight, I swear!” She stammered.

“Why should we believe you? You were involved in the attack on the city!” Applejack retorted unamused. Sonata nervously looked at everyone.

“B-because I’m literally sticking my neck out to talk to you all.” She said. The Rainbooms exchanged glances. I lowered my halberd and stabbed the butt into the ground.

“Smart choice.” I said. Sonata lowered her hands slowly before sighing.

“Look… there is no way any form of apology is going to work about the attack. We were only following Adaggio. I didn’t think she’d turn on us like that…” she replied.

“No offense, but you aren’t really the sharpest out of the three.” Rainbow Dash spoke stoically. Sonata sighed.

“Say what you want. It doesn’t matter anymore… I’ve given up any hope of returning home.” She said sadly. She then held out her hands and closed her eyes. Everyone readied themselves as the shadows began to seep out of her body and form a ball in her hold. When the last bit of shadows combined with the ball, she then stuck it out to me. “Here… I don’t want this power. All I ever wanted was to sing and be adored. I thought we were doing well for ourselves. But there isn’t a home to go back to anymore.”

I studied the sad look of Sonata. Din scoffed.

Dull, but bright. I sense no hostility from this one. Vessel. Take the shadows within you. I will use it to find Tenebres. Din said. I called away my halberd and stepped up to Sonata. I then held out my hand and closed my eyes. I felt a warmth flow through me and felt Din’s magic wash over the shadows in a bubble. She then funneled it into me and I felt a sharp pain course through me. I winced as the shadows flowed into me before the pain subsided with the last shadows retreating into me.

I studied my hand and flexed it before looking to Sonata.

“Why did you think it was a good idea to team up with a primal? There has to be more than just wanting to return home.” I said. Sonata shook her head as she put her hands behind her back.

“I wasn’t given much of a choice. Adaggio agreed to it without our consent.” She sighed. “Listen. If you see Aria. Tell her that I’m sorry for running out on her. She must be so alone and afraid without us.” She twisted her boot tip into the ground back and forth. “We never showed it, but all three of us need each other. Our songs are very beautiful in harmony. And as annoying as I was, they were the only ones who never turned their backs on me when we came here. Adaggio needs to realize that we are just as much here for her as she was for us.”

She turned to Wild Fire. “I’m ready to turn myself in.” Wild studied the girl. It was Cloud that walked forward and cuffed Sonata. She put a hand on Sonata’s shoulder as she led her away.

“You’re on the right step, Sonata. Thank you for your cooperation.” She said. We watched them move away before Twilight rubbed her chin.

“Hmm… There is still one thing that I still think we are missing out of all of this.” She began. “Quiet Fire, mind if I borrow some of that shadow?” She asked.

“Are you crazy?!” Applejack stated. I arched a brow.

“What are you thinking on?” I asked curiously. Twilight removed the compass like device around her neck and held it up.

“I want to study more on the effects of Tenebres’s power. We’ve only seen the outside capabilities, but there has to be more.” She said. I scratched the back of my head.

“Oh, well usually I just need to find her heart and destroy it to cancel all influences she has on this world. I do that and that’ll get her to listen to us.” I said.

“And do you have an idea of where it could be?” She asked. I opened my mouth to reply, only to stop and rub the back of my head.

“I’m… still looking for that. Tenebres could have anything as her heart.” I explained. Twilight smiled.

“Then we’ll split up the work. You’ll hunt down Tenebres and we’ll search for the heart. Sound fair?” She smirked. I blinked.

“What do you think, Din?” I asked aloud. Din stretched.

Frankly we are no where close to the answers we should have. And these seven have proven to handle themselves. What is it that you had told me? That I need allies? She replied. I smiled and nodded.

“We could use the help, yes.” I replied. Twilight smiled and took her ready stance, holding the compass out towards me. I closed my eyes and held out my hand. Din used her horn to direct a very small smount of shadow, tracing it up my arm and towards my finger tip. The compass clicked open and the shadow flowed into the device. Twilight closed it and adjusted her glasses, studying the strange colorful lights blinking.

Sunset smiled and looked to Wallflower.

“What do you say, Wallflower? Wanna be an extra set of eyes?” She asked. Wallflower stepped back.

“Oh, no, that’s okay. I… had enough excitement for one day. I’d rather take it easy, ya’ know?” She said nervously. Sunset smiled reassuringly.

“Well, when you’re ready, we’ll always be happy to welcome the help. Right girls?” She looked to the others. The Rainbooms nodded in agreement, causing Wallflower to blush. A thought then occurred to me. One that just popped into my head at the realization.

“The heart…” I said suddenly. I looked to the others. “Before coming here, I was at the museum and doing some investigation. Several things were missing from exhibits and Din pointed out that Tenebres had been there to collect magic. If my theory is correct, then one of those missing items might be used as a heart. But then again… it could just be something to throw us off…” I looked to my dad. “Can you do me a favor and do a bit more reading up on the objects missing from the museum?” Wild smiled.

“It’s part of my job, kid. But I like where your head is. I’ll text you if I find anything new.” He said. I blinked and tilted my head.

“Text?” I asked. Wild blinked a bit in confusion before Sunset put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

“Where we come from, cellphones don’t exist. We have alternate methods of messaging.” She explained with a smile. I scratched my head.

“I used to work as a mailmare before all of this. Is there a… postbox you have?” I asked. Wild looked to everyone before shrugging.

“We have an email.” He replied. I blinked in confusion. Wild rubbed the back of his head. “Err… we’ll just meet up if we see each other.” Sunset smirked.

“We’ll think of something.” She said.

Aria Blaze gloomly looked out from between broken venusian blinds out onto the city streets, her mind in deep thought. She had thought back to that day when Adaggio turned on her. She softly rubbed her cheek, still feeling the sting of betrayal that fueled a small fire of vengeance deep within her. And not only that, she wasn’t sure where Sonata went. Not like she cares anymore. She told herself over and over that she’s better off alone. No more dealing with an annoying dimwit. No more following a creature who took her in during the darkest moment of her life.

From now on, Aria Blaze is a one siren band. And with this new found loneliness came new ideas of what she can do. Perhaps have a little fun? The dark powers of the primal being still ran through her veins. If there was any hope of returning home, it would be alone. Aria’s thoughts were cut off when she heard the whispers from the shadows behind her. Yet, she didn’t pull her gaze away from the window.

Out from the pillar of shadows stepped out a hulking knight armor that stepped aside and kneeled down as Fickle stepped through. Aria looked through the glass to see that the girl was dressed in a peculiar fashion.

“What are you wearing?” She asked without pulling her gaze away from the window. Fickle blinked and looked down at herself. She was wearing what appeared to be a black and white frill blouse and skirt with black tights and punkish looking boots. She giggled and pirouetted.

“Saw these and thought it’d look great on me. What do you think Sir Hemlock?” She asked innocently at the knight. The armor didn’t respond but only nodded slightly. Not only was her clothing odd, but her curly hair was brushed and a red bow keeping her bangs out of the way. She then looked at Aria with concern. “Aww, you look gloomy, Aria. What’s wrong?” She asked. Aria didn’t respond. Fickle hummed before beaming.

“I know what’ll cheer you up! Wanna’ help me with setting up something?” She asked. Aria finally looked over her shoulder. Fickle clapped her hands excitably. “I promise, it’ll be fun! And you get to go home too! Four days of acquiring most of the scattered magic in this city and I’ll finally have enough to best Din and her vessel. Help me out with this, and you are home free. What do you say, friend?” She then held out her hand to her. Aria growled and batted Fickle’s hand away.

“I’ll help. But I’m not going to follow you after this. After this job, I work alone. You can have your damned power back.” She sternly said. Fickle blinked and tilted her head.

“But why?” She asked. Her eyes then widened and she grinned. “Ooooh! Is it because your friends abandoned you? I know it’s hard to accept that. Believe me, I know where you are coming from.” Fickle sighed sadly and rocked her torso with her hands behind her back, kicking the ground. “I thought I had friends too. But that was all a lie. I was alone and afraid. But when Tenebres found me, I knew I found my best friend! We did everything together! And now, we are on our way to become queens of this new world!

“You don’t need to be alone, Aria. You may get things done efficiently, but to be effective, I can provide you the support you need! Even Adaggio and Sonata would look up to you afterwords! From the bottom of my heart, the darkness showed me the light of friendship. And now, I want to spread that to everyone I come across! Including you.” Fickle skipped around Sir Hemlock. “I’m not asking you to follow me. I’m asking for your help! Because your input will be insightful as it is valuable! Just do me this one favor and I promise that you will be free to do whatever! And do know that no matter what, I’ll always be your friend.” Fickle hugged the gauntlet of Sir Hemlock and happily squished her cheek against the cool metal.

Aria narrowed her eyes. She wasn’t convinced in the slightest. Yet, the idea of being free to do whatever was enough to keep her curious. She looked down at her hand. How long will she be able to do so? She then shook her head slightly. She made up her mind. From now on, she’d do things her own way. Aria Blaze will blaze through the meaningless life of imprisonment in this filthy world. She then held out her hand and Fickle beamed before skipping over and taking it.

Aria gasped as a dark shadow swallowed her whole in a blink of an eye. The last thing Aria saw was the glowing purple slit eyes of an alicorn and a childish cackling.

Chapter 33: Childish Herald of Shadows, Fickle Spark

When I stepped out of the portal, my eyes narrowed. We were standing in front of Canterlot High. The bell had rung and based on how empty it was, class must be in session. Which isn’t good. I shouldered my staff.

“Why here? Frankly, if you want my cooperation, you’d better find a different area.” I spoke. “One without innocent people around.” Fickle giggled and turned to me.

“Silly. This isn’t what I wanted to show you! Just making a quick pit stop before heading to the actual location.” She said before withdrawing her scythe. I readied myself as quickly as she primed her strike. She swung and I instinctively held up my staff to block, only to see that the scythe went high overhead. I looked over my shoulder and gasped. She had sliced the massive flower.

It fell off onto the ground, the petals fluttering around it as the stump began to sparkle and shimmer brightly with rainbow colors. From it, the colors began to shoot upward like a fountain geyser. And as quickly as it happened, the flower suddenly flashed and looked completely fine. I blinked along with a confused Fickle. Fickle frowned and swung again, cutting the flower. However, it flashed and returned to normal.

“Now, now. It’s very rude to vandalize school property.” A voice said. Fickle spun around and narrowed her look. I followed her gaze and saw Discord dusting his suite off. He smirked slyly at Fickle. Tenebres suddenly formed out of Fickle’s cloak and towered over Discord.

You dare interfere?! She hissed angrily. Discord smugly smiled as he gestured.

“My, what a serious accusation! As much as I should interfere, doing any more would cause such a destabilization in this world that we’d have to relive Equestria all over again!” Discord said as he then popped away and appeared next to me, leaning in towards me. “Though, if you ask me, Equestria was truly beginning to get a bit boring.” He then sighed defeatedly. “I miss Fluttershy, Fie. It’s been such hell not being able to enjoy a nice cup of tea with pleasant company.”

Tenebres blinked and turned to him.

You… the creature of chaos… here? Tenebres spoke as if the realization was just too much to comprehend. Discord did a courteous bow.

“In the human flesh, unfortunately.” He greeted. Fickle gave a pouting expression.

“Cheater!” She said. Discord’s eyes glinted.

“Oh no, my dear. I am simply following the rules as they have been laid before us. Naughty children like you, who have no care in the world, envious as I maybe, should not be responsible for the complete and total destruction of two worlds.” Discord put a hand to his chest. “Can’t you look in your heart, child? You must know this to be wrong.”

“Nope!” Fickle instantly replied with a shake of her head softly. Discord slumped.

“Really?? Not even a little guilty of all the lives you’ve killed or have ruined?” Discord sighed. Fickle hummed.

“They aren’t dead. They are my friends! I do not have the heart to kill. Unlike what that one has done.” Fickle nodded to me. I narrowed my look. “And that is why I want to talk to you!” Fickle spun around and looked towards the school. “Quiet Fire! I did take note of how you defied the will of that snake. I’ve followed your exploits in Equestria. At one point, I had become a fan! But then, you started hurting my friends. You brought a lot of painful memories for me for doing that.” Discord and I exchanged glances as she continued.

“And then I hear that you destroyed your entire home. All those innocent ponies. I wouldn't have thought that the great hero destined to ascend would do such a thing.” She then sighed and turned to face me. “After that, I’ve been noticing that in your absence, other ponies had begun rising up. Hunting down my friends and trying to hurt me.” She then gripped her scythe. “And then, I hear that we are to be treated as outcasts! To have every creature in Equestria to shun us! To bad mouth! To torture or hurt us! We are supposed to save them! No creature appreciated us! And you want to know the worst part is?? They are all adults acting like children!!” The sudden venom in her tone threw me for a loop.

“I spent my whole life having to hide from pony’s wanting to hurt me. To use me! It’s bad enough what my village tried to do. It’s another when the whole world is out to get you!” She motioned at me. "And then I end up dying because of a damned serpent!!" When she shouted that sentence, I grit my teeth as her hair suddenly erupted into dark blue and purple flames, her face looking a bit demonic, and her pink skin having turned black.

'Fire? What...?' I thought in shock. It then struck me. Fickle realized her temper and took a deep breath, the fire leaving her and she dusted her skirt off casually.

"But I'm going a little off the rails there. What I'm trying to get at, Quiet Fire, is that you and I are both exiles to our own tribes. We should be working together." She then looked to Aria and smiled. "You too, Aria. Your friends weren't really being your friends, but we can be the best of friends if you want." Aria looked uncaring at the child. Discord scoffed.

"How short sighted. Do you really think that excuse if forgivable enough for everything you've done?" Discord stated with a disappointed cross of his arms. Fickle frowned.

"I'm asking Quiet Fire, meanie." She replied. I stabbed my staff into the ground and leaned against it, sighing.

"You're right, Fickle. You and I are exiles. All seven of us. We should all be working together to ensure each other's wellbeing. Our world is in danger and frankly, all that has happened to me is quite exhausting." I replied sadly. Discord balked.

"Fie, you cannot be serious about this!" He spoke. Fickle smiled.

"So, you agree that we should just use this realm to start anew? Equestria is bound to lose itself. Why prevent the inevitable? All we need to do is tame the magic of this world and ensure that it can never be used like it has been in Equestria! It was all Tenebres's idea that I started this in the first place!" She replied. I studied the child. Such a smile that looked so gilded. But then, is she entirely wrong? Din was quiet, but she met my look. She already knew what I was thinking. I closed my eyes in thought before pushing myself off my staff, picking it up and walking over to her. Discord held out a hand towards me to stop me, but I stopped halfway.

"This realm certainly is interesting to start anew in. And I've already made some good friends here. But Fickle, there is one thing that you are sorely mistaken on." I swished my staff and aimed it at her. "I have a promise to keep. And I have no reason to back out of it. I've already been exiled. I'm enemy number one to even the gods themselves. All the more reason I have to keep going. My friends. My family. They wouldn't want me to stay in one place, even if I wanted too. It was thanks to my experiences on my adventure that I can make peace with it all. I don't know what you've been through, Fickle Spark. I don't know what pain you have going on. But your past doesn't matter to me. What matters is how we go on through our present. To make our future how we want it to be. But words can only do so much." I then readied myself in my stance. "You want to be treated fairly, then I'll be glad to do so. But leave everyone here in this realm alone." Fickle looked at me disappointedly. She bowed her head and shook it.

"Awww. And here I was hoping to have you as a friend. But if you are also going to get in my way, then let it be known that I did give you a chance." She said with a sigh. I narrowed my look.

"Likewise." I replied. She then looked up and beamed. With a quick snap of her fingers, she then held out her hand high in the air. Discord and I looked up and our jaws dropped. From the sky descended seven colorful crystals. I could make out the silhouettes of Sunset Shimmer and the others inside of each corresponding colored crystal. Using Din's eyes, I could see them clearly. They were alive, banging on their crystals in a desperate attempt to break free. I glared at Fickle as the crystals began to circle around us.

"With the Elements of Harmony of this world at our command, this realm will fall onto a new age. An age of shadows!" Fickle's tone began to change. Tenebres had possession of her. She then faced us. "Forget being the one's to boost the Elements of Harmony! Allow me to show you what we as free Power Elements can do!” Fickle then swished her scythe and grasped it in both hands before slamming the butt of it into the ground. A rainbow colored rune began to draw itself on the ground. The whole world started to shake. I grit my teeth and looked to Discord.

“Discord! Get everyone around this area to safety!” I quickly shouted. Discord hesitated. I looked him dead in the eye. “That includes you. Do not hesitate. Fluttershy is waiting for you to come home. You know it too.” Discord winced but then nodded.

“Don’t go overboard, Fie.” He warned before he snapped his fingers, vanishing. Seeing the neighborhood in the distance glow, I felt myself a little relieved. Now, for the next plan. I dug my feet in as there was a loud crack and shift in the earth. I looked over my shoulder and gasped. The houses were lowering below us and the sky growing closer. The dark clouds crackling with lighting. Fickle, laughed and marveled at the sight.

“This isn’t what I had in mind for me to convince you. But since you are so stubborn, I might as well make the best of it!” Fickle hissed. I swished my arm.

"Stop this, Tenebres! You're going to destroy everything!" I shouted. Tenebres, through Fickle's voice, laughed.

"Destroy!? With the Elements of Harmony, I can correct the stability! While you were off being the grand hero of this realm, I spent the last few days hunting down all the magic in this city! And now that I have the source of it and the Elements all in one, I will no longer be pushed aside and ignored by six others! I will be the queen of this realm! You can have that war ridden doomed realm, Din! But I called dibs here!" She grinned. Din formed next to me and growled.

Time to wake up, brat! I'm dragging you back to Equestria, whether you like it or not! She snapped. Fickle shouldered her scythe.

"Dear sister. Always so hot headed. I guess I had nothing to worry about. If you aren't that interested in this realm, then just buzz off!!" She laughed as she flourished her scythe and rose it high into the air, the crystals beginning to glow. I bolted towards her. With a hop, I aimed for the scythe, only to be intercepted by an executioner sword. I nearly lost balance as the armor pushed me back. Getting back into my stance, I growled. The armor held out its' sword in front of Fickle, who was blushing. "Awww! I know I can always count on you, Sir Hemlock! But you're not at the right power to take on our enemies." Fickle's eyes met Aria's, who blinked. Fickle smirked and waved her hand, sending a bolt of shadow out and piercing Aria through the chest. The Dazzling's eyes widened as the force knocked her off her feet and rose her into the air. Fickle then waved her arm across herself and pointed at Aria. The armor shrunk into a shadowy ball before rocketing up and around Aria, then shooting into her chest. In a bright flash of light, Aria vanished, only to appear when the light dimmed down. The armor had taken a different shape and hugged Aria's body. The Dazzling opened her eyes, a sinister glowing purple shimmering from her.

She held the executioner's sword as she slowly touched the ground and stood to face me. She took a moment to study herself before escalating into a cackle. She then flourished the sword and pointed it at me.

"Now begins phase three! I'm counting on you both!" Fickle waved. I looked to her.

"Phase three?!" I exclaimed, a bit of worry shooting through me.

Vessel, focus! Din snarled. I snapped out of my stupor and nodded, readying myself as Aria adjusted herself and charged. Din phased back into me as I started to dance around Aria, who was surprisingly able to keep up. I ducked, bobbed and flipped around the swings, returning my own that she deftly deflected and countered. Blow after blow, our weapons bounced and dragged off each other, both of us trying to exploit the other’s openings. When we locked weapons, I looked into the eyes of Aria.

She grinned and pushed against me. I grunted, finding her to be a lot stronger than I thought. I then started to hear chanting. From behind Aria, Tenebres was chanting words of a dialect that I couldn’t understand. But whatever she was saying, it was drawing from the crystals and flowing into the sky. I then felt a heavy punch across my cheek and I went tumbling to the side. Recovering onto my feet, I wiped my cheek and faced Aria once more.

‘Din!’ I spoke in my thoughts. I felt a warmth flow through me and I charged. Two copies formed out of me from fire and rushed Aria. Yet, with all three of me, Aria had conjured a shadowy spear and swished it around her along with the sword. My copies and I backed away and let her finish before rushing her again, Aria deftly using her dexterity to keep me from getting near her. With my copies, we pressed our assault, hoping to tire her out. However, she showed no signs of slowing down.

I was starting to get irritated. Fortunately, my clones had set her up to fall for a feint, which I then took advantage of and disarmed her with a flourishing twist of my staff. The spear flew through the air and vanished. Aria growled and brought the executioner sword up towards me, but with a swift side step and a heavy strike of the butt of my staff and palm, the blade broke. I felt some of the scrap graze my cheek but I ignored it and planted a kick into her chin, causing the helmet to fly off of her.

I quickly swished my staff and stood over her the moment she landed on her back onto the ground. I brought the bottom of my staff over her chest and Din cackled, igniting the end. Aria screamed and held her hand out me. The shadows surrounding her dissipated and the armor shattered off her body. The scattered armor then formed just a bit away from us, rebuilding itself. It was kneeling, as if it was out of breath. I glanced down, seeing Aria having passed out before stepping over to the armor. It looked at me, the purple glowing eyes studying me blankly. I then took a batting stance with my staff and smirked, swinging and knocking the helmet off its’ torso.

Fickle was still chanting, only to stop when the helmet pelted her in the face. I then twirled my staff around me and poked the armor, dispelling the shadows keeping it together and it crumbled away from me. Fickle was clutching her nose, lurching forward and kicking her legs out from under her in pain. This snapped Fickle out of her trance. She slowly removed her hands away, her nose bleeding and getting onto her hands.

She started to hyperventilate. I shouldered my staff.

“Enough of this, Tenebres! Stand down!” I called out. “We can still talk about this rationally!” Fickle began to shake, tears welling up. I arched a brow. She started to mutter something. Eventually, she started screaming and shaking her head violently. I was taken aback. ‘What the hell is going on with her?’ I thought. Din scoffed.

Seems the child realizes that this isn’t a game anymore. Now to get to Tenebres! Din grinned evilly and smacked her hooves together. Fickle then burst into a dark purple and blue flame, her pink skin turning black and her face demonic. The flame was bright and large that I had the shield my eyes from it.

‘I’ve heard the tales of the Kirin. But I didn’t think it’d be this intense!’ I stated towards Din. Din hummed with a smile.

How interesting. But if this child thinks she can outshine my fire, then a competition it shall be! Din laughed. I shook my head and she frowned. I was only going to burn this place a little. I gave an unamused raise of my brow and she sighed. Fickle’s fire died down and I removed my arm. Fickle was heaving angrily, her glare focusing on me.

“No more!! No more!! No, no, no!! NOOOOOOO!!!” Fickle shrieked, her voice sounding lower and raspy as she rocketed towards me and I yelped, feeling her tackle into me and knocking the wind out of me. We went rolling and she began to wail on me. She drew blood from me before I managed to push her off and kicked her away, sending her back. She puffed and panted, shaking angrily. “I won’t let you hurt me!! No pony will ever hurt me again!!” She stamped her boot on the ground. “I won’t be silenced! I won’t be humiliated!! Tenebres, let’s crush these two!!”

I readied myself as did Fickle. Yet, nothing happened. Fickle looked confused.

“Tenebres??” She looked around. I looked around as well, my gaze falling onto the shadowy alicorn surrounded by the crystals. She was marveling the seven. Fickle growled, her fire flaring in her anger. “Tenebres!! Stop being so distracted and help me!!” She shouted. Tenebres’s slit eyes looked out over her shoulder and she grinned.

I must thank you for everything you’ve done, vessel. Tenebres said. You truly are the best friend a queen could ask for. She grinned evilly and her horn began to glow. My eyes widened and I quickly spun towards her and sprinted.

“Tenebres, no!” I shouted. It was too late. With a few more words of chanting, a rainbow beam shot downward from the sky, knocking me off my feet and sending me tumbling into the pedestal. I hit my head hard and my ears began to ring, the ground wobbling underneath me. Din hissed and I felt a warmth flow through me, clearing me of my concussion and I shook away the daze. I gasped, seeing Tenebres laughing crazily as she pirouetted on her hind hooves, her forelegs high in the air.

Yessss!! Lovely!! It’s everything I thought it could be!! The power of the Elements of Harmony! And all the magic from this city!! This world is mine!! All mine!! Ahahahahaha!! I tried to stand up, only to cough and fall down on one knee. Damn, that hurt. I looked up and saw Fickle walking up to Tenebres, the fire dying down around her.

“Bestie? I thought we were going to rule this place together?” She spoke. Tenebres stopped and faced her, landing on all fours.

Of course we are going to rule together! You and I are best friends after all. I’ve picked you up when you were at your darkest and you’ve stood up for me with your creativity and resourcefulness. No other creature can see the bright and shining example of what a queen can have as a subject. Tenebres replied in a gesticulate manner. Fickle smiled at her words before it faded into confusion.

“Subject?” She asked. Tenbres leaned down and caressed Fickle’s cheek.

Yes, bestie. I promised we would rule together. But you are merely a child while I have greater ideals in mind for our new kingdom. Just bear with me a little longer and let me take the reins this time. She grinned, her sharp teeth showing. When you wake up, you’ll be the first to witness the majesty of our kingdom! Fickle’s eyes widened in horror.

“Wh-what are you saying??” She stammered, backing away. Tenebres loomed over her, the shadows rising around her and Fickle.

Rest well, dear bestie. She then hissed and phased into Fickle. Fickle screamed and clutched her head as the shadows and her Kirin flames flared and twisted together. I punched the ground, commanding my body to move. Pushing myself up, I stumbled forward. The shadows began to spread and snake all around us and the rainbow light that was shining down started to crackle and twist. The sound of a heart beat thumped loudly and the bright, colorful rainbow began to darken. It started to look like sludge and black tar.

The seven crystals crackled and began to darken. The tainted rainbow separated and began to swirl around the crystals. I swore loudly as I picked up my stumble into a run. I rushed towards the center and readied myself. From the center of the dark rainbow emerged Fickle. Her Kirin flames having turned purple and white as she smirked and put a hand on her hip, Tenebres’s scythe in her other hand.

“Still thinking to stop me, sister? I’d like to see you try.” Tenebres spoke through Fickle. “All that time fighting for your power when all you had to do was take what is rightfully ours and control it.” I came to a stop and readied my staff. “What you spent ages upon acquiring, I spent only a few days. Such a wonder when you simplify things.” I narrowed my look. How can I save the girls and Fickle at the same time? Tenebres gave a bored look and shrugged. “Of course, the others refuse to put in as much effort for their own. But then I must thank you for putting them in their place. With hardly any competition, this’ll be a breeze.”

Oh my, so sorry for being the one to kill the party, brat. Din said sarcastically. Frankly, I’m in the mood to give a full beat down. Don’t worry, I’ll ensure you’re still breathing. Din grinned challengingly. Tenebres scoffed.

“How cruel. Fine. If you aren’t going to acknowledge your defeat by my hooves or for the matter that I won in this realm, then I’ll just have to follow your example.” She then smiled smugly and held up her hand. “To me! Elements of Harmony!” The darkened crystals glowed and from one of them, the dark rainbow shot out and swirled down Fickle’s body. A blue aura glowed around her. “Loyalty.” It happened so fast.

In a blink of an eye, I found myself being struck and slashed at by the scythe from all angles. I held up my arms, unable to move from the sheer intensity of the speed. Fickle then stopped in front of me and giggled. I grit my teeth and lashed a kick at her, but in a blue blur, she vanished, appearing behind me and jabbing the butt of her scythe into my back. I coughed up blood and went rolling forward. Din snarled.

What is the meaning of this?! Din barked. Tenebres swished her scythe and dusted her skirt off.

“In my time of searching for the magic in this city, I came across something in the museum that gave me all the knowledge needed. One written by this world’s Starswirl the Bearded himself.” She smirked. “Seems our alternate dear old friend certainly had a habit of misplacing things. With it, I was able to turn his formula into what you are experiencing now.” She smugly replied. “Here’s the neat part.” She then held up her hand and from another crystal, the dark rainbow shot out and swirled around Fickle’s body. The blue aura mixing in with an orange glow. “Honesty.”

She then lowered her arm and held it out in a fist. She then pulled back and punched the ground, burying her hand into the cement walkway into the school and ripped out a massive chunk with ease, holding it high overhead. She then chucked it at me. Din quickly mimicked me and together, we stabbed the staff into the cement and it shattered. I then swished my staff, the fire swirling around it and forming into a halberd. Tenebres smirked and with a single flourish of her scythe, she was gone once again.

This time, Din sensed her and she spun me around, causing me to hold up my halberd and clash with the top edge of the scythe that she brought down. The ground cracked underneath me and I felt my entire body tingle from the impact. Tenebres easily overpowered me, grasping my face and burying me into the ground, creating a crater. Tenebres cackled.

“Having fun yet?!” She hissed. She then used the speed to drag me across the walkway before lifting me up, spun me around and heaved me through the front of the school, shattering the glass doors as I skipped along the clean floor of the main lobby. I crashed into the wall and a portrait of a kind old woman fell and shattered at the frame in front of me. I winced and wiped my mouth of blood as I shakily stood up. I heard Din snarl angrily.

I will not be bested by a child again!! Vessel, we must stop her from using the Elements against us! Shatter them! Din hissed. I panted.

“But… what about Sunset and the others…” I rasped. Din hissed venomously.

Their deaths would not change anything! We can always put the Elements into suitable hosts! Din retorted. I swayed a bit and thought about it. An idea occurred to me.

‘Maybe we don’t have too. We just need our voice to be heard.’ I thought with a smile. Din looked at me with confusion.

You said so yourself. Words mean nothing! She replied. I shook my head.

‘Yeah, when it comes to stubborn ponies like you. Which is why you are going to make yourself loud and clear to the Elements of Harmony. I’ll distract Tenebres.’ I smirked. Din blinked.

Me?! Din sounded insulted by the suggestion. I nodded.

‘Din, I know you don’t work well with having creatures enjoying your company. But remember, we are going to use our power to restore the balance. We need the allies. I’m not asking for you to be their friend. But let them reach out to you so we can fight back.’ I called back my halberd as I could see Tenebres tap Fickle’s boot impatiently. ‘Trust me on this. Because there is no other pony suited to make others listen to them.’ I began to limp out of the school and down the steps, the warmth healing my dislocation.

Din went quiet. Tenebres sighed and swished her scythe.

“I’m getting bored, sister. I thought you’d put up more of a fight. Isn’t this what you wanted? A challenge?” Tenebres rose Fickle’s arm and a dark rainbow shot out from one of the crystals, a yellow aura mixing in with the orange and blue. “Kindness!” Tenebres flapped her wings and from behind her, a towering pillar of shadows formed into a bear. It roared loudly with red glowing eyes, hovering just behind her. Feeling the healing work wonders, I took my stance.

‘Wash the magic over them.’ I commented. Din remained quiet. I then sprinted towards Tenebres and she made a quick motion of her hand, the bear lunging forward and swiping its’ massive claws at me. I nearly tripped having to dance around her. At the same time, I was getting rather close to Tenebres landing her own follow ups as she used the speed and strength to mix me up. In my dodge, I touched one of the crystals.

oooOOO000OOOooo

Rainbow Dash was falling through the sky, screaming in panic. She looked down, balking at the sight of the ground beneath her, so close but extending itself further from her. The clouds she passed lashed out in puffy chains that she quickly wiggled out of in a desperate attempt to escape. Rainbow Dash gasped as a cloud turned sinister, opening a jagged maw to eat her. She screamed for help as she braced herself. Suddenly, the cloud popped and Rainbow Dash felt herself no longer falling.

Instead, she held onto an equine creature. Her charcoal midnight coat smooth and her fiery mane soft like silk against Rainbow Dash’s cheek. She blinked in confusion.

“H-huh? Wh-what’s going on?” She asked. The equine creature glanced over her shoulder.

“Shut up and listen. The only thing you need to know is that I and my vessel are fighting for your freedom. However, you need to get control of your element.” She said coldly. Rainbow Dash tilted her head.

“Element? What are you talking about?” She asked. The alicorn rolled her eyes in annoyance.

“You hold the Element of Loyalty, do you not?? Your friends are suffering at the hooves of my sister and all you are fearing is falling in limbo? Get over yourself! Being in the sky is not so terrifying as it may seem! Just spread your wings and soar! That’s the least you can do for the sake of your mortal friends!” Rainbow Dash was a bit stunned. But her eyes glinted with a rainbow gleam, as if understanding her words.

“My… my friends are in trouble?” Rainbow Dash said to herself. She then gave a serious nod and shifted herself on the alicorn’s back. “They need my help! Thanks Din!” Rainbow Dash gave a cool salute and wink before sliding off of Din. The alicorn watched with slight curiosity as the girl began to glow. She did several flips through the sky and in a bright flash of light and a blue aura, wings grew out her back and in a rainbow blur, she rocketed towards the horizon, letting off a Sonic Rainboom in the process. Din canceled her magic.

oooOOO000OOOooo

I flipped over Tenebres and the bear, smacking the bear several times as it tried to shake me off. I kicked off the bear and faced Tenebres, who laughed as she zipped around me to try and throw me off. I kept moving, circling and kiting the bear into thinking it had me. Tenebres, however, was too quick. She had crouched low and sprinted like a bullet up towards me. I swore and tried to swing at her, but she spun around me and hopped onto my shoulders, her boots digging into them.

She crouched down and pat my head before hopping back and kicking me hard, sending me straight into another crystal. I slid off the crystal and leaned against it, panting with one eye swollen.

oooOOO000OOOooo

Fluttershy trembled in fear as she was put on display in front of the whole world. All eyes focused on her. She was completely frozen in fear. Laughter had erupted, even though the girl hadn’t done anything. She curled down and covered her head, closing her eyes and muttering over and over to herself to leave her alone. Voices then began speaking up through the laughter.

“It’s Fluttershy! She’s one of those heroes that saved us!” One cried out.

“The best hero we could always count on!” Another voice cheered.

“She’ll be trending almost every week, I just know it!!” An excitable screech chimed in. It then began to chant.

“Fluttershy! Fluttershy! Fluttershy!” Fluttershy whimpered.

“Please… no more…” she wept. There was a sudden loud stomp of hooves that startled her and she looked up, confused to see an alicorn with fire for a mane and tail standing over her.

“What do you think you are doing?” She asked with a raised brow. Fluttershy sniffled and buried her head in her arms.

“It’s just… too much… I can’t take all the attention…” She sobbed. Din rolled her eyes.

“I hear nothing, save for the agonizing cries of help from your friends.” She snorted. Fluttershy shook, but she opened her eyes and lifted her head slightly.

“My… friends?” She squeaked. Din turned to face the black void. She then swished her head and a ring of fire circled around them. With several flaps of her wings, she spread the fire out. Like a wave, it washed through the void, peeling the darkness and revealing a bountiful scenery of nature and serenity. Din let out a slightly disgusted grunt.

“It’s better than Gaia’s, I suppose.” Din commented. She then looked over her shoulder. “Better get yourself in gear, mortal. My vessel cannot hold out for long. Neither can your friends.” Fluttershy’s eyes widened.

“But… where are they?” She asked worriedly. Din slumped.

“Look into your heart, or whatever you mortals think is best for friendship. I don’t care. Unless you think being here is better than saving your world?” Din eyed her judgmentally. Fluttershy sniffled and stood up, looking around.

“It… it is rather peaceful now…” her eyes widened as her eyes gleamed with a rainbow shine. “My friends! They need me!” Fluttershy rushed past Din, hopping off the stage and running into the woods. “Hold on, girls!” She called out as she began to glow. Wings sprouted from her back and she began to fly off into the woodlands. Din canceled her magic.

oooOOO000OOOooo

I managed to incapacitate the bear and had managed to land several blows on Tenebres. I wasn’t looking too hot, but I kept myself at the ready. Tenebres clutched her side, panting. She growled and gripped her scythe. She then twirled it between Fickle’s fingers and tossed it high into the air. She then kept her arm raised above her. A dark rainbow shot out from another crystal and swirled around her.

“Generosity!”

I noticed a shimmer around her and clicked my tongue. I’m hoping my halberd can pierce it. Suddenly, the bear lifted itself off the ground, another shimmer forming around it. I slumped.

“You got to be kidding me…” I muttered. Tenebres laughed and levitated off the ground.

“Give up?” She smugly spoke. I shook my head and put my hand onto another crystal before rushing and clashing with the bear’s barrier.

oooOOO000OOOooo

Applejack looked frazzled. She was standing in a factory line with faceless people wearing overalls, masks and hair. She was mundanely pulling a lever, filling up Flim-Flam products of apple cider ready to be shipped out. Next to her, Applebloom looked deathly tired.

“Come on, you lazy lot! We don’t pay you to slow down! These apple cider bottles need to be shipped in tip top condition, pronto!” A voice spoke in a presentative manner. Flim and Flam stood above the workers, pointing and shouting at them to continue to work faster. Applebloom swayed.

“Sis… ‘ah can’t keep goin’…” she slurred before falling. Applejack quickly caught her and started fanning her.

“Hold on, sugar cube! We jus’ gotta’ do a bit more an’ we’ll be done!” Applejack said reassuredly.

“Hey! What do you think you are doing?” The stern voice of Flim spoke. He eyed them disappointedly.

“P-please! She’s jus’ a child! She’s worked herself to the bone! Let her rest jus’ for a little bit!” Applejack pleaded. Flam moved next to his brother.

“There is no resting when we have a quota to meet! Hop to it, Apple siblings! Or you’ll suffer worse than what Granny Smith had.” He said coldly. Applejack looked panicked, cradling her sister close to her. Flim snarled.

“That is an order and you shall obey!” He then brought out a whip and raised it over his head. Applejack braced herself as the brother lashed it out. She closed her eyes. But the strike never happened. Applejack blinked and looked up in awe at the sight of an alicorn, having the whip wrapped around her wing. Din snorted in disgust and yanked the whip, pulling Flim down along with Flam, who had tried to help pull back.

When the two landed before her hooves, they looked up in fear. Din began to smile smugly.

“How pitiable. Not so tough when some pony fights back.” She then grinned maniacally. “Hah! It’s gratification to some degree!” Din then reared up and the brothers cuddled together in fear, bracing themselves. Din brought the full weight of her hooves down, squashing the brothers into black liquid. Din gave a disgusted grunt and wiped her hoof on one of the faceless workers that now seemed to be frozen. Din then looked over her shoulder, eyeing Applejack. “Well, don’t just sit there gawking. Don’t you have some friends to save? More importantly, a world?”

Applejack studied the alicorn. She then looked down at Applebloom.

“So… this isn’t real?” Applejack spoke. Din rolled her eyes.

“Not unless you want it to. Be honest with yourself, mortal.” Din replied in annoyance. Applejack furrowed her look into a serious expression. She then smiled determinedly, her eyes gleaming with a rainbow color.

“That ain’t gonna’ happen. Not when ‘ah and ma’ friends have anythin’ ta’ say about it!” Applejack stood up after laying Applebloom down gently, removing her hair net and withdrawing her cowboy hat. Adjusting it comfortably, she then bolted, vaulting over the conveyor lines and knocking over Flim-Flam products. When she approached tall metal doors, she balled her fist and leapt up, punching the doors clean off their hinges. She glowed and flipped as her pony ears appeared on her head, falling into the abyss.

“Yeee-hawww!” She cheered.

oooOOO000OOOooo

I roared loudly and swung upwards, shattering the barrier of Tenebres. She went tumbling through the air, crashing onto her back with an “oof” and groaning as the wind left her. She pushed herself off the ground as I felt my legs give in and I knelt, supporting myself with my halberd and panting tiredly. Tenebres cackled and had a crazed, wide-eyed grin. Seemingly have recovered from her winding quite quickly, I gripped my halberd and tried to push myself up. Tenebres, however, held up her arm again and another crystal shot out a dark rainbow towards her.

“Laughter!” Tenebres waved her arm out in front of her and small, shadowy looking candy pieces began to emerge and bob around her. They began to orbit her and when she took one, she sniffed it and made a disgusted face before chucking it towards me. I gasped, unable to move in time as it glowed and then exploded into glitter and confetti with enough force to send me backwards and hit another crystal. I lurched forward, struggling to keep myself up. Tenebres laughed.

oooOOO000OOOooo

Din found herself staring blankly into confusion as the whole world she was in felt like a total fever dream. Pinkie Pie hummed happily, biting down on a cupcake. She then plucked a candied flower that was singing and bit into it, blissfully in love with the taste. She then noticed Din and she gulped her food before handing a cupcake up to her.

“Want some?” She asked. Din dumbfoundedly looked between her and the cupcake. When Pinkie saw she wouldn’t take it, she giggled. “More for me!” She nommed down on the cupcake, commenting on how good it tasted. Din was at a loss.

“Your friends are in trouble.” She simply stated. Pinkie gasped and looked panic stricken.

“Oh no!! Is that why you are here?! I thought you wanted to help yourself to some of the licorice! I have to go to them!!” She said determinedly. She was about to when she stopped and noticed another bed of flowers. “Ooooh, lemon drops.” Pinkie licked her lips. Din cleared her throat and Pinkie blinked. “Oh, right! I’m on my way girls!!” Pinkie Pie glowed brightly and her pony ears appeared as she skipped happily down the child like sketch of a road, singing happily to herself.

Din looked around the heart of the creature and morbidly looked at a half eaten cookie.

“Eat me!” It exclaimed joyfully. Din yelped and quickly canceled her magic.

oooOOO000OOOooo

I rolled and hopped away as Tenebres laughed, chucking shadowy sweets after sweets and forcing me away. I ended up getting knocked off my feet and hit the side of a crystal. I stood up and shook away the daze, putting my hand out and pushing off the crystal.

oooOOO000OOOooo

Rarity is rushing back and forth, frantically working at several mannequins. She was muttering to herself something incomprehensible as she did. Fabric and other materials laid scattered about.

“No, no, no! So much left to do! Are the measurements just right? Is this too chice? Oh, these patterns are not in the right places! How does this color not match?! Did I bring the encrusted blue gems? Ooooh, where did I put my new line??” Rarity’s tangent was distracting her so much, she didn’t realize she was wrapping a dress around an strangely colored mannequin with a fiery mane. She did a double take before shrieking, Din wincing and dropping her ears.

“Silence, imbecile!” Din shouted. Rarity panicked and backed away, tripping over some stray material on the ground. Rarity looked up in awe as Din struggled to remove the dress. “How dare you cover my physique! How can my subjects bask in my majesty?!” Din kicked at the back of the dress, grunting. “And how does one remove it?! Screw it!!” Her horn glowed and she aimed at the dress, firing a beam that burned the dress away. Rarity shrieked in horror. Din snarled and took aim at the entirety of the line of dresses.

One by one they all burned away. With the dresses now ash and smolder, Din pulled her head back and sighed with relief.

“Much better.” She said with a smug smile. She then looked down to see a dumbfounded Rarity.

“My… my new line… ruined…” she whimpered. Din frowned and stepped down.

“If anything, I did you a favor. Too many dresses like that reeks of desperation.” She said coldly. Rarity began to well up with tears. Din slumped. “Really? Over dresses? Please, if a mortal like you wanted to make the best, you would have done so already. Isn’t that what your friends always think?” She sighed, remembering what her vessel had thought of Rarity before. Rarity sniffled and looked defeated at her clothing, her mascara running down her cheeks. She then blinked in realization.

“My friends…?” She asked. Din shook her head.

“Seriously, are all mortals so obsessed with their inabilities to get over themselves on simple matters? Just tear it all down. You can always begin a new. Make it better even. That’s the least you can manage, can’t you?” Rarity darted her eyes in thought. She then beamed and stood up.

“You’re right! The line was starting to get rather unpleasantly all over with no direction! Why… you burning down the dresses leaves me more time to think!” Rarity chuckled at whatever ideas were floating through her mind. Din raised an unamused brow. Seeing her look, Rarity’s eyes gleamed with rainbow colors and her jaw dropped. “And for my friends! I have to go! Thank you very much, Din! I’ll swear on my career I’ll make something particularly exquisite in your majesty!” Rarity then rushed over to a door, kicking it open.

She adjusted herself, glowing brightly as her pony ears appeared. With a satisfied nod and a determined look, she jumped into the abyss. Din looked around the ruined line of dresses. She then sighed and bowed her head, shaking it.

“How tiresome…” she said before canceling her magic.

oooOOO000OOOooo

Tenebres zipped around the area, having learned her lesson when doing too much against me. When she managed to trip me and deliver a punch into my gut, sending me crashing into the side of Canterlot High and falling hard onto the ground, she shook her hand and held her arm high into the air, grinning. From another crystal, a dark rainbow shot out and swirled around her.

“Magic!” Her aura was flowing like a rainbow. She then caught something in her hand, twirling it and taking a posing stance. Her scythe had changed to a rapier. I then noticed a jagged antler like horn having grown out of her forehead. She then waved her free hand, the bear shrinking down and wrapping around her arm. A bear claw formed and she flexed it, her slit purple eyes glinting.

“What do you think of me now, sister?! I, the one who can tame the Elements of Harmony to my favor! The magic that doesn’t belong to the mortals here now belong to me! The bringer of the new age of shadows!” Tenebres cackled manically. I grunted and winced as I pulled myself off the ground and stood, wobbling with dizziness. I felt a warmth flow through me and some of the pain easing.

Two more, vessel! The bearers are awake! Din spoke in my head. I grinned and Tenebres narrowed her look. Feeling Din’s healing work, I then smirked and put my hand on the crystal that had just given her power before I took a stance and rushed her.

oooOOO000OOOooo

Twilight struggled against her restraints. She was floating in a vast void of bright colors. She knew exactly who was here. And to her horror, the very fabric of this reality was ripped apart as a dark and power hungry version of herself laughed evilly. Midnight Sparkle reached out and grasped Twilight, bringing her up to her.

“I told you I’d be back! I will never leave you! You cannot get rid of me so easily!!” Midnight Sparkle laughed. Twilight struggled to break free, grunting as she could feel the darkness slowly creeping into her.

“N-no! I won’t… let you control me… again…!” She struggled. Midnight laughed again, enjoying the torture of her counterpart. That was until her hand was sliced clean off. Midnight screamed and clutched her arm, the magic flowing from the wound. Twilight screamed as she fell, only to yelp as a fiery alicorn caught her. Din soared around and faced Midnight Sparkle. Midnight growled, clutching her wound.

“You won’t escape me!!” She shouted as she lashed out her other hand. Din grinned smugly and swished her head, slicing the other hand and causing Midnight to reel in pain. Twilight was stunned.

“Pay attention, egghead!” Din growled. Twilight blinked and looked down at her. “Right now, my vessel is fighting for your freedom. Your friends need your help! I’m only here because I was asked to.” Din eyed the whimpering Midnight Sparkle, who glared at her. Din smirked. “Heed this, for there is only one apex in this world! And that apex will be me!!” Din reared back, swishing her head before aiming her horn and unleashing a powerful blast of fire.

Midnight screamed as she was unable to defend against Din’s might, vaporizing the midnight for good. Twilight was speechless. Din snorted and blew her horn coolly. She then frowned and looked over her shoulder.

“Did you listen to a word I said? Go! Now!” She barked. Twilight blinked.

“My friends… my friends!” Twilight beamed and suddenly hugged Din, taking the alicorn completely off guard. “I won’t forget this, Din! Thank you for the help!” Din was speechless once more as Twilight glowed and levitated off of her, her eyes sparked and a shimmer of a rainbow gleamed over her iris. Wings and pony ears sprouted as Twilight triumphantly waved her arms around and held them out, melting the world they were in. Din was quiet as she canceled her magic.

oooOOO000OOOooo

“Too slow!” Tenebres cackled behind me. I yelped as I felt a hard force knock me towards the pedestal. I rolled and recovered onto my feet, putting my hand on the last crystal. I smirked as Tenebres walked towards me. “Why are you acting like you have the higher advantage? Or are you just that stupid to think you can throw me off?” Tenebres asked in annoyance. I held up my halberd.

“The Elements of Harmony are not to be twisted to such means! They are the core values of what keeps our realms in check! Without them, you wouldn’t have a realm to rule. Twisting them as you have has already doomed this world to more than just shadows.” I stated. Tenebres leaned her head back and laughed.

“Oh, poor you. Thinking that shaping the Elements of Harmony is the end! Don’t you realize that they are just symbols? Like my sisters and I, we are merely symbols of what created your pathetic realm. Without us, you are nothing. Without the Elements of Harmony, well…” she chuckled. “It’ll just be a normal Tuesday.” I winced as the pain shot up through me.

“It’s not just about being without the Elements of Harmony. It’s about ensuring we still have a home to go back too! We maybe exiles to Equestria, but we can always make home with each other!” I replied with a pained tone. Tenebres looked unamused.

“I could care less about what mortals think of me. Because their obedience will be all I require! And if they don’t like it, then their own punishment is on them.” Tenebres scoffed. I supported myself against the darkened crystal.

“I wasn’t talking to you, Tenebres.” I rasped. I met the eyes of Fickle. “C’mon, Fickle. I know you are in there! You’re scared and alone, I get that. Just give me a chance to show you that the shadows aren’t just your only friends!” However, Tenebres’s eyes overshadowed the child’s and she grinned. I pushed myself off the crystal and readied myself. Tenebres punched the ground with the bear’s paw, rocking the earth and throwing me off balance.

She then conjured a gem behind her where she then kicked off of it with lightning speed. She hissed as she stabbed her rapier outward. I tripped, causing me to avoid the fatal stab. I then began to roll along the ground as she tried to stab at me. Growling as she couldn’t hit me, her horn glowed and I felt my entire body lift off up the ground. Tenebres cackled as she then used her rapier like a conductor’s rod and started tossing me around with her magic like a ragdoll.

My entire body was screaming out in pain, blood splattering at every impact. If I wasn’t a bearer of one of the power elements, I would have been dead when she first hit me. She then stopped, levitating me high in the air as she shook her head with a pleased sigh.

“Damn Equestria and damn the World Serpent. This realm is ripe for the taking. Killing you will not be a burden on me.” I couldn’t move. My body refused any command I tried to give it. I was helpless.

‘Din! I could really use you right now!’ I thought. There was silence. At first, I worried that she hadn’t returned from the last crystal. But then, I began to think she had a plan, but it would involve me having to take the brunt end of it all. I looked down towards Tenebres, seeing her blissed out on my torture. I smirked and this caused her to snap out of her bliss. She then glared at me, Fickle’s Kirin fire flaring.

“I don’t understand why you think you are winning! There is nothing that you or Din can do to stop me now!” She then tossed out a gem and stepped onto it, levitating herself up to me. When she met me at my level, she stepped forward and studied me. “Hehehe. I win again, Din!” She then narrowed her eyes, meeting mine. She then leaned back and laughed. “Ahahahahaha!! Oh this it too great! She actually left you! I can’t believe it! She just abandoned you! Such a sore loser!” Tenebres laughed again.

I grunted and shifted forward a bit.

“Better she lives on to stop you another time… I’ve done all I could… Fickle… if you’re in there… just know that I would have been your friend if you have given me the chance…” I coughed. “Not as another shadow. But someone you can fall back on… someone who wouldn’t treat you any different… because why would I…? We demons… need to stick together…” I rasped. Through Tenebres’s eyes, I saw a spark. But it was quickly overshadowed once more and Tenebres rolled her eyes.

“Boooorrring!” Tenebres said. She then flourished her rapier and I felt a sharp, cold pain pierce me. My eyes widened and I gurgled. Tenebres pulled back and grinned maniacally. She then began to laugh as the sharp pain kept shooting through me. I couldn’t move. My vision was fading. In that moment, as Tenebres stabbed over and over, my memories of my time as a filly flashed through me. Happier times when life was at its’ peak for me.

No worries. Nothing to concern myself over. Then it flashed with thoughts of my mother. My father. My siblings. My middle school life. My high school life. My friends. Thi Billet. Silver Scribble. Flitter and of course, Cloudchaser. Then flashed memories of my time here in this world. How strange yet familiar it all was. There could be worser ways to die, I suppose. And as long as Din had transferred herself into another, then I can pass knowing that I can leave Equestria in better hooves, hand, claw or paw.

It was a fun ride. But I’m so tired. Tenebres dropped me from her magic and I hit the cement walkway, sealing my fate.

Down below the hovering mass of land that Canterlot High was on, onlookers from the whole city, were watching streams and observing the conflict via several drones that were keeping their distance away. Even the officers were monitoring through the drones. It had been an agonizing couple of hours watching it all. But what silenced everyone in wide eye horror was the brutal defeat of Quiet Fire. There was nothing no one could do.

Any attempt to get close to the school would be met with shadowy lackies that would keep them at bay, or some barrier short circuiting drones that got close. Below the school, a dark swirl of energy and magic sinisterly made anyone sick that got too close as well. In the crowd, Flitter had her mouth covered with her hand, mortified with Cloudchaser dumbfounded as they watched on Flitter’s phone. Behind them, Thi Billet was speechless. Somewhere else in the crowd, Wild Fire’s expression had darkened.

His entire demeanor shaking angrily as the other officers and even the chief watched from the monitors with grim expressions. Cloud Mist, who was not too far off and keeping watch of the crowd, saw the horror and disturbed faces of the people on their phones. The silence was nearly deafening. Cloud then turned to look up at the floating mass of land, her entire stoicism broken into stunned silence. From all over Canterlot City, the denizens had tuned to watch their new found hero save the day. From the crowd, Discord clenched his fist as he looked up at the school. He had been struggling to decide to aid. But he couldn’t help, even if he wanted to. These humans need to be safe.

But now, no one knew what to think. It was nothing compared to what it was like on the shows or movies. Their hero perished. And the villain marveled at the sight of her victory. In the stream video, they watched a she turned to the last crystal and held up her rapier.

“One. Last. Thing. Victory is sweet!” She laughed. The darkened crystal shot out the dark rainbow, swirling around the body of Fickle.

“Hope!” Tenebres spread her arms out and looked to the sky. She closed her eyes, her expression blissed. With all the Elements of Harmony combined and now tamed, this realm truly had fallen to the shadows. However, the crystals began to shimmer. Subtle at first. Then, it grew brighter and began to glow like a heart beat. The dark rainbow still swirling around Fickle’s body suddenly wavered and this caused Tenebres to blink in confusion. She looked back down to the power and to her shock, it shot back towards the crystal.

“What?! Impossible!!” She cried out. “I followed the ritual to a Tee! How is it not obeying my command!?” Tenebres held out her arm to it. “To me! Obey my command!” But nothing happened. That’s when the crystal glowed brightly and then shattered. Tenebres shielded her eyes and hissed as a figure levitated high up into the air, meeting her level. When the light dimmed, Sunset Shimmer opened her eyes and stared down Tenebres. Tenebres grit her teeth. “How?!”

Sunset Shimmer looked down, her eyes widened at the sight of Quiet Fire motionless and bloodied on the ground beneath them. From Sunset Shimmer, fire escaped her and formed by Quiet Fire, Din forming herself and walking over to her. She lowered her head and closed her eyes, her horn touching the cheek. She then rose her head and met Sunset’s eyes, nodding quietly. Tenebres growled before she grinned and laughed.

“Too bad, sister! You lost again! Though, I don’t know how I’d feel abandoning my own vessel! But I understand if you felt that she had run her course. So, let me guess. You’re the new host?” She turned to face Sunset.

“For now.” Sunset simply replied. She then raised her arm up and from the shattered crystal, the darkened rainbow shot up and the shadow faded from it. The rainbow then changed to a bright red that wrapped around Sunset, changing her clothes and hairstyle. She hovered defiantly against Tenebres, who only shook her head with a snicker.

“Awww. Well, six out of seven will have to do. I still have a backup anyway. So, how are you going to entertain me?” She grinned. Sunset glared.

“No games, Tenebres. It ends here.” Sunset spoke. Tenebres blinked and suddenly, the gem she stood on shattered, causing her to yelp and fall. She flipped once and used her wings to land safely on the ground and looked up angrily. She then fell to her knees, feeling overwhelmingly sick and vomiting shadows. The purple aura left her first, shattering Rarity’s crystal. Then came Applejack’s. Then Rainbow Dash’s. Then Pinkie Pie’s. Twilight’s. And finally, Fluttershy’s. Tenebres watched in horror as the Elements of Harmony left her and returned to their owners.

“No! No!! How can it be?! I had everything correct!!” Tenebres shouted. The girls were wrapped around by their light, their hairstyle and clothes having changed as they hovered over her. Din picked up Quiet Fire and had her rest on her back, her blood coating the charcoal midnight coat as she walked back towards Sunset. Sunset put a hand on Quiet Fire’s and her eyes glowed. Every moment from her filly hood to now flowed into Sunset. When she pulled away, she closed her eyes and faced Tenebres.

“I understand it now. Why Quiet Fire is fighting for us. For both our worlds. Even for you. You may see it as a hinderance, but you cannot deny that you still matter, even if you push everyone away. Quiet Fire paved the way. It’s up to us to follow it as we see fit.” Sunset held out her hand and a red beam fired from her palm, striking Fickle’s body. “There is still hope for everyone involved. You can fix it all.” Tenebres lurched forward, clutching at her chest as it felt like she was being ripped out from her host’s body.

She pulled back.

“Silence!! You know nothing of the struggle I put up with!! I refuse to lose!! My sisters will know that I have won!! Me!!” Tenebres shouted angrily. Another beam shot through Fickle’s body, causing her to kneel. Applejack looked sternly at the child.

“‘Ah reckon you oughta’ listen, Tenebres. There are lines that should never be crossed. We can only forgive so much.” Applejack spoke.

“It never needs to escalate into anything but an argument.” Rarity spoke as her beam struck Fickle. “All this petty violence and want for attention does not befit a lady. Let alone a queen to her subjects.” Another beam struck Fickle.

“Being so mean to others is just not fun at all!” Pinkie Pie stated, giving a sad look. “Everyone should enjoy what life has to offer. Be it for bad or good!” Another beam struck Fickle.

“Life may seem unfair most of the time. Even to the point where it feels like the whole universe is out to get you. But that is never in any of the case.” Fluttershy spoke. “There is always someone out there willing to lend a helping hand. Even if you don’t see eye to eye.” Another struck Fickle.

“You can always count on yourself to be awesome or cool however you want.” Rainbow Dash spoke. “But what’s even cooler is rolling with the punches. Because you can always get back up and show the universe that you can take it. That you have friends of any kind that will always be right beside you.”

“Be it hoof, claw, hand, wing or paw.” Twilight began. “We are all different in our own way. But we all share one world. Two if we are lucky. And together, we can change whatever fate or destiny has laid out for us. To break the cycle and begin a new chapter.” Tenebres winced, feeling herself being pulled in all directions. Sunset walked towards Tenebres, who struggled to move away from her.

“Don’t come any closer, mortal!! Unhand me!! This realm is supposed to be mine!! I found it!! I will make it mine!! All mine!! I won!!” She screamed. Sunset knelt and looked her dead in the eyes with a soft smile.

“Fickle. You don’t need to be afraid anymore. Let us help you.” She said, raising her hand. Tenebres’s eyes vanished and the eyes of Fickle shone back at her. Sunset placed her hand on Fickle’s cheek and rested her forehead against her’s.

“Nooooooo!!” Tenebres screamed. The whole world melted around them.

Chapter 34: Two Worlds, One Friendship

Sunset opened her eyes and found herself in a strange grove village. She looked around before realizing something of herself. She is a unicorn again. Sunset studied her hooves before looking around. The grove village was quite pleasant and cozy. The serenity of it almost welcomed her, if it wasn’t for a strange gathering of odd-looking ponies looking down at a trembling foal. Sunset tried to look over them when she approached, but they were strangely taller than they were from afar. She then pushed herself in and nearly tripped and stumbled as she popped out into the center. The whispering was clearer.

“She doesn’t have a horn. Wasn’t she supposed to have one sprouting by now?” One strange pony had stated.

“It has to be an omen. A Kirin should have their horn at that age.” Another spoke.

“Isn’t she the chieftain’s daughter?” Another spoke.

“How disappointing. It must be shameful for our leader and his wife to have such a disgusting disgrace.” A cold voice spoke.

"She doesn't even have any scales! She has to be an outsider." Another spoke.

“Then… whose child is it?” Another asked. This caused a lot of murmuring. Sunset furrowed her look and studied the filly. She looked more pony than Kirin. No scales or long tail. The only trait she could make out Kirin wise on the filly is the mane. The curly head of mane was matted and tussled, as if she had been pulled through several yards of prickle bushes. Sunset tilted her head when a voice spoke all around her.

I was born as a half breed between my father, the chieftain of the Grove and a traveling merchant pony who visited our tribe long ago. My father was quite stricken with the mare, even though he had married another tribe’s daughter to unite our warring clans. Yet… it always came off to me as a loveless one. He found his wife attractive enough, but the traveling merchant had a beauty unlike anything he had seen. The whole world around Sunset rapidly spun, putting her in the center of a festival where every Kirin was having the time of their lives.

In order to make the mare his, he threw a festival, honoring them as guests. It was this night I was conceived through taboo means. In the night, my father had ordered the merchant to be stolen away and live miserably as the bearer of his child in secrecy of his wife. I was relatively still freshly developed before the taboo ritual happened and I was given onto my kirin mother. When I was born, my father did not care for anything of my existence. It was my adopted mother, still unknown how she had conceived a child when they have not bedded for a long time, who saw me as her own. Sunset nearly lost balance as the ground zipped under her, bringing her closer to a gruff and grizzled looking kirin with two horns and a long and slender, beautiful Kirin next to him pleasantly enjoying a goblet.

Sunset noticed the same filly Kirin playing with two other Kirins.

My older sisters always teased me for being so different from them. Kirin are supposed to take on the colors of fall and trees, so it only made sense why. Yet, despite it, they still treated me like their own sibling. My father was disgusted by my appearances, however. He always had me do all the chores around the village, even having me go out and hunt for berries all by myself. He would always tell his tribe that he had full faith in me as being the daughter of their leader and this tale worked.

Sunset spun around as the world twirled. Her eyes fell upon a group of ponies. They appeared to be traveling merchants of varying heights.

One day, the merchant that was forced into secrecy had told her father, who was an owner of several plots of massive land, approached our village and demanded retribution. My father, being the stubborn warrior he was, challenged their best in competitions of strength, agility and precision to decide. He lost. If he had won, he would have had the merchants give over what land they owed so the Kirin could expand. With his loss, the merchants demanded several Kirin mares and foals along with half their crops and materials, leaving the village to suffer a starved winter. I was one of those foals.

Sunset narrowed her eyes, turning back around as the world spun and she found herself on the porch of what looked to be a cabin. Fickle could be seen working the land with other ponies and Kirin.

Half of us were put to work while the others were sold off to other landowners. Being a filly, I tended to the gardens and did the housework while the older ones managed the crop rotations and heavy lifting. My owner, who was unaware of the bastard child working for him is his granddaughter, began to take notice of my unusual appearance from the others. Believing me to be a rare species of Kirin, he had me appraised for testing. So many needles and tubes were used as the magical properties I inherited were beyond that time’s knowledge.

Sunset looked concerned as the world spun again, showing Fickle creeping out of the cabin for a late-night snack of the fields. Fickle was about to pluck a cob of corn when she stopped upon hearing what sounded like voices. She pushed aside the crops gently and peeked through the opening to see her surrogated biological mother talking to several other ponies.

Word was starting to get out about my special heritage, and I was to be sold off in the coming week. Even my own biological mother, unaware of my presence in her family home at the time, discussed prices about me. She had been treating the Kirin working for her family unpleasantly. Going as far as to threaten selling off their horns for profit. I didn’t think it would have fallen onto me. The world spun again and stopped, showing Fickle standing on a podium and being auctioned off.

Yet, no pony bothered to seem to bid for her. Fickle trembled in terror.

No pony knew what was being sold. They were told a special species never before discovered was starting at three hundred thousand bits. Yet, when I was led onto the stage, outrage began to erupt due to my appearance. I looked more pony than Kirin. Even as the curator and my owner tried to explain and even show proof that I had a special type of blood and properties, it left a sour taste in everypony’s mouth. That was also the first time my biological mother had laid eyes on me.

Sunset looked among the crowd as the father was arguing with several ponies. She spied the mare, having a look of shock and realization dawning on her. The world spun around again, stopping at Fickle hiding in the bushes as an argument was being shouted through the window.

When my mother told her father about me, the father swore among Celestia that he would cast vengeance upon the tribe. My biological mother sided with my owner while some peacekeepers representing the Kirins tried to dissuade them. This would be a mistake that would lead me onto a path I have never dreamed of. Yet, it came at a grave cost. During some time through the year, I begun sprouting my horn. I was excited to finally be able to be called one of the Kirins. And the ones with me were excited to hear it. But… Sunset gasped as a pony walked by, seeing the filly hiding in the bushes.

With a loud shout and a forceful pull of the filly by the tail, the pony dragged her into the house and over to the room where the argument took place. Everypony in the room went quiet. The owner looked down in disgust. Fickle trembled, looking between the ponies. Her eyes met her mother’s.

“M-momma?” Fickle whimpered. Sunset was not prepared for the next scene. The mother looked at her with such disgust, striking and being quite vulgar towards Fickle. Sunset was stunned. How can anypony treat anypony, let alone a filly, like that?! Sunset could feel her stomach churn uncomfortably. The world spun again, not helping Sunset ease from the horrifying sight she had witnessed. Fickle was now sitting on the cabin’s porch, looking disgruntled and all shine from her eyes gone. There was another thing Sunset noticed. The smooth stub from under her shaved mane. Her coat peeling and tufted as well as her tail having been shaved, revealing the stub that would make her kirin appearance applicable.

I suffered through so much that I was beginning to lose all hope in myself. I even contemplated breaking the rules and letting myself be fed to the hounds. It would have been a welcome death had I not decided to do something out of the blue. I began to gallop. No words spoken. No announcement to be made. No pony seemed to notice either. I galloped as far as I could, my mind blank and having no idea where I was going. I eventually fell into a river and let it carry me, unable to move due to the exhaustion of galloping so much.

The world spun again and this time, Sunset found herself standing at a riverbank. She could see Fickle, having washed ashore and unconscious. She eventually came to and groggily looked around.

Fate is such a cruel mistress. To my dumb luck, I had managed to wash down river for several miles, reaching the bank of my village. With some hope left in me, I decided I would return to my home. Only to find that what awaited me there was not the same home I knew. Sunset followed closely behind the filly, seeing the hopeful filly burst through the foliage, only to come to a stop and look on in horror. Sunset covered her muzzle with her hoof in a gasp.

I’ve learned later that my owner had fulfilled his vengeance while I was imprisoned. All the homes had been burned, the grove deforested for lumber trade and no Kirin was left. The only tree left untouched was the Grove Mother. What was once our village’s pride and joy was now an antler decorated reminder of the consequences of such acts of one Kirin. Not even my own adopted sisters, or my adopted birth mother, were spared from the wrath. The world spun around again, Sunset finding herself back in the grove, but it looked a little different.

Over the years, I've learned that I age quite differently from other normal ponies and even Kirins. I'm still uncertain of what magical properties my existence has. But despite the years progressing, I am still a filly. And I probably will be for a long while. In this time of solitude, I began to stay in what was once my home. Using what I could salvage from the other huts and houses, I made something that would easily shelter me from the elements. I even used my hunting and foraging techniques from being on my own to create a small farm for me to live off of. But even then, that empty feeling still lingered. The more I stayed there, the more I began to believe that the spirits of my village began to visit me. I... then lost the concept of reality and began to make constructs of what I could remember of my home. Sunset watched the filly work as she used her hoof to hammer in a wooden sphere into the side of a fence post. She then busily decorated it with moss and some paint. The filly wiped her brow and stepped back to admire the newly built resident of her little grove. Sunset looked around, seeing that the filly indeed had made plenty in her seclusion, each in varying poses and colors of paint. The world spun again as she witnessed images of Fickle surviving the fall, winter, spring and summer seasons many times. And like a flip book animation timelapse, Fickle had began to regain color in her coat, sleeker fur and her mane having grown out normally. The images faded and the world continued to spin until she found herself among stars and nebula clouds.

Sunset looked around in awe, her gaze finding Fickle looking around in confusion.

At the start of the new cycle, something happened to me. A dream, I had imagined at first. Sunset gasped as a massive serpent sailed behind them, causing them to turn and stare in horror. The serpent wrapped around them, forming a wall as one giant green eye lowered itself. Sunset could see Fickle's reflection off it. The World Serpent. Ouroboros as he calls himself, came to me and told me if I wanted to make a new friend. One that would help me forget the past and enjoy the present to the fullest. I was... under a state of vulnerability at the time this happened. In my delusional desperation, I whole heartedly agreed. Ouroboros explained to me I had to do a series of tasks in order for my new friend to appear. I did not question it at all. The stars faded and the colors melted. Sunset found herself back in the grove. She noticed the filly rolling something along a pathway, using her head to move it.

She grunted as she set the object on a wooden pallet. She then cantered around and pulled a lever. Sunset had to admit, the filly was quite resourceful. The pulley system she had created began to direct the object over to a slide that then rolled it down and into a strange tree house. Fickle wiped her brow and proceeded up the steps. Sunset followed after her, curious as to what was going on. The filly entered a small opening, too small for Sunset to fit through. She bent down, squinting her eyes as it was quite dark. Fickle poked her head out of the hole, startling Sunset as the filly fumbled in trying to close up the hole.

I spent the next couple of weeks following the instructions Ouroboros had told me about. The last step was for me to spend three days in solitary confinement. No light. No sun. No food or water. Just me and the darkness. At first it was real scary. My delusions began to play tricks on me, but I steeled myself and continued to idle in my solitude. But on the last day, I finally emerged, yawning and feeling quite hungry and thirsty. I was excited to see what new friend would show up in my grove. I waited. And waited. And waited. But no pony ever showed up. The sun was beginning to set and I was just about to turn in when I then heard the sound of hooves heading my way. Sunset observed as the filly beamed happily and began to gallop down her steps from her hut and out onto the pathway. She sat under a crudely made banner with a misspelling of "Welcome new friend!" painted on it. Her tail wagged as the hoof steps got louder and louder. Sunset narrowed her eyes, only to have them widen when she realized what was approaching. Fickle's excitable expression quickly turned into mortified horror.

Several wagons pulled up. Fickle recognized the ponies. Though now, they looked older and greyer. The lead wagon had a gruff stallion hop out with three other younger looking ponies. The ponies looked around before falling their gazes onto Fickle.

My old torturers had descendants that heard about me and had wanted to observe the grove for riches. Specifically for my tribe’s horns. But when they spotted me, I was frozen in fear. I was unable to move. Unable to think anything. The memories kept flooding back. Then, I noticed my biological mother step forward from among the crowd. She looked older. Disgruntled. Grey mane and wrinkles, shaking legs being supported by a walking stick. Seeing as I was alone and a run away, they proceeded to entrap me, despite my best efforts to use my grove to throw them off. The world spun again.

They cornered me. The lost hope I had back then returned and I braced myself for the inevitable. Until… she appeared. Sunset balked as the surrounding ponies advancing on the trembling filly backed away as the shadows seemed to spring to life. Then, all hell broke loose. The constructed Kirin statues came to life, being controlled by the shadows. The ponies screamed and panicked, the shadows snaking and ensnaring the ponies as well as assaulting the ones that managed to avoid the tendrils. Fickle stared in stunned awe. Then, as if an angel of death had descended from the heavens, Tenebres stood in front of the filly, grinning widely at the sight before her.

Tenebres had reassured me that everything would be, in her words, dandy. It wasn’t long when all the merchant ponies were rounded up, including my forced mother. She was the first to be judged. Tenebres gave me the choice of what I should do. Regardless of how I chose, the fate of the whole realm was starting to tick down. I wasn’t sure what I should do. Spilling my heart out to my birth mother wasn’t as easy as I thought it was. Especially when her own was so closed out to others. Deep down, I couldn’t blame her. But I never forgave her for what she did to me. To at least to avenge her disgrace and for my own sake as well, I would track down my father and have him suffer for what he did to all of us. Tenebres sealed the fates. The world spun as the scythe was lashed out in a quick, swift motion.

Sunset found herself in a black void. She looked around and spotted Fickle, in her true form, sitting and mindlessly bouncing a small, wooden toy on the supposed ground. Sunset furrowed her look.

“I’m still unsure of what I want to do. But I found comfort with Tenebres. She made everything worthwhile during my time of need. And I owe her so much for what she did for me. I wanted to return the favor by helping her best the other seven and show that despite being the youngest, even the shadows could shine bright.” Fickle sighed. “Every element’s reason is of their own. But thanks to Quiet Fire and Din, they broke all of their ties to Ouroboros’s bylaws and now… well… I’m certain they aren’t sure what they want either.” Sunset walked over to her and put a reassuring hoof on her back. Fickle looked up to her.

“That may have been the case before. But I saw what Fie has done. I promise you, the others are now aware of what they desire for. Each one having their own ideals now. I think you just need to help Tenebres understand that.” Sunset spoke. Fickle lowered her head and sighed.

“Even if I could, she clearly doesn’t care. She just used me for her own ends. And she will do so for a long while…” Fickle replied. Sunset darted her eyes in thought. She then sat down next to Fickle.

“I get that. But perhaps you shouldn’t just look to one pony for help.” Sunset replied. “I too once pushed away ponies for my own means. For the sake of wanting to control so much magic that would rival my mentor. I was naïve, dumb and mean. I ran away so that I could continue to walk that dark path. And when I had lost everything, one pony held out a hoof to me. Err… hand at the time. She showed me there is always another way to tackle life. Tenebres is obsessed with trying to shine amongst her sisters that she doesn’t realize how much they need her.” Sunset smiled softly. “Even if they don’t show it, even if they deny one another's importance to their positions, they cannot exist without the other.”

Sunset held up her hoof, imagining her hand taking form and six others reaching for her’s. “It’s how harmony can continue to exist. And how they can continue to exist.” She met Fickle’s gaze. “Quiet Fire and Din have a goal to achieve. One that’ll benefit everypony involved, including the seven power elements. If you told Quiet Fire what happened to you, she would have helped you. Just like she did for the others afflicted with the elements.” Fickle’s expression darkened.

“She… did look genuine when she was calling out to me.” Fickle murmured. Sunset nodded.

“I saw her memories. If there is anypony who you can fall back on, it’s her. She has some idea of what you went through from her own experiences. Perhaps it’s time to start letting other ponies into your heart and not just the shadows.” She said with a smile. Fickle sniffled and wiped her eyes.

“But… they’ll hurt me. Like they always do…” Fickle squeaked. Sunset wrapped a hoof around her and pulled her in for a hug.

“We all have pain in our lives that we deal with in our way and pacing. And there will always be more pain on the road to your future. But if you take the bad with the good, you can always see the light that’ll make you shine.” Sunset said. Fickle was stunned. Sunset felt warm to her. A new feeling began to well up inside the filly, one she could not describe just yet. But her body moved on her own. She held onto Sunset, burying her face into her chest. Sunset closed her eyes, holding onto the filly in comfort. When she opened her eyes, she found herself back into the real world. She pulled away from Fickle, who slumped limply. Sunset smiled and pet the girl’s head. Her eyes glowed once more and she saw images of Fickle hiding a crystal flowing with dark magic inside the telescope at the Starswirl Hubble Dome. Sunset stood up and looked to Din.

“The heart is at the Hubble Dome. You can’t miss it. It has a massive telescope poking out of the building.” She said. Din nodded and took off into the air with Quiet Fire still on her back. Sunset put a fist to her chest, praying that Din would find it in time. Fickle began to cackle. The girls readied themselves as Sunset turned to face the child. Tenebres lifted her head and grinned.

“Well, isn’t that sweet? Too bad it doesn’t mean anything in the end!” Tenebres spoke through Fickle. “Perhaps you missed the part where my sister’s and I get to choose our vessels. Fickle is a special case. Just like you.” Sunset narrowed her eyes.

“What do you mean by that?” She asked. Tenebres smirked smugly.

“As if I’d tell a mortal. What you only need to know is that everything is for a reason. And mine…” Tenebres tightened her fists and threw out her body, sending the beams back at the girls and knocking them off their feet. Tenebres stood, twirling her rapier and changing it into a scythe. “Goes beyond what my sister has in store! Try as she might to break that heart, I made sure she would suffer doing so!” Tenebres cackled and held up her scythe to the darkened sky. As if on cue, a massive geyser of dark shadows shot into the sky, creating a funnel off in the distance.

The girls scrambled to their feet and gathered together, readying themselves as Fickle began to hover above them. Lightning crackled overhead.

“The final phase is complete! I must thank my sister for the generous opportunity! Let the Age of Shadows mark a new era!!” The torrent of shadows washed and twisted around Fickle’s body, the girls having to shield themselves from the intensity of the wind and sinister magic around them. Sunset lowered her arm and clenched her fists.

“Fickle!! You don’t have to let this happen!! You don’t have to be afraid anymore!!” Sunset put a hand to her chest and gave a pleading look. “Please, Fickle! Let us help you! Let us show you that there is always going to be light even in the deepest of shadows!!” Sunset had realized her transformation. Her appearance stunning as the others began to glow. The girls levitated at level with Fickle’s silhouette. Sunset clasped her hands together, wishing with all her heart and being to save Fickle.

To end this nightmare once and for all.

Behind the girls, the flower began to blossom. It grew bigger and bigger, towering over the school. The roots began to snake and weave throughout the mass of land the school was on. It trailed downward and into the spiral of shadows in the earth, concealing it entirely as flowers began to bloom along the roots, creating a wavy shimmer of rainbow colors. From the center of the flower, a rainbow light snaked into the air, parting the clouds and creating an aurora borealis effect. Tenebres took notice of this as her image appeared from the torrent.

“What trickery is this?!? I tamed all the magic!! How is this possible?!?” Tenebres’s voice echoed throughout the city.

“Thought you could fool me, sister?!” A voice shouted. Tenebres gasped and looked to see Din grinning smugly as she held a crystal in her hoof, showing it up to her as she floated just above the school. She appeared to be injured a bit. “Decoys are so predictable! But then again, perhaps it’s better you don’t learn from your mistakes.” Din maniacally cackled. “I win!” Din then whistled loudly and Sunset smiled determinedly.

“Pinkie Pie?” She smirked. Pinkie Pie returned her smirk and pointed at Tenebres.

“Light ‘er up, ladies!!” She cheered. Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Applejack and Fluttershy held their hands together and formed a ring around Sunset, drawing in the rainbow aurora borealis and combining their own power into Sunset. Sunset’s phoenix wings unfurled in a majestical display of beauty and elegance as her eyes glowed and she held out her arms. Tenebres snarled at the girls, grinning.

“That will not work!! Even with all that magic, I still have plenty to use!!” Tenebres barked. Din kicked back in the air as she floated casually in front of Tenebres. She held up the crystal and then dropped it.

“Oops.” She said. Tenebres’s eyes widened as the girls unleashed the rainbow directly into the crystal, shattering it instantly. Tenebres screamed loudly as the rainbow pierced through the shadows, wrapping and melting it all away. The clouds parted, revealing the sun and blue sky. The rainbow shooting outward and washing over the city, creating a spectacle that the world has never seen in its’ history. A bright light flashed and as quickly as it came, the light dimmed and the massive landmass that Canterlot High had been levitating on was back on the ground. Onlookers were stunned into silence and awe, watching the rainbow pillar flow high into the sky that then snaked into the flower.

The flower then closed itself and the girls floated down to the ground, where they were then met with cheers and applause. Pinkie Pie grinned widely.

“Friendship power rush!!” She cheered as she pulled Fluttershy and Rarity into a big hug. The girls were in fact giddy at the overwhelming feelings of their friendship, getting into a group hug before facing the crowd. The police were quick to keep the people from going past them, only allowing the chief and several other officers in. They approached the girls, only to stop when Discord popped in and clapped.

“Well done, ladies! I must say, it brings a tear to my eye that friendship wins again!” He grinned. Sunset smiled as the police approached cautiously. Wild Fire, however, didn’t hesitate as he rushed forward.

“Where’s Tenebres?!” He called out. The girls exchanged glances before turning around. They saw Fickle lying on her back, unconscious. Wild Fire held up his arm to halt the officers as everyone spied a shadowy alicorn lying on her side not too far off from the girl, clearly injured and rasping for breath. From the sky descended Din, who stepped in front of them all and faced them challengingly. Sunset furrowed her look with a smirk and turned to the officers.

“Let Din handle this.” Sunset said with her arms raised to them. When no officer proceeded, she looked over her shoulder and nodded. Din snorted and turned to face her sister.

“Ahhh, such a pleasant sight to behold. Wouldn’t you say, dear sister?” She smirked. Tenebres weakly eyed her, rasping and unable to move. “I will have to give you the benefit of the doubt. Using the Elements of Harmony in such a way was quite annoying. But that is all I can truly comment on. You are still just a child. Might as well give up your pointless desire to one up the bigger ponies.” Din stamped on her head and grounded her hoof, making Tenebres scream. “Let this be a permanent lesson to all involved that I will not hold back anything. Even at the sacrifice of my own vessel, I will go to the ends of the universe and see to it you grovel and beg beneath my hoof! Now say it! Say you give up this crusade! Let the mortals know that there can only be one apex of the world! And that apex is me!!” Din stamped on Tenebres a couple of times, the alicorn unable to move or react. Yet, she gurgled her words.

“You… you’re the… only… one…” She coughed. “I… surrender…” Din cackled evilly and reared up, bringing her full weight down onto Tenebres. The shadows splattered and Tenebres phased back into Fickle. The child’s eyes shot open and she clutched her head, screaming in pain and startling everyone. Fickle writhed on the ground before falling still. Everyone looked at Din. Din wiped her hoof in disgust before looking over her shoulder to them.

“I think that’s punishment is enough. Revenge is so underrated!” She grinned.

“I-is she…?” Twilight stammered, eyeing Fickle.

“The side effects of having a heart shattered. She will be fine after resting for a while.” Din explained non-chalantly, turning to them and walking over. The officers backed away, hands on their guns, but Wild held out his arm to de-escalate. Sunset stepped forward and met Din’s gaze. Din studied the girl. “Now then. As we discussed, mortal.” Sunset smiled softly and nodded. Din unfurled her wings, displaying herself majestically before curling them back to her body and shifting to her side. Everyone’s eyes fell onto Quiet Fire. She looked peaceful. Sunset walked forward and brushed her hand softly against her cheek. She is still warm. Twilight looked sadly at them.

“Sunset?” Twilight began. Sunset reached for Quiet Fire and pulled her down, carrying her in her arms. Sunset then turned around and walked forward to her friends.

“Everyone. We can still save Quiet Fire. But it’s going to require you to lend me your elements.” She said with a small smile. Rainbow Dash smiled and held out her hand, her hand glowing and shooting a beam at Sunset, causing a blue aura around her.

“No sweat.” She winked. Sunset felt an overwhelming sensation from just Rainbow Dash alone. She then felt another surge of power. She looked to see Pinkie Pie happily smiling with her arm outstretched to her. Then Fluttershy’s and Applejack’s. Then Rarity’s and finally, Twilight’s. Sunset’s hair began to flow upward like fire. Wings and tail of a phoenix unfurling from behind her. Everyone watched with curious awe. Sunset herself is baffled by the overflowing magic.

She then met Din’s gaze, who seemed uninterested at the sight the others were stunned by. Yet, Sunset heard her muttering in her head, as if the primal had forgotten her temporary transfer to her.

You owe me for this one, vessel. Din narrowed her eyes slightly. Sunset fell her gaze onto Quiet Fire’s peaceful expression. She took a deep breath and began to shift through her own mind. Using Quiet Fire’s own memories, she carefully pieced together certain memories and weaved them together. After piecing the memories, she began to play them in her mind like a film reel. Experiencing what Quiet Fire had been through at the start of her journey and the trauma of having the fate of Equestria tossed onto her without her consent.

Sunset began to tear up when Quiet Fire found out about Table Top. Her home’s destruction and her entire exile from Equestria. A mare truly tossed into a hole with only the clothes on her back. A tear trickled down Sunset’s cheek and she leaned in, letting the droplets hit Fie on the cheek. Quiet Fire began to glow. Small bits of fire began to erupt onto the edges of her wounds and sizzle. Her flesh inside and out being mended and weaving together as more tears trickled out of Sunset.

The last memory she watched was one where she felt truly lost. Having buried her face into another pony’s chest and cried her heart out. Sunset sniffled a bit, letting the tears drop onto Quiet Fire. Then, in a splendid brilliance of fire and light, a phoenix could be heard screeching loudly and the spectral image of the majestical avian formed above Sunset. Din looked up at the creature, narrowing her eyes. The phoenix returned her gaze curiously, as if the two were having a telepathic conversation of judging one another.

Din then bowed low to the phoenix and the avian bowed in return. It then flapped its’ wings a few times before displaying them majestically. Quiet Fire levitated out of Sunset’s hold and hovered in the air, the fire of both Din and the phoenix swirling around her. Everyone shielded their eyes from the bright light and wind. And then, as sudden as the flaring light shined, it vanished, leaving only an orb of fiery gold to float downward.

Din stepped towards the orb, standing between Sunset and it. Din looked over her shoulder to the girl.

Fate can be a fickle mistress. How odd that if things were different. Unfortunately, I cannot change what we will become. Tis a wonderful fire, mortal. The grandmother of all phoenixes sees more than what is shown. Din faced the orb and began to walk towards it. Our paths will never cross again. This, on my word as the one apex of the world. Sunset darted her eyes in thought before reaching out a hand.

“B-before you go, I-I just have one thing to say.” Sunset spoke. Din stopped, waiting for the girl to finish without turning around. “This world owes you more than you realize. Even if we never see each other again, what you and Quiet Fire have done for us will never be forgotten. Thank you. Both of you.” Sunset said, feeling relieved to get it off her chest. Din smirked.

I wouldn’t be so sure of that. Enjoy your peace while it lasts. This realm I leave for the phoenix. Din stepped into the orb and slowly phased into Quiet Fire as embers. When the orb touched the ground and Quiet Fire stood, that is when she woke up.

Quiet Fire’s POV

I let out a loud gasp of breath, falling onto my knees and coughing, clutching my chest.

“Ack!… Sweet Celestia, that stings!!” I exclaimed as I felt the intense pain in my chest.

“Quiet Fire!” I heard a voice call out. I looked up to then see a blur of fiery hair hug me, causing me to wince in pain.

“Owowowow…! G-go easy on the hug! I’m still sore!” I grunted. Sunset pulled away from me and flushed.

“S-Sorry. It’s just…” Sunset let out a sigh of relief and shifted herself to the side, wiping her eye and motioning to the others behind her. “Everyone is waiting for you. You’re their hero after all.” She said with a small smile. I blinked and looked between everyone. From Fluttershy, to Discord, to my parallel folks and even my own friends here not too far off. There was also a loud applause and cheers, making it hard to quell my headache. I rubbed my head.

‘Dying sucks…’ I commented. I heard Din snicker.

Dunno. You could have used the break. She said coyly. I arched a brow, unsure if she was truly being sarcastic or not. I then noticed a hand held out to me and I saw Sunset grin.

“Come on. You still have to decide what to do with Tenebres and Fickle.” She said. I studied her hand and then smiled. I took it and she helped me up. Wild Fire approached with a few other officers advancing on Fickle, guns trained on her. I quickly called my staff and chucked it past them, impaling the ground and creating a ring of fire around Fickle. Wild Fire held his hands to the officers that panicked at it. He sighed and rubbed his bridge in annoyance.

“The excitement is getting to them.” He said apologetically.

“Detective!” A voice called out. We looked to see the chief of police motion him over. Wild sighed and then pat my shoulder, smiling softly.

“Gave us quite a scare. What would your parents say?” He said. It took me a bit to realize he was referring to my actual parents as he walked off. Discord and the Rainbooms approached me as I turned to walk towards Fickle. I called my staff back as the police backed away to give us room. I knelt down next to the unconscious child. Sunset looked worriedly down at Fickle.

“I managed to learn about her a bit more. She does have it worst, but you two share something you had before starting your journey. She’ll listen this time around.” Sunset explained. I wasn’t sure what she meany exactly, but I put a hand to her head. It was hot, as if she was having a fever. I called away my staff and scooped her up in my arms. I stood up and faced the group.

“I’m glad everyone is okay. Fickle included.” I said with a small smile before looking to the police. “Unfortunately for the CCPD, Fickle is under my custody. But I think there is someone else that can be a fill in. Or some siren.” I then looked around. My expression furrowed in confusion. “Err… Is what I would say if she- she was right around here somewhere.” I stated, confused now. Everyone looked around. Din hummed and I felt my gaze being directed into the onlookers. With her eyes, I spotted Aria limping away into a forested area.

I narrowed my look. “She’s fleeing that way.” I said, nodding in the direction. The officers turned around and began scanning. One spotted her and called out to the others. I saw Aria’s eyes widen and take off as several officers began to give chase, leaving me and the others to exchange glances. I frowned.

‘I would help, but first things first.’ I thought to myself, looking down at Fickle.

The Next Day

Media and the news could only ever cover the events that transpired. The world had called it “The Equine Calamity”. With Din and Tenebres having been manifested for all to see, it was no longer a secret. There is another world. An Equestrian world where magic lives and breathes. The story was all over the place. From conspiracy theories to false misinformation, a lot mainly for trend setting and views from what I’ve been told.

Yet, the citizens of Canterlot City knew the truth. The officers had been working overtime. They were spread slightly thin due to calls of panic from some traumatized citizens or on the manhunt for Aria Blaze, who had successfully escaped authorities. The city was indeed in a buzz. The city officials have made a public statement that the persons involved with the Equine Calamity are under city protection until further notice of the situation. This was a big break for the Rainbooms to some degree.

Rarity had planned to make certain disguises for each of us in order to go outside without so much attention. I wasn’t sweating it at all. It’s not my first time having to deal with an entire community of attention with or against me. I spent the night at Sunset’s apartment. She had made an extra bed for Fickle to rest on, who is still unconscious at the moment and I slept on her couch. Rarity had face timed everyone via a thing called a laptop. I leaned over Sunset’s shoulder, a little curious as to how she was able to navigate everything so smoothly.

“So, what do you girls think?” Rarity asked with a smile as she had just finished presenting the disguises. Applejack furrowed her expression.

“‘Ah think we have other concerns than attention, Rares.” She replied. “Shouldn’t we be discussin’ on how to track down Aria Blaze? She might still have some o’ Tenebres’s magic.” I shook my head.

“Destroying the heart regresses almost everything that the primal had influence on. Anyone that hasn’t been lost to the shadows are for sure back to normal. Yet, I cannot guarantee they’ll be in a comfortable predicament. The best we can do is just wait for info on missing person cases.” I replied.

“So, it’s not completely fool proof then.” Twilight responded. I rubbed the back of my head.

“More or less, I guess. I just know from having fending off the others that things went back to normal to some degree.” I said.

“So, then what do we do in the meantime? It’s going to be a little tricky to go about our usual days now that we are heroes.” Rainbow Dash said as she spun a soccer ball on her fingertip boredly. I shifted my look.

“What happens is that Fickle and I need to get back to Equestria.” I said. “We’ve overstayed our welcome. My friends and Equestria need us there. But I don’t even know where to start looking for a way to get home.” I said.

“Oh, that’s easy!” Pinkie Pie chimed in. “Just take the portal from Canterlot High.” I blinked.

“Huh?” I asked. Sunset sighed and leaned back.

“That’s the thing Pinkie. I don’t know what happened but ever since Fickle and Tenebres showed up, the portal has been closed off. And I still have no way of asking Twilight since she’s so busy with the war efforts.” Fluttershy gasped and covered her mouth.

“Th-there’s a war??!” She stammered. Sunset and I exchanged grim glances. I then began to explain the situation going on in Equestria. After finishing, Sunset lowered her head.

“It makes more sense now. I can’t imagine the amount of stress she’s going through.” Sunset said sadly. Everyone was quiet. The silence was broken when Sunset’s laptop blipped and ringed. She blinked. “Discord?” Sunset said in surprise. I looked at the strange box notification showing Discord on vacation. The others had mixed looks as Sunset narrowed her eyes and accepted the call into their group.

“Hello, my little ponies! Or should I say, Equestrian Girls!” Discord greeted. He had a strange effect going on around him and with every movement he made, part of his body seemed to disappear before reappearing. It also didn’t help that his image was stuttering a bit. Sunset scrunched her face.

“Discord? How did you get our group password??” Sunset asked cautiously. Discord made a gesture, only for his image to freeze but his voice to come through.

“That is not important. What is important is that I am calling to let you all know that I have taken the liberty of setting things up for our return home. With the help of a few individuals I think Fie will appreciate.” He said with a smile. I arched a brow.

“That’s… generous of you.” I replied. Discord smiled.

“More out of kindness, I must say. If I was generous, I wouldn’t have left the last step needed to go home upon you.” He then blinked and rubbed his chin in thought. “Or perhaps that is being too generous? Kindness is more of my charm, really.” I gave him a stoic expression.

“Get to the point.” I stated. Discord cleared his throat.

“Right, yes. The last step to returning home is the key. Which you have in your possession.” Discord replied. I reached into my back pocket and withdrew the horn. It was still glowing with prismatic rainbow colors. Discord nodded, pleased by the sight. “Precisely! With that, everything is ready. When you get the chance, come see me in front of Canterlot High. Do becareful though. Traffic is crazy on the way.” He then flexed his fingers. “Ta-ta!” The call disconnected.

Sunset and I exchanged glances. Applejack sighed.

“Alright, Rarity. What did ya' have in mind?” She asked. Rarity beamed and happily rushed away from her desk before reaching over and pulling out a rack of clothes. I’ve never seen the fashionista so ecstatic.

“My new line of clothes! Inspired specifically on the elements of the world!” She giggled happily. Applejack slumped.

“‘Ah thought we were going to be disguisin’ ourselves. Not prancin’ our reputation.” She said with a sigh. Rarity made a strange beat box sound in dismissal.

“Please, darling! We get that enough for being in a band. But you know what they say! If you want to hide something, hide it in plain sight!” She squeed. Sunset couldn’t help but chuckle along with the others. I smiled and pulled away from the screen. I walked over to Fickle and studied her. She was still breathing, yet weak. I had another thought pop into my head. How am I going to not draw attention by carrying an unconscious half kirin? I heard a clear of a throat and shift in my head.

Din unfurled her wings and raised an unamused brow at me. I gave a bashful smile. ‘Oh… right.’

Arriving to the school was met with surprise. The Rainbooms (in their elemental disguises) and I touched the ground and I was in awe at seeing half the school and employees waiting for us. What was strange is that the school damages were fixed from the fight. Even cleaned of my blood. Seeing Discord talking to Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna made me realize how it was all cleaned up so quickly. But not only that, it appears that it had been spruced up for a party of some kind.

Tables on the side with assortments of condiments, snacks and fruit punches. A dessert table, a stage in front of the school and a set up that appeared to be the work of DJ Pon3. The Rainbooms were shocked by all the set up and when we approached, we were met with cheers and applause. Discord turned and clapped with a soft smile.

“Glad you can join us, girls.” He said. Sunset looked around.

“What is all this? And the school? How is it fixed already?” She asked in wonder. Discord cleared his throat and wiggled his fingers.

“Just a little customary cleaning, as a way to say thank you for all you’ve done.” He said. That glint in his eyes made me narrow my own.

“How very thoughtful. Though considering you made it sound like it was urgent.” I stated. Discord put an arm around my shoulder and motioned at the set up.

“Fie, my dear friend. Don’t we all deserve a little vacation every now and then? I figured you would like to relax a little before we head back to Equestria and save the day once more.” He grinned. I rose a brow.

“Vacation? But my friends-“ I began but Discord hushed me.

“Your friends are fine, Fie. You know it yourself, don’t you? They are even with Starlight and the others. And being their friend, I know they are just as capable as any of the main characters.” He stated. My look furrowed.

“That’s… not very reassuring considering what I’ve been told.” I replied. Discord brought me forward to face the crowd.

“Listen to that, Fie. Cheers! Applause! Congratulatory gratitude for saving their world! Nothing like the fanfare you’d receive in Equestria. Isn’t it nice to just enjoy the moment?” He said. I looked to the crowd before my eyes fell on Sunset and the others. I found myself hesitating.

“Well… when you put it that way. But we really need to get back.” I began. Discord snapped his fingers and a cup of fruit punch floated in front of me. I took it in confusion as Discord walked over to the girls.

“And we will! Just as soon as the Rainbooms perform for the crowd!” He said happily.

“Huh??” The girls all said in unison. Discord slumped.

“Ugh. It can be quite the pain to be a teacher. We know the answer, but you all are smart enough to figure it out, can’t you? Here.” He flourished his hand and whipped out a pointing stick, snapping his fingers to have a chalk board on wheels appear. “Twilight. Would you be a dear and explain it? I’ll start you off. Where does your magic come from?” He asked. Twilight blinked and stepped forward to the chalkboard.

“From Equestria.” She stated simply. Discord nodded.

“Yes. But where is the work? Show the class how you came to that conclusion?” He smiled. Twilight rubbed her chin. Discord snapped his fingers and chalk appeared in front of her. Twilight took it and her lips pursed in thought. Realization then dawned on her.

“Of course!” She said. She then began to draw and write on the chalk board. We watched with curious interest as Twilight busied herself on the chalkboard before pulling away and smiling with her arms behind her back. Pinkie Pie smiled.

“Oooooh, formulaic!” She said. Twilight adjusted her glasses and turned to face them, stepping aside.

“What is it?” Applejack asked with a scratch of her head. Twilight presented the drawings on the chalkboard.

“Our magic does come from Equestria. But it’s how we use it. Your magic began when you started playing music. It got stronger when we were unified together. It can even get overbearing with constant use. I think what Discord is trying to tell us that in order for the portal to Equestria to open, we need to unify as we would to build up enough magic to allow Fie to wish herself and Discord home.” I arched a brow.

“Wait, can’t I just wish us home with the horn by itself? All we needed to do was find a portal and open it.” I said. Discord nodded.

“If you wanted to destroy the horn in the process and unleash some powerful magic into the world. Take it from someone who actively travels through portals, Fie.” He smirked as he flexed his fingers. I slumped. “Not only that, but we also cannot risk anything if we are to make it back home. Any number of things could happen with that logic. Better to play it safe. Now then, I think I made it clear. Whenever you girls are ready, head on up the stage and do what you do best. And Fie?” He looked at me. “Enjoy it while you can.” He then snapped his fingers and poofed away, leaving me to study the cup of punch.

Annoyingly right. Din scowled. I then looked up to the girls. Sunset smiled, walking over to me and playfully punching my arm.

“Not going to lie, I think we all deserve it. Besides, I believe you have some other friends that’d want to hang out with you.” Sunset motioned over her shoulder and I looked to see Cloudchaser, Flitter and Thi talking amongst each other. They did look like they were waiting for someone. I smiled softly and looked around. There was another person who I wanted to talk too now that I had time. But I couldn’t seem to spy her. Feeling convinced, I waved to the Rainbooms and made my way over to my counterpart friends. They saw my approach and smiled, Thi immediately rushing over and wrapping an arm around my neck and ruffling my hair.

“The mare of the hour!” She grinned. I bashfully sipped my cup of punch before waving at them.

“I… guess I’m staying for a bit longer.” I said. It wasn’t long for the farewell party to kick off. Dj Pon3 had the music going while everyone was either dancing, mingling or showing off. I found myself caught up in the conversation with the others that I almost didn’t notice seeing Wallflower walking by with Derpy and two other girls whom I recognized as the flower ponies in Ponyville, Rose and Lily. She seemed carried away in her own conversation. I excused myself from my friends and waved to them before jogging over to Wallflower.

“Wallflower!” I called out. The girls stopped and looked to see me approach. Wallflower smiled.

“Fie!” She waved. I stopped in front of them and nodded. Wallflower’s look saddened. “I… I heard what happened to you. When it was all going down, we were unable to reach the school due to everyone panicking.” She said. I shrugged and waved a hand in dismissal.

“No biggie. Rather you guys kept out of it. Trust me. Power Elements duking it out is not pretty.” I winked. Wallflower rubbed her arm sadly.

“Still…” she began. She then studied me. “H-how… are you feeling after… you know…” I blinked and took a moment to realize she meant my death. Now that I had time to think on it, I hummed in thought, scratching my head.

“Well… I can’t really describe it. I was floating in this stream of light. Before I could even grasp the situation, I had been pulled back and woke up in a lot of pain.” I explained, remembering the event. “Where I come from, our afterlife is completely different to the customs here. It’s hard to explain, but we believe to return to this river called the everstream. It’s been theorized that this is where we draw in our magic and how Equestria and all things around it live and breathe.” Wallflower looked intrigued.

“Huh. Equestria sounds completely fascinating.” She said. I shrugged again.

“It’s beautiful when you can enjoy it for what it is.” I replied, feeling a little nostalgic. I sighed. “Too bad my fight is elsewhere. I’m unsure how it’s going to be in Pony Land.” The flower girls exchanged worried glances. Wallflower hesitated a bit but she put a reassuring hand on my shoulder. I smiled. There was a sudden tapping and a loud screech that made everyone protest the pain in their ears. We looked to the stage to see Discord having already dressed in an orange old style suite and gators.

He pulled the microphone off the stand and spoke.

“Hello, fellow students and esteemed guests. Hope you all are enjoying the festivities! For it is a special one where we are bidding farewell to yours truly and, who you call these days, Star Fire!” Discord spoke as he motioned at me. A spotlight from nowhere fell on me and I blinked. “Come on up, dear friend! I believe you wanted to say something?” All eyes looked on me.

“Wha? I never said-.” I slumped and sighed. “Dammit, Discord…” I walked onto the stage, having to race my thoughts to brace myself for the attention. Discord held the mic to me and I gave him an annoyed glare. Discord leaned in and whispered in my ear.

“Knock ‘em dead, kid.” He grinned before patting me on the back. I frowned as he stepped to the side.

“Thanks, Discord… ahem…” I spoke. I looked out to the crowd and found myself unsure of how I should go about it. “Err… How’s… everyone doing?” I asked. No one responded. I was starting to get nervous. That is, until Pinkie Pie shouted from the crowd.

“Speech! Speech!” She cheered. Her cheering became a chant with the people. I was taken aback a little.

‘A speech? Uhhh…’ I once again tried to think about what I can say. Thanks for the support but not necessary? No, that comes off as insensitive to everyone. ‘I’m not the hero of the day. All of you are?’ Inspirational, but I’m certain that’d confuse a lot of people. Unable to find any solid thought, I decided to wing it. I took a deep breath and faced the crowd.

“I… really have nothing to say inspirationally. Frankly, I’m just glad we happened upon this world by accident. And if it wasn’t for the help of a select few friends, familiar or strange, well…” I hesitated and cleared my throat. “Anyway, what’s important now is that balance has been restored and you all can go on with your lives as normal.”

“With some slight changes!” Discord chimed in. I gave a concerned look.

“Yeees… Changes. From what I’ve learned of your world, magic was either theoretical or practiced. But realizing now that our worlds are connected, and has been exposed to ours, I can only imagine that change will be happening sometime soon. I’m sorry if it starts to inconvenience you all.” I then smiled and looked to my friends in the crowd. “And even though I cannot belong here, I’m thankful for all of you who had made me feel accepted into this world. I can go back to mine knowing full well I’ve done something in my life that hasn’t exiled me. And I know that I can trust to leave this world’s balance and harmony to the ones who truly came through. Sunset Shimmer, Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy and even Wallflower Blush just to name a few.”

The spotlight fell on the girls I named, each having different reactions to it. I sighed.

“But enough about me. I thought we were all here for a celebration? And from where I’m from, the speeches happen after the fact.” I grinned at Discord who gave a playful roll of his eyes. Pinkie Pie suddenly had appeared next to me and beamed as she took the mic.

“Know what else is magical?” She reached into her hair and withdrew a handful of sprinkles. “Confetti!” She threw the sprinkles out above the crowd and they popped into confetti. And with that, the festivities began.

The Rainbooms played and sang as the crowd danced and played some party games. To me, it was all so surreal. This was something I would expect out of Ponyville. Seeing Discord chat with Celestia and Luna, I couldn’t help but smirk. Seems someone is more home sick than I am. As the party progressed (and me being peer pressured into dancing a bit, only to show off just a little of the party pony I am thanks to Pinkie Pie’s parties), I found myself hanging back by the pedestal, taking a break from all the mingling.

I casually sipped my fruit punch and observed the crowd. I then noticed Thi Billet walking out from the crowd and leaning against the pedestal.

“Whew! Been a while since I’ve been to an actual party. Kinda’ makes me regret graduating Canterlot High too early.” She said with a fanning of her hand on her face. I smirked.

“College parties probably had nothing compared to this.” I teased. Thi chuckled.

“Alright, pony god. Say, I’m curious. You mentioned that you and my pony counterpart are best friends. Is that why you jumped in to save me?” She asked. “N-not that I needed saving. I could have totally kicked their asses.” I laughed a little before thinking.

“Yes and no. You do look and act a lot like her. But…” My look fell a bit. I saw her expression turn to concern. “Things in Equestria aren’t as easy, even with magic. And my Thi is… well…” I smiled softly and looked at her. “I think she just needs to remember who exactly she decided to pester and befriend back in CSGU.” Thi smiled and coolly leaned against the pedestal.

“Well, if she’s anything like me, then she’ll be grateful to have a friend like you. I guess I can now explain why we connected to easily.” She said. I finished my cup and tossed it into a nearby trashcan.

“You know? You’re right. And seeing you just makes me even more dedicated to knock some sense into her.” I replied. Thi looked concerned.

“O-oh.” She replied. I blinked and realized what I said.

“Don’t worry. She does it to me plenty of times. It’s just something we kinda have going.” I smirked. Thi smiled in relief.

“Must be nice. Here, the only friends I have is my gang. Well, I guess Flitter and Cloudchaser can be considered friends, but I’d rather keep them away from all the back-alley stuff.” I thought about this. And the more I did, I felt my mood shoot down a bit. Thinking about my Cloudchaser and Flitter Glider currently having to deal with Thi. I can only imagine how Scribble is taking it all in. They have to know I'm not dead, right? My eyes looked out to the crowd and I spotted Cloudchaser and Flitter enjoying the party together. Thi tapped my shoulder, causing me to look to her.

"I uhh... don't mean to interrupt your brooding. But uhh... your pocket is glowing." She said, pointing at me. I looked down in confusion, indeed seeing a rainbow like glow from inside. I reached in and pulled out the horn. When I held it up, it suddenly crackled and sparked before shooting out bolts of colors that exploded into magical images of cuti-marks. Ones that resembled the Elements of Harmony. When all six showed up, there was another that seemed to appear. A sun over a horizon. They then begin to shimmer, causing Thi and I to back away from the pedestal as it began to glow with the flower blooming once more. We shielded our eyes as the portal appeared. My eyes sparkled at the sight. This is it. Our way home. Equestria. It took me a bit to realize that the music had died down and I saw Discord step up next to me. He dusted his suite off and adjusted the cuffs.

"And thus, our adventure here concludes. It was a fun ride, wasn't it?" He asked me with a smirk. I didn't reply. I was too busy comprehending this. I spent nearly two weeks in this dimension and so much has happened. I turned around and saw everyone observing us. The Rainbooms smiled and showed motions of encouragement. Sunset stepped forward with Twilight.

"Guess this is it, Fie. It was real nice getting to know you." She said with a smile. I studied her. Her eyes shimmered with a newfound spark. I then smiled and nodded.

"Likewise. And considering you girls have a better control on your magic, I can rest a bit easier knowing that this world is in good hands." I replied. Twilight stepped forward and held out a book to me.

"Here." She said with a smile. I took it in my hand and studied it. "It's Megan's journal. She has a lot of fascinating tales about her time with Equestrian creatures and magic of the past. It isn't much, but it could help you understand something you might end up coming across in your adventure hopefully." Sunset crossed her arms with a smirk.

"I want to say we'd hope to see you again sometime. But..." She seemed to contemplate something before shrugging and playfully punching me in the arm. "Perhaps we can have something to remember you by?" I blinked, holding the journal at my chest.

"Huh? Uhhh... I don't really have anything on me right now that I can... offer." I asked. Thi wrapped an arm around my neck and held out her phone.

"In time I'm sure your world will catch up with tech. Let us have the moment." She winked. I rubbed my arm nervously before looking at Discord. Discord rolled his eyes.

"Ugh. I guess one picture couldn't hurt." He said, snapping his finger and a phone appeared. He then got me and all the ones who helped me out in this world gather around in front of the pedestal. He levitated the phone and pressed something before popping in with the group. Everyone seemed to do a mix of happy expressions, leaving me to awkwardly smile in the center of them. I heard the sound of several snaps from the phone. I was surprised at how quickly it was. Discord snapped his fingers, popping the phone over to him and tapping something. My friend's phones went off and Thi grinned, showing me the message Discord sent. I couldn't help but smile softly. It was a nice picture.

"We'll miss you, Fie. If you ever end up back here again, don't be afraid to drop by." Thi said. I felt a strange sensation of overwhelming joy and sadness as I then hugged Thi tightly, taking her by surprise. I held it for a couple of seconds before pulling away and wiping a stray tear.

"Thanks for making me feel accepted. It's... kind of funny... how things take a strange twist." I said. Thi grinned and pat my shoulder.

"Take care, Fie. And kick some ass for both me and my pony self." She replied. I nodded and wiped my eyes again before stepping back. I then turned to face the portal, Discord standing next to me. I then looked down at the horn. The magic of our world all contained in this little bit of decoration. It's powerful and shouldn't be in the grasps of any creature in Equestria. I closed my eyes, drawing in the power it held into me, Din gleefully accepting it and audibly cackling. The horn shattered in my hand and I closed it in a fist, nodding determinedly. I didn't need to turn around. This isn't where we belong. But I'm okay with that thought. Because it is one less problem for me to worry about. Discord stepped through the portal. I then gave a wave without looking and stepped into the portal, the light enveloping me as the changes in my body began to take effect.

Chapter 35: Home Under Siege

When the light faded, I found myself tumbling through the air and crashing into something hard and heavy. I shook away my daze and stood up, dusting myself off. I then waved away the dust and coughed. Looking around, it was pitch black. Where even am I?

“Discord?” I called out. I heard the snap of fingers and a familiar draconequus smiled at me, lightning up the room with a flashlight. He hummed and looked around.

“Odd. Princess Twilight usually has the mirror in her library. Why is it stuffed into a storage closet?” Discord asked unamused as he flicked a speck of dust off of his shoulder. I held out my hand to snap my fingers, but I quickly realized that I am back to being a pony. I blinked, using Din’s eyes to see better in the dark. Indeed, I was a regular unicorn again. I held up a hoof. There was a phantom feeling of extra limbs tingling along my hoof. I then also realized I was standing on two.

I lowered myself on all fours and furrowed my look at the mix of strange and familiar feeling. I sighed and rubbed my muzzle.

“Parallel dimensional travel is definitely not my thing…” I groaned sickly a little. The one good thing though is that I still have my memories of my time there. I couldn’t help but smile. I looked to the mirror and walked over to it. My reflection stared back. I put a hoof to the glass and it shimmered, the magic having been cut off. Yet strangely, my human self stared back in place of me.

“Fie, I don’t mean to be a bother, but it appears we have no way out.” Discord spoke as he waved the flashlight around. I looked away from the mirror and began to trot around the room. There were a lot of decor and strange artifacts gathered here. I narrowed my eyes as something seemed to stand out. The wall was lighter here. I brushed my hoof against it.

“Discord, over here.” I said. Discord walked over to me and scrunched his face a little too much in thought. He then beamed and molded his face to normal before putting a claw on the wall.

“But of course! This is that vault Twilight keeps all the artifacts she’s collected over the years! I was always wondering where it was. I have to keep this in mind.” He said with a mischievous look. I frowned.

“Discord.” I said sternly. He sighed.

“I only jest.” He replied, raising his paw to snap his fingers.

“Wait!” I quickly exclaimed, putting my hooves around his claw arm to stop him. “We aren’t in the human world anymore! Your magic is still affected by the bylaws here in Equestria!” I stated in exasperation. Discord rolled his eyes.

“I haven’t forgotten. But then, what do you suggest we do?” He asked, curiously annoyed. I moved away and hummed in thought.

“There has to be some sort of switch or magic of some kind hiding it…” I thought. Discord crossed his arms and waited for me as I racked my brain together. When I couldn’t think of anything, he then put a reassuring paw on me, a strange draining feeling washed over me when he did, and snapped his claw. The wall crumbled aside, opening up a cavern that led to a set of stairs. I heard Din growl.

Bastard! How dare you use my magic without my consent!! She snapped. Discord dusted his claw and paw off before motioning.

“Ladies first.” He said. I rolled my eyes and proceeded to make my way out towards the opening and up the flight of steps. The vault closed behind us as we began to make our way upward. When we reached the top, we found ourselves in what appeared to be a puzzle room. Discord sighed and rubbed his muzzle. “Leave it to the Princess of Friendship to make a puzzle to the vault.” He sighed. He put a claw on my back and snapped his paw. The room lit up with strange symbols and tiles pressing inward as the door down the hall opened. Din was not liking Discord at all. The moment we exited the room, the whole castle began to shake. Discord and I exchanged glances as we then began to pick up our pace.

That couldn’t be good. If we are in the Castle of Friendship… My thoughts were cut off when Discord pushed open the back of a portrait and several sets of ponies screaming made me perk up in shock. I pushed past Discord and we looked to see, to my utter awe and surprise, all of Ponyville in one big room. All eyes laid on us, fear and uncertainty clear on their expressions. Discord and I exchanged concerned glances. It wasn’t until two ponies spoke up at once that the uncertainty was lessened a bit.

“Quiet Fire??” I looked and saw from the crowd Derpy Hooves and Namaste making their way out of the crowd. I froze in place. What in Celestia is going on here?! Namaste rushed over and pulled me into a hug. I noticed the small bump in her belly when she pulled away. She started to study me, her expression looking shaken and her mane frazzled. Derpy Hooves floated around me.

“Oh, thank goodness, you’re safe!” She said in relief. I furrowed my expression.

“What’s going on?” I asked. Namaste sighed and looked over her shoulder.

“A group calling themselves the Triad. They’ve been… hitting us with spell bolts for two days now.” She said. I froze again. A mix of realization and confusion setting in.

“Triad… here? Already?” I darted my eyes. “But… I thought they were giving us till Spring Solstice.” I stated.

“I believe they failed to mention that their spring solstice and our spring solstice is not the same, mistress.” A familiar voice spoke. I looked and saw Lavender move away from the crowd over to me. She had a strange looking hammer over her shoulder. She then smiled. “It’s been a while again, mistress. You look no worse for wear.” My expression darkened.

“Where are the other three?” I asked. Lavender nodded.

“We were asked by the princess to be the defensive line for the citizens. I am positioned here while the others are positioned elsewhere.” She explained. I stared at her.

“Where are Twilight and the others?” I asked. Discord seemed to shift slightly at this. Lavender motioned above us.

“They are managing the evacuation and preparations of Ponyville. The Triad haven’t invaded yet, but they have been threatening too. Twilight had asked for reinforcements from the Crystal Empire and Canterlot. Canterlot is currently dealing with its’ own siege while the Crystal Empire is being spread thin.” Namaste studied the mare.

“How… do you know all that?” She asked.

“Flash Magnus and his troop have been making quite the stir. It’s all the guards are talking about.” She replied casually. Namaste looked disturbed, having put a hoof on her belly. I studied her before nodding to Lavender.

“Then I think I’m overdue for a talk. Discord. I know what you are thinking. Before you head off to Fluttershy, allow me.” I said, turning to him. I held out a hoof and he raised a brow. I smiled determinedly and he returned it. We shook and I felt a transference of power.

“We each get one shot. So, make it count.” Discord spoke. I nodded and pointed to Lavender.

“Lavender, tell the other three I am on my way out. I trust you girls not to let a single hair to be touched on the citizens.” I stated sternly. Lavender bowed.

“Of course, mistress. And may I say one thing?” She began. I blinked in confusion at her. She smiled. “You don’t know how much of a relief your presence has right now.” I gave a small smile. I tossed my hood up and with Discord snapping his paw and vanishing, I turned towards the door, walking past the ponies of my home. My fellow neighbors, who I haven’t seen since I started my journey. I can feel their eyes on me. Whether judging me or showing signs of hope, I wasn’t sure. The thought of me being an exile never left.

“Becareful, Fie!” A voice called out. I stopped and glanced over my shoulder, seeing Derpy float down to a small filly and hug her, waving softly at me. I said nothing and continued my way out the room. The two guards outside by the door readied their halberds, but I deftly avoided them and shot a cold glare at them. They froze.

“Do not let the Triad get a hold of that room. Or else you’ll have your hides burned over Equestria.” I spat. The guards gulped and nodded. I picked up my trot into a canter. I wanted to apologize to the guards, but my blood was ever boiling at every shake of the castle. I grit my teeth and began to gallop down the hall. I came to a stop to an open guest room. Entering it, I stepped over to the window and opened it.

My eyes widened and my jaw fell. Ponyville had been struck. Several houses and cottages were charred or smashed. A wavy shimmer around the castle displayed the heavy forcefield around it. I scanned the horizon, hoping to spot any eye sore that’d be Triad. Lo and behold, several massive bolts sailed high through the air and struck the barrier. I took note of the direction and quickly galloped out of the guest room. I made my way into the main lobby, nearly barreling into Stygian. I caught him from falling and pulled him to his hooves. He rubbed his head and looked up at me.

“Quiet Fire?? You’re back!” He exclaimed. I kept a stoic look as I narrowed my eyes.

“Where’s Starswirl?” I asked, having a side idea in mind. Stygian winced.

“He’s… with Twilight and several other unicorns at the top of the castle trying to keep the barrier from falling.” He explained sadly. Stygian also looked exhausted. I stepped back.

“Are you able to contact them?” I asked. Stygian nodded.

“Link buds.” He said. I pointed at him.

“Tell them to make an opening at the front door. I’m going out there.” I said. Stygian balked.

“O-out there?! B-but you’ll be caught in the fire!” He stated. I nodded.

“Exactly. I can handle fire. Ponyville can’t. Now get them to open up for me. This is not a question. I am demanding it.” I stated. “I don’t have time to waste…” Stygian hesitated, shaking just a little at my intimidation. He then put a hoof on his ear.

“S-Starswirl?” There was a momentary pause. “A-apologies for the disturbance. But… well…” I tapped my hoof impatiently, causing Stygian to fumble his words a little. He then cleared his throat and spoke clearly. “L-lower the barrier just a little.” Based on Stygian’s wince, I could only imagine Stygian was hit with a shocked demanding explanation for it. He fumbled his words again and I sighed, reaching over and rubbing his ear softly. He flinched as the bud fell out onto my hoof and with a quick wipe of my sleeve on it, I stuck the link bud in my ear.

“Open the barrier, old coot. I have some personal business and I don’t think the world is counting on me being cooped up in here.” I stated coldly.

”Who do you think…!?" Starswirl’s voice paused. I then heard him speak. ”Lower the barrier... Just do it!” The castle shook again before I heard what sounded like a spell being dispelled. I removed the link bud and tossed it back to Stygian as I galloped towards the exit.

‘Time to send a message. Ready, Din?’ I thought. Din stretched and grinned.

Oh, how I love to see you red with fire! She cackled. I did a couple of bounds before spinning and then lunged with my buck and sailed out of the castle door, skipping the steps entirely. When I landed, Din unfurled her wings and in a fiery blaze, I rocketed into the sky high enough to graze the edge of the dropped barrier. As soon as I made it out, I glanced over my shoulder to see the barrier refresh. I soared across the sky before stopping over the plaza. I scanned the ground.

No pony were out on the streets and an eerie feeling of the destroyed houses gave a sense of foreboding abandon. My blood boiled even more as I scanned the outer borders of Ponyville. My eyes fell on several encampments dotting the Valley in tucked away locations that had a clear view of Ponyville. Just to ensure of it, I looked behind me, scanning the area once more. Less encampments, but there nonetheless. Must be a waiting pincer attack.

I snorted and faced ahead as several bolts sailed upwards and one heading straight towards me. Din cackled wide eyed and I felt my head swish, striking the bolt and deflecting it into another before Din quickly weaved several ropes of fire to catch the other bolts. Only one slipped through and hit the barrier. With the ones we did catch, Din and I heaved them back and the bolts struck two of the encampments while the remaining struck nearby the others. I growled and I felt the warmth gradually increase as I then projected my voice, echoing loudly.

“Heed my warning, Triad!! Cease this pointless attack!! Or suffer the wrath of the burning star!!” I waited a bit. The siege weapons seemed to halt. That is, until one shot upwards and towards me. I snorted and called my halberd. With a quick flourish, I sliced the bolt and stick my halberd butt and spear tip into the bolts, quickly spinning and turning my halberd into a propeller, keeping it behind me. “Wrong move.” I echoed throughout the Valley.

Din cackled loudly as I flared brightly, several copies of me rocketed away and towards the encampments. Screaming was soon followed as my clones began to work at shutting everything down. Din grinned through me.

“This can all end now!! Bring out the ones in charge of this siege!! And I’ll make your deaths less painful!!” Din spoke through me. I gave a slight sigh of annoyance at her getting carried away. I can’t really blame her however. Aside from the victorious triumph over Tenebres getting to her head, she was also reveling in the complete control of her magic once more. We waited a bit longer before Din sensed something behind us. I turned around and faced three alicrons approaching me from the other side of the barrier. They hovered, pretending to be actual ponies.

“Is this the target?” One asked. The lead one shifted slightly.

“Enemy number two for sure. But I thought she was in Zebrica?” The lead one replied. The last one shifted.

“Regardless of the matter, we cannot proceed until she is dealt with. Ponyville is vital to the operation.” They spoke. I narrowed my eyes.

“Fourty-two. Eleven. Let’s g-!” It was almost instant. Din smirked and forced me to chuck a bolt away from my halberd and struck the neck of the lead alicron, decapitating it and causing a chain reaction of explosions through the body and leaving the head to fall in a fiery blaze.

“Palm!!” One of the alicrons cried out in horror. I kept a stoic look as I then flicked the last bolt up and batted it over to the other alicron, striking the wing and causing it to sway and flail in the air.

“Ninny!” The last one called out. The alicron began to descend, smoke bellowing from the joints. I then kicked off the air and landed on the muzzle of the remaining alicron. With a quick swish of my halberd, I cut the horn off, causing it to spark and spew magic from it before I brought back my hoof and shattered the visor open, locking my hoof on the flight suite of the pony and yanking them out, letting the alicron drop and crash into the ground, creating an explosion. I faced the helmeted pony, my reflection in the visor showing my mane flailing like wildfire and my eyes amber and slit.

“Who is your commanding officer on this siege?” I asked coldly. The pony held onto my hoof, unable to struggle. “My foreleg is getting tired.” The pony growled under their visor.

“Go to hell!” They replied coldly. I shrugged and let go of the pony, hearing them scream as they tumbled through the air. However, I twirled my halberd and chucked it downward, catching the pony before they hit the ground and hanging them by the back of their suite. They dangled limply, as if the free fall took out every last ounce of their soul. I landed on the ground and looked to see the other alicron still standing. They faced me and readied themselves.

“Get away from them!” They growled. I remained stoic as I stepped forward.

“Give me your commanding officer. Then we’ll call the trade.” I stated. The alicron readied itself. I noticed the hesitation. I waited for the alicron to make their move. When it didn't happen, the alicron then knelt and the visor opened along with the back of the head. A similar suited and helmeted pony hopped out. Based on their posture, they were spiteful. I then raised an amused brow. “It’s a start. But how smart are you is the question.” I stated casually.

The pony shook angrily. They then punched the side of the alicron and sat down. They put a hoof to the side of their helmet.

“This is fourty-two. Eleven and six are incapacitated. Target remains unscathed and asking for commanding officer Prickle.” They said. There was a momentary pause. I glanced around, seeing the smoke coming from the encampments. The pony sighed. “Yes ma’am. On standby.” I sat down and rolled my neck.

‘Out of the frying pan and into the fire.’ I commented in my thoughts. Din hummed pleasantly.

That felt amazing~! She replied.

I had salvaged out the first pony from the fiery alicron head, seeing them burned but alive. Din took the liberty of using her magic to tie up the three pilots as we waited in the plaza. I looked around sadly. I know they’ll be able to rebuild, but it still stung seeing my home in disarray like this. It wouldn’t be as bad if it was a monster attack. But to be invaded by an imposing opposition outclassing our current tech, that’s a whole other feeling for anypony. Time ticked by and I was beginning to feel impatient.

When the still standing plaza clock rang three ‘o clock, I spotted the approaching metal behemoths. I frowned. Such an eye sore and poor display of power. Hopefully they don’t do anything dumb. Getting real tired of having to dirty my hooves with those who should be with us. The behemoths stopped and a platoon of armed Triad hopped out and emerged from behind the behemoths. I rose a questioning brow as they took positions and in unison, made a stamping salute before stepping aside and letting a sharply dressed officer through. He adjusted his officer hat and dusted his silver outfit off before facing me. He was rather quite handsome. Yet, his expression gave off a feigned friendliness that was for sure calculative and cunning. He looked between me and the three pilots.

“Commander Prickle, I presume.” I said. The pony nodded.

“And you are Quiet Fire, Fire Demon and enemy number two against our nation. What a pleasant surprise. Zebrica treated you well?” He asked. I boredly leaned against my halberd.

“I’m going to be heading back. It is quite nice this time of year. Though, I would have enjoyed it more if your banner wasn’t so painfully ruining the breath-taking sights of the Savanna.” I replied. Prickle smiled handsomely.

“Our banner displays the beauty of the world around it. The will and deeds of the ponies who carry it upon them for the sake of others. Such is the will of our Queen Moonlight Sonata.” He said. I raspberried.

“Heard the speech in so many ways that it’s not even convincing at all no matter how much you twist it.” I retorted. Prickle narrowed his eyes.

“Then what say you, Fire Demon? What does your flag represent?” He asked. I eyed him suspiciously before tapping my halberd in thought.

“The unifying of Earth Ponies, Pegasi and Unicorns as the two sisters are using their bodies to protect the harmony of that ideal together.” I replied. Prickle hummed and rubbed his chin.

“Strange, isn’t it? That what is the unification of all three races are to be protected by another? Ones who do not age and hold the responsibility of our sun and moon? Do you realize the amount of times your princesses have put Equestria in danger for some childish pranks?” He asked. I eyed him.

“The sisters were foals once too. I’m going to guess that, yeah, they may have had some issues with their own powers and responsibilities. But that’s what makes them ponies like us. They’ve made mistakes and have done a lot to rectify them, even sacrificed themselves for others to rise up and aid in their fight.” I shifted my posture. “Next, you’re probably going to be making a point with your own foal hood and time in the Triad army before taking up the responsibility. What’s to say that your Queen also didn’t have the same issues as our princesses?” I frowned. “Whatever the point you are trying to make, it won’t matter in the end. What matters is how we are going to settle this. And trust me… I’ve had a near long two weeks that I would like to relax upon.” Prickle studied me before laughing. I noticed several confused looks from his troops but they were quick to maintain stoicness. Prickle wiped a tear.

“You are quite the character, Fire Demon. I could almost sympathize with you. But you are right. What matters now is the negotiations. Our ponies for temporary retreat of our forces from Ponyville.” He said. I sighed and shook my head.

“Not going to let up? You do realize what I’ve done to be where I am.” I nodded to the three. Prickle nodded.

“Our program is still being worked on. But they are the best Ponyland has. Almost like your Wonderbolts.” He said. I swirled my hoof unamused.

“Get to the point.” I stated coldly. Prickle narrowed his eyes before removing his hat, his locks neatly parted and combed.

“Then how about we remove our forces from the Valley entirely. This was merely a test of the waters.” He said. I felt the warmth flow through me.

“A test of the water…?” I felt my eye twitch. I stepped away from my halberd and uncaringly approached their commanding officer. The Triad readied their weapons, but the commander held up a hoof and just observed as I got closer. “You call this a test of the waters? You want to know what my test of the waters is?” I locked my hoof under his collar and pulled him in, planting my hoof on his cheek and I ignited the fire. The Triad aimed, ready to fire. But no pony did for fear of hitting their commanding officer. Prickle screamed in pain as smoke flowed out from between my hoof and a sickening sizzle of his face. Prickle fell to his knees as I removed my hoof and glared angrily down at him.

“You come into my home. Ruin my friends. Ruin the peace we were working so hard for. All for some tyrannical queen who decided we are enemies!” I brought my hoof back and slugged him hard across the face, knocking him onto his side. He writhed a bit as he nursed his face. “The hell did we ever do to your nation?! It certainly wasn’t my powers destroying my own place of origin. If it is because of Thi, she’s just one mare who you seem to never be able to keep up with. Whatever Queen Sonata has beef with our own princesses could have been settled without all the blood shed…” I looked at him in disgust. “We shouldn’t be doing any of this. You’d still look pretty. Maybe even going higher in your position without us having to resort to ‘testing waters’. And I’d still be able to save our world for the sake of everycreature. Even our enemies!” I shook my head. “Things need to change. This needs to stop. All of it. And I’m going to ensure that.” I then looked at the cautious Triad. “You know what I am capable of. All your attempts to capture and detain me have been failures. Messing with my friends and my home has given you no victory.” I stepped over the commander and faced the platoon, my hood shadowing my face and my amber slit eyes flaring coldly. “Leave my home and the creatures living in it alone. There is always a second chance. Even for Queen Sonata.”

No pony moved. I glared at the crowd, wanting them to try something so I can cripple them. When no pony moved, I snorted angrily and stepped back. Commander Prickle stood up, still clutching his face. My eyes narrowed. He was grinning. When he removed his hoof, my eyes widened as his burn wound began to bubble and hiss, healing itself. The handsome face of the stallion returned to normal. He straightened himself and adjusted his uniform before putting on his cap.

“Well. And we were led to believe that Ponyville ponies would sing us melodies and welcome us with festivities.” He said. I felt Din’s anger rise, but I internally put a hoof on her shoulder. I spat to the side.

“If you weren’t so open to attacking us and everypony in it, yeah, we might have. Ponyville values friendship and the community. We wouldn’t be Ponyville without it.” I lowered myself in a ready stance. “Too bad you’ll never get that welcome after what you’ve done.” Prickle dusted himself off.

“Clearly. So, Fire Demon and sole protector of Ponyville, what are your demands then?” He stated, his handsome smile turning into a stoic one. I snorted and swished my head, yanking the captured pilots in front of us.

“You can have your damned pilots. And since asking to be left alone will never suffice without some ulterior motives, I’ll just skip the formalities. You call off every single attack you have going on in Equestria until our Spring Solstice arrives. Allow us some breathing room to evacuate those uninvolved in our military. Allow us to plan what we need too. Do this, and I’ll spare your resources and troops from having early retirements.” I stated. Prickle studied me.

He then lowered his head.

“You do understand that Ponyville is my operation. I cannot call off the attacks on the others. That is something you are going to have to do yourself. I’ll relay the message, but I will honor this from you until your spring solstice arrives. What day would that be?” He asked. I narrowed my eyes suspiciously at him.

“The twenty-sixth.” I replied. Prickle smiled and tipped his cap.

“Very well. Troops! About face! March!” He commanded. I was taken a little aback by the sudden stance changes of the troops as they instantly obeyed. The heads of the behemoths turned and began to rumble away from Ponyville. Several troops escorted the injured pilots with the march. Prickle spun on his hooves and began to walk. “A pleasure speaking with you, Fire Demon. I look forward to what you’ll do next.” He said. I watched the Triad exit down the main road, heading back towards the direction of their encampment.

I sighed and rubbed my muzzle. Din snarled.

When I get my hooves on Lux… She spat. I turned and faced the destruction that was caused by the siege.

“First things first and Lux will be all yours.” I replied to her. Din “hmphed” and settled inside before unfurling her wings. I kicked off the ground and soared back towards the castle. The barrier was still raised. However, using Din’s sight, I could see several ponies out on a balcony. Starswirl and Twilight Sparkle saw me approach and they turned, telling them to lower the barrier. When they did, I floated down to meet them.

Upon touching the ground, I removed my hood and gave them a tired smile. Twilight rushed over and hugged me, much to my surprise.

“You’re okay!” She exclaimed in relief. I tiredly pat her back before she pulled away. Starswirl approached me and our eyes met.

“Quiet Fire.” He spoke. I fell to my haunches and sighed.

“No rest for the wicked as they say…” I rasped. I didn’t realize how tense I was. Twilight looked at me worriedly.

“But… how did you get here so fast? I thought you were handling stuff in Zebrica?” She asked. I rubbed the back of my neck.

“Funny story on that. I’ll explain once everypony is gathered.” I said. I then looked to Twilight and smiled softly. “And don’t worry about Starlight. Her, Sunburst and Trixie are okay.” Twilight’s eyes lit up in hope. Studying her a bit more, her mane was a little frazzled and she had bags under her eyes. Starswirl turned.

“Come. We have much to discuss.” He said. I nodded and stood up.

I had just finished explaining everything that happened with our status in Zebrica. Twilight and her friends, including Discord, had managed to be in attendance. I was accompanied by Tender and Lavender at my sides. After relaying my interaction with the officer in charge of the siege, Starswirl leaned over the map table, eyeing it. The map had been heavily modified to fit the current situation. It was red in certain areas, a meaning of conflict between Triad and Equestria. I was shocked to see how far they were stretched out. The Crystal Empire remains clear, which allows them to aid Canterlot and other areas needing the defense. But that also left them open for an attack from anywhere. Princess Cadence is banking on the fact that the Frozen North would be cruel enough to dissuade any advances for now.

The Dragon Lands have been aiding the eastern coasts of Equestria while Griffon Stone has been declared as a mercenary state. Which was bad for us and the Triad. Saddle Arabia has closed off their borders and became independent currently due to the conflicts, but that didn’t stop the Triad currently invading. Either way you looked at it, the Triad were heavily out numbering us five to one. I couldn’t believe it. Equestria is truly at war.

“Then we must begin our own operation. Flash and his troops are currently salvaging the destroyed ‘alicrons’ as you called them for further study. With those in hoof, we should have a better understanding of the flaws they carry.” Starswirl spoke. “My pupils are standing firm against the attacks in Canterlot, but communication had recently been cut. I’m beginning to worry something truly bad has happened.”

“I sent several letters to Princess Celestia but I haven’t heard back from her. She might just be too busy keeping the fight away from Canterlot.” Twilight sighed. “I can’t leave Ponyville defenseless either.”

“Then let us help, Twi.” Rainbow Dash spoke. “I’ll get word to Cloudsdale. They may have taken us by surprise this time, but we won’t let anything happen to anypony under our watch.” She said. Her friends agreed. Twilight smiled.

“Thanks, girls. But I…” she began.

“No buts, sugarcube.” Applejack said with a wink. “You need tha’ help. Utilize us and we’ll guarantee a job well done.” Starswirl walked over and put a reassuring hoof on Twilight.

“Princess, you are needed here, yes. But as my pupils have learned, they do not have all their accomplishments by themselves. They relied on allies and friends alike. It was how they were chosen to be the rulers of Equestria.” He smiled. “You’ve shown me just how much words can change the outcome of any conflict. You are vital to ending this war. But in order to do that, you need to dig through the muck and filth. And you certainly won’t be able to do it alone.”

Twilight lowered her head as I silently observed this.

“You’re right.” She then rose her head, as if already having a plan in action. “Rainbow Dash. Make your way to Cloudsdale and report the ongoings here. Fluttershy, Rarity and Pinkie Pie, I need you three to take note of what we have available to our resources. We’ll need some armor, weapons, food and morale. Do you think you can do that?” She asked them. Rarity smiled.

“No question asked!” She said.

“I’ll gather everypony baker I know to help out!” Pinkie Pie beamed. Fluttershy shrunk a little but smiled.

“I-I’ll see if I can have the critters gather herbs and poultices. I’ll even ask Zecora if she can help.” She said. Twilight smiled and looked to Applejack. Applejack saluted coolly.

“We’ll send word to our cousins in Appleloosa and see iffin’ we can establish a supply route for the other places under siege.” She said. Starswirl nodded.

“I will check upon the rest of the Pillars and see if they too can lend aid. This surprise attack will not go unsettled.” He said. “Quiet Fire. How goes the search for the other elements?” I stepped back a little and closed my eyes. I looked to Din and she nodded. She waved her wing and my eyes fell upon Fickle. Seems she finally came too.

“Wh-where am I?” She asked in confusion. I smiled and lowered myself. Fickle met my look.

“I’ll explain everything. But first, I need you to come with me for a bit.” I said with my hoof held out to her. Fickle hesitated. She then took my hoof and when I blinked, the fire next to me died down and Fickle looked around in shock.

“Wh-where…?” She began. I squeezed her hoof softly in reassurance. She looked up at me.

“Everypony. This is Fickle Spark. She is the vessel of Tenebres.” I said. Everypony’s eyes fell on her. Fickle ducked behind me. I felt bad for having pulled her into our current situation. But I had an idea already in mind. “She got into a little trouble in a parallel place in Equestria.” Twilight darted her eyes in thought at my words. She then perked up.

“Canterlot High…?” She asked. I nodded. “Then… you…?” I sat on my haunches as Fickle stuck close.

“To cut it short, that’s how I was able to get back here so fast. Though, it wasn’t easy. Tenebres was causing a lot of issues. But with the help of Sunset Shimmer and the others, we were able to get it under control.” Twilight seemed entirely mixed about this news. As if extra weight had been put on her and then fell off immediately after. She smiled.

“I’m glad they are okay. I… I closed the portal as to ensure our moles weren’t prying too much. So… you found all the elements?” She asked. I shook my head.

“No. Lux is still MIA. And yet, I have a good feeling of where she might be.” I crossed my forelegs. “Pony Land.” The room went quiet. “The events in Hoofington and Zebrica has shown me that whoever Lux is tied with is very close within the Triad hierarchy. And with the amount of battles going on, she hasn’t been killed. She might be sitting comfortably in a higher position away from conflict. And that is where we come in.” I looked down at Fickle. Starswirl sighed.

“How could a primal star consider a child to be suitable?” He stated with a tired sigh. Fickle began to shiver a bit. I studied the filly, Sunset’s words echoing in my mind. I put a reassuring hoof around Fickle, causing her to blink and look up in confusion.

“You wouldn’t believe the hoops I had to jump through just to get to them. They even used the Elements of Harmony in a way I don’t think even Twilight and the others are capable of doing. It was quite something.” I snickered. “She’s quite resourceful. I’d say Tenebres had every right to pick her.” Fickle’s eyes watered a bit. Starswirl eyed me, but I gave him a small eye glint of challenge.

“Do you have any clue as to who it could be?” Starswirl replied, not willing to challenge me at the moment. I hid my pleased expression through a quiet mouth closed sigh.

“I… I don’t want to jump to it. But it’s pointing to the one behind all our strife.” I held up a hoof. “Two suspects. General Lilac and Queen Moonlight Sonata.” Twilight furrowed her look worriedly.

“That’s…” She began. I nodded.

“I say two because I believe she is being transferred between the two. I don’t know who’s the correct host as we had broken the bylaws. At this point, if our elements agree to the transfer, all of their being and what was imprinted into them will be carried over to the new host.” I had a realization dawn on me. “No pony has seen Ouroboros anywhere?” I asked. Everypony shook their head. I rubbed the back of my neck. “Thought so. Then it’s safe to say that because of mine and Din’s actions, all the elements have broken from Ourboros’s bylaws. I can only imagine how pissed he might be.

“But that’s a matter I’ll handle when I cross that bridge. Right now, I have several things I want to do right now. To help push back the pressure the Triad have.” Twilight walked over to me.

“What do you have in mind?” She asked. I looked to the map, studying it.

‘Din.’ I began. Din scoffed.

Already ahead of you. Try and keep up. She replied. I smiled and pointed at the map.

“I’m going to hit the Triad on my way out. I’ll be meeting the other Power Elements off the coast of Manehatten. From there, I’ll rocket over Equestria in a path that’ll have me apply some pressure to the Triad, hopefully to make them scramble. That’ll give the stationed troops time to plan and act.” Rainbow Dash balked.

“Hold on! You’re saying you’re going to rocket yourself across Equestria and hit the Triad all at once?!” She exclaimed. “I know you’re awesome and all, Fie. But even for me, going from Manehatten to Vanhoover will take me no more than four days at mach one without rest.” She said. I nodded.

“Eeyup. Which is why Din and I are going to synergize and use what we can to boost ourselves. We’ll be like Haley’s Comet.” I grinned. Everypony looked baffled by this. Even Din rose a brow.

If you want to stay dead, you could have just asked. Din stated.

“Fie, we should probably think about that a little more. You’ll kill yourself before you can even make it to Rainbow Falls.” Twilight said with concern. I blinked.

“I died once already. But what doesn’t kill you outright only makes you stronger.” I replied with a confident grin. Din face hoofed and several other ponies seemed to share the sentiment.

“Wait, you died?!?” Twilight panicked. I quickly held up a hoof.

“Why do you think I mentioned the fact the power elements can transfer over to different hosts? Din had to do so with Sunset in order to stop Tenebres.” I quickly replied, hoping to calm the princess.

“Wha! Bu-! You can’t just casually drop that kind of info onto us without us questioning!!” Twilight continued. “And who says any of that will make you stronger! You’re not an alien, Fie!!” I blinked and rubbed the back of my head.

“R-right. Sorry, I should have started off by saying that in the first place.” I replied. Twilight slumped and rubbed her muzzle.

“So… you died. As in actually died??” She asked. Fickle got low onto her belly, burying herself in her hooves. I smiled softly at the filly.

“Yeah. Kind of… out of control really. I had to do something for Din to win.” I replied. Din was quiet.

“Well, then, you cheated death. That’s… a miracle.” Twilight began. “But since you are back in Equestria, you shouldn’t be thinking dumb ideas like that! We still need you!” She said. I studied the princess.

“With all due respect, princess. You only need Din.” I sighed. “I’m already an exile to Equestria. Just like Canterlot City, I don’t belong here. I’m a marked mare and being any closer to you or the others will only make things complicated. If I’m leaving Equestria, I’m going out my way. And I’m confident that what I suggested is a sure fire way of giving the Triad hell as I’m on my way to Zebrica. My friends are still over there and I…” I paused. “I guess… I just want to do something for my home before I leave it forever.”

The room was quiet. I then felt a gentle hoof under my chin and met Twilight’s look. She had a sad look in her eyes, but a kind smile.

“Princess Celestia and Luna had that idea as a way to help you out from being disturbed by any of our forces that do tend to… go off the grid a bit.” She explained. “But you are not an exile here. Ponyville is your home. Even if Equestria turns her back to you, we wouldn’t. You’re one of us. And you’ll always be welcomed here.” She said. I don’t know why, but her saying that sparked some hope in me that I desperately wanted to cling onto. It made this a lot harder of what I did next.

I softly pushed away her hoof and stepped back.

“I’m happy that I have a place here. Which is why I should go. I know you all are capable of handling the Triad in your own way, but the sooner I stop this, the better. We still have a realm to save.” I looked at Fickle, the filly’s jaw hanging open in awe. I smiled at her. “Thank you for everything, everypony. I truly was happy to be your neighbor.” I bowed my head. “But I’m not the hero of this story. I’m only here because an eldritch being got lazy. We are meant to boost the Elements of Harmony. You, Twilight Sparkle, and the others, are the actual heroes.

“I and the other Power Elements will play our part. But after that, I will… well…” I sighed. “I’ll figure something out…” Twilight stamped her hoof.

“No.” Twilight stated. I met the gaze of the princess. She looked sternly at me. “I’m not going to turn my back on anypony. Not even you. Your role is not just helping us use the Elements of Harmony. You are more than that.” She then met Fickle’s eyes. “All of you will not be cast aside by Equestria.” I noticed Fickle eyeing me in concern. Starswirl cleared his throat.

“As you say. But we must attend to other matters currently, Twilight.” He said. Twilight sighed and smiled worriedly at us.

“Just give me time to think of something.” She said before turning around and heading back to the table. I lowered my expression sadly. I then reassured myself before nodding and walking to the table. The next ten minutes were everypony discussing a plan of action. I pulled Lavender and Tender away to talk to them.

“Listen. I… probably won’t be around for much longer.” I began in a whisper to them. “Have you four been able to manage things here?” Tender smiled.

“We had successfully aided in the assistance of providing shelter to the ponies of Ponyville in the castle. We were the last to enter.” She said. I smiled.

“Then I can trust in you four to take care of things from here on out? My house is yours to live in. I won’t be needing it.” I replied. Lavender furrowed her look in concern.

“Mistress, I-“ I put a hoof to her mouth and shook my head.

“I think we’re beyond the mistress stuff. You’re free of the bylaws Ouroboros had in place. It’s high time you stop acting like creations of the World Serpent and be your own ponies. And please, like I said, just call me Fie.” I said with a small smile. Lavender and Tender exchanged worried glances.

“But mis-… errr… Fie. Princess Twilight is right. There is always another way.” Lavender spoke. I nodded.

“I believe it. But everypony, even Princess Twilight, has to understand that I have to do this.” I replied. Tender put a hoof to her chest.

“Are you sure your mind is made up?” She asked worriedly. I sighed.

“Believe me. If I wasn’t so far in, I would have sided with Twilight in a heartbeat.” I replied. “That is why I’m asking you four to take my place. Be there for my friends and neighbors when I can’t.” I sighed. “It’s taking me a lot longer to get to Pony Land. Leaving you four to take care of things here can allow me to head out without worrying so much.” The two exchanged glances once more. They then both stood straight, meeting my confused look.

“Allow us to speak our minds.” Lavender spoke. I smirked.

“Never stopped you from doing so.” I replied.

“Then forgive us for our actions.” Tender spoke. I then felt a sharp sting across my cheek and my head jerking to the side. The slap was loud enough that it interrupted the discussions, and all eyes were on us. I was dumbfounded. I rubbed my cheek and looked at Tender. “That is for thinking that way.” I blinked in confusion. Tender sighed. “The values held here are unlike anything we have experienced. The fact that you are so readily to turn your back on those values is… is… baffling!”

“We were created for the sole purpose of serving you in your desires, yes. But you allowing us to experience true freedom allowed us to develop into our own. For that, we are ever so thankful to you.” Lavender began. “The ponies here have shown us so many ways to handle problems and so many things that we could do to better ourselves and each other.” Lavender bowed her head sadly, placing a hoof on her chest. “I wouldn’t trade any of this for anything. Something we were never supposed to even consider.” Lavender motioned to the others.

“You are being greatly insensitive to the work and values of the ones who protect Equestria! How dare you even believe yourself to matter more than they do!” I was speechless. I noticed Lavender tearing up. “Has your journey been so whiplashed that you feel not to include yourself?? You are wrong, Mistress Quiet Fire.” Lavender faltered, avoiding eye contact. Tender stepped forward.

“Everypony matters here. Those involved and those that are not. The world is big, the universe bigger. It’s not just about you. What is it that you always preach? To be your best self?” Tender stamped her hoof. “Then follow that value! Be the best pony you can be! Not for your sake, but for their’s! For our’s!” The room was quiet. No pony shifted. The two mares stepped back and bowed to me.

“You belong in this world, Fie. No matter what destiny or path you had set hoof in.” Tender said.

“You’ll always have ponies waiting for you to come home.” Lavender finished. My eyes widened. Yes… of course. They were right. What was I thinking? In fact, I felt a sudden welling of conviction and determination take over. I found myself thinking back throughout my journey. How everything had been for the sake of saving everypony. How could I backtrack on what I’ve preached? One pony showed me that value and I… my friends… I darted my eyes and nodded with a smile.

“Thank you, Tender and Lavender. I now know what I need to do.” I spoke. The two mares stood up and smiled softly. I then turned to the table and trotted over, Stygian stepping aside as I studied the map a bit more. The red that dotted the map in several key locations followed by smaller bits of red in tucked away places. If we can hit the major places on our way to Zebrica, we’ll give Equestria plenty of breathing room. My eyes fell onto Cloudsdale. The massive city slash air fortress that was slowly floating just off the coast of Manehatten. They look to be escorting the navy from above.

I pointed at Cloudsdale.

“Rainbow Dash. I’ll escort you to Cloudsdale. I need to handle my meeting there.” I said. Rainbow Dash blinked.

“Huh?” She asked.

“Fie? What are you planning?” Twilight asked. I smiled.

“I’m still going through with my plan to hit the Triad on my way out. But I have to head to Manehatten to meet up with the other elements. From there I’ll begin to give Equestria time to counterattack.” I looked at Starswirl. “Starswirl, I hit their encampments with their own bolts. Can we send a team out to recon and salvage from them?”

I saw a pegasus pat his armor proudly. His armor looked ancient and had seen better days, yet it looked recently polished.

“Leave that to me! I’ll gather my troops and we’ll head out as soon as we are ready.” He said. Starswirl looked to him.

“Are you certain, Flash Magnus? There is no backing out once we get started. You'll be marching into the beast's jaws.” He said. Flash smirked.

“Old friend, just watch and learn. Brains and brawn can go together.” He grinned. Starswirl smiled under his beard. Discord tapped his chin and chimed in.

“While we are on the discussion. Fie, how is it that you plan on getting to Manehatten and then on your way to Pony Land? Isn’t it easier to just continue eastward?” He asked. I nodded.

“If I was Rambo. But I don’t want to scare our allies and make things confusing for them. Better they focus on their own stuff rather than a comet.” I tapped my horn. “As to boost myself. I’m going to use your magic, Discord. Remember how we exchanged for a one-shot deal?” Discord’s eyes glinted and a smile creeped along his face.

“Oh, how positively interesting! Though I must say for the record for everypony in here that whatever happens to Fie upon using my magic for her crazy idea, I had nothing to do with it.” He said. I looked to Twilight.

“Twilight. If you’re going to have your friends heading out, I recommend they have some form of protection. I know you all can handle yourselves, but we all know that the Triad won’t pull punches.” I looked to Discord. “You too, Discord. You have a one shot yourself from me, but you should really make it count when you’ll need it.” Discord looked a bit offended.

“I don’t need protection, Fie. I am more than capable of handling ponies with water guns.” He said. I frowned.

“You forget that the Triad had captured me and my friends at least five times before. They even have relics with them that’ll for sure cripple you. Best to be safe.” I said. Discord slumped and sighed. I hummed in thought before smiling. “Pretty sure Fluttershy would be grateful about it too.”

“Oh, yes. We can’t risk you using your magic so much, Discord.” Fluttershy said kindly. “But with you by my side, and with me helping you out, I know that we can overcome anything together.” She smiled and this in turn made Discord buckle. He gave a sincere smile to her and shrugged.

“As you wish, Fluttershy.” He replied. I nodded and looked back at the map.

“With that out of the way, I would ask that you all keep yourselves in cover when you see me pass by. I trust Din’s aim, but something can always go awry.” I said. Starswirl brushed his beard in thought.

“And what of the matter of Ouroboros? That snake has been quiet for too long.” He asked. I crossed my forelegs.

“He’ll more than likely approach me with something. When that happens, I’ll find out what he is up too. Leave the primordial conflict to me and the power elements. Now, for the last thing.” I then turned my look to Fickle. The filly had been super quiet and minding herself away from the table. When she saw me look her way, she squeaked and shrunk down a little. I smiled and gestured her over. Fickle hesitated but she made her way cautiously towards me.

I knelt down to her level.

“Fickle. You and Tenebres still have your lack- err… friends left behind in Equestria still, right?” I asked. Fickle didn’t reply but she nodded. “I need you to ask your friends if they can help us.” I put a reassuring hoof on her shoulder. “I know that they are being hunted down by the ponies if they see them. But you are in control of it. Not Tenebres.” Fickle shook her head quickly.

“Th-they are made from Tenebres s-so…” she faltered. I smiled.

“Remember, Fickle. You aren’t alone in this. Besides, I’m hoping to get to know you a little more. Find out what Sunset really saw in you through the pain.” I said. Fickle lowered her head. She rubbed her foreleg nervously.

“I… I don’t…” She began. I hummed in thought. I then beamed at an idea.

“How about a little trip? We are going to meet up with the others so maybe a stroll through the sky might clear your head.” I suggested. Fickle only nodded softly in response.

‘Din. Is Tenebres awake?’ I asked.

Conscious but not active. She stated. I stood up and faced the others.

“Anything that needs to be said before I take off?” I asked. Twilight nodded.

“When you get back and Starlight and the others are still there, can you relay a message for me?” She asked. I chuckled with a wink.

“It was my profession before.” I stated. Twilight smiled.

“Tell her that before she heads off for her next destination if she can stop by Farasi. It’s Zecora’s home. I want to learn a bit more of the political stance and ask if they can establish an alliance. We may be able to push back the Triad from the west with their help.” She said. I hummed in thought.

“I’ll let them know, but they have their work cut out for them. Roam isn’t in a position to be providing alliances or aid. I am hoping to find out more before I head off the Pony Land from there.” I said. Twilight nodded.

“Yes. But if we can establish alliances with the major communities, we can help out as much as we can.” She said. I sighed and smiled at her.

“I’ll relay the message. Alright then. Rainbow?” I asked. Rainbow Dash saluted.

“Hope you can keep up, Fie. Wanna’ see how much of a flier you’ve become.” She grinned challengingly. I rose an amused brow before pointing at Fickle. Rainbow motioned at her. “She can witness my awesomeness, of course.” I shook my head with a chuckle.

Chapter 36: Deus Ex Ignis

Triad Zebrica Main HQ

The alarms were blaring loudly on the off shore Triad base, nestled between two jagged mountains with a forgotten city below. The fortress facility was up in flames, smoke bellowing clearly as far as the next main town of Zebrica over. Was it a malfunction? A misfire? The onlookers from afar were unsure.

The citizens pointed and muttered to each other plenty of speculations, yet nothing conclusive. One thing that they all knew, however. Their tormentors were suffering something tremendous. It was solidified with another eruption of fire followed by a loud rumble of an explosion that shook the zebra to their core. For years, the Triad had been making it difficult for coast merchants to trade overseas with them. Having to go under plenty of violations of privacy just to ship even a basket of bananas.

All their financial troubles and invasions of privacy were in fact due to that eye sore of a fortress. Yet, regardless of protests and speaking out, the current leader of the capitol, with the support from R.I.Z.A., had made it clear that no opposition is to be granted nor tolerated with their neighbors as to keep the peace treaty from being broken. With the confusion and uncertainty sinking in with the few who were cheering for the destruction of the fortress, no zebra noticed the three figures flying high overhead, using the clouds for cover.

Cloudchaser and Flitter held onto Scribble as the three made their way over to the facility, having an understanding of what is going on. Flitter scanned the area as they got closer and spotted a safe place to land.

“Down this way!” She called out. The two sisters banked carefully as to not lose hold of Scribble. As they descended onto what appeared to be a landing platform, Silver Scribble adjusted his newly acquired outfit. A white lab coat and a jump suite that the ex-Exiles would use for the researching team with some small tweaks of ballistic padding and plating protection. The two sisters had also dawned light apparel provided by the ex-Exiles on their mission to find the heir.

They spent a good week searching for any clues. It wasn’t until recently had they figured it out. And of course, that is not the only reason they are here. Cloudchaser adjusted Hercules’s gauntlet on her hoof, the pegasus mare having spent her free time adjusting to the power behind it. She was still unable to use it fully, but the zebra mare she saved back during the Stratadon attack happened to be a brilliant arcane scientist. She tweaked the output and energy of the gauntlet enough to give Cloudchaser enough force to buck an alicron across several buckball yards with minimal injury to herself.

Flitter was also given a highly advance compact bow that had the ability to charge the tips with arcane energy, similar to the arcane bullets that the world had gradually began distributing. Another modification to it had it able to be compatible with any brand of arrow, be it natural or hoof made. The only down side is the amount of finesse and skill needed to even pull the string back.

This took several zebra by surprise when she managed to hit several targets in the bullseye without breaking a sweat. Scribble, however, denied anything the ex-Exiles had salvaged. Just a surplus of rocks for himself. When a zebra mare had managed to salvage out a prototype hoof glove that later, when they happened upon several files of research papers, did they learn that the glove’s properties were to draw in magic and store it as a way for the Triad to freely change their archaic properties of their current ammunition.

This made Scribble question that the surplus of resources the Triad seemed to have had actually begun to dry out a little, forcing them to use alternate methods. But that was only a theory as the Triad were bountiful in both ponies and tech. Scribble studied the amount of destruction currently around them. The landing area was empty, save for the supply crates scattered around. Cloudchaser sighed.

“We certainly have our work cut out for us. How does Fie even do it?” She asked. Flitter smiled.

“Perhaps when we find her, you can ask her yourself, sis. That’s all who you seem to be thinking about lately.” She teased. Cloudchaser flushed and adjusted the gauntlet shyly.

“I’m… just as worried as Thi is about her. But Fie would also kill me if Thi ends up being hurt or worse.” She said. Scribble shook his head as he began to trot forward, the sisters hovering next to him.

“I don’t think you have to worry about that. Fie would probably go to hell just to tell her how stupid she was.” He said stoically. Cloudchaser chuckled.

“Fair enough. Speaking of.” She said, her tone turning grim as they had rounded the corner. Their eyes fell onto the Triad. The ponies ragged and limp in every way you could imagine. Arc shells were littered around the area, charred marks marking heavier weaponry in play dotting the walls and lookouts. Flitter floated over to a fallen Triad and examined the empty potion bottles on the ground. One was even creatively used against a Triad that Flitter had wished she didn’t witness just now.

“She’s really gone off the deep end…” Flitter commented out loud. Cloudchaser scanned the further far off parts of the facility.

“She could be anywhere in this facility! How is she so quick?!” Cloudchaser exclaimed in befuddlement. Scribble trotted forward and motioned to them.

“Let’s keep looking.” He said. The sisters nodded and followed Scribble into the building. Inside, they were greeted with plenty of destruction and mayhem. The three were used to the sights by now, but it still bothered them how much one pony could do so much collateral. They were beginning to sympathize with the Triad’s fear. The further they went, the more they ran across several Triad trying to pull themselves together, only having to knock them unconscious and move them aside.

The three eventually found themselves heading across a bridge. Two metal behemoths were ablaze on both ends of the bridge along with several Triads on the ground. They turned the corner upon entering the next area, finding the courtyard in as much a similar state as the last. The next area was no different. Each place they passed, nothing was left untouched.

Scribble finally began to break his stoicism when they came across a massive and bulky cylindrical robot that was armed to the teeth in artillery, completely destroyed and lit ablaze.

“And I thought Fie had a lot of energy…” he said with a disturbed and concerned look. “There is no way she did all of this in one go.”

“Scribble!” Flitter called out. Scribble and Cloudchaser moved over to her and she pointed at what appeared to be a makeshift camp sight. “She rested here for sure. And look at this.” She took an arrow and stabbed it into the fire place. “I… sure hope she only used their outfits and not…” Scribble and Cloudchaser’s expression darkened.

“We have to get to her now. R.I.Z.A. Had everything ready and she’s just…” Scribble sighed in frustration. “Doesn’t she care at all…?” Flitter and Cloudchaser exchanged worried glances. Things certainly had changed for them all. With Fie’s disappearance, it was a rather hellish week of planning and managing relations. Neither of the three had a chance to really gather their thoughts. The two sisters didn’t say it, this was taking a massive toll on Scribble. And Cloudchaser understood.

Scribble took a moment to rub his muzzle in frustration before nodding to the sisters.

“Let’s go.” He said. The three continued their progress through the facility. It took them a couple of hours to finally reach what would be the main facility. Based on the destruction they came across, it was pretty recent. Cloudchaser, Flitter and Scribble steeled themselves. It was time to stop Thi Billet.

Thi Billet’s POV

“Incoming!!” A Triad called out. It was a little too late. An arc missile struck near the Triad, sending them flying away from a colorful explosion. I moved to the next, the Triad fleeing in fear and terror. I quickly whipped out my dual arc pistols and pelted a fuel tank they had laying next to a hangar of metal behemoths. I was nearly knocked off my hooves as the whole line ignited in a chain reaction. I calmly shifted my gaze, spying the glints in the lookout towers.

I quickly dove to cover and brought out another arc launcher, striking the tower at the base with enough force from the missile to knock it down. I dropped the arc launcher and flicked my head down, springing over the area and aiming down at the Triad in the process.

Bam bam bam bam bam

They fell. I rolled upon landing and kicked up an arc machine rifle, calmly walking straight into the next line of Triad to oppose me.

Ra-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta

I released the mag and chucked it at an approaching Triad with a knife, throwing them off their strike. I locked my hoof around the foreleg and brought them around onto the ground, catching the knife.

Shick shick

I quickly sprang to my hooves, rolling to avoid the arc fire of the next wave of Triad. I tripped and used one as a shield, returning fire with their own. Spending the ammunition fully, I took the pony by the neck.

Crack.

I let the pony fall. Something exploded close by, toppling a wall and the lookout tower next to it and landing on several fleeing Triad ponies. Yet, I remained focused. My sights set on something else. The intel I managed to gather from my own excavation of the temple led me here. An obvious choice I should have made before. And thankfully, no pony was holding me back this time.

I winced and swayed as the adrenaline was starting to leave me. I growled, reaching into the pouch I managed to take from the Exiles, I pulled out an inhaler and with a couple of puffs, I felt a burst of energy and renewed adrenaline. However, I ended up vomiting at my hooves. The stuff inside these things were strong, but damn did it work so well. Oh well. It’s not like the food I had earlier was anything to satisfy. I took out a bottle of grandma’s secret recipe and chugged the bottle, tossing it aside when I finished.

I let out a sigh of relief, feeling the effects of the inhaler even out. I quickly reloaded my weapons and with my magic, hoisted an arc launcher over my back and strapping it on. After I did so, I noticed a Triad pony quickly batting at their uniform as they had caught fire from the inferno slowly spreading out into the area. I shifted my look before holding up my arc pistol, twirling it in my magic.

The Triad gave a sigh of relief from having put out the fire before looking up and screaming, falling onto their haunches and scrambling away from me. I eyed the pony coldly as I stepped closer and closer to them.

“Give me the keycard into the facility.” I said. The pony stared at me in wide eyed fear. I whipped my arc pistol in front of me, aiming it. “I wasn’t asking.” The pony shakily reached over to their uniform and dug through it. When they withdrew a red keycard and tossed it down at my hooves, I took it in my magic.

Bam bam

I mindlessly holstered my pistol and walked over to the metal sealed door. With a quick swipe of the card, the door began to open. I made my way further into the facility, glad that there was no more Triad opposition to stop me. As I made it out into the lobby, I was then greeted with a massive screen over the center of the room. The static flicked to life and the face of a Triad general scowled down at me.

“The ‘hero’ of the hour.” The voice echoed from the speakers. I kept my focus and walked down the steps to face the screen. “Such irony following the suffocating smell of blood and smoke.” I narrowed my look. “How many lives have you’ve taken over the years of being our number one? How many families are left weeping for them to come home? How many more must be taken to fulfill this ire you call justice?”

“Until Moonlight Sonata’s head is rolling off the guillotine with all of Equestria watching.” I replied. The general scoffed.

“Childish. A little filly playing make believe. Answer me this, Thi Billet. In what world do you see yourself the hero? What drives you to continue to throw yourself into the hellfire of our banner? What is and who is, Thi Billet?” I frowned.

“Shut up and get your ugly mug out here. I have questions about the heir of Roam.” I stated. “I know you are keeping her held here. You Triad always seem to keep losing papers.” The Triad general shifted slightly in his chair.

“The heir. Yes. She is quite remarkable. Willing to side with us for her kin. Truly admirable that it put even General Lilac to tears.” The general grinned. “Sincerely.” I growled and whipped out my pistol, firing a single bullet into the screen. It crackled and sparked. But it then whirred loudly and faced me with a new screen, the Triad general unfazed by my action. “Weren’t you raised better than to interrupt an adult?” The general chuckled and made a gesture as if he had made a small error in his thinking. “Of course, you weren’t raised properly. Spent most of your days out of the house.

“And yet, it seems you are overdue for a time out. I’m giving you one last chance to give up your ire, Thi Billet. You’ve made a clear point and enough damages to allow Zebrica to salvage and build a utopia. But of course, you aren’t really here for the heir, nor the creatures of Zebrica, are you? I can see it in your eyes. The lost filly crying for her friend. Must have been real quiet when the fire left, hasn’t it?” That struck a nerve.

I whipped out the arc launcher and fired at the screen, destroying the set up entirely as the massive screens fell and crashed into the ground. I didn’t realize I was having a bit of trouble breathing. I calmed myself and shifted the launcher onto my back as I walked forward to the destruction. I could still make out the fuzzy image of the general. Just then, the floor beneath me began to open up. I quickly stepped onto one side as the destroyed screens fell into the hole.

Rising from the opened floor was a mound of what appeared to be scrap and other platings armoring the chassis of a robot. This one was taller and not an alicron. It stood on bipedal pistons with three clamps for feet, a sleek but bulky tinted cock pit hiding the pilot inside. On its’ shoulders were massive boxes that I am assuming is lined to the brim with missiles. From the sides, compartments opened up and out came a strange looking tesla coil that crackled with lightning. The other is what appeared to be a glowing heated chainsaw like arm.

I rose a brow.

“Really?” I asked unamused. “I’m getting tired of your robots…” The general’s face appeared upon the cockpit, grinning.

“Would you prefer the countless ponies you’ve slaughtered? I figured you needed a break from blood.” He said calmly. I felt a nerve snap. I whipped my arc launcher around and fired two at one of the missile compartments. Yet, the bipedal robot boosted to the side, avoiding the projectiles before bringing the tesla arm back and striking the ground.

I felt a sudden jolt shoot through me, causing me to squeeze the trigger of the launcher and firing the remaining bolts out into a window, creating a display of fire works. When the jolt passed, I fell to my stomach, the launcher sliding away from me. I pushed myself off the ground, still feeling tingly from the shock.

“You certainly live up to your reputation. Most would have had a heart attack then and there.” The general chuckled. I grit my teeth and withdrew my dual arc pistols.

“I grow tired of this! Time to put you in the ground.” I glared at the robot. It clashed the coil and the heated arm together, creating a spark and revved its’ engines. It was so fast I almost wasn’t able to react. Yet, I instinctively flicked my head down and sailed over the robot. I rolled to my hooves and began to gallop, firing back at the machine. I aimed for the cockpit, the bullets ricochetting away.

“You have to do better than that.” The general taunted. I growled and flicked my head down again. The robot spun and skated around me, the compartments opening and a barrage of small arcane bolts sailed and snaked towards me.

“Shit!” I exclaimed. The bolts exploded around me, causing me to lose my momentum and I rolled along the ground, feeling the burn of having being grazed by a couple of them. I quickly pulled out a pition and drank it, feeling the wounds mend themselves before spinning my arc pistols, catching them and galloping back into the fight.

The robot swung its’ arms in an attempt to bludgeon or cut. I bounced and galloped under, around and above the robot, trying to find a good opening. Unfortunately, the plating seemed to be top grade arc bullet proof. It was only when it struck the ground to kill me and got stuck did I have an idea. I smirked and galloped towards the robot. It removed its’ tesla arm from the ground and began to swing its’ heated chainsaw. With some quick reactions, I flipped and twirled my body, nearly grazing the blade.

Good news was that I was close enough for the chainsaw to strike the side of the robot by itself. Bad news is that it didn’t scratch the plating. I swore loudly and sprang away as it spun itself around to hit me with the coil. I felt the electricity shock me in the chin as I backflipped and landed deftly, aiming my pistols. The general laughed in a low voice.

“How Icarus flew too high to the sun. Do not worry so much, filly. All your pain and suffering will leave you once I put you to bed.” He said coldly. I grit my teeth, stepping backwards. I have to think of something. Think, Thi! The Triad always have some sort of flaws in their design! How is this any different?! I racked my brain, but I couldn’t think of anything. All of a sudden, the adrenaline left me. I reached into the pouch, only to find I was out of the inhalers and my potion down to one bottle.

The robot stamped over to me, the size of it looming over.

“Goodnight, Thi Billet.” The general spoke. I glanced over my shoulder, seeing the broken window that led out and over to the sea area. I grinned and looked back at the robot.

“Nah. My bed time is way later than that. I still have plenty left in me to party.” I replied. The robot brought up both arms. In a blink of an eye, the robot was then sent away, toppling over onto its’ side with a an accompanied loud crash. I blinked in confusion. In the robot’s place was Cloudchaser. Her hoof crackling with lightning. She shook her hoof and met my look. “Cloudchaser…?” I asked. She narrowed her eyes at me before focusing back on the robot that boosted itself upright. When it took a step forward, it was then struck in the cockpit by an exploding arrow, sending it stumbling backwards onto its’ back. I looked over and saw Flitter knock another arrow and ready herself next to Cloudchaser. Scribble stepped down from the steps, stoically facing the robot as he met up with us. I looked between them in concern.

“Did you manage to find the heir?” I asked. Scribble side eyed me coldly and said nothing. I snorted in annoyance. I didn’t need their help. They were supposed to be looking for the heir. The robot boosted itself back up. Yet, whatever Cloudchaser and Flitter struck it with, the robot seemed perfectly fine, save for the shake and jitter.

“Tsk… How unpleasantly rude.” The general spoke. “No matter. Operations are still functional. It’s only a matter of time.” The robot skated itself into the center of the room, lowering itself and began to transform. The two legs combining to make a singular stand pillar, the compartments extending and making the arms longer. The ground began to rumble and shake. The ceiling opened up and we began to ascend upward. We looked around as we saw massive towers curve towards us in an asymmetrical pattern, crackling at the tips with energy.

I looked back at the robot to see it raise both arms into the air and the towers began to shoot archaic magical energy into them. The general chuckled.

“State of the art star metal materials. The hardest metal know to equestrian kind. The properties able to harness all forms of magic, even in theories. Bare witness to the testament of the Triad’s advancement! The future of our proud land!” We readied ourselves as the massive robot brought its’ arms back, primed to attack. We scattered as it brought down the coil. Scribble and I screaming in pain as the volts shot through us.

Before we could hit the ground, Cloudchaser and Flitter sprang into action, boosting us away from the follow up or arcane fire from the robot. At the same time, it launched arcane bolts that hissed and spiraled around the area, catching all of us in a graze of lights and explosions. Through all this, the general was laughing. Cloudchaser pushed herself up off the ground and growled. Like a rocket, she sailed towards to the robot and struck it hard with the gauntlet.

It was enough to cause the robot to topple, only to spring back and swat Cloudchaser into the ground, causing her to bounce a couple of times and stop after a roll. Flitter and Scribble pelted it with their own attacks, but nothing scratched it. The heated chainsaw came around and Scribble had to pull Flitter down onto the ground to avoid having her head cut off. As they scrambled to their hooves, the arm was brought back around and struck the ground between them, sending them away from each other and hitting the ground hard.

I roared angrily, firing my pistols up at the robot. The bullets were deflected. I suddenly began to feel woozy. The robot faced me as I tripped and fell onto my stomach, panting. My body was suddenly feeling hot.

“Awww. All tuckered out? You’ve been playing too much, little filly. You should really rest.” The general spoke with a low laugh. “General Lilac will be pleased when I tell her the good news about this. So much so, she’ll overlook the damages you’ve made. A win-win for everypony.” I shakily pushed myself off the ground, panting. All the energy having left me.

‘Dammit… not here…’ I cursed under my breath. I then looked up to the robot, bracing myself for the eventual fate of my consequences. That was, until I noticed something glinting behind the robot in the sky. I blinked and looked to see that the others had noticed it as well. It was a comet. And it was approaching us fast.

The robot paused in its’ strike, having taken notice of us looking past it. It then spun around and looked up. The general’s voice spoke.

“What in the…?” He said. In a blink of an eye, the comet crashed directly at the pedestal legs, shattering everything underneath it. Time slowed and I saw, to my utter shock and bafflement, Quiet Fire, clearly in a state of panic as she crashed behind us, sending us off our hooves and rolling to the other side. Time sped up as the robot crashed hard into the ground, creating a small crater underneath it next to the even smaller one next to it.

The dust cleared and we saw in the smaller crater a pair of hind legs, flailing in an attempt to pull herself from the ground. We were speechless.

Two Hours Earlier

Rainbow Dash, Fickle and I were approaching Manehatten. Off in the distance, we could see Cloudsdale floating over the sea. We glided casually, feeling the spring wind in our manes. Fickle was quiet. But as we soared over Rainbow Falls, that’s when she spoke up.

“Why?” She asked. I blinked and looked over my shoulder.

“Huh?” I replied. Fickle bowed her head.

“Why are you… why did you do all of that?” She asked. I was a little confused as to what she meant until I realized what she meant.

“I wanted to show you your second chance.” I said with a small smile. Fickle stopped in her flight forcing Rainbow Dash and I to stop and face her.

“But… after all I did? What Tenebres did? You still think… I have any chance with Equestria?” She asked. Rainbow and I exchanged glances. Rainbow motioned that it was my ordeal and I nodded.

“Well, I won’t sugar coat it. We are still considered exiles to Equestria, even if the princesses vouch for us. But you have to think about what we are doing and how we are able to do it.” I replied. “You’re still just a filly, but that just means you still have much left to experience.” I smiled. “Just looking into your eyes, I can see all the doubt, uncertainty and sadness from years of pain. As crazy as it sounds, that’s how I’m usually able to tell the character of certain creatures.” I then chuckled. “Not one hundred percent correct on my guesses. But being a bit of a spaz in questioning tends to net me my answers.”

I floated over to Fickle and put a reassuring hoof on her shoulder. “You don’t need to share it when you aren’t ready. I won’t think any less of you. Tenebres’s influence is mostly to blame. And that is why I believe that you are able to manage full control of yourself. You know the shadows better than anypony else. So, why not make something that we fear into something that we can respect?” Fickle didn’t respond. She avoided my gaze, rubbing her foreleg nervously.

“I… I want to believe you… but…” She began. Rainbow Dash smirked.

“You’ve been hanging in the shadows for too long. Just look at all of this!” She said. Fickle blinked in confusion at her. Rainbow pointed to the horizon and around us. Fickle looked around.

“The… sky?” She asked. Rainbow chuckled.

“More than that. When I’m up in the air, I feel like I’m on cloud nine. Nothing holding me back and nothing to stop me from being me. And when I’m just wanting to relax, I find a nice cloud to nap on and just feel the wind in my mane.” Rainbow took a deep breath and exhaled in satisfaction. I smiled.

“What Dash is trying to say is that everypony has a certain way of enjoying themselves even in the harsh realities of responsibility and strife. Her’s is the sky and mine is… well… I guess helping ponies now.” Fickle looked at me.

“But… why keep helping them if they are just going to… hurt you…” she faltered. I pat my chest with a grin.

“Because I’m dumb.” I said. Fickle blinked and Rainbow Dash rubbed the back of her head.

“Err… that’s not very helpful, Fie.” Rainbow Dash spoke. I chuckled and waved a hoof.

“Let me finish.” I said. “Yes, I’m dumb. Because I ignore what the ponies say about me, even if it nips me in the back of my mind. Usually, I would just wallow under a bottle and sleep. But ever since going on this journey, I’ve began to realize something a bit more about myself than I thought.” I floated away a bit and looked towards Cloudsdale. “I have friends. Outside and within. And because of that, I can rely on them to keep me grounded from my own stupidity.” Rainbow snorted.

“Yet you’re still going through with your rocket plan?” She asked. I nodded.

“Exactly!” I replied. Fickle gave me a concerned look. I then began to giggle and pointed at her. “See? There is something inside of you that makes you worry about others.” Fickle balked and turned away.

“N-no… I’m just… rethinking this.” She stated. I floated over to her and put a reassuring hoof around her.

“C’mon. I know five others who would be more than happy to accept you. They are just as different as you, yet also accepting.” I winked. “Trust me on this.” Fickle didn’t meet my look. Though, seeing her lips move under her breath, my lip reading skills advanced a level.

“What am I even doing…?” She muttered under her breath. I turned back around. She’ll come around eventually. It’ll take a while, but I’m hoping the others will show her she isn’t alone. We continued our way to Manehatten, the city fast approaching. It has felt like ages since I’ve been back here. And from the looks of it, the building that had been destroyed was beginning to rebuild slowly. Rainbow Dash suddenly stopped and I nearly bumped into her. She looked around, her look serious.

“What’s wrong?” I asked. I used Din’s eyes and looked around. Unfortunately, I couldn’t see what Rainbow Dash had noticed. Not until a purple blur zipped up in front of me, leaving a smoky trail behind it. We coughed and gagged, waving away the smoke before Rainbow Dash pushed me aside and flew backwards to avoid being struck by another purple blur. I quickly corrected myself and withdrew my staff. Fickle kept close to me as several purple blurs began to zip and spiral around us.

Then, there was a loud crack of thunder and we looked up to see a formation of pegasi speeding towards us. Rainbow Dash avoided being flown over.

“Hey!! Cut it out!! Who’s authorizing this?!” Rainbow Dash shouted. I pulled Fickle with me to avoid two purple blurs zipping by. Then, the several purple blurs shot upward from underneath us and surrounded us. Their attire was similar to the Wonderbolts, yet the colors were purple and black. Rainbow Dash glared at them. “What in Celestia’s name are you doing?!” She asked again. One of the pegasi floated forward and pointed at Fickle and I.

“Move aside, Wonderbolt! Or else we’ll have to take you in as well!” The lead mare said. Rainbow Dash looked challengingly at them.

“Oh yeah? Do you realize who you are saying that too? Who ordered this?” She replied.

“That is not the concern of a Wonderbolt harboring a wanted fugitive! That is treason enough to have you hanged!” Another pegasi stated. Rainbow Dash growled.

“Rainbow Dash. Under orders of Princess Twilight Sparkle herself, I am to escort Quiet Fire and all guests to their destination. Interfering an official order from royalty is punishable by treason itself. But that doesn’t seem to concern criminals like you Shadowbolts.” She retorted. The first Shadowbolt mare began to chuckle.

“Oh yeah? Well, Princess Celestia seems to think otherwise. We don’t take orders from the Princess of Friendship.” She grinned. Rainbow Dash rose a brow.

“But she is Celestia’s student. Directly interfering with the Princess of Friendship is also directly interfering with Princess Celestia, don’t you think.” She replied coolly. I was impressed with Rainbow Dash. She is keeping a level head right now. Usually she would boast and challenge the Shadowbolts. The mare seemed to back down a bit. She then turned to the other Shadowbolt next to her.

“Radio in command. Let’s see if the credentials matter.” She ordered. The stallion put a hoof to his ear.

“SB-7 to command. We have intercepted a Wonderbolt by the name of Rainbow Dash. Saying she’s escorting the Fire Demon and a filly under orders of the Princess of Friendship. How shall we proceed?” He asked. I narrowed my look. I could see the Shadowbolts eye me under their insect like visors. Din chuckled.

I’m just waiting for one of them to try. She grinned.

‘Easy, girl. Let’s not overcomplicate our matter.’ I told her. The stallion nodded before looking to the mare.

“Seems Captain Cross wants to meet us here.” He said. The mare crossed her forelegs and sighed.

“Well, you heard him. You aren’t going anywhere till the Captain shows up.” She said. Rainbow Dash snorted.

“Good choice. Not that you didn’t have any to begin with.” She grinned. I noticed this struck a nerve with several of the Shadowbolts around us as they shifted their spiteful gaze on her. I slumped.

‘Perhaps I should have not held you down.’ I thought to Din.

Hmph. Been there, done that. she retorted. It took five minutes before we were greeted by a surprisingly tall and built stallion in a sharper Shadowbolt outfit. If we were anypony else, we’d be greatly intimidated. Bulk Biceps may have the muscles, but this stallion looked leaner. He removed his goggles to eye us.

“You’re Rainbow Dash? Captain Spitfire’s wing pony, eh?” He commented. Rainbow glared at him.

“And you are?” She asked.

“A name isn’t important. What you do need to know is that I am the Captain of this troop. They are merely doing what they are told to do.” He said. Rainbow frowned.

“They should have at least recognized who they were intercepting. Especially if they knew the ‘Fire Demon’ was here.” She said. The Shadowbolt Captain smirked.

“Frankly, the status of Wonderbolts do not apply to us. It’s one of the perks of being… ‘considerate’ to our ponies of Equestria.” He said.

“Then you should know how much I’m being considerate right now.” I chimed in. Everypony looked to me. “You won’t win.” The captain nodded.

“But you are no demon either. We know about your exploits. You aren’t heartless.” He said. This took me a little by surprise. “Don’t go thinking statuses matter to us. We are fully aware of our mission and the ponies we intercept. What I want to know is why are you back and how can we get you to leave?” I shifted my frown.

“Certain happenstances, unfortunately. In fact, I’m on my way to meet up with the other Power Elements to discuss things for the sake of our realm before taking off.” I replied. “So, it’s best you keep your distance. My stay isn’t long anyway.” The stallion studied me before crossing his forelegs.

“Don’t make our job harder than it has to. Turn yourself over to Cloudsdale and they can discuss with you your privilege.” He said.

“Privilege?!” Rainbow Dash shouted. “Pot meet kettle! I don’t know who thought giving criminals to Cloudsdale military rights to be the ones to make a call!” The Shadowbolt scoffed.

“Her majesty herself. Granted we are on a leash, yet we are no different, wouldn’t you agree Wonderbolt?” He rose a brow in challenge. Rainbow was about to speak when I floated in front of them.

“Enough. Rainbow Dash, don’t make it harder for yourself right now.” I said to her. Rainbow Dash growled and glared at the Shadowbolt. I then met his gaze. "Alright. I have one condition though. Since I'm going to be turning myself in, then you'd have the curtesy of allowing me to relay information to the other power elements. I am needed for the sake of the realm after all." I said.

"Hmph. We'll think about that once you are taken before Cloudsdale courts." The mare Shadowbolt said. The captain, however, stuck out a hoof to stop her and she looked shocked by the gesture. "Captain?" She asked.

"At ease. She is right. While statuses are not important to the mission at hand, Equestria's Champion, regardless of vilification, is needed for our survival. Very well, Quiet Fire. However, we will be observing the conversation. Then after, you are to come with us to Cloudsdale for detainment." He said. Rainbow Dash made several noises in protest before motioning at me.

"Are you kidding me!?! She's supposed to be stopping a war on top of saving our hides!! You're really going to risk Equestria at war with Pony Land over some damned protocol?!?" Rainbow exclaimed in anger. I held out a hoof to Rainbow and gave her a reassuring smile.

"You gotta' think about it from their hooves, Dash. They maybe criminals, but just like us, they are ponies. Same with the ones over in Pony Land. Things are always going to be grey when ideals are conflicted with duty and order. Equestria is also fighting for the same peace and balance I've..." I looked at Fickle before returning my look to her. "We've been tasked to do. We weren't given a choice. But the Shadowbolts were. In exchange for whatever freedom they can grasp on, they chose it. And that freedom is allowing them to fight for the betterment of Equestria, even if they have to get their hooves dirty." I then lowered my head. I felt sad suddenly. Thi Billet flashed into my mind. "There are ponies that the Shadowbolts probably cherish more than anything in this world. We can't take that away from them." Rainbow Dash looked at me sadly.

"Fie..." She began. I then made a small nod and faced the captain.

"I'll comply with your orders. All I ask is that I prepare something in advance that'll better our fight against Pony Land." I said. Din hummed, a grin forming on her muzzle. The captain was quiet for a moment. He placed his goggles back on his face and nodded.

"Very well. Make it quick." He said. I noticed the Shadowbolt mare next to him hesitate a bit. Taking a quick glance, there were a lot of mixed looks from the stoicism the Shadowbolts tried to put on. I then turned to Fickle and nodded to her.

"C'mon, Fickle. Let's go meet the others." I said. Fickle had been stunned from this. She blinked out of her stupor and nodded slowly. We then descended down towards the coast of Manehatten. The cool breeze blew through our manes, accompanied by the salty smell of the ocean. Hard to believe that it was only a month ago that we had discovered a Triad operation and a Kelpie attack here. I stepped forward and closed my eyes. Opening them, I found myself next to Din. I looked at her. 'How far away are they?' I asked her. Din stayed facing ahead.

Close enough. Allow me. She then stood up and took a deep breath. What she did next had me completely taken aback and having to rub my ears out from the ringing. Rise and shine, troglodytes!! Get your asses over here!! I winced as I tried to stop the ringing in my ear. I then noticed several flashes of light in the distance. When I blinked, I found myself back on the shore. No pony seemed to realize Din had called them. Save for the fact that Tenebres had managed to rise up from Fickle's shadow and stood behind her, looking rather unpleased and staring daggers at me. Din had formed next to me, her grin showing her sharp teeth and wide-eyed manic look. I was about to say something when several Shadowbolts began to mutter in surprise. I looked outward to the ocean, seeing flashes of faraway stars blinking. They then got closer and headed straight towards us.

The beach around us erupted. From the impacts rose the vessels of the power elements. All of them looking shocked and confused by the sudden arrival. Katlyn, the abyssinian captain, looked at me after patting herself to make sure she was in one piece.

"What just... happened?" She asked.

"Fie!" I heard a voice say. I turned and found myself being scooped up into a hug by a griffon. I groaned at the tight hug and did my best to smile.

"N-nice to... see you too... Sharp Eye..." I grunted. The griffon let me go and helped me steady.

"When are ya' goin' ta' call me Gwyen?" She asked. "Why, it's been ages. 'Eard a lot of what's been goin' on. Glad ta' see ya' in one piece." I smiled before looking to the others. Zalas held onto her staff and nodded. A small snake slithered around her and perched itself on her shoulder.

"Seems like Quetzalcoatl is doing fine." I commented. Zalas smiled.

"Sssslept like a log." She hissed. I then noticed Steel Heart roll her neck and crossed her muscular arms calmly, nodding.

"Aye. Tis been a while, lass. How ya' farin'?" Katlyn said. "And what even happened?" I nodded.

"A lot has happened. Let's just say, things are starting to switch up. And not in the best way for Ouroboros." I said. Suddenly, water from the ocean slithered out and form an alicorn. Aquarius shifted slightly as she then focused her gaze on Zalas. From a passing cloud a small funnel swirled down and when it touched the beach, kicking up a torrent of sand in the process, Ventus stood and unfurled her wings, dispersing the sand. The sand that was dispersed then flowed around us and over to Gwyen, the sand rising up as well and taking the shape of Gaia. She scraped the ground and met my gaze.

Pray tell. What has happened to the serpent? Gaia asked. Was that... actual genuine curiosity? I shook away my slight stupor before nodding.

"As you all remember, Ouroboros had given you borrowed power from him in an attempt to wage a contest against Din and I. Of course, that backfired tremendously, allowing all of the power elements to safely disengage from the World Serpent's bylaws. This means several things. You all are free to live out how you want to. Save that you follow several natural bylaws that your Creation Mother had in place. And if any of them are broken, well, you answer to Din." I paused a bit, gauging the reactions from everycreature. The power elements remained stoic and calm. "Another thing is that now with six of us together, that just leaves the matter of Lux and her vessel. I have a good hunch that I'll find her in Pony Land. As for the vessel... I'm afraid it might be insanely tricky as she maybe the cause of Equestria's current conflict. In our usual fashion, Din and I are prepared to tackle it. When or if you sense the power being too much, can I trust you all to do your best to ensure things are managed? Such as ensuring the Elements of Harmony are protected as well as several important figure heads needed to win this war?" Katlyn crossed her arms and shifted her posture.

"Ye' expect us to manage all that? Ain't it better to just ensure it never happens?" She asked. I nodded.

"I agree with you. But I just want to make sure we are prepared for the worse. I already came from Ponyville and the Triad are knocking at the door." I replied. Gwyen sighed and tipped her hat.

"Can confirm. Rita and Galavance have been tryin' ta' scare 'em off near New Appleloosa. But the folk are restless. Already dealin' with several kindappin' cases. No doubt the Triad's work." She said. I nodded.

"That's another thing. I'm back here in Equestria when I need to be in Zebrica. We are currently handling a situation there that needs our attention. After that, it's off to Pony Land. But it'll take me more time to get there naturally, even with Din at full speed." I then smirked. "Which is why I'm going to need everycreature's help here." They rose a brow curiously. "With your combined elements, you're going to boost us from here all the way to Zebrica." As expected, the reactions were generally shocked. A sudden chill wind blew over us and from the icy particles, Shiva appeared.

"You... are not serious, vessel?" Shiva spoke. Din sighed.

"As much as I hate to share your sentiment, sister. She believes it'll work." Din frowned. "And I'm strangely inclined to believe it myself." I snickered.

"Aww. Thanks for caring, Din." I teased.

"Get on with it!" Din snapped. Fickle spoke.

"B-but... won't that much force kill you?" She said. She then widened her eyes and shrunk back. Tenebres side-eyed her before glaring at us.

"For all I care, I hope you splatter with your shattered skeleton." Tenebres spoke. I sighed.

"Look, I get it. It's not the best idea. But it's the only one I have that'll ensure I can get to my friends in Zebrica and settle the ordeal. I already died once, so I-" I then felt a sharp pain in my head and I hissed, rubbing my head and looking over my shoulder. Steel Heart snorted with a frown.

"Little pony still trying to kill herself? You fight dirty, but I didn't think you'd be this dumb." She said. I couldn't help but smile.

"It's why I'm doing it and no creature else." I looked to everycreature. "Just because I died once doesn't mean I'm fully believed I cannot be killed. It's just..." I hesitated a bit. "I just have certain options that I need to act on. Equestria is counting on me to stop this war and we are needed to save the realm. I'm already behind, no thanks to certain happenstances." Din glared at Tenebres, who turned her head in a scoff.

"Do ya' really think it'll work? We still aren't sure what Ouroboros is up to. Haven't 'eard anythin' from 'em in ages." Gwyen spoke. I nodded.

"That's another thing. I have a feeling we're going to be drawing more of the serpent's ire now that we are free of his control. He may be scrambling to handle somethings on his end before catching up to us. I want to keep ourselves ahead of him." I frowned. "He should have saw all of this coming for being so damned lazy. Can't believe we are forced into this situation over his mistake. Which is why this'll be fun payback against him for forcing all of us into this. With the power elements free to be independent of their strings, it's just a matter of when. So, I've been thinking of a solution for the summer solstice." I held up a hoof. "We are going to wait and see what happens." Rainbow Dash floated just above us.

"Fie?? What are you talking about?" She asked.

"Ouroboros has been lying to us for a while. All for the sake of keeping himself entertained while we fix his mistake. I'm inclined to believe that he's lying about the Summer Solstice as well." I sighed. "At least to some degree. I have a feeling that we are going to be confronting something on a scale that not even all the leaders of our realm can handle. And we are going to be needed in all of it. But at the same time, I aim to put in motion a backup plan. One that'll out Ouroboros and put him in his place." Everycreature was quiet.

"What plan?" Katlyn asked. I rubbed the back of my head.

"Din and I take the place of Ouroboros. We steal his powers and use it to fix everything. Then after that, it's just ensuring that it never happens again." I said. I saw their jaws drop.

"W-wait... steal the World Serpent's power??" Katlyn repeated. Din stepped forward and unfurled her wings in a majestical display.

"Tis a decision I whole heartedly agree with. The snake had put this upon themselves, disgracing the very being that created him. A being like him is not capable of achieving that status." She said. Ventus hummed.

"This is not like you, sister. You do not readily give yourself into a position that doesn't rein you in." She said. Din scoffed.

"Of course, I do not expect any of you simpletons to understand. But you do know that my hooves like to do more talking than my vessel here. So, keep quiet and let me finish!" She snarled. Ventus sighed. "I tire of having been pulled around by that snake no more than any of you have! I refuse to be resorted to nothing but a battery for some goody-two hooved princess and her lackies!"

"Hey!" Rainbow Dash protested but Din ignored her.

"This time, the Elements of Harmony will work for me! With our combined might and a... rather annoying idea Tenebres provided... we will use this newly made power to cut the serpent's head off and take his place! My rule is going to go far beyond the stars themselves!! The promised rule I've every right to behold!! One that should have been granted to me long ago!" Din snorted and closed her wings, sitting down on her haunches. "After that, I will keep your powers for myself as to not be abused in my absence." This got the ire of the elements, to no creature's surprise.

"You dare call us here just to rub in our humiliation further!? Piss off!!" Tenebres snapped.

"I do not agree with this! My ocean is beyond your understanding!!" Aquarius snarled.

"The earth trembles at my might!! I refuse to give you my beauty for the sake of some damned plan!! Gaia protested angrily.

"The skies do not heed your call, sister!! Perhaps you should know your own place!! Ventus reared and kicked her legs out in anger.

"Just what are you thinking, sister!? Do you not realize nor remember that we cannot offer ourselves upon each other!? Tis against the very nature of our being and what the Creation Mother intended!! You seek to disgrace her further than the serpent!?" Shiva exasperated. Din, however, looked bored and unfazed by all of this. She then spoke, loud enough to shake the earth and to echo from Manehatten to the far off reaches of Equestria.

"I DEMAND SILENCE!!" It was deafening. I, the vessels, Rainbow Dash and even the Shadowbolts had to cover our ears. Din unfurled her wings and I felt a strange warmth flow through me. Everycreature, save for the elements, began to glow. My hearing came back with a ringing of my ears. I rubbed them and frowned at Din. Din sighed in relief and had a dumb, satisfied smile on her face. "Hmph. My power grows stronger than I had imagined. Which is why you will do as I say, sisters. Or perhaps need I remind you who the true apex is." She looked between each of them challengingly. I couldn't believe it. The other elements took two steps back, having to stand behind their vessels. This confused the vessels as well. "Good. Now, allow me to finish. There is more than just offering yourself up to my might. You will not cease to exist if you do. In fact, you will all remain as you were. Able to live independent and free to yourselves. You will be limited in what you can do. But I assure you, tis a better fate than being considered a battery. Which is all for the matter of dealing with the serpent and the higher powers that are." I narrowed my look. I wasn't aware of this. Din must have locked this up in the back of her mind.

"Consider it your true freedom from a nightmare and false promises. But in order for you to achieve this, your power must be given to me when the time comes. We will decide what to do from then on." She then side-eyed me stoically. "I will not apologize keeping this from you, vessel. You need not know everything I have in mind. Only that of which I deem is relevant to the matter. Now then. I've said my part. Proceed." I sighed and rubbed my muzzle.

"Okay, well. That is something I was not expecting at all. But if it is something we are going to have to deal with later, then it'll be just that. Now for the next thing. The Tree of Power." I looked to Zalas. "Anything changed since last we visited?" Zalas nodded.

"It began to sssspeak." She replied. I tilted my head before she continued. "Unussssual dialect not even Quetzalcoatl can dessscipher. The cavern hassss alsssso changed. Roomssss appeared. Unssssure of exactly what they are intended for. Need more time." I hummed.

"New rooms in the cavern? Odd. I would like to look at it, but I have to get back to Zebrica as soon as I can. The last thing then." I looked to the others, Katlyn and Steel Heart specifically. "Think you can stay in Equestria and help Zalas with the tree? There might be something that can help if some of the power elements are present. Of course, you are free to walk around. Just know that I'm an exile here and that most creatures have been given privileges to take to confront you. If you are threatened... just go easy on them. Keep yourself alive but don't hurt them." I then turned to Fickle. For the next plan I have in mind. "Fickle." The filly balked.

"Uhh... ahh... y-yes?" She stammered. I smiled reassuredly.

"You are going to be beneficial to Equestria's sake. You are quite resourceful, so I can entrust this to you. Will you watch over Ponyville and Canterlot?" I asked. Fickle rubbed her foreleg nervously.

"H-huh? Me? Why?" She asked.

"I can trust my gals in Ponyville to protect everypony. But when I say watch over, I mean, will you be willing to be an official resident in Equestria?" I reiterated. Fickle blinked.

"O-official... resident?" She asked. I nodded.

"Ponies foster friendships more than you realize. Granted I still don't know the pain you've gone through, but I guarantee you that Ponyville is the best place to just... destress from life. And if you are ever in trouble, there are some nice ponies in Canterlot that'll be able to help you and can fall back on." I winked at her. "I think having a bit more time in the light of friendship can help you embrace both worlds. Can't have one without the other." Fickle was dumbfounded.

"Wha... Why?" She replied. "After everything I did in that other world... to you and everyone else... you'd still... ask to entrust me with something? How do I know it's not another lie? How can I trust your word on this?" She grasped her shadowy cloak. "You're right. You don't know what I've been through. Sunset told me you have some idea, but putting this on me now is just... it's wrong. All of this is wrong! Why are you doing all of this!? Why are you risking your life and limbs for the sake of a world that has been treating you poorly?? For these ponies you call 'friends'!" She began to tear up a little. "No pony will ever have your back. Not even now. You are still going to be detained or... or worse off because you ended up back here against your will!" I pulled away and gave a soft sigh through my snout.

"Yeah, I wasn't expecting the portal to send me directly into Ponyville. But that's beside the point. I'm asking you this because I know you can be the best self you can be. And Ponyville will foster those values. You'll still struggle and still feel pain. You may not even get along with some of the neighbors there. But I can guarantee you that being there will show you just what I mean about being your best self." I smiled at her. Fickle studied my look, as if trying to pick out anything that would convince her what I said was nothing but lies. When it seemed she couldn't be sure, she sniffled and wiped her eyes.

"F-fine... but I'm not... doing this out of obligation. I'm not sure why you think this is a good idea..." She said sadly. I chuckled.

"Gotta' experience it yourself. Words can only do so much. Speaking of." I turned to the others. "I have one last thing I want to say. When the time comes and we are ready to face whatever may threaten everycreature involved, we'll do it our way." I put a hoof to my chest. "We are not tied to this fate or destiny forced onto us. Not anymore. I'll be back once I find Lux and we can finally put an end to this." I stepped forward into the center. "Now then, if you'd be so kind? Katlyn, Gwyen and Steel. Mind doing something?" I directed them to their spots. The Shadowbolts arched a brow curiously.

"What are you doing?" Rainbow Dash asked. I gave her a wink before motioning Zalas in front. I then leaned in and whispered into her ear.

"Concentrate enough force at my hooves and into Steel's fists." I told her. Zalas blinked in confusion but nodded. I then nodded to the others. With my direction, Gwyen and Katyln gathered their powers into Steel's balled fists together. The Shadowbolt Captain crossed his forelegs as I finished up the set up.

"Enough wasting time, Demon. We are behind schedule." He said. I chuckled and waved a hoof at him.

"Oh, trust me. You aren't the only one." I said before nodding to Steel. She gave a knowing look. The Shadowbolt Captain floated over to me with a few other Shadowbolts.

"Stop what you are doing. Anymore and we'll be forced to take you in." He commanded. I waved to Rainbow Dash.

"Wanted to see how great a flier I am?" I grinned. Without hesitation, I gave a cool salute to the Shadowbolt captain as I flipped and planted my hooves into Steel's balled fists. Din then released Discord's magic and I felt an overwhelming tingling sensation. Steel stamped her hoof and flung me with all her might into the sky, the sand erupting around them and disorienting the Shadowbolts. Din surrounded me with fire for protection as I was unable to move from being launched. I couldn't feel my face and I had my eyes closed, unsure of what was going on. Din sighed.

The fact it is working is quite astounding... She stated. I couldn't speak as I was trying to ensure my face wasn't trying to be ripped off. It was quite deafening. Din then began to release her magic and spreading it outward. As she busied herself away, I could only think of my friends.

'Hang on guys! I'm coming!' Din hummed as she began to take control of my flight, keeping my for certain death-defying momentum going. Thank the Creation Mother for primal perks.

Chapter 37: Paradise Estate

We had just finished passing over Vanhoover as Din finished spreading out her magic. Discord's magic was still pushing us along. I was still unable to open my eyes, but I almost felt like I was going to fall asleep. Din made it clear that I shouldn't pass out now as it will be a pain in the ass to take control to prevent me from actually dying. I wasn't sure how long we were rocketing through Equestria.

'Din? I don't mean to sound like I'm regretting this decision, but where are we right now?' I thought to her. Din smirked.

Making good time is all I can say. She replied.

'What about the Triad? Is it all set up?' I asked. Din scoffed.

Shouldn't you be more concerned with ensuring we live through this? I frowned in my mind. Din grinned. Seems we are about to run out of the draconequues's magic here. One last bit should do it. I felt my body rock a bit as if I had just passed through something. Din sighed pleasantly. Should I do a count down or just drop them now? I shifted my head just slightly in confusion. Nah, I'm doing it now. Din then laughed and she unfurled her wings before bringing them down, bowing low to the ground. Din kept this pose for a little bit. It was when I started feeling myself slow just a little did she stand up and shiver. Well, that was exciting! Hmmm? Din looked off in a direction. I wasn't able to sense what she was seeing but she then shifted her head, the tip of horn glowing and I felt myself jolt. We had begun to slow down more.

I was able to open my eyes now and looked down. We were sailing high above the clouds and over the Luna Ocean. I looked ahead and I could see Zebrica off in the distance, gradually growing closer. I looked over my shoulder. Equestria was long gone. Din hummed.

I have always believed you an idiot, vessel. And I will continue to do so for as long as your small brain allows you to function. Don't get too ahead of yourself for thinking you'll come out of this unscathed. I blinked.

'What? It's because of you I'm able to do idiotic stuff like this and have it pay off.' I replied casually. Din frowned and glared at me.

Do not use me as an excuse for what should have been our death. I'm going to demand more than just crepes this time around. She growled. I tilted my head slightly.

'Isn't that why you suggested taking the element's powers for yourself?' I asked. Din scoffed and lowered her head over her forelegs.

Do you recall what that draconequues mentioned? Rainbow Power? How he wants us to corrupt it? It has me thinking something... but I cannot be sure until I've seen it in this world. She said. I rose a brow. We'll cross the bridge when we get there. For now, we have arrived. I looked down. Din had taken control, speeding me over the Savanna. Using her eyes, I scanned the land. Animals, flora, natives and tribes? Check. Modern and pre-modern communities? Check. I then looked over the horizon. I could make out several temples dotting the jungle below. The further we flew, I eventually spotted a familiarity. A crumpled temple and the corpse of a Stratadon that looked to be in the process of being eaten by the local wildlife. There was also what appeared to be some vehicles and an excavation drill. I narrowed my eyes. I circled around, ensuring I was covering everything. I then noticed several zebra Exiles busily shifting through some rocks. My eyes then fell onto a familiar earth pony in a grey tunic. I sighed in relief, beginning my descent.

I caught the attention of the zebra and the earth pony, touching ground and nearly stumbling a bit forward. The zebra backed away, their eyes watching me in surprised fear. Din's wings vanished from me and I walked forward, looking around. No sign of my friends.

"You're alive." The monotone earth pony, Maud if I recall was her name, spoke. I rubbed the back of my head and nodded.

"Err... yup! Had a... uhh... bit of a strange side thing that happened to me. One that forced me to appear in Equestria, but it was that or get turned into solid gold." I replied. Maud said nothing, making an awkward pause that I was hoping she would break. Seeing as she wasn't, I then cleared my throat and motioned around. "Are... Starlight, Sunburst and Trixie around?" I asked. Maud nodded. I scrunched my muzzle, waiting to see if Maud would take me to them. Or... tell me where they were? What is this pony's deal? I rubbed the back of my head. "So uhh... do you... know where they are?" I asked.

"Yes." Maud spoke. I narrowed my look.

"Can you show me? Or at least point me in the right direction?" I asked. Maud then turned her head and pointed into the jungle.

"The zebra have set up a small headquarters camp just further inside while the excavation is going on." She explained. I blinked.

"Excavation? Through this? Errr... hate to say it, but if everything inside is crumbled to ruins, shouldn't we move past this?" I asked. Maud nodded.

"Yes. But your friend was dedicated to pull you out of it." She said. I sighed in relief.

"Oh, okay. Wait... to pull me out of this?" I rose a brow questioningly. Maud nodded. I waited for her to tell me more but she didn't seem to be either interested or pulling my leg on something. I sighed and rubbed my muzzle. "Right. Well, clearly you are busy right now so I'll not disturb you any further." I replied, giving her my best smile I could before spinning around and trotting towards the jungle. I glanced over my shoulder, seeing Maud dig through her tunic and pull out a small rock. She said something that even my lip reading wasn't able to comprehend. I thought to ignore it and ask somepony who would be willing to answer.

I proceeded into the jungle, following a thin pathway that led me to what appeared to be several tents dotting around the place. Zebra were busily moving about, carrying crates and hauling some wagons into the jungle. My eyes wandered the area before spying a familiar wagon. I trotted over to it, seeing the door to the wagon open. I peeked inside, hearing voices from within.

“…Trixie. I’m getting worried about Equestria. We’ve been gone for too long.” Starlight spoke, her tone rather panicked.

“Trust me, Starlight. I’d rather not be here anymore than you.” She said before wincing and rubbing her head. Starlight put a hoof to Trixie’s forehead.

“Oohh, we still haven’t gotten over our burn out.” Starlight commented. Trixie had a certain gloom over her.

“I’m sorry, Starlight… I should have been more aware of everything. If it wasn’t for me, we wouldn’t be here…” she said sadly. Starlight smiled reassuredly.

“As long as everypony is okay and we’re together, then I’m perfectly fine.” She said. I then knocked on the side of the wagon and cleared my throat. They looked over and their eyes widened.

“I hope I’m no-“ I began but was interrupted by the mare's unison relief.

“Fie!” They both exclaimed. I rubbed the back of my head bashfully. Starlight and Trixie nearly tripped out of the wagon on their way out. Starlight put a hoof on my shoulder, studying me. “You’re real, right? Of course you are! Oh, you have no idea the last week has been. We’ve been looking for you.” She said. I pat her hoof reassuredly.

“Easy, Starlight. Yes, I’m real. And as you can see, more than okay.” I replied.

“What happened??” Trixie asked. “The last thing I remember before the collapse was you pulling me out of that cell with Maud.” She began.

“Sunburst told us how you helped us escaped. We owe you big time.” Starlight chimed in. I smiled.

“You don’t owe me anything. In fact, consider it your repayment for helping Equestria recover Din and I from Princess Platinum’s castle.” I replied. The two mares smiled. I then furrowed my look. “And of course, I’m back specifically for a reason.” Starlight and Trixie exchanged concerned glances before Starlight sighed and nodded.

“Your friends are okay.” She said.

“Not entirely…” Trixie said in annoyance. Starlight nudged her and she rubbed her foreleg. “Ow!” I sighed and nodded.

“So I’ve heard. Do you know where they are?” I asked. Starlight grimaced, causing me to raise my brows in worry. “How many has Thi hit?” I asked, hitting straight to the point. Starlight nervously hummed.

“Err… ahhh… She… stormed off once we found some… documents that uhh…” Starlight began. Trixie sighed.

“She started this excavation to look for you at first, but then Silver Scribble convinced Thi that you are still alive because we all aren’t dead. Then we ended up finding some stuff that the Triad were hiding and Thi, over the week, had been hitting Triad encampments for more info.” Trixie looked a little sickly. “It’s… it wasn’t… pleasant. When we found info on Roam’s heir, she took off in a hurry. Your friends followed after, hoping to stop her from doing anything crazy.” Trixie explained.

“How long ago did they take off?” I asked.

“Two days ago.” A voice said. We looked to see a zebra mare in a lab coat trot over to us. “She was quite the rude one. But, I do not blame her. Not after everything the Exiles did.” I blinked.

“And you are?” I asked. The zebra bowed courteously.

“My kin call me Zanza. But for you, you can call me Dandelion.” She said. I rose a brow.

“You’re an Exile?” I asked.

“She was one.” Starlight quickly interjected. “But, she’s reformed. All the zebra here are. And they were willing to help us after ensuring they were safe.” Dandelion nodded.

“We owe you and your friends a debt despite what both sides think. We heard you were the one that gave us the push needed to fight back.” She then bowed. “For all of us, thank you. It will be hard to reconnect with our kin, but I am certain with R.E.Z.A.’s aid, we’ll show them we are not that way anymore.” I smiled softly.

“Well, I appreciate that. You can return the favor by telling me where my friends ran off to.” I replied. Dandelion nodded and pointed just past me.

“They took off northwest. Your friends are going to strike the Triad at the heart. A fortress off the coast of Knickerbocker.” She said. I smiled and nodded.

“Thanks. How long will that be in pegasus flight?” I asked.

“Two and half days at most.” She replied quickly. I slumped.

“It took me two hours to get here from Equestria… hmmm…” I said out loud to myself. Starlight and Trixie blinked in confusion at this. I then beamed. “Hold on. Trixie. I remember seeing you perform the Moonshot Manticore Mouth Dive via a canon. Do you still have it?” I asked. Trixie balked.

“I-I do, but it’ll take us sometime to set up. It took me four hours to get it all ready.” She said. I grinned.

“And that’s why you have us. We can build it real quick.” I replied.

“You’re not… planning on shooting yourself from here to the coast are you?” Starlight asked. I chuckled.

“I made it here from Equestria via chaos magic and a minotaur’s strength with the combined efforts of the power elements. And I’m not dead!… err… again.” The three mares exchanged worried glances.

It took us twenty minutes to set up the canon and position it northwest. The zebra that were hurrying about had stopped to observe us curiously. Starlight twisted a bolt a few times before stepping back and wiping her brow. We admired the canon. Trixie sighed.

“At least the disassembling is pretty easy.” She said tiredly.

“Are you sure about this, Fie?” Starlight asked. I nodded as I brushed the base of the canon. The fuse would give me five seconds to brace myself.

“It’s perfect. I get to be shot out of a magician's canon. That’s pretty exciting, right?” I winked at Trixie. Trixie nervously rubbed her foreleg but smiled softly. I then hopped onto the canon and was about to walk up it before being stopped by Dandelion.

“Champion. Before you go. We have something for you.” She said, cantering over to me. She held up a parcel. I took it in my magic, surprised by the weight of it. “It’s a fashioned chainmail out of the Stratadon scales. May not be harder than a dragon’s scale, but it will protect you from harm enough. We had planned to give it to that scholar, but he denied it.” I smirked.

“He carries rocks around in his pouch. I’m certain the extra weight would just slow him down.” I said. I unwrapped the parcel and unfolded the mail. The chains glistened in the sun. The scales of the Stratadon forming a breastplate, light pauldrons and hoof sleeves with cuffs if I decided to wear vambraces of any kind. I untied my hoodie cloak and put on the mail, feeling it hug my body comfortably with a bit of weight to it that I’m certain wouldn’t hinder me at all. Tossing my hoodie cloak back on and fastening it, I nodded to Dandelion. “Thank you.”

Trixie cleared her throat.

“A-are you ready for this?” She asked. “Because I’m not going to lie. This hasn’t been in the best kept condition…” She said. I waved a hoof at her.

“I’ll be fine. Remember, I’m durable.” I said. This didn’t reassure everypony. I crawled up the canon and slid inside of the opening. It smelt strange and I was suddenly burning up. My hindhooves felt the bottom and I readied myself.

“Lightning the fuse!” Starlight called out. Din hummed.

I truly hope I don’t get an imprinting of enjoyment being blown out of canons or being an arrow to head into a tornado. She said. I chuckled.

‘It’s fun, isn’t it?’ I smirked. Din rose a brow.

Self harm is not something I would call ‘fun’. She replied.

‘And that’s why I have you to keep me in check from going overboard.’ I replied. Din sighed.

You’ve been hit in the head way too many times… She groaned. The moment she finished her sentence was when I felt something push me upwards and the loud sound of compressed air hissed. Din was quick to react, boosting me out of the canon and I managed to break the sound barrier when I reached just above the jungle head.

‘You know, it really isn’t so bad being launched around like this. I feel a bit more in control of it.’ I commented as I sailed above the clouds and over the Savanna.

I’m tempted to drop you before we even reach the fortress for all of this. Din grumbled. We remained quiet for a time as we soared across the sky. I’m pretty certain we had scared more than the wildlife. I was surprised that it only took thirty minutes to see what appeared to be a modernized city in Zebrica. It was smaller than Vanhoover, however. The only things sticking out were the three skyscrapers and office buildings. I hummed in thought.

‘Now where would they be…?’ I asked myself, using Din’s eyes to scan the area. Aside from some of the citizens noticing me, I couldn’t find any sign of my friends. That was until I fixed my gaze on the black smoke poking out of the top of the clouds. Din dipped me downward and my eyes widened. This must be the fortress mentioned by Dandelion. Yet the fire told me that a certain pony had been letting loose a little too much. I braced myself for when I would confront Thi about all this.

Pay attention! Din spoke suddenly. I realized a little too late. Where did the flagpole come from?! I collided with the flagpole, and it launched me into a tumble over it. I yelled in panic as I flailed my hooves, unable to get control. Din tried to for herself, but the whiplash sent me into a spiral and nearly crashing into the side of a tower. Din managed to regain height, only for me to nick the side of another tower, sending me into a tumble over the mountains and heading towards what looked to be a monument of some kind.

I braced myself as Din quickly flared our protection. I crashed headfirst into the monument and landed face first into the ground, feeling myself get buried within. I wiggled my hind legs to pull myself out. When I managed to pop myself out of the ground, I shook my daze away and rubbed my head.

‘Okay, good. Even more brain damaged than before.’ I commented.

“Fie…?” I heard a voice spoke. I blinked and looked over to see Thi Billet on her stomach, dumbfounded. I smiled and waved.

“I’m back.” I said.

“Wh-what is the meaning of this?!? This is pure star metal!! Impossible!! How?!?” A voice echoed around me. I faced the monument, narrowing my eyes before looking down to see a bulky cockpit. It crackled and sparked at the base, a static image of a rather grotesque face of a Triad general staring back at me. I rubbed my head, already feeling the effects of my landing.

“Fie… Is that… really you…?” Thi began. I smiled and nodded to her. I then felt myself being scooped up into an embrace by two pegasi sisters.

“We knew you’d be back!” Flitter said happily. “Cloudchaser wouldn’t stop worrying!”

“H-hey!” Cloudchaser flushed. I giggled and nuzzled both of their cheeks with mine.

“I missed you too.” I replied.

“W-who are you?!? How are you able to penetrate star metal?!?” The general echoed angrily. I blinked as Cloudchaser and Flitter let me down on the ground.

“Star metal? Never heard of it.” I replied. I then noticed Thi walking past me. I narrowed my look once more as she proceeded to beat away at the cockpit with a hoof.

“It’s over for you! Tell us where the heir is!!” Thi barked angrily. I met Scribbles look as he trotted over to us. Cloudchaser and Flitter made the same look as Thi managed to open the cockpit. We saw a helmeted pony wearing a pink skintight body suite. Thi locked her hoof under the cuff of the suite and began to punch the helmet. “I’m running out of patience! The heir has a responsibility to her kin! She needs to realize that! Not follow the damned words of a cultic asshat!!” The helmet fell off and my eyes widened.

The zebra mare yelped as she was still being punched over and over in the muzzle by Thi. I grit my teeth in anger and bolted up the cockpit. When Thi raised her hoof back, I wrapped my own around her’s and with a quick flick of her foreleg, she let go of the zebra mare and turned to face me. A look of shock on her face for a brief moment before I shoved her away down the mound. She rolled down it and landed hard on her back. I quickly faced the zebra mare and saw her unconscious.

“Flitter, Scribble. Help me with her.” I said quickly. Flitter flew up towards me and we carried the zebra mare downward where Scribble proceeded to tend to the mare. I looked over to Thi, who had caught her second wind and pushed herself off. “I leave for a week and I come back to see a total mess.” I said suddenly towards Thi.

Thi nodded and rubbed the back of her head with a small wince.

“Y-yeah. I… guess I got carried away.” She replied. This only made my anger increase. I walked over to her as she gave me a relieved smile. “Well, you’re back now. And we are close to finding the heir. That general will tell us for sure.” She pointed past me. I rose an unamused brow and frowned.

“What general?” I asked coldly before stepping aside. Thi looked confused and looked towards the zebra mare. The realization dawned on her.

“Oh… shit.” She winced. I glared.

“Oh shit? Is that all you can say about this? ‘Oh shit’? Oh shit indeed, Thi Billet!” I snapped. Thi faced me, her look narrowing.

“Listen, Fie-“ She began but I shook my head.

“Don’t ‘listen Fie’ me! How about you listen!” I retorted. “Do you have any means of self-control?! Or are you too busy trying to keep that ‘badass’ persona you brag about?!” I rubbed my muzzle in frustration. “I spent a week trying to get home, only to find that the Triad had begun their invasion early and hearing that my best friend has been going on a blood rage against Triad! All for what!? To find the heir?! Don’t tell me that was all your excuse to commit mass murder!!” Thi glared at me offended.

“Excuse me?? Mass murder?? Helloooo, the Triad are the ones who have been killing any creature and dooming the sake of our kind to hardships!! They are a threat to Equestria and everycreature in it than you are! You’ve seen it first hoof!! The attempt on the princesses’s lives! The kidnapping of creatures!! Smuggling resources and invading our home!! Isn’t that more reason to kick them in the flank while we search for the heir?!” Thi scoffed. “That’s not even the tip of the iceberg of an excuse to not hold back against them!”

“Killing isn’t the question, answer or solution to this!! Yeah, the Triad might be too strong headed to listen to their enemies, but they are ponies like us!! We shouldn’t be giving them more reason to wage war on us!!” I put a hoof to my chest. “We need to de-escalate the situation!! That’s the whole point of Princess Twilight sending us out this far!!” Thi growled.

“How dumb can you be, Fie?! I spent nearly my whole life up to this point fighting the Triad!! I know what they can do and the lines they’ve crossed!! I thought we were past all this!!” She snapped back. I clashed my horn with her’s and we began to push.

“Yeah, I am dumb!! Dumb enough to get myself killed to save another realm!! Dumb enough to rocket myself from a country over to get back to my friends!! Dumb enough to call you out on your actions!!” I shouted. Thi pushed back.

“My actions?! My actions have been nothing but saving your ungrateful hide from being killed!! To save our home!! Or have you’ve completely damaged your brain in that landing?!” She shouted back.

“And what about everypony else’s actions?! What about the citizens you have so carelessly doomed to the Triad’s ire?! Or did six hundred thousand lives mean nothing to you?!” I snarled. Thi must have had a burst of strength from that, but I stood my ground unmoving.

“Shut up!! You don’t know anything about that!!” She retorted.

“Yes I do, Thi!! Or does Hoofington not matter to you as well?!?” I shot back. “You and I are both to blame for those mishaps!! Lo Mien had every right to confront you about it!!” I exclaimed.

“You’re siding with a Triad hired assassin!?” Thi growled.

“Yeah, I am!! Because she seems to have more of an understanding than you do about the current situation!!” I then shifted my weight, causing Thi to lose her balance and I swished my head, sending her onto her side. “I’ve had just about enough of this, Thi!!” I began, my vision beginning to blur a bit. “Six years!! Six years of nothing from you!! Then you show up out of the blue, not to apologize for ditching me for your call to adventure, but to protect me?! I don’t need protection, Thi!! I needed my best friend!!” I huffed, catching my breath. I then clutched the front of my hoodie cloak, feeling the tears begin to fall. “My best friend wouldn’t make herself out to be a monster when the true monster is far bigger than you or I!! The Thi Billet I knew back in CSGU never considered killing as her first option!! She always went out of her way to resolve the situation before resorting to violence!! You picked me, out of everypony in the school, to be your friend!! Do you regret any of that, Thi?? Is that another reason you left me alone to face my life with nothing to show for it?!” I began to sob. “I missed you!!”

I sniffled and wiped my eyes and muzzle, but the tears wouldn’t stop. “When I was away in the other realm, I met someone who reminded me of how much I truly missed you!! She may have been involved with a bad crowd, but she didn’t want to have things end in blood shed!! She is not aware of how much she made me realize things about you!! How much of a pony you could be if you weren’t alone in the world!!” I fell back onto my haunches, lowering my head. “Is there anyway I can make you see that I matter to you more than this damned vendetta against a nation?? Or am I… we… are nothing more than just ‘working buddies’ to you?? Is there any regret from you picking me as your best friend??”

Everything was quiet, save for mother nature and my sobbing. Through my blurry vision, I noticed Thi rising to her hooves, hunched over a bit.

“Fie… I’m not… no… that’s not what I…” Thi began but faltered. When she couldn’t respond to me, I sniffled and wiped my eyes before standing up and turning around.

“I believe we need to rethink this friendship… I still have to head to Pony Land…” I began to walk towards my friends. “You can come if you want. I’m not heartless enough to leave you stranded. But when we get to the mainland, this is goodbye…” I didn’t look back. What point was there to do so? It broke my heart so much to do this. But it needs to happen. I’m just hoping that maybe… just maybe… there is the pony I remember long ago waiting for me as well. We proceeded back towards the facility, being quiet as we did. Scribble had the unconscious zebra mare on his back as we traversed the destruction Thi had created. It made me sick to my stomach. When we reached a courtyard, Flitter was the one to break the silence.

“Uhh… guys?” She began. We looked and saw she was facing a pile of weaponry, crates and supplies. What was even stranger, a pink building was smack dab off the side of the courtyard. Scribble blinked.

“That wasn’t there before.” He said. I approached the iron gate before flicking my ears at the sound of something, or somecreature, shifting through the supplies. Cloudchaser furrowed her look.

“Whose there?” She called out.

“Yipes!!” A voice cried out. We watched as the supply crates toppled and a strange looking creature tumbled and bowling balled down the pile of supplies. The creature came to a stop upon crashing into another pile of supplies. We exchanged glances before I walked over to the creature. It shifted around inside a red cap, struggling to remove it. I reached with my magic and removed the cap aside and a singular brow rose in curiosity.

The creature was very short and stout. A bush of white seemed to cover its’ face and from the looks of it, pointy ears as well. That wasn’t the only thing. If I hadn’t known the other realm existed, I wasn’t sure I would be able to recognize the limbs this creature had were hands of a human, but wrinkly and dirtied. It wore a green tunic around its’ round body and brown tights that made his socks poke out in stubs at the tip.

“Oi! Ye’ shouldn’ startle me heart loik that!! Don’t ye’ know it’s rude to scare someone?” The creature spoke in a strange gruff accent, struggling to righten itself up. I wasn’t sure how to respond. The only thing I could utter was:

“What are you?” The creature scoffed and rightened himself before yanking his cap from my magic and stuffed it on his head.

“Ponies these days, I swear. Ya’ give ‘em an inch an’ they take a mile! Why, iffin’ I wasn’ so busy, I’d give ‘em a what for! Huh? Ye’ wanna’ go, missy?? C’mon! ‘Ahm aching fer a foight!” The creature put up his fists and began to dance around, jabbing towards me. He suddenly slouched and put a hand on his back. “Ack… oof… Darned ol’ bones gettin’ too rattled!” He sighed. I tilted my head in confusion before I used my magic to levitate a small enough box for him to sit on. He dug out a cloth from his cap and dabbed his wrinkly forehead before stuffing it back in and sitting down. “‘Ah… thank ye’, missy. Haaa, I swears it on me potluck I’d be fixin’ to jus’ visit the breezies an’ never leave!”

“Breezies? You know the Breezies?” Flitter asked. The creature nodded.

“Yessum! They trade every now an’ then. Funny lil’ critters. But enjoyable company.” He snickered. Scribble hummed and rubbed his chin as he walked around the creature curiously.

“Strange… I’ve never seen a creature like you before.” He began.

“Hah! ‘Ah’ve seen plenty o’ yer kind to this day! But humans? Never seen o’ lick o’ ‘em fer centuries.” He replied.

“You know about the human world?” I asked, surprised by this mention. The creature scratched his head.

“Err… ‘ah cannae remember fer the loif o’ me. Jus’ this strange name every now an’ then. A- err… Mee-gan? Mooglin? Ah confound it, what was tha’ lass’s name again?” The creature stuffed his arms in his beard, grumbling to himself.

“Err… may we ask your name?” Cloudchaser asked as she floated over with Flitter towards us. Thi hung back a little.

“‘Ah, some manners on this one! Why, moi name be hard fer ye’ ponies ta’ pronounce. But ye’ can call me Moochik.” He smiled, sticking his hand out. A strange name indeed, but I held out my hoof and he shook it.

“Err… interesting name. My name’s Quiet Fire.” I motioned to my friends. “That’s Silver Scribble. Cloudchaser and Flitter Glider. And that is Thi Billet.” I introduced. Moochik studied us before he guffawed.

“Bwahaha! ‘An oi’m tha’ one with a strange name! Ah’d figure you be Hot Streak, Stormwalker, Misty Breeze, Bookworm an’ ehh…” He looked to Thi and scratched his head. “Oi… what is a Thi Billet?” He asked.

“It’s a spice from where I come from.” Thi replied, her tone sounding uninterested. I remained stoically curious as Moochik clapped his hands and rubbed them together.

“Spice! Then how about… Fillet? I could go fer a snack.” He then reached into his beard and pulled out what looked to be a stale cracker stick, taking a bite out of it. He then held it to me. “‘Ungry?” He asked me. I scrunched my muzzle and shook my head.

“I uhh… had punch and cupcakes earlier…” I replied. Moochik shrugged.

“More fer me!” He then tossed the cracker up and caught it in his mouth, wiping his hand on his beard. He then hopped off the box and waddled over to a fallen Triad. He began to sift through the pockets. “Hehe. These ponies be packin’ hard ta’ find materials! Glad ‘oim gettin’ paid fer it.” He stated as he plucked an emblem and ribbons from the suite. I furrowed my look worriedly.

“Paid? Did… the Triad hire you to recover stuff for them?” I asked. I noticed Thi’s eyes widen in realization. Moochik, however, shut it down.

“Oh, nae! Not tha’ Triad! My client is quite tha’ big shot in all of Flutter Valley! Iffin’ it tweren’t fer her, ‘ah wouldn’ ‘ave me pride an’ joy with me!” He chuckled and pointed at the pink building. “Me ‘an tha’ Paradise Estate been through thick an’ thin! Is loik never leavin’ ‘ome without ‘ome, oi say.” Thi blinked and looked to the building.

“Paradise Estate? Why does that sound familiar?” She hummed to herself. Scribble opened his journal and began to flip through his pages. He then stopped and skimmed it before speaking.

“Moochik… I’ve heard that name before… Did you know a pony by the name of Morning Dew?” He asked. Moochik scratched his head in thought. He then beamed.

“Ahhh, dearest Morning Dew! Nice one that one is, aye! Ye’ know ‘er too?” He asked with a chuckle.

“My great grandmother. She always told me stories about a creature named Moochik. She swears up and down she met him in real life. But I always assumed it was something else. Not a… what are you?” Scribble replied.

“Not yer’ concern, me boi! But ehh… yer Mornin’ Dew’s great grandson? Let me take a closer look at ye.” He said, gesturing for him to lean in. Scribble did so and Moochik squashed his cheeks, turning his head side to side. Moochik beamed as he let go of the stallion (Scribble rubbing his cheeks with an annoyed frown) and chuckled. “Aye, lad. Ye’ certainly have ‘er looks. Though she was a might peppy in yer’ case.” Scribble narrowed his eyes at him.

“I see.” He simply replied. Moochik then looked over Scribble's shoulder.

"Oi. What ye' got there?" He asked curiously. Scribble turned his body a little for Moochik to see.

"The current heir to Roam." He stated. Moochik winced.

"She don' look too good." He commented. We side-eyed Thi and Thi shrunk a little. Moochik looked between us before he sighed. "Wishin' oi' can help, but oi' cannae. Matters ta' attend ta' an' such." He chuckled nervously before clearing his throat. "Err... carry on with ye'." Cloudchaser blinked.

"Why? Do you have something that could help her?" She asked. "Because I think it'll be a bit hard to find some of grandma's secret recipe around here." Moochik looked at her quizzically.

"Granma's secret reci-... oh! Ye mean Honey Drop's Brew? Why, oi' foun' plenty." He said with a grin. We were a bit stunned by this as he then waddled around and dug through the crates. He then pulled out a small crate lined with grandma's secret recipe.

"Honey Drop?" Flitter asked as she tapped the glass. Moochik nodded with a proud smile.

"Aye. Sweet gal. Oi' miss 'er dearly. She used to treat me wounds when oi uhh... took several tumbles into a ditch. Twas a long time o'go." He replied, looking a bit misty eyed. I couldn't help but smile a little. This day was getting a little more interesting. A good break from the drama we had earlier. Yet, my ears flicked and I heard the sounds of hoofsteps. My expression turned serious as I looked over my shoulder. Sure enough, we were surrounded by Triad that were galloping out of the woodworks. They aimed their arc rifles at us as we gathered together and faced them. "Oi! What gives!?" Moochik protested. We saw some of the Triad make way and the very same general I saw on the screen of the cockpit step forward, brushing his slicked back raven mane before putting his cap on. His scarred, grotesque face glared at us.

"Should have packed up and left rather than looking for spoils of war, Billet and co." He snarled. Thi growled and levitated over a fallen Triad's pistol and aimed it at him. Several hundred arc rifles racked to life. The general chuckled menacingly. "I doubt you'd get a second chance this time, even with your dear friends. Now then... give us back our pet." He said, pointing at Scribble. Scribbled shifted to keep the heir out of sight of any trained on her. Thi shook her head.

"Tough break, ugly. Roam needs a ruler and your hold on their kin is no more." Thi retorted. The general chuckled.

"We never had a hold on Roam to begin with. We merely gave the citizens an excuse to... change their outlooks." The general spoke. I narrowed my eyes.

"Didn't she join the Triad on her own free will? So, everything about opening up to new outlooks was a lie then?" I chimed in. I figured this much. But I was curious what caused them to do so. The general looked disgusted.

"As if we'd let an unguided into our ranks. Despite her intelligence and combat efficiency, she made quite the valuable test subject." He then grinned. "Hail to your king." Our eyes widened in shock and we quickly turned to Flitter as she screamed, clutching her head and falling onto the ground.

"Flitter!" Cloudchaser called out. Scribble was about to move over when the heir sprang to life and immediately brought Scribble down and began to strangle. Scribble gasped for breath as the black veins began to snake throughout the mares. Thi quickly rushed over and bucked towards the heir. Yet the zebra mare was quick. She shifted herself up and rolled Scribble over to take the hit instead. Thi's eyes widened as the zebra mare tossed him aside and zipped around Thi, striking her quickly in a familiar manner of my own style. I was about to rush over to help when something exploded at my hooves and I went and crashed into Cloudchaser. Flitter knocked an arrow and aimed it at us, grinning with tears streaming down her cheeks. The general waved a hoof with a smirk as the heir and Flitter withdrew, the heir giving Thi a good buck into the side and having her crumple to the ground, clutching her side. They stood at the general's side, facing us.

"Well, well. You should know better than to have a stray pet that doesn't belong to you. What luck." He grinned, brushing a hoof tenderly under Flitter's chin. Cloudchaser stood up angrily and rushed him.

"Get your hoof off my sister!!" She roared. But the zebra heir quickly zipped in front of the stallion, ducked and spun around to deliver a heavy buck into Cloudchaser's stomach, sending her tumbling away from them and crashing into a stack of supply crates. The zebra mare swayed as she stood, getting into her stance. The general clicked his tongue and the zebra mare stood down, stepping back to his side. I stood up and growled.

"How many times must you throw yourselves away like this...!?" I began. "Why do you refuse to see that all of this isn't the answer to what goal your Triad strives for?" The general snorted.

"An Equestrian like you isn't worthy of understanding the brilliance of our divine Euclidian Queen Moonlight Sonata. All is as predicted and planned. We just need to ensure loose ends are tied up." He narrowed his eyes at Thi Billet. Thi coughed and stood up.

"Bastard..." She rasped. The general clapped his hooves together.

"I must say. That was quite the heartfelt speech there between you two. It warmed this cold heart to see such friends getting along swimmingly." He said non-chalantly. "Though honestly, I cannot tell who is in the right and wrong of this. What should matter is what outcome it would lead to. Champion of Equestria, why not join Queen Moonlight Sonata? You both hold primal stars within you. We should be working together to make this world a better place. Stop fighting a pointless battle and lend your aid with the other primal stars to prevent a fate where no creature will have salvation." He said. I sighed.

"How cliche. I'm also curious as to what would happen if I did. But you and I both know that the outcome is always going to be the same answer. What you should concern yourself with is the entirety of the world at stake. Do what you preach, general. Equestria was never a threat. But since every Triad won't tell me why and how we can resolve it, you're just making Thi's point insanely frustrating." I snorted. "And I am so damn tired of having to hurt other ponies. Where is Queen Moonlight Sonata?" I rose a brow challengingly. "We keep hearing 'the Queen's will' this and 'the Queen is glorious' that. What I don't get is the sudden change of tactics and the sudden appearance of your group. Didn't the Triad have a beneficial understanding of trade with Equestria and Pony Land? Didn't Pony Land prosper with our economies working together? The abundance of resources have to had come from somewhere and it sure as hell feels like you are bleeding your land dry. Is that why Queen Sonata is invading? For more resources? Even though we for certain had a trade agreement between our nations?" I sat on my haunches and crossed my forelegs. "Even you have to admit that these tactics are starting to be questionable. Don't tell me it's all because the queen deems it by the creed. Is it because Queen Sonata has certain spite against the sisters? Isn't Sonata an alicorn? The same as our royal sisters? Is it an ancient feud of alicorn tribes still going on? Or is it jealousy of some kind?" I stared coldly at the general, his gaze remaining stoic as he listened.

"Whatever the case is, something is wrong about all of this. This bloodshed and talk of war. What does Sonata need with kidnapped creatures? Why experiment on innocent creatures? Distribute them under a different name? If she is powerful as you all claim her to be, she wouldn't do any of the things the Triad does for the sake of war or a feud." I then furrowed my look to concern. "Why don't you explain to us why things are happening rather than making up convenient excuses and blindly following the direct orders of a higher power? Please, general. If your nation needs help on something, all Sonata had to do was ask. So many talented lives wasted over... something you cannot properly explain." I stood up and put a hoof to my chest. "What is currently at stake is far greater than this war. You say Sonata has a primal star inside of her. You know what's funny, she hasn't been showing up to any of the out of body meetings. We were told she didn't care for such a thing and it was a waste of time. I agree, but it did make me start questioning somethings in the back of my mind." I sighed. "Even if you still want to believe your queen's way is the right way, then fine. But you do know what happens after. It doesn't need to happen. Let my friend and the heir go. And we can avoid all of the pain and heartache." I kept my determined gaze on the general. He studied me before glancing at the two mares at his side.

"How odd..." He muttered to himself. "Even if the truth is spoken, I cannot disobey the queen's creed. I am afraid I cannot comply with that demand. You are to be arrested and charged for your acts against our nation and the unlawful procurement of Triad property. The charges are most certainly execution." I side-eyed Thi cautiously. She only bowed her head, seemingly in conflict with herself. What happened next was a shock in itself. Moochik bowled past me and sprang up in front of the general.

"Pocket sand!!" He shouted, tossing out a glittering powder that quickly engulfed the Triad ponies. He landed on his feet and began to cartoonishly rush back to us. "Quickly! Into the Estate!" He stated.

"But Flitter-." Cloudchaser began but I quickly pulled her along as Scribble and Thi rushed behind us. Moochik waved his arm and the iron gates opened, letting us in. The gate closed behind us just as the dust was settling. The general shouted:

“Open fire!!” A drone of arc fire began to hit the Estate. We quickly took cover behind garden decor as Moochik began to rummage through his hat. Cloudchaser looked hesitant as she for sure was trying to find a way to get Flitter back. Moochik smiled and pulled out a skeleton key. He stuck it in the lock of the Estate and twisted it.

“Hang onto yer horses!!” He called out. As soon as he said that, we felt ourselves being jerked sharply and held onto the decor. The world spiraled around us, the colors blending into incomprehensible mixtures. As quickly as it happened, the world stopped spinning and we landed hard on the ground, nearly knocking the wind out of us. We slowly pushed ourselves off the ground and shaking our daze away. I looked around, taking a bit to realize we were somewhere in an open field.

Cloudchaser flew past me and rose into the sky, scanning the area. The look of desperation on her face. Scribble dusted his coat off and looked around.

“What… happened?” He asked. Moochik let out a sigh of relief, stuffing the skeleton key back into his cap.

“Why, oi saved yer loives s’ what oi did.” He replied as he examined the fountain. He sighed as he tapped the bullet holes in the design. “Though Concierge s’not goin’ ta’ be happy about this.” The door to the Estate opened and we looked to see a pegasus mare poked her head out. Caramel coat with a chestnut mane tied into a bun and half-moon spectacles hung loosely on her muzzle over tired brown eyes.

“Moochik? What’s all the commotion?” The mare asked. She opened the door more and two more ponies stepped out with her, looking around. A lemon coated earth pony mare with a red curly mane and blue eyes gasped in horror and galloped towards a pair of flower beds. Her eyes began to well up and she sniffled.

“M-my flowers! Wh-what cruel fate hath befallen you?” She sobbed. The other earth pony mare with a punkish pink mane and charcoal coat and violet eyes rose a suspicious brow at us.

“I can think of a few things.” She frowned with a scratchy voice. The pegasus mare glowered at Moochik.

“Moochik?” She began sternly. Moochik removed his cap and wringed it nervously.

“E-ehehe… S-sorry fer tha’ ruckus. Had a bit o’ a tizzy with tha’ erm… locals.” Moochik grinned as best he could under his bushy beard. The mare did not look pleased at all, making Moochik duck behind me. Her eyes then met mine, looking me up and down.

“Seems you’ve invited the locals as well.” She said in annoyance. “This is not a haven for stray ponies anymore. You need to stop being so insensitive to the residents here.” She then floated off the ground with her wings and reached for a broom, tossing it down at Moochik’s side. “You made the mess. So, start cleaning. And make sure you replant all of Posey’s flowers.” Moochik quickly reached for the broom and saluted.

“Yessum, missus! O-oi’ll do me best!” He chuckled nervously as he began to sweep. The sniffling mare, Posey, walked back towards the porch before all three looked at us.

“Who might you be?” The pegasus asked.

Chapter 38: Flutter Wonder

As if things couldn’t get any more stressful. Cloudchaser was pacing just above the ground back and forth in the lobby of Paradise Estate. The clean, wooden floors shined as if they had recently been waxed. Lounge chairs lined the sides of the walls by the front door. A couple of hanging plants with blossoming buds hung neatly to give the lobby a homey touch. One wall had several portraits lined with strange looking ponies.

Posey sulked behind the clerk desk, while the punkish mare, who went by Lack-a-daisy, dusted the portraits stoically uninterested. The pegasus had just finished pouring tea for us and began to pass it to us. When she offered Cloudchaser, the mare sighed and sadly took a sip out of the brew before setting it aside on a small table with a flower designed lamp. The pegasus with the glasses went by the name Concierge. She cleared her throat as she then went behind the counter. Posey kept her head bowed as she strangely and perfectly shifted a binder and several papers around before passing what appeared to be a ledger to Concierge before going back to shifting through files and paperwork.

Concierge opened the ledger and looked at each of us.

“Well then, since Moochik had gone against the rules… again… there are somethings you need to know about this place. One such thing is, and this is the very important golden rule, never speak or mention of the Paradise Estate to anycreature, relative or not affiliated. Doing so is an act of aggression and endangerment to current occupants of the Estate. Do I make myself clear?” We only nodded our heads in response. “Good. Now with that out of the way, let us start with your name and reason for visitation.” Her stern eyes met me.

I blinked and rubbed the back of my head.

“Err… My name is Quiet Fire. And as for reason… to live another day?” I replied, hoping that was good enough. Concierge shifted an unamused frown and took a quill, dabbing it in an ink pot and scribbling something on the ledger. I noticed her hoof writing wasn’t chicken scratch. It was a perfect stroke of calligraphy of old pone-ish. I narrowed my eyes slightly at this as she moved onto Thi.

“What about you?” She asked. Thi seemed a bit distracted. Concierge cleared her throat and rose an unamused brow as Thi blinked back to reality and looked at her. “Name and reason for visitation?” Thi rubbed the back of her neck slowly.

“Thi Billet. Avoiding the Triad.” She said simply. Concierge scoffed a bit and scribbled into the ledger. She then met Scribble’s look.

“Silver Scribble. Avoiding the Triad and live to fight another day.” He said. Concierge scribbled this down on the ledger. She then cleared her throat, trying to get Cloudchaser’s attention. I gave a worried look to the pretty mare as she looked out the window. Concierge groaned.

“You, pegasus. Your name and reason for visitation?” Concierge rose her voice. Cloudchaser looked over, as if having been snapped out of her stupor.

“Wha?” She asked. Concierge tapped the quill impatiently. She met my apologetic look before sighing.

“Cloudchaser and I don’t know. But I need to get back out there! Flitter is in danger!” She said worriedly. I got up and trotted over to her, taking a hold of her hoof with mine and squeezing it reassuringly.

“We will, Cloudchaser. We always do. We just need a better plan of action right now. Please, don’t tire yourself out from pacing. Save your energy.” I said softly. Cloudchaser hesitated before she touched the ground and sighed. Concierge grumbled. Thi arched a brow.

“So… what exactly is this place?” She asked.

“Paradise Estate is home to those that wish it to be a place to laugh, cheer, make memories and forever record them in the archives. Your stay is as long as you live as long as you follow the golden rule and mind the other occupants.” Posey spoke, her voice shaky and clearly distraught. Thi winced.

“Err… sorry?” She replied in uncertainty. Posey looked up from under her bangs.

“Sorry won’t bring back years of love and care.” She replied monotonously before letting her face plant into the counter. Lack-a-daisy groaned.

“Ugh, get over it, Posey. It doesn’t take that long to plant flowers. Why don’t you just go frolicking in the field like you always do?” She said in annoyance. Posey boredly looked up from her gloom before suddenly perking up, a strange sparkle shimmering around her as she did.

“Good idea!” Posey beamed before bounding happily out from behind the counter and out the door while singing a tune. I blinked in confusion before eyeing Lack-a-daisy. The punkish mare shrugged.

“She got the flowers from the field itself. Posey exaggerates her emotions too much.” Lack-a-daisy replied boredly.

“She’s supposed to be checking on the other occupants.” Concierge spoke. Lack-a-daisy shifted her bored expression.

“The occupants aren’t going anywhere. Speaking of. I need to prepare lunch.” Lack-a-daisy replied, putting down the duster and walking down a hall. Concierge proceeded to work on the papers in front of her. The room went quiet. We exchanged glances before I managed to clear my throat.

“Err… so… are we going to be shown our rooms?” I asked. Concierge looked up from her work.

“Pick any room you like. Just don’t disturb the other occupants.” She replied before burying her face into a binder. I looked to Cloudchaser and shrugged. We then proceeded to explore the estate. It was surprisingly smaller than I had thought. Only two wings with seven rooms each. Scribble and I looked up at a door. The plaque reading “04” engraved into it. I was about to reach for the handle when I noticed a pamphlet on the handle. “Do not disturb.”

Remembering what Concierge told us, we proceeded to look for rooms without the tag on it. Only three rooms were available. Two on the east wing and one in the west wing. Cloudchaser and I opened the door in the west wing. A singular bed, side table, a big window looking out to what appeared a separate building with a pool behind an iron gate. Cloudchaser opened a wardrobe, finding it filled with coats and other belongings as if somepony was already packed to live here.

“Huh.” Cloudchaser commented as she dug through the clutter as I opened the bed side desk. I was surprised with the amount of papers and clutter inside of it. The estate looked very clean inside and out, but I guess with only three mares working, they might not have had time to go through everything. This popped up several questions.

“Just what is this place? Is this why they don’t like random ponies dropping in out of nowhere?” I asked more to myself.

“Ohhohoh! Not quite, missy.” The voice of Moochik spoke. We looked to see him sweeping the hall outside our bedroom. Cloudchaser rubbed the back of her head.

“I don’t understand. Aren’t hotels supposed to clean up after occupants?” She asked. Moochik entered the room and closed the door as he proceeded to then sweep the floor.

“Aye, but this taint no ordinary hotel. Twas the haven o’ the heroes o’ Flutter Valley. Oi would git into tha’ story, but eh… Oi’m pressed fer time right now.” He chuckled. I narrowed my eyes suspiciously.

“Then what’s going on with the other occupants?” I asked curiously. Moochik chuckled.

“Nothin’ ta’ worry about! Best ye’ focus on gettin’ yer’ friend back, aye?” He replied. I frowned. I don’t like the dodginess of this all. But I can’t really complain. Rather a shady estate than a firing squad of Triad. Cloudchaser lowered her head in thought.

“So… where exactly are we?” She asked.

“Why, Flutter Valley o’ course! Best spot in all o’ Pony Land. Secluded, open an’ serene!” He beamed. Our eyes widened.

“Hold on… Pony Land? We’re actually in Pony Land?” Cloudchaser asked. Moochik nodded.

“Aye. Tis ‘ome o’ tha’ estate! Wouldn’ ‘ave it any other way!” He grinned. Cloudchaser and I exchanged glances. I then reached with my magic and locked the door. I then loomed over Moochik, who seemed a bit confused at this.

“I’m certain you have time to answer a few questions.” I said. Moochik began to sweat a bit and held the broom close to him.

“Ahaha… ehhh… dunnae’ what ye’ mean.” He said nervously. Cloudchaser floated past him and blocked the door while I positioned myself to ensure that he could only retreat to the sides. Moochik fell onto his rump and shivered in terror. I furrowed my look to concern before sighing.

“We aren’t going to hurt you. We really need to know what’s going on here. What were you doing rummaging through Triad stuff? You seemed to not be upset even looting off a dead pony. You were paid to do that? By who? And for what? And then, of course.” I motioned around the estate. “You’re able to transport from place to place with this whole estate. Who are those three ponies? Who are you, Moochik?” I began. Moochik nervously removed his cap and wringed it again.

“Err… Oi… Oi…” He sighed before fluffing out his cap and putting it back on.

“‘Oi wish oi can say. But I cannae. Not just fer the estate’s sake. But fer yer’s.” He replied. Cloudchaser and I exchanged defeated looks. He then held up a wrinkly finger. “B-but… err… ‘ah fudge puddin’… Oi guess oi can tell ye’ one thing. But tis up ta’ ye’ ta’ figure it out on yer’ own.” He then looked around the room, as if someone was listening in. He then motioned for us to come closer and we did. He then cupped his mouth and whispered. “‘Ah’m a Fae. Jus’ loik those three out there.” He then winced and quickly looked over his shoulder, as if he heard something approaching. When nothing did, he let out a sigh of relief before quickly clamping our muzzles. “Ye’ bes’ not speak o’ word out o’ this in tha’ estate. So long as ye’ avoid talkin’ about this place, yer free to speak openly off tha’ premises.”

He then carefully removed his hands from our muzzles and made a shushing motion, reaching down towards the broom and beginning to sweep. “Now ‘en. Oi bes’ get back to it. Lasses.” He bowed before unlocking and opening the door, leaving Cloudchaser and I to ponder what he said. I then shifted my frown, giving her a knowing look.

“Let’s get the others and see what we can find out in Pony Land.” I said. Cloudchaser nodded, seemingly confused but trusting in me. We trotted out of the room and I saw Scribble looking through his journal. He was about to pull out his quill and jot down something when I quickly yanked it out of his hoof with my magic and closed the journal. He seemed irritated but when he saw my serious look and subtle shake of my head, he eased a bit.

“Where’s Thi?” I asked. Scribble pointed at the door.

“Said she needed some fresh air.” He replied. I sighed.

“We need to get her as well. It’s important on what we should do from here on.” I said. Scribble nodded in understanding. I looked over my shoulder to Concierge. “Err… are we allowed freely out and in of the estate now that we are… registered?” I asked, keeping myself calm at the discovery. Concierge sighed in annoyance.

“We’d rather you just never return. But I’m not holding my breath.” She replied. This was confusing but at the same time a relief. I opened the door with my magic and we stepped out. Beyond the iron gate entrance of Paradise Estate is a field of colorful flowers and tall grass that waved with the spring breeze. I looked around, hoping to find Thi. Cloudchaser floated upwards and scanned the area. She then pointed just over the estate wall.

“Thi is heading down to the river bank.” She said. I nodded and we proceeded to make our way, following a thin, dirt path. I never thought a place like this could exist. The Valley is dotted in trees. But this field made me feel… longing? It was a strange feeling. Almost peaceful and serene. Cloudchaser led the way and as we approached a hill top, we could see Thi sitting by her lonesome down by the river.

She stared into her reflection, her bangs covering her face. I quietly braced myself as we made our way down. When we approached her, she looked over her shoulder to me. Her expression told me she was silently bracing herself as well. I steeled myself as I was still sticking by what I said to her. But maybe… just maybe? No pony said anything. It wasn’t until I sighed and spoke that the silence was broken.

“There is something you need to know before we discuss other stuff.” I said, trying to keep a stoic expression. Thi didn’t respond. “Just learned something from Moochik. Though just to be sure we are entirely okay, let’s cross the river.” I said. Thi looked confused as did Cloudchaser. Scribble then reached into his pouch and dropped a rock, crushing it in his hoof and creating a root bridge over the water. We made our way over and I suddenly felt no longer serene or peaceful.

It was honestly jarring despite the scene has not changed. When we were a bit further down the field, I then turned and faced the distant Paradise Estate.

“So, we are screwed, long and short of it.” I said suddenly.

“Wha?” Cloudchaser asked. I turned to my friends.

“We gave our names away to fae folk.” I replied. Thi and Cloudchaser looked confused but Scribble’s dawning realization told me he knew. I nodded to him.

“I’m sorry… fae folk?” Thi asked.

“They are creatures said to be long forgotten to the world. But there has been reports over centuries of records believing that the fae are still around.” I said, remembering my time reading through the Crystal Prep library on cryptids. “Fae are notoriously mischievous to the point where if you are tricked by them, it could lead to a fate worse than death. The number one thing every record states that if you believe you are talking to a fae, you are not to give your name away. It allows them full power over you.” Din shifted in my head.

I’d like to see them try. She grinned eagerly. Cloudchaser tapped her chin.

“So… we unknowingly screwed ourselves greatly?” She asked. I sighed and nodded.

“Hopefully they realize that they are picking on a primal star. But there are several ground rules we need to establish. For one, Concierge is right. We are to follow the number one rule to a tee. Not even a wink of a mention.” I sat on my haunches. “As for the rest, we are to respect the fae. Do not go poking around the estate willy nilly. Do not, under any circumstance, let them make you believe something that sounds ridiculous. And most importantly, do not be lulled by anything they offer. I… don’t know what’ll happen if the fae end up messing with us.

“All I know is that we are now official residents to Paradise Estate.” Thi bowed her head.

“Damn… so that’s what they meant by other occupants.” She stated. I studied her sadly before readying my next words.

“Now with that out of the way, it seems we are free to go in and out of Paradise Estate. And I for one would like to see if I can find somewhere else to sleep. Thi.” I began. Thi winced. “You know Pony Land, don’t you? Would you be able to recognize anything from where we are?” Thi blinked a little before raising her head and looking around. After a bit, she shook her head.

“I honestly don’t know. There are a lot of fields in Pony Land that you’ll see going between villages and cities.” She said. Scribble hummed in thought.

“You know… I was expecting Pony Land to be a bit more… advanced.” He stated. Thi nodded.

“It is. Though with that being said, I can safely say we are far from any form of modern civilization.” She looked upwards to the sky and began to scan it. “Not even an airship in sight.” Scribble reached into his bag and withdrew his journal.

“Careful of what you mention.” I told him and he nodded in response.

“Right. So, based on that, I can assume that the fae have hidden themselves far enough from civilization. But that doesn’t mean they are entirely kept hidden. Which means we have to be close to something.” He said. I sighed in frustration.

“If only we had more to go off of. I want to ask Moochik more but I’m worried he might get punished for it.” I replied. Cloudchaser nodded.

“Even for being a fae himself, he is oddly terrified of the three ponies. If they even are ponies.” She said. Thi darted her eyes in thought.

“Then maybe we should pick our words carefully and ask them.” She suggested.

“Are we sure about that?” Cloudchaser asked. Thi nodded.

“If the fae are to be believed, then shouldn’t they have already tried to mess with us? I figured they’d be a bit more reluctant for us to head out of bounds of the estate. In fact, I think they don’t want us to come back.” She explained. I furrowed my look worriedly.

“I hope you’re right. Maybe that’s what they want us to believe.” I replied, looking over my shoulder to the estate. With the decision made, we began to make our track back to the estate. Crossing Scribble’s makeshift bridge, we felt the serene feeling return. As we made it halfway up the path, we stopped as we saw Poesy bounding playfully in the fields. She was pirouetting and twirling blissfully with what appeared to be a hat of flowers on her head. With the knowledge we had now, we became very cautious.

When she bounded closer, laughing to herself, that’s when I cleared my throat, catching the mare’s attention. She looked over confused before beaming and skipping in her trot over to us.

“Oh, hello! I thought you left already! Don’t you just love to dance among the flowers?” She asked eerily giddy. I gave her my best smile I could.

“U-uh huh. Err… we have a couple of questions.” I began. Posey gasped and covered her muzzle.

“Oh my. Was it about earlier?? I’m terribly sorry, I have the worst mood swings when I hear the screams of my little friends.” She said panicked. Thi was cautious with her words.

“Y-yes. Sorry about the uhh… mess, but the Triad do tend to not hold anything back. Ahh-.” She stopped herself and glanced at me before stepping back a little. I side-eyed her before looking back at the mare.

“We would like to ask if you know where the nearest village or city is.” I began. “I would also like to ask how long our stay at the hotel is.” Posey blinked and tilted her head.

“Why, that shouldn’t matter anymore. You're esteemed residents to Paradise Estate now. You’re free to come and go as you wish so long as you follow the rules.” She smiled. “As for your other question, we don’t get much visitors. And the ones we do get tend to be a bit rude and unkempt. But it’s okay. They eventually calm down when they learn more of our hospitality.” She giggled. That wasn’t my question. I was careful upon proceeding.

“Right. Well, I would still like to know if there is any village in particular you… visit?” I asked. Posey hummed as she thought.

“Well, Lack-a-daisy is the one that tends to get groceries. Perhaps ask her? I wish I could do more but I just love my little friends.” She said, looking a bit smitten as she brushed a flower tenderly. We began to back away slowly.

“R-right, thank you, Posey.” I said as I quickly made a slight motion with my head. We trotted hurriedly back to the estate, dreading our decision even more as we approached the iron gates. Lack-a-daisy was in the garden, snipping at what looked to be a heart shaped hedge bush before moving over to one that looked like a swan. As we approached her, she spoke.

“Not now, I’m busy.” She said suddenly. I was hesitant if I should press on. I braced myself.

“We just want to ask if you happen to know of a village you visit?” I asked. Lack-a-daisy snipped at the bushes without looking at us as she responded.

“If it’ll get you to go away, then yeah. It’s eastward past the oak. Take a right down the road and you’ll come to Sundew Hill. Nice ponies there. You better mind your manners.” She replied before making a shooing motion with her hoof. I couldn’t help but feel like we were just being overly paranoid, but at the same time, the warnings were still hitting me across the head. We walked away from the busy mare before Scribble spoke.

“That’s interesting.” He commented. Thi rubbed her chin.

“Sundew Hill… Sundew Hill…” she shrugged and looked at us. “Never heard of that village. I’m starting to think we are on the other side of Pony Land or something.” She said.

“Then let’s go.” I replied. We made our way back out of the estate and followed a path that led to an oak tree in the distance. As we made our way, my thoughts fell back to Flitter. I should had grabbed her in the confusion, but at the same time, I’m glad we didn’t. Flitter has enough going on. And with the way Cloudchaser was postured, the weight of worry was heavy. I reached for her hoof and locked it with mine. She blinked and looked at me. I gave her a reassuring smile and she returned it with a thankful one.

It took us twenty minutes to walk from Paradise Estate to Sundew Hill. The village was surprisingly… suburban. Cobblestone dotted road, some old fashiony stores and buildings strangely reminiscent to older cartoons that I can think of. I had expected Pony Land to be nothing but trenches and military might. Imagine my surprise at how… normal it was. Thi even pointed out that there is indeed Triad claim on the village. The iron colored banners draped on some of the buildings and what I would call “propaganda posters” plastered on nearly every street corner.

The ponies here also seemed to be as normal as they could be. Unicorn, earth pony and pegasi going about their daily day to day stuff and even hanging out in groups and chatting. Even the foals and fillies were playing with each other. It honestly was a relief to have this one village break my expectations. We remained cautious, however, as we were still in enemy territory. Thi managed to find a clothing store and suggested we should blend in better and stock up.

I mentioned we’d have a better time if we split up into two. Thi was hesitant and against this. But she conceded, not wanting to press it further. I was annoyed by this. She’s still trying to decide? Fine. She can think about it all she wants. As for me, I brought Cloudchaser along, wanting a boost to my mood. Cloudchaser and I held hooves as we walked down the street, browsing the shops that had interesting displays. I made a quick shy glance at Cloudchaser. The pegasus mare didn’t seem interested in the displays.

“You know, there are more interesting things than the ground.” I teased softly. Cloudchaser blinked and looked at me.

“Oh? Sorry…” She replied sadly. I gave a worried look. I squeezed her hoof softly.

“CC, don’t worry. We’ll get Flitter back. We just need to ensure we have a game plan and not be inconvenienced by certain company.” I told her reassuringly. That was another thing I have to figure out. Should we intimidate the fae enough to get them to release our names? Din cackled softly.

I’m unfamiliar with fae magic, but this power seems desirable. I just need to do my own thorough investigation. She replied to my thoughts with a small lick of her muzzle. I shivered a little, disturbed by the gesture before thinking of something more. If Din can’t figure out Fae magic, then we need a backup plan. Befriend the fae but play hard to get? That sounds tempting, but how can we make it convincing enough?

My thoughts were cut as I heard Cloudchaser sigh and I looked over to her.

“Fie… can I tell you something?” She began. I smiled kindly.

“Of course.” I replied. Cloudchaser and I stopped and faced each other, our hoofs still locked to one another.

“Firstly, I just want to… apologize for not stepping up as I should have. You wanted me to keep an eye on Thi and I…” she sighed. “I wasn’t sure how to. Thi is just so… unpredictable half the time. What happened at the temple was in part due to me not managing everything.” She said. I blinked at this before giggling softly.

“You don’t need to apologize for anything Thi has to deal with. What happened at the temple is anypony’s guess. Stratadon, Ursa Major or greed. I doubt even Thi was ready for any of it.” I replied. Cloudchaser smiled a little.

“Then… next, I want to talk about Flitter.” She began. I nodded and quietly listened. “I know it’s… it’s a lot for her. Almost every night she keeps having night terrors of that moment. She even got to the point of talking in her sleep so much that I’m worried she’s actually talking to Sombra.” Cloudchaser lowered her head. “Flitter always did her best to keep herself mentally healthy and stable, even after all we’ve been through. She’s… honestly a lot tougher than I am.” She shook her head. “I don’t know… I should have done something different. I let my anger get the better of me and I… I can just imagine the pony I killed then dragging me down with him…”

I gave a reassuring smile and placed a hoof gently on her cheek.

“I know that feeling as well. Before the whole Hoofington incident… when I had to blend in… well…” I sighed. “I’m certain Viper deserved it. But… I could never fully grasp it as her death had washed away with all the lives in Hoofington…” Cloudchaser met my look. “It’s hard, I know. But I can come to terms with the demons inside and… be my best self in the end when I’m around everypony.” Cloudchaser studied me a bit before she burst into a giggle.

“Hehehe. Why is corniness always something that makes things a little better?” She grinned. I gave her a playful wink.

“I’m a hopeless romantic. What can I say?” I replied. I suddenly got nervous and began to fidget. “I-Is there anything else you want to talk about?” I flushed. Cloudchaser darted her eyes in thought.

“I… don’t have anything else at the moment. What about you?” She asked. I opened my mouth, only to stop myself and mentally step back a bit.

‘That’s selfish of me. That is not a good thing to do at this moment, Fie.’ I thought to myself. I then had an idea. I took a hold of her hoof and softly pulled her along. “C’mon. I think we need a break from all the events. Have to clear our heads now and then, ya’ know?” I smirked. Cloudchaser tilted her head a little but then gave me a small smile. I decided that we should take this opportunity to experience another side of our world.

Sundew Hill is surprisingly a normal village. It made me curious to understand how close our neighbors are to us. We stopped to get what is called a Dough-Bun Hunkaroo. A funny name for a bread bun filled with melty cream cheese and vegetables. The mare and stallion pair were pleasant to talk too and understood pone-ish fluently. However, when it came to pay, they rejected our bits. They explained to us that Equestrian currency is not accepted in Pony Land and instead, actual crystalized sugar cubes were used. Yet, they were nice enough to allows us one free Dough-Bun Hunkaroo to share free of charge and directed us to the Sundew Bank.

We passed by several shops and kiosks that sold rather unusual things that I thought Ponyville’s Antiquing Shop wouldn’t have. Good to know that there was even an apple orchard here as well, but instead of it being near the village, we learned from the seller that the orchard is farther up north near the border of the kingdom of Fenice. This made me remember that Pony Land is separated by a north and southern kingdom. Our main goal is Euclides, which thankfully we are in.

I had asked where is the capital of Euclides and how long it’d take us to get there from here. Our ears dropped when a tour guide mentioned it could take roughly a week by autowagon. Our best bet would be to catch the airships that would lower the travel days to three. Cloudchaser had asked how long would it be via pegasus flight and we were immediately met with a strange law here in Pony Land. Pegasi are allowed to fly at certain height levels sanctioned by the Equestrian Ministries Inquisition. There are certain fly zones that are forbidden by pedestrian pegasi to venture. If they were to travel by flight, they had to follow the main roads below as to ensure not to intercept or fly into pedestrian air ships. They said it was for the safety of all as they had incidents where a majority of the airship crashes back then were due to pegasi being free of flying where ever.

With this in mind, we proceeded to the bank where we had the teller exchange our currency into crystalized sugar cubes. There was nothing complex about the currency as it was the same in Equestria. One bit is one sugar cube. With our satchel full of sugar cubes, we proceeded to shop around. We checked out interesting clothing shops as well as parlors and courts that were popular to hang out in. Cloudchaser and I couldn’t help but feel a bit of nostalgia for Ponyville.

We bought ourselves some new saddlebags and some restoratives that I’ll have Scribble study a bit to ensure we weren’t going to poison ourselves with the Sombranite. Better safe than sorry. I then stopped by the clothing store real quick to have my cloak patched up as the cuts where Fickle stabbed me were still visible along with the tiger claws. With my newly patched hoodie cloak good as new, Cloudchaser and I decided to take a quick break by a spa and hot springs place. I was amazed that they were able to have hot springs in Pony Land. Cloudchaser and I cuddled together as we let the hot water sooth our stress and tension.

This was like cloud nine for me. Even Cloudchaser seemed to be feeling lighter. I wanted to cuddle a bit longer, but we were told not to spend too long in the hotsprings for our safety. Yet, I couldn’t help but playfully tease Cloudchaser suggestively, seeing her reactions before she called me out on my tease with a good whip of the towel on my flank. Feeling refreshed and a little giddy, we continued to explore Sundew Hill. Cloudchaser had a wing wrapped around me as we made our way to the main plaza. I soon started to worry about Thi and Scribble.

“I hope Thi and Scribble haven’t gotten themselves too lost.” I said with a worried bite of my lip. Cloudchaser scanned the plaza, hoping to spy them. She eventually pointed further down the plaza and we could see Thi and Scribble… locked in an embrace? Thi was wearing what looked to be a brown cloak, the hood covering her face as she was locked in a passionate kiss with Scribble, the stallion looking quite stoic about it.

I was taken aback while Cloudchaser snickered.

“Should we interrupt them?” She asked. I furrowed my look worriedly. I then nodded and Cloudchaser seemed to not really take that answer seriously until I walked out from her wing hold and over to them. I then stopped and noticed that past them were what appeared to be several Triad guards walking further down the road, seemingly chatting and enjoying themselves. When they were out of view, Thi pulled away from Scribble and the two stared into each other’s eyes.

I was once again taken aback by the sudden blushes the two had before Thi pushed Scribble away a little.

“I… Sorry.” Thi said. I cleared my throat as Scribble seemed to adjust his coat’s scuff before looking at me. Thi brushed a bang out of her face and lowered her head to have the hood cover her face while Scribble cleared his own throat.

“I uhh… hope you got something out of our visit here.” Scribble spoke. Cloudchaser smirked knowingly. I, however, had several questions and concerns. But that’ll be for later.

“We’ve learned a few things. We’ll discuss it when we get back.” I said, being careful with my words. Thi only nodded quietly. I narrowed my eyes suspiciously at her but kept my thoughts to myself as we began to make our way out of the village. On the way back to the estate, we had to keep our heads low as several auto wagons bearing the Triad symbol puttered by us. Seems if we are going to be traveling on hoof, we’ll have to be careful.

Turning down the road and retracing our hoof steps, I was beginning to wonder if the estate had left. It was supposed to be right here, wasn’t it? I looked around, unable to spy a pink building.

“Ah, yer back!” A voice said. We looked to see Moochik rummaging through a sack. I arched a brow.

“Where’s the err…” I began, having to stop myself. Moochik withdrew several trinkets as he spoke.

“Aye, twill be back soon. Had ta’ free up some room.” He replied with a concentrated tongue sticking out as he rummaged more. Scribble tilted his head and rubbed his chin.

“Free up… some room?” He asked. A sudden dread befell us but Moochik seemed to read our worry.

“Aye. ‘Oi figured word would get out. Nicely bein’ discreet, Fie.” He said with a wink. I shifted my slight frown. “Occupants do take up quite a wee bit o’ space. Yer lucky we’s in fer spring cleanin’.” He chuckled. “No worries. Tis nothin’ grotesque or mortifyin’. Ahh, right on time.” Moochik began to put the trinkets back in when what felt like way too many butterflies began to appear and flutter around us. The ground began to burst to life with colorful butterflies that seemed to swirl and make a colorful cloud.

As quickly as it happened, the butterflies fluttered away and the Paradise Estate was back to where it was. Moochik waddled past us and opened the iron gate, following him in. Concierge was sweeping the porch of the estate. She gave us an unfriendly look.

“I figured you’d leave by now.” She commented. I cleared my throat and shook my head.

“We err… need to prepare a bit before we begin to travel. We thank you for your hospitality though.” I replied. Concierge snorted before going back to sweeping. Moochik chuckled.

“She maybe stern an’ strict, but she the bes’ one ta’ run this estate. Wouldn’ have it any other way.” He told us as we walked past her into the lobby. Thi removed her cloak, revealing a newly bought denim jacket. She sighed and made a quick glance at us. I turned to Scribble and passed my saddle bag over to him.

“We bought some restoratives. Are you able to see if they aren’t filled with Sombranite of any kind?” I asked. Scribble blinked before humming in thought.

“It’ll be a bit. I’ll let you know in the morning. I’m pretty exhausted from all the talking.” He said before walking past us. Thi was quiet, avoiding eye contact from the stallion as he walked by. When he headed down the hall to his room, I cast a quick glance to Cloudchaser. She nodded knowingly and stretched.

“Well, I’m beat as well. See ya’ in a bit, Fie.” She smiled before walking down the opposite hall. When we were alone, I observed Thi. She knew I hadn’t left. Bracing herself, she set down the cloak and turned to face me.

“I’m… ready.” She said. I arched a brow.

“Really? In enemy territory no less? Granted this was our only option, I’m not comfortable leaving you on your own here.” I replied. Thi hesitated.

“Then… what do you…?” She began. I sighed and rubbed my muzzle.

“When we started this journey, you called me out on my own selfishness. Which really made me think about things as we went. And what do you know? It worked out. Call it luck or what you will, but you can’t deny after everything we’ve been through. That being said…” I eyed Thi. “How we’ve come full circle.” Thi flushed a bit, rubbing the back of her head.

“I… I didn’t know what else to think. I panicked.” She replied. I sat on my haunches and crossed my forelegs.

“Panicked? That’s not like you at all. You’re always so calm, calculative and dare I say, ‘badass’?” I asked sternly. “So, was that just a heat of the moment? Didn’t mean anything and only meant to cover your hide? I don’t care what Silver Scribble says or thinks of it, you should have known better than to mess with his feelings like that.” I frowned as Thi met my look.

“No! I didn’t… I really meant…” I could see her sweating a bit. I’ve never seen Thi so under pressure. Though, I can’t say she doesn’t deserve it. But now I’m left with how to go about this. I sighed and rubbed my muzzle.

“You set yourself up on this for making me your best friend, if I ever was to you. I was hoping some time away would cool your head. Figure things out. But since we are kind of stuck in a predicament, I’ll have to rethink of something.” I met her look seriously. “And I believe I have one. A solution, if you will.” I then turned to the counter. I had seen Posey and Lack-a-daisy minding their own business with paper work behind it. “Posey? Lack-a-daisy? Do you need an extra hoof around the Estate?” I asked.

Posey looked up and smiled, not skipping a beat with her work.

“Oh, wow! No pony has ever offered to help! What do you think, Lackie?” Posey beamed. Lack-a-daisy groaned.

“Don’t call me that, Posey.” The mare then gave an unamused brow. “We’ll have to run it by Concierge. An extra hoof would be great, to be honest. Spring cleaning is going to be hell.” She sighed. I smiled and looked to Thi.

“Then that settles it. Thi, for your own good and as punishment for so recklessly being a threat to an entire nation, you are under house arrest in the estate. You are to help the ponies clean up and listen to whatever task they have to give you.” I said. Thi blinked in confusion.

“W-wha?” She asked. I frowned coldly, stamping my hoof.

“Count your stars that this is the easiest punishment you can have after everything you’ve done. And if you start slacking off on any of this or I find out that you’ve been sneaking out and being a ‘badass’, I will personally hunt you down and plant your ass at the top of the fountain head and making you the pigeon’s next perch. Do I make myself clear?” I scolded. Thi shrunk down a bit and gulped. Posey giggled.

“Wow! Concierge would love you.” Posey grinned at me. She then brought up a strange black device, bringing it up to her ear. “Concierge? Posey here! One of our guests has offered to help us around the estate for Spring Cleaning. Yes… Yes… Of course!” Posey then put the device down and zipped out from behind the counter, putting a full maids dress on Thi Billet. She blinked and examined herself, flushing.

“D-do I really have to wear this??” She asked embarrassed. Posey hummed and rubbed her chin. She then beamed at an idea.

“It’s either that or the string suite.” She said, reaching over and bringing forward a very questionable and suggestive piece of clothing. Thi slumped, her face bright red.

“E-err… I-I’ll stick with the maid outfit…” She stammered. Posey blinked and shrugged, tossing the string suite behind her as the sound of crashing into something reached our ears. She then moved around Thi and began to push her with her head.

“Alright! We might as well get started now! We have several towels by the pool that need to be washed and dried! Quickly, while we still have sunlight!” She chuckled. Thi looked over her shoulder to me. I rose a brow questioningly.

“It’s for your own good.” I reiterated to her as she was pushed out the side door. The door closed and I sighed, looking to Lack-a-daisy. “Nothing bad is going to happen to her, is there?” I asked curiously. Lack-a-daisy shrugged.

“I take it Moochik talked too much. Not like it matters. She’ll be fine so long as she is doing what she is told.” She said. I felt my heart skip a beat. I was curious even more now.

“Oh… uhh… then… is there a way where we can… not have ourselves at the whim of… well…” I asked, bracing myself. Lack-a-daisy withdrew the ledger and opened it up to the page with our names.

“Moochik is old school fae. We could care less about using your name for our amusement. All we care about is preserving Paradise Estate and what it stood for. Follow the rules and we won’t have to turn you into flowers.” She closed the ledger and put it away. “Among other things.” I wasn’t entirely reassured, but I hope this’ll be a lesson for Thi. I’m not comfortable about leaving somepony stranded in enemy territory or death sentences. And yet, I’m having her work for fae as punishment. But the punishment should be great enough to not have it happen again.

I just want my best friend back. The pony I know now isn’t her. I began to walk back to my room and I opened the door, seeing Cloudchaser rummaging through the closet.

“I sure hope no pony is looking for these.” She said, holding up what looked to be a rustic horseshoe in disgust. She tossed it aside and smiled softly at me. “Did you say what you needed?” I closed the door and nodded.

“It’ll be a while for me to fully forgive her. Once I know my best friend is back with me, I can feel much better.” I said. Cloudchaser closed the closet and stretched.

“Well, I dunno about you, but I’m pretty beat from all that walking.” She said, lying on her back sprawled out in a relaxed manner on the bed. I flushed slightly, my eyes wandering a bit. I sneakily opened the door and checked both sides before slipping the “Do Not Disturb” on the knob and locked the door. I then let out a quiet sigh of relief and removed my hoodie cloak, tossing it onto a chair before removing the chainmail. I walked towards the bed.

I then crawled over to Cloudchaser and smiled softly, tossing my hind leg over her and looking down at her from on top. Cloudchaser turned a bright red at this.

“O-oh… U-uhh… wasn’t… expecting this…” She smiled bashfully. I put a hoof on her lips softly and giggled.

“After our sudden date in Sundew? I’m in the mood to be a bit more… adventurous.” I teased. Cloudchaser’s wings were unable to close properly as she cutely brought her forelegs to her chest. I giggled again. “I wanted to properly make a day for us. I hope I didn’t disappoint~.” Cloudchaser stammered her words. I found her super cute in this reaction. Yet, I was still uncertain of what her heart wants. I wanted something to brighten my mood a bit. I sighed and nuzzled under her chin, hugging her.

Cloudchaser hesitated big time. It wasn’t until her hooves wandered did our night turn into a pleasant one.

Chapter 39: Element of Vigilance

Thi Billet’s POV

I found myself standing amongst a hill, a burning blaze surrounding me. The sound of combat could be heard all around me, yet no pony was visible. The flag of Equestria fluttered high over the blaze, charred and torn. I looked around, seeing discarded armor, blades of varying weapons and, what I am assuming, the silhouettes of the fallen.

‘What is all this?’ I heard myself think. The earth began to tremble and I looked around again. My eyes widened as I saw several metal behemoths rolling over the fallen and shattering blades. They fired from the nose, sending heated bolts off into the distance. I grit my teeth and without thinking, I picked up a sword with my magic and flicked my head down, soaring through the air and landing on top of one of the behemoths. I opened the hatch and bit down on the unfortunate Triad’s mane.

They screamed as I pulled them out, slicing the blade clean across the pony to silence them. I then took the arc pistol from them and fired into the remaining two, seeing their bodies go limp. Quickly looting off the Triad, I sprang towards the next behemoth, repeating this for each one. When the behemoths were no more, I looked over, seeing pegasi fly high overhead, dropping explosive bolts down and sending silhouettes of ponies flying.

I wiped my muzzle and sprang into action. One of the pegasi swooped down, ready to hit a silhouette of a pony surrounded. I quickly caught up to them and with a heavy swing, I felled the pegasus. I then proceeded to fall the remaining Triad surrounding the pony. With that settled, I gave a quiet nod to myself, only to hear the sound of an arc bullet whistle by me. I spun around, ready to strike when I paused. The pony I saved had their arc pistol trained on me. They shook in terror.

My eyes widened. The outfit they wore. It was Triad. I arched a brow in confusion. The pony stepped back.

“M-m-monster! Killing your own kind?!” The pony exclaimed. I blinked.

“Monster?” I repeated. I then looked over my shoulder and I felt my stomach sink. Golden, blood stained armor glistened amongst the darkened blaze. Celestia’s guards unrecognizable to my slaughter. I dropped the sword when my eyes fell to the pegasi I felled. A Wonderbolt. They looked young. Way too young. I nearly tripped over a fallen Equestrian soldier, looking up at the Triad I had saved. But they were nowhere to be found.

“Wh-what? N-no, I…” I began.

“There she is!! Kill the traitor!!” I heard a voice shout. I gasped and scrambled to my hooves, bolting away as a platoon of armed Equestrian soldiers swooped down and ground troops advancing on me. I dove into a thin wall of flames and galloped through an active battlefield. Left and right, Equestrian soldiers and Euclidian soldiers clashed and slaughtered. It was hard to distinguish which side is which. Triad were mixed in as artillery supported for the ones on the field, both sides taking losses from the Triad.

What is going on?! Where am I?? I panicked and found myself tumbling down into a trench. I was greeted with a startled Triad who reached for their weapon, only for my instincts to kick in and wrestle with the Triad.

“There she is!! Get her!!” I heard a Triad pony shout. I withdrew the pony’s arc pistol and began to use them as a meat shield, firing back at the advancing troops. My ears flicked as I heard a screech overhead. Looking up, I saw the silhouettes of Wonderbolts fly overhead and began dropping bolts into the trenches. My vision was lit up like a stage show, feeling myself being flung out of the trench with the force of the bombing.

I rolled out onto the field and scrambled to my hooves, amazed that I still had my hair on me. There was the sound of a horn bellowing across the battlefield. The ground exploded around me as three alicrons loomed over me. They faced out towards the fields, my gaze following them. My eyes widened, out of hope or terror, I wasn’t sure. From the blaze walked out a familiar figure.

Quiet Fire, her mane and tail aflame and flowing wildly, her amber slit eyes flaring coldly at the alicrons. Her halberd resting over her back and out to her side. Something was wrong. Her eyes met mine before focusing on the alicrons. It was hard to hear the garbled chatter of the pilots, but all three charged her. It was instantaneous. My eyes couldn’t even blink until after it happened. She shifted her halberd and the alicrons fell apart around her, crashing down into the ground.

“Fie??” I asked. The closer she got, the more I noticed she was shrinking. Soon, I was towering over her. I blinked in confusion. “Fie?? What is going on?” I asked as I reached out to her, only to stop at the sight of a grotesque, fleshy tendril that was supposed to be my foreleg. My stomach sank in panic as I looked down at myself. My entire body was elongated into a horrible disfiguration that I couldn’t comprehend. I felt extremely heavy and I fell forward, my gaze meeting Fie’s.

“Fie…! H-help…!” I gurgled, my voice unrecognizable. What happened to me?? I then began to laugh. Fie didn’t say anything as I snapped at her. “Heheh… hehehehahaha… Everything I did… was all for you…” I rasped. “D-don’t you understand…? The whole world… turned its’ back on you… I… never…” I growled like a wild animal, salivating from my muzzle. I noticed tears leaving Fie, evaporating from her intense heat.

“But you did.” Fie said with a shuddering breath. “I can’t let this go on any longer… goodbye… Thi Billet.” She turned around and began to walk back into the flames. As she did, Equestrian and Euclidian forces charged out of the blaze and aimed themselves at me. Without warning, everypony fired upon me. I could feel my flesh being flayed and riddled with arc bullets. I screamed as every ounce of pain shot through me. I called out to Fie, pleading for help. Only her back answered.

The dream ended and I jolted up out of my bed, sweating profusely. I looked around in a panic, feeling tingly all over as if I could still feel the agonizing pain of both nations firing upon me. I hugged myself, feeling overwhelmed and sick to my stomach. Taking a moment to sob quietly, I finally gathered myself and slid out of bed. I was almost confused as to where I was, only to remember that I am in Paradise Estate. I had worked nearly til the peak height of Luna’s moon before turning in.

Taking a look at the clock in my room, it was early sun rise. I groaned quietly to myself. Concierge has been made aware of the favor Fie had forced upon me. Who was I to deny this? What she had said back at the facility really hit home harder than her crash landing. My mind raced with thoughts and scenarios about how I could have gone about this better as I got into the apparel that the three wanted me to wear when helping out. As if it wasn’t humiliating enough.

‘Is there any proper way to make it up to her? What can I do? I’ve never been so unsure about something. I shouldn’t be with Fie. She’s the only one… who ever stuck by me.’ Memories of our time in CSGU flashed back as I exited the room. A time where we were dumb and young. How Fie, despite struggling with her studies, still made time for me. It then dawned on me. I never bothered to truly ask how she felt about our time there. She only ever spoke out on my antics when I would think of something so ridiculous and dangerous.

And yet, here I was, storming a facility armed to the teeth and coming out only poisoned by drugs and adrenaline. With the amount I had ingested, I was glad that grandma’s secret recipe was the only thing that kept me alive. But… was I glad? Was I satisfied with any of this? What happened back there? Was I really…

I bumped into somepony and I looked to see Fie, surprisingly up and early. Our eyes met, yet she narrowed them, causing me to avoid it. I can’t look her in the eyes anymore. What the hell is wrong with me? Scribble suddenly appeared beside me, startling me. ‘Great, now I’m jumpy…’

“Ready?” Fie asked Scribble. Scribble nodded. I noticed Cloudchaser isn’t around.

“Where’s Cloudchaser?” I asked. Fie’s eyes seemed to glint and a small smirk appeared. As quickly as it appeared, she hid it with a stoic look.

“She’s resting. We plan to meet up at Sundew Hill when she’s better. Scribble and I are going to do a bit of reconnaissance.” She then looked sternly at me. “I better not catch you or hear about you causing trouble with Moochik and the others. More than your own life is at stake.” Fie stated. I bowed my head and nodded quietly. Fie shifted her frown before turning and nodding to Scribble. Scribble eyed me worriedly before following Fie out the door.

“Yeesh. Quite the tension there.” A voice said. I looked to see Posey busily rearranging a book shelf, a duster hanging from her side. She smiled at me. “I know how it is getting ridiculed all the time. What did you do to make her so mad?” I sighed and rubbed my foreleg.

“I… I am just a terrible friend.” I said sadly. Posey hummed before she beamed and happily bounced over to me before pushing me from behind.

“Then let’s not waste time! A good ol’ scrubbing of the pool will keep your mind off things!” She giggled. We headed out of the estate, seeing Concierge patching up the bullet holes. She paid us no mind as we made our way out of the gate and went left to the separate building. Hard to believe that this is a part of the estate if it travels around. The pool area was empty and the water had been drained from the deep bowl like ditch.

It must have been no more than 6ft deep. Posey went to a side closet and began pulling out scrubbing brooms and a strange gun like device. When she had those gathered, she then pulled out a ladder that I was for certain wasn’t able to fit into the storage closet easily. She told me all I had to do was take the bucket and fill it with cleaning products and just start scrubbing.

“All by myself?” I asked. Posey nodded.

“I’m certain you’re capable of it! You look like the type who goes off on her own and can get things done your way.” She grinned. I narrowed my eyes in annoyance at her.

“Oddly specific…” I replied. Posey ignored me and trotted over to another building that led to the showers.

“I won’t be far if you actually need anything! Those pipes aren’t going to clean themselves!” She hummed a happy tune as she bounced into the building. I frowned slightly.

‘She’s eerily chipper about her job…’ I thought to myself. I then turned to the pool. I spent the next two hours scrubbing the inside of the pool top to bottom. The weather in Pony Land is also dictated by ponies and through a factory, but I’ve heard that they let the weather handle their own cycle without supervision from pegasi. Seems like it was going to be a sunny spring day. When I finished cleaning the inside of the pool, I then cleaned out the filters one by one.

With that done, it was high afternoon before I decided to take a break. I wringed out the maid skirt that got wet with the scrubbing and sighed. Something cold touched my cheek, startling me. I saw an unamused looking Concierge eye me as she held out a lemonade glass. I looked between her and the glass. She shrugged.

“Well, if you don’t want to keep yourself hydrated, I’ll have to ask you to leave. I do not want to clean up a shriveled up skeleton of a pony.” She said. I nervously smiled before taking it in my magic and taking a large pull of it. I sighed in relief at the sour taste and cool drink energize me. Concierge then adjusted her half-moon spectacles and peered into the pool. “Not bad. Though more hoof grease would certainly help you in the long run.” I didn’t respond. Concierge then began to trot away from me.

“Do you ever think that what you are doing is the right thing, but it really isn’t?” I blurted out suddenly. I don’t know what compelled me to speak my mind all of a sudden. Concierge stopped and turned to me.

“Pardon?” She asked. I sighed and swirled the last bit of ice and lemonade in the glass with my magic.

“Lately it just feels like that I’m not getting the thanks I deserve for going out of my way to ensure everypony is safe. Granted… I did get carried away, but… my heart was in the right place. At least, I think so.” I said. Concierge arched a brow.

“I’m not inclined to listen to the troubles of outsiders. But if you insist, I have nothing better to do.” She said as she sat down on a pool chair and kicked back in it. This was odd for me. What compelled me to open up to a fae no less? Is this one of their tricks? I have to be careful. Though… I don’t feel like I’m being deceived.

“S-sorry. I’ll just get back to work.” I said as I stood up.

“As you wish.” Concierge said with her eyes closed and relaxed. I arched a brow. “Since you’ve done a decent job with the pool, would you be kind enough to start dusting out the attic? It’s high time I get rid of some stuff Moochik has been hoarding.” She gave me a dismissive wave. I eyed her warily before looking down at the lemonade glass. I set it aside before walking out of the pool gate and back towards the estate. There were strangely a lot of colorful butterflies around the field.

Almost unusually so. Was it a migration? They don’t seem to be in a rush to go anywhere. When I entered through the gate, I looked around the garden. Not a single trace of bullet holes. And the flower beds that were destroyed were relatively back to normal with, what I’m assuming, how it was previously. I spied Moochik sweeping the porch of freshly cut grass. He smiled when I approached.

“Ahh! Enjoyin’ tha’ weather are ye?” He grinned. “Saw yer pegasi frien’ take off towards Sundew. An intriguing one at that.” I nodded in response, only for Moochik to stroke his beard in thought, his beady eyes studying me. “Concierge bein’ a roight pain? Aye, ah’ understand ye.” He said. I shook my head.

“I don’t know. Must have been something in the lemonade. Either way, I was told to clean out the attic. Do you happen to know how to get to it?” I asked. Moochik balked.

“Why, what ya’ be wantin’ ta’ clean tha’ attic fer? Concierge knows tha’ stuff Oi… errr…” He stopped what he was saying before smiling nervously. I shook my head.

“I… really don’t have much of a choice.” I replied. Moochik tilted his head.

“Why? Because yer frien’ says so? She don’ control ye.” He said casually as he continued to sweep. I arched a brow.

“What are you to Concierge?” I asked. Moochik blinked and thought about it.

“Err… well, Oi frankly am uncertain. Oi took tha’ three in when they’s wantin’ ta’ git away from tha’ other fae.” Moochik replied. “Oi never asked. Oi coulda’ used tha’ help an’ by golly they helped indeed. Been lookin’ after tha’ estate fer centuries alone, tis noice ta’ ‘ave company fer a change.” He hummed. “Oi guess oi’m someone who helped ‘em out o’ a tizzy.” I furrowed my look.

“So… even though Concierge acts like she’s the owner of Paradise Estate, you actually own it?” I asked. Moochik shook his head.

“Nay. Oi’ jus’ watch tha’ place. No pony lived here fer’ centuries before they came along. Since then, had some passin’ guests ‘ere an’ there, but no creature stayed longer ‘en they had too. An’ those that did, well…” Moochik cleared his throat. “Some fae habits die hard. They’ve been gettin’ better. Ain’t turned ya’ into hedge decoration yet.” He chuckled, but quickly stifled it when he saw my frown. “Err… So… ye been asked ta’ clean the attic? Well, can Oi offer ye’ an alternative. Trus’ me, lass. Bes’ ye not mess with the attic. How about ye help me with tha’ frog pond? Been o’ while since Flipper an’ his crew jammed.” Moochik set aside the broom and began to waddle off the porch.

“Flipper?” I asked as I followed him. Moochik nodded.

“Noice fellow. Tough, charmin’ an’ enjoys a good time. He performs every spring solstice.” He explained. We reached the back of the estate and my eyes widened in admiration at the insanely decorative looking garden. Colorful flowers of varying kinds were evenly spruced and lined to give off a rather pastel and bright look. The grass green and freshly evened with what appeared to be dew drops glistening the green. A neatly combed dirt path with several smooth stepping stones gave off quite a medieval vibe.

It was like walking straight into a fairy tail setting. Humming birds and butterflies seemingly having their own houses amongst the foliage and a fountain with what appeared to be a petrified tree in the center, spraying water out of holes. I couldn’t help but let out a breath of awe. Moochik chuckled.

“Tha’ pride an’ joy o’ the three. As much as they spend toime cleanin’ tha’ estate, they maintain this in their spare time. When they aren’t too busy o’ course.” Moochik began to walk towards the fountain. “Bes’ ye mind yer manners. Flipper an’ his crew jam out perfectly in pleasant company.” Moochik then stopped at the fountain base and tapped the side several times.

“Alright, alright! I hear ya’ baby, just chill and let a frog write in peace!” A strangely smooth and chill voice came from the fountain. I peered over and I saw a frog hop out of the fountain, wearing a dapper brown suite and tie with a fedora to match the colors. He even had a small wooden cane with him that he leaned cooly against. He tilted his fedora upward and beamed. “Moochik baby! It’s been ages, my fae brotha! How you been? The three treatin’ ya’ as kind as they can?” He chuckled. Moochik smiled.

“Aye. Busy with spring cleanin’ now. They’ll be busy fer a while. Though they cannae wait fer yer performance this year.” He chuckled. “‘Erd yer were workin’ on somethin’ different this toime.” Flipper nodded.

“Darn straight, baby! It’ll be a show that’ll definitely blow their minds!” He replied with a chuckle. His eyes then fell onto me. “Well, well, well! What piece did you take in this time? She ain’t a fae for sure. Are the gals okay with an outsider roaming the garden, baby?” Flipper asked Moochik curiously. Moochik waved a hand dismissively.

“Tain’t nothin’ ta’ worry. She’s ‘elpin ‘em with tha’ cleanin’ as ‘er punishment fer… err… doin’ somethin’ bad.” He said. I sighed in response.

“Oooh, a bad gal, eh? And I thought Concierge took no garbage from any creature! Must have really ticked her off to get you to do her cleaning.” Flipper smirked. I shook my head.

“She didn’t put me up to this.” I replied simply. Flipper held out his arms.

“Hey hey hey! What’s with the down look, baby? A pretty face like yours shouldn’t be mopin’ about. How about a song to cheer you up?” He bowed in a gentlecoltly fashion. He took a deep breath as he readied himself to sing when Moochik quickly stood in front of us.

“B-bes’ ye’ save yer voice fer the girls. This one isn’t… attuned.” Moochik said. Flipper seemed disappointed.

“Such a shame. You seem like an alright gal. But hey, Moochik is right. Gotta’ keep the golden pipes clean, ya’ dig?” He winked at us. “Let me know if you ever need a one frog show, baby! Ol’ Flipper knows how to handle a beautiful crowd.” I wasn’t sure if I should be flattered by this or not. Flipper hopped back into the fountain and I was left to turn to Moochik who smiled, only to falter at my questioning look.

“Fae magic is… les’ jus’ say… not meant fer mortal accompaniment. Tis dangerous even if it is intended fer good.” He said. I rubbed the back of my head as we headed back around the estate.

“I’m going to hold your word for it.” I said.

“Moochik!!” A stern voice called out. Moochik froze.

“Uh oh…” he muttered. We looked to see Concierge tapping her hoof impatiently on the porch. She did not look happy.

“Our guest is supposed to be cleaning the attic.” She said, seemingly trying to keep her temper in check. Moochik removed his cap and nervously wringed it.

“A-a-aye, Concierge. Was about ta’ show ‘er where it is! H-had ‘er helpin’ me put uhh… things away fer ye.” He stammered. Concierge rose an unamused brow, not buying it at all.

“You are showing a bad example of the estate and its’ occupants. We do not have time to mess around.” She replied sternly. “I have to run to Sundew to pick up more cleaning supplies for Posey. I expect that attic to be emptied and sorted when I get back. Understand?” Moochik nervously approached.

“W-with all due respect, Concierge, ye know why oi-“ Moochik flinched at her next words.

“I know damn well why you keep all those trinkets and artifacts in the attic. All the more reason they should be sorted and handled properly! We do not want a repeat of several hundred years ago, do we? Handle it! Or I will make better use of them in the black market!” She snapped. Moochik saluted.

“Yes ma’am!” He said quickly. Concierge snorted and eyed me.

“Ask Moochik on anything in that attic. For your safety.” She sighed in frustration before adjusting her saddle bag and heading out of the iron gate, closing it behind her. We watched the mare grow smaller and smaller, Moochik sighing in relief once she had disappeared down the hill. I arched a brow.

“You speak fondly of them, yet she treats you like that?” I asked. Moochik laughed nervously.

“We-well, ye see… seclusion doesn’t do well ta’ an ol’ mind like me. Runnin’ the estate by me self has been… lonesome.” He chuckled. “Complacency made this place… not as it once was. Tis thank ta’ tha’ three that Paradise Estate is fondly looked upon by ‘em. They loved tha’ place, much ta’ my ol’ mind could even comprehend.” He sighed and shrugged. “Tis love really. Concierge wants ta’ preserve everything about it. Including this ol’ fossil.” I studied the dwarfish fae as he seemed to get glossy eyed in thought. He then blinked and clapped his hands, rubbing them together. “Ach, gettin’ nostalgic. Les’ git ta’ it ‘efore she comes back, aye?”

Moochik waddled into the estate as I followed after him. He took me down a hall before reaching a door that had led to an open closet. He waved his hand and from the ceiling descended a ladder leading through a hole. He began to climb it and struggled to pull himself up at the top. Deciding to help him, I climbed the ladder and pushed him with my head into the attic.

“Yeeouch! Watch yer horn, blast it!” He grumbled, rubbing his rump. I peered into the attic, coughing and waving away the dust. No pony must have been in here for centuries. Moochik waddled over to a lantern and lit it, illuminating the room. It was quite spacey, surprisingly, despite the clutter creating a mess. He hummed and stroked his beard. “Ehehe… ehh… well, oi guess we should start organizin’ somethins’.” He said. We spent thirty minutes stacking and moving covered up boxes and knick-knacks I have never seen before.

I could only imagine what they are for and suddenly feeling glad that the Triad doesn’t have their hooves on them. Once we were done organizing the stuff, I began to dust off things while Moochik swept the floor. It was starting to be a bit unbearable with the dust. I found a window that I opened to let in some fresh air. The sun was beginning to reach near the horizon, the stained glass windows letting in the light in a mesmerizing manner.

Moochik wanted to take a small break and proceeded out of the attic to grab something to drink. I continued to dust and sweep, finding all of this to be quite calming and surprisingly keeping my mind off things. After a bit, I bumped into something and turned around to see a white drape over a tall… something. Curiosity got the better of me and I reached out to the drape with my hoof. I pulled the drape away to reveal a mirror.

The design of the outer part looked nordic. Surprisingly enough, the etching surrounding the mirror was in old poneish. I read the words in mind.

‘Look to thyself and reflect upon thy heart. Reach towards thyself to understand thyself.’ I read in my thoughts. I hummed curiously. I peered into the mirror, my reflection staring back at me. I didn’t want to admit how the maid outfit didn’t look so bad on me, but I would rather not say that out loud to anypony. Yet, upon staring into my reflection a little more, the entire background changed. My eyes widened as I saw myself standing amongst a battlefield with a wild blaze behind me. I looked over my shoulder quickly.

Just the dusty old attic. I blinked a couple of times in confusion before looking back at the mirror. I was then staring at a younger reflection of myself. It was a bit jarring as this was a style I completely dropped after a year. Punk clothing and a plaid skirt, heavy eye shadow and a cold scowl to complete the punkish look. My eyes then noticed a young and neatly prim nerdy Quiet Fire standing next to me. She smiled at me while my reflection remained static.

“Fie…?” I suddenly spoke. The reflection of Fie from our CSGU days nodded. She looked so full of life. So happy. Back when she only wanted to study and not get into too much trouble. And there I was, cold and uncaring. Yet, when Fie went to happily nudge me, my reflection couldn’t help but smile and wrap a foreleg around her neck, ruffling her neatly primmed mane. I found myself sitting down in front of the mirror, watching as our younger selves seemed to discuss silently something that made me laugh.

“Wow… I was… certainly different back then.” I told myself. My reflection then looked over her shoulder and directly at me.

“Are you proud of yourself?” I asked. I balked and stood up. I looked around, but no creature seemed to be in sight. I looked back at the mirror. My reflection had changed to me running through a jungle with a mare I knew all too well. Daring Doo and I dove into cover as several native ponies rushed past, shouting. My eyes fell onto my denim jacket’s pocket. I could see a letter loosely hanging from it. It was from Fie. My reflection blinked and faced me. “Was this everything you wanted? Was it really all for her?” My reflection spoke.

“I…” I began, but couldn’t find the right words. The mirror glinted and it showed me facing down with General Lilac over a portal ground. I remember this. General Lilac and Moonlight Sonata had opened a portal in order to draw out magic so they could use it for their own benefit. My reflection soared through the air on the conjured spring platforms as the Triad fired up at me.

“Were you ever the hero you deserved to be? Did everything right by your fellow ponies?” My reflection asked as she skillfully flipped through the air and brought out an arc pistol, firing at me. I flinched and braced myself. Nothing happened. I looked out from my foreleg and saw my reflection walking through Ponyville. The snow blanketing the area giving it a wonderland look. My reflection stopped in front of a house and knocked on the door. “Did you miss her as much as she missed you?” My eyes widened as the door opened.

Fie looked sickly, pale and injured. She had a grwyenette ale bottle on her horn as she looked up at me with a hungover look. She wiped her muzzle with her grey hoodied sleeve before realizing it was me.

“What are you trying to prove?” My reflection asked Fie before looking at me. “What are you trying to save? Who are you trying to save?” I felt myself suddenly getting angry.

“Everything I did was not just for her sake. She plays a big role in all of this and I… I wanted to be there for her. Just as she was to me back then.” I told my reflection. The mirror glinted and I found myself bucking down a wall. When I stepped in, my eyes fell onto a bat laying on a pedestal. I gasped. There was a demonic visage hovering over the bat. That… wasn’t there when I found Excalibat. The visage noticed me before vanishing into the bat and revealing its’ eyes. My reflection smirked and took ahold of it in her magic, test swinging it towards me before a green firebolt shot out, causing the mirror to glint and focus on me cackling like a mad mare.

I don’t remember this. I was admiring the bat, grinning from ear to ear. The bat wavered in my magic before I dropped it and shook my head. I screamed loudly and shook my head violently. I shielded my eyes as my reflection self suddenly burst into a blinding golden light. I saw the demonic visage crash into the wall and from me emerged a pony figure, dawning a strange attire. It picked up the bat with its’ teeth and flourished it before facing the demon.

The green visage charged the image, only for the equine image to easily side step and trip the demon. Without hesitation, the image pounced and clubbed the demon over and over with the bat. It seemed to revel in the pain it was inflicting. The demon went limp and vanished, leaving the image to rise and drop the bat. It then faced me, the golden burning eyes meeting mine.

“You hold more than you realize. But you are not an important piece. You’ll understand someday.” The image spoke before vanishing and dropping my reflection onto the ground. The mirror glinted and I was greeted with the horrifying sight of an island covered and swamped in lava. An airship was flying away from the island, only to soar towards it to show Lo Mein, Cassette and three others who I do not have good interactions with watch in horror at the sight.

Cassette sighed tiredly before patting my shoulder. Lo Mien bowed her head, her expression in thought. My reflection then looked at me.

“Who are you, Thi Billet? The hero of a story you do not belong in?” The mirror glinted and my eyes widened in shock as my reflection grinned maniacally at me, placing a hoof on the mirror as mountain of bodies stacked behind her. Blood caked on her hooves and her denim jacket torn and cut. “Or the monster to make the hero?” My reflection cackled before stepping back, nearly tripping over a body and clutching her head. Her laugh rising as she faced the fiery sky. From the fire among the bodies, Fie rocketed out and primed the halberd at me. I shut my eyes just before the halberd connected to me, looking away.

“I… I…” I began to sob. “I never wanted… for her to suffer… for some damned prophecy…” I sniffled. “She’s my best friend… my only best friend who ever tolerated me… laughed with me… fought with me and stayed…” I hugged myself. “I don’t… deserve her… But she deserves everything…” The mirror rocked as my insane reflection punched the mirror, cackling.

“You’re right. She deserves everything! But she definitely doesn’t deserve you! You, who have ripped her from the comfort of her depression! You, who showed up and decided to cement yourself into her life without any explanation. Was it all to save her from the excess stress and trauma? Or did you not trust her enough to put everything on her shoulders?” My reflection spat. “She missed you and yet, you are crying like a little filly because you’re this close to losing her forever! Not that it would matter in the end! You know it all too well yourself! You know her fate! You know how it’ll end!” I shook my head.

“That won’t happen to her! Not while I’m around!!” I shouted. My reflection tossed her head back and laughed.

“Don’t fool yourself! She’s been doing fine on her own until you showed up!! Fate would have played out the same regardless of your interference! Only this time, she’d be the monster than you are!” My reflection cackled.

“Better me than her!! Fie is not a monster!!” I retorted.

“And how does that make her feel?!” My reflection barked back. “Have you ever considered how she feels about what you do?! You justify your murders with greenhoof experience!! You tell her that they are the enemy!! That they would do nothing to stop their conquest!! Have you ever considered what your enemies ideals are?! Or are they just faceless numbers stacked upon each other for the sake of heroism!?” My reflection stepped back and looked around her. “Take a long look!! This is the future you are paving for the realm!! This is the price of you so foolishly thinking yourself to be the savior!! To ensure that no pony would stand in the way of your justice and her safety!!” My jaw dropped as from the blaze to her left, Equestrian soldiers held halberds towards my reflection. And to her right, Euclidian with arc rifles primed at my reflection.

“Your sacrifice for the greater good of one pony is all that matters!! Nothing else does!! Not even your best friend!! Are you proud of this?! You should be, for this will surely unite both sides!! One for all and all for one!!” My reflection laughed again as the blaze erupted around them. The mirror glinted and my normal reflection stared back at me. My dumbfounded expression perfectly frozen in shock. I didn’t know what to think. I wasn’t sure how to even comprehend what I just experienced.

‘No… no something is not right… I’m doing all of this for her… She doesn’t need to face the world alone anymore… That’s why I’m here…’ I hugged myself again. The mirror glinted and I saw my younger self smiling back at me. I hesitated. I stood up and walked towards the mirror, putting my hoof on the glass. “What am I even doing anymore…? I feel… stuck. What can I do…?” I asked my reflection. The mirror glinted again and I took a moment to register what happened next. My disheveled, blood caked hooved reflection emerged from the mirror and grinned maniacally at me.

“That shouldn’t matter anymore.” My reflection cackled. I gasped and stepped back, only for my reflection to lock her foreleg around my own and yank me forward, planting a hard punch across my cheek and sending me to crash into stacked boxes. I shook away my daze and froze as my reflection stepped out of the mirror. She looked around. “Heheh. I finally did it… I made it through…” She then met my look and she instantly cantered and stood over me. “Fie… Where is Fie?!”

I didn’t respond. I was frozen in fear. My reflection twitched her ear as we heard somepony climbing up the ladder.

“Oi, what’s all that??” Moochik spoke.

“Moochik, watch out!!” I called out. My reflection grinned from ear to ear and immediately cantered over to the attic exit. Moochik gasped as my reflection slid and bucked him down the ladder before slipping down it. I scrambled to my hooves and cantered over to the hole, seeing my reflection standing up and shaking away her daze. She snarled and stood over a dazed Moochik.

“Where is Quiet Fire?! I have to see her!! I need to see her!!” My reflection shook Moochik roughly. Moochik shook away his daze and stammered.

“Wh-what’s gotten into ye, lass?” He replied shakily. I grit my teeth and clambered down the ladder. My reflection looked over her shoulder and just as I touched the ground, she brought Moochik around and chucked him at me. I gasped and caught him, only to roll with him from the surprising strength my reflection has. We crashed into the wall as my reflection spun around quickly and galloped down the hall.

“What is all the noise?!” I heard Lack-a-daisy say before screaming. I helped Moochik up and we hurried down the hall. Lack-a-daisy was laying on the ground, rubbing her cheek. She looked up to us and glared. “Moochik, what did you do?!” She asked, looking hurt and angry. Moochik shook his head.

“A-oi dunno!” He replied, rubbing his head. I looked between them. A voice then whispered in my head.

Who are you, Thi Billet? It echoed in my mind over and over. I looked around.

“Where did she go??” I asked. Lack-a-daisy pointed to a window that was open. I quickly threw off the maid outfit and bolted to the window. “I’m going to fix this. This is my problem to resolve.” I told them before hopping out of the window and flicked my head down, springing upward onto the roof of the estate. Taking a quick scan of the area, a swarm of colorful butterflies were stirring into a cloud. They fluttered around the estate, allowing me to pick out my reflection galloping down the dirt path. I grit my teeth again and spring boarded through the field towards her.

I can’t let her walk free. Who knows what’ll she do when she gets to Sundew Hill! She had picked up some speed and jumped towards the wall of butterflies, only for them to swarm her and lift her up. Her hooves flailed wildly.

“Let go of me you damned bugs!!” She roared. My eyes widened as I saw her conjure from a green flame, Excalibat. However, Excalibat looked different. It curved and appeared to be hardened into a blade. The green eyes looked around wildly before they locked onto me. I winced and clutched my head as I heard a demonic laugh and several screaming voices. I fell off my platform and landed hard on the ground. I stood up and saw my reflection swing Excalibat around wildly at the butterflies, making them fly away or sliced several from the air.

My reflection glared at the wall of butterflies and flourished her blade, primed to cut open the wall.

“You won’t stop me!! Fie can still be saved!! I can hear her screaming for help!!” My reflection declared. I was dumbfounded a little.

‘What is she talking about? Fie isn’t in danger. At least, I hope she’s okay.’ I thought to myself as I began to gallop towards my reflection.

She misses you. The voice echoed. This caused me to put on a burst of speed. Right as my reflection was about to swing, I leaped through the air and tackled her. Excalibat fell from her magic hold and we went rolling down the hill. When we landed, I tried to pin her down but she immediately bucked me off of her, feeling the wind leave me and stumbling back. My reflection scrambled to her hooves, giving me daggers in her stare.

“Why are you trying to stop me?! What does she matter to you?! I know for damn well she doesn’t mean anything to you! I missed that chance before. I’m not letting it happen again!!” She shouted. I clutched my stomach, returning her glare.

“You’re wrong. Fie is everything to me. I made plenty of mistakes and she has every right to be upset with me. Nothing in this whole world can make up for what I did to her.” I told my reflection, standing upright now. “She’s tolerated my behavior for all these years.” I chuckled disgustedly at myself. “And I’m the one telling her she’s ungrateful… What an idiot I am.” My reflection swished her blade and aimed it at me.

“Say what you want!! I did everything for her!! I may have lost my home, my friends and family, even my dignity!! All that matters is getting her back!!” My reflection shouted. I furrowed my look to worry.

“I can’t believe I let myself be this delusional…” I stated. “Regardless, you are not going to make any more trouble. I’m in enough as it is.” My reflection began to cackle, clutching her head with one hoof.

“And what are you going to do?! Face it!! You and I both know that only one can live!! I’m not going back to that forsaken realm! Here, I have a second chance!! I can still save it!!” She tugged on her torn undershirt, grinning from ear to ear. “All I have to do is take your place!! Killing you won’t be skin off my back!!” I narrowed my look and studied Excalibat. The curved blade was whispering. Calling to me. I wiped my muzzle and readied myself.

“Then try it.” I challenged. I was calm. Collected. Nothing was worrying me. Taking a long good look at myself made me realize everything that I had been doing was wrong. I never claimed myself to be the savior. I never deemed myself a hero. I’m not the hero of this story. Neither is she. The wall of butterflies were fluttering around us, my assumption was the estate trying to contain the wild magic from getting out. My reflection didn’t seem to like my calm demeanor. She roared and charged me, blade primed to strike.

When she got close, I quickly flicked my head down and she went springing upward. She tumbled in the air, having not expecting the sudden spring. Yet, she was quick to recover, using her own springboard to bounce towards me. I swiftly dodged and spring-boarded to avoid her swing. She flicked her own head down and rushed me. Back and forth, we danced in the air, using our own and each other’s spring boards to get a hit in. I managed to slug her twice in the cheek as she mistimed her momentum and she hit the ground in a roll. I yelped as she quickly recovered and swung her blade, the green magic no longer bolts of fire, but a sharp slicing energy wave.

I quickly avoided the attacks, unable to react to her quickly jumping towards me. She locked her forelegs around me and slugged me a few times over my cheek as we landed and rolled along the ground. I bucked her away and faced her as she retaliated with swinging Excalibat around her angrily. I could hear cheering from Moochik somewhere, but I was focused on trying not to die. It also didn’t help that the butterflies would get in the way.

At least it was also making it hard for my reflection to properly swing. In a miraculous timing, the butterflies blocked her sightline and I dodged the diagonal swing. To her, I must have vanished instantly. But I emerged from the cover of the butterflies and punched her hard across her horn, causing her to release her magic hold on Excalibat. My reflection yelled in pain as she clutched her horn. I quickly grasped Excalibat in my magic hold, only to be hit with flashing images of… Fie? It hit me like a freight train. As if everything my reflection had experienced was recorded in this very artifact.

What stuck to me was the last image of Fie, bloodied and beaten within my hold, cradling her. Din stood over us, her amber slit eyes studying me. I looked up to her and she bowed her head, her horn touching mine and the image flashed. I blinked and looked at my disheveled, wild blood stained self. She kept her head lowered, her matted bangs covering her face.

“Don’t you understand…? I’m the only one… who she can depend on…” My reflection spoke. I winced as my head was beginning to pound. Through my pained wince, my eyes widened as fire began to erupt around us from no where. At first, my heart skipped a beat for thinking Fie was here and ready to settle this matter. But when my reflection reached out a hoof to me, a magnificent sword emerged from the fire. She locked her hoof around the hilt and spectral fiery wings unfurled outward from her. “I’m the last chance she has.”

This was starting to get ridiculous! Is this even my reflection anymore?? What is happening to me?? I was frozen in awe as myself glared at me with amber slit eyes. Myself grasped the blade with her magic and readied herself. I shook away the pounding headache as best I could before readying Excalibat.

It was almost instant. She appeared right in front of me, forcing my reaction to swing. She didn’t flinch or move as she blocked the swing and shoved me away. This is bad. I can’t let this continue on. But what can I do against a god?? Myself flourished her blade and swung. I instinctively blocked and deflected the strikes, able to keep up somehow. Yet, she was pressing forward, causing me to take a few steps back. The butterflies weren’t helping either, creating momentary embers to float around us.

“Give it up. You’re already on the verge of losing everything. Let me pick up the pieces.” Myself spoke calmly. I stumbled over myself, my reflection batting Excalibat away and holding the blade at my neck. “Why are you still fighting this? What reason do you have anymore to continue this struggle?”

I met the cold gaze of myself. Was she really looking for an answer? Will she even find it here? I blinked. ‘What the hell are you thinking, Thi? We can’t have two Din’s. And we can’t have a crazy version of me running around. I have to stop this.’

“Why am I still fighting? Why have I not lost Fie yet? That’s a good question that I’m still trying to figure out myself.” I replied. Myself narrowed her eyes. “For the longest time, I thought I was doing everything right. Making sure Fie was safe and away from the damned prophecy. Little did I know I was only being a hinderance with my actions. Clearly, continuing that path will only lead me back here, wouldn’t it?” I glared at myself. “Fie is everything to me. She has been my everything since I decided to make her my best friend. Why did I pick her? Was it because I needed a scape goat or excuse to get out of trouble? Did I truly need her to help me? Why her? Why does she have to play such an important role in my life?

“I think I understand now. This isn’t what she wants. You are not her best friend. You were just grasping at anything to keep yourself in denial.” This caused myself to growl angrily at me, the blade shaking in her hold. “She died for your sake and you are disrespecting her by trying to run away from it all.” I batted the blade aside and returned the glare to myself. “Screw that!! I’m tired of running away! I’ve made so many damned mistakes that I felt lost and stuck! And the only pony who ever held out her hoof to me is the very same you grieve for! This isn’t your fight. This isn’t ours to win!” Myself’s eyes widened and she stepped back.

I felt an overwhelming sense of determination and acceptance. I tugged the front of my own shirt and picked up Excalibat. I somehow felt lighter. And shinier? There was a strange light emanating around me. I swished Excalibat to my side. “Fie has the courage to face everything the world throws at her. She’s smart and capable of handling the situation all by herself if she needs to. And if she ever needs help, I’ll be there by her side.” I said. “And it won’t just be me. Her and I aren’t alone to face the world.” Flashes of Cloudchaser, Flitter Glider and Silver Scribble went by me. Then the images of Twilight and the others trying just as hard as she is. I sensed two presences beside me. One who was very familiar. The other, somepony who I am not. But the presence had a strong aura and valiant air about them. Knowing Din’s eyes, myself could see the visages of the presences beside me. Excalibat began to glow and crack. I flourished the blade in front of me and aimed it right as the wood shattered, revealing a shining magnificent blade that shimmered in the fire. The green no longer there but instead, a bright red flowing aura surrounding the blade.

The golden hilt shimmered with seven colorful jewels and a circular pommel with a calligraphy I was able to understand. Vigilance. Myself shook angrily and screamed loudly, the fire flaring along with the colorful butterflies fluttering around us. Myself took to the sky and primed herself to attack, charging me with the tip of Din’s blade aimed at me. I readied myself, feeling Fie’s and the valiant presence clasp the fresh leather bound handle, the blade glowing brightly. This blinded myself and with a quick slash upward, myself flew over me and crashed into the ground.

I held my pose, taking in the feeling that washed over me. When it settled, I stood up and swished the blade, walking over to the small crater that myself created. I paused, seeing her clutching herself and painfully crawling away, a blood trail being left behind. I couldn’t help but feel pity. I walked over to her, seeing her reaching for Din’s blade. I moved around her and stamped on her foreleg. She screamed as I put a hoof on the pommel of Din’s blade, aiming the now transformed Excalibat at her.

“The fight you are trying to continue has already been long over. I’m sorry about your loss. If I had any power to do something about it… I would. But I should thank you too. You showed me that I do have that power right now. I can stop our suffering and walk with Fie into the future she will bring. I cannot go back and undo everything I’ve done. But as she always told us. We have to be our best selves.” I studied myself sadly. Tears were streaming down her face as she glared angrily, almost defiantly at me. “Don’t you remember what that was like?”

Myself panted, wincing as she shifted on the ground.

“Being… my best… self?” Myself spoke. She then gave a pained chuckle before looking up at me. “No… no I don’t think she ever told me that…” I lowered my head a little. Suddenly, a burst of fire erupted just behind myself and the spectral image of Din walked over to us. She studied us quietly. I met her look.

“I would never be the right vessel for you. There would be no way we would get along. Fie was the only one who could make you understand. I would only bring you down.” I sighed. “But I promise you. We will not make the same mistakes. As my word as Quiet Fire’s best friend. The one who will walk by her side till the end.” I plucked Din’s blade from the ground and tossed it down at her hooves. “It’s time to rest. You’ve fought as best you could.”

Din’s image lowered her head to the blade and picked it up in her sharp teeth. She walked over to myself and adjusted the blade, the tip aimed at me. Myself winced as I let her go and she rolled over onto her back, holding her wound. She met Din’s eyes and a grin formed.

“Heh. I’m such a pain in the ass…” Myself spoke. Din stabbed the blade into myself and her body jolted. Din stepped back and we watched as her blade disappeared into a fiery blaze, the fire igniting around myself. She didn’t scream. She didn’t move. It was as if she had died long ago already. Peeling away from whatever held her together vanished into ember until there was nothing left. The butterflies began to settle. The spring breeze blowing by me as I stood where I was, staring at the spot Din and myself had been.

Something told me that what had just happened ended a story to begin a new one. I then stared at the blade in my magic hold. The steel sharp and glinting in the sun. I then smiled as I shifted the blade to a reflection of myself. The same, but different pony.

Chapter 40: Midnight Castle

Quiet Fire’s POV

All through the morning and afternoon had been relatively a dead end. Scribble and I were careful when asking the villagers about anything unusual with the passing Triads. No pony really questioned the activity and some of the Triad that pass by were residents or locals of Sundew. By afternoon, we met up with Cloudchaser at a cafe for lunch break. I couldn’t help but feel a bit clingy to Cloudchaser, but I made sure I was being mindful about my behavior.

Sometime during the evening, Din began to stir to the point I couldn’t even hear myself think. She was swearing to herself angrily that somepony was copying her power. Scribble and Cloudchaser were quiet as we entered into a secluded area to where I could argue to Din that what she was experiencing was probably something else. I suggested it might be the power of the Phoenix she borrowed or the magic taken from the other dimension. This seemed to convince Din enough, but she still bothered me with how much she was grumbling.

I finally sighed and turned to the others.

“We might as well head back and try again tomorrow.” I said. The three of us headed back towards the west exit of Sundew, heading down the dirt path. The sun was starting to set and I was starting to feel exhausted. Cloudchaser froze in front of us.

“Fire?!” She exclaimed in worry. My eyes shot forward and we could see smoke over the hill. It appeared to be in the direction of the estate. My heart sank and without saying anything, I galloped ahead, Cloudchaser and Scribble right behind me. When we scrambled over the hill, we saw Moochik bawling his eyes out with Posey and Lack-a-daisy tossing stuff into the fire. Our pacing came to a slow as we curiously walked towards them. It looked to be that they were burning furniture for some reason. Is this a fae activity?

“What’s going on??” I asked quizzically. Posey beamed and waved at us.

“Oh, you’re back! Don’t mind us, we’re just doing some extra needed spring cleaning.” She giggled as she then gleefully stamped and smashed a lamp, roaring like a barbarian before tossing the pieces into the fire. Lack-a-daisy groaned in annoyance.

“Can you at least keep it down? It’s bad enough with what happened earlier.” She frowned as she tossed in what appeared to be a suitcase of belongings. I noticed that she had a patch on her cheek. I also noticed that the stuff they were burning were disintegrating relatively instantly the moment they entered the fire. Moochik bawled again.

“N-no! Not that one! Oi spent me loife’s werk gettin’ that!” He cried. Posey blinked and looked at the orb that had a beastial eye inside of it. Eerie whispering could be heard from it. Posey shrugged and tossed it in the fire, causing Moochik to bawl uncontrollably again. Cloudchaser rubbed the back of her head.

“Err, I know this may not concern us, but why exactly are you upset over this?” Cloudchaser asked. I nudged her a little and she shrugged apologetically. Moochik sniffled.

“All me moons collectin’ priceless magical knick-knacks!” He bawled. “Why cruel world, why!!?” Poesy pat the fae’s back comfortingly.

“There, there, Moochik. All we are doing is putting them up for sale on the black market. Think of it as a way to PAY US BACK FOR RUINING MY FIELDS!!” Posey flared angrily, fire comically spewing from her mouth. She shook the dwarf violently, her sudden change in temper taking all three of us aback. Lack-a-daisy frowned.

“Hey, less goofing off and more sugar cubes.” She said, tossing in a suite of armor. Posey quickly returned to her beaming self, dropping Moochik down onto his rump and trot-skipping over to a pile. My eyes then saw Thi Billet dragging a covered furniture out of the gate and over to them. Moochik balked.

“Not Vallion’s Mirror! Twas a birthday gif’! He called out. Thi grunted as she brought it over to the fire and after a quick wipe of her brow, she then spun and bucked it into the fire. When she turned back around, she smiled at me. Something was different about her. Curious and worried, I used Din’s eyes to peek at Thi. No distortion around her. In fact, she did look a bit… shinier? Thi noticed my look and she sighed with a reassuring nod.

“Hope your day was eventful. Spring cleaning is kind of interesting.” She said. I narrowed my eyes suspiciously at her.

“I see… Just to be sure, what was I studying in Mr. Pin-up’s class?” I asked. This question may seem out of the blue, but if Thi isn’t under a fae spell, I can be sure. If she gets it wrong, that’s what I’m expecting and can confirm she’s the real Thi Billet. Yet, what she replied completely took me off guard.

“Mr. Pin-up studied theory magic. You wanted to study up on any magic related to the theory of love and-“

“Ooookay! Ahaha! Not what I was really asking. Can you give us a moment?” I asked the others, nervously trying to play off the sudden reply. I only received amused looks from Cloudchaser and Scribble as I walked with Thi away from them. When we were out of ear shot, I turned to Thi. “What the hell, Thi?! How do you remember that?” I asked. “You never paid attention to my studies!” Thi gave a soft chuckle.

“You’re right. I never did care about what you were studying. But I did care about you.” She replied. I arched a brow and she sighed, sitting down on her haunches. “Fie… believe it or not… I took a long look at myself and realized something. Obviously, I haven’t been the best friend you wanted me to be and I really did get caught up in my antics. I wasn’t thinking about the consequences of everycreature around me and only thought of you. You were the one who stood by me and I didn’t.” She lowered her head. “Sorry is never going to cut it. And I’m not sure how I can fully apologize for all the things I did to you with my absence. But what I can do is look ahead with you. That I should be walking with you and not ahead of you.”

I was speechless as she gave me a sincere smile.

“I really did miss you too, Fie. More than I thought I did.” She snickered and tapped her horn. “From this day onward, I’m going to prove to you that what I’ve said is the truth. And that way, you can boast how proud you are of me.” I studied Thi, dumbfounded. My look furrowed into concern.

“Okay, I’m going to see if the fae can tell me how to lift the spell off you.” I said, quickly turning around. Thi stopped me by tugging on my cloak. I looked over my shoulder and she nodded.

“I need to thank them anyway. They really did help out.” She smirked. “Perhaps Moochik can manage something to allow us to listen to Flipper’s band perform? I’m curious about singing frogs now.” She said, trotting past me. Again, I was speechless. It really did feel like an entire one-eighty with her. I still was convinced the fae did something to her, so I’ll have to be on guard for now. When I met back up with the others, Concierge had trotted up to the estate and smiled at the sight of the fire.

“Ahh, excellent work, girls! This’ll definitely improve Paradise Estate forthcoming!” She beamed. She then noticed Lack-a-daisy and her look instantly went into, what I would guess is “mama-bear” mode. “Who put their hooves on one of my girls?!” She glared. Thi stepped forward and faced Concierge’s glare. She then bowed apologetically.

“Things got a little out of hoof, Concierge. I was helping Moochik organize the attic when one of the artifacts decided to activate and cause trouble. I managed to contain it and resolve the issue. I apologize for any harm on anypony here and will work to ensure it never happens again.” She said. Okay, now I’m concerned even more. Lack-a-daisy stepped forward and pat Thi on the back.

“Not all mortals are bad, Concierge. This one showed a lot of responsibility. And she did save the world a whole load of trouble.” She smiled. Concierge adjusted her half-moon spectacles and looked between the two. She then saw the bawling Moochick, rolling around like a ball. Concierge groaned and rubbed her muzzle.

“Moochik, you and I are going to have a long talk. For now, girls, let’s finish this up and retreat for the night. We have to meet up with a guest in Mushroom Mire.” She said. Posey suddenly slumped and sadly pouted.

“Awww… I hate humidity…” she pouted before turning around and dumping several objects into the fire. Thi then held up a hoof to the passing Concierge.

“Err, hang on.” She said. Concierge side-eyed her. “Thank you for giving me the chance.” Concierge arched a brow.

“What are you talking about? Don’t bother me with these sentimental thanks. I’m not the one you should be thanking. Goodnight.” Concierge spoke coldly before trotting through the gate. Thi hummed before shrugging, turning around to face us.

“So, did you guys manage to find anything out about the Triad?” She asked. I narrowed my look at her. But Thi seemed to wait patiently as Scribble shook his head.

“I am afraid that our search hasn’t been eventful. Everypony we talked to only told us that the Euclidian army come and go as they please. There is a base not too far from us that is used as a check point. The road would lead us further into Flutter Valley.” He said. Thi rubbed her chin.

“Flutter Valley isn’t heavily armed with the Euclidian army. Now that I think about it, when we saw those group of soldiers and the flags, they weren’t Triad at all. They bore similar appeal, but the insignia was different.” She replied. “Maybe the Triad don’t operate in Flutter Valley. My best guess is that we have to head further inland to see any actual Triad activity.”

“Triad? Those pesky ponies that keep haggering us for the estate?” Lack-a-daisy spoke. We looked at each other before nodding. Lack-a-daisy shook her head. “So you weren’t joking about fleeing from the Triad. We had planned to have dumped you over Crystal Cove for even mentioning them.” She said. Thi smiled.

“We are actually trying to find out where they are keeping our friend and the heir to Roam. We were also hoping to find out what’s going on with them.” She said. Lack-a-daisy studied her.

“Well, considering you did us a huge favor, I guess we can tell you that where we are heading will point you in the right direction. Just follow our guests.” She said.

“That easy?” I asked. “What’s the catch?” Lack-a-daisy shrugged as she began dousing the fire with a blanket.

“If the Mush-Lurkers don’t eat you alive, then it’d be the guest’s company, I’d imagine.”

The next morning had me feeling rather tingly. I nuzzled Cloudchaser as we stirred awake. Feeling the passion from last night, I wanted to stay in. Cloudchaser, however, playfully woke me up with an affectionate nibble on my ear. I yawned and stretched before hopping into the shower. Yesterday also had me thinking back to Thi. She certainly seemed different. Yet, I still wasn’t sure how I felt about her situation still. On one hoof, I was hesitant to bring her along. Keeping her here would help keep her in check.

On the other, it seems like what she told me was entirely from the heart and for a moment, I felt that my best friend had come back to me. However, I’ll have to see if that is really true once we arrive at Mushroom Mire. Having dried off while Cloudchaser showered next, I threw my mail and hoodie cloak on and strapped my saddle bags on. When Cloudchaser was dried and readied, we walked out of our room and into the lobby where Thi and Scribble were waiting for us.

Strangely, Thi and Scribble seemed to be playing a card game I wasn’t familiar with. Thi smirked and placed a card down. Scribble, however, stoically placed his card down and Thi balked.

“Hey! That’s not how that works! Is it?” She asked as she then levitated a book over to her and skimmed the pages. Scribble side-eyed us calmly.

“Morning, girls.” He said. “Seems the night was calm enough.” Cloudchaser and I flushed a little. We then noticed the three estate clerks trot by, dawning cloaks. Lack-a-daisy gave us a knowing nod as they walked out the door. I threw my own hood up and looked to the others.

“Let’s follow them. But not too closely.” I said. My friends nodded.

“Oi, before ya’ go!” Moochik said suddenly as he hopped down from the counter. He waddled over to me and held up a magnifying glass. “Keep this on ye. Oi err… managed ta’ erase yer names from tha’ ledger and forged ‘em. Yer free ta’ come an’ go as ye loik here. So long as ye look through yon glass, tha’ gate’ll be there.” I blinked and studied the magnifying glass. I then stuffed it carefully in my saddle bag before having an epiphany. I then passed it to Scribble.

“Here, you hold onto it. I might end up breaking it.” I smiled. Scribble gave me a questioning look before taking it and putting it in his saddle bag. I then faced Moochik. “Why are you doing this?” I asked. Moochik stuffed his hands in his belt and rocked back and forth.

“Oh, Paradise Estate ain’t jus’ ‘ome o’ tha’ fae. Twas used as an sanctuary moons ago. Tha’ girls’ll understand. They taken a loikin’ ta’ ye.” Moochik beamed. I looked to my friends and they shrugged.

“Err… if you say so. Thanks for everything, Moochik.” I said as we turned to head out the door. Moochik waved.

“Give Megan me regards!” He called out. I paused. Megan? Megan Williams? That reminded me of the journal other dimension Twilight gave to me. I closed the door and upon exiting the gate, I gasped as when I thought of Mushroom Mire, I wasn’t thinking about the trees being actual mushrooms. We stared in awe as the sounds of the wildlife were met with the huge mushrooms covering the sky. It was also quite humid and the mud wet and sticky. Cloudchaser scanned the area and pointed.

“There they go.” She said. We followed her hoof and saw the three fae ponies trot over a bridge across a cliff. I studied the area a bit more before nodding. We followed quite a bit aways from them. The three had traversed deeply into the mire. I nearly tripped as my hoof got stuck in mud, Cloudchaser catching me. We smiled before continuing. The three must have traveled for a full five minutes before coming to a clearing and stopping. We managed to take cover behind a bushel of tall mushrooms, peeking out to see the three stand still as statues.

They faced into the humid haze, our breaths stifled in anticipation. What kind of guest are these three waiting for? We got our answer after a few minutes of waiting. It started with stamping. Then, came the clanking of armor. Then, the rolling of wheels. Our eyes widened as a low growl could be heard. From the haze emerged a head of a dragon. Or… was it a dragon? It lumbered on all fours as a second head emerged. What kind of creature is that? A pseudo hydra? What followed next was the appearance of a centaur. Muscular, red upper torso and bulky minotaur arms and a mean looking set of horns perfectly curved to gorge. At first, I thought Tirek had escaped at first, but this centaur was not as big as he is.

Two hulking figures that had the stature of diamond dogs hung back with mean looking halberds, escorting a chariot. On the chariot, which made all of our hearts skip a beat, was General Lilac. The stone cold second in command of the Triad. Somehow, she looked a little paler. Din shifted and growled, yet remained unspoken. Accompanying next to the stoic, cold gaze of the mare was a hooded figure. It was hard to make out any distinct features. Almost like a specter.

The lumbering, two headed hydra beast came to a stop and Lilac and the figure stepped off. The cloaked figure seemed to glide along the ground, the cloak dragging behind in the mud. Who wears a long cloak like that? The three fae ponies stepped forward and bowed. Lilac stepped forward, standing with an air of commanding respect.

“I take it you have what we asked?” Lilac spoke, her voice smooth yet icy. Concierge stood up right and nodded. She then turned to the other two and they rose a singular foreleg and hoof up into the air. A bright light shone and a stack of several Triad crates from the facility appeared. Not only that, some relics that seemed to be super ancient. Thi lowered her head, a dawning realization on her. The three fae ponies remained silent as they stepped aside to allow Lilac to examine everything.

When she had finished her inspection, she turned to the hooded cloaked figure and nodded. It then began speaking, but in a dialect I was unfamiliar with. Din, however, suddenly spoke.

Time is of the essence. The stars are becoming brighter by the second. Let us hurry and begin our worship. Din straightened and narrowed her eyes. The Highest Evil… I tilted my head a little in confusion. General Lilac nodded and whistled. Thi gasped along with Cloudchaser. My heart sank.

Flitter Glider cracked into existence,
Her entire demeanor stiff and at attention. She was wearing what appeared to be a ragged jumpsuit with a strange sleek protrusion on the sides of her face. Three more ponies had appeared in the same manner. Roam’s heir stood by Flitter. Next to the heir was Xena, the zebra mare we met in Vanhoover. Next to her, was Lo Mien. Thi grit her teeth, her eyes darting in thought. Lilac motioned to the relics and crates. Lo Mien and Xena walked over to the crates and put their hooves on them. A loud crack sounded and the mares vanished with the crates.

Flitter and the heir went to the relics, doing the same gesture before vanishing with them. The hooded figure began to speak as Lilac returned to the chariot.

Your patronage is a blessing. For when our savior arrives soon, you will be seated amongst your kin in paradise. Farewell, forgotten ones. The hooded figure seemed to dissipate and appear next to Lilac. I noticed the three fae hold back venomous glares as the estrange group turned and left the clearing. When the coast was clear, we stepped out of hiding. Lack-a-daisy looked over along with Poesy while Concierge remained staring in the direction the group had returned to.

“You shouldn’t be meddling with their ilk. We agreed to keep mortals out of our affairs, Daisy.” Concierge spoke without turning her hooded head to them. Lack-a-daisy gave her a pleading look.

“You know that these are not normal ponies. They are the ones spoken about in the stars. Please, Concierge! We need help!” She said. Concierge still didn’t face them. We exchanged glances before I stepped forward.

“I have no idea what is going on, but if you have personal beef with the Triad and whoever those creatures are, it’s our business too. They have our friend and other important ponies we need to save. Whatever we can do to help, we can.” I said. Thi nodded.

“It all makes sense. At least, part of it. That’s how the Triad were getting the relics and managing to move about in secret.” Thi spoke. Posey and Lack-a-daisy bowed their heads in shame. Concierge remained unmoving.

“I… I’m sorry about all of this…” Lack-a-daisy spoke. “We truly didn’t want you all to be in Paradise Estate. It isn’t a sanctuary for any creature to be in. We only had you along because Moochik expressly told us not to bother you. He said… that you all are going to save the world.” Concierge shook her head slowly.

“Fairy tales. All of it.” She said, finally turning to them. She had tears welling up. “What do mortals offer that hasn’t doomed our kind…” Thi stepped up next to me.

“For one, we have an ace up our sleeve.” She said, nudging me a little. “And two, we are not your average mortals. We’ve had our tussles with gods and monsters. And now that a new figure is in play, somethings are starting to click into place.” She then looked to the two mares. “Where are they camped at?” The two hesitated.

“M-Midnight Castle. It’s an abandoned ruin, but it has been the epicenter of… a lot of things here recently.” Posey said. Thi looked to us.

“Then we know what to do next.” She met my look. I was a bit baffled. It really does sound like Thi got her act together all of a sudden. I still remain to be convinced. Concierge snorted before turning and pushing past us.

“Do what you want. Don’t expect our help any further.” She hissed coldly, trotting back in the direction of the estate. Lack-a-daisy sighed sadly and followed after her. As Posey walked by, she then stopped and took my hoof into her’s.

“Concierge means well. She just needs help. Please… save our friends. Save your friends. For Moochik’s sake. For our sake. And the world’s.” She gave me a sincere smile before cantering after the others. The three faes vanished into the haze, leaving us to ponder what happened. I studied my hoof and flexed it. She had passed me a strange shell. It was nothing special aside from the design of it looking like a horn. I stuffed it in my saddle bag and turned to my friends.

“Alright, it’s time to think of a plan.” I said.

Following the tracks of the chariot, we had made it out of the mire and onto a vast field. It almost looked very closely to Zebrica. However, the wildlife was sparse. Only birds and butterflies as much as I could see even with Din’s eyes. However, nothing could mistake the eye sore of a dark castle in the distance. Just beyond a shoreline connected to a coast city stood on crag like rocks high overhead. The place looked to have seen much better days in the past.

Thi scanned the area, spying the top of the castle.

“Midnight Castle. Where it all started.” She said. Scribble opened his journal and began scribbling down things.

“If I recall, Midnight Castle was the epicenter of a mass of dark magic and foul beasts that terrorized Pony Land. Not much is known about it aside from the Centaur uprising that put Tirac on the throne.” He said before looking up at us. “That’d be Lord Tirek’s great grandfather.” I rubbed my chin at this in thought as we proceeded down the path to the city.

“By the start of it all, what exactly do you mean?” I asked. Thi motioned at the castle.

“Legends are usually spoken after they have happened long ago. This is where Scorpan originated from. At least of what we know. And if you recall history class in CSGU, he’s the warlock that helped Starswirl the Bearded ages ago.” She explained. “This castle is what inspired Starswirl himself to begin his studies on ancient magic and the works of what we know today.”

“Most of it is still being scribed in current language translation to this day, but from what archivists and historians have gathered, it’s all pretty profound evidence that this is the birthplace of the magic we use throughout generations.” Scribble chimed in. Cloudchaser rubbed the back of her head in awe.

“Cool…” she marveled. She then furrowed her look determinedly. “Then there is possibly a chance to free Flitter and the others. Knowing our luck with ancient magic and all.” Thi sighed.

“I wish I could share that sentiment. But the magic spoken about hasn’t been around for millennia. I don’t think Celestia and Luna are able to fully harness such magic if it is still around.” She nodded to her as we began to approach the entrance to the city. “But perhaps they will have something that can help regardless.” Thi yelped and backed away as an autowagon honked and sped by. We did a double take. The road was paved and it appeared that autowagons were heading in and out of the city.

“Seems Equestria still has a long ways to go for autowagon advancement.” Scribble commented. We stayed to the side of the road and entered the city. Octave City as the sign read overhead. Somehow, when we entered further into the bustling coast side city, the air seemed to sparkle and shimmer into a sunset like glow. There were even bubbles that seemed to appear from nowhere. I hissed in pain as a bubble had popped in my eye.

“Aaaaghh! Who thought this was a good idea?!” I exclaimed, rubbing my eye. Thi motioned up on a television screen on a building.

“Who else?” She said. I looked through one eye and saw General Lilac saluting the sky with several faceless Triad ponies saluting to an air ship opposite of her. Cartoonish calligraphy wrote out:

Become a part of the orchestra. Join Euclides in the fight for the light.

The screen flicked, showing the face of General Lilac looking down at the busy bodies of ponies.

“Please, enjoy your stay and relax to the wondrous sounds of the pride of Euclides. Octave City is home to the best and brightest. May we walk in the abyss to guide the light.” Her voice echoed throughout the city. “This message is approved by Grand Orchesteal Conductor General Lilac of the Euclidian six-hundredth and sixty seventh fleet. Please, obey all laws and traffic for a brighter and happier Euclidian city.” The screen then flicked to an advert of Dough-Bun Hunkaroos.

Thi sighed.

“This is as close to dystopia as you can get with the Triad.” She spoke. I looked around. To my surprise, everypony that moved about didn’t seem hindered by anything. It felt like a normal city in Equestria with the added flare of ecstasy. More bubbles flutter around us and I frowned, popping one with my hoof.

“Hmph. A little too much paradisy for me.” I said. Thi trotted ahead and motioned with a hoof.

“This way. Believe it or not, I’ve been to this place before.” She said, pausing in thought. “Before the bubbles and the strange fake sunset.” She added. The more we progressed through the city, the more Thi seemed to sweat a little. Everything had appeared to change for her. Some structures looked crystalized with strange flora that resembled brass instruments. There was even a cross-walk that had an interactive piano that several foals jumped on happily. The sound of orchestral music could be heard throughout the city. It was surprisingly not intrusive and only heard if you listened for it. Thi eventually slumped as we reached what appeared to be the harbor and coast of Octave City.

It was packed with ponies sunbathing and playing in the water.

“This place is a lot more lively than it was previously.” She commented in annoyance.

“That’s because Grand Conductor General Lilac kicked out the previous mayor and took over the city.” A voice spoke. We looked to see a pony couple cuddling together while leaning over the railing. The mare in the sunhat spoke. “She’s the greatest pony to ever grace this city and brought it back from a financial crisis. Businesses are rocketing at an all time high! Isn’t that right, honey?” She turned to a mustachioed stallion, who had a typical elitist guffaw.

“But of course, dear! Otherwise, those peons at EMI would still be wasting away all of Euclides’s favors for that ghastly nation Equestria.” He laughed. The mare joined in. This struck a nerve with us.

“But I thought EMI-“ Scribble quickly covered Cloudchaser’s muzzle and shook his head. I steeled myself, repeating something I never thought I had to do again after leaving Canterlot when speaking to a pony.

“That is quite the achievement for our Euclides. Say, perhaps you would be so kind as to direct us to… a boat to yon castle?” I asked. The ponies looked me up and down.

“I say. For one who speaks like an elite certainly doesn’t show it.” The stallion spoke.

“Of course, dear. They are tourists. Probably from Vanhoover of all places.” The mare said disgustedly at me.

“Oh my! Well, I don’t to be associating with the losing side. Good day, peons.” The stallion spoke as the two scoffed and walked away in the elite like fashion. I could feel a vein pulse as I did my best to not punch them.

“Th-thank you for your time.” I replied, trying my best to keep a friendly smile. When they were gone, I turned around and began kicking the railing. “I hate elites…” I hissed. Cloudchaser winced.

“And I thought Canterlot elites were too high on their horses.” She said. Thi scanned the beach and frowned.

“Well, we better start searching for a way to get to Midnight Castle.” She said, hopping over the railing and landing on the sand. Scribble and I hopped over, following after her. We spent a good hour traversing southward towards the castle in hopes of finding anypony or anything that might get us there. When we reached the bottom of a pier with a carnival above us, we sighed and sat facing the shoreline towards the castle.

I was almost tempted to suggest flying there, but we don’t want to be apprehended by the Euclidian army before we had a chance to explain ourselves. I could tell both Thi and Cloudchaser were getting antsy. I held Cloudchaser’s hoof and smiled reassuringly at her. She smiled back and proceeded to nuzzle me affectionately in an attempt to calm herself down. Thi tapped her hoof in thought.

“Perhaps we can make a raft and get there? If we have to, we’ll have to find somepony in the city, but at this point, we are too deep behind enemy lines.” She said. I had a strange thought. I reached into my saddle bag and withdrew the shell. Posey gave this to me for a reason. Shells are associated with the ocean so… what does it do? I held it up to my ear. I could hear a faint singing from inside of it. Curious, I then put the shell bottom to my lips and blew it. Nothing aside from a faint whistle.

I looked out to the ocean, expecting to see something. When nothing did, I studied the shell a bit more. From my blurred vision, I noticed something poke out from behind a pillar of the pier. Everypony else noticed it too. It was a pony head that was halfway submerged into the water. We exchanged glances before I then looked at the shell. I then blew into it again. The submerged pony head perked up and moved a bit closer. We stood up and readied ourselves.

The pony then rose from the water, revealing an aquatic body with small wing fins on the back.

“A seapony?” Thi began. That’s a seapony? Why does it look completely different to the ones in Seaquestria? I got up and walked carefully to the edge of the shore. The seapony tilted its’ head curiously at me. I then held up the shell.

“Err… my name is Quiet Fire. Who are you?” I asked. The seapony blinked.

“I could ask you the same thing, Equestrian.” She said suddenly. I was a bit taken aback by the sudden voice. “Are you the one who called us?” I blinked quizzically before looking at the shell.

“Err… yes?” I replied, hoping to play off my curiosity. The seapony beamed.

“Oh wow! No pony has ever called us in ages! Hi, new friends! I’m Sea Salt!” The seapony exclaimed happily. Her demeanor allowed me to ease a little. “Say… how did you even get that? Those are given to only the best of friends with Queen Abyss.” I rubbed the back of my head.

“Err… well…” I began.

“One of Queen Abyss’s friends is in dire need of help and we are trusted to go in her stead. We need to help someponies from Midnight Castle, but we have no way of getting over to it.” Thi chimed in. I couldn’t help but smile softly. Sea Salt hummed.

“Interesting. Oh well! If the best of friends think you’re a best of friends, then we all are bestest friends!” She giggled. She then turned to the ocean and in a strange change of voice, she sang:

“Shoo-be-doo Shoo-shoo-be-doo!” We waited for a brief moment. My eyes widened in surprise as several more seaponies emerged from the water, chattering amongst themselves as they curiously looked at us. Scribble couldn’t help but chuckle a bit.

“Incredible.” He marveled. Cloudchaser crossed her forelegs.

“Well, what do you know. Who would have thought a Seaquestria was off the shore of Pony Land.” She smiled. Sea Salt turned us, giggling.

“Sillies. We aren’t from Seaquestria! That’s too long a swim for us! We actually live at the bottom of Midnight Castle!” She replied. Thi rubbed her chin.

“You don’t say. So… by chance have there been some… unpleasant company in the castle?” She asked. Sea Salt nodded sadly.

“Oh yes. Quite a lot actually. Sometimes, the upshorers would toss empty bottles and plastic over the edge. Had to deal with several seafoals getting sick from playing near the surface.” She replied. “Ever since those upshorers took residence, it’s been rather noisy and not fun at all.” She then sighed. “We would do something about it, if they didn’t look so scary.” Thi side-eyed me with a smile and nudged me. I quickly gathered my words.

“Oh, uh. Well, then don’t fret because that is why we are here.” I said with a swing of my hoof. “We are uhh… here to have a nice little chat with the residence of the castle. And now that we’ve heard your plight, perhaps we can put in a good word about you all.” Sea Salt’s eyes widened and sparkled in admiration.

“For realsies??” She asked. I rubbed the back of my head.

“Eeyup.” I replied. The other seaponies seemed to chatter amongst themselves before nodding to Sea Salt.

“Yay! We’ll help new friends across!” She said happily before diving back into the water. The other seaponies did the same, leaving us to ponder what just happened. We waited for what felt like an hour and I was starting to suspect we were played when Sea Salt came around from under the pier, dragging a raft by the rope. She spat the rope from her mouth and smiled. “Here ya’ go! It’s a bit hastily made, but it’s calm waters across the board!” Cloudchaser chuckled.

“Thanks Sea Salt. We owe you big time.” She said. Sea Salt giggled excitably before diving back in. Several other sea ponies harnessed themselves to the front of the raft as we stepped on board. Thi gave a worried look.

“Won’t we be caught by the Euclidian navy or something?” She asked. Sea Salt grinned.

“We go the route they don’t travel on! Just hang on tight!” She said. “Shoo-be-doo Shoo-shoo-be-doo!” The seaponies began to move as we steadied ourselves on the raft. There was something strangely exhilarating about taking a raft ride with seaponies. We moved out from under the pier and began to move further and further out to the ocean. As we went, the seaponies began to sing.

It was strangely catchy that I couldn’t help but tap my hoof to the song. This was a nice change of pace from what we’ve been dealing with all throughout our journey. I almost forgot how fun it is just adventuring.

The sun was starting to set as we approached the bottom of Midnight Castle. The seaponies sped along the water, happily chatting to themselves while I looked up to the massive castle. Din stirred.

She’s here… I can feel her. Din spoke.

‘Din… that figure in the cloak… didn’t you call it the highest evil?’ I asked her. Din shifted slightly.

The aura gave off the impression. I would suspect no less that it has ties with the highest evil. Be on guard. If it was like last time, they truly do not have our best intentions. She almost sounded worried. Now my senses were on high alert. As we got closer to the castle, my heart skipped a beat and I quickly dipped my head into the water and yank the rope hard. This got the seaponies to yelp in surprise. We came to a floating stop as I motioned to the seaponies closer to the rocks.

“Cloudchaser, peek around the corner. I think we got spotted.” I whispered to her. Sea Salt watched as Cloudchaser hovered and floated over to a pair of jagged rocks. She peeked her head over and looked around, including upward just to be sure before floating back over to us.

“I think we are okay. There are Triad patrolling the docks though.” She said. “A lot of them.” Thi looked to Sea Salt.

“Is there another way in the castle? One that uhh… doesn’t involve company?” She asked. Sea Salt tilted her head.

“But I thought you wanted to talk to the upshorers?” She replied quizzically. Thi nodded with a smile.

“We do. Just not those ponies. Those ponies are… not really invited. And if they see us well… they might just think we aren’t the ponies meant to talk to.” She explained. Sea Salt and the other seaponies chattered amongst themsleves. Thi and I exchanged glances before Sea Salt turned back to us.

“I think we get it. We do know of another way! And since you have a pegasi with you, it’ll be easy!” She said as she dipped into the water and harnessed herself to the rope. The seaponies brought us away from the docks and back around the castle. When we made it to the other end, Sea Salt halted the raft and pointed with her snout to the gargoyles. “Your pegasus friend needs to twist the middle one’s head.” She proudly proclaimed. Cloudchaser smirked.

“Got it.” She said before taking off gently and twisting the gargoyle’s head. The sound of rumbling could be heard and I panicked a little. Using Din’s eyes, I quickly scanned the ramparts and windows. Surprisingly enough, nothing was stirred save for the wall that shrunk down into the water, releasing what must have been centuries of cold water being flooded. When the water died down, a tunnel was revealed. The seaponies swam in and I called upon a small flame to light our path. The ocean waves crashing against the rocks echoed as we soon arrived to a worn down and collapsed dock. Thi activated her light spell at the tip of her horn and whistled.

“Must be the first ponies in centuries to breathe this air.” She commented. Sea Salt smiled as she turned to us.

“I hope we can to see you soon! More friends are always welcome!” She said. The seaponies waved their wing fins excitably before diving into the water. Scribble rubbed his chin.

“I wonder how long time flies for them.” He wondered. Thi nudged him.

“C’mon. Time to focus up.” She said with a grin. We stepped off the raft as Cloudchaser tied the rope to a rock and we proceeded upward through the crumbling mess. We trotted down the dark hallway, the unlit wall scones showing plenty of age and weather. When we arrived to an open chamber, we were greeted with a pungent odor that we weren’t sure was just the ancient air or that something was down here. I lit the fire a bit more to show off the room a little further. It was a barren chamber that had stairs leading in different directions.

Cloudchaser clicked her tongue. “Tch, which way do we go?” She asked. Thi turned to us.

“We’ll split up. Cover more ground that way.” She said. I turned to her with concern.

“Are you sure?” I asked. Thi smiled and I shielded my eyes as a bright golden light shone and a shining blade sang as Thi shouldered it.

“Trust me. I’m a new mare this time. I’ll make sure I don’t inconvenience anypony else.” She smirked. “Unless my life depends on it, of course.” I wasn’t convinced. Seeing that blade made Din suddenly escalate a cackle into a laugh.

She’s the one! Ahahaha! Yesyesyesyes!! Aaahhhahahaha!! We’ve done it vessel!! We just need to drag my worthless sister back to the tree and that serpent is as good as dead!! Hehehehe! Din’s excitable exclamation made me uneasy. I studied Thi a bit more.

"Thi... where did you get that sword?" I asked. Thi held up the blade in her magic.

"Err... I guess I inherited it? I'm... really not sure to be honest. A lot of things happened while you guys were out yesterday. This is Excalibat transformed too." She explained. "But that shouldn't matter. Right now, we need to get our friends out of here and stop whatever is going on." I suddenly put a hoof on her shoulder and met her look.

“Thi…” I began. Thi smiled and pat my hoof reassuredly.

“Can you promise me one thing, Fie?” She asked. I was going to tell her how worried I was about her change, but I couldn’t find the right words. I only listened to what she had to say. “Try not to leave us again. If you do, maybe write a letter first.” She smirked. I still couldn’t comprehend this. Was she truly back? I backed away a little and bowed my head slightly.

“I’ll try.” I said with a small sigh. Thi then turned to Scribble and he nodded, the two heading in the other direction leaving Cloudchaser and I to take the other route. As we traversed up the steps, Cloudchaser put a wing around me.

“You okay, Fie?” She asked. I was quiet in thought for a bit before looking at her and nodding.

“I think I am. I just wonder if Thi really did get herself together.” I replied. Cloudchaser rubbed the back of her head.

“Err… no offense but… how can you tell? Thi isn’t easy to read.” She asked. I smiled softly.

“The eyes tell it all.” I simply said.

Thi Billet’s POV

I couldn’t get the look of concern from Fie out of my head. It was if she was clarifying to herself over and over if I was truly her friend or not. And it made me feel awful. How I’ve been around her since the start of this, I don’t blame her for thinking even I was a pre-Chrysalis changeling or something. But I know deep down, I’m me. I’ve always been me. And I have to prove not just to her and my friends, but to myself as well. To show that I am truly a mare that can walk beside her.

My train of thought was cut off as I bumped into the side of a wall. Scribble was studying me as we walked, as if gauging what was going on with me. I’ll admit, the stallion doing so made me feel a bit strange. This was a completely new feeling. My mind shot back to my panicked kiss and I felt a little hot in the face. However, I couldn’t help but feel that I should apologize for my behavior about it. Before all of that, I was being aloof with him, despite him trying to engage in understanding my issues.

It finally built up enough to where I finally broke.

“Hey, egghead.” I began.

“Hmm?” Scribble replied. My mouth opened to speak, only to pause. I then sighed, unable to hide it anymore.

“Out of all the ponies I’ve met aside from Fie, you were always so stubbornly butting heads with me. I don’t know what is up with you, but it was kind of annoying.” I finally said.

“I’m touched.” Scribble simply replied stoically. I frowned a little.

“And that’s another thing. You always seem to disassociate with even the simplest conversation. I’m just curious now. Why did you really come with us? I get on the surface we picked you because you seemed capable. But why did you truly think we were worth the effort?” Scribble didn’t look to me as we continued and spoke.

“I’ll admit, having to team up with two of Equestria’s insanely stupid mares was a disaster waiting to happen. I could have been comfortably camping at an abandon ruin, trying to uncover its’ secrets and mysteries. I could have helped our society take off with new found information. Perhaps invent the cure for Cutie Blight. Or better yet, live a life of isolation and decay ever so slowly in my lonesome life.” He explained. “It all sounded delightful in my head. But, my call to aid for Equestria was surprisingly stronger than I thought. Why waste my brain for my own personal sake than use it to help Equestria?” I narrowed my look.

“You’re really that selfless?” I asked. Scribble shook his head.

“Never said I was selfless. Opportunities just came up. More so when I decided that teaming with a demi-god and an insane terrorist was beneficial for my long standing health and lack of a medical license.” He replied.

“Now you’re just being an ass.” I spoke.

“And yet, I’m still endearing.” He replied. I felt a small smile creep up on me.

“All those books and yet you can’t even treat a mare kindly enough.” I teased. Scribble was quick.

“You’re a mare?” He asked with a stoically raised brow. I snickered.

“You’re right. I mean to say badass.” I pat my chest smugly. This made Scribble crack a small smile. Something you don’t really see from him often. Scribble then gave a serious look.

“Yet, I can’t help but share Fie’s concerns. You sure the fae haven’t done anything to you?” He asked. I nodded.

“All I did was clean and help them empty out an attic. It’s how I found the sword. They didn’t seem to mind me having it so I just brought it along.” I replied. Scribble rubbed his chin as we continued progressing through the castle, having to ascend some steps as we did.

“You mentioned it is Excalibat transformed… how?” He asked. I shrugged.

“Your guess is a good as mine.” I replied. Scribble shook his head.

“Because now it looks awfully a lot like Excalibur’s own sword.” He said. I blinked and called out my sword to show it to him. Scribble studied the blade and his eyes widened. “Because it is… But how…? The fae had it this whole time?” I winced and thought back to my reflection.

“I… think I always had it with me. I just… never knew it existed till now.” I replied, hopefully sounding like I’m making sense. Scribble looked at me stunned. I felt a bit hot in the face again. Why is this feeling popping up when he looks at me like a puppy?

“Thi… you don’t understand what this means.” He said. I cleared my throat, hoping to calm my heated face.

“Y-you’re right. I have no single idea what it could mean.” I said. Scribble stopped, causing me to halt as I reached the top of the stairs.

“Thi… holding Excalibur’s blade… you know of the legends, don’t you?” He began. I rubbed the back of my head, studying the sword.

“I feel like you’ll tell me now. I only know of the fairy tale.” I replied. Scribble nodded.

“Excalibur was a knightly hero. He was chosen by the gods to slay the dragon of malevolence. The tale has some truth to it because this very blade was unearthed in a broken and unrestorative state along with a skeleton they believe to be Excalibur himself. Thi, this blade is currently in the historical museum back in Manehatten.” He explained. I tilted my head.

“Then… I guess the skeleton and blade they found was just a random pony?” I shrugged. Scribble walked past me and reached for a blade that was on the ground of a decayed carpet in the hall. He swung it around a few times before dropping it and taking Excalibur from my magic. He then swung it around, only the sound of the swishing it made could be heard. When he passed it back to me, he also passed the weathered blade as well.

“Swing the broken blade and then swing Excalibur.” He told me. I arched a brow but did as I was told. Swinging the weathered blade felt brittle and light. Like it was going to shatter any moment. I then swung Excalibur and a soothing hum made a distinct difference than how Scribble swung it. I blinked quizzically.

“It’s… singing?” I asked. Scribble nodded.

“Excalibur, whenever he drew or swung his blade, it would sing as if a harmony of angelic voices carried him forward. It’s been spoken in his legend that anycreature who used it wouldn’t have the same effect if held or swung. That sword carried the entire world onto Excalibur’s shoulders. It defined him as the one who could step into godhood and reign over the world as a king.” He explained. “But it’s believed Excalibur doesn’t have any descendants. He never married or sired.”

I studied the stallion. As silly as it sounded, something told me that it wasn’t just for the sake of geeking out. I swished the blade in front of me, listening to the soft hum of it singing as I did. Our conversation was cut short when we looked up and noticed that we were not really in a castle hallway. At least, not the entirety of it. It appeared that smooth floors and built in lighting was relatively new to the ancient design almost similar to how it was back in the Zetecan Temple.

I called away my blade and looked to Scribble.

“Got any spare rocks?” I asked. Scribble didn’t hesitate and brought out a satchel of rocks that I tied to my saddlebag. We then proceeded further into the Triad constructed hall. They must have drilled into the wall and made their way further into the cliff as appeared over a balcony that over looked the ocean. Following the hall again, we eventually found ourselves having to take cover as now we were seeing Triad scientists trotting about and hunched over things.

I scanned the area, seeing plenty of science equipment and partially constructed weapons along with strange tall containers that had several ponies floating in them. My stomach was starting to churn upon seeing the tubes holding the ponies, my eyes then following two Triad scientists trotting over to a table with several colorful crystals that they placed onto a table and rack. Scribble whispered.

“This must be R&D.” He said. I looked around again, trying to see how we can make it through the hall without being spotted by the clear glass labs. My eyes then fell onto two ponies walking out of a room, adjusting their lab coats and allowing three more to enter. That must be the changing room.

“If we can get into that room, we might be able to disguise ourselves. Hopefully, the tracing spell isn’t active here.” I whispered to him. I then studied the stallion and noticed he was wearing a lab coat already. I rubbed my chin and looked down at myself. I then stripped off my denim jacket and shirt and stuffed them in my saddle bag. “Scribble. Perhaps you can get me inside. You are already playing the part.” I whispered. Scribble looked down at himself and nodded. Taking a moment to ensure we were good, Scribble stepped out of hiding and walked with a certain awkward swagger that almost made him look like he hasn’t slept in a day.

I followed after him, keeping my head down and hoping no pony would recognize me instantly. We made it into the changing room with no issues. I quickly stuck to the edge as some scientist ponies were conversing with one another. Scribble didn’t skip a beat and opened up a locker, withdrawing a lab coat and glasses. He tossed me the coat and I quickly put it on before he passed me the glasses. I arched a brow and sighed. Never thought I’d wear glasses. But then again, I never thought I’d look good in a maid outfit. I popped the lens out and put them on.

Scribble studied me before snickering. I frowned.

“What’s so funny?” I asked in a low voice.

“If you weren’t all brawn, I’d say you’d look rather adorable right now. A proper egghead.” He said. I dunno why I felt a little offended, but when he spun me around and pushed me along, I focused up. We walked down the hall, keeping ourselves mindful as we proceeded through the labs. When we reached the back to another door, I froze. Two Triad guards stood at attention like statues. A sign over the compressed doors read:

Research and Development Senior Labs. No Entry Without Authorization.

Scribble rubbed his chin before withdrawing a rock. I looked at him in concern.

“Are you sure about that?” I whispered to him. Scribble nodded.

“While you were searching through the temple, I came across some schematics that was discovered along with that glove we found. I figured I’d do some testing and found I can do certain things with my magical rocks. Lo and behold.” He crushed the rocks in his hooves and stepped around the corner to the guards. They met his look, only to be greeted with him throwing the powder in their faces. I almost missed it by blinking. It was like their specters were separated from their bodies but their physical bodies remained unmoving.

Scribble leaned down and took something off the ground. It wasn’t there a second ago. I walked over to him as he held up the band and the door opened. When we entered the room and the door closed, I finally spoke.

“What just…?” I began.

“Invisibility pollen from the temple mixed with a duplication freeze spell. Their bodies are currently unconscious and invisible to the naked eye while the powder will playback their last actions for the past ten minutes. Which is completely standing still.” He explained. “We have about an hour before it wears off.” I smiled and nudged him.

“You always manage to impress me.” I said. I noticed him shifting awkwardly before we continued forward. Surprisingly, entering the labs was darker than I thought. No pony must be in right now. Scribble walked over to a door and it opened, revealing what looked to be a command post of some kind. A giant television screen making up the wall with consoles and knobs and buttons lining perpendicular to each other in rows on bulky machines. Scribble took a seat at one of the consoles and used his band to get into the system.

It took some doing, but he managed to activate the tall screen and began to tap on the buttons to scroll through files. I made sure to look back every three minutes to ensure we weren’t being walked in on. Scribble gasped and I looked up at the screen. It was an image of what appeared to be an X-ray of a pony. Strange spots were dotting around the skeleton. He brought up more files and began skimming through them. He looked grim as he read more and more. I was unable to follow fully.

“Thi. They’ve been doing more experimentation with the Sombranite. Look at this.” He then brought up an X-ray. “Those black dots are the Sombranite latching onto and causing deformations. That’s the result of a failed experiment. The files read deceased.” He said. My heart skipped a beat.

“So… what about the one Flitter was injected with?” I asked. Scribble skimmed through the files.

“It’s a prototype of the current formula they are using. It wasn’t meant to latch on and be prolonged.” He met my look. “Flitter was supposed to be clear of it after two weeks.” I looked up at the screen.

“No kidding? So, why hasn’t it?” I asked.

“Says here they used actual bits of King Sombra himself to create the formula. The properties were unknown at the time, but it appears that it is a symbiote as it reacted to the archaic crystals around the lab it was researched in.” My jaw dropped.

“You aren’t saying…” I dreaded. Scribble nodded grimly.

“It seems King Sombra is still thriving off a host. The fact it triggers at all means it’s in a stagnant state. But upon more use… I can only imagine King Sombra taking the guise of a Wonder Bolt mare.” He explained. I leaned forward.

“How do we stop it?” I asked.

“Killing the host.” Scribble said without skipping a beat as he finished reading a file. I shook my head.

“Screw that. There has to be a way to better resolve it.” I quickly replied. Scribble hummed in thought. He then perked up at an idea.

“Transfusion…?” He began. I tilted my head. “Blood transfusion. The symbiote is latching onto Flitter in her bloodstream. If we can transfuse the blood to another pony, she’ll be free of it.” He explained.

“Yeah, but that means we still have a similar issue, different pony.” I retorted. Scribble rubbed his chin.

“Maybe… Fie can?” He asked more to himself. My eyes narrowed. “Fie and Din are practically in synchronization and fully compatible with one another at this point. I’m certain if King Sombra wants to mess with a demi-god, he’d be dispelled before even trying. Maybe… Din can take the symbiote’s magical properties for her own use?” He sighed. “It makes sense if you think about it. But I’m unsure how badly it’ll affect Fie. Demi-god or not, she has mortal flesh. We’d be giving King Sombra the ability to destroy everything and anything in his path.”

I bit my lip in thought. I wasn’t liking our options at all. Scribble began to tap at the console, tilting his head.

“Interesting. I can access the databases of other facilities around the world from here.” He said. He tapped on one option and it brought up a password tab. He clicked his tongue. “Figures. Thi, can we check and see if somepony may have left any passwords around we can try?” He asked. I nodded and proceeded to canter down the rows. Bit by bit, I shifted and skimmed through files and notes on employee stations. I eventually wandered into a side room office that appeared to be connected to a generator room. Going through the desk and filing cabinets, I eventually found a couple of discarded notes that appeared to be important self reminders of passwords.

I trotted back over to Scribble and placed it in front of him on the desk. One by one, he went through the passwords, managing to get through to only a couple of data bases. When he managed to get to one, he paused.

“Hold on… this isn’t an R&D file… how did this get in here?” He asked. I looked at the screen as he brought up several tabs that popped up. One of the tabs led to a link. Scribble skimmed the tabs and his look darkened. Without a word, he tapped on the link and a map of Equestria was brought up. It lit up like Hearths Warming Eve. I rubbed my chin.

“What am I looking at?” I asked.

“Sombranite subjects.” He simply said. My jaw dropped again. The dots were all over. From Vanhoover, to Saddle Arabia, to the Crystal Empire, Dodge Junction, Badlands, Manehatten, Appleloosa, Mount Eris, Dragon Lands and even Griffon Stone. They were everywhere. Another tab popped up with a question:

Approve of operation? All authorized personal must unanimously continue. Status: 4:5

“By Celestia… Equestria never stood a chance…” I said. I then felt something cold tap the back of my head and several sounds of arc weapons cocking. Scribble and I held up our hooves as the screen flickered over to a silhouette of a chair facing its’ back to us. Several monitors were displayed behind the chair.

“How magical friendship can be.” A distorted voice spoke. “A value that blinds even the most skeptical. A true mask that anypony can wear. Ones that even your dear leaders of Equestria wear without pause.” I glanced over my shoulder. Lo Mien held her arc pistol to my head, her dead, stone cold eyes meeting mine. With her was Xena, aiming a similar pistol at Scribble. “Would you two be such dears and dispose of the rats?” My eyes widened and as quickly as the command was given, I called Excalibur, blinding the room and the two mares.

Scribble and I shoved them over and galloped out of the room, barreling down towards a set of steps that led upward. Cutting the corners, we burst through a room where several Triad guards looked at us in confusion. We, however, galloped by them without stopping, I used my magic to move objects around to throw what looked to be threats off balance. A quick look over my shoulder had me gasp as Xena and Lo Mien deftly finessed through the crowd. We bolted down a hall and through several conjoining rooms that led into other areas, ending up walking out to a rampart that opened up.

We galloped over to the next far corner entry way in an attempt to keep running when we came to a stop as a massive mechanical claw rose over the edge and hoisted a serpentine body with a sharp and sleek chrome skeletal dragon head that looked down at us with a glowing red visor. We turned around to gallop back, only to see several Triad guards emerge and aim their weapons at us along with Xena and Lo Mien, who pushed themselves through the crowd and walked over to us. They came to a stop just a few hoof steps away from us.

I gulped and gave my best smile I could manage. “Heeeeyyy Xena. Lo. Been… a hot minute.”

Chapter 41: What We Fight For

Quiet Fire’s POV

Cloudchaser and I proceeded through a hallway that seemed to expand a lot farther than we anticipated. Thankfully, it felt like it was shortened as I had conversed with Din over Thi. She expressed such fond enthusiasm about it.

I’m really fired up now!! Are you sure we can’t break through everything and hurry this up?? Din excitably asked impatiently. It was completely jarring and made me uncomfortable how eager she was.

‘Din, just calm down a little. If we rush now, you’ll never get that opportunity you’ve been fighting so hard for.’ I thought to her. Din grumbled but didn’t argue. ‘In any case, Thi really is the final piece of the ascension?’ Din scoffed.

Need I remind you that what the Tree of Power told us? The one who bears Malevolence Bane will be the key to our victory. I knew I had a good feeling about her! She truly does resemble Excalibur himself now that I can confirm it! She cackled like a child. It was still hard for me to believe. I can’t help but feel like the fae were partially responsible for the sudden change in my best friend. But I can’t deny Din her enthusiasm. I wonder if Thi is aware now of her heritage?

I would want to question her more, but at the moment, first things first. I glanced at Cloudchaser as the pegasus seemed to be lost in thought. I noticed her fidgeting her hooves together. We finally reached a set of steps to our left and ascended them. For some reason, the steps were quite steep. How were ponies able to walk through here without stumbling over themselves? We stepped through the door way and found ourselves in another hall. The decorations were surprisingly sparse. Any hint of the past this castle had was only met with cobwebs and ancient dust.

“How are we ever going to find Flitter in here?” Cloudchaser asked, her worry starting to increase. I pat her hoof reassuredly.

“With our luck, we either walk in on Triad that have Flitter or she’ll find us.” I said with a soft smile. Cloudchaser looked at me in confusion. I sighed and shook my head. “It was a joke, babe.” Cloudchaser tried to muster a smile but failed. My heart couldn’t stand seeing her like this. The twins had been a good boost to moral and inspiration ever since I started this journey with them. Flitter always supported from the backlines with Scribble and I can tell that without her, Cloudchaser’s confidence is shot.

My ears then twitched as I heard what sounded like the chorus clanking of armor and hoof steps. I looked around in a slight panic, the barren hallway unable to provide anything for us. Cloudchaser must have heard it too and motioned for me to follow her. We hurried down the hall and found a door way that was caved in but had enough room for us to squeeze into. Cloudchaser went in first and I followed after. It was a tight fit that we pressed against each other.

Trying to calm my intrusive thoughts in the moment, I listened in as the clanking got louder and louder. Voices were then heard.

“…As you requested.” A baritone voice spoke with a slight rasp. We peeked out and saw the centaur reached at his belt and pulled out a purple pouch. A distinct sound of a heart beat could be heard and pulsing in the pouch. Cloudchaser looked sickened as the centaur passed it to the hooded cloaked figure we saw back in the mire. Din was quick to interpret the dialect.

With enough of this realm’s hope and harmony altogether, the cycle of rebirth will continue. Are the preparations ready for our arrival? Din spoke. It was like she was forced to understand it as she felt like she was sickened by the words. The centaur crossed his muscular arms.

“Unfortunately, the setbacks have been greatly inconveniencing progress. Seems General Lilac is not the leader she had inherited to be.” He said with a smug smile. The cloaked figure glided slowly ahead of them, the hissing distorted voice washing an icy chill over both of us.

Her part along with this kingdom’s own ruler still are vital to our arrival. The one bearing fire has been busy and successfully brought five together. And somehow, I can feel that she is ever so close to finding the oldest. Din spoke. This made Din widen in shock. Quiet Fire… I… I felt the back of my entire coat stand on end. Was it me or was the cloaked figure looking in our direction. There was no doubt about it. It knows we are here. It then spoke, turning around to the centaur. We have time. Let us allow events to play out as intended. We still have to express our gratitude towards our guest. Din spoke. My eyes widened.

“It has been quite fun. And annoying at the same time.” A voice said, the pony stepping out of the shadows. Not just a pony. The scalene bald head, serpentine eyes in the guise of a brown earth pony with a snake tail slithering behind him. Ouroboros was beaming happily. “I was wondering when you’d invite me to your little house on the prairie.” He whistled. “Hard to believe this place isn’t what is used to be. I had fond memories creating mischief here.”

I felt Din shake angrily. I did my best to ensure both of us to remain calm and not blow our cover. Though, at this point, we are already had by the figure. Ouroboros probably knows as well. What Din spoke next had me a little baffled.

Tis a shame the stars have abandoned you. But do not fret for long. Your powers will return in time. Din translated. Ouroboros shrugged.

“Just like the seven, I’m under the radar. No scale off my back. It’s a nice change to just relax and let loose. Mortals certainly know a good time.” Ouroboros said. “Though, I’m a little curious. You’ve spoken to Equualie during your time here. Has she cracked enough?” The figure nodded.

Her strength is with us. Do not worry. It will be soon that her aid will be valuable. Din spoke. Ouroboros sighed and nodded. The group then proceeded to continue walking down the hall.

“One more thing. What are we going to do about our ah… burning star? Not that I’m worried. I’m just curious on what the plan is.” Ouroboros asked.

In due time. What you must know is that every piece is in play. When the Tree has blossomed, we will feast. Din said, her tone sounding as if the words were dawning on her. The group of creatures proceeded down the hall and turned a corner out of sight. When we were sure the coast was clear, Cloudchaser and I squeezed out of hiding. Cloudchaser shivered.

“Everytime that figure speaks, I get serious death chills.” She said. I nodded.

“Not only that, it knows we are here. And of course, it doesn’t seem to matter to them.” I replied. Cloudchaser blinked.

“You can understand it? I get a serious headache just hearing it.” Cloudchaser said. I shifted my look to a serious one.

“Come on. We gotta’ find Flitter. Nothing we can do against eldritch monstrosities.” I said as we proceeded to cautiously approach the corner. Peeking out around it, it appears we have arrived to the main foyer. To our surprise, there was no sign of any Triad around. We expected to be swarmed with them inside. Still keeping cautious, we made our way out towards the set of steps leading up. The room was massive, but at the same time, sparse with decorations.

No banners, no flags, not even wilted flowers or destroyed furniture. Just simple decay and rubble. When we got to the top of the steps, a pair of tall double oak doors, decayed and cracked, barred our way. Cloudchaser placed a hoof on the door and pushed. The door didn’t budge. She tried pulling, still didn’t budge. I sighed and looked over my shoulder, looking to see if there was another way aside from the main lobby entrance. My heart skipped a beat when we heard the sound of hooves galloping and echoing across the room. It was at any moment they could burst through. Have we’ve been spotted? Bracing ourselves, we waited to face the Triad.

Only, the door didn’t burst open. In fact, the echoing gallops were going further and further away. There was no mistaken the call to arms of the Triad. My only guess is that Thi and Scribble got caught. I was about to head back towards the main entrance when the door we stood in front of creaked open. We spun around and gasped as we looked up to a looming, hulking mass of a centaur. He eyed us, as if realizing the bugs he had come across. Several more figures emerged and we stepped back down the steps.

The bipedal armored dogs bared their halberds at us, aimed to strike. The centaur crossed his arms and grinned.

“To what pleasure has the Fire Demon graced us with? When the alarm sprang about intruders, I should have guessed it’d been the heroes sent by Equestria.” He said. Cloudchaser gulped while I was getting ready into my stance. The centaur noticed this and waved a hand at me. “At ease, pony. Aren’t you supposed to be the sensible one?” I narrowed my eyes.

“From what I’ve been through, sense is starting to leave me.” I replied. “Where’s Flitter Glider?” The centaur raised a brow.

“You ponies have strange names. For all I know, you could be asking about a flower or a metaphor. How about a strong name. For example.” He then bumped his chest with his fist. “Tyrone. Such a strong name, don’t you think?” I shook my head.

“No stranger than Megan Williams. But I’m not here to talk names. Lilac colored pony, mint straight mane. A pegasus with a bow. Considered very important to Triad.” I arched a brow. “Even better. A zebra mare that is the next in line to the throne.” Tyrone sighed and slumped.

“We have two. And so many others at our bending might. You know how little that narrows it down?” He replied.

“Then how about we have you remember us!” Cloudchaser snarled, crackling Hercules’s gauntlet. Tyrone cracked his neck and smirked. Magic began to swirl between his horns.

“Unlike my nephew, I can make a god scream.” He grinned challengingly. I returned his smirk.

“Then why are you licking the boot of an eldritch being?” I challenged.

“Survival.” He simply stated before waving two fingers to the dog guards. They growled and snarled as they advanced. Cloudchaser readied herself as I called upon my staff, getting into a ready stance. The dog guards rushed us. I was expecting more of a fight, but it turned out to be a comical routine where we confused the dogs enough that they’d stumble and hit one another. I had called away my staff and just focused on dodging, effectively having the dogs fall onto themselves in a pile. Cloudchaser and I exchanged a glance before shrugging and facing Tyrone.

Tyrone rubbed his face in frustration.

“Give them everything and they still are clumsy mutts…” He muttered. Cloudchaser arched a brow.

“Frankly, the Triad would have been a better option. But from the sound of it, they are preoccupied with something else.” She smirked. Tyrone waved a hand in front of him.

“They are merely for show. I promised them my grandfather’s bones for their meals if they played the part well.” He sighed. I gave a disturbed look.

“Enough of this! Where is my sister!?” Cloudchaser growled, readying her gauntlet. Tyrone didn’t respond. Only smirked. I balked as Cloudchaser zipped towards him and began to punch and wail on him, the centaur having to hold up his arms to defend himself.

“Cloudchaser, wait!” I called out. It was too late. Tyrone grinned and with a swift brush of his arm against her hoof, he then grabbed ahold of her wings and swung her around above him before slamming her down the steps. My eyes widened in shock as Cloudchaser bounced and rolled down, her wings bent and misshapen as well as one of her legs bending in the wrong direction. The wind must have gotten knocked out of her as well as she was struggling to breathe.

“Cloudchaser!!” I called out as I galloped over and leaned down, carefully shifting her so she could breathe better. I looked up towards Tyrone as he dusted his shoulder off.

“The one thing I learned about ponies is how aggressive they can be. Nothing but stubby bulls, I suspect.” He replied. I felt the warmth surround me. Din cackled as I felt stranger through my anger. I leaned over Cloudchaser and whispered something that even I couldn’t understand. My lover glowed an amber aura and I watched as her body mended itself, her wings shaping back to normal and her leg no longer mangled. Cloudchaser inhaled sharply and sat up, wincing and holding onto her leg in pain.

“Aaaaggghh!! Everything…! Hurts…!!” She cried out. I did my best to calm her. When she blinked out of her hysteria, she looked at me in confusion before looking down at herself. “Fie… how…?” She asked dumbfounded. I let her go gently before standing up and facing the centaur. Tyrone brushed his beard amusedly.

“So… this is the one that creature spoke about. A mane and tail of fire. Coat as black as the abyss. And eyes burning brighter than her own. I’ll admit, your status was questionable. I am glad you are going to prove me wrong.” He grinned. I stepped onto the stairs, my hoof steps leaving a small print of fire behind me. Tyrone’s horns glowed and concentrated at the center before aiming it at me. A massive and powerful spell beam washed over me.

“Fie!!” I heard Cloudchaser call out. Din cackled as Tyrone canceled his spell and his eyes widened in intrigue. I was unharmed. Din’s barrier hugging my body like armor rather than a bubble.

Vessel! This magic!! It’s… it’s… everything a mare could want~! Din swooned. I ignored Din’s strange feelings flowing through her as I stared down the centaur. I wanted him to try something again. A gauge to see how tough he really is. That was, until the door creaked and out stepped General Lilac herself. Din’s gaze fell onto the mare and all her erotic emotions left her for sheer anger and spite. The stoic mare walked towards us.

“Tyrone. What did we say about throwing magic around inside the castle?” She stated, her tone sounding exhausted. Tyrone stepped aside to reveal me arriving at the top of the stairs.

“Welcoming our new guests. Are the intruders apprehended?” He asked coolly. Lilac ignored me and frowned at the centaur.

“That is of no concern to you, beast. My troops will handle it. Though, now I suspect that the intruder is an old enemy.” Lilac grinned. “Excelsior will take care of her. Quiet Fire… how long has it been?” She stared me down. I didn’t respond and only walked towards her. Lilac glanced past me before meeting my look. I stopped as her figure glowed and flailing strands of light forming wings emerged from her. “Is this what you have been looking for?” Din spoke through me.

“Vile creatine! Whore of a dongwasp!! You dare hold power that doesn’t belong to you?! Your head will be staked upon the world serpent’s fangs once I chop it, and his, off! After I sever your limbs from your own hide!!” Din spat venomously. Lilac remained stoic.

“By all means. Destroy this place and all the lives within it. You’ll only solidify Equestria’s downfall.” Lilac spoke. I took over this time.

“You’re right. I’m not ashamed to admit that. I wasn’t in control at the time. But I think you can see how far I’ve come.” I replied, returning her stoic look. “You and I are going to have a long chat.” Lilac was unamused. She looked to Tyrone.

“It wants to see you.” She said. Tyrone snorted and stamped away calmly into the doorway. Cloudchaser walked over to me.

“Where’s my sister?” Cloudchaser asked coldly. Lilac looked to her.

“Subject Zero? Further inside.” She said. Cloudchaser bristled, but I put a hoof to her and she eased. General Lilac exhaled and when the light vanished, her legs quivered and she nearly stumbled. Din and I took note of this in unison before easing our own power. With the tension lowered to some degree, Lilac spun on her hooves and shambled through the doorway. Cloudchaser leaned in towards me.

“What is wrong with everycreature here?” She asked. I shook my head.

“We’re going to find out.” I replied.

Thi Billet’s POV

Scribble and I were facing the edge of the castle rampart. The wide open space having Triad at attention as Xena and Lo Mien held us at gun point. We looked down into the crashing waves below. My eyes them looked to the sleek, serpentine dragon like mecha that idled along a cliff side and watched us. Just what is that thing? I glanced at Scribble, who seemed to have his eyes closed. Weather in thought or prayer, there was only death waiting for us.

Unfortunately for the Triad, I’m a hard mare to kill. I already have a dumb idea that I’m betting fifty-fifty on. I then looked over my shoulder through the corner of my eye.

“Lo Mien. Don’t we go way back? I know we have had a few tussles here and there, but don’t you think this begets the whole reason we are fighting for?” I asked. Lo Mien didn’t speak. “I mean, I understand why you would do all of this just for me. I…” I sighed. “I’m not a nice pony. Never stated I was. Can you at least hear what I have to say before you pull the trigger?” Lo Mien’s eyes narrowed. With the way she was postured, I could tell she was under some control. Whatever was done to her wasn’t as effective.

I know Lo Mien. She always comes prepared. And seeing the life in her eyes compared to Xena, it was a dead give away. I faced ahead, standing firm and straight.

“I was never a good comrade to you or the others. I was always running off by myself and doing a lot of dumb stuff that would always nearly jeopardize the mission. And of course.. it lead to six hundred thousand we can never get back. Despite all of that, I ran. Weather to cope or to deny myself any redemption, I ran away as far as I could. And anything that caught up to me, I would face it with a cocky grin and an arsenal. It was an… exhilarating rush of dopamine.” I glanced at Scribble, who was side-eyeing me. “And after jumping ship and going freelance, I never looked back. Not until recently. The many creatures I’ve harmed. The many lives I’ve taken intentionally or assisted, I grew to build a wall that painted “justice” with the blood of the many lives.

“The Triad, deserving of some needed beatings, was the only thing keeping me held at that excuse. You know as well how much the Triad are responsible for a lot of deaths like I am. So, why side with them? Killing me for your satisfaction is only the starting point. You maybe stone cold and a killer, but you are not heartless. Believe it or not, I did consider you, Cassette and the others as friends.”

“And yet, you still chose the path of death.” She finally spoke. “You chose to abandon your Equinanity. You brought every bad luck upon all who you came across. I saw it back in Trottingham. That pegasus would have never thought to do such an act. But then I am reminded constantly about you. Your influence is just as bad as the power elements.” She eyed me coldly. “The fact you are here shows you haven’t changed in the slightest.”

“That is enough, subject.” A voice spoke. Lo Mien stiffened and stood to the side along with Xena. Lo Mien was incredible. Blinking out of my stupor, Scribble and I turned to see a heavily armored bipedal dog bearing a spear and escorting a mustachioed pony with swirling lenses. Something about the ragged look and strange accessories was like something out of a cartoon. “No need to waste precious resources. These two will make for excellent test subjects.”

“And you are?” Scribble asked calmly. The pony stepped forward and cleared his throat.

“Professor Gluten. Head scientist for the Equestrian Ministries Incorporated and creator of Excelsior.” He looked out to the cliff side and sighed. The massive mecha serpent seemed to be scanning the waves. “My greatest creation second to the Bi-Pod Skipper.” He sniffled and wiped a tear from under his glasses. Scribble sighed.

“Do the Triad just not care for who they put in charge? I swear, half of the reason we are so lucky is because of their choice of leadership.” Scribble said. He then turned his look to me, as if expecting me to answer. I blinked in confusion.

“Huh? You want me to answer that? I still have no clue how they can even do half the things they do logically.” I hummed. “Well… maybe three certain ponies… but I’m not sure they are inclined to talk to us about anything.” I replied. Professor Gluten waved a hoof in front of him.

“So long as the ideals match. There is plenty of nuance to the system, as far as I can say. But that is not your concern at the moment. Nor is it mine.” He then began to pace. “You see, as head scientist, I have been given the exclusive privilege to watch over our Queen and study her mind and body as much as I desire. For she holds a power greater than any mortal can hold.”

“Let me guess. Lux.” I said. The professor nodded.

“The light of the very ideal she created. The foundation of what drives our community forward. With her acquiring of this power, she has so graciously given it in fractions to test upon what you’ve experienced. And we have plans to do more. All simple guessing really. It’s amazing how a primal’s power can regress such data. Ancient as time itself.” He replied.

“And the point, point dexter?” Scribble asked.

“To see how far the extent of Lux’s power can go. We’ve broken the limits at least ten times already within a month! And with the help of an advisor, the output has been greatly rewarding in data.” He held out a hoof towards Excelsior. “Our fair queen. One who will guide us from the abyss and into the light, has merged her body, mind and spirit into Lux. Together, they guide us in our advancement.” He marveled.

“And yet, something doesn’t add up.” Scribble spoke. “The abundance of resources.” Professor Gluten arched a brow.

“Whatever do you mean? Pony Land has been ripe with untouched land and hidden discoveries! Why, we’ve combed the nation top to bottom! Faced the guardians and monsters alike to bring data back! There was not a single speck of dirt we have not put to use.” He said, grinning under his stache. “For wherever we go, the land gives unto us its’ life. And it continues to give without dying.”

“And how long is that going to last?” Scribble asked unamused. “It still doesn’t add up. How is one nation still able to give and give and give. What is the point of taking if it is abundantly filled to the brim with boons. Why start a war over nothing? What is the real reason we are fighting?” Scribble rubbed his chin. “Even searching through the files in your old bases, nothing was conclusive. My only guess is that something otherworldly has happened. And that’s not even a stretch if you are aware of your Queen’s plight.

“My issue is that nothing is making sense. All the ideals we’ve heard throughout our journey have been one simple ideal of an individual and not the status quo. It’s as if you all stubbornly refuse to admit that you have no idea what or why you are doing it all anymore. Was it lost to time? Is it up for interpretation? Why is the Triad continuing to exist? Why is it so… cultish?” He sighed. “Even if you lost your status quo, that doesn’t excuse any of the inequine kidnapping of creatures, threats and attempt of assassinations on our princesses’s lives or the invasion of our home.

“If Queen Moonlight Sonata had any animosity to our royals, why go through all this trouble? Why do any of this? Why has she not been voicing herself in this whole situation?” His eyes locked on to the professor. I studied Scribble to see what he was getting at. And it did dawn on me.

“That’s right…” I began. I faced the professor. “We haven’t heard from Sonata throughout our entire conflict… And I know Sonata on a personal level. She can talk herself for as long as she wants too.” I furrowed my look to concern. “Sonata maybe batshit crazy, but not once has she actively stepped hoof into any of this that she would for sure would have made herself known.” I then frowned. “And why has she been skipping out on those out of body experiences Fie keeps mentioning? What… did you do to Sonata?”

The weather was being strange. It was sunny outside when we arrived at the castle, but now distant storm clouds were fast approaching. The distant rumble of thunder could be heard as everypony went quiet. Professor Gluten adjusted his glasses.

“How astute.” He said. Scribble glared at him.

“So that’s why everypony seems to think they are in charge during situations… General Lilac… what about her? She’s been actively involved in almost everything. But I’m guessing lately, Lilac has been slipping.” Scribble said, his eyes narrowing. I nodded.

“Her lap dog was better at managing things until I killed her back in Trottingham.” I said. “Ever since, it just seems like Lilac has been letting things go past her watch or better yet, allowing certain things because she has no time for it.” I lowered myself into a ready stance. “I knew something was off the moment the Triad decided to take in zebra. And here I was thinking you finally got rid of your prejudice.” My eyes glinted. “So… who’s the eldritch monstrosity running this joint?”

Professor Gluten met my challengingly look. He then withdrew a black crystal. It strangely bubbled a bit like hot tar as he placed it on the ground and stepped back.

“Hail to your king.” The professor spoke. Xena, Lo Mien and all of the Triad in attendance suddenly began to shake and shudder, some of them screaming in pain and clutching at themselves. Our eyes widened in shock as the professor grinned under his stache. Lo Mien fell onto her side and writhed in agony while Xena clutched her head and screamed into to the darkening clouds that were quickly approaching. Black tar seeped out of everypony’s eyes and mouths, snaking along the ground and through the cracks of the rampart.

They converged on the crystal and the tar began to bubble and grow. The bubbling tar began to take the shape of a tall, unicorn stallion with a sharp, jagged red horn. His normal features being caked in tar. Yet, when the eyes opened, it eyed us with a sickening green hue that had black tendrils flailing at the edges. The Triad, Lo Mien and Xena straightened from their agony and their eyes now were blackened over, the tar like substance trickling down their cheeks and sides of their muzzles.

“What on our fair green earth…” Scribble said shaken, his stoicism completely gone. Professor Gluten stepped next to the amalgamation of tar and pony.

“Do you like it? The product of both primal and equine ingenuity! Rebirth! This specimen holds the memories and will of everycreature combined to create a perfect ideal!” My eyes widened again as from the creature’s back unfurled bone like wings that flapped once, flicking the tar off of it. Professor Gluten hummed and stroked his stache. “Incomplete. Drat. But that’s to be expected in science. Progress is made, nonetheless.” He said. I growled and called upon Vigilance, aiming the sword at him.

“You bastard…! Is this really all some scientific experiment to you?! Aren’t they your own kind?! How many more must you steal away for these failures?!” I spat. Professor Gluten smirked.

“Don’t preach to me about caring for your own kind, Billet. Perhaps if you weren’t so adamant against our own nation, we wouldn’t be here.” He chuckled. I felt my blood boil and was about to move when Scribble stepped in front of me, facing the scientist.

“None of us should even be here. Not even you, Gluten. Yet, I’m starting to suspect you wanted this to happen. Ponies like you live in the moment of war and strife. What did that thing promise you? Why go through all this trouble for failures?” He said stoically. Somehow, Scribble was looking cooler than usual. Gluten scoffed.

“Don’t you understand? The light that we so look forward to? We would discard our flesh, memories and ideals to create the perfect race to be in charge of this realm. Creatures like ponies, dragons, griffons, minotaur, abyssinians, you name it, have no right to stake their claims on this land. Long ago, this world was birthed by a race thought to be the true creators and pioneers of every generation. The light of our rebirth! Our creation into the true generation! We are in the abyss ever seeking the light! Our fair queen’s ideal is this! Returning to our origins!” Gluten marveled.

Scribble stepped back a little, his expression disturbed and concerned, his eyes darting between everypony. Yet, I smirked and stepped up next to him. Professor Gluten narrowed his eyes at me.

“Ha! Well ain’t that a buck in the head? C’mon, Scribble. Didn’t you say that every Triad we met had their own idea of what the ideal is? Gluten here is no different.” I said. Scribble looked at me with worry. Gluten scoffed.

“And what do you know, you brainless mercenary?” He retorted. I tapped my horn.

“Because even though I’m brainless, I have enough to know that my experiences with Moonlight Sonata is quite intimate. She wouldn’t approve of this at all. I mean, how ridiculous is it that she would want something so disgusting and unnatural to be even on any level with or above her?” I pointed at the creature. “Whatever this is? Sonata would have never given any funding over it. The robots and all the ancient magic relics in the world are the only thing Sonata cared about.

“So I’ll ask again. Who’s the eldritch monstrosity making the calls here and where is your glorified queen?” I narrowed my eyes challengingly at the professor. All of this still doesn’t add up. My scuffs with General Lilac and Sonata are much more organized and way better than this. As much as I hate to admit this, I can’t believe I’m going to try and get my worst enemies out of this mess if I can. This goes against everything I’ve fought for. Every incident I’m responsible for with them.

Is this even the right thing to do? This won’t redeem me of anything but… I can’t just let this go unchecked. Sonata maybe a bitch and cold hearted tyrant with handling her own troops and managing her own military, but not once has she ever vied for anything other than herself. The superior Queen Moonlight Sonata is in deep shit. I then aimed Vigilance at the monstrosity that seemed to be struggling to move.

My eyes widened when the tip of the sword glowed and a spell beam fired into the creature and it bubbled before exploding into the black tar, coating every creature in the area. Well that was unexpected. Professor Gluten fell onto his haunches, dumbfounded.

“You… what have you’ve done?!” He exclaimed. I frowned.

“Probably the world a favor. I don’t quite get what’s the end goal here for all of this, but I do know one thing. This is the reason why we are here at all. Quiet Fire and the rest of us are going to end this right here. Time for the Triad to get their due.” I shouldered Vigilance and faced the professor. Gluten lowered his head before removing his glasses. When he lifted his head up to face me, his eyes were glowing green with black tendrils on the sides.

“Excelsior!!” He called out. Scribble and I quickly spun around and faced the mecha dragon shifting its’ gaze towards us, slithering along the rocky stalactites before looming over us. Professor Gluten held out a hoof. “Break these two! I’ll lobotomize them later!” He grinned. Excelsior’s visor clamped over its’ face and its’ jaw unhinged, electricity being charged at the center. I balked and immediately took ahold of Scribble’s hoof. Without hesitation, I galloped forward and leapt off the edge towards Excelsior right as the electricity discharged where we were seconds ago. Scribble yelled as we began to fall towards the crashing waves.

I then flicked my head below me and bounced around the body of Excelsior. The mecha dragon began to slither away and I ended up nicking a sharp spine that injured my hind leg, causing me to mistime my pad and we ended up falling into the ocean. The wave torrent was incredibly strong as Scribble and I were being tossed around like ragdolls in the water. I flailed desperately, hoping to at least get ahold of Scribble. My hooves felt something spiny and I was certain I had grabbed onto one of the stalactites.

Yet, without moving, I found myself being lifted upward. I broke through the surface and I let out a loud gasp for air. Coughing what salt water I had ingested, I opened my eyes and saw myself holding onto a sea pony. The creature looked over itself and smiled.

“That looked dangerous.” She said worriedly. I blinked and looked around. Scribble emerged from the water, coughing as another sea pony helped him. I looked to my own and smiled.

“Thanks for the save.” I rasped, before wincing. The salt water was starting to sting my wound that it was beginning to feel like a sharp knife constantly dragging across it. The other sea pony carrying Scribble swam over to the other and nodded.

“Let’s go before that mean ol’ dragon gets antsy again.” She said. The two began to swim away as I looked over my shoulder, seeing the head of the mecha lower onto the rampart and its’ head popped open. I grimaced, seeing Xena climb in along with Lo Mien.

“Better hide quick. Lo Mien and Xena won’t mess around.” I told her. The two sea ponies picked up a burst of speed as we disappeared around the side of the base. I tilted my head slightly as three other sea ponies came around the corner, tugging a raft. It was as if they knew this was going on. Scribble hoisted himself onto the raft before helping me up. Without hesitation, he dug through his soaking saddle bag and withdrew damp gauzes. As he tended to my wound, I felt a funny feeling stir inside.

“Heh. Guess I screwed up again, didn’t I?” I said suddenly. Scribble wrapped my leg and met my look, his stoicism mixed with exhaustion.

“I don’t even know why I bother.” He replied. I smirked.

“Because I’m just so endearing?” I teased. Scribble shook his head.

“Because you are so frustrating. And so… stubborn and stupid!” He suddenly snapped. I winced. “You always rush off ahead! You don’t listen! I don’t think there is ever a dumber pony on this planet that I’ve met that has the capacity to make her death wish a career! It also doesn’t help at how much you seem to treat us like we are nothing but coworkers!” He slumped as he sat on his haunches. “I don’t think I can say anything more. Fie already has that covered. I’ve realized something on this journey.” He studied his forehoof. “Through all the torture, fights, diplomatic talks and surviving even the most impossible feats that should kill us, it’s always you that seem to push ahead. Both you and Fie!

“Cloudchaser and Flitter have always supported us through thick and thin, but they never felt within their right to go beyond their boundaries! You take it to a whole new level!” He met my look, an expression of desperation and frustration on his face. “And you act like nothing ever matters! Don’t you have anypony aside from Fie, that matter?? Your parents? Your siblings?? Other friends??” He shook his head. “How can somepony throw everything away just to satisfy a thrill??” He sighed.

“I went along on this journey because I wanted to feel like I can do some good for Equestria. To study up on ways so that nothing like Pleasant Town can ever happen again. And I’m only realizing now how much farther away that goal is.” I was speechless. Scribble hugged himself, shivering from the cold wind that the eventual rain was bringing in. “I’ve failed ponies way too many times in the past… and seeing what has been happening between you and Fie, it only hits home a lot harder than I’d like. I was never there when my siblings truly needed me. I was always off trying to discover what our vast world offers not out of a career choice, but a damned distraction. A distraction from… how useless I really am around ponies.

“I can make the earth tremble. The air breathe to my whim. Even command fire, ice and lightning with a flick of my hoof. If only I could apply all that knowledge, all that curiosity into bettering myself for my home and my siblings, maybe I can face the world openly and no longer keep quiet.” He looked at me again. “Fie is carrying the world and you are clawing your way through all the filth. Cloudchaser and Flitter are chugging along to the beat of their own rhythm. And yet, I’m unable to make peace with myself. I’m no closer to being the pony I want to be than when I left. Is anything I’m doing at all bettering myself? For them? For my friends?” Scribble bowed his head, his damp bangs darkening his face. “I’m so damned lost that I can’t even think clearly…” I don’t know why I feel so terrible suddenly.

I then put my hoof over his and he looked up slightly.

“I… really am not the best pony to be venting something like that too. But I will tell you one thing. Fie, the sisters and I really do appreciate everything you do. You’ve done a lot more to keep us all grounded than going out of control. Frankly… without you… we wouldn’t be here at all. And yeah, I’m a shit pony to be around. And it’ll be a long while for me to show others that I can be my better self. But I don’t think I can do that alone.” I smiled softly at him. “We never had to question anything you do because you are way smarter than any of us. Maybe you don’t need to work to better yourself because you already are your best self. I think what you need is just an understanding of how important you really are.” I didn’t hesitate. This funny feeling inside of me was starting to burst and I couldn’t hold back.

I leaned in and gently placed my lips against his, closing my eyes. I was expecting Scribble to pull away. Imagine my surprise when he accepted it in his own awkward way. The taste of salt being a bit of a nuisance in the moment. We held the kiss for a bit before I pulled away. Scribble kept his stoic look, but his posture told me he was feeling exhausted. We didn’t speak. Our hooves intertwined with one another’s as we met each other’s eyes. Scribble had always been a reliable stallion. And I think I’ve realized that back in Hoofington. I have never been so sure of myself now more than ever.

Not even the rising mecha dragon that loomed over us could have made this moment uncertain. I stood up and faced Excelsior. Scribble put a hoof to my hindleg, tightening the wrap before meeting my look. I grinned.

“I’m not running this time. Two ponies are in there that need our help. Just be ready to patch me up for my own stupidity.” I said. Scribble smiled only slightly.

“As if anything you do isn’t stupid already.” He replied. I called Vigilance to me and flourished the blade in my magic.

”You leave us with no other choice, Billet. For the sake of the entire world and by order of S.M.I.L.E., you are to be executed here and now. It’s been fun, ‘old friend.’” Lo Mien’s voice spoke. The sea ponies panicked and dove into the water. I smiled determinedly up at the mecha.

“Sorry, Lo. You should know me better than that. In fact, let me show you what I’ve been recently improving myself on.” I called out to her before walking off the raft, using my magic to make platforms under me. I was feeling strangely light. Even more so as I held Vigilance.

”This one you won’t win.” Lo spoke as the mecha opened up its’ jaw and charged electricity. My eyes widened. I quickly sprang upward to torso level with the mecha, springing to the side when it released the charge. I flipped and caught myself on my platform. I smirked.

“That’s right! Eyes on me!” I called out as I aimed Vigilance at the mecha. To my surprise, I felt a flowing surge of power and Vigilance flared with a burning golden aura. I heard an annoyed groan before sides of Excelsior separated and began to fly towards me. I quickly shifted, avoiding a pink laser from one of the separated parts. With a flourish of Vigilance, I bounded and avoided the swarm of lasers and parts.

”W-what is this?! How is she…?” I heard Xena spoke.

”Stay focused. Thi is annoyingly bold.” Lo replied with a slight growl. I dodged and bounced around, even using some of the separated parts to surf on before continuing my dodging. I have to do something. These things are starting to catch up with me. I balked as one shot up and aimed at me. I swatted the piece away with Vigilance, seeing it cut in half as I did and exploding, knocking me away. I tumbled through the air before weaving my magic into a net to catch me. I blinked in confusion, my eyes falling to Vigilance.

I gasped as several more flew over to me and hovered around me. I then began to swing and from the magical aura released a slashing wave of light that sliced the parts, causing a chain reaction of explosions. I stood up on my platform and had a dumb big grin on my face. I then turned and faced Excelsior.

”Dammit! All weapon systems lock on!” Lo shouted. Excelsior seemed to nearly fall apart on itself as every compartment it had opened and several lines of artillery began to charge up. I felt a cold droplet hit my cheek and I took a deep breath. As the rain began to fall, I felt the power surge through me. Right as the lightning flashed and thunder rumbled loudly did Excelsior unleash a torrent of bright lights and archaic energy. Time had slowed as I thought back to my times with Fie. How much that dorky little mare managed to become Equestria’s sole hope for survival.

Cloudchaser and Flitter. Two pegasi whom I certainly didn’t have high standards for due to Fie’s filly crush on one of them. I couldn’t have been more wrong and happier to see the two Wonderbolts blow my expectations. I won’t treat them any less anymore. Flitter needs our help and I want to be there to help. My thoughts went to Scribble. Always stoic and focused. Hard to believe that he thinks so little of himself yet able to push above the call of duty.

I always found him odd. Mysterious. Seemingly shifting himself on a dime whenever he wants to. Yet that didn’t stop me from developing something for him. I never saw myself ever falling for anypony and any I would end up with is just an obligation. And yet, Scribble drew my attention that even I wasn’t aware of. I wasn’t kidding that without him, the ones Equestria is counting on would be dead long ago. He’s just as important to every creature in the world. And he’s become somepony important to me. Seems I have more ponies to apologize to.

I suddenly felt lighter and when I focused up, almost all the artillery converged on me. A voice then spoke through my mind.

I’ll survive.

The world flashed around me, loud booms and intense power washed over me. I dug my hooves into my conjured platform, roaring loudly as I then slashed Vigilance out in front of me, splitting the beams in twine. The light wave traveled downward, slicing at whatever spell and object that got in its’ way. Excelsior, despite being armed to the teeth with vulnerabilities, still shifted and nearly avoided its’ decapitation. Excelsior froze as I panted for breath.

My head was thumping and my body ached. However, I stood, keeping Vigilance out in front of me. I looked up and saw a golden shimmer fade in front of me, leaving only the rain and thunder to stir up noise.

Silver Scribble looked up in awe as the light faded. His eyes transfixed on Thi. The mare must have not realized the armor she dawned that lightly hugged her body and the silver and golden silk woven scarf that flowed behind her. He had to support himself from the waves that were beginning to increase in intensity, yet he nearly stumbled as he thought back to his home.

He was smiling as he enjoyed reading the tale of Excalibur to his ill sibling. He always found the story to be quite the fascinating fiction. At least, that is what he thought long ago. Even with the supposed actual relic of the sword and what is possibly Excalibur’s bones himself being unearthed, he believed it all to be just a fantastical venture. Never in his life did he ever think to be going against gods, demons, monsters and even his own kind and creatures of varying species and living to see the direct descendent of Excalibur stand among the crying heavens, the loud drums beating at the signal of the rise of a legend. Never in his life did he think two insufferable mares that he has grown fondly to call companions would be special than anybeing has realized.

And yet, here he is, staring in stunned awe with the sea ponies cheering around him. Scribble couldn’t help but break all stoicism, giving a rather relieved yet baffled expression.

“What the hell was I thinking…?” He said out loud to himself.

I looked at Vigilance, intrigued by the shiny blade that glowed amongst the darkened skies. I then had a massive grin creep along my muzzle that eventually caused me to start laughing.

“Now this is badass!” I grinned, finding a newfound surge of determination. ‘Yes. I won’t run any longer. Fie and I will continue to walk this path together. And this time, I’ll be there every hoof step of the way. But first…’ I swished Vigilance to my side and smirked. “I’m going to save the hell out of you two!” Without a second thought, I flicked my head down and sprang towards them, feeling the momentum being a lot quicker and sharper. It was almost like I was a bullet.

”Wh-what is going on?!?” I heard Xena exclaim in horror.

”Shut up and move!!” Lo Mien growled. Excelsior hissed with steam from the exposed compartments, locking them closed as they swiftly avoided me rocketing at them. However, they didn’t get away unscathed. Vigilance made a decent deep cut into the circuitry of Excelsior’s body. The mecha jittered before Lo directed the claw of the mecha to slice the injury even further, detaching itself from the rest of the body. When it did, energy wings shot out from behind it and it took to the skies. I stopped and flourished my blade.

“Oh no you don’t!” I called out as I then flicked my head down and started bouncing up towards the fleeing mecha. I felt something clamp over my eyes without causing me any disorientation, almost as if something was protecting me from the stormy weather without obstructing my view. I quickly bounced upward, gaining a lot of distance before zipping up toward Excelsior and stabbing Vigilance into the plating and weaved a net together to keep tethered to Vigilance. Excelsior finally came to a stop and began looking around.

”I’m not picking up anything on the radar! Where did she go?” Xena spoke, her voice stern but panicked. Lo Mien was quiet. I grunted a bit and began to climb my way up towards one wing joint of Excelsior. The archaic energy flowing out of it keeping its’ form together. Planting my hooves down, I plucked out Vigilance and like a hot knife through butter, I sliced the wing from the joint and nearly got knocked off as the bellowing explosion of magic erupted. I stabbed Vigilance back into the plating and held on with my weaved net.

Excelsior began to sway and jerk as the lack of a wing caused its’ descent. I thought about going for the other wing, but I kept reminding myself that I am trying to save these two. I need to prove to myself that I am worthy enough to walk with my best friend. That spurred me on and I grinned widely as I then plucked out Vigilance and began to let myself slide down the wet plating as Excelsior took a bit of a nosedive. We were just above Midnight Castle as I proceeded to make my way towards the cockpit. Excelsior crashed into the jagged rockside wall and supported itself by digging its’ claws into the structures of Midnight Castle, destroying a partial amount of the castle.

I let myself free fall a bit off of the mech before bouncing and rolling to my hooves upon landing on bit if rampart and began to gallop towards the claw.

”Systems are failing! Dammit, Thi!! Why won’t you just die?!” Lo Mien shouted. I smirked and flipped upwards onto the claw, galloping up a bit and then giving one good swing of Vigilance, I cut the arm part way. Excelsior tipped as the unison cries from Lo and Xena could be heard upon Excelsior crashing itself into a courtyard. I bounded upwards and stopped to look down at the castle. My eyes could see the Triad and even the professor gathered and watching. Based on the professor’s look, I could count several veins pulsing. My eyes widened as Excelsior suddenly lifted itself and with a loud metal screeching hiss, the head detached from the body and took off into the sky before turning around and hovering to face me. The claws must have separated as well as I had to swiftly bounce away from being sliced as they hovered around me.

”Not yet… I’ve never failed a mission until you showed up. I’m living with that failure for as long as I remain alive!” Lo spoke. ”Six hundred thousand lives. All because some dumb filly played with a bat… You’ll never change, Thi. Whatever this is won’t wash the blood of our hooves.” I studied the cock pit and sighed, nodding.

“You’re right, Lo. Not even trying to save you both from Sombranite influence would redeem me of anything.” I replied. I then swished Vigilance and held it up high. “No pony should ever forgive me for the shit I’ve caused, intentional or not. I’m not the hero of this story. This is much bigger than you or I. But even then… I’m not going to give up here! I owe it to myself to walk with my best friend till everything is settled. If my head has to roll, then it’ll be along with Moonlight Sonata. Until then, I am done running!” I was taken by surprise as lightning shot down and struck Vigilance. However, instead of feeling a volt of electricity that should have killed me, Vigilance seemed to… grow? The blade was longer and flowing with archaic golden magic. I was starting to think this was being a bit overdramatic for whatever indomitable spirit resides in Vigilance, but I did hear words whisper through my mind.

They will be saved. Unharmed.

I then swished Vigilance to my side and sprang into action. Excelsior’s head moved away and let the claws intercept me. Fortunately, one slice of Vigilance broke the claws and I rocketed by, flipping and landing directly on the cockpit. I took the butt of Vigilance and shattered the cockpit visor, seeing Xena and Lo looking up at me in surprise. The black veins running from their head down into their suites. Lo whipped out an arc pistol and fired up at me, but I swiftly avoided it and brought my hind legs around and bucked both mares across the cheek. I then began to wrestle with Xena and Excelsior’s head began to rock and sway, throwing Lo’s aim off.

Excelsior’s head began to fall towards the castle walls.

Chapter 42: Queen Symphony of the Light, Moonlight Sonata

Quiet Fire’s POV

Cloudchaser and I followed cautiously through the doorway. My eyes trained on General Lilac as the mare seemed to stumble a bit through the hall. Cloudchaser and I exchanged glances as we arrived to what appeared to be a wide open and massive throne room. At least, that’s what I assumed it had been before. The room was completely empty. Only steep stairs leading up to a rectangular level that expanded on both sides was the only thing aside from the symmetrical pillars holding the ceiling up that stood out.

General Lilac began ascending the steps before suddenly stopping and vomiting something fierce. Cloudchaser winced while I studied the mare.

“How long do you have left?” I asked suddenly. General Lilac panted and spat out her saliva before wiping her muzzle, eyeing me stoically.

“Not a concern for you or I. Being around this place will bound to give you something long enough.” She rasped as she shambled further up the steps. It was like she was about to collapse any minute. Din growled.

She’s better off dying to the malevolence. Don’t even think about lending a hoof! Din hissed venomously. I sighed through my snout.

‘We need her alive.’ I told Din.

We only need Lux’s vessel! Not this false bitch! Din spat. I ignored Din and withdrew a spare grandma’s secret recipe. I levitated it over to her, Cloudchaser eyeing this warily while General Lilac narrowed her eyes at the concoction.

“I really, really, really, really shouldn’t be doing this after what you’ve done. I should let you rot here and now. I’m not so much the demon you made me out to be. Yet…” I met her stoic expression with mine. “From one demon to another, we still have a score to settle and if I ever want negotiations to have any fraction of leverage for Equestria, then drink up.” I stated. To my surprise, General Lilac didn’t hesitate and chugged the whole bottle. It was hard to tell if she was pale or not, but it seemed some luster to her white coat and blonde mane returned. She tossed it aside and stood up, adjusting her uniform.

“I know why you are here. No need for formalities. Unfortunately, negotiations are at a stand still for Euclides at the moment.” She replied before turning around suddenly descending. Cloudchaser and I followed after her, pausing a bit to see a set of steps leading down to a pathway. We quickly caught up to General Lilac, who seemed to not mind us following her. My sense were still on high alert, however. When we reached the bottom of the steps, General Lilac stopped in front of a door, bowed her head and stamped her hoof three times before standing upright at attention. The sound of what was several locks and a whirring of a machine opened the door with a loud creak. When we stepped through, Cloudchaser and I had our eyes widen, jaws hung open in awe.

This was for sure Triad made. Marble and granite tiled flooring with what appeared to be theatre lights lining a stage with a long oak half oval desk. But what really stuck out were the massive monitors lining the wall behind the desk. Each screen having different displays. A map of our world, several news stations and only one belonging to Equestria. Some of the screens were black, static or rainbow toned. General Lilac stepped around the desk and sat in a massive black leather bound chair that was fit for a centaur. She leaned forward with her hooves in front of her, eyeing us.

“Well… this is quite not what was I expecting.” Cloudchaser spoke.

“Take it in while you can. This place is of no use to us anymore.” She said stoically. I narrowed my eyes.

“So why bring us here? What is all this?” I asked. General Lilac remained unmoving as she spoke.

“Central Intelligence Hub. At least, the master command.” She replied. “Here is where Euclidian eyes are relayed via air waves designed by our great nation to gather data and manipulate the consumers across our globe.” Cloudchaser looked uneasy.

“That can’t be good…” She said with a sigh. General Lilac leaned back in her chair.

“Through civilian eyes, perhaps. But it is vital and necessary to relay the information as to keep the markets in check.” She explained.

“And war efforts?” I asked with a frown and a raise of my brow.

“I did say markets, demon.” She said, turning around in her chair. I clicked my tongue.

“And what market is there against Equestria if you are so abundant in resources?” I challenged. General Lilac scoffed.

“It’s not a war of attrition. Nor a war to claim any. It is a war against ideals. One that has long since coming.” She replied. Cloudchaser growled.

“Injecting a tyrant king’s magic blood into creatures, using them as mindless slaves, throwing your own ponies into the fray over something they cannot define anymore. What crappy ideal is there to have all this pointless bloodshed?!” Cloudchaser exclaimed, snorting angrily from her snout. “The amount of ponies we saw fall at our hooves under your orders is beyond forgivable!! The amount of disharmony caused by your agents putting the lives of our world in danger! How are you and your damned queen so blind to the apocalyptic fate we are trying to prevent!!?” General Lilac only returned a cold, sharp stoic expression.

“You still know nothing.” She calmly said. I had to quickly hold Cloudchaser back as she angrily tried to rush her.

“CC, no! Think about Flitter!” I pleaded to her. Cloudchaser growled.

“It’s because of this bitch that I think about her life all the time!! Don’t preach about us knowing nothing when you can’t even control your own damn nation!!” She retorted angrily. General Lilac remained uncaringly stoic, eyeing us.

"A necessary act for the soon to be conflict." She stated. Cloudchaser put on a burst of strength I didn't think she was capable of. But thankfully, Din naturally amplifying my own strength allowed me to keep her in check. General Lilac stood up suddenly. “Have you ever stopped to think for a moment what ideals can be? How much they drive a creature to near self-destruction? How it can change the world far more than a natural primal? How easily the wills that can bend the rules and laws as they see fit for their own benefit? Why it takes two to tango a whole nation as it was their birthright? Our great nation of Euclides, allied with our brother nation Fenice, making this tango a suarae. Against the day and the night who have so childishly abused their responsibilities. That is merely the tip of the ice berg our world has struggled with. Or more so the root of the tree in this regard.” Lilac narrowed her eyes coldly at us.

“We are not blind to the state our realm is in. Our great Queen Sonata has been around as long as your rulers, after all.” I furrowed my look to confusion. Cloudchaser finally eased and landed on the ground, her tail whipping angrily, however. I stepped forward.

“So then… why not have Sonata talk to Celestia and Luna? Why go through all this trouble? So many lives lost all over a feud of responsibilities” I began. It then dawned on me. Lilac studied my realization. She then whistled and as if out of the shadows, Trid armed ponies cantered out of hiding. Cloudchaser and I faced them, readying ourselves as they lined up in rows. There were at least thirty Triad here. About as much as they usually have when swarming us.

However, they looked… off. How could I put it? Dealing with the Triad for so long, I would expect iron wills and insane ideals clashing with the old creed. Yet… they seem to exhibit an aura of… respect? Of loyalty? It was hard to explain. General Lilac walked around the desk and stood between us. My senses were on high alert, yet for all the strange reasons. There was no killing intent from any of these ponies, imposing and out numbered we maybe. On top of that, the Triad’s second in command is casually uncaring about us being here.

“Bring forth Flitter Glider and Xanthaba.” She ordered sternly and commanding. The Triad ponies stepped aside to allow two ponies to walk forward. The heir to Roam and our friend Flitter Glider.

“Sis!” Cloudchaser called out before flying down the steps and over to her. The mare still had the blackened veins running through her and remained unmoving as Cloudchaser hugged her and studied her. “It’s alright! I’m here now!” She said.

“Futile.” General Lilac said. “The blood of the tyrant has already taken her over. It’ll take a lot of will power for her to come back.” Cloudchaser shivered with anger, tears welling in her eyes as she then proceeded to hug Flitter tightly. I felt my blood boil and faced Lilac.

“I know what you are going to say, demon. But from one demon to another, it is necessary for her to be in the state she is in.” Lilac then turned her head to face me. “We did not expect a pet project to be as it is. With great effect I might add. If Sombra was half the king he claimed himself to be, he would have completely overthrown even our great nation. Fortunately, a one-track mind is all that was going for him.” She then pointed at Flitter. “But with a new king, then that power could be of great use.” I shook my head.

“You’re sick in the head… Flitter didn’t deserve any of this.” I hissed. Lilac rose an unamused brow.

“She is just as much as deserving a punishment as everypony else you’ve come across.” Lilac coldly remarked. I heard Din began to cackle. Screw pleasantries. This is pissing me off. I lashed out my hoof in an attempt to punch her, but to my shock, she moved insanely quick. Almost like a snake, she slipped under and around me before locking her hooves around me and brought me to the ground, burying a knee into my neck at the same time of locking her hind legs around me and her forelegs pinning me from moving.

Lilac rasped a little, as if this action exerted some energy she had been saving up. I struggled, but her viper like hold completely shut down even Din’s passive strength.

“And here I thought you were the rational one.” Lilac panted, looking pale again. Lilac then felt a tap on her shoulder and she looked up to see three of my clones aim their halberds at her. She blinked before letting me go with her hooves raised. I stood up and cracked my neck before facing her.

“Alright, enough of this.” I began. “Where is Queen Sonata? Why doesn’t she have any say in this??” I pointed at Lilac. “I didn’t come all this way to be told that nothing can be done! Bull! You’re her second in command and yet you made too many mistakes that it is even a wonder you are still considered her top general!” I growled. My clones held their halberds close to Lilac as she stood up and dusted herself off.

“Nuance, demon. Like I said. You don’t know anything.” She simply replied.

“Then tell me!!” I shouted. “Euclides had every ample opportunity to make their pleas or issues known long before any of this!! So why haven’t you?! What is so important an ideal that it is right to throw us into more danger than what we are dealing with?! Why use the damned apocalypse as an excuse to now have beef with Princess Celestia and Luna?! Why all the blood shed?! Why must our nations suffer under the damned world?!” General Lilac coldly met my look. Suddenly, the air grew intensely chilly. Cloudchaser gasped and backed away as from the shadows emerged the cloaked figure.

The figure glided up next to Flitter and leaned into her ear, whispering something. I faced the creature and aimed my halberd.

“Who are you?! What eldritch horror did you spawn from?!” I demanded. The figure ignored me and proceeded to whisper into the heir’s ear. The two mares slumped, their expressions darkening underneath their bangs. General Lilac stood at attention as the figure then glided past Cloudchaser, the mare shivering and growing pale. I narrowed my eyes at the advancing figure. It stopped at the bottom of the steps. I heard Din shifting restlessly inside my mind. The figure placed an arm at its’ chest and bowed gently.

”At last, the bearer of the Creation Mother’s wish. Tis an honor to finally meet after all this time.” Din suddenly said, straining to get control of her own voice. A chill of death bristled my coat as the words, despite coming out of Din’s mouth, paralyzed me to attention. The figure rose its’ head, the features indiscernible under the hood. ”Were it be that time was on my side. I would have welcomed thee proper.” I don’t know why I was trembling. What the hell is wrong with me?! I should be resistant to eldritch influence enough to not be hindered!

The struggled gasps of Din from in my mind told me otherwise. What is this thing?! Seeing as I was struggling to calm myself, the creature began to glide up the stairs before stopping halfway and turning to the terrified Triad troops. A sharp pain stabbed at my head as the creature rose its’ arms and addressed the room.

”Rejoice upon this, for thy world shall be saved. As is what your queen intended to the end.” The creature whispered loudly through us. Several Triad troops seemed to faint from the words. I grit my teeth in struggle to free myself of my paralysis. ”Rejoice. For the realm shall become one. Where none shall turn their backs upon another and hail to your new king.” Flitter and the heir jolted and rose their heads. When they opened their eyes, the pupils were red, the scalers green accompanied by black tendrils at the ends of their eyes.

“You think to rule me?!” Flitter and the heir suddenly spoke in unison. The voice was… different. Raspy and a bit haughty. The creature lowered its’ arms and faced the two. “You are out of line, peon! King Sombra does no bidding for no creature!” My eyes widened as the Triads that had fainted stood back up, the blackened veins snaking through their bodies and their eyes mimicking Flitter’s. Flitter stepped forward and gave a condescending side-ways look at Cloudchaser.

“F-Flitter?” She asked. Flitter looked down at herself and frowned.

“To put me in the body of a mare. Weakening me at my lowest are we, General Lilac?” She scoffed. General Lilac narrowed her eyes.

“The symbiote speaks…? That mad doctor did it…” She quietly marveled. This snapped me out of my paralysis and along with Din’s anger, fire began to flare up into walls, trapping us all in a straight hall.

“Enough of this!!” Din’s voice rang out with mine. All eyes were on me, save for the creature who seemed to find Flitter intriguing. Din’s eyes and mine fell upon the figure’s back. Despite Din’s voice echoing mine, I was in control. “I’m tired of all these goose chases, secrets and not knowing a damned thing about anything!! Where is Lux?!? Where is Queen Moonlight Sonata!!?” Din took over. “How dare you deny me my rite!!!”

The hooded figure looked slightly over its’ shoulder to us.

”Deny? On the contrary. I will not hinder your rite of ascension. I only merely bask in the folly that is mortal kind.” The figure spoke through me suddenly. I felt sickened. As if I had no control over myself. The figure faced me. ”The time of the stars is at hand. Long have we’ve waited for our lord. Our savior. To bequeath onto us a boon a millennia in the making. One that’ll fit you right into the throne of the World Serpent itself. As intended.” The hooded figure slowly gesture a robed arm at me. ”You merely need naught but shed the coil binding you to this forsaken realm. Untie the bonds keeping you close to the other stars.” Din snorted and spat an ember from my mouth.

“You dare me to believe you have my best interest?! Hah! You forget what you deal with, Highest Evil!” Din caused me to grin challengingly. The figure brought its’ robed arms together and bowed its’ head.

”How long has it been to hear that title? One so tarnished by even itself? Nay, I am merely the scion tasked to bring upon the welcome that is my lord.” I coughed as the creature spoke through me. It then rose its’ head and removed the hood. My eyes widened.

“Look away!!” I called out hurriedly. Eldritch being is indeed what you would call it. Would that the eyes had any definition to them. Even with my primal resistance to eldritch beings, my mind was struggling to make sense of what I was seeing. Dark smoke wisped and fumed out of orafices I didn’t think existed on a body, let alone… whatever kind of body it had. My mind was trying to piece together the being in a way it could understand, but couldn’t. How could it exist? Why is such a thing capable of even existing?? Am I…? Am I… apart of it? So many emotions flowed through me that I couldn’t help but start to chuckle, hoping to latch onto an emotion that would make sense.

I then felt a soothing warmth and my mind grew clearer. I froze and blinked in confusion. Din’s eyes took over mine and I faced the creature. The head took the shape of a draconis. Something my mind could tolerate the sense of. The dragon like face stoic and unmoving seemed to chuckle a bit.

“Fie??” I heard Cloudchaser say.

“Don’t look at it, Cloudchaser!!” I replied to her, keeping Din’s eyes focused on it. Flitter gave a disgusted look.

“Hmph. Such a grotesque being. I grow tired of waiting.” She then looked to General Lilac, whose eyes were shining brightly in a similar manner to mine. She too was comprehending the being. “I will thank you for spreading my influence across Equestria, dear general. Now my reign will not only expand Equestria, but the whole realm!” Flitter then looked down at herself. “And preferably into a stronger and suitable body by the time I overthrow Celestia and Luna.” Cloudchaser spun to face Flitter, keeping herself focused on her possessed sister than the being close by.

“Give me back my sister!” She growled. Flitter eyed Cloudchaser uncaringly.

“Believe me, filly. I would glad to expunge this body. An array of suitable hosts lie before me. However…” Flitter then smirked and met my look. “I wouldn’t mind a mare’s body brimming with power.” The being shifted and shook its’ head.

”Yield thyselves.” It said. Everypony, including me and Cloudchaser, who wasn’t even trying to acknowledge the being, all stood at attention. The creature locked eyes with me. ”Thy body is yours to see fit. Tainted by mortal desire it shall not.” It then held its’ arms out open to me, as if welcoming me into a hug. ”Be it as it may, to be one with balance, one must shed their mortal foil as I have. Tis a glorious process. Your star, one burning brighter than that of Gallion’s sun, is welcomed amongst our kin. Shall it suite you the soon to be queen of all living things.” Din made a hum.

“Tempting offer. However, my victory is by my own hooves. I would not see my work squandered by a squid.” Din cackled. Her eagerness to squash the creature was stronger than the influence. “The Highest Evil shall stand no chance as it has long ago! It will be my victory alone!” The creature by wed its’ head, shivering as if it was mimicking a cackle.

”Ever the one to challenge more than she can face. You certainly have our kin’s attention far more than you please it to be.” It replied through me.

“I’ll rip all one thousand hearts out of them even if it takes me till the end of time itself. None shall stand in my way!” Din growled. The creature shook its’ head slowly before turning to face the others. I glanced at General Lilac quickly. The mare was quiet. As if it was taking every ounce of her strength to keep whatever resistance she has going. Sad as it was, she did seem at the end of her life. The creature threw open its’ arms out.

”Face me, mortals! Look upon what my lord hath given unto you!” It shouted through me. I noticed Flitter’s eyes widened as she tried her best to fight against the urge. Cloudchaser too was struggling. The Triad ponies, however, looked and their eyes widened in terror. Despite under the control of Sombranite, the creature’s was stronger. My body froze, unable to move. This was getting out of hoof. Everypony will go insane at this rate.

‘We have to do something!’ I thought to Din.

Tis taking my own strength to keep you from its’ influence! Figure something out yourself! You can move! Din growled angrily in response. I fought with all my will I could muster, only able to turn to my right. The creature was basking in the mortal’s struggle, the Triads beginning to cackle like mad ponies as they began to spout nonsense and incomprehensible babble.

“You… think you can… tame me?!” I heard Flitter growl. I glanced over to her, seeing her step one hoof forward and as instantly as it happened, the creature was then encased in a tight cage of black crystals. I felt my body release and tumbled forward. I shook away my daze as my hood flopped over onto my head. Adjusting it as I stood up, I looked to see Flitter smirking as crystals began to overtake Din’s fire. “Worthless eldritch abomination! I didn’t spend years in the ethereal realm to be commanded of anything!! I am King Sombra! And I have risen once again!!” Flitter hovered around the crystal and faced us. Her eyes fell on a pale General Lilac. “Hmph. A fool to the end. Let me have you realize something. All those tests. All those theories and discussions. It’s nothing to what I’m truly capable of.”

Flitter landed and began to walk up the stairs towards us in a haughty manner.

“I could hear all. See all. And with your help of spreading my influence far and wide, I don’t need for this Triad’s use anymore! Face it. Your regal of a nation is no more! Pony Land rightfully belongs to I, King Sombra!” Flitter laughed. General Lilac stood up and swayed a little. Her eyes then glowed a violet blue. My jaw dropped at how quickly the mare moved, despite looking like she was on the verge of death any moment. Sombra possessed Flitter didn’t know what had happened either. Flitter slumped and General Lilac stood behind her, facing the Triad still struggling with their sanity.

“Ilk va’ah sugetha!” She shouted loudly and clearly. Cloudchaser backed away as the Triad ponies suddenly stopped and faced her slowly. They then stood at attention. Din and I were lost now. So many things are happening at once and not a damned thing is making anymore sense than it is! Lilac stood over the unconscious Flitter, her cold eyes looking between the troops. Cloudchaser rushed over to Lilac, facing her inna readied stance and eyeing between her and Flitter.

I was about to say something when the black crystals suddenly began to seep out black smoke. I felt Din slump and groan in annoyance. As if on cue, I felt Din and I speak.

”How clever. Such a language spoken clearly of mortal tongue. Some mortal has been doing their homework.” The creature spoke. ”However. No mere magic or physical object of any material can halt me in any way.” The crystals shattered and the creature emerged from the smoke. Din was quick to throw up her barriers while Lilac’s eyes widened. Cloudchaser froze and remained gazing at Lilac. She glanced worriedly at me. ”Ahhh. Such a wonder how mortals continue to fight against something they have no chance of winning against. Even with present company, destined to ascend the throne would hinder the greatest wish.” The creature looked at me. ”Go forth, Star of Fire! Go, and ascend beyond the World Serpent itself! You will bring forth a joy my lord has desired since their institution!” Din growled through my throat and broke control.

“Eat a bull’s balls, abomination!!” Din rasped through me, her eyes focused on the creature. “I’ve worked far too hard to be goaded into sating a blasphemous evil! If the Highest Evil plans an audience, I’d be happy to oblige with my hooves and the wrath of my stars!! I command thee, grovel and beg!! Your lord will join you!!” Time seems to be suspended on itself. No creature moved. None breathed. I would like to say that this entire meeting settles in a manner I am familiar with. I would like to say how we had saved Flitter from Sombra and General Lilac. I would have dreamed to have settled all of this here and now.

Yet, the stars are as childish as a newborn foal. The castle ceiling caved in and time slowed. My eyes widened in shock as did the others. The creature, however, slowly looked up. A massive metallic head of a serpentine dragon grinned as it emerged from above. At the top of the head, nestled in what appears to be a cockpit, was Thi Billet, wrestling with Lo Mien. Beneath them was a panicked zebra who I recognized as Xena in Vanhoover. Time sped up as the metallic head crashed loudly, enveloping the throne room in dust and rubble.

I covered my face as the wind blew past us. A cold breeze blew into the room followed by rain and dust. When the dust cleared, I looked to see Thi stir and tumble out of cockpit. She was dawning a strange golden armor with a white should scarf around her. She groaned and rubbed her head. Xena climbed out of the cockpit, disoriented. Thi looked over and saw me. She smiled tiredly and waved before standing up. Somehow, I was glad that Thi was here suddenly. My eyes then fell at the bottom of the head. A robed arm was sticking out from under, purple substances seeping out from under.

Din sat down on her haunches and crossed her forelegs.

Damn, I’m good. She smirked. I wasn’t sure how to respond to any of this. However, I didn’t need to as one last trick was put in motion. The floor began to crack, snaking out from under the head. I slumped and sighed.

“Why cruel world?” I groaned. The ground gave way and every creature, including the metallic head, began to fall into the hole. Cloudchaser was the first to react. She quickly recovered in the air and zipped downward, snatching Flitter away from a tumbling Lilac, who recovered herself and once again showed surprising spryness as she kicked off the rocks and floated over to the cockpit. She grabbed the heir along the way and sealed themselves in the head. Thi twisted her body and began to spring downward, weaving a net and catching Lo Mien and Xena, leaving me and Din to recover ourselves and halt our fall once she unfurled her wings.

Unfortunately, the Triad ponies were still in free fall. I was dumbfounded, only snapping out of it at the sound of a loud crash. I looked over to Cloudchaser. She met my look and then exchanged it with Thi. I nodded to them and went over to help Thi, slinging Lo Mien over her back and Xena over mine as we descended quickly down the hole. Upon arriving near the end, a blue glowing hue with a shimmering light began to grow higher and higher. From the dust, we saw the metallic head of the dragon sparking and shattered. Around it were the bodies of the Triad.

I used Din’s eyes to make out more. Was there a… white rug underneath the head? As we got closer and closer, our eyes were drawn to our left and my eyes widened. A spacious dome room with water surrounding a strange pillar of monitors and tubes. Whatever the pillar was was breathing, rapping together and hissing steam. We landed and faced the contraption. It reached the very tip of the dome. The murky green water surrounding it still and unmoving. Taking a quick look around, I could make out tall and bulky devices with screens portraying what appeared to be vital signs of… somepony?

Thi and Cloudchaser stood next to me.

“What… is all this?” Thi asked suddenly. Our heads turned over our shoulders as the loud hiss of the cockpit opened up and out came General Lilac with the heir on her back. She swayed a bit before facing us. Her eyes seemingly glowing brighter to match the hue of the room. She limped forward and we spun around to ready ourselves. However, as she got closer, she then walked past us without any acknowledgment. We followed the mare as she walked further before stopping at the edge of the platform. She lowered the heir off her back and began to cough.

Blood coated her hoof. Thi stepped forward at the same time Din gasped.

Lux… Din growled. I quickly reached out and tugged Thi’s scarf. She looked to me and I shook my head. General Lilac slumped, her breathing raspy and weak.

“Mother… I pray ask for forgiveness of this sudden intrusion. This body is no longer capable of vigor and endurance. I grow… tired.” She said suddenly. “But… I have a new body. One that is younger. Healthier. Able to share the burden you bare. That vile cretin has sucked ever bit of life from me. But my faith… as is your daughter… remains firm and true to you.” I noticed Thi shake angrily.

“The hell is this, Lilac?! What have you and Sonata been plotting?!” She said. I used Din’s eyes. Big mistake. I was suddenly flash banged by distortion and sounds resembling screams. Din hissed.

Fie… this instability… Din growled once more. I nodded. The intensity of it caused me to kneel a bit.

“Fie?” Cloudchaser asked worriedly. I gave back Din’s eyes and panted, pushing myself up.

“Hahh… The instability… It’s almost as if this place is going to collapse in on itself…” I rasped. Thi grit her teeth.

“Lilac!!” She called out. The mare remained facing the device. There was a loud groaning sound and clanking that echoed around us. The device suddenly dropped and melted into the ground. Several turns of the monitors and tubes began to excrete light as a crystal rose from the ground. We could make out the silhouette of a pony. No… not just a pony. An alicorn. It was as if she was suspended in time and stasis. Pure white as snow, majestic wings and a blue mane. Thi narrowed her eyes. Suddenly, Lo Mien shifted from her back.

Weakly, she looked ahead with one eye. I was amazed that she was still fighting the influence of Sombranite.

“I… got in too… deep…” she rasped. Thi looked over her shoulder.

“What? What is all this? What are you not telling me??” Thi asked. Lo tiredly met her look.

“Trottingham… Serum… Soul Transferring…” She coughed. “Had to… find out more…” Thi narrowed her eyes. I saw guilt cross her expression before hearing the sound of mechanical stirring. Lo Mien coughed and held out a hoof. “Stop… her…!” She winced in pain. Without thinking I laid Xena on the ground and galloped past Thi, aiming for Lilac. My hooves left the ground, pouncing on her. Yet, I felt a sharp sting across my cheek and I went tumbling and rolling to the side, landing on my hooves and rubbing my cheek.

My eyes fixated on Lilac, my jaw dropping as she had rose to her hind legs and got into a stance that not even my mentor could have perfectly pulled off. She balanced herself on one hindleg, keeping her other hind leg up in front of her while one foreleg slouched and the other curled at her chest. She coldly returned my stare. Din cackled.

Good! I was hoping she would put up a fight!! We can wipe the floor with her! Put her out of her misery, Fie! Din smacked her hooves together with a wide taunting grin. The floor shook and suddenly split away from the room. Thi balked.

“Fie!” She called out.

“Do whatever you have to, Thi! But don’t worry about me!” I called back as I got up into my bi-pedal stance and began bobbing. Din growled.

Forget honor, idiot!! This bitch needs to die!! She snapped. I shook my head.

“We’re here to stop a war, Din. Save your energy for Lux and Sonata.” I replied stoically. She replied with an annoyed grumble and remained quiet. Lilac narrowed her eyes slightly at me. I noticed blood trickling from the side of her muzzle, but she spat it out and motioned for me to attack. I'm now curious as to what she is trying to get out of this. Regardless, I'm not one to back out from a martial display. Considering she's one leg, she must be counter attentive. I then bounded towards her on my two hindelegs, an uncomfortable looking sight from a spectator's view. She lashed out her leg and hopped back, striking me square in the chin. I bit my tongue to keep myself focused and leaned forward. She lashed out her leg again, but this time I shifted my head slightly and swiped at her hind leg. She hopped over and I felt the world spin along with my body. I stumbled back and shook away my daze, only to hold up my forelegs to block her sudden strikes of kicks. A style using only hindlegs?

I felt a small grin creep up and Din seemed attentive to this urge of curiosity. She broke through my block and hit me square in the chest, causing me to stumble back again before she hopped and spun her body around, bringing a heavy strike downward on me. I caught it with a curl of my foreleg and twirled her in the air. I was again surprised at how well she was adapting as she chambered her hindlegs with the motions. When I thought I had her after a few strikes, she then hit me a sudden slug across the cheek with her forehoof. Next thing I knew, I was now blocking and weaving through jab punches and kicks.

'Dammit, what kind of fighting style is this!?' I thought in frustration as I was unable to get a good clean hit. When I returned a kick of my own, she once again surprised me. I'm not sure how she got the momentum, but time slowed as she flipped over my kick, keeping her cold, stoic eyes on me. She then tripped me and I landed hard on my back. I balked and quickly rolled away as she stamped a hindhoof down on the ground, the clop resonating with the room. I stood up and got back into my stance. "Interesting style... where'd you learn it?" I asked, curious now. Lilac casually dusted her suite and adjusted her hat before taking the stance.

"Ancient alicorn technique lost to time." She simply said. I blinked and tilted my head. The sudden sound of whirring machines snapped me out of my confusion as I looked to see the silhouette of the alicorn in the crystal. Her eyes were open, glowing. As if watching us. Lilac looked to the figure and a concerned look fell over her before quickly vanishing with the cold stoic. She then faced me and got back in her stance. "Very well, your highness. I will deal with this one personally." My eyes widened as I saw her mane suddenly glow and become light along with her tail. Her eyes turned a hue of glossy white and black slit pupils focused on me. From behind her, angelic looking wings unfurled, spreading the feathers around us. Din cackled and stood up, mimicking my stance.

Now this is going to be fun. She laughed excitably. I felt a warmth surround me. The whirring of the room grew louder, and steam started to whistle from the walls. I'm not sure exactly what is going on, unfortunately, as Lilac made the first move. As quick as light itself, she was primed to strike. Din caught her movement and weaved under the kick, jabbing a hoof out and striking her in the side. She winced and hopped back, keeping her stance. I felt myself grin and my eyes glanced at the crystal. Watch me, sister. As I crush your sickly little bird!

Thi Billet’s POV

Fie and Lilac clashed with their hooves from afar. I was planning on jumping into help, but something else caught my attention. The sound of struggling to my right made me look over to see Cloudchaser wrestling with Flitter.

“Unhoof me, peasant!!” Flitter snarled. Cloudchaser planted her hind hooves into the stoned floor and pushed back.

“Release my sister!!” She growled back. Flitter grinned.

"Provide me a suitable body!! Tis all I ask!" She cackled. I glared at the possessed Flitter. Lo Mien coughed and slid off of my back, nearly stumbling. She then weakly reached to her suite zipper, pulling the zipper down to expose her chest before she reached in and shakily withdrew a syringe. It then dropped from her hoof and she fell onto her side, gasping for breath. I saw the black veins begin to pulse. Flitter rose in the air and bucked Cloudchaser away before looking back at the fallen Triads.

“Arise, minions!! Serve your king, even in death!!” She reached out to the bodies. My eyes widened at the sight of the mangled and crooked bodies of the Triad that were with us moments ago rise from the ground. Their dead, glazed eyes glossed with green with black tendrils out the side of their eyes. They turned to face us, as if puppets on a string and began to shamble. Cloudchaser crackled Hercules’s gauntlet, darting her eyes worriedly between her sister and the ponies. I was about to move to help her when I felt something lock my foreleg in place. I looked down and saw Lo Mien struggling to move her free foreleg.

She tapped the syringe and weakly pointed at Flitter. I studied Lo Mien briefly. The agonizing pain she must be feeling… I can’t help but have a shot of guilt wash over me. How many have I let suffer at my own hooves in a similar manner? I snapped out of my daze and with my magic, scooped up the syringe and rushed over to Flitter. Flitter scoffed with a taunting grin and took to the sky. I flicked my head down and sprang upward towards her. However, before I could tackle Flitter, she quickly swept her wing to disorient me, hovering away. Cloudchaser, however, followed closely and with a quick flap of her wings, tackled her sister. The two began to wrestle in the air. I held the syringe in my magic, hesitating as I didn't want to hit Cloudchaser.

"Cloudchaser, hold her still!" I called out. The two sisters were beginning to flutter further and further from me, struggling with each other. Unfortunately, they had positioned themselves over the possessed ponies. My gaze fell to Lo Mein, who was writhing in agony, fighting to keep herself in control. My eyes widened, seeing Xena canter over her and rushed me.

Quiet Fire's POV

I stumbled back after a quick strike across my cheek, quickly recovering and blocking the next flurry of kicks from the Triad general. Bobbing and weaving in and out of strikes, I did what I could to try and land a few of my own on her. Strike, dodge, strike, strike, strike, dodge, dodge, dodge, back and forth between us. The sickly mare, in a moment of vulnerability, stumbled and allowed me to give a burning hoof punch directly onto her muzzle, sending her spiraling to the ground. I quickly reset myself into my stance, my forehooves roaring with Din’s flames.

“Give up, Lilac. You’re in no way fit to keep this going.” I stated coldly. Lilac coughed up blood and shakily stood up. Wiping her muzzle, she glared at me and proceeded to get back into her stance. I was beginning to feel pity for this mare. "Why all of this? What are you fighting for?" I asked, readying myself. Lilac said nothing. She rasped as she rolled her hind leg out in front of her. I slumped a little and began to rush her. Right as I was about to deliver my strike and her about to retaliate, there was a loud whistle overhead that caused me to stop and look up. Lilac remained unmoved but slowly turned her head to the crystal. The machine was going crazy that the whole earth was shaking. I followed Lilac’s gaze and my look narrowed.

The crystal began to crack, light pouring from it. The silhouette of the alicorn inside lit up, the eyes opening, and a bright light washed over the whole room. The crystal shattered. In that instance, the world seemed to slow. The crystal pieces sparkled and shimmered in a prismatic manner, the light reflecting like a spinning lamp for a foal. From one of the reflections of the crystal, a majestic alicorn spread her wings. A long, flowing blue mane almost similar to our princesses. A coat of pure white and eyes that sparkled like dewed kissed roses. The alicorn landed like an angel descending from the heavens. With a quick swish of her head, a cold rush of magical air washed over us, dispersing the instability in the area instantly. In my mind, I felt Din's excitedness. Her grin widening beyond a twisted maniac. Our eyes met and the world melted around us.

We were surrounded by bright Olympian pillars, a plastered, shining mosaic floor beneath us covered by colorful stained-glass lighting as if we were in a chapel. Yet, my eyes remained focused on the alicorn. She wasn't as tall as Celestia. But it didn't matter with the aura she was giving off. Imposing. Regal. Cold. Uncaring. Her red rose eyes judging me intensely with a hint of curiosity. She unfurled her wings in a display similar to how Celestia would when addressing her subjects professionally. Din appeared in a swirl of fire, stepping out from it and grinning uncontrollably at the alicorn.

Come on, then... Come on!! She hissed with gleeful eagerness as she began to pace like a predator stalking its' prey. I've waited too long for this! The only thing standing in my way of ascension! With you crushed under my hooves, nothing will stop me!! Din stopped and reared up, stamping on the mosaic ground and cracking it. Bring her out here!! Bring me the bitch who has been shirking her privileges! She has a lot to answer for!! The alicorn didn't bat an eye. She eyed Din with no amusement. I had to shield my eyes with my sleeve as a ray of light shone down around us. Peeking out from under, I saw a corporeal form of an alicorn form from above before landing in a bow. When Lux rose, she shifted her wings and scraped the ground with a hoof.

Tis been too long... dear sister. Lux spoke. Her voice was soothing. Motherly. Eerily serene. Din didn't hesitate. In a blink of an eye, Lux swished her head as Din locked horns with her. The collision causing a rush of wind and shook the ground. Din hissed, a bit of foam frothing from her muzzle as she bared her sharp fangs and snake like tongue. Din shook as if she was putting all her might into making Lux yield. Yet, Lux remained unmoving. In fact, she didn't even seem bothered at all. She deftly flicked her head and Din was thrown onto her side. The hot headed primal sprang to her hooves and charged again, fire flowing from her horn and swirled around her, clashing with Lux again and letting the flames whip and lash out at her. Lux, however, shielded herself in a light barrier, the light rippling from each impact. Din proceeded to punch fiercely at the barrier, the impact pushing Lux just a little. Lux gave a warm smile before shattering her barrier the moment Din swung, shifting herself to cause Din to stumble forward. Lux then swished her wing, poking Din in both her eyes (she hissed and reeled back) before Lux's horn glowed, forming a strange looking glimmering blade. In a graceful form of a dance, Din was suddenly sliced to ribbons, her limbs and body cut into neat cubes. My jaw dropped as she then entrapped Din's filleted bits into a neat ball with her magic and hummed curiously. A singular eye from Din focused on her, struggling to do anything.

Tis good to see nothing has changed. And yet... Lux's eyes met mine. Times certainly are heading that way. I readied myself. This is it. I've come this far for this very moment. And yet...

"We have other concerns, Lux." Sonata spoke. "Our quarry can wait. Do you sense that abomination?" The soft glowing alicorn nodded softly.

Seems our protege is currently suffering her fate. Lux responded. Sonata's eyes narrowed softly but her expression remained uncaring.

"She served her purpose. Tis only fair I give her what she desires. But first..." Sonata met my eyes. "I have been asleep for far too long. Tell me. What hath become of our fair nation?" She asked. I growled quietly behind my teeth.

"A lot of stuff you have to answer for..." I replied coldly. Sonata shifted into a frown.

"Then perhaps an appropriate means of quarters is in order." She said. Lux smiled and levitated the neatly cubed pieces of Din over to me. I took her in my magic, Din muffling angrily in what I can only imagine is a variety of swears and insults at anypony in particular. The area around us melted and I blinked, finding myself staring at Lilac, who slumped and fell onto her stomach, coughing uncontrollably. Blood spilled out the side of her muzzle as she rasped and weakly looked up at Sonata.

The alicorn stepped down and walked over to Lilac. She stopped and unfurled her wings in a display of royalty.

“Remember thy oath.” She simply said. Lilac rasped and struggled to stand up. I was amazed how grandma’s secret recipe hadn’t healed this mare at all. Lilac’s legs shook as she stood up and when she was able to stand up, she gave a salute to Sonata. Sonata’s flowing blue mane glowed and shimmered in a prismatic fashion and her eyes glowed brightly. Lilac’s eyes widened. I felt my dumbfounded expression turn disgusted as a wispy smoke escaped her mouth. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head and her body fell onto her side.

In front of Sonata, a wispy orb hovered. Sonata brought the orb close to her and seemed to give it a soft kiss before using a hoof to wave the orb into her chest. My eyes narrowed when Sonata looked ahead, stepping over the bow lifeless body of Lilac. I followed her gaze.

Thi Billet’s POV

I hissed in pain as I did my best to avoid Xena. Her jabs to keep me defensive were starting to get annoying. How is it that everypony knows kung-fu but me? I tried to swing at her, only for her to deftly lock a hoof around my leg, strike me a couple of times before throwing me over her. I landed on my back with an “oof”, having barely anytime to avoid a stamp of her hoof on my head. I couldn’t breathe through my snout. She grinded her hoof over the bridge of my muzzle, causing me to writhe in muffle pain under her.

When she removed her hoof, she stepped back and got into a stance. I rasped and coughed, my body trying to clear my air ways as I weakly stood up. She did a number on me. I looked out of one swollen eye, seeing that Cloudchaser and Flitter were no longer over the crowd of ponies that were in a trance like state.

‘If they haven’t moved, then CC is still keeping Sombra occupied enough. Hang in there, girls.’ I thought, spitting out saliva and blood. “Xena… Are you satisfied?” I coughed. Xena remained silent. What was I expecting? The black veins under her eyes and on her neck pulsed softly. I flicked my tail softly, feeling the hidden syringe to ensure it is still there. Xena readied herself before dashing towards me. I rushed her and swiftly avoided a buck, catching her and using my weight, forcing her onto the ground.

I proceeded to wrestle with her, taking a few pot shots with my hoof, but the zebra was much nimbler than I expected. She quickly batted away my hoof and jabbed me in the chest several times. It felt like being hit with a flurry rocks. It was also becoming hard to breathe, causing me to rear up. I realized then what I was set up into.

'Oh buck...' I felt my hooves leave the ground and went rolling away from her. Xena spun back around and got into her stance. I felt the wind leave me. 'Fie... I'm glad you only got me to clean up a hotel as punishment.' I wiped my muzzle, my brain racing with what to do. A strong temptation to just use the syringe on Xena to get her to calm down. 'But...' My eyes darted around. Where did the sister's go? As if on que, I saw two lilac blurs zip down from the opened ceiling above us. They crash landed right into the destroyed cock pit of Excelsior, Cloudchaser pinning Flitter in the seat, panting for breath. Flitter snarled and squirmed under her, trying to wrest free of her sister's hold.

"You are a persistent mare! If only I had my power returned, I'd bind all of you in chains!" Flitter roared angrily. Cloudchaser grunted as she placed a hoof down onto Flitter's face.

"Shut up! Any more words out of my sister's mouth with your snake tongue and I'll-" She began before Flitter laughed.

"Or you'll what, my little pony?" Flitter grinned from under Cloudchaser's hoof. "Cut it out?? Hehehehe! Poor you! All feather's ruffled at the very mare you call your sister. Have you've ever realized how she feels about being useless? How much that you and the others are always off in the frontlines while she’s left on the sidelines!” Flitter chided. Cloudchaser growled and rose her voice in rebuttal.

“Lies! Flitter and I have had plenty of talks!! She knows her limits and always makes sure I’m knowing my own! She’s the one always keeping me in check! I can count on her bringing me back! And I’ll do the same for her!” Cloudchaser spat. Flitter gave a smug grin.

“Perhaps you don’t know your sister quite that well.” She chuckled. Cloudchaser snapped.

“A tyrant like you doesn’t know what a pony wants… You enslaved your people! Don’t even begin to try anything! Now… release my sister….” She said lowly.

I was hesitant. Xena was waiting for me to try anything, eyeing me coldly. Lo Mien, I hoped, had only passed out and our only means of getting out of here alive is separated from us. What do I do? Now, I am a pony who feels that the unexpected is always something to prepare for. No unwanted variables. At least, working to lessen the extremity of that value I hold close. So imagine my chagrin when a brilliant light nearly blinded everypony in the room.

Looking past my foreleg, I saw Fie walking forward, her eyes fixated and expression serious at the sight of Cloudchaser and Flitter. The two ponies looked over and saw the brilliant light dim into an alicorn figure. One who I knew was going to either A. Use her magic to capture every single one of us for some sick and twisted experiments or B. Unleash Lux to sate her curiosity for power.

I was not expecting choice C. She lifted her head, closing her eyes and unfurled her wings. The area greyed and all of a sudden, I could only breathe. My whole body and functions refused to do anything. Was I paralyzed? How is it that Fie is still able to move? My eyes would widen if I could, but the realization was there. Fie looked to Sonata, whose horn was glowing brightly as she made her way towards the sisters. Fie met my frozen look apologetically. Sonata flapped her wings and hovered over to the two sisters. She peered down into the cock pit, her eyes studying Flitter.

"A failure to the end." She simply stated. There was a bright flash and everything went black.

Author's Note

It took waaaaaayyyyy too long to get this chapter out. It wasn't out of burn out, in fact, it was because I was distracting myself with other stuff. I had this chapter open everytime I did to see if I would push through it and unfortunately, it was a slow process. But I managed. I'm inspired in the upcoming chapters and nearing the conclusion.

Chapter 43: The Reason We Fight

Quiet Fire’s POV

Din was not happy. Yet, she was surprisingly quiet. From the sound of it, she was grumbling and weird sounds resonated in my head. I could just imagine her trying to put herself together like a collection of colorful stud bricks. Onto another matter, I wasn’t sure exactly how I should react to any of this. Just moments ago, I was in a fight and encounter with our nation’s worst enemies and suddenly, I’m sitting in front of an experiment table, watching some Triads strap an unconscious Flitter to a table along with Cloudchaser.

Thi was being held captive by Xena and a couple of other Triad ponies. Several more Triad ponies brought in Lo Mien and rested her on another experimentation table. Thi met my look. She eyed me with uncertainty. She had every reason to. Here I am, free as a bird while my friends are being held against their wills. Cloudchaser wriggled in her straps, looking at me.

“What’s all this, Fie?! What is going on?” Cloudchaser shouted. I gave an apologetic look and stood up.

“Saving us a lot of trouble.” I replied. Thi eyed me.

“By siding with the enemy? Queen Sonata herself? Forgive me if I’m hesitant on this whole thing considering our situation.” Thi replied with a frown. I narrowed my look at her before turning to Sonata. The alicorn seemed to read my mind.

“Don’t interrupt the process. If you truly value your nation’s honor.” She said without acknowledging me. Thi snorted.

"Don't talk to us like you know honor, tyrant. We are in a world ending crisis and you were sleeping like a filly in a crystal." She retorted, wincing as a barrel of an autogun was jabbed at her head. Sonata remained focused ahead at the set up. It was quite disturbing how she is easily commanding the dead troops still under the possession. Cloudchaser looked between me and Flitter, the latter struggling against her binds.

“Untie me, foul cretin!! You dare bind your one true king?!” Flitter spat. Sonata studied her.

“You are no king of mine. Your resurrection was merely a test.” She began as she slowly walked towards her. “A curious idea that needed statistics and variables. This test is a failure. And thus, you shall be purged of all future testing.” I stood up and was about to walk towards her when she turned sharply around and faced me. “It will be quick.” I frowned.

“What does she mean ‘quick’, Fie?” Thi said. I met her look. “Did you make a deal with her? What deal?” I didn’t say anything. I wasn’t sure why I couldn’t. It was a moment of desperation. I couldn’t bear seeing the two sisters fight with little to no way of saving Flitter from her condition. I was betting it all on the power Din had received from the other world. Thi studied me and anger shot through her. “Fie… What did you agree on?”

Sonata eyed her.

“Be thankful I have not ordered to kill you. I have much to discuss with Din’s vessel. And would prefer her cool headed. So, silence your tongue before I cut it out.” Sonata spoke. Thi gave a cocky grin, one even more cocky than I’m used to seeing her have.

“Aww, c’mon Sonny, you love it when I run my muzzle. Gives you enough of an ego boost for me to buck you off into a portal again.” She said, the venom being covered by a taunting tone. I expected Sonata to retort, but to my surprise, she nodded.

“Yes… and that incident proved quite valuable. Once I was released of its’ confines, I knew what I had to do.” She replied uncaringly. Thi growled.

“Oh yeah? You gotta’ give me the deets, Sonata. You know I love listening to you talk. C’mon. From one nuisance to another.” I was rather amused by Thi’s mocking tone towards Sonata. I didn’t really think these two had it that bad against one another. Suddenly, Thi glowed and was lifted up from the ground and over to Sonata. Thi dangled in front of her.

"Perhaps you should see for yourself." Her eyes darted to me. "You as well. If Thi Billet was in your friend's place, I'd ensure full containment." She said. Thi glared at her before looking at me.

"Fie!! What is she going do!?" She barked at me. I found myself hesitating. After all I've done to chastise her. After all we've been through and how rocky our friendship is right now, I couldn't face her properly. Sonata nodded to a Triad pony.

"Begin the process." She ordered. The partial mangled corpse of a Triad pony shambled over to a lever contraption and pulled it. A loud hiss of mechanics and gears whirred to life. I looked above and gasped as I saw a bulky cylinder like device descend and pop out multiple arm like limbs. At the end of them were several blades and needles of varying tools. I quickly raised a hoof to Sonata, only for her to bat it with a wing.

“Sonata!” Thi shouted, looking panicked in Flitter’s direction. Flitter let out a scream. It wasn’t Sombra’s. I immediately regretted asking for help. I quickly rushed away from them, heading over to the lever. I shoved away the pony and pulled it, halting the machine. The sounds stopped, but Flitter’s screams didn’t.

“You want me to cooperate, Sonata, then you will not go this far!” I stated coldly. Sonata shifted her gaze. Thi looked between us before quickly saying:

“There is another way!” She shouted. I met her look and she returned it to me. Thi cautiously looked between all of us through Flitter’s screaming. “Th-there is another way.” She motioned to me. “Scribble and I found something when we separated here in the castle.” Sonata gave a disgusted scoff. “We found the files on the symbiote that is genetically tied to Sombra’s DNA. I-I don’t know exactly what Scribble found, but I trust the egghead’s words over everything. We can purge the symbiote without the messy stuff involved.” I looked at her with a relieved smile, nodding seriously after.

“Anything to save Flitter.” I replied. Thi hesitated a bit.

“Blood transfusion.” She said. “The symbiote is attached to itself in the blood vessels. If we transfer her infected blood out into a suitable body that can purge it, we’ll have dealt with it completely. Flitter’s symptoms should stop. We’ll get our friend back. And Sonata…” She grimaced as she wiggled a hoof lazily at her. “You’ll err… get rid of a failed project? A… tyrant that can challenge your power?” Sonata eyed her stoically. Thi sighed. “Think of something that’ll royally piss you off if Sombra is around.”

“I need not for your tongue, fly. I know well enough your antics.” She lowered Thi to meet her eye to eye. “Every ample opportunity I have right now to purge another nuisance who challenges my power is right here in a room with all the others. My time in that portal’d dimension has given me… much… to learn about myself. I’m itching to test every possible method. Every possible incision along that battle scarred body of yours. Tracing every nerve to see what reacts to what while the prongs prod your basic sensory nerves.”

An eerie smile crept along her muzzle. “I can do it right here, you know. It’ll be painless for your friends, but I’ll ensure you’ll experience everything I’ve learned.” Thi seemed... surprisingly unphased by this morbid threat. Instead, she just puttered her lips with an unamused expression.

"Then think of it this way. Another project, if you will. One that I know will certainly have..." She darted her eyes in thought. "Interesting results. But I..." Thi hesitated again. She then sighed and looked over her shoulder to me. "I..." I furrowed my look in worry. My eyes studied her, trying to make sense of what she was trying to portray. Why was she hesitating so much? Why is she giving me that look? I know we are in a tight situation, but I can get us out of it. I'd deal with Lux and Sonata so the rest can get out if things go south. Thi finally sighed once more and rubbed her foreleg. "Fie... I truly... truly cherish you as my best friend. You always stood by me, even when I had no idea what I was doing with myself. I... was living my life on auto pilot before meeting you. And I really... really wanted to thank you for... ya' know... dealing with my shit." She bowed her head a little. "I know this is a strange thing to ask of you, considering everything going on right now. But... if you won't take my word for it. Would you take Scribble's? He... well... he's a great pony." I was dumbfounded. My jaw hung a little in awe at her words. The sincerity behind them... I've never seen this side of Thi. Thi then met my look, a mix of worry and determination.

"Fie. Scribble believes that if we can blood transfuse the symbiote into your body, Din and you can purge him out entirely. Any trace of Sombra would be extinguished. I... I won't lie... this is a huge gamble he is suggesting. If... if Sombra manages to find a way to control you, manages to work his way to control Din... then we are snapping that thin line we are holding onto." She gave me a serious look. "Thousands of creatures all across Equestria are infected with the symbiote. Putting two and two together, if you can figure out how to stop the main symbiote infection via Sombra, then Equestria will have a fighting chance." She then looked over to Sonata. "And you may not like that fact. What will matter in the end is that you'll have an Equestria, for whatever future comes next, to conquer. We need to put aside our differences right now and work together." Sonata's smile faded as Thi spoke, her cold eyes studying the mare. "Granted... we'll have to come to terms with some... issues between everpony."

"Terms and conditions." Sonata replied simply before dropping Thi onto her back with an "oof". She walked away from us and over to Flitter, who was hyperventilating as Cloudchaser was trying her best to calm her down. She met Sonata's look fearfully. I felt my blood boiling as she studied Cloudchaser with her eyes. "I have a certain need and desire to return to where you had placed me at years ago. Thirteen days of research and knowledge is not enough for what I desire." She brought a wing around and caressed a single feather under Cloudchaser's chin, lifting her head up a little. "But perhaps we should agree on purging a certain heretic to my reign before we proceed. I'd think clearer without the unneeded distraction. Such a shame. I did so look forward to seeing how the symbiote would interact of the same DNA. Would it increase in potency? Or perhaps... outright create a new gene." I quickly galloped, vaulting over a table and knocking over several test tubes of questionable contents before stepping between her and Cloudchaser.

"Then first and foremost, you should behave yourself. Remember... our elements die with us. Din maybe hotheaded against Lux, but with us together, you won't stand a chance." I said coldly. Sonata had a smile creep across her muzzle.

"The eyes of a mare who truly thinks she's above death. Oh, how it'll be worth it when Equestria will fall and the sister's crushed under my hooves." She then spun around, her flowing blue tail whipping me across the snout and walking back over to several Triad ponies and nodded. The ponies shambled around the room, their limbs lazily working at bits and bobs on devices. The latches on Cloudchaser unlocked and she immediately hopped off the table and rushed over to Flitter, taking a hold of her hoof and once again trying to calm her down.

Thi stood up and walked over to me. She rubbed her foreleg and hesitated again before finally mustering her words.

“Fie… I really… really don’t know what to do if you end up becoming… possessed.” She said. I sighed and looked over to the sisters. Cloudchaser met my look.

“Knowing how Din and I are, I wouldn’t worry too much.” I replied.

“But we should.” Cloudchaser spoke up. “Flitter has told me the way Sombra has been twisting her mind. Implanting doubts and half-truths on top of giving her nightmares. Not only that, but she’s also been getting weaker both mentally and physically. It’s as bad as it sounds.” Cloudchaser looked back at her sister, brushing a bang out of her mane and wiping the tears from Flitter. “She never brought it up to anypony else as to not hinder us so much. I… I told her it was dumb to do that and she had nothing to prove over it. I…” My heart ached as I saw Cloudchaser’s posture slump, ears down and exhausted. “I don’t think I’m as strong as she thinks I am.”

Flitter began to cackle, the black veins pulsing as she tearfully smiled at her.

“How sweet! Nothing more disgusting than the love of another. Such an awful word… love.” Flitter eyed me. “May the best pony win.” I narrowed my look before hopping onto the table. I looked over to Sonata. The alicorn turned to face us after ordering the Triad to bring over Xena, strapping her to her own table next to Lo Mien.

“I look forward to the results.” She said. Thi glared at her.

“Any funny business and I’ll bring this whole thing to a stop. Property damage included.” She said. Sonata scoffed.

“Please. I’m aware of the destruction you and your friends have left behind. Lux has been quite the See Bee.” She said. Thi blinked as Sonata waved a wing at her. “All in due time. For once, I want a truce in out of a favor.”

“Favor?!” Thi began angrily, but I put a hoof on her shoulder and shook my head. Thi sighed in frustration and stepped aside.

“Once we help my friend, you’ll get your info and favor. In return, you’ll agree to what I’ve offered with no questions.” I said sternly. Thi looked to me questioningly, but I ignored it. Sonata said nothing before nodding to a shambling Triad. They saluted before pulling a lever. I felt myself being forced down onto the table and two massive cylinder like machines descended from the ceiling.

“Sonata!” I heard Thi shout. Flitter screamed again, struggling against her restraints with Cloudchaser trying to keep her calm, her look deathly worried and eyeing the machine. Sonata finally spoke.

“Blood transfusion is a delicate procedure of surgery. This is an idea we’ve all agreed upon, have we not?” She stated. I nodded before looking to Flitter.

“Flitter? Hey, Flitter. Flitter!” I called out. Flitter shook her head furiously at the machine. Cloudchaser held onto Flitter, either to hug her or keep her still, but eventually with some soothing, Flitter looked at me, her eyes wide in fear. I gave her a sincere smile. “It’ll be okay, Flitter. We’re here for you. Din and I will take care of Sombra. Promise.” Flitter panted in terror, her expression understanding but still terrified. I could hear the eye roll of Sonata before the sound of squeaky wheels moved over to us. Two Triad ponies worked to hook Flitter’s muzzle around a mask before turning the valve. Flitter began to settle, her eyes eventually closing into a deep slumber. They did the same with me. Before the world faded to black, I saw Thi give me a small smile.

“I won’t leave this time. Not anymore.” She said, her voice sounding farther than I thought it was.

oooOOO000OOOooo

As expected, I found myself amongst the field of fiery grass and blue flowers. The desolate bit of cobble ruins surrounding a thick and brilliant winding tree loomed high overhead. It was bigger than I remember it. In fact, I noticed a phoenix nesting on one of the branches. At the base of the tree was a makeshift throne of the fiery grass, blue flowers and bark of the tree. Din was missing a chunk of her ear, yet she was slowly piecing small cubes of her flesh back onto it. I rose an amused brow.

“Need help?” I asked with a snicker.

Piss off. Din growled in frustration. You could have at least prepared yourself better. I’m tempted to have Sombra latch onto you so I can use you both as kindling. I walked over to her and took a seat on a thick root.

“Where did the phoenix come from?” I asked, motioning to the sleeping bird.

From the other realm. If you recall, our battle with Tenebres allowed us to use a bit of the phoenix’s power. This is the resulting stowaway. She placed the last bit of her ear together. Unless you using it on your companion was a fluke, I was certain you were aware. I flushed a little and rubbed my head.

“I… I was all over the place because of that.” I admitted. Din scoffed and rested her head on her hoof boredly.

And now we are infesting ourselves with a parasite who'll darken my domain. She said sourly. I gave a small smile.

"Nothing we can't handle. We'll make it painful for him. I guess a personal payback for having poisoning one of my best friends from being herself." Din snorted.

Luckily for you, I get to enjoy burning something to relieve my anger out on. She suddenly went quiet as we both saw something black drip down in front of us. We blinked a couple of times in confusion before looking. Din stood up immediately, her anger clear as the night that was being covered by a strange dark cloud. Black rain droplets started to pelt the field, mucking the bright colors of fiery orange, yellow and red. The blue flowers retreated back into buds. Din’s fiery mane and tail flared as she watched her domain cower. Now it’s personal… She snarled, looking back up at the sky. A loud boom of thunder rumbled throughout the field. I hopped off the root and readied myself next to Din. We watched as the black tar began to trail and trick, creating a small vortex of dark smog rising from the ground. A demonic face appeared from the smog, cackling.

“So… this is the domain of a goddess. Too… bright for my tastes.” A deep voice said. From the dark smog emerged a dark grey unicorn with sharp fangs, green slit eyes and a flowing raven black mane and tail. The prominent feature that stuck out was the massive curved red horn. Sombra wore a set of steel armor, gauntlets and open un-visored helm and a regal kingly cape that draped around the armor. His smile betrayed his high and mighty posture.

And the moment his smog behind him vanished did Din immediately turned on the heat. The grass erupted into large flames, the tar bubbling and popping around us. Thankfully, nothing was melting off of me. The same could be said for Sombra. Din snarled and got low as Sombra had made a sphere of dark aura to shield himself from the heat.

“Cute. But if you want real heat…” Sombra smirked and reared up, his horn glowing. My eyes widened and I quickly galloped over to Din, tackling her just as Sombra brough his head down with a loud stomp of his hooves. This created a magnificent sight of a sea of fire splitting apart. Din and I stood up, staring in awe at the sight. Sombra brought his head back and swished his head, his mane billowing in a wind from the cold presence of magic. “I have to thank the tyrant queen for her generous flexibility of allowing me to gather as much knowledge as I can. The husk those annoying ponies defeated long ago is not the same. My influence is far and wide.” Sombra cackled. “Can you believe she wanted to control me?! Me!! To instill as much fear to obey her nations bidding and economy.” I grit my teeth, disturbed by Sombra’s presence.

Lux and her vessel have gone unsupervised long enough!! I’ve had too many headaches to deal with because of her!! Din snapped. I side eyed her as she continued. And now…! Din grinned maniacally, licking her fangs. I get to savor the utter destruction of three creatures. Sombra threw his head back and laughed.

“You?! After all you’ve done?! You’re partially responsible for unleashing me throughout the land!” He smiled, his eyes meeting mine. “They’ve been using my DNA for plenty of tests. Floral. Food. Drinks. Books. Anything you can think of. Even the very air. Those creatures you’ve been saving throughout your crusade? All implanted with small bits of my essence! Even their own were exposed to my very essence.” Sombra dusted a pauldron, as if noticing a small speck of dust. My eyes narrowed.

"How? I thought the prototype they injected Flitter with was the start of it." I spoke. Sombra smirked.

"How naïve." He began. "That prototype was the one out of many failed to bring me into physical manifestation." He gave a disgusted look. "I will not be a bargaining chip of any kind. Sad to admit considering my contribution to the eventual downfall of your beloved princesses." I got low into a readied stance.

"What does Sonata have against our princesses?? What caused her to wage war against us?" I asked. Sombra scoffed.

“Hmph! As if I’d tell you anything. My only concern is..." He eyed me predatorily. "How much I'm able to control." Din threw her head back and laughed.

Bahahahaha!! Her head and glare shot towards him. I'd like to see you try. She coldly said, smirking. I noticed Sombra taking a small step back. My eyes narrowed, meeting his look. There was certainly confidence in his bravado. But the uncertainty betrayed it. Din seemed to read my thoughts. This made her extremely giddy. What's the matter, "king"? Afraid of a little fire? I took a moment to observe our surroundings. Aside from the raging field of fire and blue flowers sparkling the sky, it seems that whatever Sombra's tar that touched, bubbled and popped into nothing. Yet, something told me to be on guard. Din grumbled in agreement to my awareness almost begrudgingly. I then stepped forward, Din, following suite.

Sombra narrowed his eyes. When we got closer, he smirked and all of a sudden, a black smog exploded from behind him, lashing out at us like tendrils. I backflipped away and called my halberd at the ready while Din swished her head, cutting at the smog. Sombra looked annoyed. Din cackled as she sliced her way through the smog before clashing horns with Sombra.

The fact I am dirtying my hooves and wasting my time on a pathetic washed-up king is infuriating! But I am not going to lie, I’ve been wanting to burn something for a while. Sombra struggled under the power of Din, trying to push back. You’re just a gnat biting at my leg. What’s a king in the domain of a goddess? She grinned maniacally. I did my best to fend off the smog lashing around us, twirling the halberd around me and letting Din handle her say. I then felt a strong force punch me in the back, sending me flying out of the smog.

I rolled onto my hooves and faced the attack, only to see Din in wide eyed surprise as Sombra had managed to overpower her. I was baffled, watching as Din was tossed aside with such force that she made a groove in the fire. I readied myself as the smog shot outward, Sombra dusting himself off and smiling.

“Well, well. Seems I’ve begun to strengthen in this body quicker than I expected.” He took a deep breath, reveling in his newfound life. He then faced me. “Overpowering a goddess is one thing. But let’s see if I can enslave the mind and heart.” He then reared up and fired a beam that was rather too quickly for me to dodge. I instinctively blocked it with the halberd, being pushed back several yards away. I dug in my hind hooves, grunting in an attempt to redirect the force of the beam. Sombra walked forward, his head bowed to apply more force to the beam.

“When was the last time a mortal stood against me in this manner? The prissy Princess of Friendship and her annoying friends only defeated me in my distractions! Well, there are none here. Only you, a goddess and my everlasting rule.” He growled. I grunted and pushed back.

“Sounds like… you’re compensating…” I struggled. “Enslaving generations worth of Crystal Ponies! Implanting fear into the minds of others! You should have known you’d be overthrown!” Sombra scoffed, applying more force that nearly knocked me off my hooves.

“My rule was iron! Clear as the very crystals I sat upon! The very notion of mortals usurping me is outrageous! And I’ve a means for some payback!” He cackled. “With your enslavement, I’d have my revenge against those goody-two shoed princesses and reclaim my throne upon the Crystal Empire! And why stop there? Canterlot and the rest of Equestria will be under one banner!” I struggled to keep myself up, feeling my leg buckle and I fell onto a knee.

“You still have to deal with Pony Land next! I doubt Sonata and whoever rules Fenice would be willing to give you any leeway. Considering that Sonata has a bountiful amount of resources at her disposal!” I retorted, being annoyed at the thought of Sonata just throwing troop after troop after beasts after poisons at Equestria. Sombra smirked.

“In due time. But first!” He suddenly jerked his head and I went forward, only for him to backhoof me across the cheek and sending me spiraling into the ground. “Before I take over this powerful body, I want to know what makes you tick.” I pulled myself up from the fiery ground, rubbing the sting on my cheek. When I turned to face him, I was suddenly hit hard with a dark and sickly green beam into my horn.

I screamed as it seemed to drill and claw into me, flowing into my body. My eyes teared and I could notice something in the corner of my eyes, wriggling itself free. I could hear Sombra laughing in my head as my mind began to fog. I did my best to fight back, willing my mind to push out the intrusion. It was stronger than I thought and he soon found himself digging into my memories.

My time having trained with my mother. The falling out. My time in school and all throughout my time being miserable for six years. But it seems Sombra was looking for something else. He then smiled when he saw Thi Billet approach my door and knocked on it. Then he saw Cloudchaser and Flitter. He noted Silver Scribble. He took stark interest in my mother for her position as the Captain of the Royal Guard. My siblings and my father’s connections to her and I. Once he was done gathering what he could with those memories, he then began to violate my insecurities. What made me fearful. Made me angry. Made me happy. I fell to my stomach, pushing myself against the ground to keep myself up.

I tried with all my will power to fight back against the intrusion, but to no avail. He dug through more and more personal stuff before finally canceling his magic. I fell into a partial daze onto the ground, my head pounding. Sombra gleefully looked satisfied with himself.

“Such a volatile mare with so many vulnerabilities. You’re just a filly with no real purpose in her life. Only following the lines and directions of those above and close to you. You’ve been doing all of this journey on auto pilot. Why, it’s almost as if you are trying to find a reason to exist. And yet, you have the opportunity right here.” He motioned around us. “The domain of a goddess. Her rise to ascension is your golden ticket of doing something worthwhile. It’s not your love of another mare. Certainly not your loyalty to your family and friends. Nay… you truly wish to exist.” His smile faded into a look of pity. “You hold the world and balance in your very heart and mind and yet, you squander all this power to seek existence. Why must you believe yourself a waste of space? Why not serve under me? I can give you meaning. I can give you that feeling of wanting to exist. To live and to regain those emotions you’ve lost through your gain of power.

“Celestia and Luna would only seek to use you for their own ends, like the tyrants they are. I, on the other hoof, will put to you good use. Same for your goddess. I can help both of you in your rise to power. You are nearly there.” He then held out a hoof to me. “You only need a push.” I was feeling very exhausted. It was as if I was fighting for days on end. I rose my hoof and locked it with his. He helped me up, allowing me to steady before dusting my hoodie cloak. “You are still young and have all the time in the world. Let all those who only deem to see you as a tool kneel at the might of King Sombra and his Captain of his personal guard. Join me, Quiet Fire. With your goddess nearing ascension, nothing can stop you from having the world to yourself.”

I gave him a weak and tired look. He studied me a bit before his eyes widened. A loud sound of something sharp slicing into him. Sombra looked to his side, seeing Din grinning smugly with her hoof wrapped around the halberd. The blade had already gone through fully, poking out the other side. In the moment of bafflement, Sombra couldn’t utter a word. Only a scream when Din suddenly yanked him forward and her horn slid neatly into a socket. Sombra was pulled away, clutching his eye as Din grinned, a bulbous green eye staked onto her horn.

That tool is a better confidant than some washed-up king. She smirked evilly. How pathetic. I already know of all the annoying insecurities she has and all her idiotic tendencies of handling herself. I spent these past months sorting it all out myself. I do not need her head a jumbled mess like before. She snorted before looking at me. This better not come back to bite us. I gave a weak smile before taking a deep breath. I had taken notice of it while fending off the smog.

The flying phoenix high overhead. Having stirred awake when Sombra arrived and was quick to hide itself. I heard its’ cry. Din’s plan worked. The phoenix swooped down, resting itself on my back and cooing curiously. I felt a vigorating sense of energy return to me as I stood upright and faced the pained Sombra.

“You’re right. I always felt myself a waste of space. Only adding onto it for six years. All the shit that worked out for me shouldn’t have, but here I am. If it wasn’t for Din being around, I would have perished long ago. I may not have realized it then and I am still coming to terms with it. But Din has saved my life more times than I can count. I’ve been nothing but dead weight in her attempt to bring balance back, questionable as it maybe.” I casually held up my hoof and caressed the phoenix’s lower beak.

“I’ll admit that I’ve been rolling with the flow of everything. With some bumps and hiccups here and there, but what’s a little point of meaning if there isn’t any of those in our lives. You must have felt the same yourself Sombra. Before you became a king, you had to have some form of naivety yourself. There is a reason for almost everything that we ponies do. Even the gods and goddesses themselves need to have reason. Of why we exist. Why we continue to exist. And what we will eventually fight for. I… haven’t fully come to terms of what reasoning I fight. Mostly because I don’t want the world I live in to perish mostly, but for personal meanings, it is lost on me.

“I always think I found that reason, but that emptiness still likes to rear its’ head around. It’s almost as if there is nothing you can do about it. Hell, I used to unable to do anything without a fire lit under my ass. I’m still trying to find that personal reason of why I continue to fight when everypony around me has their’s. Even you, Sombra. You have a reason to fight.” I sighed. “Sadly, for you, your fight ends here. Whatever pony you were is for certain long gone.”

“Don’t you dare speak to me as if you pity me!” Sombra snapped suddenly. He tried to move away from Din, but she kept the halberd buried in him and unmoving. “I am King Sombra!! Equestria is mine by rite!! You are all nothing beneath me! The very stars bow at my power!!” Din snorted.

Tut-tut, little colt. It’s unbefitting a “king” to whine. Din began to cackle. The fact you believed yourself to have any power in my domain is rather amusing. I sighed.

“We only prolonged this encounter just to poke your own brain. Since now, you know all about me. What about you, Sombra? What real reason do you fight?” I asked. Sombra snarled, failing to remove the halberd from his side.

“I don’t need to tell you anything! I am a king, and I will command such respect!” He shouted. Din suddenly lifted up the stallion with such ease that it even took him by surprise. She balanced the halberd above her, the stallion dangling in the air.

“That’s a shame. For someone that likes to talk his mouth when given any inkling of advantage, you're quite the whining babe when the roles are reversed." I said. Sombra gurgled, black tar seeping from the sides of his muzzle before he smirked.

"Hehehehe. With my influence far and wide, there is one thing I know for a fact. You'll be the one who dooms all of Equestria with this current action." He began to laugh. "Killing me means killing the many who are infected. Have you've ever thought of that?" I narrowed my look.

"How can I take your word for it?" I asked coldly. He coughed before grinning.

"The failsafe." he said. "That alicorn is quite the cunning tyrant. She created a failsafe formula for my resurrection. Should I go rogue or gain sentience further from a symbiote, she would trigger the kill command, shutting down the bodies of many of those infected with my essence. That also means personally ridding me in this manner.” Din and I exchanged glances. Din gave a soft sigh of annoyance. She then unexpectedly twisted the halberd and stabbed her horn into the other socket. Sombra screamed in agony as now Din had two orb like decorations shikababed on her horn.

Well then… if we aren’t allowed to get rid of you… then perhaps you would rather enjoy me plucking you apart bit by bit. As you can tell. She cackled. She looked at me, as if waiting for my approval. I sat on my haunches and gave a nod. Din gleefully shifted and stabbed the halberd into the ground, impaling the stallion. I’m going to enjoy this.

I lost track of time. I was too busy admiring the phoenix. Din rested casually on the tree, humming softly to herself. She had seemed to tire herself out of enjoying the torture of Sombra impaled in the tree and looking to be upon death’s door. Now she was mindlessly being a surgeon, perhaps to understand exactly what Sombra is. So far, it was just tar and smog. In order to keep him conscious for questioning, the phoenix healed his wounds. Din yanked the halberd off the tree, causing Sombra to fall face flat on the gorund, flared a piece of fiery grass to burn the tar off the halberd before stabbing it in the ground.

I grow tired of this. Let’s just burn him and deal with the deaths of many like we have before! Din growled. I gave her a frown in response.

“I don’t want a second genocide on my conscious or have to go through another zebra spiritual therapy.” I glared at Sombra. “If only you’d cooperate. For one who wants to conquer the world, being zip tight isn’t helping or delaying the cause. In fact, we are keen to keep ourselves in stasis as to prevent you from doing anything." I said. Sombra growled. Din rolled her eyes and began to juggle his eyes with one hoof boredly.

My patience has run out. I'm going to take our chances! I have a much grander scheme in mind and I will not have you delay me any longer! Din spat. The field began to flare with fire. I could have sworn I saw Sombra's eyes widen in mid-juggle.

"N-no... No no no... I will not vanish... Every creature my influence has touched will perish. You need me... Equestria... Needs me..." He groaned. I arched a brow.

"Equestria doesn't need more tyrants. Even with how every creature in the world can view Princess Celestia and Luna in their own purview, perhaps other tyrants should take notes from them." I replied coldly. Sombra began to cackle.

"All the same... you are nothing different. Primal power or not, you're still just the same... An annoying peasant who preaches the words of peace in a time of when a true ruler is needed... It leads to nothing but distress... riots... unfaithful... All of Equestria fights under one banner... Yet the many that wave beneath it are shadowed entirely..." He rasped as he faced his head towards me. "Tell me... what banner do you truly wave, if not Equestria's?" I studied the mangled stallion. What is this pony getting at? I darted my eyes in thought, thinking on the words he said. When I had a thought, I took a deep breath.

"You should know how obvious that answer is. Equestria is my home. I was born in it. Raised in it. And I will die in it. It doesn't matter if I'm some grand hero, an adventurer or one of the top-secret societies under Celestia or Luna. I was chosen to be responsible for this world. To save it from the darkest of days. And I'm not the only one trying to save it. I am, however, the only one who has no clue what she wants after. And I may not even get a chance to see the sun rise tomorrow to have that opportunity. But if I can at least ensure other creatures can see that sunrise and the moon's light for tomorrow, then it's a no brainer." I replied. Sombra seemed to sigh, a soft frown of disappointment on his face.

"Pitiful. With all this power. And all those powerful allies. You still yet follow the flag to find existence. What some would call power to befit a ruler, you squander it on filly games." He growled. Din cackled.

And that's where I come in. Unlike my empty-headed vessel, I have a dream that I will fulfill! She smugly and proudly put a hoof on her chest. A goddess queen deserves all the stars in the universe. All as beautiful as she is! Something that a mere wannabe cannot dare to reach! She grinned maniacally at Sombra, twirling his eyes in her magic beside her. What do you think, “king”? That your power, your rule, cannot hope to match mine! Heed me my threat. I catch you in my domain amongst the stars, it’s on sight.

Sombra didn’t say anything. The phoenix on my back cooed curiously as I sighed.

“We’ve been here for far too long. Din… I won’t lie, I’m rather hesitant on this.” I said. Din snorted.

Do not give the thought any leeway. Snakes like this arrogant prick sow doubt and conflict. Enslaving your kind to his own will. There is no singing there. When I demand my subjects to sing, they’ll sing my praise! My rule! My rite to the universe! It’ll be out of fear, respect and loyalty! She smirked. I do not expect mortals to comprehend nor try to in my presence! If they so choose, I’d be welcome to test them my ideals. As for you… She looked down at Sombra. You’ve overstayed your welcome, parasite. If purging you truly makes more troubles for us, then I’ll see to it handled personally! Din grinned. Sombra faced me.

"You. Do you realize how much you've done for your Equestria? How much was sacrificed and how many were slaughtered for the worship of harmony? Your exile has not been kind to you. Please... allow me to aid you in your quest for ascension. My power combined with yours... no pony will stand in your way. If not for your sake or for the worlds, then for the sake of those still alive." He rasped. I narrowed my look.

"Shove it, Sombra. There is no excuse for monsters like us. While you may have gone as far as to enslave ponies, having plenty die under your banner, doesn't make you a paragon of moral reason. I almost suspect your symbiotic hive mind is being conflicted with all of those you have infected." I frowned. "It sucks that you ended up being a test subject to a tyrannical queen. And while I can do with both of you being gone from this realm, we need one alive. We need her power. Not yours." My look softened. "I bet somewhere deep inside of Sombra's soul, he is a scared little pony. Somepony who may have been lost or abandoned in a time of need. Somepony who felt the world was just too much to bear and needed a messiah to lead it to a twisted form of peace."

"You don't know anything of me. And I will have your tongue should you continue your knightly stand." He replied sourly. I then looked past the body and over to the eyes still pierced by Din's horn. They were looking at me.

"Eyes can tell an entire story, Sombra. All I had to do was pick at the strings." I said, finally walking over Sombra and past Din. The phoenix screeched before taking to the sky. Din cackled maniacally as the flames began to rise. With a glance over my shoulder, I watched as Din joyfully maimed and burned away at Sombra's essence. The symbiote morphing and writhing in agonizing pain. The fire rose high into the sky, turning into a strangely beautiful shade of colors I didn't think were possible. My eyes fell onto Sombra's one more time, watching the seemingly gleeful shine in his sicken green and darkened eyes erupt into flames, burning away into nothing.

A sudden, deep laugh rang throughout the field of fire.

“Hail to your king.”

oooOOO000OOOooo

Everything began to shake. It was like a sudden jolt you get when you dream of yourself falling and close to impact against something. My eyes opened slowly, feeling a warm hoof on mine. I groaned, the world slowly blurring into clarity. I saw Thi Billet. She had a look of concern across her face. She pat my hoof, her mouth saying something indiscernible to me at the moment. My body pounded as I tried to move. A tingly sensation on my side made it hurt with every twitch of my muscles.

My eyes darted around. I noticed a lilac blur in the corner of my eyes shifting, as if hoisting something over their back. Eventually, my auditory functions returned, and I could hear a strange sounding alarm blaring. Thi looked around desperately. She then proceeded to lift me up, hoisting me onto her back. I groaned in pain, still unable to move anything.

“We gotta' find Scribble.” I heard Thi say. I watched as the ground begin to move under me.

“What’s… going on…?” I weakly groaned. Thi remained focused as she cantered a bit up the steps and over to a doorway. I saw the Triad ponies that were being puppetted on the ground, lifeless once more.

“We’re getting out of here. All hell is breaking loose.” Thi replied as she hurried through the door. I looked over and saw Cloudchaser carrying an unconscious Flitter on her back behind us. Everything around us was moving a bit fast for my brain to process.

“Where’s Sonata…?” I asked groggily.

“Trying to quell the situation.” Thi replied quickly. “What happened with you and Sombra?” I blinked tiredly, still trying to get a better understanding of what is going on.

“Purged… Words spoken… Failsafe?” I replied, feeling my muscles starting to relax and allowing me to move a bit. Thi and Cloudchaser exchanged knowing glances as they turned down a hall. Feeling my body functions return, I slid off of Thi’s back, Thi making sure I was steady as I gathered my bearings.

“What happened while I was out?” I asked once more. Thi sighed.

“While you were unconscious, it seemed Sombra’s influence was far reaching than we had anticipated. Sonata’s own troops turned against her and began an assault. We fended them off as best we can, but with the amount of troops still around the castle and outside of it, everything is in an uproar. Sonata had been monitoring it all with the heir… err.. I mean… new Lilac.” I narrowed my look in concerned. Thi nodded. “I’ll explain that when we get out of here. Pony Land and Equestria are in trouble. You mentioned a failsafe. What failsafe?” Thi asked as she peeked around a corner. I could smell smoke and something burning not too far off.

“S-Sombra said something about a failsafe. Something Sonata implemented into him… but Din and I thought it was just a trick to keep him from disappearing…” I replied. Din stirred and hummed.

As usual. Time to face our consequences. She said boredly. I frowned. Easier said than done. Thi growled.

“Sonata… always trying to play god…” She hissed to herself. I looked over to Cloudchaser.

“How is she?” I asked worriedly. Cloudchaser gave a reassuring smile.

“Before everything went crazy, we got back readings. She’s Sombra free. The process will keep her out for a while.” She sighed. “I’ll be a lot more convinced once we get out of here.”

“Which is why we need to find Scribble. I don’t want to endanger the sea ponies. Paradise Estate is our only shot.” Thi replied as she peeked out from the corner again. I furrowed my brows.

“We have to get Sonata out of here too. You know that, right?” I spoke. Thi lowered her head.

“I don’t have to be happy about it. But you should know Sonata won’t go down easily. And with Lux with her, doubt anything is going to happen to her for some time. Regardless…” She motioned for us to follow. I was able to keep up, surprised a little by my sudden burst of energy. The cooing of a phoenix deep in my mind felt… comforting. We galloped down a hall and reached a set of tall oak doors. “Sonata has her own agendas and even if they align with her enemies, she’ll make it annoyingly difficult to work with. You’ve been warned.”

We made our way through the castle, dodging debris that came loose from the sudden rattling. We eventually came to a set of stairs that we galloped up towards and came out of an open arch way. We stopped, looking out amongst the massive courtyard.

It was a bloodbath.

Silver dawning Triad ponies covered in mud and blood as they appeared to be fighting their own kindred. Thi grit her teeth in worry.

“We gotta' go. Now.” She said with a hurried breath. Without any hesitation, she galloped across the walkway along the wall, forcing us to gallop after her. I couldn’t tear my eyes away. Just moments ago, these ponies were working together. The rain was pouring heavily around the castle, the few light sources being whatever spotlights they had going or the massive fires that were raging not too far off.

We darted off to the side set of stairs along the outer wall and continued our way through the halls, dodging bodies this time. After a bit of galloping down a straight pathway, we barreled through the oak doors, only to stop to see Sonata clashing with a massive creature. Sonata nimbly flew around the creature, having armed herself with an assortment of auto rifles and artillery. I was in awe at how quickly she was reloading and firing them in tangent, like an organized solo firing squad as she zipped in and out of reach of the monster.

The monster roared in frustration, swiping its’ bulky arms around before facing us. Our eyes widened in surprise. There was no mistaking that hulky build. The centaur shivered, as if fighting an inner battle and frothing at the mouth. Tyrone had tendrils and eyes dotting his body, making an amalgamation of different limbs. Sonata took advantage of the distraction and delivered a swift and powerful buck that sent Tyrone off his hooves, only for him to plant them in the ground, ripping up the brick flooring as he did.

“What on Celestia’s throne is that?!” Thi blurted out in shock. Sonata landed down in front of us, reloading her arsenal by plucking them from her fallen troops dotting the area.

“A traitor I should have dealt with long ago.” Sonata said coldly. Cloudchaser spoke up.

“What happened to him?!” She exclaimed horrified. Tyrone growled and snarled as he faced us down, his body quivering in his inner fight.

“That Kalenite.” Sonata simply said.

“Kalenite??” I asked, keeping my focus on Tyrone for any sign of approach.

“The creature whom took it upon himself to alter my plans further. If the centaur is like this, it means it died.” Sonata explained simply. Cloudchaser balked.

“That thing caused this?!” She panicked. Sonata unfurled her wings and we felt a strange wave of soothing flow through us. Din, however, rejected it and snapped.

Hooves off, sister!! She shouted.

“Steel yourselves. We still have much to discuss.” Sonata commanded. Thi shook her head.

“No way. We have to retreat.” She said as she began to turn. Sonata glanced out the corner of her eye.

“Typical.” She said. Thi spun around to her, glaring.

“Before you ran off to confront all this, I took a look at the console. Your systems are self-destructing. The castle is going to blow up.” She retorted. Cloudchaser and I looked at her in confusion. Tyrone was beginning to lose his inner struggle. Sonata eyed Thi. “Your damned cryo-crystal machine overloaded. At least, that’s what the error message said.” Sonata seemed to give her a knowing look. She then eased and turned around to the door.

“Then we are done here.” She said. Thi quickly rushed over and placed a hoof firmly onto her shoulder.

“You aren’t walking away from this. Want us to discuss things? You’re doing it our way. It’s that or Fie will have to convince you personally.” She glared at Sonata. Sonata glanced at me. I dunno why, but I gave her a firm nod. Regardless if I wanted to fight her or not, there is no backing away from what we have to do. It’s now or never. Sonata didn’t look too happy.

“Very well. Then how do you plan to ‘escape’. Least I recall, you use brute force than tactics.” Somata replied coldly. Thi stepped back.

“We have to find Silver Scribble. He can get us out of here.” Thi said.

“Then you best follow me.” A voice said. We looked to see a zebra mare dawning a general outfit, pristine with a bit of mud on it standing out from an open door. It was the heir to Zebrica. Yet… that cold stoic gaze told me otherwise. “Our spy friends managed to find him at the docks.” Sonata began to trot over to her, leaving Thi narrowing her eyes.

“Yeah… we have a lot to talk about…” she said sourly to herself. Without another moment wasted, we booked it to the door, the pained roar of Tyrone bellowing throughout the castle. We barreled out of castle, rounding around a courtyard where Triad ponies were fighting amongst themselves in the courtyard. Some took notice of Sonata and a small squad had formed to cover the retreat of Sonata.

Hurrying down a flight of steps out of the main doorway, we could see the dock appearing. When we hit the bottom, we stopped as somepony slid to a stop at Sonata’s hooves. We looked to see Scribble, panting and shaking his hoof, surrounded by Triad ponies seemingly confused as to who to aim their guns at. Sonata eyed the pony at the ground. It was a strange pony in a lab coat with swirling glasses. He looked bruised and swollen.

“What is the meaning of this?” Sonata asked. The Triad ponies immediately saluted and stood at attention. Scribble studied Sonata before meeting our looks. Thi smiled.

“Scribble! You’re okay!” She said as she cantered over to him. Before she could even get halfway, all guns trained on her. The professor pony coughed and stood up, wiping his mustache.

“Damned cretin! You dare strike me!? You mean to insult the one who would lead these ponies in the name and heart of our glorious Queen Moonlight Sonata?!” He looked at the trained guards, as if waiting for them to make a move. “Well, don’t just stand there, fools!! Kill them!!” No pony moved. The Triad guards kept their aim on Thi. The professor looked confused before suddenly realizing that his very own queen was standing behind him. All color banished from his mane down to his hooves. “M-m-m-my queen! Y-you’re awake! I thought…” He stuttered, seemingly buckling at the mere sight of the alicorn. Sonata didn’t look too happy. She then looked to the guards.

“Gather what remaining troops we have and get aboard the vessels. We are abandoning the castle.” She ordered. The troops in unison saluted and shouted: “She has spoken!” Before scattering and hurrying about. I was a little overwhelmed at all this. I looked back towards the castle, the alarms blaring and the distant shouts of every pony for themselves ringing in my ears.

‘She’s really going to abandon her own subjects?’ I thought to myself. Din chuckled smugly.

I’d consider it a boon more than a worry. We have Lux right where we want her. Let us head back to Equestria so we can begin my ascension. Din spoke. I sighed and looked back at the others.

‘Hold that thought.’ I told her. The Triad ponies had brought a decently sized boat to the dock. Onboard, I could make out Lo Mien and Xena looking down from the side. As Sonata stepped aboard, a loud explosion rang through the castle. We looked back to see a dark and sickening beam fire up into the sky, the clouds creating a vortex. A loud roar could be heard. I felt a sharp pain in my head, causing me to hiss in pain.

I await in the ruins of brilliant minds. Hurry on, my little ponies. The Prisma Nexus will be bestowed upon my master’s eyes.

The malignant voice echoed sharply from Din, causing her to wretch and hurl whatever primals eat as the voice faded. I looked over to others, seeing Sonata rubbing her own head. She then had a knowing, slightly shocked look.

“We make for land.” She ordered. Thi looked over to us.

“Come on!” She said as she rushed and took ahold of Scribble’s hoof, pulling the stallion into the boat. Cloudchaser and I entered the boat right as several explosions went off. The boats began to move away from the docks, making some good distance. I looked off the side with my friends as we watched the castle erupt into a mushroom cloud, rocking the boats. Just above the mushroom cloud, the vortex of clouds that formed combined with the explosion, created an apocalyptic view. Our eyes widened as we saw a tidal wave heading towards us.

“That’s too big! It’ll sink us! All hooves on deck!” A Triad pony shouted. Thi turned to Scribble.

“Do you have the magnifying glass still?” She asked. Scribble looked at her, hesitant as his eyes darted around the boat. Thi put a hoof to his cheek and gave him a silent, reassuring look and nod. Scribble sighed and dug into his soaking saddle bag, withdrawing the magnifying glass. He quickly cantered to the other side of the ship and held it up to his eye. After a brief scan, he then spied something and pointed to the side.

“Turn the ship and head that way!” He called out.

“Are you crazy!! That’s heading diagonally towards the wave!” A Triad pony shouted.

“Do it!” Sonata ordered loudly. “Follow the stallion’s direction! Full steam ahead!” I was amazed that no pony thought to question Sonata. The shop began to turn as the wave got closer and closer. The Triad began to panic.

“Everypony hold on!!” Scribble shouted. We braced ourselves as the wave grew taller and taller. The ship went full throttle as a bright light began to shine ahead. I closed my eyes, holding on for dear life as everypony began to scream in terror. The ship began to jerk this way and that, as if we were being pulled along in all directions. As quickly as it happened, the ship crashed loudly and slid across something that halted the vessel entirely. Our eyes opened and we looked around slowly. The sky was grey, but a cool breeze blew around us. Fresh air hit our nostrils rather than salt water.

I pulled myself up shakily and looked over the side. We were in a field of flowers. Right next to Paradise Estate.

Chapter 44: Battlegrounds

“WHY IS THERE A SHIP IN FRONT OF MY HOTEL?!?” Concierge shrieked in abject anger mixed with terror. Posey was ugly bawling her eyes out not too far off, mourning the loss of her “friends” the ship uprooted or crushed while Lack-a-daisy had a doomed expression over her face, muttering at the amount of work it’ll take to fix any damages the ship made.

Moochik looked utterly stunned.

“Errr… p-perhaps oi’ wasn’ clear with what ye can do, laddies…” He muttered. My friends and I exchanged glances, clearly showing guilt among us. The Triad were salvaging what they could from the ship as they scouted around the area. One Triad pony got curious and examined a pot, causing Lack-a-daisy to shout swears at them and causing them to drop it from being startled. The pony retreated a bit at the angry glare of the mare. I sighed and rubbed my foreleg.

“You see… it’s a funny story…” I began. Concierge glared, mixing in a lost expression.

“I… I can’t fathom nor describe the sheer anger I feel right now…” she began. “I… I think… I need to lie down…” As understandable as it was, I arched a brow as the mare proceeded to curl in a ball on the ground, having not moved from her spot and silently stared off into the distance. Moochik wringed his hat nervously.

“D-dun mind them, laddies. They’ll… come aroun’… hopefully… but oi mus’ ask… WHY!?!?” He motioned to the ship and the Triad ponies now standing at attention behind Sonata, who looked completely unamused by all of this. Scribble stepped forward. He then began to explain what had happened and the current situation to the fae. He did his best to give as much reasonable information, with us to confirm it all. When he had finished explaining, Concierge finally stood up, her expression dark and broken.

“Oh… so that makes it all better… doesn’t it? The whole world is going crazy… that explains the voices I keep hearing right now.” Her eyes twitched slightly. Moochik pat the pony on the side reassuringly before clearing his throat.

“Well… tis an… unexpected arrival… but ehhh… ye have to understand laddies… we dun wannae any dealin’s with this lot…” Moochik said, eyeing the Triad. I stepped towards him and nodded.

“We didn’t plan on staying. Isn’t that right, Sonata.” I said before looking over my shoulder. Sonata frowned.

“You ask us to follow your direction and now you plan to direct us more? How about this.” Sonata motioned and the troops racked their guns and surrounded us, including Moochick and the mare. Concierge remained as she was while Lack-a-daisy looked between the ponies worriedly and Posey kept sobbing, only looking at the flowers beneath her. Moochik and us stood in front of the fae as we readied ourselves. “You follow my command. We will use this building as we see fit. You will provide us with necessary bedding, food and supplies. Two days on the dot at sunrise, you will direct us to the nearest town.

“If you leave the country or proceed to hide any further, you will be executed on the spot. Building an abode without proper Euclidian approval is an offense punishable of fourty moons with additional offenses per occupant. Do I make myself clear?” Thi snorted.

“Back off, hag. I’m still here, remember?” Thi grinned challengingly. “You want this property, then I won’t give it up so easily…” Sonata eyed her.

“Truly? I see your ‘sense of heroism’ keeps dooming those around you. If you truly wish to die on this hill, then I will see to it. Mark! Aim!” Sonata suddenly threw up a wing and the troops immediately readied themselves. Sonata then went silent. I narrowed my eyes. She met my own, lowering her wing after a minute of silence. “I appear to have made a small miscalculation. No matter. Nothing that can’t be remedied. At ease!” The troops eased their weapons trained on us. A wave of exhaustion hit us like a train. Sonata made a circle motion with a hoof and the troops began to hurry about, sorting through the ship once more. Sonata then stepped forward, looking at the fae folk.

“My demands still stand. I will ignore the trespassing and wrongful procurement of land until other matters are handled. Consider this place under Euclidian authoritary watch until further notice.” Sonata said.

“No…” Concierge uttered. We looked at her. I felt Moochik tug my sleeve and motioned us to get back. We carefully backed away. The three mares had darkened expressions. Sonata blinked questioningly at her.

“That better not be a stutter.” Sonata coldly replied. “Either say it or hold your-“ The ground exploded underneath her, knocking us off our hooves. The Triad ponies screamed in surprise. I scrambled to my hooves and gasped in awe. A massive bulb of roots, flowers and grass had gathered the Triad ponies together. To my surprise, Sonata hovered in the air, seemingly have anticipated the lashing. My eyes fell to Concierge. She held hooves with the other two and all three were chanting an incomprehensible verse. Moochik quickly stuffed our ears with cotton balls, motioning us to stay back. We watched as the bulb began to flair and slither unnaturally.

It wasn’t long until the Triad ponies were then plucked away from the bulb. Their fates were unfortunately worse than what their comrades had just faced. One by one, the Triad ponies were maimed by roots, being dragged under the ground to be buried alive, pulled into puddles that seemed to conjure themselves underneath them. The ship was suddenly lifted into the air by thick roots and grass, flailing just a bit before being ripped apart and used as crushers for those that weren’t caught in it.

Sonata looked unamused. She made one swift motion of her head and aimed her horn. A beam of light pierced the bulb and broke the barrier that had kept the three safe from their enchantments, knocking them away. The ripped apart ship crashed on the ground as the living field settled. The remaining Triad ponies were trembling. Sonata floated down and stood over the three fae ponies. Moochik gasped and was about to rush towards them, but I was quicker.

I slid to a halt in front of Sonata, keeping myself between her and the three fae ponies. Din cackled loudly as a ring of fire separated them.

“You harm them and this whole nation will go up in flames. And I’ll ensure we break you enough to fulfill your forced obligation.” I coldly said. Sonata remained unfazed. Was there anything, aside from Thi, that’d rile this alicorn? Her demeanor was really starting to piss me off. Sonata was silent for a time. She suddenly then slumped her head down, as if having been knocked unconscious. When her head rose again, she smiled. This unnerved me. But when Sonata courteously bowed to me, I eased a little. “At least you have some common sense, I hope?” I warily said to the now possessed Sonata. Lux nodded through her.

Allow me to rectify the influence here. Then we can have a pleasant chat. Would that suffice? Lux asked, moving Sonata’s mouth, but not making her speak. I looked over my shoulder to the three mares, who were trembling a little at us. I gave an apologetic look before turning back and nodding.

“That and you make a good apology to these three.” I said.

Now that we had some time to ease ourselves from the intensity, we sat in the courtyard of the estate. Moochik took it upon himself to fetch us tea and sugar cubes, even erecting a table for us to sit at. Lux had cleaned up the place with her magic, reverting the damages and even allowing new flowers to bloom that satisfied Posey enough and let Lack-a-daisy worry about normal chores. Concierge, however, had vanished from the activity. It was clear that she was in no mood to be seen around others. Cloudchaser went inside to put Flitter to rest and to watch over her for her recovery. Xena and Lo Mien as we later learned in a side comment from a passing Triad, are under mind control to prevent them from going crazy from Sombra's effects, stood at attention behind Sonata while Lilac stood next to Sonata.

Moochik helped himself to his own cup after we helped ourselves to ours before addressing our situations.

“Now then.” Lux began, physically speaking from Sonata. “Let us make it clear. This is merely a discussion of utmost importance. I will not indulge in small talk. Allow us to go first. My vessel wishes to become the sole ruler of Pony Land and Equestria. Unless you can provide alternatives, then Sonata wishes to discuss nothing more.” She said. Thi crossed her hooves and gave a sour snort.

“Fat chance. Tell her to go jump into another portal and don’t come back this time.” She said. I gave Thi a concerned look, thinking back to my friends in the human world. Thi saw my look and grumbled quietly to herself. I sighed and rubbed my face.

“To put it simply, that is a task that cannot be accomplished. Sonata will fail.” I replied. "Din and I will personally see to it. That goes for any other being wanting to take control." Lux took a small sip of her tea.

"A shame. I was hoping to go for four." She said simply. Din snarled.

I have four hooves right here... Just say the word... Din spoke. I ignored her and motioned at my friends.

"That being said. I do hope you realize that our next point is back to Equestria anyway. We have everything we need for Din's ascension and hopefully, finally getting rid of world ending threats." I continued.

"Then you need to get through to Ouroboros." Lux replied casually as she stirred her tea. I narrowed my look.

"Ouroboros has been against us this entire time. We saw him at Midnight Castle talking to that Kalatien-whatever it is called. He made it sound like he was waiting for the grand finale. Having gone under the radar of the other primals." I crossed my hooves. "If we have to go through Ouroboros, that’s going to be a literal promise. Lack of head included.” Lux studied me as she replied.

"Be it as that maybe, there is more to be done after Din achieves ascension." Was my mind playing tricks or did that sound like... genuine approval? I suddenly felt an insurmountable amount of anger and blurted out:

"GIVE ME ONE GOOD REASON NOT TO CRUSH YOU LIKE I DID THE OTHERS!! I'LL ENSURE YOURS WILL BE PAINFUL AND SLOW!!" I covered my muzzle, a little surprised by the outburst myself. Lux seemed to pierce her gaze right through Sonata and into mine towards Din.

"Because I have no interest in this star. To be quite honest, I grow tired of being given everything and having nothing to show for it." Lux took a small sip of her tea. "Seeing mortals struggle with day-to-day tasks is quite amusing. Rather... lively, if I must say. You can't get that out of three barren stars. But that luster also dries. I think it's time some being else needs to... ascend." I heard myself snarl before rising up from my seat and pointing at her.

"You grow tired of your position!?!" Din snapped. She then simmered a bit and blinked before grinning widely. "Heh, you know what?? This doesn't change anything. Nor does it affect my end game. Because in the end, you'll bow to me. I have other ideas I can humiliate you with." Moochik scratched his head.

"Errr... so, lemme' git this straight..." He began. "Tha' Great Queen Moonlight Sonata is not only tha' very same tyrant that put the fae in hidin', but she is also a destined savoir?" Scribble rubbed his neck tiredly.

"More to the point. We need to figure out a sure-fire way to stop the failsafe. Why would you even consider something like that?" Scribble asked stoically. Lux hummed as she tilted her head and closed her eyes for a bit. When she opened them after a bit, she nodded.

"My vessel states that her projections were far reaching in consequences than worldwide take over. She expected the failsafe to... "incapacitate" those infected to prevent them from running amok against each other." She explained.

"And herself." Thi chimed in, smacking her hoof on the table. Scribble rubbed his chin.

"The file mentioned much more behind it. She planned to not only unleash it on Equestria against Princess Celestia and Luna, but she had planned to use Sombra as a presentation to her investors." He said. Thi kicked back in her chair.

"Presentation. Always with the grand presentations..." She sighed. "Then aside from having everycreature infected with Sombra, and then a failsafe that screws over everycreature... how did she plan to cancel it?" Sonata slumped and was quiet for a moment. When she rose her head, the commanding, cold voice of Sonata spoke.

"The Prisma Nexus." She stated. The three of us exchanged glances.

"Primas Nexus?" Scribble asked. Sonata non-chalantly stirred her tea with her magic.

"This is information only ingrained into minds that are beyond mortal meanings. Tell me... did you believe that the two brats and that false one's reject are the only true born alicorns?" Her eyes looked at each of us, studying our reactions. Thi's face slowly dawned in realization.

"Wait... But... aren't you the last of your generation?" She mentioned. Sonata remained stoic as she replied.

"Last of my people, yes. A testament to the feud our tribe had with the Celestiales." She said. I blinked at this.

"Celestiales... Celestia... I don't get it." I said. Thi leaned forward a bit on the table.

"During my time overseas here, there is an old ruin, if you recall me mentioning, that is now submerged underwater?" I gave her a blank stare and tried to recall back to it. Nothing came to mind. "The statue of the Unknown Alicorn. No pony knows how old the civilization is. But if Celestia and Luna are around, then Sonata would believe that their bloodline originates from that place. The words they deciphered from faded plaques mentioned 'children touched by stars' and 'celestials'. With how the ruins looked before being submerged, it appeared to have strange artillery and chunks of stone and marble charred and scorched. Like it was a battleground." Thi closed her eyes, remembering back to a time she spent there. "Another word stuck out to me. Skyros." Sonata sat up straight, a small gleam of pride in her eyes.

"May her love push us to enlightenment." She said. Thi blinked before sitting back.

"Figures... What is this Skyros? What are you, Sonata?" Thi narrowed her look. Sonata met her glare.

"You should ask 'who am I'. While we never had time to idly chat this way, then perhaps now is a better time than any. Skyros is the land where your princesses and I originate from. A civilization far advanced and the foundation to mortal beliefs. It was our ancestors that led your kind to fruition. Their magic breathing you life. As the Creation Mother saw fit." Sonata leaned forward, her hooves under her chin. "There were seven hundred clans expanding over the entire world. High in the sky. Deep beneath the sea. Inside of the most difficult crevices. Some of their civilizations are still around as ruins your mortal ancestors believe to be their own ancestor's origins." A soft, amused smile crept on her muzzle. "Quite the delusion they hold in high regards. They even begun to worship us like the gods and goddesses we were."

"Were?" I asked. "What happened to the others? Are there anymore like you? Like our princesses?" Sonata sighed.

"I was but a filly and only vaguely remember the desperate escape my own parents had set for me. I do not remember much. Only blue and red." She said.

"Helpful." Thi spoke, shutting up when I side-eyed her. Sonata continued.

"I'm getting a little sidetrack in my reminiscence. 'Who am I' you would ask? I am Illion sas va Moonlight Sonata. Ex-archionima to the glorious kingdom tribe of Illion. Studied under the illustrious Illion sos na Rosette Nebula of the Studium Boriale, head archionima and scholar of all things created. Mind, matter, dreams and existence, our frontier will know no bounds. For it is ours that we will voyage this realm into her love." We were speechless. Sonata said all of this as if she breathed it. Thi slowly rubbed her temple, chuckling to herself.

"Hehe... you mean to say... that you actually come from a long non-existent tribe of alicorns that... study things?" She began. "And you are... were... a scholar?" Thi chuckled again. "And you grew up... to be a narcissistic, cold hearted killer tyrant queen." Sonata frowned.

"You seek to mock my status and do not wish to understand my reason. Granted, becoming queen wasn't my intention. But it benefitted the use of mortals to uncover things that my powers and influence cannot reach." She looked down at her hoof and studied it. "Loath am I to admit, but our tribe was cursed for the name alone. Deemed heretical and volatile to our Mother's will. But what good is will if not tested by ambition? The Celestiales begun a war we did not think to waste our time on. And for good reason. Whatever triggered this curse and the flash of blue and red... I aim to discover what has happened to my civilization." I noticed Lilac glance at Sonata quickly. Thi narrowed her look, but it was Scribble that spoke.

"And this... tribe... The Celestiales... what were they about? What did they seek?" He asked. Sonata lowered her hoof and shook her head.

"Tis foggy to recall. All I know is that that is the very tribe that your princesses originate from. Celestias san Sol and Celestias sah Aurora were the rulers of that tribe. Tis all I know before the fog." Sonata then faced Thi. "What you deemed were threats to your realm were my attempts to regain control of my own memories and our heritage. All those relics were once ours. Lost from the Studium Boriale and infested by mortal curses. Some I had to expend in order to discover more of what has happened to my tribe. For thousands of years, that was my sole ambition. If I had to enslave an entire land of mortals, then so be it. But I will not relish in this realm compared to the two brats." Thi frowned and sat back, crossing her hooves.

"But you were endangering Pony Land! You were ripping fabrics of reality to... now with what I know... to find out what happened to your tribe?? You weren't out to destroy the world? To conquer it?" Thi snorted. "I'm not convinced."

"Then allow me to quell any doubts and agree to the notion that I do intend to conquer and destroy this realm." She said simply. Thi growled but kept quiet. I narrowed my look this time.

"There has to be more to that. You can't truly believe that that is the end game to your... whatever ambition you call this. Mortals maybe beneath you, but isn't keeping them around a boon as well?" I asked, trying to find the right words to get the true point of Sonata. Sonata, however, waved my comment dismissively with a wing.

"Mortals deserve their fates for their incompetence to make their societies better. While the war started with the Celestiales, it was never the way your wars were. The only time an act of physical intrusion is required is if all tribes deem to intrude upon the commandments our Creation Mother bestowed upon us. Though, I suspect the Celestiales had more important things than to obey the commandments. For the tribes that break these commandments and attack others, we are obliged to defend. And yet, I am here, confused as to what has happened and ever searching for the answer." She then looked at each of us in turn again. "The Statue of the Unknown Alicorn is a testament to what was once my tribe's brilliance and might. Now rotting on mortal soil and I have nothing to understand how. Which... was a question I asked myself many times until now." She then nodded to Lilac. Lilac stepped forward and placed a strange device on the table. With a simple twist and smack of the jade orb, a hologram appeared above us. A three-dimensional design of old ruins spun around, stopping to be marked by a square into the center. The design zoomed in onto a low polygon statue of an alicorn, the squares highlighting certain points of interest and displaying information in old pone-ish on a scrolling box.

"We have worked tirelessly in our queen's name to aid in the restoration project of the ruins. We believe it to be a plaza of some kind that fell apart upon what we have called the blue and red flash, the Resonance. Yet, the marks of battle provided valuable information of blueprints that we were able to recreate.” Lilac explained. Thi’s eyes widened.

“Wait! You managed to make the Alicrons based on this info alone?? But… how?! Restoration is one thing. Recreating is…” She began.

“Taxing, but not impossible. Much like our paleontologists, the information can be reconstructed theoretically. But when you are born from that civilization, the perspective unfolds in a new light.” Lilac said. Sonata remained stoic as Lilac continued. “It also helped that our benevolent queen was given several slabs of research before she was forced to escape her tribe. We were able to decipher the encryption of Rosette Nebula. Regrowth formulas. Natural remedies. Crystallization through alchemical methods, anything that could be used to ensure the survival of a tribal.” Scribble’s jaw dropped.

“And it's all... natural?” He asked. Sonata nodded softly.

“With some attention to detail and weeks of observation, we can grow our edible plants in under three hours, renewing the seeds into materials for other alchemical components. All in the numerical calculations in the Studium Boriale.” Sonata said.

"Incredible..." Scribble marveled in thought. Thi waved her hoof in front of her.

"But then... what does all that have to do with this... Prisma Nexus?" She said. Sonata looked over to her side.

"Professor Gluten... if you'd be so kind." Sonata said. We watched in confusion as Xena yanked a chain leash around her hoof and a pale visage of Professor Gluten fell forward onto the ground. My eyes widened.

"What in Celestia's name happened to him!?" I shouted in horror. Not only was the professor's image pale. It was also skeletal. As if he hadn't eaten in days. Sonata used her magic to force Gluten to his hooves and dragged him over to the table.

"Explain to them what you've discovered about the Prisma Nexus. I'm certain that you planning on taking my side was not all you had in mind." Sonata glared coldly. Professor Gluten cowered under her. It was so surreal. This pony had color. Looked lively despite being infected with Sombranite. And yet, he aged tremendously. Gluten shakily rose a hoof and twisted a cog device on the hologram thingy. The image shimmered and a round sphere like object appeared with a question mark inside of it.

“W-with careful scrying of ancient data from our grace’s slabs, Prisma Nexus has popped up at least twice with no discernible descriptions or context. However, we theorized that the tribes of Skyros had cherished this relic as something more. A god? A testament to the creation mother’s presence left behind? We cannot be sure. Yet, with the lack of data on this Prisma Nexus, we did discover something else.” The professor shakily turned the cogs on the device and the ruins zoomed out.

He proceeded to tap something on the side and the area around the ruins began to dot with white like specks. Moochik stroked his white beard in fascination. Professor Gluten tried to lift his hoof to point, but whatever he was suffering made it impossible and he motioned with his head.

“Th-the ruins… are rife with ancient magic. Eldritch magic, as we have concluded. Invisible to even the most third eye scholar of our generation and previous ones. Some digging led us to believe that we are looking at components to a portal.” Thi narrowed her look.

“Another portal? And this one will for sure destroy reality as we know?” She sourly asked. Lilac pointed to the images.

“It is unknown what this portal leads to. But our benevolent majesty believes that this is the true gateway to her tribe.” She simply explained. Thi shook her head.

“You gotta’ convince me a lot more than just beliefs and what ifs on this stuff. No pony should take your word on anything that only benefits you. You’re playing with fire once more, and then it’s up to us to put a stop to it. It’s the same old song and dance. And frankly, I’m looking for an excuse to dance.” Thi said.

“And that is where I come in.” I spoke up suddenly. All eyes focused on me. Thi grew quiet. “I’ve heard the horror stories of your reign. Even experienced throughout my journey. I’m inclined to take Thi’s side on this. However, I’m inclined to figure out a different solution. To avoid anymore escalations, I will be heading the conversation.” My eyes fell on Sonata and Lilac. “So then, if we help you find this Prisma Nexus, then I expect you to help us under several conditions. One, Sonata returns with us to Equestria. Her status as one of the seven will grant her leeway from any questioning. Two, you are to pull your remaining forces and resources out of our nation. Din and I already took the liberty of destroying most on our way to Zebrica. For sake of what dignity as a leader you have left. Three, you are to be restrained and presented to Princess Celestia and Luna so that way we can find out a better solution to this whole thing. Four, you are to cease all activities regarding trafficking creatures and releasing them to their homes.

“Five, once we fulfill our duties to the realm and the previous conditions are met, Din and I will be taking most of Lux’s power as well as the others to ensure stability is maintained. And lastly…” I looked to Thi, giving her a concerned look before facing back to Sonata. “This pointless bloodshed and fascism between you two ends here and now. No excuses. No work arounds. I don’t care if you will never see eye to eye. I’ll make sure Din and I curse you both if any more ideas of throwing daggers at each other isn’t quelled.”

To no pony’s surprise, Lilac didn’t skip a beat.

“You are in no position to demand any of these. Euclides will not falter or waver in the beholder of our enemies. Your rulers are a threat to the realm. Dethrone your princesses and give them over to us. We will provide ample punishment and perhaps some mercy upon your brainwashed nation.” She coldly stated. I glared at her.

“The way I see it, you aren’t either, sister. You are inhabiting the next in line to Zebrica. A nation is already in anarchy because of your nation’s actions. Hell, being in the body of another through soul transferal is a taboo punishable by death and sundering of the soul. And that’s not the only taboo you’ve broken.” I retorted.

“Perhaps your laws dictate the forbidden use of such magic, but why should that knowledge be restricted? Can it not be put to better use?” Lilac replied casually. “Volatile and unpredictable as magic maybe, with the proper considerations and calculations, even your Everfree Forest would purr like a kitten. We have made it possible before and we will continue to do so. If your people fear the use of such knowledge, why keep it in areas that a filly can just waltz into? Your rulers fear this magic not because of the consequences it’ll have on their land, but specifically for their status as princesses.”

Sonata shifted and looked at me.

“If I recall, my agents speak of two proteges. A Princess of Love and a Princess of Friendship. Mortals who have been granted privileges because two little fillies couldn’t be bothered to fulfill their roles properly. The Celestiales put their faith in the wrong ponies. They believe that mortals can manage their might? Nay. The sisters have always been scared little brats of royalty who were pampered with responsibilities over a mortal realm. The many times they have doomed this realm with their actions, and they looked to a mortal for guidance??” Sonata scoffed. “And to hear that one had banished the other on the moon? They should be glad their tribe had not witnessed the downfall of their fated children.” Scribble rubbed his chin.

“Wait… you make it sound like the Illion tribe isn’t the only tribe that fell. Does that mean Celestia and Luna’s tribe fell too?” He asked. Sonata shifted her wings and lowered her head a little.

“Perhaps. It is still unclear what has happened. But I see no other choice in the matter.” She then stood up right and unfurled her wings in a similar display of majesty I’ve seen our own princesses do. “We will have much to discuss on the war efforts. But our task at hoof is to find this Prism Nexus and prevent the Kalenite from obtaining such power.”

“What even is a Kalenite?” Thi asked, rubbing her temple.

“A creature of unknown origin.” Lilac spoke up. “And one we are on the clock against. The Prisma Nexus holds great meaning to the tribes. If we can open the portal to Skyros, we can prevent further desecration of our queen’s heritage.” Thi frowned.

“Can you do that without tearing reality down?” She asked snarkily. Lilac glared at her. Sonata, however, lowered her wings and nodded.

“Indeed we can. And your friend is going to do all the heavy lifting.” She said, eyeing me. I blinked. Din scoffed.

Hmph. The gall of you, pathetic wannabe. Need I assert myself here and now? Din growled.

But of course it should be you, sister. You uphold the duty far greater than the others and have already regained stability before. You are the perfect one to ensure no harm comes to this realm during my vessel’s ambition. Shall we trust you to keep your head cool? Lux echoed in my mind. Din snapped.

Out, she bitch!! Din flared. I sighed and rubbed my temples. Din’s anger was really giving me a headache.

“Lux, you can trust me in that case.” I said out loud suddenly. All eyes went on me again. I stood up straight and nodded. “This entire discussion is far more nuanced than I expected, and things need to be handled. But right now, we need to stop a new player. What do we have to do?”

We spent quite a while discussing a plan. It boiled down to this. Din and I were to be the catalyst to channel the portal open. With the ancient ties to Sonata’s heritage, her blood would be used to hopefully allow the portal to reform, in theory, a visage of what the ruins would have been during her time as a filly. There, Sonata would try and find with what troops she can manage to discover the whereabouts of the Prisma Nexus and, from what I’m guessing, some form of closure for her tribe’s decimation.

A noble goal, if Sonata wasn’t so demanding and terrifying her troops. She had given Lilac permission to overlook the preparations and asked the mind-controlled Xena and Lo Mien to dispose of Professor Gluten. Moochik argued against this but was shoved aside by the mares dragging a screaming Gluten out into the field. Moochik eventually allowed only Sonata and Lilac to enter the estate, the two tyrants patiently sitting in the lounge chairs as the three fae ponies moved about to their cleaning. Concierge wouldn’t talk to anypony. Not even Moochik.

Thi and Scribble offered to keep an eye on the troops (I could tell Thi wanted to confront the two mares under the control of Sonata’s implant) leaving me to wander down a hall to see an open door. I peeked inside and saw, to my immense relief, Flitter sitting tiredly up on her bed. Cloudchaser had passed out, drooling on the blankets at her bedside. Flitter smiled softly at me and I quietly crept over to them. Flitter brushed her sister’s mane.

“She passed out the moment I woke up.” She giggled softly. “She must have been really worried.” I gave her a concerned look.

“How are you feeling?” I asked her. Flitter gave a small roll of her neck and nodded.

“I feel… energetic. Though, I’m still recovering from the knockout gas.” She held her side. “Thank you… by the way. I may not have been… myself… but… I did witness everything before passing out.” I returned her smile and walked to the opposite of her bed.

“You’re my friend. No way was I going to let a tyrant use you.” I said. Flitter kept stroking Cloudchaser’s mane. I was a little playfully jealous at the sight.

“I have to thank you for something else.” Flitter began. I blinked in confusion. “Cloudchaser had always been indecisive of her life. She doesn’t like to admit it, as you know. You wouldn’t believe how much you showing up out of the blue in the park made Cloudchaser rethink herself. It kept her up that night.” She giggled again. “Just like how her words reached you, your actions reached her. And it kind of rubbed off on me too. I may not be quite physically capable like my sister, I don’t mind hanging back and supporting. And if I can, provide backline support.” Flitter rolled her foreleg. “I might need to refresh myself. I hope Sombra didn’t mess me up too much.”

I giggled myself and put a hoof on her’s.

“She never stopped chasing after you. Her and I maybe something, but you are everything to her. I’m a little jealous, I’ll admit. But I’m glad you two are able to stay strong together.” I sighed, thinking back to my own siblings. “Sometimes, things just don’t work out as well as you think. I hope they understand.” Flitter softly pat my head reassuringly.

“You were able to reconnect. Whenever this is all done with, it wouldn’t hurt to check up on them again. Everypony is fighting hard to save the realm. It’s only right that their faith in us be returned.” Flitter’s expression softened in thought. “Perhaps I should avoid field work for a while. Quill and parchment isn’t so bad at the Wonderbolts. Plus, it’ll help me keep track of Thunderlane and Cloudchaser from being air headed in their routines.” I smiled.

“She’s really lucky to have you as a sister, Flitter Glider. I’m sorry for putting you through so much and not being able to handle the issues you had in time.” I said, my smile slowly fading to defeat. Flitter shook her head.

“Don’t be. In fact, I feel like a million bits. A-after a bit more rest, that is, I will be able to join you again. We still have other ponies to save, after all.” She grinned. I noticed movement past her and looked to see Concierge sweeping the hall. I looked at Flitter and excused myself before standing up and walking over to Concierge. I braced myself, hoping I wouldn’t regret my choice.

“Concierge?” I asked. As expected, no reply. She kept her head down, focused on sweeping. I cleared my throat and rubbed the back of my neck. “I… on behalf of everything that happened recently, I apologize. We didn’t have any other choice.” Concierge didn’t say anything and kept sweeping. “I… we were… unable to locate your kin…” This got her to stop sweeping for a brief moment before continuing once more. I winced but felt assured that she was indeed listening. “There wasn’t much in the castle. It was like… the whole place had been ransacked and any trace of anything living there gone. Before we could get a better understanding, we-“

“Shut up.” Concierge said suddenly. My ears dropped; certain I said something wrong. Concierge stopped sweeping and held onto the broom. “I already know. The connection to my kind can go farther than your teleportation spells. They are still alive, but far away from us. I already know all of this. And yet… the very beings that took them is now sitting in our lounge and enjoying tea.” I could see her trembling, her expression darkening. “Words cannot express how vastly angry I am that we have to cater and tolerate mortal behaviors…. We are fae. We do not beholden onto anybeing. We are…” she hesitated, gripping the broom tighter. “Were free. And then… your kind… your kind showed us just how much lies could mean…” She began to shiver.

“I don’t need your sympathy. I don’t need your excuses. Not from mortals. Never from mortals. Never again.” She stopped shivering and seemed to take a deep breath. “Just leave. Don’t bother coming back.” I held up my hoof.

"Concierge, wait!" I began. Concierge shot me a look that froze me in place. I shiver ran up my spine.

"You're a 'hero', aren't you?" she said in a tone I can only describe as chilly as wind on Mt. Everhoof. "Do me a favor, 'hero'. Off yourself in the next clash with gods and mortals. Destroy this entire realm. There is nothing worth salvaging here." I was speechless. I told myself not to push any further. Concierge went back to sweeping, heading further down the hall. I slunk back into the room, turning around and being startled by the surprise appearance of Moochik on the opposite bed of Flitter. Based on their expressions, they heard everything. I sat down on a chair facing the beds at the far end of the room.

"I feel awful..." Flitter spoke. Moochik smiled reassuringly and shook his head.

"Dun be, lass. Ye weren' awake. Oi apologize on 'er behalf. She... she doesn' cope well wit' err... intense situations." Moochik explained.

"That's putting it lightly..." I replied, not hiding my defeated tone. "Has she... always been like that?" Moochik sighed softly.

"Hard ta' say. Perhaps she wasn' 'efore oi took 'em in." Moochik eyed me. "Though, oi feel tis bes' ye leave as soon as ye can." He leaned forward. "Out o' worry o' escalatin' things. Ye shouldn' 'ave brought those lot aroun'." I looked at him and nodded seriously.

"It was never our intention. We plan to leave tomorrow morning along with our uninvited guests." I lowered my head a little. "I'm not sure what's going to happen to us. But if it makes Concierge and the other fae feel better, we'll probably won't be showing up at all again. And if so, we'll promise not to bring in an entire boat with unwanted criminals." Moochik gave an apologetic look.

"Oi wish oi can 'elp. But me hands'll be tied. Concierge will be wantin' ta' be bossin' on cleanin'." Moochik slid off the bed and waddled towards the door. He stopped to turn around. "Tis really tha' only thing keepin' 'er sane." Moochik disappeared around the corner. There was a loud snort as Cloudchaser woke up in a daze.

"Wazzat? I'm awake! I'm awake." She yawned and wiped her eyes, blinking before smiling up at Flitter. She stood up right. "Flitter! Oh, thank Celestia you're awake!" She said, hugging her. Flitter looked at me and winked.

"I'm fine, sis. Really. Perhaps it is your turn to rest. You've had a long day and I've hardly been able to start on mine." She said soothingly. Cloudchaser looked up and tilted her head slightly.

"A-are you sure you're fine? I could-" Flitter frowned and cupped her sister's face cheeks and looked her in the eye.

"You've worried plenty, Cloudchaser. Perhaps you should focus on something else for a change? Perhaps helping out Fie with her own dilemma?" She said, turning Cloudchaser's head towards me. I flushed at the same time trying not to laugh at Cloudchaser's puckered lips. I waved my hoof softly.

"O-oh, I-I'm fine. I'm..." I found myself shutting up once more, taken aback by the icy stare Flitter was giving me. I gave her a small nervous smile and tapped my hooves bashfully together. "Err... wha-what I mean to say is I have uhh... to go check up on the others and not bother Flitter so much." I gave her my best smile I could manage. Cloudchaser was forced to face Flitter, who beamed at her.

"You go do that, sis. I want to take my time." She said. Cloudchaser rubbed her cheek when Flitter let go and looked at me in confusion. Not wanting to overstay our welcome, I took ahold of Cloudchaser's hoof and walked her out of the room. We made our way to the lobby, where we came to a strange sight. Scribble was waltzing with Lilac to a slow, strange orchestration. The only ponies I noticed that wasn't being stoic about this was Thi, whose eye twitched sourly with her forelegs crossed across her chest, watching what was probably the worst movie imaginable to her. Cloudchaser and I exchanged glances right as the orchestration finished and Scribble dipped Lilac. When he brought her back up, Lilac made a small frown.

"Acceptable. More practice in your steps, then perhaps a more negotiable standing can be worked upon." Lilac said simply. Scribble returned the remark with a stoic look.

"Noted." He replied.

"Err... did we miss something?" Cloudchaser asked. Scribble lowered his head, seemingly embarrassed behind the stoic facade. Lilac adjusted her general outfit before putting her cap back on.

"A test of resolve for a favor. The Triad prides itself on sophistication for favorable benefits." Lilac explained. I looked at Thi, who snorted.

"More like just wanting to be smug about the position you're in. You just wanted to compensate for something." She retorted. Sonata stood up, removing the needle on the record player on the side.

"Perhaps you should take note of your stallion, pest." She said without looking at her as she walked by. "You could do with some control." Thi's face went red but Scribble held out a hoof to her and shook his head. She groaned in frustration before standing up and bucking the lounge chair, stomping off to the hall.

"I'm going to bed. Need to prepare for the worst." She said. I furrowed my look into worry, watching her disappear around the corner. Scribble rubbed the back of his neck. I glanced over at Lilac and saw a subtle smug smile on her face that vanished as quickly as it happened. Sonata stood up and began to walk down the opposite hall, Lilac following suite. The troops must be staking out outside due to the lack of security. Scribble sighed.

"The things I set myself up for." He said.

The rest of the day was rather strange. The fae ponies avoided the Triad ponies as much as they could. The same could be said towards them for fear of suffering the same fate as their comrades. Throughout the night, I stirred awake to the sound of something banging against a wall. I worried if something had happened and took a quick look around the estate hall and lobby. Nothing stood out and as I was walking past a room, I stopped when I heard another bang. It sounded like somepony was shifting around on the bed in restless sleep. I shook my head, too tired to really bother with anything and went back to sleep, snuggling up to Cloudchaser. The next morning, I woke up a bit early and got myself ready for the day. When I left the room to let Flitter shower and Cloudchaser waiting for her turn, I nearly bumped into Scribble, who was standing in front of the room Thi was in, his hoof on the knob. He looked a bit startled at me.

"You're awake early." He said. My eyes adjusted to the darkness and I could see that he looked to have had a bit of a rough night. He seemed to shyly brush his bedhead mane before adjusting his yellow coat. He must have found his outfit at some point. I yawned and waved a hoof tiredly at him.

"Couldn't get much sleep. Too much noise from all the Triad stomping around at night." I said. Scribble rubbed his neck.

"Triad..." He said, his voice trailing off. I blinked away the rest of the tiredness and walked with him to the lobby.

"Was Thi alright? She seemed a little perturbed." I asked, curious as to what was going on. Scribble shifted uncomfortably a little.

"Not sure. She uhh... just needed somepony to talk to... vent her frustrations. I think." He said. My eyes narrowed. Why was he being dodgy? Deciding to not press the issue, we sat in the lobby, waiting for the others to arrive. First came Flitter, adjusting her bow on her mane and ensuring her weapon was secured to her. She had mentioned that her equipment was just there in the closet of their room when I asked. Cloudchaser then followed, giving a quick glance at Scribble knowingly over something, which the stallion avoided any form of eye contact. Then came Lilac and Sonata. I wasn't sure if they slept in their attire or not. They looked just as pristine as they did when we arrived. They didn't acknowledge us as they walked out of the estate. Lastly, came Thi. We took immediate notice of her mood. She had a bit more pep in her step and looked to be glowing a little. Cloudchaser smiled.

"You look better." She said. Thi seemed to shift and brush her mane.

"Nothing but a good nights' sleep can't handle. I feel right as rain and ready to take on the day." Her brow furrowed. "Are we sure we want to take Sonata's word for everything she explained?" We exchanged glances.

"I don't think we have any other choice. We're so close to Din's asencion but at the same time, we can't ignore the possible threat." I said, sighing. "A war, primal conflicts, some form of higher evil... It's just too much for the realm."

We should hurry and apply me to the status. Din hummed. I will not lie. The name Prisma Nexus sounds familiar... I winced as several images flashed across my mind. Din's eyes widened. Of course... Vessel. Change of plans. We must take the Prisma Nexus for ourselves. It'll prove beneficial to our goal. I rose a brow, rubbing my head as we got up and walked out of the estate.

'How?' I asked. Din frowned.

It occurred to me that this relic is immensely powerful enough to even make the gods bend to its' will. I... I want to be sure. She said. I tilted my head slightly. Was that hesitation? Din remained quiet as we approached Sonata and Lilac, who were observing the remaining Triad, Lo Mien and Xena readying auto wagons. Thi rose a brow.

"The other troops aren't pulling back?" She asked, suspicious of the two. Lilac hopped into the passenger seat as she spoke.

"The troops will be doing a thorough investigation of the surrounding area. Our main priority is heading to the caldera. Lucky for us, the point of interest is only a two-hour ride from here.” She explained. Flitter tapped her chin as she looked around.

“I feel like leaving anypony behind here is a bad idea.” She said.

“You are correct.” A voice said. We looked behind us to see Concierge standing in front of the gate. Lack-a-daisy and Posey stood beside her. Moochik stood a little off to the side, looking apologetic. “You’ve broken the very law of our home. And for that, you are forbidden from ever entering this place again.” A cold wind blew across the field, the colorful petals of flowers fluttered by us. Butterflies of varying colors began to surround the estate on a vortex. Concierge flared at us from behind the butterfly veil before looking to Sonata. “I’ll have your head for what you’ve done. Once your ‘savior’ status is over.”

The wind grew to a violent whirl and the butterflies thickened for a time before dispersing. The wind died down and all that was left of the estate was a small imprint of the foundation. Lilac waved her hooves.

“Find those ponies! They’ll face their subterfuge.” She ordered before pointing at us. “Let us not waste any more time. Get in.” Thi smirked and smugly waved a hoof at her.

“What’s the magic word?” She grinned challengingly. I nudged her slightly.

“Let’s save the snark until after we are done.” I said. Thi didn’t fight it and instead smiled and nodded. I somehow felt at ease with her chilling out. I guess she really has changed. At least, I truly hope so. I want my best friend back. The rest of us hopped into the auto wagon and Lilac commanded Lo Mien to drive. We spent the next two hours in silence, the grassy, flowered fields on both sides expanding pretty far.

I did take note of some older ruins and rotted cottages rarely dotting the fields, thinking to myself how much of history has happened here before Sonata’s reign. We soon begin to approach a jungle area with the flowers no longer in the fields and just grass slowly yellowing to dryness. Proceeding through the jungle was bit bumpier than expected, but after a while, the road smoothed out and we soon began to drive through a flattened and paved roadway. We passed by a sign marking "Battlegrounds" ahead.

"Battlegrounds?" Flitter chimed in suddenly. Thi was kicking back coolly as she replied.

"The natives of this jungle refer to it as the Battlegrounds because of the many sacred battles that partook here between them. It was very valuable as the wilderness seemed to vastly flourish in this one particular area. Records had stated that the caldera in which we are heading to had shown up one day with no pony noticing, making the natives believe that their battles have begun to manifest a goddess. The Unknown Alicorn made the tribes create a peace treaty to share the land and had since been flourishing for centuries. However, further studies later on have shown no sign of anything astronomical in power. Some say the tribes had lost sight of the area they were fighting over and instead fighting on different land or that they just stumbled upon old ancient ruins before them." Lilac explained simply.

"Until now." Sonata spoke. "With the data obtained from the late professor's research, the story isn't so far-fetched. At least, to mortals." She looked out the side window. "I know the truth to some degree, and I do not regret sharing nothing of the ruins. It has my ancestry all over and I aim to find out what happened. General, are the field scribes all ready?" Lilac quickly put a hoof to her ear and muttered something. She then nodded.

"Yes, your majesty." She replied. Sonata nodded and shifted her wing. Lo Mien stepped on the peddle and we sped along the road. Taking a turn, the jungle suddenly opened up and revealed a magnificent view that you would only see in postcards. Flitter and Cloudchaser gasped in awe. Looking over the horizon, a waterfall washed downward into a glittering lakebed surrounded by flora and what appeared to be bits and pieces of ruins dotting around the area.

"Prepare my Iron Tarkus." Sonata said suddenly. Lilac immediately put a hoof to her ear.

"Ready her majesties Tarkus. ETA five minutes." She said.

"Your majesty." Xena suddenly said, startling me. Has she always been in the back of the auto wagon? "I'm getting reports of a distress call. It appears the field scribes encountered the natives. How shall we proceed?" Thi gave a worried look towards Xena, as if hoping she was only feigning her mind control. Sonata didn't skip a beat.

"Dispatch two troops to the field scribes for monitoring. Fire off warnings to have them retreat." She seemed a little annoyed. "I will not tolerate any distractions this day." Her eyes glanced at Thi Billet, who ignored her glare. Her and I exchanged glances, however. It felt like a painstakingly long five minutes before we managed to pull up to the Triad camp. We stepped off the auto wagon and greeted by several troops and scribes for Sonata.

“Where is Field Day.” Sonata asked.

“Here, your highness!” A voice said. We looked to see a scrawny looking mare canter over to us, nearly tripping over her robe before saluting. Sonata dismissed the troops, Lo Mien and Xena, walking with Lilac at her side and Field Day trying to keep up. We followed after them.

“Are the resonance crystals in place?” Sonata asked as she looked around the camp.

“Yes, your majesty. Projections estimate ten minutes from now, the sun will shine over the lake. At that time, the crystals are set to react and stir the magic. There is still the matter of draining the caldera.” Field Day flipped through a clipboard hurriedly. “The many pumps stationed in the recommended spots have been fruitless in speeding up the draining. But if we add two more, we’ll increase projections by point two perc-“

“No more projections, scribe. We do not have time to wait any longer. I brought something that’ll make the process go by quickly.” Sonata interrupted the mare and turned to me. “I would command you to heat the lakebed to reveal the ruins. It must be done before the sun shines over the lake.”

“Whoa, whoa. I get the rush, but at the same time, I feel like we’re being a bit reckless here.” Thi said.

“Now she thinks about the consequences.” Lilac commented. I had to hold back a snicker with all my might. Thi frowned.

“I am now, thank you very much. My journey has been quite eye opening.” She retorted.

“That doesn’t excuse the blood on our hooves, Billet.” Sonata said coldly. “Need I remind you of what transpired on that Lavan mission?”

“I don’t care if you bring it up. It won’t change the fact that we are putting one of the seven at risk of something dangerous. We have to keep both of you alive, even though we’d be better off with you gone.” Thi growled. I gave her a small smile and walked to stand in front of her, meeting her eyes.

“Huh. And here I thought you were going to force me to volunteer. Regardless, you do forget who you are talking about. The mare who jumped into a raging whirlpool with a giant octopus? Getting shot into a tornado? Went through another dimension and saved it? Least of all, getting shot out of a show canon at mach twenty to reach you guys in time?” I explained. Thi studied me, her jaw agape a little. I pat my chest reassuringly to her. “Whatever will happen shouldn’t be that bad.”

“Famous last words.” Flitter snickered. I grinned at this. Thi eased and smiled softly.

“Right. Well then, what should we do?” Thi asked.

“You are to check the pumps to ensure they are running properly.” Lilac spoke up as she looked down at a device. “The rest of you will accompany me. I’ll put you to work.” Thi frowned before looking to the others. Scribble gave a soft nod and Thi relented.

“To your stations, kin! We begin now!” Sonata ordered, using what I would guess be her version of the Canterlot Voice. In unison, the troops and scribes cheered.

“For her majesty!” Sonata looked over her shoulder to me.

“May you walk in the abyss.” She said. I bid farewell to my friends as Lilac escorted them away from the camp. Thi turned to me and rubbed the back of her neck, hesitating.

“Fie… I uhhh…” She began. I waited for what she wanted to say. Taking a deep breath, she smiled. “Let’s go out for a drink. Just us and, ya’ know, girls night out.” I studied her, noting things about her. I then smiled and nodded.

“I’ll hold you to it.” I replied. This seemed to brighten Thi’s mood. And I’ll admit, this was quite a pleasant surprise. When she turned and trotted off to handle what she was told to do, I turned to Sonata. The alicorn looked over the cliffside, the lakebed rippling and reflecting the rising sun. Din shifted.

The air here. It is brimming with powerful magic. She said. I was suddenly sharing her sight and I could see floating stars around the lakebed as far as I could see. Indeed, the magic is here.

“Are you sure the crystals will work?” I asked her suddenly. Sonata didn’t acknowledge me, but did reply.

“They were created per my own magic. It shall work.” Sonata then looked over her shoulder to me. “Din must concentrate the power to call upon the sun. It’ll aid to hasten the process.” I frowned and stepped back a bit.

“You do realize what you are asking about. Or have you forgotten Hoofington?” I asked. “But then again, you were encased in a crystal. I’m certain it was just after thought.”

“Do not begrudge me on the action that spurred our nation to rise up against yours.” Sonata spoke, looking back out to the lake. “All I know is that Din can borrow from the Celestiales’s patrons. The results showed themselves what it can do.”

“I’m not nuking a lake to get to underwater ruins.” I retorted.

“You will not be ‘nuking’ my nation. I will not allow it. Lux believes that Din has enough self-control now through her own journey. That is all I care for.” Sonata replied casually. Din grumbled.

Soon… Din growled.

‘Can we really do this?’ I asked her. Din scoffed.

Now you doubt us? You won’t be doing the heavy lifting here. Din replied. I nodded softly. Sonata stood up and turned to me.

“Tis time. Fly yourselves out to the center.” Sonata said before turning to a passing scribe. “Signal the others. With haste.” The scribe saluted and galloped away to notify the others. I walked over and stood next to Sonata. Using Din’s eyes, I can see surrounding certain points of the lakebed edge the other ponies hurrying about. I felt a warmth flow through me and Din kicked me off the ground and flew over to the center of the lake.

I took one last look around the lake, spying my friends looking up from their consoles. Thi was seen making a last-minute fix before nodding to me. I took a deep breath and looked to Din, giving my entire being over to her. Din rose my hooves into the air and my horn began to glow brightly. As the sun fully appeared over the horizon, it then began to turn a blood shade of red. I observed Din from inside my mind, seeing her swish and sway my hooves above me. It wasn’t long until a solar flare from the sun bore down towards me and began to gather into a sphere of magic, followed by several more.

From inside my mind, I saw the phoenix fly past me and curled itself above Din, igniting her fire brightly. I felt a strange flow of power course through me. It was a little too much as I felt like I wanted to vomit. Yet, I steeled my resolve and focused on ensuring Din was unheeded. When Din opened my eyes, a decently big sphere of swirling magic floated above me. It wasn’t nearly as big as Din made it back in Hoofington, but I began to have a nip of worry of my friends nearby.

Din grinned and looked down into the lake.

Revel in my might, mortals! Pray to your beliefs that this does not fall upon you this day! Din cackled. She then waved my hooves and made a motion of me throwing something down. The sphere moved and the lake exploded into steam. Din pushed the sphere downward slowly, shielding me from the steam. Even when not in my own body, I could only imagine the scalding burns I would have if I was a normal pony.

Five minutes went by as the lake began to show the first signs of the ruins. Din became focused, controlling the power of the sun to avoid damaging the ruins. Slowly but surely the ruins began to appear. Mossy stone pillars, archways and piled stones soon became visible. Din held the sphere barely touching the ground before pulling it back up over my head and then releasing the power up into the sky, returning to the sun. The sun changed back to the normal glow and hue.

Din gave me my body back but kept us in the air. I scanned the ruins. My eyes fell onto a lopsided massive statue of an alicorn. The serene smile with blank eyes, rearing upward as if greeting me. I don’t know why, but the missing bits of her wings and a tail seemingly lost to time, coated in moss, made me feel guilty. As if the unkemptness could have been prevented in someway. Din focused on the statue, her eyes studying it.

Mother… She said suddenly.

The Triad wasted no time in descending the caldera. I waited for them in front of a partially destroyed archway. It wasn’t long until the scribes began arriving with equipment in wagons. My friends trotted over to me from one of the wagons and I smiled in greeting. We then looked towards the ruins. It was bigger than I expected. Expansive even. The wet mud made the trek further inside difficult to pull the wagons. The Triad eventually settled in setting up base where they were stuck and began to make small patrols to escort the scribes that were spreading out.

My friends and I proceeded to venture on our own, traversing around the debris. Whatever this place used to be was long forgotten to mortals. We then came to the massive statue of the alicorn. Centuries of decay and water stains couldn’t even grotesque the beauty of the alicorn. She towered above everything, no longer greeting us, but now showing us the sky.

Thi walked up to the base of the statue and brushed her hoof against the stone.

“Fascinating.” She said. “Being under the water for so long and it looks to have been untouched by nature. Hardly any moss growing on it.” Scribble rubbed his chin, clearly intrigued by the statue as well.

“That symbol… isn’t that Celestia and Luna?” Scribble pointed to the engraved emblem that seemed to be partially weathered but you were still able to make out the shapes. Indeed, they looked to be two alicorns with the sun and moon in the center.

“Tis not the brats of the sun and moon. They are the patron Sol and Nyx.” Sonata’s voice spoke from behind us. We turned to see the scribes wagoning to the side to set up while Lilac and Sonata approached the statue. Sonata looked up at the statue. I noticed she was shivering a little. Lilac turned to the scribes.

“Get the resonance crystals ready. We begin at noon.” She ordered. The troops and scribes hurried about. Flitter chimed in.

“It’s massive. Do alicorn tribes make towering architect like this often?” She asked. Sonata walked up to the statue and brushed her hoof over the pedestal.

“A symbol of glory and unity amongst my kind. The many times I’ve looked over this place, through pictures and in person, I still…” she trailed off a bit. Realizing this, she cleared her throat and stepped away. “Architecture is not our concern at the moment. Are those crystals ready?” Lilac put a hoof to her ear, relaying the message over link bud. There was a brief pause before Lilac nodded. “Gather a strike team. If this succeeds, we will need to tread into the unknown. Let us be the light through the abyss.” Lilac saluted and proceeded to bark orders, assembling a group.

Sonata turned to me. “When the magic is at its’ potent, channel it to the crystals. Then, we will begin the ritual of passage.” She then proceeded to walk towards the group Lilac gathered. I turned to my friends.

“I’m actually quite nervous.” Flitter spoke. “If this works, we get to see where our princesses came from!” Scribble rubbed his chin as he glanced up at the statue.

“Or at least, a part of it. If Sonata’s words are to be believed, then we are merely expecting a pocket of what would be the Illion tribe lands.” He replied.

“That name doesn’t ring any bells, no matter how many times I hear it.” Thi chimed in, tapping her head in thought. “I mean, Princess Celestia and Luna have to have some sort of records of their filly hood explaining the Celestiales. And if there are several other tribes, how come we haven’t seen any true born alicorns in Equestria aside from the one filly we know?” Cloudchaser rubbed her chin in thought.

“But then, wouldn’t that mean there are other alicorns like Twilight and Princess Cadence out there if that is the case? Unless all the tribes are set to rule Equestria, or a part of it, then we should have seen some more alicorns in our lifetime… right?” She asked. Scribble perked up.

“Or perhaps Celestia and Luna’s tribe are the only tribe dedicated to mortal ruling. I can’t help but put something together.” He pulled out his tattered journal and opened to a page. “From the way Sonata spoke and named things, perhaps the Illion tribe are dedicated to only research and knowledge. If that’s the case, then the rest of the tribes would have to exhibit something else. Which means that the Celestiales are, from what it sounds like, the only tribe to take interest into mortal affairs. But… for what reason?”

“If it truly boggles the mind, then perhaps you should save your questions for when we manage to enter the realm.” Sonata spoke suddenly, her eyes focused on me. I sighed and rolled my neck.

‘Ready Din?’ I asked her. Din cracked her neck and smacked her hooves together with a wide grin. I nodded to Sonata and she pointed upward with a wing.

“Level yourself at the foot of the statue and channel the magic to the crystals. Din should then aim at the statue pedestal as a point of entry. If this goes well, we will not summon another abomination.” She explained. Before we could even comment on that, she had spun on her hooves and marched towards the side and ordering Lo Mien and Xena to monitor the area before turning to another group of scribes. Thi sighed.

“We should wear tin foil hats just to be safe.” She said. Cloudchaser suddenly gave me a peck on the cheek, causing me to blush and look at her. She smiled.

“Kick ass up there, yeah?” She grinned. I was steaming at the ears and dumbly nodded to her. Din groaned.

Focus, vessel. She frowned. I still felt my heart flutter as we kicked off the ground and flew up to the base of the statue. Leveling ourselves, I looked up at the statue, feeling tiny compared to the size of the alicorn. I took a deep breath and reached out with my magic, washing it over just the base stand of the statue. To both mine and Din’s surprise, we felt my magic being guided. It swirled and snaked like branches upward and around the limbs and body of the alicorn, accumulating at the tip of her horn.

The horn began to glow and the ruins began to shake, a low rumble thundered beneath me. I looked down to see my friends and the others trying to get their footing. It wasn’t long until the edges of the ruins began to rise out of the ground. I was dumbfounded as I watched obelisks emerge from the ground, glowing brightly at the tip before firing off a stream of rainbows into the horn of the alicorn. I gasped, seeing that the blank eyes came to life. Such beautiful chestnut brown eyes kindly looking down upon me.

They vanished as quickly as they appeared and before long, the obelisks darkened and the concentrated power of magic shot downward. The rainbow beam drew a rectangle, tearing reality open into a swirl of lights and colors.

We bid you welcome, children of her love. A soothing voice resonated in my mind, causing me to wince. The world seemed to grow still as I descended down to my friends, looking up at the towering portal that swirled before us. Sonata pushed past us, marveling the sight.

“At last…” Sonata sighed happily. Lilac turned to a dumbfounded scribe.

“Report.” She ordered. The scribe took a bit to answer.

“Err… the crystals shattered the moment the earthquake happened and magical activity skyrocketed beyond stable levels.” The scribe replied, looking through a pad. “Yet… the portal is showing strange readings. It’s almost as if… it’s trying to contain the instability.”

“Then we mustn’t wait any longer.” Sonata spoke as she turned to us. “Strike teams! I know not what lies on the other side. Be calm, for I am the light that will guide you! We venture into my homeland! Ready!” Sonata spun on her hooves during her speech and the troops saluted. “March!” The troops in unison marched into the portal, seemingly vanishing from sight. Sonata looked over her shoulder as Lilac stepped in, giving me a suspicious look before walking into the portal.

“Well, this is it. To a plane unknown.” Thi said.

“At least it’s not the human world. I could only imagine how that’ll be if the Triad march on through.” I stated. “No backing out now. We’ve come this far. So, let’s go save Equestria and this realm.” I smiled and held out my hoof. Cloudchaser and Flitter had put their hooves in, then Thi. We looked to Scribble and he sighed, the rare smile cracking his stoicism.

“Why not?” He said before putting his hoof in. With that, we faced the portal and stepped into together. The world left us and we found ourselves spiraling into a mix of lights and colors. As quickly as we were pulled in, we felt solid ground underneath us, nearly causing us to stumble forward. I looked back to my friends.

“Huh. I was… kind of expecting more pulling.” I said. Thi gasped and looked past me, as did the others. I blinked in confusion before looking back. My jaw dropped and my eyes widened.

We stood high over grass and stone. To our right was a marbled stone staircase that led downward. Yet, wherever we were, I couldn’t comprehend the sight I was seeing. A magnificent castle that I couldn’t tell from which way is which towered far into the sky. Surrounding the castle were what appeared to be an intricately built civilization at the base of it. Buildings that nearly doubled the size of the ones in Manehatten. And still, with the dotting modernization areas, there were also expansive fields of grass of what looked to be parks of some kind.

Despite all the magnificence of the sight before us, the sinister cold wind that blew through made us shiver. The sky above crackled with lightning from clouds non-existing. Accompanying the blue sky is a black sun. The red ring spiraling sickly and distorting the sky.

It was as if we had stepped directly into the apocalypse.

Chapter 46: Our New Frontier

Stepping into the building, I honestly should have expected the illusion. Yet, it still surprised me just how massive the lobby was. Must be the size of an entire stadium! And yet, what would have probably been clean, marble flooring, intricate furnishing and architecture was sadly muddled by the vast amount of petrified alicorn statues putting us on edge. Sonata looked surprisingly shocked at this. Activating our light spells, we descended the steps. Walking through the crowds of alicorns, we could see that they all had varying expressions and gestures. Some looked confused while others were panicked or in the middle of running away from something. There were even occasional ones that seemed to be bounding towards other areas of the Astrologias.

Sonata walked towards a terrified alicorn statue and brushed their cheek softly.

“By her light and love, let her guide you into rest.” She uttered loudly. Scribble cautiously studied one that looked to be scrambling away.

“I… Can we be sure they aren’t under any form of petrification spells? These aren’t made by cockatrices. Unless it’s a massive one, the cockatrice makes smoother petrifications. But even then… all of them are facing different directions.” He tapped his chin. “A basilisk? Gorgon? They are known to petrify many creatures at once… but then again… they have smoother petrifications…”

“Could it be like the thunder birds? A variation of those creatures?” Thi asked as she tapped an alicorn who seemed to have seen better days. Sonata shook her head.

“Nay. These are not subject petrifications. Nor can I detect casted spells.” Sonata spoke, placing a horn to a petrified alicorn. Her horn glowed for a brief moment before she pulled away. “Odd… I can’t quite put my hoof on it. They… are no longer alive. But they are… sleeping? In stasis? No life but preserved.” Sonata rubbed her muzzle, clearly frustrated. I exchanged a quick glance with Thi.

“We should keep moving.” I told her. Sonata sighed and nodded.

“This way.” Sonata led us through the field of statues and over to a strange looking pad. We stepped inside of it as Sonata walked over to what appeared to be a strange console. She waved her hoof over a crystal and the machine blipped to life. “At least the aetherite mechanism is working. Regesitras Illion sos vas Moonlight Sonata, Research and creation department 137-RCI-S297, requesting access to Illion sas van Rosette Nebula, head creator department 576-HC-V997.”

The machine blipped for a brief moment before the screen flashed red. Sonata repeated her words, and the machine repeated the flash. She gave a grunt of frustration and smacked the machine. It buzzed before flashing yellow.

Warning: Containment breach detected. Floor inaccessible. Please await further instructions as we proceed to contain and secure.

The voice came from the machine.

“Guess we are taking the stairs.” Thi spoke.

“There are no stairs here. The aetherite mechanism transports us, body, mind and soul to the other departments of the Astrologias. Machine, status report departments. All floors.” She replied. The machine blipped and buzzed before flashing green.

Multiple containment breaches detected. Containment in progress. Please await further instructions. The machine replied. Sonata frowned before crouching down and using her magic to rip the underside of the machine apart. She got on her back and began to mess with the wiring. Thi arched a brow.

“Huh. Didn’t take you as the technician type.” She said.

“Need I remind you that my Triad is at the ready with plenty of approved designs and schematics created by yours truly. I did not build my empire in one day.” Sonata said coldly. Flitter balked.

“That’s incredible! But then… why use them for conquest? Couldn’t you have put them to better use in aiding Equestria?” She asked. Sonata continued to work as she replied.

“I will not aid the likes of Celestiales brats. Their high and mighty ideals overshadow our Creation Mother’s love by falsely announcing it so in a test of ego. King Solar and Queen Lunaes felt that all mortals should be graced with their presence in a move to enslave the minds of the landers. They succeeded.” She ripped a wire out and tied several more together. “When they birthed the two sisters you call your rulers, they had high ambitions. They even turned to a mortal who had stepped into our realm only once to teach them the ways of mortal kind in an effort to rule over more than they should have.”

I had a slow dawning feeling.

“Grumpy with a beard?” I asked. Sonata sighed.

“Unusually grumpy. Not only did they entrust the mortal with their children, but they bestowed the children with powers no filly should have control over. And it shows with the many ‘accidents’ those two had in the millennias they were in land.” Sonata paused in her work to look at us. “All our research requiring sun and moon were either destroyed due to their clumsiness or the many apocalyptic events they created caused mass hysteria in subjects, killing our own.” Sonata went back to work as she continued. “Before my people were forced to evacuate during the Celestiales invasion, it wasn’t only a declaration of war to stop our research from going out of control, for I have heard that their land was slowly being consumed of life. And they deemed to have newer pastures in the announcement of ensuring our downfall.” We looked at each other, uncertain of how we should respond. Scribble spoke up.

“So… Celestia and Luna might have… caused all this… by accident?” Scribble asked, looking around.

“I have a feeling they are in due part responsible for it. But I cannot be for certain just yet, much as I want it to be true. My boon being that they have yet to even try and return to their homeland. All for the better. Little fillies like them would not handle the amount of blood they have caused on their own kind.” Sonata replied.

“But we did have wars under their ruling in the past. You think it was just a game to them?” Cloudchaser spoke. Sonata nodded.

“Most likely. Doesn’t help that you mortals are prone to unwanted desires for blood and wants. Amazing what can be accomplished when a single alicorn can lead so many to their deaths out of curiosity.” Sonata closed the compartment and stood up, glaring at us. “You all are just worms that had no direction for yourselves. You needed children from the sky to send you to your deaths and fulfill your ambitions. It disgusts me.” I quickly glanced at Thi.

She was deep in thought. Perhaps even conflicted. I wouldn’t blame her. I too was feeling odd about all this information.

“Not that it matters anymore. This millennia has been… stale. This threat to our realm is the only thing to have majorly occurred during this time. But it proved to me that even your princesses are incapable of doing the bare minimum, relying on mortals once again to save their sorry flanks. If they cannot attest to their might with my Triad, then they deserve to have their heads rolling at my hooves.” We remained quiet as Sonata tapped several keys with a hoof. The platform underneath began to glow and we felt ourselves suddenly being ripped apart.

And as quickly as it happened, we were put back together. We fell to our stomachs, feeling sick and disoriented. Sonata stepped off the platform, looking no worse for wear. I stood up and rubbed my stomach, looking around. It was rather dark enough that our light spells were only able to illuminate a small radius around us. Taking a moment to gather ourselves before following after Sonata, I was growing a little nervous about the expansive darkness around us. I took a deep breath and felt a warmth surround me. I held out my hoof and blew into the fire I had conjured in it. Three wispy balls of fire floated out in front of me. Din directed them to spread out around us. The room we were in was decently sized enough. But it was our ground that made me suddenly have vertigo. I held onto the railing, feeling sick as the abyssal drop led to nothing.

Thi helped me steady by leaning on her and we carried on across the walkway. We arrived at a door and Sonata waved her hoof over the runes. They glowed and the door hissed open. It led to a split hallway that curved around at both ends. Sonata looked at the destroyed signs against the wall as Din’s fire floated down the hall.

“Hmmm… it seems I miswired something. We are in the right department, but it appears we are in the Contra Wing. Our destination is in the Observation Wing. Come. We are not far.” Sonata spoke before going right. We proceeded down the curved hall, passing by rooms that looked to be broken into, doors no longer functioning properly with barricades either jamming them or spilled out into rooms. Sonata looked cautiously at each one we passed. This had us on edge more than the lobby. Cloudchaser had stopped suddenly and lifted her hoof up, making a disgusted face. We looked down and saw what appeared to be blood and a strange viscus-like substance. The further we progressed; a foul odor began to waft around us. Din hummed as she focused my attention straight ahead. I stopped and readied myself. My friends stopped. Sonata must have been alerted to it as well as she quickly unholstered an ivory arc pistol at the ready.

We waited in anticipation, Din bristling at the presence. I could feel it too. Unnatural. Unstable. Sickening. Strangely familiar to that strange creature back at Midnight Castle. My ear flicked as we heard loud stomping down the darkened hall. Din directed her flame further down the hall, pushing it as far as several doors down. It reached the end of the hall that seemed to split again. It hovered for a bit, the stomping getting louder. Suddenly, the stomping picked up pace and a strange growl rumbled around us. Something big zipped by, dousing the fire immediately. Sonata and I nearly hurled. Cloudchaser and Thi helped me steady while Flitter and Scribble helped Sonata, who was retching.

“What was even that??” Cloudchaser spoke. I spat out some saliva, the burning taste of this morning’s breakfast hanging in my throat.

“Something we should definitely avoid…” I rasped. “Even Din is retching inside my mind. That thing… it isn’t natural like that creature in Midnight Castle.” I replied. Sonata wiped her muzzle and nodded.

“Tis no Kalenite… Something else.” She replied.

She speaks true… it’s an essence of the Highest Evil… Din said. I felt a cold chill run up my spine.

“But… how did it get in here?? It’s not an escaped subject??” Flitter asked. Sonata shook her head as she proceeded down the hall.

“Wh-what?! We’re going down there?!” Cloudchaser balked. Sonata glanced over her shoulder.

“Tis in the way of my goal. Steel yourselves. I don’t plan to fight it. But I will hinder it if it gets in my way.” She rasped. We exchanged worried glances before following after her.

“I get that you want to find out what happened to your home, Sonata.” Thi began as she cantered to stay in pace with her. “But how about a counter point. We ditch this place and go somewhere else that won’t lead us to being horribly digested by something.”

“We must require Rosette Nebula. She has all the answers we need. I would not waste time shifting through forty-one millenias of history to get what I want.” She replied quickly.

“Forty-one!?” I balked. Sonata shushed me and clamped my muzzle. Sonata shifted her wing as we came to a stop at the end of the hallway, keeping our ears open for the stomping. It sounded close before but now it now, nothing.

“Tis an exaggeration. Let us focus on the objective right now. Eyes and ears.” Sonata whispered. We stuck close, following Sonata. She ordered us to cancel our light spells and rely on our primal sight to guide us. I felt relieved that my friends wouldn’t have to witness the creature should they come across it and go insane. They bit down on my tail and cloak as we made our way through knocked over barricades and such. It wasn’t long that I began to notice some alicorn statues inside the barricaded rooms along with skeletal ones. The statues all had varying expressions once again, however, I noticed they didn't seem... bothered? They showed fear and concern, but they looked to have been... trying to survive? Could the monster we saw caused the petrification? But then... how is such a thing able to roam around here? It looked big enough to take up the whole hallway and quick enough to gain plenty of distance. Din is on high alert. Sonata and I could sense the creature still roaming somewhere nearby. The stomping could be heard everywhere and nowhere.

We crept hurriedly through the hall, only stopping to take cover as we thought the creature was becoming closer. Aside from the horrible gut-wrenching feeling Din and I were having, the creature never made itself known. Sonata led us further, taking turns and short cuts through rooms. Eventually, the stomping of the creature became distant as we entered what appeared to be a data vat server room. The white and green glows of the vats allowed us to see a little bit better. Sonata trotted over to a console and began tapping away at it. Thi proceeded to be on lookout with Flitter and Cloudchaser while Scribble and I walked over to Sonata.

“Are you sure we should be looking through data right at this moment?” I asked. Sonata shifted her frown.

“I’m merely looking for third eye footage of what has happened here. Perhaps even a whereabouts of Rosette’s location.” Sonata replied. Scribble and I peeked over her shoulder. The screen was scrolling quickly with hieroglyphs of what I am assuming is the Illion language. It didn’t take long for Sonata to pull up what looked to be a log. She scanned it for a moment before tapping the keys and working on something else.

“All third eye footage has been corrupted. Figures if the aetherite systems are disrupted and left to rot. However, it appears the tram system is working.” Sonata spoke.

“Tram?” Scribble asked curiously. Sonata glanced at him briefly before looking back at the screen.

“Yes, mortal. A tram. Something Rosette made herself as a backup in case our automatic transports and aetherite systems went down. Need I say more?” She asked rather rudely. Scribble rubbed the back of his neck.

“Nope. I believe I can put it all together.” He replied. Sonata sighed.

“If I had known mortals were that curious about things, I should create an almanac. But that’ll defeat the purpose of what makes my kingdom greater than the rest.” She scoffed before tapping the key. There was a loud mechanical clanking sound followed by a screech nearby. We froze, realizing how loud it was. As expected, a guttural and inequine sound echoed it and the stamping became erratic. Thi and the sisters backed away from the doors, allowing them to close as we proceeded to scramble around to look for a place to hide.

Sonata rolled her eyes and when her horn glowed, I felt my body freeze. I looked down and I began to see stone forming on me.

“Wh-what?! Sonata, you-!” Thi began, struggling to move towards her. Sonata only looked at us as her petrification formed fully. We struggled against our own petrification, but to no avail. When our bodies froze, I had a very strange sensation wash over me. I could make out everything in front of me. As if everything had been frozen in time. Is this what petrification feels like?

My thoughts were cut off as the erratic stamping got louder and louder. Whatever creature it is, it didn’t waste any time barreling through the hall. When the door opened, a fleshy tendril with several eyes and strange, realistic looking fur lashed in. I felt Din doing her best to not hurl once more. From the eyes came thin lines that snaked throughout the room. I could only watch as the thin lines caressed us in an uncomfortable manner. A guttural groan retracted the tendril as the stamping continued further down the hall. I listened as the creature seemed to grow distant. After five minutes of silence, I began to feel my body able to move. The stone cracking as we broke out of our petrification. It led to all of us feeling sick. Cloudchaser wiped her muzzle, looking pale.

“I… think that is… the worst experience I’ve had… since going on this adventure…” She rasped with a cough.

“I think I’m done being an adventurer after this…” Flitter said, looking green in the face. Sonata unfurled her wings and a soft glow resonated around her body. We felt a soothing wave wash over us, quelling our sickness and feeling a burst of energy. Sighing in relief, Thi cracked her neck.

“That was very risky, Sonata. If that thing knocked over anyone of us…” Thi frowned.

“I was hoping it’d knock you over, but sadly, my dreams are always crushed when you are around.” Sonata quickly replied disappointedly. Scribble peeked out of the doorway.

“I’m hoping you know where the tram is?” He asked. Sonata nodded and walked past him.

“We follow the way of the creature.” She said.

“Are you serious?!” Cloudchaser began.

“So long as we remain silent when boarding, all should be well, yes?” Sonata retorted. Flitter pat her sister reassuredly on the back. We braced ourselves before adventuring out into the hall. There was no longer stomping, but our senses were on high alert. I could feel Din’s uneasiness rise as we progressed. It felt like an eternity being cautious before we arrived to what looked to be a monorail station.

We hurried across the platform towards a bulky, steampunk-ish trolley. Sonata clicked her tongue.

“It’ll have to do…” She said more to herself. Sonata waved her hoof on the side of a window, the runes glowing and the window hissing open. We stepped in, having to squeeze ourselves past each other. Sonata took a seat behind a console desk and began tapping in stuff.

“You sure this’ll take us to Rosette?” Thi asked.

“Not directly. But close. Keep yourselves aware. This’ll be loud.” Sonata replied. The windows hissed closed and as expected, a loud screech of metal and groans of an engine reverberated around us. The tram jolted forward and we began to move, slowly at first before picking up speed. Thi and I looked out the back of the window. There was a flat bed for what I’m assuming is transportation trailing right behind us.

I glanced at Thi.

“So, what do you think?” I asked. Thi looked at me quizzically. I motioned with my head towards Sonata. “She’s been rather… cooperative.” Thi snorted and looked back out the window.

“We are a means to an end. Once she gets what she wants, we’ll for sure be on our own. She does it plenty of times to her own troops.” She replied sourly. I took a quick glance over to Sonata before looking back at Thi.

“I mean, regardless of the history you have, she’s been helping us survive. She honestly could have picked her own troops for her expedition, but she picked us. Even her own worst enemy. That has to mean something, right?” I said with a small reassuring smile. Thi shook her head.

“You can’t justify her actions for anything. She’s made it clear that everything we’ve gone against, Triad wise, has been approved by her. Our nation is at war at the same time we are on the brink of a realm ending crisis. And we are just exploring a lost civilization to sate the morbid curiosity of a tyrant while Equestria is fighting amongst themselves.” Thi sighed. “I’m only holding my breath that when we find this Prisma Nexus and gather everycreature at the Tree of Power that we can finally save ourselves.” I couldn’t help but softly giggle.

“It’s not like you to get so worked up all of a sudden. What happened to the hot headed and brash ready-to-throw hooves Thi Billet?” I grinned. Thi seemed to slump at this.

“I… I don’t know who I am anymore. I like to think I still am the best friend abandoning, thrill seeking fascist terrorist. But I also love to believe myself a changed pony, who is trying her best to make amends with the very pony she abandoned.” Thi said. She rested her head against the glass, looking exhausted. “I’m a screw up, through and through. I cannot, for the life of me, figure out how to make things right. I’m still on auto pilot. I have my heritage. I have my friends, Scribble and you. But it still feels so far out of reach from me. And now, I’m partnering with my immortal enemy. I should have studied more in CSGU.” I couldn’t help but smile.

“Well, if it makes you feel better, I do notice a change in you. But I’m on the fence it had to deal with the fae or not. Regardless, I am seeing it. And I… well…” I took a deep breath. “I don’t want to lose you as my best friend. We’ve been through so much already that I just… don’t know what I want to do with you.” It was my turn to press my head against the glass. “I’ve tried punishing you in a way that isn’t cruel. I didn’t want to leave you with fae, and I certainly didn’t want to leave you stranded in another nation that wants your head. I am still trying to think of a better, suitable punishment that also won’t have you having your head being rolled.

“But I just can’t think of any. And it’s because I desperately wanted you back. I know you are hot headed. I know you are brash and trigger happy. I befriended Thi Billet, the punk troublemaker who pulled silly pranks and copied my homework while taking no shit from any pony. The years may have changed us, but I want to know the real Thi Billet as she is now. The Thi Billet that has gone on adventures. Has seen the world and made plenty of more mistakes in her life. The Thi Billet that finally got her act together and came back to me.”

Thi looked at me, stunned. She then gave a small chuckle, as did I. We then hugged each other.

“I can’t believe I was such an idiot to have nearly lost you. Divine fate must have led me to you.” Thi said. I giggled and ruffled her mane.

“How corny. But… sweet. Let no pony ever think I never enjoyed your company. You made my dull life interesting.” I replied. Thi smiled, but then quickly lowered. I noticed it too. We looked back out the window and our eyes widened. Our friends noticed it too.

“Sonata? Now would be a good time to go extremely fast.” Flitter spoke. We couldn’t hear the stamping, but it was clear what we were seeing. So much so that Din was quick to alter our vision of it. A biblical creature transforming into an amalgamation of melted together alicorns, reaching out to us. Black limbs flailed wildly as the creature pulled itself at roughly the same speed as the speeding tram. Sonata quickly tapped on the screen as the creature was slowly gaining on us.

“Dammit! Defense systems are jammed!” Sonata exclaimed, looking over her shoulder. “You two! Activate the manual rear canons!” We looked at her in confusion.

“This thing has weapons??” Thi asked. Sonata motioned at us frustratedly.

“At your hooves! There is a button! Get on with it!” She ordered. Thi and I looked down at our hooves. Our eyes found the buttons at the bottom edge. We stepped on them in unison and a loud hiss and cranking sound resounded outside the tram. The creature let out a guttural roar as we saw crawling from the top of the tram domes that lined itself symmetrically along the body. A small console rose from the ground from a hidden compartment and began a heat signature display that was unable to correctly capture the creature.

“Keep the reticule on the beast! Increasing speed output by ten percent!” Sonata called out. The tram jerked and began to screech as the walls around us began to zip by in a blur. Thi and I exchanged questioning glances as our hooves tapped and swiped at the screen. We then found that the reticule moved when Thi turned a knob on the side. My hoof found another knob on the opposite end and together we worked to keep the reticule on the creature. The system seemed to be struggling as the turrets spastically fired at it.

We looked to see that the creature was trying its’ best to shield itself from the barrage of arc fire, slowing it down to some degree. Just what in the world is this thing?! Din was panting, as if trying to fight for her life to stand up.

Blasted, foul whoreson! I’ve had enough of you!! Din snarled. I felt a sudden warmth flow through me and my horn being pressed against the glass. Din roared as a massive fire beam unleashed from my horn. This knocked Thi back and took the rear end of the tram out. A direct strike on the monster.

Din’s magic pierced the creature, engulfing it in fire and causing it to screech and wriggle in whatever pain it was feeling. This stopped it completely as the creature disappeared into the darkness of the tram tunnel. I felt a wave of exhaustion hit me and I fell back on my haunches, panting. Din growled, wiping her muzzle.

I despise that blight… I’ll wipe the Highest Evil from existence!! Din declared loudly in my head. I rubbed my head.

“Take it easy and warn me next time, Din!” I rasped painfully. Din only scoffed in response. I looked over to my friends, who were stunned. Sonata, however, looked pissed. “Everypony alright?” I asked as I stood up. My friends nodded, having been snapped out of their daze. Sonata scoffed.

“Arrogant fool! Have you no control over your element?! Here I thought you were responsible with Din! Lux, explain yourself!” I heard Lux’s voice resonate in my head.

And what’s to say you have control over me, vessel? I’m only merely here to aid you. You accounted it yourself. Din’s reckless action boosted us farther than anticipated. She replied soothingly.

“She could have killed us all!!” Sonata barked. Thi snorted.

“That’s rich, coming from you. We are supposed to find the Prisma Nexus but no, we are out here trying to satisfy your curiosity on what happened to your people!” Thi retorted. “Don’t be high and mighty with us, your majesty. You aren’t our princess!” Sonata rose from her seat and stomped over to Thi.

“You insolent pissant! I command respect and I will have yours!!” Sonata flared. Thi smirked challengingly and clashed her horn with Sonata’s.

“You only deserve the respect of my hoof up your-“ Thi spat but was interrupted.

“Uhh, guys?? We aren’t through yet!” Cloudchaser said as she backed away from the open end of the tram. We looked to see that the creature was now gaining on us. A little too quickly. A massive hole where Din had struck it hissed with steam. Sonata rolled her eyes.

“Oh great! Din’s actions only made it lose weight. Fancy that!” Sonata shoved Thi aside into the wall of the tram as she turned to sit back down into the seat. “Increasing speed output thirty percent! Since you are so inclined to lose your head, give us a boost in the process!” Thi grew beet red with anger, but it was Scribble who shook his head with a hoof on her shoulder. Thi spun on her hooves and cantered over to the edge with me.

“Can we extract Lux from her and leave her to rot with the rest of her people?” Thi asked me. I gave a worried look and she sighed. “I am only kidding…” I stepped in front of her and aimed my horn. Din cackled.

Unleash hell flame!! I command you, kneel!! Din flared and I felt a hotter warmth than before. A big sphere of fire formed at the tip of my horn and Din unleashed her magic onto the creature. The tram jolted and my friends held on as we sped through, the fire engulfing the creature again. Yet, this time it seemed to press onward, ignoring Din melting it in the process.

“It’s not slowing down!” Flitter shouted as she proceeded to fire an explosive arrow into the creature. She struck it and the explosion made it trip, but it quickly regained its’ balance and picked up speed. Scribble stood in the back but crushed several rocks in his hoof and began tossing out fire and lightning out at it. This seemed to slow the creature down. Din readied herself for another charge of magic, grinning maniacally.

I can hear it sing for me!! Hahahaha! Yessss!!! Sing in my grace!!! Let the fire cleanse you of filth!!! Din laughed. Flitter and Scribble retreated a bit as Din unleashed her magic once more, creating another hole in it. The creature was limping, but it still pulled itself along, keeping up with the tram.

“How is it still going?!” Thi exclaimed in shock.

“Do not even think of questioning an abomination! We eliminate it or not at all!!” Sonata shouted as she quickly tapped in the console. “Output fifty percent!” I nearly lost my footing and had to hold onto the tram wall. As I rightened myself, we left the tunnel. The creature had lunged at us in an attempt to catch us, but it failed and ended up tumbling in a fiery ball of flames out of the tunnel and down into the clouds. I took a moment to gather myself before looking around. We were skimming the skyline, the clouds splitting as we carved through.

Looking at the opening behind us, we were directly above the Illion kingdom. However, the buildings were way taller than I expected. Another layer of clouds above us hid the rest of the buildings. As we sped through, I pulled back and looked to my friends.

“That… was rough…” I panted. My friends seemed to ease a bit. Sonata, however, scanned the console.

“We are finally coming up to the Observation Wing. Let us not delay any longer.” Sonata spoke. I slid down onto my haunches, sighing in relief.

‘Thanks, Din.’ I thought. ‘Sincerely.’ Din rose from her position and wiped her muzzle after spitting again.

Never thought I’d have to experience the sickening feeling of the Highest Evil once more. But I should have guessed it to be inevitable. Din rasped. How long has it gone unnoticed? That comet… twas it not it? Din tapped her hoof impatiently, her thoughts scrambling to make sense of it all. This puzzled me a bit but I cleared my head to let her think better as I turned to my friends, who were also taking a moment of respite. I looked out towards the way we came, the tunnel growing ever so distant.

My eyes then noticed a faint light zip into the clouds nearby. I blinked. Was that a sprite? I shifted over to scan our surroundings. I wouldn’t be surprised if sprites were tested on in this kingdom. Who knows what is what and where it came from. My mind went back to the alicorns. The Illion tribe members all petrified by some unnatural cause and the rare few that seemed to have perished.

My eyes glanced at Sonata. I can understand what she is thinking. If any of her other members survived, they’d have to be somewhere. And if not, then if they were in her shoes, they’d probably do anything to see them again. I frowned. It’ll have to be a last resort. If Lux can’t reign in Sonata, it’s up to us to extract her. Din was not pleased with the idea of sharing her domain with her sister, but even she had to begrudgingly agree on my thought. I sighed and sat back down.

‘Hey Din.’ I began. I heard a shift inside my head but no response. ‘Ya’ know. After everything we’ve been through, it almost… feels like I’ve had you forever ago.’ Din shifted her unamused look.

Mortal time is lost upon one such as I. Forever ago was the day I was created. Din replied. There was a strange hint of uncertainty. I furrowed my look.

‘Din? What are you thinking?’ I asked her.

Not your concern. Din quickly spoke.

‘It is definitely my concern, because it’s seeping into my own head and it is bothering me. Unless you want more clutter in my mind, tell me what you are thinking.’ I explained. Din became quiet. I sighed. ‘After everything we’ve been through, I was hoping you’d open yourself up just a little bit. I thought we were making good progress.’ Din hummed.

Twas it not you who said I have no time for friends? The notion does not become me. Yet, the allies we’ve accumulated, annoying as they are, have been beneficial to my ascension. She responded.

‘I said that if you were unable to make friends, then at least make them allies. You and I are friends, right?’ Din grew quiet again.

The notion bothers me too much to provide an answer. You are an alley whom I share a parasitic connection with. Tis only that. She grumbled. I smiled a little.

‘I’ve seen you capable without me. Even when I had died in the other realm, you managed to live on.’ I replied.

Twas only because the phoenix’s heir took me in. Without her, I would have vanished. Need I remind you that when you perish, I perish.

I nodded. ‘I know. But instead of just thinking about the logical, beneficial aspect of it, you could manifest yourself in physical form right now and be able to walk free of me. Would it still matter to be around me?’ Din gave me a look.

Do you really want to set yourself up for this? To answer that, yes, it does not matter. For I would not have to rely on somepony else and deal with the weight of friendship. I want to rule this place of my own free will and being, and restrict power to those that think it is fair against me or dare to ruin my realm. If I manifested right now, without any of the strings, I would extract Lux and fly off leaving you all stranded and helpless. I hummed.

‘I’m not convinced.’ I replied with a smirk. Din was taken aback by this.

You belittle my promised threat?? Din was about to say more when she stopped and groaned, crossing her forelegs. I do not wish to argue this with you. It is taking all my will power to not skin you all considering. She grumbled. I gave her a worried look.

‘So… you really have no empathy for anything other than yourself? No given emotions to those around you? Are you really all “evil”?’ I asked her. Din scoffed.

We are necessary. I can do without the rest, but the bylaws of the Creation Mother dictate so. It’s her law that commands me to fulfill it. She growled.

‘But… then maybe you seven are following it wrong?’ I stated. Din balked.

You question the mother of all?! She glared. I nodded.

‘It’s my mortal right. You can’t expect us to be a bit skeptical when it comes to gods and goddesses. Let alone the supposed mother of all creation. Sure, she may have set laws into place for this realm. But who’s to say she didn’t break any of her own to make you?’ Din lowered herself.

How can one so perfect and indescribably loving break her own rules when they are ingrained into the very realm itself?! This is blasphemy!! Din snapped. I smirked.

‘Not so different from our Princess Celestia and Luna. She may have set the laws and ingrained them into the very foundation and walls. But it’s inside the laws that can be worked around. She probably designed them as a guideline to ensure she wouldn’t mess up on this place. The laws were meant for her. And she probably felt that other beings might need laws to ensure everything is in balance.’ I explained. Din went quiet, clearly about to say something, but stopped herself.

For one who speaks of the Creation Mother so, but still question her creations… I… I’ve never heard so much heresy in my life. Din seemed distraught now. I tilted my head.

‘She probably questioned her own creations as well. Usually, a scientist creates something that may benefit others but have no idea what to call it. They know how it works and all, but how can they ensure it can be released into the wild without something to keep it in check? Why would she need seven elements to ensure balance in our world when her pet snake was in charge of it? How is Ouroboros able to break free of the responsibility and keep the world taped together? Perhaps, this universe's laws were intended to be broken and recreated to fit appropriately to everything else. Mortals adapt, no matter how hopeless. And as from what Sonata has shown, even immortal beings can adapt to the harshness of broken laws.

‘Even you Din. You broke free of the serpent’s bylaws but still uphold the Creation Mother’s. Or so you would have others think. You said it back on Manehatten coast. You plan to take the powers of the other sisters, despite them arguing that it goes against the very bylaws that the Creation Mother has set.’ I smiled. ‘You’ve already broken her laws and look at you now. On your way to ascension with a rag tag group of mortals who are way in over our heads. So, tell me Din. Do we not really matter? Without us, you wouldn’t have made those decisions yourself. You didn’t rely on us to give you that idea of taking their powers for balance sake. That was all you.’

Din was extremely quiet. I shivered a bit and threw my hood over my head as I waited for her response. When I felt like I wasn’t going to get anything yet from her, she then spoke.

Quiet Fire. She began. I paused. That wasn’t irony, was it? Din ignored my surprise. I do not know what it is you want from me in this discussion. Do you truly wish to offer more than a parasitic acquaintance? We are of one mind, so I can sense when you hesitate or have… primal urges. But I cannot sense anything out of your words. I smiled sincerely under my hood and bangs.

‘You sure you can’t sense it? Or are you just continuing to deny yourself? You don’t need to answer me right now. But do think about it when you can. For me, you and I have become friends. We just need to take that appropriate step forward, and I can’t do that without you.’ I said. I then winced, seeing flashing images of another pony in my mind. Words I cannot understand echoing. Yet, the pony turned to me and smiled. Din let out a small gasp and held a hoof to her head.

I… She hesitated. When she rightened herself, she looked straight ahead into her field. I will think more on it. She said. I smiled and nodded. The tram then jerked, slowing down. My friends and I stood up and looked ahead. We were approaching a docking station. Ahead of us was another tunnel, but it appeared to be blocked by another tram. Sonata clicked her tongue.

“As expected… We will enter through the emergency docking station.” Sonata said. Thi stretched and rolled her neck. I paused a bit when Scribble walked by and she playfully gave him a peck on the cheek. Scribble flushed a little as he stepped off the tram. My eyes narrowed a little. As I stepped off, I was glad I had thrown my hood on. It was surprisingly windy and cold. Sonata trotted up the steps and over to a door, waving her hoof over the wall. The door opened and we followed after her.

We were stunned a little to have stepped into a lounge. It had a bar and tables and… pool tables? Isn’t this supposed to be an Observation Wing?

“What kind of employee lounge has a bar?” Flitter asked with a scratch of her head.

“Ones who are cordially invited by Rosette Nebula herself in an effort to destress those under her. Rosette can be very… demanding of her work. She created most of the aetherite systems and several beneficial projects for the betterment of the kingdom. And she would ask nothing short of perfection. Any flaws in her algorithms and code tampered with and it's back to being demoted to ‘janitorial services’ as we called it.” Sonata explained.

“We? You worked under her here?” Cloudchaser asked. “I assumed it was in another part of the Astrologias.” Sonata had a small smirk that quickly vanished.

“Twas a glorious time in my fillyhood. To have a chance would be foolish had I not taken it.” She said as she trotted over to the door. Scribble examined the bar as we followed Sonata.

“Filly… as a filly? What’s the drinking age here?” He asked curiously. I couldn’t help but snicker a little. I too was curious as I examined a bottle of a strangely named alcohol on a table.

“The concept of age for drinking is non-existent as almost all will not have that luxury in their lifetimes. Sadly, I cannot be sure who indulged themselves while the kingdom…” she hesitated before continuing on as we exited the lounge. “Regardless. Alicorn alcohol is not for mortal consumption. The beverages are heavily fermented to make up for our metabolism. Should a mortal take one sip would instantly contract lethal dosages of poisoning.” She then gave an eerie smile. “Though, it does do wonders for silent executions.”

I felt disturbed by this revelation as well as disappointed I wouldn’t be able to at least try alicorn beverages. I didn’t realize how sober I was. At this point, I didn’t have the urge to drink at all lately. Though, I’d welcome it if I had a chance. We proceeded up some steps before walking out into a massive room with white and green pillars towering higher than I can see. Along the pillars were hexagonal slots mostly filled but some empty.

“Whoa…” Flitter gasped. Sonata seemed to puff her chest out in pride as she made a presenting gesture.

“Be lucky to have witnessed the exo-heart of the kingdom. These data vats carry the exaggerated forty-one millennias worth of information. Every new project. Every new discovery. It is backed up into here. Rosette spent most of her lifetime watching over these and- DO NOT DARE TO TOUCH THEM WORTHLESS SCUM!!” She pointed demandingly at Thi who had her hoof primed to tap on one of the data vats. She quickly put her hoof down and gave a nervous smile.

“Ehehe…” She chuckled. Sonata scoffed.

“These data vats are heavily secured and physically guarded. Should any tampering, let alone breathing be placed upon them shall be eradicated into nothing. Because that is what you are, Thi Billet!! Nothing!!” Sonata huffed. Thi blinked in confusion. Sonata cleared her throat and straightened her coat. “Let us reach her office. Before we lose our matter permanently.” She turned on her hooves and pointed at an empty hexagon as she walked by a data vat. We noticed the edge of the hexagon glowing.

Thi rubbed the back of her head.

“Sorry…?” She said before catching up to us. We proceeded along a smooth walkway in between the many rows of data vats. The more we looked, the more noticed certain platforms moving about. It must be tiring at somepoint to be flying around here I guess. Sonata eventually came to a stop and looked upward. We followed her gaze and our jaws dropped. Hanging over us was a massive robotic looking wolf with a bright white chassis decorated with grey lining. From the looks of it, it looked to be a bipedal type of machine with the way the design looked.

“He watches over the data vats when Rosette is away on business. Hmm… odd.” Sonata tapped her chin. “With what has happened to the kingdom, he is not activated.” Sonata looked around. “We continue cautiously.” She proceeded to walk under the wolf like robot and over to a spacious platform. We followed her and stepped onto the platform. The white glow turned green before turning yellow.

Unknown guests detected. Please identify. A voice said. Sonata held up a wing.

“Illion sos vas Moonlight Sonata. Research and creation department. I wish to speak with Illion sas van Rosette Nebula. My guests are mortal recruits under protection of his words.” Sonata spoke. The platform glowed blue.

No records from King Illion has been directed for approval on mortal visitation. Requesting validation. The voice replied. Sonata darted her eyes in thought.

“New Frontier.” Sonata said. The blue light changed to a green with a strange blip.

Registered mortal visitation group designated: New Frontier. Welcome Excalibur and friends.

The platform began to move upward at a fast but not sick inducing pace. However, our attention fell onto Sonata. Sonata faced ahead, not even acknowledging us.

“Excalibur… no way… he actually…” Scribble began, his face in shock. Sonata glanced over her shoulder.

“Surprised? Yes, as much as it maybe baffling, Excalibur and his war-band came looking for something I cannot recall at the moment. They had seeked the aid of our King Illion and Rosette Nebula in regards to it. However, that information has been scrubbed from the records. I only heard about it as I met them in my time here.” Sonata explained.

“Y-you know one of Equestria’s legendary ponies of the old age?!” Scribble balked, dropping his entire stoic facade. Sonata snorted.

“That fool considered himself many things. Legendary was not one I would call of an individual of his standard. But yes, I do know of your Excalibur. The only reason they had any right to be here at all was because of the exiled children of the king and queen. Unfortunately, Rosette made her work far more important than to keep track of what was happening. And yet…” Sonata darted her eyes in thought. “Perhaps it has something to do with what happened here.”

While Scribble was sputtering and frying from his brain (Thi and Flitter patting him in the shoulder while Cloudchaser was also just a shocked), I grew quiet. Din had full attention now. Thi looked at Sonata and stepped towards her. She held out her hoof and in a bright golden flame emerged the sword Excalibur. Sonata looked over her shoulder with unamusement.

“Recognize this?” She asked. Sonata studied the blade before looking back ahead.

"A mortal blade enchanted with a spirit of old. But tis no surprise to me that you would hold such an item that rightfully belongs to the Triad." She said. Thi shook her head.

"This sword belonged to Excalibur." She replied. That got her attention. "The fabled sword of yore. You know what it used to be? The one-eyed bat I've hit you so many times with." She met Sonata's look. "Wanna know how I got it? Let's just say, my bloodline maybe far more important than you think." Sonata finally turned to face us.

"No..." She began. Thi nodded.

"Surprised?" She smugly smirked. Sonata's eye twitched. Thi flourished her blade before letting it vanish from her hold. "Who would have thought that something so far out of the way in a rundown ruin would be so significant. That leads me to think that the pieces are coming full circle. So, Sonata. Perhaps somethings need to be thought about before throwing us into the fray." Sonata looked between each of us. She then met Thi's look.

"This. Changes. Nothing." She said before turning back around and quietly fuming. Thi, pleased with herself, rested a foreleg around Scribble, the stallion still trying to process everything. Flitter and Cloudchaser looked at me to see if I understood this. I only shook my head and shrugged. The rest of the way up was quiet. We watched as the data vats slowly began to dim, as if reaching their limit before vanishing entirely as we sped to the top. The platform slowed, coming to a stop not long after.

Designation: Rosette Nebula’s office. Please, mind your manners and know that the Creation Mother’s laws is her laws. The voice spoke. We stepped off the platform and out into a spacious dome office. A strange chandelier with floating color blobs slowly floated around the room. To the right appeared to be an assortment of a personal library and science lab that’d make Twilight herself jealous. A massive white board dotted with formulas, drawings and notes sat in the center of the set up.

Not too far off looked to be a workshop desk. Scattered papers, crumpled or otherwise, littered the area. Several drawings and formulas covered the board and wall. To our left was a love couch that had a few fermented alicorn beverages. Must be stressful being the one who made most of the work here. Several science and astrology books littered around the couch in a disheveled manner. Behind the couch is a strangely modern kitchen, with the inclusion of Rosette’s own appliances of aetherite standard.

Above the kitchen were steps that lead to a half circle walkway. We could see past the railing what looked to be a living space with more bookshelves and scattered drawings. We could even make out a foot of a circular bed that looked to have been unkempt since last she was here. And yet, despite the sign of disorganization, there wasn’t a hint of a struggle or let alone, anything that stood out that wasn’t intentional. No, this genuinely looked to be an overly worked science mare’s room with extra lavishes of personal touches.

In the center of all of this, was a circular desk that was littered with papers, books, some pushed aside empty plates and several consoles all blackened out. Sonata walked forward, taking in the design of the room.

“Hmph. What a disheveled mess from one so brilliant. T’were she who has commanded us to maintain a clean environment.” She said, her horn glowing suddenly and began to neatly stack and clean up the room. We spread out, curious as to how an alicorn of such high regard lived. I brushed the surprisingly smooth leather of the love chair. A groove in the cushion caught my attention. I could imagine the alicorn lounging and reading through several science books in her spare time when she could.

My attention then fell onto Sonata. I rose a brow quizzically. She was taking it upon herself to adjust, straighten and clean up her work areas. Thi whistled from up above the overhead balcony.

“Is this what an egghead’s room looks like?” Thi asked.

“Everything looks… familiar, yet different.” Flitter chimed in as she examined the kitchen counter.

“Sonata.” Scribble spoke. The stallion was behind the circular desk, looking at a console that was humming with life. Sonata trotted over, looking over the stallion. “I’m no detective. But these hieroglyphs…” he began. Sonata leaned in and scanned the screen.

“The Ancient’s language. Rosette was a cultural hobbyist. I never understood what was so fascinating about learning mortal traditions. We had our own, much better celebrated cultural acceptances.” Sonata commented. Thi leaned over the desk with a frown.

“And yet, you hold her in such high regards despite it.” Thi spoke. Sonata glared at her.

“Despite the unusual hobbies doesn’t quell her standing. She is brilliant. Always striving for the next greatest achievement. And she has the means to do so. Just look upon our kingdom. She helped changed it for the better. It was brilliant. Lively. So how…” Sonata trailed off.

“So, how can this kingdom fall if a mare with so much brilliant knowledge for her people fail to save the Illion kingdom?” Flitter finished for her. Sonata lowered her expression, troubled as she thought on this. Thi waved a hoof in front of her.

“So, we have her personal consoles available to us. You came all this way, Sonata. Don’t tell me you want to deny yourself the answers.” Thi said. Sonata hesitated. This baffled Thi. “Ohoho… Afraid to find out the truth? That your idol may not be everything she was cracked up to be?” Sonata’s eyes flared as she stared down Thi.

“Silence. Your. Tongue. Ingrate.” She venomously replied. Thi returned her flaring look with a frown.

“Then prove me wrong. Unless you want to keep house cleaning. That’s something a queen shouldn’t do.” Thi said. Sonata scoffed and lifted Scribble out of the seat and plopped him down onto the other before she took his place. She began to tap away at the keys, pausing after a few seconds. Her expression softened to genuine confusion. We waited for her to continue, but when she didn’t, Flitter waved a hoof in front of her.

“Err… Sonata?” She asked. We looked at the screen. Only several hieroglyphs were displayed and highlighted. Thi was about to speak when Sonata finally pressed the button. The entire desk quickly shrunk into the ground, causing Thi to fall flat onto her face with a yelp. What took the place of the desk was a strange set of rods with weird looking eye lenses at the top.

There was a click and the room darkened, only lit by the strange floating colorful blobs. I was about to activate my light spell when a loud crackle of static echoed around the room. Suddenly, a glowing alicorn stood before us, causing me to stumble back onto my haunches. We looked in awe at the soft blue-grey alicorn, her rose mane tied into a bun that resembled slightly to that of a flask, albeit skewed with a bit of frizz.

The alicorn adjusted the square rimmed glasses on her face, her tired ruby eyes staring straight at Sonata. The alicorn, despite having clear features, was transparent. Ethereal even.

Language settings defaulted to auto correction. Life signatures read year -BRRRzzrrRRttzzZ- Equestrian nationality. Loading voice module… complete.

A masculine, garbled voice spoke. The alicorn cleared her throat and stood straight, as if addressing us.

“To you whom it may concern. I am Illion sas van Rosette Nebula. But to you, my road weary travelers, may just refer to me as Rosette Nebula. Or Rosen, if you so choose. Let me congratulate you on finding this log. If you are seeing me as I am now, I fear that my immortal shell has been long discarded or tampered beyond recognition. Or perished, if that is your preferred meaning. I digress.

“Listen well, for I have much to express.” From out of nowhere, Rosette levitated a pad and swiped through it. We gathered around her, still in awe at the visage. Deep down, I was excited. Another natural born alicorn, in the ethereal flesh. Rosette tapped on the pad a few times before putting it off to the side and clearing her throat.

“As you can already assess, our kingdom is no longer the beating heart of our beloved Creation Mother. It’s beauty rotten, decaying. Its’ people… my people. My king. My queen. All hath suffered the events of a Severance Cascade. A phenomenon of my own doing, I’m afraid. The mortal’s wars polluted our faith. And in turn, that pollution began to slowly seep into the darkest crevices of our home. We have been divided. And with this division, came cries for blood.

“The Celestiales are currently invading as I relay this log in an effort to prevent me from continuing my research. I’m uncertain of how much time I have, but I’ll make this as brief as I can.” Rosette removed her glasses and dropped them on the ground, taking a deep breath. “I have failed. In my want to pursue beyond the stars, I’ve ignored the plight of my kin. And as it stands now, considering the situation, I do not have regrets on turning my back to my kingdom. We are born to pursue knowledge. For we were born with naught. So many eras have come and gone. Their advancements slow, but admirable.

“I grew jealous of this fact. And in my haste, I began to cut corners in my projects. My kin had every right to worry, but what could I have done differently? My standing amongst the kingdom is immovable. And I’ll admit, the freedom it gave me was a blessing from the Creation Mother herself. And that led me to an epiphany.” She began to pace back and forth, keeping her eyes fixated on us. “Why be blessed with the boons our Creation Mother left us, when we could give back onto her tenfold? The answer to this hypothesis… our immortality.”

Sonata let out an audible gasp. We exchanged worried glances.

“I kept this epiphany hidden from all records. The only storage it shall remain in is my own. And with it, I begun to work. And I have succeeded.” There was a loud clank and we looked up to see the dome suddenly open up. My eyes widened. The starry expanse of space loomed over us. We could make out the moon peeking over the massive blue globe that was shadowed. Not too far off, Celestia’s sun peeked just over the horizon. I noted that not only these were viewable, but it seems that other planets were visible as well.

But the obvious thing that stuck out from it all. A massive, intricately built cylinder with strange panels reflecting the sun. The size of it must be as big as the entire Illion kingdom itself. A large, open hole aimed at the globe. No… not at the globe. With a second look, I noticed that it was angled to aim at the sun. Rosette rose a hoof in presentation to the sight.

“Armageddon Mark XIV. Code name: Chalice. The final step to give back onto our Creation Mother. And the very creation that has put us into this folly. I’ve kept this project hidden for the consequences would be dire should it get out. And despite all my fail safes. All my planning. The project leaked. A backdoor that had been installed with no identification as to who had installed it. Only the phrase: May his ever-gazing eye bless you.” Rosette sighed and looked up to the massive creation. “Oh, how I wished that I could take it all back. But as a faithful pursuer of knowledge, I must try again.

“I have kept a recorded file of the Severance Cascade separately from all the other data vats in my bed.” Rosette smiled. “My dreams are the best muses I could have. And now, I must face my final curtain. I will leave one more personal log for somepony who’ll know exactly where. You only need to look to her light. Isn’t that right, my ever-curious student?” Rosette chuckled, her head lowering. Rosette vanished and the lights clicked back on. However, the dome remained open.

We couldn’t take our eyes off the sight. Sonata snapped out of her stupor and proceeded up the steps to the bedroom area. She turned over the bed and withdrew a box of rattling data vats. When she descended the steps and set down the box, she paused before turning and trotting towards the workbench area. She flicked on a lamp and begun to mess with it. After a bit, there was a click and something extended out from the base of the lamp. She levitated what looked to be a chip. Thi furrowed her look.

“Sonata?” She asked. Sonata seemed to snap out of her trance, pocketing the chip in her coat.

“We must report back. This has been… a rather tiring day.” She said, turning to walk past us and pluck the box up with her magic and heading towards the door. We exchanged glances again before looking back up at the sight one more time. Din hummed.

Such a brilliant mind indeed. She said softly.

Chapter 47: The Light in the Abyss

On our way out, we couldn’t help but notice something. The wolf robot was gone. Sonata believed it may have activated upon the discovery of Rosette’s message. Which was not good for us. The way Sonata described it, we’d have little time to react should it hunt us down. Thankfully, we seemed to make it out without any trouble. Sonata couldn’t help but point out that the aetherite systems were operational once more. She came to the conclusion that Rosette had locked everything, save for a few necessary ones as to keep out the invading tribe.

This must have been all hard to process for the alicorn. And I wouldn’t blame her for her strange, quiet behavior either. She kept putting a hoof to her coat pocket where the chip was. When we took an aetherite transporter back to the main lobby, the petrified alicorns greeted us in their usual poses. When we exited the Astrologias, we saw that the Triad had moved encampments and had set up everything already. I wasn’t sure how long we were in there. Or let alone, how long it’s been since we got here.

It was like the concept of time was frozen. It was also surreal to see how close we were to space and now back on solid ground. Sonata didn’t salute or acknowledge her troops as well as Lilac when they greeted her. The troops looked confused but kept themselves at attention. Sonata paused in front of her tent and looked over her shoulder.

“Rest as much as you can. Celebrate yourselves. Our plans have changed and I need everypony at peak. Dismissed.” Sonata ordered before pushing past the flaps and closing it with her magic. The Triad saluted and seemed lost as to what to do. Eventually, they begun to settle with passing the time of idle chatter and table games.

My friends and I sat not too far off from the camp, discussing what we have seen. Of course, Lilac happened to walk by and hear all of it. Thi smirked and waved at her.

“You’re welcome to join too.” She taunted. Lilac glared at her.

“I’m more concerned as to what has happened in the Astrologias. What have you’ve done to our glorious queen?” She coldly asked with a cross of her forelegs. Thi held up her hooves.

“I don’t know, miss snoopy. You heard what we’ve said right? Not our fault that your immortal queen is experiencing mortal emotions.” She said. Lilac growled but I held up my hoof a bit.

“Lilac… how close are you to Sonata?” I asked. Lilac regained her stoic look before replying.

“I am her right hoofed mare. I aid in her decisions and carry out her orders as law. And if any of our troops have a problem with it, they are to report their complaints to me and I will see to them personally. What else might I add that you don’t already know?” She retorted.

“Well, for one, you have let it slipped on calling her mother. Somehow, I am lost on that fact. Considering how your soul was transferred to somepony who hadn’t consented to it.” I replied with a curious tap of my chin. “Were you even a pony to begin with?” Lilac studied me, as if trying to gauge if I was plotting anything. I must have given off a genuine stupid look as she stood up and walked past us.

“If you really must be curious, perhaps you can do some favors for me. But considering your company, I doubt you’ll get your answer any time soon, if at all.” Lilac trotted away from us. I turned back to my friends and shrugged at them. Flitter then nudged me.

“Well? Go on.” She smiled.

“Huh?” I replied. Flitter giggled.

“Aren’t you supposed to be good at reading ponies?” She teased. “She said in present company. Perhaps if you talked to her by yourself, she’ll be more open to speak.” I took a bit to process this before rubbing my muzzle with a small smile.

“You’re right. I’m more tired than I thought.” I replied. Thi crossed her forelegs with a worried frown.

“I wouldn’t trust that pony with anything. But, it’s your call Fie.” Thi said. I stood up without hesitation and nodded.

“Might as well get what we can before proceeding further.” I replied before turning on my hooves and cantering off in the direction of Lilac. It took me a bit to find her. She was hunkered down in front of a console set up. I noticed Lo Mien and Xena also tapping away at their own consoles. I shifted my look to concern. “How is it that they can still be mind controlled under the effects of the Sombranite?” I asked Lilac suddenly. Lilac didn’t look up from her station as she replied.

“Would you rather the spies go ballistic before we can get anywhere? Neo-SMILE agents are off the grids for a reason. Considering we have not only primal vessels of volatile nature, but a terrorist who’ll ruin everything if given the chance in our camp.” She finally glanced up at me. “Sad to admit that our hooves are tied at the moment. The control collars will stay until further notice.” Lilac went back to tapping at the console. I rose a brow quizzically and she slumped a little. “They are being fed and bathed. We aren’t barbarians.” She said. I furrowed my brows.

“I’m not so sure I’m inclined to believe that. But let’s say, hypothetically, I didn’t care about moral understanding and want to poke at your brain for the sake of morbid curiosity.” I replied. Lilac removed a data vat before placing another one in.

“One who has no moral standing is no better than the darkness we face. But then again, we are not in a position to be having what ifs. You want to know my standing and reasons, do you not?” She asked, her eyes scanning the console. I nodded.

“I’ll start by asking if Sonata is in fact your mother. What with your soul transfer, my next question is how many times has it happened.” I stated. Lilac paused and leaned back in her chair.

“For starters, Sonata isn’t my real mother. She took me in off the streets as a test subject first.” She met my look. “It surprised her how strong my aptitude for magic I was as a colt.” I blinked.

“Colt?” I asked. Lilac crossed her hind leg over the other, crossing her forelegs across her chest.

“I am over a thousand years old. I have had over four hundred soul transfers throughout that time. All varying ages, all varying diseases, all varying deaths. The last one you were accustomed to was a stray cultist member who had illegally practiced heresy in the name of your princesses in order to bring blight to our nation. We quickly secured and contained them for questioning.” Lilac smiled. “None but her gave up information. And for that, she was given a second chance. I was discarded from my elderly body and into a younger, fresher one. Unfortunately, when our realm started to go to complete shit, I was infected with an unnatural disease that was rotting away my insides little by little.” She frowned. “That damned creature. And I was starting to enjoy that body too.”

I gave her a disturbed look. Din cackled.

A kindred spirit. She grinned. I took a soft deep breath, steeling myself for the next answers.

“So… she’s your mother because she’s kept you around for your magical aptitude. But then, wouldn’t you have lost it when being ‘sundered’ from your old body and into a new one? In theory, soul transfer doesn’t allow a creature to maintain previous aptitudes.” I explained. Lilac looked a bit surprised.

“Interesting. You’re not all brawn then.” She said. I slumped.

“I did go to college, thank you very much.” I replied with a sigh. Lilac studied me as she spoke.

“But even records and history books cannot understand the formula created to ensure of it. It also helped that I was a twin in my first life.” Lilac stared at the console a she spoke. “My twin brother perished as we were fleeing from marauders that were infested with a virus plague. The fungal virus ate away at him as I could only watch helplessly. I… do not remember what happened afterwords. I do know it has been several years after before I was found by my queen.” She looked back at me, as if expecting me to piece something together.

Which, I in fact, did. I was shocked.

“That’s a theory that’s supposed to be an extremely rare thing to happen!” I exclaimed. “So… how did Sonata keep all that power going inside of you?” Lilac went back to tapping away on the console.

“Science, magic and plenty of trial and errors. Thirty or so test subjects were used for compatibility. But only one allowed the theory to be true. Have I satisfied your curiosity?” Lilac replied animatedly. I was still processing this information. Putting it aside for now, I then looked at the data vat.

“Have you’ve found anything interesting?” I asked, motioning to the data vat.

“Data is still being scryed. However, any information here is not available for public eyes.” She replied without skipping a beat. I frowned.

“We are literally in your queen’s decrepit homeland. We already encountered horrible monstrosities, an alicorn having doomed her entire race and we are left with more questions than answers. I think we are inclined to that information. Considering we are in a truce right now.” I stated. Lilac sighed and rubbed her muzzle.

“Scrying data vats is taking longer due to the encryption. Rosette Nebula was very strict in providing information. We have to work around firewalls and other security protocols to even get a fraction of info over her favorite meal.” Lilac replied, tapping at the console. “Potato salad.” She stuck her tongue out in disgust a bit. Din must have sensed something as my attention was directed upward. Lilac narrowed her eyes and followed my gaze. We saw it. A bright, pink ball that looked like a star floated high above us. It seemed to bob unexpectedly to us noticing it. It frantically flew around, as if trying to hide from us. When it floated down in a slump, it then bobbed its’ way down towards us. Lilac stood up and unholstered an arc pistol before stepping around. We trotted over as the star orb floated down to eye level with us. Lilac had withdrawn a similar device that Sonata used and waved it in front of us.

The screen flashed red, puzzling Lilac. I studied it a bit more. Yet, Din was sensing a welcoming presence. Intelligent. Ambitious. Curious. I held out my hoof to it.

“Who… are you?” I asked it. I don’t know why, but Din felt compelled to transfer some of her magic to the star. A amber shimmer streamed smoothly from my foreleg and swirled around the star. In a bright flash of light, there stood no longer an orb. My jaw dropped. Rosette Nebula smiled kindly at us. Even Lilac was stunned by this.

“A bit of a note. That device cannot read anything beyond a magical source of an alicorn. I have shed that shell long ago. Severed.” She then unfurled a wing and brought it across her chest into a formal bow. “Greetings, weary travelers.”

Everypony in the camp was stunned to see the visage of Rosette Nebula sitting idly on a crate, having conjured a teacup and sipped from it. Directly across from her stood us behind Moonlight Sonata, who was just as puzzled as everypony else. Rosette Nebula smiled and motioned at the tea cup before Sonata.

“Haven’t I taught you proper manners, my faithful student? Do not look upon me as royalty. You know better than anypony else how I feel about such a title.” Rosette spoke with a teasing smile. Sonata hesitated. She then took the cup in her magic and gave a testing sip. She blinked and stared down at the cup.

“It’s… real… You’re… alive…?” Sonata spoke finally. Rosette gave a sad look.

“I am afraid that I no longer live nor can perish beyond what I am. I have shed my immortal shell long ago to be among the stars. And yet… I was cast out even by the very stars themselves.” Rosette chuckled a bit. “I still laugh at the irony of it all.” Thi Billet looked at us.

“So… this isn’t a dream, right? Luna isn’t playing a divine prank on us?” She asked. Rosette smiled at her.

“Celestiales and Lunare had no affiliation to their daughter’s attunement to the dream realm. Nor do the royal heirs know of our existence. Everything between other tribes was handled exclusively in the Debatus Majoris. And to what pleasure do I owe to the descendent of the hot-headed Excalibur?” Rosette spoke. Thi nervously met the kind gaze of the alicorn.

“O-oh! U-uhh… W-well…” Thi rubbed the back of her head, trying to think of something to say.

“Were you really the one responsible for all of this?” Flitter chimed in. She got some looks from Lilac and Sonata, but Rosette giggled.

“Indeed I am. But I needn’t say more to something you don’t already know.” She replied before looking at Sonata. Sonata blinked quizzically before reaching into her coat and withdrawing a device. Rosette nodded.

“But… why sever immortality? Why destroy the very thing we hold? Our immortality is her blessing true. You would… shed it for a theory?” Sonata spoke. Rosette took a sip of her tea before replying.

“It appears you still have some scrubbing to do, Sonata. But I trust it has been rather fruitful in your own search, has it not?” She asked her. Sonata remained quiet at this. “And now I must sate my own curiosity.” She looked directly at me. Her eyes beaming with anticipation. “Star Subject Din… how much you have grown past your incubation. The fiery courage that the Creation Mother had left behind embodying to create a perfect world for all. But shouldn’t you have chosen Excalibur’s descendent over one so weak of magical aptitude?”

I don’t know if I should feel insulted or agreeing. I was still trying to process all this. Din, however, walked forward, stepping out of me and taking a physical form. Rosette smiled before looking to Sonata.

“You too, Star Subject Lux. I wish to study you. Your aptitude, I sense, is all over the place. Perhaps I can find a solution to it.” Rosette spoke. Lux stepped out of Sonata, taking physical form as well. The two stood side by side, eyeing the alicorn. Rosette looked pleased. “Dawww, how adorable!” My jaw dropped as Rosette scratched them under their chin. The two shifted uneasily. “How fair the other sisters? Have they too taken physical forms as well?” Din pulled herself away from the affection and glared at her.

“Unhoof me! I will not tolerate this embarrassment.” Din hissed. Rosette’s eyes widened in surprise, beaming.

“You have a voice! Oh, simply wonderful! Projections were right on the mark!” Rosette chuckled. She then faltered and lowered her head sadly. “Shame I couldn’t present you to the Astartum Minstrium. You seven were my magnum opus. But it eases my metaphorical heart that you are well and alive. Has Ouroboros been restless since?” Scribble stepped forward.

“Hold on, hold on… you’re making it sound like you created the very balance of our realm and seven elemental goddesses in charge of shaping our future and saving our realm… as pets?” Scribble questioned. Rosette nuzzled Lux, the alicorn unable to escape it.

“Oh, but they are pet projects! Well, except for Ouroboros. He was sent by the Creation Mother for our care. He’s the only piece we have that our faith exists. And the root of my ever growing pursuit of knowledge. He’s been quite the hoof full, but a dear when it was in regard to the Creation Mother.” Rosette explained. “As for your seven ‘goddesses’. They were indeed created for the sole purpose of keeping the realm in check. We took everything the Commandments of the Mother created and ingrained them as bylaws. Though, there was a strange error in their creation.” Rosette hummed in thought. “Twas what caused them to go unstable the first time and escape containment. The event was rather… eye opening. Once we fully contained them, they escaped once more in no part thanks to Ouroboros to stop an invading alien lifeform from destroying what the Creation Mother made.” She pressed Lux’s cheeks together and cooed at her. “Who’s a good wittle subject?” Lux pulled away and rubbed her cheek. If a primal can blush, Lux must be doing so.

“We are not your toys anymore, Doc.” Lux expressed with frustration. “We have severed our ties with the bylaws Ouroboros put in place. I will not stand for this embarrassment!” Rosette blinked before her look turned to a serious one.

“Aha… so that explains the failsafe…” She said. “I should have known. I apologize for not fixing it as soon as I could.” Cloudchaser rubbed the back of her head.

“I don’t get it…” She said. I could hear the gears in her brain cranking at maximum. Cute as it is, I too was struggling to keep up. Din stamped her hoof.

“Be it as it may, I on the other hoof, will ascend beyond even the very stars themselves! With all this power, nothing will stop me! Not even your coddling, old hag!” Din growled. Rosette studied her before giggling.

“So, I see. And quite the journey you all must have been on. But of course, this isn’t the first time mortals have come to seek the Prisma Nexus.” She said. “The realm must be in such a dire state worse than I have made ours. And I would be remiss to not aid you in your cause.”

“Just like that?” I asked. Rosette nodded.

“As you say.” She replied. Sonata threw the teacup on the ground and stood up, marching over to her.

“You… how dare you…!” Sonata stared down angrily at Rosette. “All these millennia's and you have the gall to offer your aid in such a manner of casualty?! You destroyed our home and you expect us to require your aid?! Monstrosities, escaped test subjects! Our people should not be in this state! We were glorious to her light! You cherished her wills with such ambition that no pony could understand!! And you led me to believe I did!! I looked up to you!!” Sonata motioned around the area. “Having to spend my eras amongst lesser beings trying to return home. To return to you!! And here you are, just idling around our home with no decency of the Illion might!!” Sonata clutched her coat. “Do you have any idea how much I have failed over and over and over again?! To not bask in your praise once more?! To be considered an equal to one who is a hero to our people!! Data vat after data vat after data vat, I scryed and scryed and scryed and yield nothing to show for it!!

“Why am I the last of our kind?! Why must I live amongst the same lands as those spoiled Celestiales brats!? Am I the only one who cares anymore about the Illion name?!” Sonata seemed to be tearing up. Rosette, however, had a serious look to her.

“But you shed the name during your time in the mortal realm, my student. You cannot cry about decency and standing to the Illion name if it never ceased to live on. All for the betterment of your sake. Everything you are searching for is on that chip I left you.” Rosette explained coldly. It was like her entire persona did a one-eighty. Almost eerily similar to Sonata’s personality. “You are not a filly anymore, Sonata. And you know that I will not tolerate adolescent behavior for ones who walk with me.”

“But I still want to walk with you!!” Sonata cracked. “Being your student was the only meaning I had in my life!! I didn’t want to be a queen over mortals!! I didn’t want to be considered lower than the others!! I went above and beyond to ensure my achievements were known throughout!! And yet, I still felt empty!! I have commanded, slain, executed and even continued your research in the hopes that I’d be able to return to you!!” Sonata sniffled a bit. We all backed away, save for Lilac. Rosette studied the alicorn.

“You dare cry before me? My student, who was brighter than the rest. Who had achieved so many. I didn’t think I was amusing a lost filly. Had I known, I’d have you sent straight to Correctorum and stripped of your mind.” She coldly replied. “And yet… my heart couldn’t be cold around you, no matter how much I corrected myself.” Sonata blinked and wiped her eyes before looking back up at the alicorn. Rosette kept her serious, stern look. “Be it as it may, if you truly wish to continue the legacy of one such as I and carry the wills and wishes of our people, then do not grovel at me like a brat.” Lilac stepped in front of her.

Rosette’s expression darkened, a cold, dead look in her eyes.

“How curiously disgusting. Mortals would consider mimicry a form of flattery.” Rosette commented. Lilac stood her ground, clearly not disturbed by the presence.

“I will not have you talk to my majesty in such a manner. Goddess or not, we have the will and power to crush this place should it get in our way.” Lilac glared at her. “And you choose to stand in her way. We will find you in the afterlife or wherever your soul is trapped and study your brain behind a jar. That is a promise.” Lilac tapped her chin in thought. “Skeletal DNA also holds much information. It may take some time, but we’ll find your discarded body and get what we can from it. Illion will live on with the Triad.”

Rosette studied the mare for a long intense minute.

“Very bold for a mortal damned to the darkest pits of the abyss.” Rosette said, before smiling softly. “Interesting. I can see that you are on your way to fulfilling my legacy one way or another.” Lilac lowered herself at the ready while Sonata flinched at the alicorn shifting her posture. “The real question is… Are you willing to walk in the abyss to guide those lost to the light?” Sonata sniffled and wiped her eyes, taking a moment to compose herself. She then stood upright as Lilac stepped aside to stand at attention.

“I walk in the abyss to guide those to the light.” Sonata said. Rosette’s expression softened and stood up to face her. She then looked her up and down and went to wipe the eyes of Sonata, only to phase right through. Rosette studied her hoof curiously.

“Curious. A shame.” Rosette commented. She then stepped back and smiled. She looked up to the black sun and hummed. “A severance cascade storm is approaching. I will ensure the safety of everypony here. You all look like you could do with a rest.”

We sat in silence upon our long rest. The Triad troops took shifts on lookout while the rest got sleep. Having waken up, Rosette had called to us to join her away from the camp. My friends and I gathered under a tree in front of the Astrologias. Rosette was looking up at the building fondly before acknowledging our presence.

“Rest well?” She asked. Cloudchaser yawned and stretched.

“Surprisingly wide awake. How can you tell when it’s day and night here?” She asked.

"You can't.” Rosette smiled. “Or at least not anymore. But time doesn’t matter to Skyros. We sleep when our bodies tell us too. We have plenty of rest lounges spread throughout the kingdom to ensure maximum comfort. And the plushies are cute.” Somehow, I can only imagine Rosette laughing crazily as she made a modify plush of a pony that came to life, springing with mechanical limbs ready to rip and tear. Ignoring the thought, Thi stepped forward.

“So, there is still the matter of the Prisma Nexus. Sonata was too busy walking down memory lane to gathering anything on it from what it looks like.” She said with a frown. Rosette giggled.

“Au contraire. I left her with everything she needs. I had a feeling she’d return one way or another. And… I’ll be honest. I’m glad she had surrounded herself with mortals. Though, I wished she’d made friends.” My friends and I exchanged glances before replying in unison.

“You are?” We asked. Rosette nodded.

“I adore mortals. Their way of life is not so different than ours. They may lack the technical advances, but they are as close a mold to the love the Creation Mother has for us.” She then beamed and cooed at us lovingly. “And you all have such wittle adowable cheeks! You’re wike wittle kittens!” We shifted uneasily at this.

Din, to no surprise ironically, hissed defensively almost like a cat would to an overly affectionate elderly mare. Feeling rather degraded, I cleared my throat and stepped forward.

“L-let’s uhh… stay on track, yeah?” I said.

“Of course~” Rosette cooed before quickly clearing her throat and rightening herself. “Of course. You’d want to know about the Prisma Nexus, yes?” I nodded.

“That, and to take it with us.” I said. Rosette eyed me, her kind look dropping to a serious one.

“Is that so? And you truly believe acquiring the Prisma Nexus to be your boon to saving the realm?” Rosette said coldly. I rubbed the back of my head.

“Well… I think we have a lot of options already, but more wouldn’t hurt. But Din wants to acquire it not just for power, but to ensure no pony else gets to it.” I explained. Rosette studied me.

“Remarkable… Din has been accumulating power?” She asked curiously. I explained everything to her, how it started, how it went before, how it changed and how it’s going right now. I made sure to keep important details spoken about carefully as well as my friends chiming in to ensure I wasn’t leaving anything of note out. When we had finished, Rosette smiled and levitated Scribble’s journals back over to him. He blinked in confusion.

“How did you…?” He asked, catching them in his forelegs. Rosette waved a hoof apologetically.

“Forgive me. It’s a habit. I figured some light reading would be nice while I heard your recounting. Though, I must admit, the way you described Ms. Billet was quite colorful.” Thi and Scribble both turned beet red. Scribble hurriedly packaged his books. Thi ruffled her own mane and stood up.

“W-well, whatever egghead thinks of me, I can think of something even more colorful! And I don’t need anypony else to tell me otherwise!” She exclaimed, bringing Scribble into a hug, their cheeks colliding with a squeak as Thi gave her a “back-off” look, much to Scribble’s confusion. Cloudchaser wrapped a wing around me and snickered.

“About time.” She said as Flitter seemed to gush at the sight. I’ll admit, I was worried about how she would use him to get at the Triad. And yet, I’m at ease knowing that it seems both had mutual feelings. It made me smile. Rosette seemed to shiver at this, clearing her throat to calm herself before nodding.

“Yes. Light heartedness aside, twill not be easy to get to the Prisma Nexus.” She replied, turning to look up at Illion Castle. “It is the very heart of our kingdom. Without it, this place would fall upon the mortal realm below.” We balked at this. Din growled.

Typical… She grumbled.

“Is there anyway we can take it without endangering both realms?” I asked. Rosette hummed.

“Tis only a theory, but the castle supposedly can lock itself to the clouds. The process, however, had many failed attempts.” She tapped her chin. “We can always try something else. An Atlas effect.”

“Atlas?” Thi asked with a scratch of her head.

“The olympian titan from ancient times. Supposedly forever holding up our world in their culture.” Scribble explained. Rosette nodded with a pleasant smile.

“Ahh yes. I always thought it amusing that mortals would create fascinating myths. And yet, all the more reason, those stories are told not from chance, but from inspiration.” Rosette grinned as she thought more on this. “If we can build a titan of measurable power, with a proper life cycle of energy, then we can send it beneath the kingdom and keep it afloat.” Flitter furrowed her brow.

“And… how long would that take?” She asked. Rosette flourished her hoof matter-of-factly.

“It’ll be several millennia's upon estimation. Seven to be exact. That’s on top of the projected tests and theories as well as modifications if anything happens to be faulty or unable to handle the stress of joints and-“ She blinked and looked at us. Our eyes blanking at her. Rosette cleared her throat and faced us. “I-it’ll be a long time.” Thi shook her head.

“We don’t have a long time and it feels like we’ve been losing it being here.” She exasperated. “Equestria and Pony Land are fighting against and on each other and we have nothing to stop it!” Rosette hummed.

“Hmm, indeed. If you want to rid the Sombranite entirely, immense magical power must be channeled. Tis the only way we can deconstruct an error in our projects.” She stated. “Internally without suffering damages to the outside. It’ll have to be precise.” I darted my eyes in thought.

“Then we have to get the Prisma Nexus.” I said. “There has to be something here that will allow the entire kingdom to stay afloat.” Rosette hummed. Then, she perked up at an idea.

“Gyrofans.” She said. Cloudchaser tilted her head.

“But gyrofans funnel the clouds through. It won’t make it float.” She replied. Rosette nodded.

“Yes. But what if we gave the gyrofans wings.” She smiled. “We can activate the Busy Bodies to construct them under the kingdom. I have them stashed in every corner of the place. Ready for repairs and other modifications if need be. However…” she sighed. “While the aetherite systems are back online, not everything is corrected. Wear and decay most likely caused several hundred short circuits and malfunctions to be happening right now.” Rosette nodded to herself. “But never fret. I can make it work.”

We heard the call from several Triad guards and we cantered over to see what was going on. Lilac was standing at attention with Sonata as they looked out towards the squads of Triad troops at attention.

“Today is the day we, The Triad, will step hoof into Illion Castle, birth right of her majesty!” Lilac spoke. Rosette hummed, making an “ahhh I see now” mumble as Lilac continued. “Each of you are assigned to a strike team. Each of you will head to the designated coordinates. And each of you will begin to repair and secure Busy Body stations. You cannot miss them. They stick out like a sore hoof. When you have succeeded in your mission, you are to relay your advance to field HQ. Acquisition any data vats if you can.

“Once the warbands retrieves the Prisma Nexus, we extract at these coordinates. Troops! Ready up VHUDs and set out! There is no room for error. Make it all count as if your life depends on it. Move out!”

“For her majesty!” The Triad troops shouted in unison. Rosette looked on with stark interest before walking over to Sonata and Lilac. The two faced us

“Curious. To have mortals unquestionably at your beck and call. Housan Sharps always were meticulous.” Rosette smiled. Sonata adjusted her commander cap to hide her expression.

“I hope they have rotted.” Sonata replied. Thi clapped her hooves together.

“Okay! So what’s the gameplan? Storm the castle and shoot everything on sight? Clear the way for the others? I’m dying for some normal action.” Thi said. Sonata and Lilac glared at her. I was certain it was just a habit with them everytime Thi spoke. They then looked to Rosette.

“Not yet.” Lilac spoke. “Rosette has been meaning to show us something. We are taking a scenic route to the castle.” Thi slumped with a groan. Rosette cooed again, waving a hoof at her as if beckoning a cat over.

“Daww. If I let you blast any escaped subjects will that satisfy you?” She spoke. Thi carefully side stepped away from her, only giving her a nervous nod and smile in return. Rosette trotted past the two Triad leaders and motioned with a wing. “Come along, my little ponies! For I have a tale as old as time itself.” We exchanged worried glances before following after her.

We were expecting her to start her story, but she only ever went on about how a building used to be this before it got reconstructed to an ice cream parlor or a bunch of theoretical concepts or noting all the subjects she can spy all around. Imagine our disgust when we found that the moss we’ve been seeing throughout were little microbes that were mating to create fungi. We finally got a bit of action as we stumbled across a nest of Hummbannagas (as Rosette calls them). We had to correct and mention how very closely they resembled to Cockatrices.

We made quick work of the escaped subjects before moving on. As we progressed further, learning more and more about Illion culture and dispatching escaped subjects (and the occasional ‘sundered’ as Rosette began calling the creatures coming out of the alicorn statues), we eventually had to take a quick short cut through an alley to go around a massive pit bigger than the one Flitter and I had found. Thankfully, no thunder birds blocked our paths. I really do not like birds.

Sonata and Lilac showed just how deadly they could be working together, making me question Thi off to the side how she was able to live so long against them.

“All luck, baby~.” She sang a little. She then laughed and slugged me playfully in the foreleg after seeing my concerned look. “I’m just kidding, Fie. But I was lucky to some sense. Sonata was always preoccupied with something else while I would go against Lilac.” We watched as the two dispatched a swarm of pixie-poppers (Parasprites from Rosette’s name calling) that had decided to try and make us a meal. When they were finished and moved on, I heard Thi smugly say “Nah, I’d still win.”

Eventually, our progress led to a set of stairs upward and Rosette calling for a break. We fell onto our haunches, save for Lilac and Sonata, exhausted. Rosette giggled and eyed Sonata. Sonata seemed to give an annoyed sigh before her horn glowed. From Lilac’s saddle-bag she withdrew several packaged MREs. We took them and exchanged glances at one another. Lilac proceeded to open her’s and with a plastic spoon, scooped out what looked to be rice and beans.

We followed suite and were hesitant at first to try our meals. I perked up, realizing that it tastes exactly how spaghetti would. We munched down hungrily, realizing how much we were starving. I looked up to see Sonata idling against the wall, her eyes closed in meditation.

“You’re nofth goin’ tafh eath?” I asked her with a mouth full. Sonata opened her eyes and glanced at me.

“I’m more concerned about why we are still walking in circles.” She replied, now looking at Rosette. Rosette seemed preoccupied with a strange dead tree. Rosette noticed her gaze and she smiled.

“Feeling nostalgic. Isn’t that fair?” She asked her. Sonata scoffed and tore her gaze away.

“Hmph! And here I thought we were heading to Illion Castle so I can conquer my enemies. And yet, my troops are carving their way through dangerous terrains in an effort to reach it as well. Time is being wasted.” Sonata replied sourly. Rosette hummed.

“Why care on mortals now? Didn’t you want to take a stroll on your own?” Rosette asked quizzically. Sonata didn’t skip a beat.

“Resources. Twas it not you who has taught me to use every available resource? Any wasted is a sin to her name.” Sonata retorted. Rosette smiled softly.

“Indeed I have. But then why continue to cherish a sundered?” She said, her eyes meeting Lilac. Lilac narrowed her eyes quietly.

“A pet project to pass the time while I continue to search for a way to get back and have the royal brats's heads to roll. Not that you are aware, but Celestia took it upon herself to make two pretenders.” Rosette’s eyes widened with a smile.

“Really? How devious.” She grinned.

“All the more reason we need to find the Prisma Nexus before that Kalenite gets to it.” Sonata spoke. Rosette trotted past us and got up the stairs halfway.

“My, my. Celestia managed to have not one, but two. Yes… they need to answer for their sins. Caelum is no place for rites.” She said.

“What does she mean by that?” Thi asked Scribble.

“Caelum is a plane of existence that is separate from the ethereal stream. In fact, it’s the third plane coinciding with Tartarus and Limbo. But… then what you are implying is that they had been killed and reborn? That's the only way that has been tested upon over the centuries to reach it.” Scribble looked up at Rosette. The alicorn gave him a studious glance and nod.

“Caelum is a sacred place. The Creation Mother’s heart. Giving mortals the love of her light and can be reborn in a newer shell and body. The mortal pony who undergoes this transformation has to have perished by harmony magic and granted rebirth by a prophet of her love. Celestia and Luna are not prophets and have stepped into a realm they had no right to.” I stood up, putting aside my MRE and walking over to her, stopping at the bottom steps.

“If it is so much a taboo, then why have you gone so far as to doom your own people?” I spoke. “There is such a thing as knowledge is too much power. Mortal curiosity is a fault we cannot help ourselves to. And our follies have been far greater to near apocalyptic standard. And yet, we adapt. We continue on.” I put a hoof to my chest, staring up at the alicorn. “We make mistakes, Rosette Nebula. That’s just how we were born. For we were born with naught but curiosity. New discoveries, new ambitions, love, you name it. Mortals are curious by nature. Isn’t that what the Creation Mother intended?

“Even immortals make mistakes. Whether they choose to accept them or not. But instead of adapting, you only wanted to change it. Celestia and Luna have made plenty of mistakes in their time and have not realized them until after. In fact, Celestia had to banish Luna to the moon for over a thousand years when there were plenty of other options she could have done to save her.” I lowered my head. “Knowledge is power, Rosette. But it’s what we take from it and learn from our mistakes that make us who we are. And Celestia had never hid the fact she regretted making that choice. Luna still struggles to this day with her own actions, and yet, it was mortals that made her realize that she is just like them. And she accepted that fact.”

I sighed and looked to my friends.

“It’s because of Celestia and Luna that I am able to make friends and get this far with them. They put me on this path, and they knew it’d be difficult. But instead of having faith in the Creation Mother, they had faith in mortals. Because they accepted us as we accepted them.” Everypony was quiet. That quiet was soon broken by laughter. Rosette had tossed her head back, laughing to the sky. When she calmed herself, she gave me a curious look.

“How adorable. Celestia and Luna have you fully wrapped around their shadows. It’s cute that you speak so highly about the royal heirs. However, mortals are also prone to one other fault.” She gave me a wide-eyed smile. “Differences.” She suddenly unfurled her wings and floated backwards up the stairs and beckoned us with her hooves. “Allow me to tell thee a tale. A tale of how I have saved our kind from their differences.”

I balked and raced up the stairs, nearly tripping as I reached the top. Rosette flew backwards, beckoning us to follow. Her horn then glowed brightly, causing us to shield our eyes. When the light dimmed, we lowered our forelegs and gasped. Our entire scenery had changed. The street was chalky grey and cleaned with not a single speck of filth or decay. The trees were bright yellow and orange, creating an autumn atmosphere. Rosette flew further down the road as we galloped after her. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. We were seeing stores, homes, parks. Even alicorns mingling about, as if they had not had a day of strife in their life.

We booked it up another set of steps underneath a walkway and came to a massive park plaza.

“This… this cannot be…” Sonata gasped, suddenly halting next to us. Our eyes fell upon the massive statue of the Unknown Alicorn. Her stance watching over the busy alicorns trotting and mingling about. There were even fillies and colts playing games with each other. The colorful autumn leaves fluttered along a nice, spring breeze. I noticed colorful bright birds chirping away around the plaza. We spotted Rosette pirouetting in the air before holding her forelegs out in wonder of the alicorn statue.

“Her love knew no bounds. Ever the pillar for inspiration. We, the Illion Tribe, are the closest to her love. Born from a single tear. It is thanks to her we cherish each day to the fullest. And it is thanks to her our pursuit never wavered.” She said, her voice resounding throughout the area. She sighed happily before spinning and flying off in a direction. We galloped after her. What is this mare doing?!

“Rosette! I will not have further distractions! Take us to the castle!” Sonata called out with a frustrated growl. The alicorn seemed lost in a trance, casually hovering in the sky. She then made a sudden maneuver as something bright and gold sped by, nearly hitting her. My eyes looked upward and my jaw dropped. High above the towering skyscraper buildings were millions of speeding chariots. Using Din’s eyes, I could make out that they were not driven by pulling. They were piloting themselves. We followed the mare, phasing through alicorns going about their business and displays of their magic. We soon galloped down a venue that had a gondola river and several bridges crossing to what looked to be residential districts.

“Throughout our lifetime, we spend our days in peaceful grazing. No different than what mortals would call their own society. This is able to be maintained by his might King Illion and his Queen Galaxae. Their words and deeds touching upon the hearts and minds of all ages. A boon to our pursuit and ponies I had equal fondness towards. Some would say, dearest friends. For I among them would always be by their side in an effort to continue our brilliance.”

We spied the alicorn prancing across the river, bounding over gondolas and alicorns as she seemed to make a graceful dance out of it. We galloped after her, using the bridges and keeping an eye on her. She soon took off into the sky and soared over buildings. We managed to find a straight pathway and galloped down it, seeing her land and watch as a group of colts and fillies laugh as they played a game of tag. She smiled and faced us as we rushed over to her.

“Indeed, the many streets I have walked. The many sounds I’ve experienced. It was quite refreshing.” She then looked over and we spied a couple of alicorns messing with a pod like device. It suddenly blared an ear-piercing alarm and the pod hissed open. The alicorns backed away in panic as a robotic alicorn stepped out. Thi groaned.

“You gotta’ be kidding me!” She exclaimed. I shared her sentiment. Not too far away, a few more pods hissed open and the alicrons emerged, bearing fierce looking spears. Their designs weren’t rugged or sleek like Sonata’s designs. In fact… these looked very eerily like real alicorns. The only difference is the chassis exposing their fiber skeleton. The one close by looked at the alicorn backing away and its’ eyes glowed red.

Without a single moment of hesitation, it took its’ spear and cut down the alicorn, the blood spraying onto the clean streets. The other alicorns screamed and ran away. Rosette sighed.

“Sadly, the upkeep of our brilliance fell short on most. Demoting themselves to fodder for failed experiments.” Rosette walked forward past the fallen alicorn and the alicrons. “But in the spirit of experimentation. You must always try again.” We were about to gallop after her when an alicron suddenly stepped in front of us. The red eyes glared down at me. I hesitated a bit but kept galloping, knowing I’d phase right through it.

However, the backhoof of the alicron sent me off my hooves and across the street. I rolled to my hooves and looked at it stunned. I held my cheek. A sharp pain shot through me as I rubbed it. The other alicrons advanced forward, joining the one that hit me. They formed a neat line formation and stood up on their hind legs, bearing their spears at us. Cloudchaser flew over to me.

“You okay??” She asked. I nodded and stood up on my hind legs, calling forth my halberd and readied myself.

“These aren’t illusions. Everypony, becareful!” I called out. As if on cue, the illusion of the city began to flicker and static. I spied Rosette enjoying a refreshing tea above the walkway they were blocking, observing us. Cloudchaser crackled her gauntlet.

“Guess we’re her new pet projects for now…” Cloudchaser said. The alicrons rushed us. Cloudchaser and I separated as I conjured three clones to aid me. We began to slash and stab at two alicrons while the others focused on my friends. My halberd clashed with the strange glowing blades of the spears, nearly tripping due to the insane strength these things had. And since they were not hulking giants, they were able to nimbly avoid and cover their openings.

This was so surreal. It was like fighting an actual pony. I dodged, spun, slashed, stabbed, jabbed and struck at the alicrons, the two I am facing able to dodge and retaliate easily. I found myself being pinned in a block I made by them and they forced me onto my back hard. Din growled and mimicked me, providing me with enough strength to shove them off of me and deftly make quick work of them.

What I wasn’t expecting was actual blood to be spilled from the alicrons. I ended up slashing one across the throat and it made a garbled gurgle before falling motionless. I looked over and rushed to help the others, my clones aiding them. With relative ease, we managed to fall the alicrons, leaving their scattered parts splayed along the street. We faced Rosette, who had suddenly vanished. With her, the illusion faded, and we were back in the abandoned and decrepit kingdom.

The alicrons were indeed real. And yet, despite the illusion changing the scenery, it appears that we were left on a hunk of land in the middle of the sky sea. Sonata growled and trotted over to a decrepit looking machine that she immediately began taking apart the wires and inner workings.

“What are you…?” Thi asked.

“I know where she is leading us. This is an aetherite transportation unit. ATU for short. These will aid us in getting near Rosette as they are designed to level with the psyche. You think to go.” Sonata bit into a wire and yanked it before finishing it and the pad underneath it glowed. That was surprisingly quick. Even quicker how she immediately stepped in. “Think of me and you’ll arrive at my location.” She then melted into thin air.

We were a bit stunned by this, but Lilac followed suit and vanished in a similar manner. We exchanged glances and braced ourselves. I was the last to step in and the sensation was not like a normal teleportation spell. By the time I rematerialized, I felt sick. Even Din hurled a little.

At least… tis isn’t the Highest Evil… she groaned. I found my footing and looked to see that my friends and I were standing in an alley. Sonata and Lilac were looking around a lot, trying to pinpoint where the alicron went. I stepped forward, noticing a floating bright star overhead.

“Rosette!” I called out before chasing after the star with the rest on my tail. We came to a stop upon seeing Rosette walking up a flight of steps. She looked over her shoulder and kindly waved a wing at us before disappearing over the top of the stairs. And of course, as soon as we raced to the top, a bright flash of light blinded us and we were back in the illusion.

However, while the autumn setting was still here, we had found ourselves on a massive straight path street. Millions and millions of alicorns of all sizes and colors were lined nearly shoulder to shoulder, cheers, confetti and jubilation ringing out. Looking past the alicorns, we could make out what looked to be a parade. We galloped through them and stopped.

“What is all this?” Flitter gasped in wonder.

“The Ceremony of Travel." Sonata replied as she watched what looked to be a massive decoratively colorful elephant stamp on by with what looked to be plenty of alicrons and normal alicorns performing and guarding the floats and displays. Even the bright birds were aiding into creating a magnificent paradise. We then spied Rosette on the other side of the road, nodding at us and walking down behind the alicorns. We proceeded to follow her on the other side.

“Rosette, wait!” I called out. But only her voice resounded.

“Every millennium, some special chosen are tasked with studying the workings of mortals. Every millennium, mortals began to change. To create. To achieve. To destroy. We wanted to know what exactly made them tick. We gave them boons. Wealth, fame and even personal desires. For their insight, we in return receive a beneficial trade. For what empowers the Illion kingdom is knowledge. We create, we achieve, and we destroy. And the best form of energy is mortal insight. For theirs’s unnatural. Wild and untamed.

“I have spent most of my free time studying the reports of these findings and eventually, I began to grow fondly of their plights. Their strengths. Their affections. How curiously close they were to the Creation Mother’s ideals. As if they were the intended dominators on this star.” Her voice resonated throughout the cheering. Suddenly, the cheers got louder. A group of foals rushing by had mentioned:

“It’s the king and queen! C’mon!”

We lost sight of Rosette, but we continued down the street. We slowed ourselves as a massive float, intricately designed with roses, laurels and silk cloth overshadowed us. And yet, in clear view of the day, two alicorns dawned the thrones with royal dress and coat. The pure white stallion alicorn, handsome with beautiful piercing brown eyes and autumn curly mane and beard, waved kindly to his kin. Next to him was a goddess. A genuine goddess. Her beauty sparkling like the stars at night. Her charcoal coat like a smooth painting. She dawned a sash robe with golden laurels and jewelry neatly presented to her long, ethereal galaxy mane that draped beautifully over her shoulder. You could almost see the planets in her mane.

She too, was kindly waving pleasantly to her kin. I noticed two empty thrones at the foot of their float’s steps. Smaller thrones dawned with simple silk cloth with golden pins. Were they expecting somepony to be with them? I wasn’t paying attention and bumped into two alicorns that were walking by.

“Hey, watch it!” A mare’s voice annoyingly spoke. I looked back with an apologetic look.

“S-sorry, we’re in a bit of a.. hurry?” I paused, looking back as my friends galloped by me. My eyes scanned the area. I could have sworn I had actually bumped into two alicorns. I felt a chill run up my spine.

Let us not fall behind. Din sighed unamusedly. I did a double take to ensure I was only hallucinating and proceeded to race by the float, catching up with the others. I balked as something heavy landed in front of me. Scrambling to my hooves, I faced the alicron having stabbed a spear into what looked to be a stranger version of a manticore. I looked past to see the others engaging in their battles.

Subjects and alicrons alike were combatting one another. Did Rosette set this up? Ignoring the question further, I quickly avoided the slashes of the alicron and began to pummel it with a flurry of hoof blows and bucks, managing to pierce one’s chassis, allowing Din to follow up with a gleeful burst of a fire beam that decapitated the other advancing alicron. I withdrew my hoof, shaking it off before tackling one that Lilac was facing.

When the alicron threw me off and I landed on my hindlegs, my back found Lilac’s. She was in her own stance. Without another word, we rushed the alicrons, synchronizing our strikes and follow ups that had me grinning a bit. When I managed to trip the last one, leaving Lilac to decapitate it with a quick singular hoof buck that locked under the chin, sending the head flying and the body slumping down next to her. She shook her hind leg and eased herself. She then met my dumb grin.

“Don’t get full of yourself, Demon. I felled more.” She said stoically as she walked past me. I fell onto my hooves and shrugged.

“I thought it was fun.” I replied before meeting up with the others. There was clapping up above us.

“Bravo! You’re fairing much better than New Frontier.” She smiled. Thi sheathed Excalibur onto her back and frowned.

“You ready to stop all this or are we going to have to beat more of your projects?!” She called out. Rosette beckoned us with her hoof.

“But my tale isn’t finished. Just hear me out.” She replied casually as she began to float away right as the illusion began to flicker and crackle.

“Then stop running and leading us on a chase! We don’t have time for this!” Thi replied. It fell on deaf ears as the alicorn blinked away. Thi looked to us and shook her head with a shrug. “I swear. It’s like she’s testing us.” Sonata tapped her hoof in thought.

“Indeed. And I believe I understand why.” She replied as she trotted off to the side of the decrepit road. She began to mess with another ATU. “Rosette’s fondness of mortal affairs had drastically changed her outlook with our kin. That much is clear. But what was the source of this pursuit?” Sonata paused and looked over her shoulder to us. “You may not care as much. But this means more to me than the Prisma Nexus.” Thi gave her a concerned look.

“Sonata. We are losing time. Equestria and Pony Land could be in a state of disruption already. And Fie still has to save our realm. We need that Prisma Nexus.” Thi said.

“Even then, what can we do when we find it?” I spoke suddenly. “Rosette said it herself. It’s the heart of the Illion Kingdom. Without it, this place will crash into Equestria and Pony Land. Maybe not only is she testing us, but she might also be leading us somewhere.” My eyes then fell onto the statues that were dotting the area. “And… as any mortal is. I’m deathly curious as to what caused this Severance Cascade. Rosette is the key.” I turned to my friends. “Let us hear out Rosette. I’m certain she has something in mind. She helped create the kingdom, after all.”

The sisters and Scribble nodded. Thi sighed and smiled.

“Can’t argue with the majority. And I trust you with your word.” She said before turning to Sonata. “Alright, Sonata. Lead the way.” Sonata didn’t speak as she closed the side panel, and the machine came to life. Sonata stepped in and nodded before melting into thin air. We followed after her, I being the last one again. The feeling of rematerializing is something I’m hoping I would not do back in the mortal realm. Gathering myself, I looked around. The others were scanning what looked to be a park. The neatly packed dirt road trailed off into different directions. This was a bigger park than I thought it was as it felt like we were in a field, the districts separated from it.

"Over there!" Cloudchaser and Flitter called out in unison, pointing further down the road. We looked to see Rosette staring up at the black sun, her mane no longer in a bun, flowing in the cold, apocalyptic breeze. She had dawned a lab coat as she seemed to be taking what looked to be a pen and writing something down on a floating clipboard beside her. We galloped over to her, only coming to a stop when she began to flicker. The illusion around us looked to be breaking down. The park, for a brief moment, was destroyed into chunks of land. Sonata stepped forward, her demeanor determined and stoic.

"Rosette... What do you intend for us to see?" Sonata asked herself out loud.

"When the affairs of the mortals began to reach upon our home, thanks to New Frontier, our people began to feel restless. Morbidly so. The ones under me began to toss around unusual theories and speculations. And I'll admit, I too was caught up in the craze. It wasn't until after a few months that did the mortals create the biggest sin. The exiled children of our king and queen created a false alicorn." Her voice spoke. The flickering image of Rosette looked forward as a group of featureless ponies, followed by three alicorns stepping forward and presented the smaller one. "It was in due part to the bearded mortal, who had trespassed once upon our land, in an effort to sate curiosity. His magnum opus to our hospitality. A disgrace upon our kind. Word began to reach the other tribes, creating a diversity of thoughts that bordered upon heresy to her light. And I was chosen to be the one responsible to fix this matter. And so... I begun my work." Rosette's visage turned away from the group of ponies that flickered out of existence, the alicorn adjusted her glasses and lab coat before taking off, blinking out of existence.

We saw the floating star take her place and began to hover around us. It took off down a pathway and we followed it. Rosette led us through alleys, passageways and roads, all twisting and winding with each one. How did the Illion Tribe ever get around so efficiently? On top of us following Rosette, we encountered several groups of subjects, alicrons and sundered, having to get tactical with some of the encounters when it seemed too much.

Once we ensured our respite, we saw Rosette disappear around a corner. We galloped after her and turned, only to stop immediately as something big exploded not too far away from us. The next thing we knew we were in a battlefield. We saw Olympian dressed alicorns flying, shooting with strange spears and combating the alicrons. There were groups of Illion alicorns running away in fear, some unleashing their magic in self-defense while others worked machinery to knock or fall the Olympian looking alicorns.

“What the Enclavum stood for once was now a debate hall for clashing ideals. Those who seeked the mortal’s demise, those who seek to use them and those that seek to acquire them for research. All during this time, I had completed my research. Those that tried to stop me, even my own, would fall at my hooves. I had lost my original vision of a future for our kind. And instead, I aimed to save it. If we, who are immortal, blessed by her love, want to stay within the ideals of the Creation Mother, to understand the mortal advancement, then they must shed their immortality and be one amongst them.”

We had galloped into the fray during her speech, dodging things as we were now unsure what was real and what was not. Left and right, alicorns zipped by, zapping and clashing with their opposition. We even got to see what must have been the first iteration of a Hydra, followed by a Malworf rampaging through friend and foe. Flitter and Cloudchaser ended up phasing through an Ursa Major that was followed by a Stratadon attacking it.

We managed to come to a halt in what appeared to be a towering archway that led into the base of Illion Castle. A massive ramp upwards leading to a bridge. We spied Rosette, in her visage, floating down to the top of the ramp. She then turned and faced us as we reached the bottom of the ramp.

“The differences the mortals have brought forth to our kind had been… quite the data gathering. And thus, with my final attempt to put an end to the differences, I unleashed the Severance Cascade.” As she waved her hoof to the sky and held it out, we looked to see the sun turn black and the sky crackling and flickering. A prismatic beam of light from a star struck the sun, creating the red ring around it.

In a brilliant display of magic and light, the sun shot downward and the whole world shook. It was instant. No sound. No noticing what was going on. The alicorns had frozen. Petrified by the wave. What followed next was the storm. The lightning crashed down and began to strike the alicorns statues as several dozens of them in the air had fallen and shattered upon impact.

From the struck alicorns, emerged the sundered.

“Those who held onto their immortality are forever locked into a non-existence, no longer to be free from it. And for those who chose to stray from immortality… I did not account for as well as I hoped. The battle still raged, causing the ones who had not disoriented escape via ATU pods. It was here that I stayed behind. Un-regrettable, unforgiving and wanting to continue my work. Not even the king and queen, who had confided in me and tried to reason with me, were anything but test subjects.” Rosette didn’t react or make any surprise to the creature that seemed to limp out over the ramp.

Din was quick to make our minds make sense of it. The same creature we escaped from the Astrologias now pulled itself down the ramp towards us. The amalgamation of alicorns reaching out to us in a chorus of groans and black tendrils dotting with plenty of eyes. Rosette glared down at us stoically.

“She tried to save me from my damnation. And she paid the price for it. As did he.” She spoke, looking past us. We turned to see a massive robotic wolflike creature bounding towards us from the road. It roared loudly before hopping into the air, scrapping the ground when it landed and aimed at the creature the moment we scrambled out of the way of it.

With a mighty stab of a massive halberd, the creature began to scream in agony. The body bubbling and boiling until the explosion of crimson rained around us. We gathered ourselves together and faced down the wolf like robot. The blood dripping from the sleek chassis, the murderous intent in its’ eyes. It turned its’ head to us, shifting the halberd. Rosette flew upward and beckoned with her hooves.

“Come. If we are to put an end to this once glorious kingdom. My glorious kingdom. Then it must be dealt with the very same hooves that caused my ambition.” Rosette said. The wolf robot spun around, flourishing the halberd. The blood flicking from the blade clean and primed to kill. I stood up on my hindlegs and called my halberd, Din mimicking me. She cackled maniacally.

Let’s dance! She grinned.

Chapter 48: Storming Illion Castle

The loud cries of battle rang throughout the kingdom. Along with that cry was the warsong of the robotic wolf like creation of Rosette Nebula. Thi nimbly avoided the swipes and slashing from the creature as Cloudchaser got in close to deliver several blows to the chassis to no avail. Flitter and Scribble had found themselves unable to catch a break as the strangely precise slashing of the halberd nearly cut them a few times as they retaliated with their own prowesses.

Sonata had used a mix of her own firearm and her spells. When none of that seemed to work, leaving Lilac unable to support as much, she had then conjured a sword and shield from Lux’s power. The sword double edged with serrated edges and the heater shield bearing the crest of the Triad. This had an effect in matching the strength of the creature, allowing her to be on the defensive. But with how aggressive the robot was being, it was nearly nigh impossible to get a good clean hit. And as I peeled myself away from the building I was so graciously chucked into like a speeding bullet before I could get a hit in, I darted my eyes in thought.

‘It’s just like any other robot, right? Just aggressive, right?’ I thought to myself. Din clicked her tongue.

The star metal chassis is a tough nut to crack. She stated. I nodded.

‘If only it was open enough for a good clean strike from the inside. We have to drop its’ guard somehow.’ I thought as I looked back to the building behind me. Din frowned.

I’m not willing to exert all my energy to drop a building on it. She quickly said. I slumped. Alright, then what can we use around us? I scanned the area and my eyes fell onto what looked to be a destroyed piece of artillery. I quickly kicked off the building and soared straight down to it. Upon closer inspection of arriving at the tech using Din’s eyes, it was still radiating with dormant magic. Washing my own magic over it, the web allowed me to see the trajectory of the peak and drop.

I looked around, hoping to see how I can get it to function. Surprisingly enough, there were instructions written on the side that Din could easily read.

‘Let’s hope it still works.’ I thought as I began waving to the others. Cloudchaser spotted me and I gestured to the artillery. She nodded and zipped down, quickly telling Thi, who nodded and said something I tuned out as I wanted to see how to get it to work. I messed with the levers and to my shock, it managed to move, creating a ripple in the web. Feeling excited that it works, Din then directed me to aim my horn at it before channeling her magic into a cracked crystal.

The crystal hummed with life as I used the webbing magic to gauge where it’ll land. The robot was moving around so much, but it seems the others caught on and were ensuring to keep it in one spot. Lining up everything, Din made one last adjustment before cackling.

Kneel! She hissed. There was a loud thwump that kicked back the artillery, blowing out the canon into smithereens (which Din shielded me from the shrapnel) and a massive fire spell flew high into the air. I watched as Sonata dug her sword into the ground and held up the shield.

“Behind me!!” She ordered. My friends scrambled and ducked behind her, Lux’s wings unfurling as a barrier of light washed over them. The wolflike creature paused as it was about to strike when it noticed the falling spell. It tossed aside its’ halberd and to my utter amazement and horror, it threw its’ claws and arms up, catching the spell. The ground beneath it cracked and shattered, but not enough to throw it off balance. Din growled.

Alright! If that is how you want to play! Then let’s play! Din grinned wide-eyed. The robot threw the spell away from it. Din kicked me off and like a bullet, I appeared in front of the spell. Din and I synced and channeled her magic. My forelegs were engulfed into flames and extended outward in a fiery ethereal image of Din’s forelegs. We caught the spell, my body being yanked back. I roared as I pushed against it with all our might. I then let myself flip with the momentum and planted our hindlegs into it, bucking the spell back towards the creature.

A true hit. It seemed to hesitate, as if seeing a pony chuck back a spell was something it has never seen before. Good. It’s’ not the only one confident in their skills. The explosion managed to rip a massive chunk off of the side of the robot, knocking it flat onto its’ back in a spray of blood, wires and sparks. The explosion washed over the area, Din shielding me from the intensity of it. As quickly as the heat washed over us, it then vanished, as if never existing at all. I soared back towards the others and landed at the ready.

Sonata wasted no time. She took to the sky, having grabbed the halberd with her magic and chucked it, impaling the creature. It howled in pain as Sonata blinked out of sight and appeared right in front of us with a flourish of her sword. The robot erupted into crimson that rained down on us as the chassis fell apart, exposing the exo-skeleton. The robot went limp. We waited in anticipation, wondering if there is more to it. There is always more, right? I looked at Rosette, who stood stoically and unmoving at the sight. Sonata twirled the blade in her magic and aimed it at Rosette.

A beam of light shot from the tip, piercing the chest of the alicorn. Her visage, however, only flickered, solidifying after a bit of correction.

“I grow tired of this. The pony I knew long ago is gone. A husk of what she once was. You’re only a ghost. A disgrace to her name and ambition.” She declared. “I will see to it personally that your image of her is scrubbed clean and put to better use.” Thi blinked.

“So… that’s not Rosette?” Thi asked quizzically. Sonata shook her head.

“An AI she created. It took me a bit, but I figured it out. I understood why you wanted to show us everything. The Rosette I knew was the one back in the Astrologias. Rosette was never one to show her emotions so openly. Especially around her test subjects.” Sonata’s eyes narrowed. “That’s why she created you in the first place. You were to be her mask in public. You don’t know anything about how she handled herself.” Rosette was quiet, her expression darkened.

She then rose her head in a wide-eye smile.

“But I am her. Her mask. Her assistant. Her personality out of the shell. Her perfection incarnate. Her dreams, ambitions, wishes. Everything she logged and spoke about. Every ounce of knowledge she implemented into my systems. She made my algorithm specifically to mirror herself. And she was the one who tuned my personality as she saw fit. Thus, I am, Rosette Nebula.” She marveled. “The little filly who followed her around like a little puppy. She adored having you around, even though she never showed it. But I do, Moonlight Sonata. For you too wished for friends once.”

Sonata swished her blade to her side, standing defiantly towards her.

“I grew up.” She simply stated. Rosette giggled and gestured to nothing in particular.

“And yet, here you are… like a lost filly crying for her mother. If you still think of me to be a false visage of her, then perhaps I should show you.” Rosette’s horn glowed and from her light a crackled image of Rosette Nebula appeared before us. She looked disgruntled. Her mane tussled about in what must have been constant brushing of frustrations. Her lab coat disheveled and unkempt. Blood smeared across her muzzle and legs. Her deadpan eyes glazed over with no emotion.

“This is my final log. Everything I worked for this kingdom. All its’ knowledge, secrets and theories are to be kept secured into a highly encrypted design of my choice. And I…” she faltered. She turned to face the other Rosette. “I wish I could take it all back. To find another way. But what choice did I have? All that once was is now a speck of hopelessness. And yet… I still find myself hanging onto that hope. That one day, my faithful student… my best friend… will return stronger… older… wiser… and save our kingdom from the blight I’ve unleashed.” She turned to face us.

“Moonlight Sonata. I regret not having to attend to your gatherings. I would have done so had I not chose the stars. To make one so brighter than the stars I looked for. I… if I was a better friend to you… perhaps… we would have sailed the stars together.” We saw Sonata’s ears drop and her hoof slowly raise out to her, only to stop and place it back down, her expression darkened under her bangs. Rosette sighed and ruffled her mane.

“I leave my entire body, soul and being to Serenity. She is everything I wished I could be. If you find her, please… let her be the one to speak from my heart. For I could never do so face to face.” She then steeled herself, looking at her shaking hoof. We gasped as we saw what looked to be an ever-growing disfigurement bubbling on her leg. “If it is the price I must pay for saving my kind, then let it be so. Oh… and one last thing before I go…”

Her eyes met Sonata’s. “Always be the light in the abyss, Moonlight Sonata. Walk tall… my friend.” We heard what sounded like a distant voice requesting permission. Rosette began to violently shake and shiver, as if having a seizure. She clutched her head and screamed towards the sky, her hooves furiously digging at her face. We watched in horror as her body began to morph and disfigure grotesquely. The distant voice said something that we couldn’t hear over the agonizing cry of Rosette. The projection cut as the loud hum of a machine roared to life.

We stood in stunned silence. Rosette rose her head a little and stepped down the ramp.

“Do you see now? Even after everything, her final thoughts were always to her people. To the one friend who made her life complete.” Rosette looked around the decrepit battlefield. “She didn’t want you to see her in the state she was in. To have you be her mercy. She never wanted that burden on you.” Rosette turned her gaze to the massive castle in front of us. “She left everything to me. All except the Prisma Nexus, who she felt mortal hooves would be put to better use of it. If you wish to take back anything should it so please you, no pony will stop you. All she asked of you is to look to the stars as she did, but to never lose sight of what drove you to it.”

I noticed Sonata peeking out from under her bangs to Lilac. Lilac took notice and adjusted her cap a little, out of uneasiness or what else. Rosette fell her gaze onto the wolf like robot, and then around the bloodied area.

“I would thank you for avenging our fallen majesties. Their pain was all too much for me to manage. Twas intended anyway.” Rosette began to walk towards us and phased right through Sonata and past us. “I will not hinder you any longer. But do take heed. The exiled children watch over the Prisma Nexus as well as the Grand Captain Maximize. They twisted the castle to prevent any intrusions from the other tribes. I… do not know if they were afflicted by the Severance Cascade. Go forth champions of mortals and immortals. There is nothing left for you here.”

We watched as the visage of Rosette flickered as she walked further down the road. When she vanished, the star faded and vanished into a wisp of smoke along with her. We looked back to Sonata, who was still hidden under her bangs. Thi rose her hoof, hesitating a bit.

“Sonata…?” She began. “I-I’m… sorry…” Lilac scoffed softly.

“There is no sympathy of acceptance from the likes of you, terrorist.” Lilac said coldly. She then turned her head, placing a hoof to her ear. “Strike teams, status report.”

When the teams have gathered, staring in awe at the sight that covered and surrounded us, we proceeded up the ramp. I had thrown my hood over my head, lost in thought as to what we had just witnessed. And yet, I feel like only one piece of the puzzle was put in place. We made our way across the bridge in silence, unable to help ourselves to glancing at Sonata who was leading the way. She hasn’t spoke at all. When we got to the end of the bridge and onto what looked to be a field (or perhaps a massive courtyard in the form of a field) did we break for camp.

The Triad hurried about, ensuring that what rations and supplies we had were still good to go. When everything was cleared, Lilac lined up the strike teams once more. I glanced over to see Sonata hunched over a device, messing with the side of it and making the screen flicker.

“We received intel that the castle we are about to storm will most assuredly kill us. An inside force, be it magic or otherwise, is in play, twisting the very halls we will scouer through. You must be vigilant. You must watch each other. We do not know what awaits us. It could be worse than the sundered, or as simple as an accident. Our primary objective is the Prisma Nexus, which should lie in the center of the castle. Be warned, that if any strike team arrive to face something dire of alicorn standard, do not engage. Await further instructions or wait till the other teams arrive via your coordinates.

“Each of you will be given link buds to track each other’s movements. Use it to your full advantage. Dismissed!” The Triad ponies saluted and began to mingle their plans while Lilac walked over to Sonata. She hesitated a bit, clearly wanting to say something. But professionalism is an upkeep in public sadly. She cleared her throat. “Your highness. Awaiting further orders.” Sonata flicked through the screen before pocketing it in her coat, sitting up and turning to face her.

“I will consider something here for our troops. And to you as well.” She said to her. Her horn began to glow and from the grooves released small strings that flailed above her. They then shot out and pierced the minds of the Triad and Lilac. They all froze, their eyes glossed over. As quickly as it happened, Sonata withdrew the strings. She walked forward to the stunned Triads that were rubbing their heads. “What I have enchanted in all of you is a charm that’ll protect you from the illusionary magics of the castle. I recall that the Grand Guards were quite strict in ensuring information from the castle is scried, expunged and lobotomized to keep its’ secrets safe. For added measure, Rosette was tasked to make an enchantment to make it into a labyrinth for those of none Illion affiliation. This enchantment will last till I deem it so.” She explained.

“So… we aren’t getting any?” Cloudchaser whispered to me in question. Sonata must have heard it.

“I trust that the demon and her companions are well equipped to handle the castle’s trickery, considering the amount of primal magic touched upon them. They will be leading the advance. And to recount, if you are to fall blinded in the abyss, there is always a light.” She spoke.

“We walk in the abyss to guide those to the light!” The troops chanted in unison. For a small platoon of Triad soldiers, it seems that Sonata and Lilac picked their top contenders. Some of them looked no worse for wear but were still hardened enough to carry on. I looked to Thi, who seemed a bit distracted over something. I nudged her a little, snapping her out of her trance.

“Everything alright?” I asked her. Thi sighed and lowered her head.

“Just conflicted. Majorly so.” She replied.

“I can imagine after everything we’ve been through so far.” Flitter spoke with a reassuring smile. Cloudchaser rubbed her head.

“It’s all so strange. Why does the apocalypse have to be so damned confusing?” She commented. I nodded.

“I’m with ya’ there. Nothing like trying to save the realm. I’m not cut out for nuclear fallout anytime soon.” I stated, having a strange nip in the back of my head suddenly. Scribble pocketed his journal.

“All the more reason of how far we’ve come. It all is starting to make sense now. How the world has come full circle. This has been quite the eye opener for me.” He stated. Thi snickered.

“Bet you were geeking out so much that it’s hard to concentrate on admiring anything else.” She teased. Scribble nodded.

“Well… yes actually.” He replied, standing up and admiring his surroundings. “Just thinking about it all. The fact that we are in an ancient civilization lost to time. And to find out that Excalibur of all ponies to have visited the place during his time alive! Is he somewhat responsible for the events transpiring here? What are the other tribes like? What can we learn from here that we can implement in our realm??” He marveled. We couldn’t help but giggle, Thi pecking him on the cheek to snap him out of his stupor.

“I think we should not take the ideas of doomsday alicorns into our culture.” Thi teased. Scribble blinked and looked at her questioningly.

“I mean like technological advancement.” He reiterated. Flitter ruffled his mane.

“Sure ya’ did, egghead.” She teased. We laughed a little, much to Scribble’s confusion, before standing up and walking over to Sonata. She acknowledged us with a small nod before turning on her hooves.

“We march!” She ordered. The troops saluted and together we made our way towards a flight of steps leading up to the main entrance of the castle. As we progressed towards the door that seemingly opened for us, as if expecting us, I couldn’t help but wonder why the Illion were go big or not at all with their architecture. Unless Rosette had something in mind, it’s unfortunately lost to me. The Triad troops and Lilac racked their arc weapons alive as we stepped through the castle entrance.

The main foyer was massive, but not too spacious. Marble flooring, red carpet and golden laurel railings of the stairways and door arches decorated the place into a fairy tale castle. However, things took a quick turn. Flitter and Cloudchaser fell face flat onto the carpet with an “oof” the moment they stepped in. They stood in confusion, looking at their wings and flapping them. When they couldn’t get off the ground, they looked at us. Then the clatter of several arc weapons fell. We looked to see the unicorn Triads scrambling for their weapons.

One scrunched their muzzle, aiming their horn at it. Lilac looked to Sonata. Sonata nodded and she took off from the ground easily, able to carry the dropped weapons with her magic. She landed and nodded to the troops.

“Harnesses.” Sonata ordered. The Triad troops withdrew harnesses and began to strap them to their bodies, snapping the arc weapons into them. When they were ready, the ground began to rumble.

Intruders! Glory to the might of Illion! Rosette’s voice spoke out.

The ground then shifted and suddenly, everything in the foyer began to twist and contort itself into winding pathways, even separating the troops.

We found ourselves with Sonata and Lilac looking up at one of the troops that hung from the ceiling. Or at least, what was now the ceiling high in the air. The other troops were suffering the same in all directions. I looked back to the stairs. They had disconnected themselves into a jigsaw of pieces. Sonata scoffed.

“Tis not an illusion! With that being said, we move on!” She ordered. We looked to our right to see one of the side doors available to us. Thi hummed and called to Excalibur. The sword appeared and Thi was able to hold it in her magic. She smiled and shouldered it.

“Ready.” She grinned. Sonata rolled her eyes in annoyance before trotting over to the door. She spun and bucked it off its’ hinges, denting whatever material was used for it. And with that, we galloped into the hall. The hallway winded in a fun house spiral, nearly causing my vertigo to disorient me. We pressed on, the alarms blaring around us. As expected, the side panels of the hall emerged alicrons. Only this time, they were dawned in regal laurel armor. Sonata called her blade and shield while I called my halberd.

We charged the alicrons, I and the rest making quick work of them. We galloped down the twisting hallway, trying our best to keep onto the path. Only a couple of times did we ended up getting separated as we arrived to a room that looked to have nothing solid underneath and we were forced to jump from chunk to chunk of what we can. It took us a good while to get through it, and when we did, we were greeted by a new security beast.

Yes. A beast. How it had lived this long is beyond me, but that didn’t stop this creature, who resembled closely to a Bug Bear, from aggressively chasing us. Whatever we threw at it, the hide was a lot tougher than the Bug Bears we’ve faced. And when Lilac made a clean shot into the bear, we knew why. Its' insides were manufactured. All the more reason we chose to save our energy for running, having to make quick work of the alicrons and (surprisingly enough) escaped test subjects that roamed the twisting rooms and halls.

When we barreled into what looked to be a ballroom, I spun around and Din used her magic to weld the door shut. The bug bear roared and banged on it, denting the door. We looked around the ballroom, relieved to see that it hasn’t been twisted by the castle. Unfortunately, that didn’t stop the alicrons from appearing. I flourished my halberd and rushed two of them, deflecting the blows before felling them. My friends worked together to fight each other’s alicrons while Sonata and Lilac felled their’s easily. When we took a moment to catch our breath, that’s when the bug bear managed to finally break through the door. It roared angrily before rushing us. Thi growled.

“Buck this guy!!” She shouted as she rushed forward.

“Wait, Thi!” Flitter called out. However, Thi flourished Excalibur, rolling under the bug bear’s swipe of its’ stinger. When it tried to strike her with the stinger again, Thi spun and sliced it clean off.

“Star metal bullshit!” She snapped as she then began hacking away at the bug bear. I quickly rushed to the bear, hoping to impale, but the stab was hollow. That didn’t stop Din and I from syncing and trying to force it in. As we tried this, Thi managed to jump onto the bear and stabbed it in its’ eye. A strange fluid came out of the bear. Flitter and Cloudchaser rushed in, Flitter sticking an arrow that made a compressed explosion that only made the bug bear lose its’ flight balance. But that allowed Cloudchaser to deliver a hefty crackling punch into the wound, cracking the shell.

That’s when Scribble clapped his hooves, crushing a rock and then threw out a bolt of lightning. It struck the bug bear, causing it to jitter and shake. Thi roared as she pulled out the blade and managed to decapitate the bug bear. Din and I managed to force our halberd through, a metallic organ protruding at the tip of the halberd. We pulled it back, the cut being messy and spraying us with the strange fluid. When the body of the bear fell to the ground, I wiped the fluid off my cheek, flicking my hoof of it in disgust.

“That smells awful!” Cloudchaser said in disgust as she tried to wipe the fluid off. Sonata walked over, taking a quick sniff before nodding.

“An extract of one of the lab grown flora. We used it as a basis for standard energy. Rosette would use it to test prototypes.” She explained simply. Thi snorted.

“That was a prototype?? The fact it didn’t kill anypony here while it was roaming the halls.” She sourly said. Sonata seemed to have a pleased smirk from Thi’s suffering.

“They are usually kept in a containment facility before being presented for approval.” She said. Thi frowned at her.

“How many branches of approval do things have to go through?” She asked in annoyance. Sonata shrugged.

“It’s Rosette’s process and even she was confused by it. But it made things look professional from an outside point of view.” Sonata replied. Thi went quiet a bit before nodding softly.

“I see…” She replied. Sonata looked around and trotted towards a grand looking door.

“We must continue. Be ready for whatever awaits us.” She said as she opened the door. We followed after her, Din taking the liberty of burning the fluid off of us as we did out of the fact she didn’t want to hear more complaining about hygiene during our crusade. The door led us to some steps that we ascended. Entering through the next doorway, we found ourselves outside the castle. And surprisingly high up at that. The wind blew wildly as we looked to see a pair of steps rounding the outer wall. We were careful about our footing as we proceeded, only having to fend off more thunder birds that were perched upon a nearby rooftop of the castle.

Despite what felt like an hour of progressing through the twists of the castle, it felt like we covered so much, but have barely covered any ground. We were too high up to see the ground. When we entered into another hall and began to navigate our way through them, my ears began to flicker at the sound of distant voices.

“…It’s not like they…” The voice trailed off. I stopped and looked around. Cloudchaser walked past me, noticing my awareness to the voices.

“Everything okay?” She asked as she stood beside me. I narrowed my look, my eyes darting through the hall.

“Nothing. The castle is starting to get to me.” I replied. I was about to walk with her when I stopped again to the sound of the voices.

“Tis not the Illion way…” a deep and gruff voice echoed. Cloudchaser looked at me with worry.

“Fie?” She asked.

“Do you guys hear that?” I asked aloud. The others stopped and listened, their ears flicking. Sonata seemed to hear them but the others showed no clue.

“We are not alone.” Sonata spoke. Din hummed.

And yet… the voices feel… empty. She stated. I looked to Sonata.

“Sonata. The voices. Can we detect exactly where they are coming from?” I asked. Sonata looked around. Her mind conversing with Lux.

Sister. Does it not… sound familiar? Lux suddenly resonated in my mind. Din shifted uneasily.

Thou felt it too? Quiet Fire, we must follow the voice. Din spoke. I arched a brow.

“We sure we want to do that?” I asked her out loud.

I agree with my sister. Something is… drawing me to them. Lux replied. Sonata and I exchanged glances.

“We needn’t waste time following ghosts, parasites. Our main objective still stands.” Sonata stated firmly, turning to trot down the hall.

“But wouldn’t you want to know if other alicorns survived?” Thi asked suddenly. Sonata stopped and looked over her shoulder to her. Thi shrugged. “Take it from Zalas. If we were the last of our kind and had any hope of finding others like us alive, we would want to investigate, wouldn’t we?” Sonata glared at her.

“Tis pointless. Serenity said there is nothing here for us. And I am inclined to believe her word.” She replied matter-of-factly. There was a sudden ear-piercing ringing that shot through my mind, causing me to wince and groan in pain, clutching my head. Sonata felt it too. The voices were now echoing throughout my mind in a jumble of words and sentences. Din hissed in pain, clutching her own head.

What… what is…? Din rasped. The voices were rising in volume. It was hard to make out which voice was saying what. I looked up and my eyes widened. The whole area had greyed. Sonata looked around, confused at first before noticing something down the hall. I followed her gaze and could see two alicorns walking down the hall, disappearing around the corner. Sonata furrowed her look before following after them. I looked to my friends. They were frozen in place.

I waved my hoof in front of Cloudchaser. No reaction. Feeling certain we are experiencing an illusion; I followed after Sonata. When we rounded the corner, we came to a stop in front of strange metal door. Sonata stepped forward and the ground glowed green. With a bleep, the door hissed open. Sonata and I cautiously entered through, finding ourselves in what appeared to be a completely separate part of the castle.

At this point, I was certain we weren’t in the castle. But then again… My thoughts were cut out by the voices that echoed further down the hall. It wasn’t as expansive as the other hallways. It only took us several steps to get to the door. When the door hissed open, we were greeted by a soft blue glow. We descended the steps and found ourselves in what appeared to be a huge laboratory. Sonata halted and gasped.

“This is…” she began. I arched a brow and looked around. From the looks of it, the place is neat yet disorganized with papers and empty tubes and vials. Somewhere mixed in with all the science-y stuff were mechanical parts too. Minerals, ores, flora and what looked to be creature fur and limbs. It had “mad scientist” written all over it.

“What is this place?” I asked. Sonata walked over to what looked to be a data vat, studying it.

“This is Rosette’s royal lab. Whenever she isn’t busy with the Astrologias, she’ll be here under the castle.” She said. I snorted.

“Figures we’re somewhere out of the way. But… why here? And why did the world freeze?” I asked her. Sonata shook her head slowly in response. We walked around the lab, curious (at least I was) about the workings. Of course, like any mad scientist in the movie, there would be preserved organs in a jar on a shelf not too far off along with several crystals and ingredients that’ll make a potion master froth.

My gaze wandered a bit before bumping into Sonata. I rubbed my muzzle and looked up to a door labeled: Light of Her Love. A weird thing to label over the door. Sonata waved her hoof, only for it to blip red, denying her access. She did it a few more times before backing away and frowning. I glanced over my shoulder, spying another room labeled: Chamber. I walked over to it and the door opened for me. I gasped and covered my muzzle.

The room was entirely red. Rustic to the point that whatever material in this room was peeling and decaying. Sonata looked into the room, her expression stoic as she entered. The smell was rank and metallic. We descended the small ramp and looked around the room. Massive consoles that haven’t been turned on in ages sat decrepit and destroyed along the walls. In the center was what appeared to be two giant rods aiming down into the center of a round groove.

The voices were whispering now. I walked over to the center of the room, noticing something in the middle. It was bones. And noticing this, the bones were scattered all over the room. An alicorn skull laid on its’ side in the center next to a strange small device. I carefully withdrew the device and dusted it off, the stains caked onto it and hiding any details to it.

“Sonata.” I spoke to get her attention. The device suddenly blipped to life and the visage of Rosette appeared. I nearly had a heart attack from it. We watched as the alicorn crackled and flickered, her head turning to face us. Her muzzle opened, trying to say something to us. Her image vanished. Sonata took the device from my hooves and began to mess with it.

“It’s an identification overrider. Something that Rosette had made exclusively to her in case any of the others got wise with their own projects.” She explained. “I’ve only seen it being used once.” I nodded to her and was about to walk back up the ramp when I noticed she hadn’t followed.

“Sonata?” I asked. She had picked up the skull, her eyes studying it fondly. She then placed her horn against the skull’s, making a silent prayer. I stayed silent. Sonata spent a full minute mourning the fallen alicorn. It clicked for me then and there. I somehow felt my heart grow heavy. Even Din seemed to silently acknowledge the fallen alicorn. All these years alone and now… I just hope she can rest easy. I decided to give her more time by stepping out of the room and bumping into Thi.

“Whoa!” She said in surprise.

“Thi?” I blinked. I noticed the others around the room. My friends rushed over to me.

“What happened? Suddenly you both walked off without us and none of us could get your attentions.” Flitter spoke.

“You were also like ghosts or something.” Cloudchaser chimed in. “We kept phasing right through you both.” I looked to Lilac, who only quietly gave me an agreeable glance. I rubbed the back of my head.

“Think it’s an illusion we walked into?” I asked Scribble. The stallion shook his head, stuffing his journal in his saddle bag.

“This isn’t an illusion. But what happened to you both… I’m not quite so sure. You were here, but at the same time… weren’t.” He then motioned at the door. “And Sonata?” I looked over my shoulder and smiled softly.

“Saying goodbye to an old friend.” I said simply. They gave me knowing looks. Sonata then stepped out of the Chamber. I noticed she had a saddle bag this time. I arched a brow, but Sonata ignored me.

“Come.” She said in her commanding tone. We watched her trot over to Lilac, giving her the saddle bag before trotting over to the door. She aimed the device at the door and for a brief moment, nothing happened. The door then hissed open. We followed behind Sonata as we trailed the hallway that opened up at the end. My eyes widened as the voices seemed to grow louder and louder as we approached, stopping when we arrived.

Seven massive vat containers lined symmetrically around the room. A singular console hummed quietly in the middle. My friends spread out, curiously examining the containers.

“How big are the things they tested in?” Cloudchaser asked, tapping the glass. I don’t know why but I trotted over to the console. Sonata had the same idea. I pressed a key and the screen flickered.

> Welcome, Illion sas van Rosette Nebula. What is your agenda for today?

Seven options appeared and my eyes widened. It was the names of our primals. Starting with Lux. Then Gaia. Then Aquarius, Ventus, Shiva, Din and lastly Tenebres. I looked around the vat containers.

“This is where they came from.” I said suddenly. I could sense an uneasiness with Din. “Din… did you know about this?” Din was silent. I blinked once and found her seemingly in a trance, her muzzle partially open. I blinked again and found myself back in the room. I looked to Sonata, who gave me a nod. I proceeded to scroll to Din and pressed the key.

>Subject Star Fire. Containment level: Critical. Subject absent. Requesting containment protocols.

I furrowed my look. Backing out to then select Lux.

Subject Star Light. Containment level: Critical. Subject absent. Requesting containment protocols.

There didn’t seem to be any other options. I then had a thought. Din quietly read me.

Very well… She said. I felt a warmth course through me and Din materialized right out of me. She walked forward, eyeing the containment vat. The light blinked yellow and the glass hissed down. Din stepped in and faced us. I gave her a reassuring nod as the glass rose up.

Containment of Subject Star Fire verified. Current subjects missing: Six. Well done, Rosette Nebula. Begin interrogation protocol.

My eyes widened as Din suddenly hunched forward. I felt a sharp, intense pain run through my head. Din lashed her head around, roaring out in pain.

“Shut it down!!” Cloudchaser called out as Thi, Flitter and her were frantically trying to pull me away from the console.

“Do not interfere.” Sonata ordered firmly. Lilac had pressed an arc pistol to Thi’s head, leaving her to back away slowly. The sisters did the same. Lilac holstered her weapon before nodding. Sonata placed a hoof on my back and I felt a soothing breeze course through me. I felt calmer. And strangely… in command of myself. I looked at the console as the pain ebbed away, yet Din was still thrashing about.

I quickly scrolled through the options and canceled the interrogation protocol. Din slumped into her container, salivating from the mouth as her breath fogged up the container. Feeling much more relaxed, I proceeded to scroll through the new options.

>Interrogate
Commands
Status
Release

I pressed on commands and a whole list of commands scrolled down in front of me. My eyes fell on “Memory Logs”. Curious, I pressed the key and the image of Rosette flickered into view in front of Din. She was staring up at her as Din rightened herself painfully. Rosette held a hoof up to the glass, caressing it softly. Her head then turned, as if noticing somepony.

“Ouroboros isn’t supposed to be out of his cage.” Rosette spoke. We watched as another alicorn walked into view. The Queen Galaxae. The beautiful goddess mare smiled motherly at her.

“He’s due for his rite. The mortal realm needs stability. We can only do so much with a belt.” Galaxae’s enchanting voice replied. Rosette seemed irritated as she faced her.

“And you dare to enter this place as our queen’s image? You have no shame, Equualie.” Rosette spoke. My eyes widened in shock. Galaxae giggled.

“Even an immortal needs to comprehend the might of the Creation Mother’s light.” She grinned. Rosette snorted as she proceeded to whip out a device and began tapping away at it.

“What is it that you want? If it’s’ her children you are after, the answer is always no. Ouroboros may have been given a slap on the tail, but I will not have them in the hold of star bearers.” Rosette said. Galaxae walked over to Din’s container and caressed the glass smoothly.

“But you must understand. Her gifts are boons to your kind. Have you’ve not satisfied your curiosity? Or have you’ve grown… fond of them?” Galaxae smiled. Rosette glared at the mare.

“Dig as you must. But I am a busy mare. You are free to look, but I will not have you rotting this place with your filth.” Rosette said coldly as she seemed to disappear from view. Galaxae smiled and seemingly placed her hoof on her belly.

“In due time, you all will return to where you’ve originated. For it is your destiny.” She said. Rosette’s voice spoke from off the side.

“Enough of your games. Why must you bother me this day?” She asked coldly.

“I come bearing another foresight. One that would benefit you the most, Rosette Nebula.” Galaxae spoke.

“Address me in my title or not at all, oracle. Speak your part.” Rosette replied sternly.

“The seven maidens of the stars will be free once more. For a generation will be thrown into a perilous fight they cannot win. However, all would not be lost. For when you bring your people to their unified silence shall their victory be achieved. The mortals will pave the way for the generation that will change our entire laws as they see fit. A child I will bear, but cannot care for, will lead all of us into a guided peace. As is spoken by the Creation Mother.” Galaxae explained warmly.

“As if that can work at all. You are forbidden from siring due to biological and scientific incompatibility. Not like it would matter in any case.” Rosette replied dismissively.

“As you say. However… a powerful mortal who has begun his journey changing his world for the better will come visit our kingdom in search of answers. And I will have my child as prophecy foretells me.” Galaxae said, rubbing her belly a little. Rosette scoffed as she appeared back into view, her expression in disgust.

“You will never lay a… whatever it is you call a limb on my subjects. King Illion will hear of this.” Rosette retorted. Galaxae giggled.

“So, you have grown fond of them. A shame. However, I cannot ignore her foresight. All will be as foretold. And my dear Quiet Fire will rise above all.” Galaxae then looked to Din. “When that happens, I know that the stars will be at better peace. And the Creation Mother can rest well.” Galaxae then turned and bowed to Rosette. “Good day, Illion sas van Rosette Nebula.” Galaxae then proceeded to walk past her, seemingly calm and at peace with herself. Rosette snorted.

“Crazy old coot.” She grumbled before looking up at Din. “It’ll be okay, my subjects.” She had taken on a softer tone, caressing the container. “I will ensure their power will not corrupt yours. For you are her chosen.” The visage of Rosette crackled and flickered before vanishing. All was quiet in the room. Sonata backed away from me. I was speechless. All of a sudden, the world around me was closing in. All eyes were on me, silently observing me.

I pressed a key, releasing Din from her container. She stumbled out of it, falling onto her side with a grunt. I walked over to her and eyed her.

“It wasn’t a lie…” I uttered with a shiver. Din rasped as she replied.

“I never… hid it. It’s why I chose you… I made myself clear at the very beginning of it all.” Din stood up slowly before facing me. “I never bothered to play with the idea for it served no purpose. I could not foresee the events we would partake in. Nor was I sure if that creature was lying to Doc herself.” Din rightened herself, looking down at me. “We are the product of the Creation Mother, given sentience to look over the balance should the need arise. The only thing Ouroboros has lied about, if I recall, is the fate we are being guided into.” Din eyed me suspiciously, as if expecting me to blow up at all this. And she is right. I was… angry. Confused. And yet… accepting. I guess I’m mad at myself for not really questioning it so much. I was too dead sent on ensuring things were working out okay for us. I threw my hood over my head, hiding my expression as I looked down at myself.

“So… I really am Starswirl’s and a primal’s kid… But then… how did… mom and dad?” I questioned.

“Fie… listen…” Thi began. I shook my head in response.

“At this point, Thi, I only want to know one thing. And when we find Equualie. I’ll have my answers.” I flexed my hoof before placing it down. “Yes… answers to my part in this play.” The room was silent for a bit. Cloudchaser then spoke up, having placed a gentle hoof on my back.

“You know… we don’t care if you are the kid of a god and a powerful wizard. Or the kid of a Royal Guard Captain and an overworked detective. I know it’s not my place to say this, but we know who you really are, Fie. This is just a… an inconvenience to your future.” She spoke. I didn’t look at her.

“My future?” I repeated. Flitter walked over.

“What my sis is trying to say is that even if you are the result of something more, that doesn’t change where you came from. They maybe your biological parents, but they didn’t raise you. Wild and Cloud Fire did. And it’s because of them that you are who you are now. You are Quiet Fire. The champion of Equestria and our friend.” She said.

“The sisters are right, Fie.” Thi said. “The nerdy mare in CSGU is the one I became best friends with. Not a demi-god. And if it ever mattered to you, then you wouldn't have gone out of your way to ensure we were all together and well.”

“And the fact we traveled enough to save several villages and countries, for better or worst, from their plights. You are an Equestrian, to the tee.” Scribble said. I was quiet as they spoke. I then cracked a smile and began to laugh. I laughed and brushed my snout with a sleeve before facing them, confidently.

“You didn’t need to convince me guys. You know how I roll. Besides, it’s bad enough I had to deal with Din’s antics to even care about being the kid of a primal and a figure head. I can only imagine the look Starswirl will have when we get back. Just to mess with the old codger for meddling with something he shouldn’t have.” I said. “Besides, I’m certain there was a lot more to that memory.” I faced Din. “What made you think of that one?”

Din studied me before speaking.

“Our confrontation with Serenity had brought back certain… memories. Ones before my hosting of Excalibur. The blanks are still there. And yet…” She trailed off. I smirked and placed my hoof on her chest coolly. She looked at me in confusion.

“Whatever it is, Din, we’ll get our answers once we find the Prisma Nexus. I have a feeling that everything will connect there.” I said. Din was quiet for a bit. She then coolly smirked at me and shifted her head.

“Getting cocky, are we? Guess I’ve rubbed off on you more than you thought. In any case, that shock made me remember where Rosette would mention of the Prisma Nexus.” Din closed her eyes in thought. “The heart of the castle is beneath the throne room. Tis not far from here.” Cloudchaser tilted her head.

“Isn’t that dependent on the castle?” She asked. Sonata walked over to the console, tapping at the keys. She paused and then looked up to Din.

“You managed to override the system?” She asked puzzled. Din smugly grinned.

“It was a painful shock.” She hummed before walking towards me, vanishing inside of me. I looked over to Sonata as the alicorn shifted a frown and began tapping away. Thi rubbed the back of her neck.

“How did…?” She asked.

“I’d rather we remain focused on the task at hoof.” Sonata spoke as she made one final press of a key before stepping away. “I’ve locked this quadrant of the castle. We should move through without any unwanted surprises for now.” She turned on her hooves and proceeded to exit the room, Lilac following not too far behind. Thi sighed and shook her head.

“This place just keeps getting better and better…” She sarcastically replied before looking at me with concern. “Are you going to be okay?” I smiled reassuredly to her.

“Yeah… I know what I have to do when we get to it.” I replied. She smiled and pat me on the shoulder.

“We can always count on you, Fie.” She said. We left the lab behind, Din seemingly quiet as we did. I know Din has been keeping things from me, but she always only speaks what she wants us to know. And she’s never hidden information for her desires, save for the one occasion to the others. She’s always been upfront and no non-sense when asked or answering. If I asked the right questions, just as she had told me before, she would answer. But what can I do now? It doesn’t matter what my birth rite is.

I am Quiet Fire. Fie to my friends. Champion and Demon of Equestria. A mare who thinks hotcakes should be the global cure for everything and ex-alcoholic lazy ass. Yeah… I’m me. I always knew this. I’ll get my answers in one way or another as usual.

When we left the area, I was taken aback by the immediate change to where we were originally. The hallway looked regal. Clean and sterile. Not a single ounce of any decay or weathering. Sonata led the way, galloping down the hall as Lilac had picked up a transmission from the strike teams. They had managed to arrive at the throne room and are engaging with a hostile alicorn. As we barreled down the hall, we could hear what sounds like the clashing of steel and arc fire.

Sonata swished her head and the massive oak doors opened before us. We halted and ducked as several of the strike team ponies were thrown out of the room. Looking ahead, we were shocked to see that the strike teams were incapacitated. We walked in the room, staring at the tall alicorn towering over even Sonata by several inches. This alicorn levitated a Triad pony by the neck with their magic.

The alicorn is dawned in sharp, sleek golden armor, a red and white shoulder cape draped over the side, tattered and ruined. Upon further inspection, the armor had chinks, scratches and dents in them, yet looked recently polished. We noticed a pale, almost skeletal, white coat hidden under the armor, ragged and a little overgrown at the hooves. The alicorn shifted its’ head in acknowledgement of us. The alicorn threw the pony at us, causing us to avoid the rough tumble.

The alicorn faced us, a helmet only exposing the lower jaw of the pony. We could see silver long matted strands of a mane growing out of the bottom of the helm. Coming out the back of the helmet, the mane flowed just like Celestia and Luna’s would, only silver and faint. The ghostly alicorn waited silently, as if sizing us up. It wasn’t until its’ horn glowed and with a swift slicing motion above it, a giant, finely crafted and glimmering fierce broad claymore impaled the ground in front of it after emerging from the dark hole that was cut into reality.

It placed a hoof on the cross guard, staring us down.

Two bright lights escaping from the benevolent star of the Illion Kingdom. So… the star hath faded into nothing. Then allow I, the immovable wall that is the sword and shield, Grand Captain vallian sal na Deci Illion von Maximize contain them in her stead. A voice, kind but stern resonated in my head. All who dare to defile the legacy and glory of the might of the Illion Kingdom shall kneel! The alicorn easily withdrew the claymore from the ground and shouldered it with ease with one hoof, the weight of the weapon clearly causing him to slump a little. But he remained firm. Commanding. And started walking towards us with surprising ease. I stood up and readied myself with the halberd, the others readying themselves as well.

“Out of the frying pan and into the fire.” Thi said with a nervous smirk. “What’s the plan?” Sonata narrowed her eyes challengingly at the advancing alicorn.

“Allow the Demon and I to cause the distractions.” She began. “Focus in chipping away at the armor. The Grand Captain doesn’t spoil himself with the best materials the kingdom offers.”

“Y-you sure about that??” Cloudchaser asked, my friends clearly intimidated. I’ll admit, the sheer presence of this alicorn gave me goosebumps. So decrepit but hasn’t aged a day. Sonata nodded.

“I do not know the captain personally. But he is a foal idol to our people.” She replied. I nodded.

“Ready Din?” I asked her. Din smacked her hooves together.

Time for a little payback! She cackled. Sonata and I flourished our weapons before quickly rushing the alicorn. To our shock, the captain swiftly slipped by us with amazing speed and bore down on the others. With a loud crash that knocked everypony away off their hooves, only one pony stood. Thi held up Excalibur, struggling to push back against the alicorn. Sonata and I quickly rushed him, our weapon primed to strike. Once again, in-equine speed caused me to find myself crashing into a pillar and falling hard onto my stomach.

I winced in pain, pulling myself up from the ground. Thi was on her side, using the sword to push herself up, already bleeding from the head. Sonata, unfortunately, had her face buried in a crater with the captain standing over her.

“How…?” I rasped as I stood up and adjusted my halberd. Din growled.

I’m starting to remember why he genuinely pisses me off so much… Din snarled. Arc fire then rung out. I looked over to see Lilac taking aim and firing. The bullets bounced off the armor. When the alicorn shifted to look at her, she then began to gallop away. I only blinked once and suddenly the captain had her pinned against the wall with a hoof, choking her. I felt a warmth flow through me and Din smirked. Two can play that game…

With blinding speed, Din rocketed me into the side of the alicorn, denting the side of his armor and sending him back in a stumble. He turned to face me, readying his blade. Din wasted no time in directing me, taking control of me to match the blinding speed and strength of the alicorn. We sped all over the room, our blades clashing with one another. Time slowed for us as one clash led him to deflect my halberd. He retaliated with the butt of his claymore against my chin.

However, I let my head and neck turn with the impact, making the impact hollow and allowing me to twirl in the air to deliver a powerful downward hoof kick over the helmet of the alicorn, sending him downward and crashing hard into the ground. Din hissed gleefully as she twirled and rocketed me down, shattering the side of his armor with a heavy blow of my hoof. The captain was surprisingly spry as he spun away from me, the armor flying off of him.

Shifting his claymore back onto his shoulder, he lunged, only to get blind bucked in the side of the helmet from Sonata. The alicorn crashed into the wall and stumbled off of it.

“You are weak!” Sonata called out. “Stand down captain! My business will not be halted by a dying patriot!” The captain rightened himself and faced her. With no words, he seems to make a dismissive gesture at her. Sonata flared into a blinding light as she blinked out of sight, only to reappear at the hooves of the captain. The armor shattered, save for the helm. My eyes widened. He did look skeletal, but to see that his entire body hugged his own skeleton was a disturbing sight didn't prevent him from being imposing. Sonata scoffed as she readied her sword and shield.

“Lay down your arms and rest. There is nothing to protect here anymore. I’ll see to it.” She stated coldly. “On my honor to our fallen majesties and my mentor, you have my word.” The alicorn seemed to study the captain silently. Sonata blinked away as the captain swung the claymore and aimed it at her.

You of our kin blood know that our glory is not to be looked down upon. I will not have thee defile our reign with heresy. The voice resonated.

“Heresy!?” Sonata balked angrily. “How dare you mock a scribe of our kingdom!! After all the boons my mentor provided with the kingdom, she entrusted me to see to our slumber! You only ever cared for blind faith! Tis why your own pupils led the life they did! And you would mock our benevolent star for faith?!” The alicorn shifted angrily, swishing the claymore to his side.

She doomed our kind to a suffering unquenchable! She hath fallen from her place to be among mortals of all beings! She brought the blasphemers into our ranks and hath interfered with the very balance our Creation Mother cherished! She is guilty by association and genocide! And you would vouch for a heretic?! The captain’s voice, cold and demanding now, echoed in my head. Sonata’s horn glowed as she reached out for Lilac’s saddle bag. She withdrew the skull of Rosette Nebula and held it gently in her hooves, looking at it.

“She suffered far more than what you can imagine. She has done everything she could when the Celestiales invaded. And yet, she was left with no choice. The differences in our kind was too much. And to ensure we would not suffer that ever-building downfall of our kingdom, she decided to pull the plug. This realm is no longer worth protecting. For none shall be able to find it. She brought our fallen majesties to rest upon their corruption.” Sonata caressed the skull.

“Indeed, she may have doomed our kind over differences between our tribes. But who’s to say that mortal influence wouldn’t affect the others and slowly seep into our own? Take it from me. Mortals are ever stubborn in defying differences for the sake of keeping things the same. And we were no better.” She looked back up at the alicorn. “Our kind grew too peaceful. Our experiments uncaring due to complacency and our pursuit ever continuing unhindered. You will never understand the price of sacrifice, I am afraid. For yours was put into a dying wish.”

She seemed to have expected a sudden, angry attack from the captain as she blinked behind him and decapitated the captain with ease. Time seemed to slow.

“Rest, captain. Your service hath been fulfilled. Allow us to continue the protection of the last boon to our kind. For I, Illion sos vas Moonlight Sonata, will ensure our might remain with me.” And just like that, the captain’s body slumped, having rested itself into the claymore it impaled at the last moment, the head rolling along the ground. Sonata floated down to the ground and studied Lilac. The zebra mare shakily pushed herself off the ground and painfully saluted. I flew over to my friends, who surprisingly looked beaten despite Thi taking most of the brunt.

“You guys okay?” I asked worriedly, helping Cloudchaser to her hooves.

“Could use a special mgfhh!… kiss and band-aid from our doc.” Thi rasped, limping over to us. Scribble didn’t react and instead went to work ensuring we were good enough to continue. Flitter cracked and stretched her wing.

“By Celestia’s mane… we didn’t even get a chance to do anything… who even was that?” Flitter rasped. I looked back to the fallen alicorn. The helmeted head looking back at me.

“Somepony who tried to keep the pride alive.” I replied. Thi glanced over to Sonata, who was addressing those that were still able to fight. The captain seemed to go easy on the strike teams as they were beaten and battered, but surprisingly still alive.

“Sonata certainly is deadly… I’m starting to question my luck.” She sighed as Scribble wrapped her hoof. I gave a small sincere smile.

“She didn’t have a primal empowering her back then. But… I still think you got extremely lucky with her still. I’ll be honest… I feel like we also got extremely lucky against the captain. And even more so that Sonata is with us. If we had gone into this blind… well…” My friends exchanged glances. Din scoffed.

I’m glad to be rid of the captain. Bastard… She growled. I studied the fallen captain. To think that who was once an idol to his people now a husk of what he probably cherished back then. Something told me that not everything was at it seems. But we have no time to consider the matter. The sickening feeling I was getting suddenly had me on high alert. Sonata must have sensed it as well as it interrupted her speech to her troops, forcing her to look around.

The spacious throne room went dark. A hissing, whispering laugh could be heard around us. The voices began to echo:

Lead us. Lead us. May he reign.

Din cracked her neck.

Seems we were followed. She hummed coldly. We made our way over to the center of the throne room as the room began to fog with a dark cloud. The whispering voices stopped and all was quiet. Too quiet.

“Just one thing after another… I’m already over this place…” a Triad pony spoke.

There was a mumble of agreement. Din directed my gaze towards the towering thrones and my eyes narrowed. I could make out a figure sitting boredly on the throne. It shifted when it noticed itself being spotted and stood up. My eyes widened a little. Loud stamping echoed throughout the room as all eyes faced the figure. The figure made one motion with an arm and the fog dissipated, revealing to figure to be Tyrone the Centaur.

“You just had to open your mouth.” A Triad mare spoke with an annoyed groan.

The centaur grinned at us, his eyes glaring a fierce purple.

Chapter 49: Prisma Nexus

Author's Note

Content Warning!!

While I imply things and haven’t shied from graphic stuff with mild restraint, this chapter will have some descriptions less suitable for viewing. Reader discretion is advised.

Chapter 49: Prisma Nexus

We all readied ourselves, staring down the centaur that stood before us. I couldn’t help but tilt my head slightly. Wasn’t he supposedly infect by the Kalenite?

“Tyrone.” Lilac addressed. “Surprise to see you alive and well.” Tyrone chuckled and rolled his shoulders and neck before responding.

“All thanks to this new found power I’ve acquired. Worth the effort of enduring such intense might.” He said, clenching his fist out in front of him, bulging his arm muscles. “I must thank you for getting rid of that sorry soul. I didn’t want to expend the power on a formidable foe so soon.” Sonata glared.

“I’d not have you mock our honor. The Grand Captain was blind to faith and stubbornly prideful. But he served our kingdom to his last. Just as Rosette and our majesties have.” Sonata spoke. “I should have rid of you long ago.” Tyrone gave an amused chuckle.

“Yes. But we didn’t want to disturb your beauty sleep so readily when everything was very close to fruition. Sad to say, the fruit we cared for has had a… minor delay in growth.” Tyrone looked at me and my friends. “They would have served for better uses than they are as of now. But you can’t have everything, sadly. Not even this fallen kingdom, so rife with resources and power any can dream of. Twould be remiss if it did go to waste.”

“There is nothing for you here, centaur.” Sonata spoke. Tyrone smirked and began to pace back and forth as he spoke in a non-chalant manner.

“Nothing, you say? Then how would that explain your presence? Your desire to slay your own captain to proceed unhindered? After everything you’ve been through, my queen. What compelled you to change your outlook? Surely you aren’t growing fond of mortals already. Didn’t you learn what happened to your kind?” He asked. Sonata nodded.

“More than you claim it to be. Far more nuanced for your comprehension, thankfully. But I know what needst be done. And if you stand in my way, I will be glad to make a more less sightly mercy killing than our late captain.” She coldly replied. Tyrone shook his head amusedly.

“Never change, your highness. The moon is only as cold as it is beautiful.” He replied. “That being said… your aid is still required. Can you sense it?” He held up a finger, smiling as we looked around. The only thing I could sense is the foul odor coming off of him. He reeked of instability. Tyrone nodded. “Alas, we unfortunately have no means of traveling further. For you see… the children were quite… intelligent. This whole room is enchanted. A memory of a better time. Were it so easy to break, I would not need to hide in shadows.”

“Then crawl back to where you came from.” Thi shouted, pointing Excalibur towards him. Tyrone chuckled again. He then walked over to us, speaking with gestures as we readied ourselves.

“That is precisely why I need you to break this enchantment. For I must return to his might. I have been separated for far too long.” He explained, walking past us and over to the fallen captain. “That is all I ever dreamed of. For over a millennia, I’ve waited with bated breath for the time to arrive. And thanks to Ouroboros, I have my chance.” He marveled at the alicorn. I glared at him.

“And just why is Ouroboros helping a creature he seems so adamantly chill with? Has he finally given up on being a protector of balance?” I asked. “Why did he start all of this? Why did all of this had to happen? What great plan do the eldritch beings have in store?” Tyrone flicked a speck of dust off the armor of the alicorn.

“Why, they seek nothing. Have no plans. No motivations. They are merely here to spectate. To observe. As for Ouroboros… I must say that I am partially to blame for the reasons he is now.” He explained, rubbing his two fingers together. He then pointed at Thi. “Excalibur had tried to slay the Highest Evil, your Malevolence. But he fell before he could even try. However… he certainly left a lot of destruction in his wake to ensure we would have trouble rightening things. For one, he has separated only a piece of my lord, trapping it here in this pathetic realm in spite of both of our kinds. I, for being an abomination to the very existence you mortals hold dear and for you, who has casted him aside, building him up to be a legend. A monster.”

Thi narrowed her eyes, glancing at Excalibur in her magic. Tyrone nodded with a smirk.

“Yes. You mortals are always so pent up over land, wealth and power. So much so that you would call upon the very beings who should be slumbering as per agreed upon by the Creation Mother. Even going so far as to tainting them with mortal ideals, emotions and curses. And look what had happened.” He motioned around us with his arms out. “Genocide. Betrayal. Corruption. All that perfection and knowledge now put to poor use and care. All because a mortal had the gall to say ‘I don’t think this would or should be that’.”

“That sounds awfully petty to cause doomsday and our generations to suffer.” Flitter frowned. Tyrone nodded.

“You get it! Suffering! Because what is life without a little suffering? You said so yourself, queen. Your kind grew too comfortable. Too complacent. You needed mortals to spice up your lives. The knowledge they bring was valuable for future generations. Sad to say that one generation is what caused the downfall of an entire civilization.” Tyrone seemed to pause. He looked at the claymore, as if sensing something from it. He then grinned and forcefully shoved the body of the alicorn off the claymore, withdrawing it from the ground and easily adjusting it in his hold. We readied ourselves on high alert, weapons racked and aimed at him. Tyrone smirked, testing the weight of the claymore before dawning the pauldron and shoulder cape. Sonata flared.

“How dare you!!” She roared as she blinked instantly, clashing with the broad claymore that Tyrone held. Sonata was quick, her acrobatics in the air inequine just as much as the speed. However, it seemed Tyron was easily deflecting the blows. As he was doing this, he was walking slowly over towards the helmet of the captain. In a swift motion upon reaching the helmet, Tyrone had caught the blade in the cross guard, twisting it around and disarming her. A massive hand grabbed the alicorn around her head, Sonata kicking and struggling furiously at the hold. The Triad ponies and Lilac took aim, but Tyrone held their queen in front of them. Lilac glared with such venom in her eyes as the centaur impaled the blade into the ground and bent to pick up the helmet, grabbing the head by horn.

“With that being said, I feel that it is my turn to aid you. An eye for an eye, as they say.” Tyrone spoke with a grin. He then brought the horn up to his mouth, biting down on it with his teeth and with ease, he broke the horn off the head of the alicorn, dropping the head to take the horn in his hand. A wave of uneasiness shot through me. He then brought the horn over him and with a single swipe over his head, a tear in reality opened.

Holding the horn with his teeth, he plucked the claymore from the ground and lifted it up to the hole. The sword was swallowed into it. He then held his hand open and another weapon took its’ place. A brilliant blade that shined cleanly and had intricate carvings down the blade. The handle was unique in that it looked to be guarded and weaved together an assortment of metals the melted into a strangely natural color of crimson.

He smirked and held up Sonata, who was still struggling to break free. He dragged the blade sharply onto her side, drawing blood that blended into the royal rug. Lilac bristled angrily, her eyes darting rapidly to try and find an opening. Seemingly satisfied, Tyrone then reared back and brought down Sonata into the ground, creating a crack and crater under him. When that happened, Lilac whipped out her arc pistol and the Triad unloaded into the centaur. And it seemed like my friends also wasted no time either.

Flitter fired three explosive arrows that knocked the centaur off his footing, allowing Scribble to chuck out a volley of small fire bolts, pelting the centaur onto his knees. Cloudchaser and Thi sprang forward above the arc fire and while Thi was caught during her strike, a hefty punch that shattered the horn of the centaur from Cloudchaser allowed Thi to unload her mag into the centaur’s face, giving her room to slice his arm off and spring upward, twisting in the air to then bringing down Excalibur into the skull of the centaur.

Lilac halted the firing platoon and everypony waited with bated breath. The centaur’s body was mangled and several chunks are missing, hissing into black smog. Thi smacked the pommel of Excalibur, digging it in deeper. When she withdrew and sprang off of him, landing deftly onto her hooves, the centaur’s body fell limp. Thi flicked her blade and flourished it.

“Hmph. Ya’ know, not giving them a chance to do anything is honestly cathartic.” Thi commented out loud. I narrowed my eyes. Din nodded in agreement.

We’ll set up further ahead. I have an idea. She stated. Lilac and the Triad rushed over to Sonata, who groaned and pushed herself off from the floor painfully, clutching her side.

“Mother!” Lilac blurted, helping Sonata to her hooves.

“I am no mother…” she rasped as she looked at her side. The cut wasn’t deep, but it was enough to sting. She then yanked an arc rifle off of one of the troops, racked it and unloaded into the body of Tyrone. The gun clicked twice when she ran out and she tossed it aside, spitting on the ground towards Tyrone. “For Illion and the Grand Captain…” She then looked to Thi. “Pest. Acquire the Grand Captain’s horn.” Thi grinned.

“Don’t mind if I do.” She said. I was a little disturbed by Thi casually picking up a broken off horn and walking back to us. Sonata eyed her.

“Give. It. To me.” Sonata coldly said. Thi levitated the horn in front of her.

“I don’t know. Your track record right now is not looking so great. How can we trust you if you’re going to go off over nothing left here?” Thi replied with a curious hum, spinning the horn in the air. Sonata pushed herself off of Lilac and awkwardly walked over to us in a limp.

“I am in no mood for this, Thi Billet. Give. It. Now.” She angrily growled. Thi frowned and levitated the horn over to me. I disgustedly took it from her.

“And I’m in no mood for any unwanted sacrifices. You’re a damned elemental bearer that we need. The fact Tyrone didn’t outright kill you regardless of the knowledge or not was reckless.” She retorted.

“You dare talk about recklessness with me?” Sonata flared. Thi nodded.

“I’m not excusing my own actions. My life doesn’t matter in the end. I can be as reckless as I want to. Because I can confidently back it up. You of all ponies should know that. Or is getting your ass handed to you is just a common thing to expect at this point?” Thi challenged. I walked over to her and nudged her a little.

“And you of all ponies should know when to not toss her authority needlessly.” I said with a small frown. Thi sighed.

“I’m only trying to ensure that if anypony dies, it’d be me.” She said. I shook my head.

“No pony is dying. But I will say one thing.” I looked to Sonata, levitating the horn to her, which she took in her own magic. “What’s going to happen after all of this is over. If we cannot find any agreement, then it’ll be a trial by duel. And not the fancy honorable one. Din and I aren’t walking out of here without you and the power needed.” I looked to the Triad ponies. “And I won’t hold back either.” Sonata looked at the horn. She then lowered her head slightly in thought.

“Hmph.” Sonata began. “Indeed. We still have much to discuss. So long as things go smoothly and with less distractions.” She eyed Thi. Thi shrugged and shook her head. I glanced over to the body of Tyrone.

‘Yeah…’ I thought calculatively. “So… What do we do now?” I then asked. Sonata awkwardly limped over to the bottom steps of the thrones. She looked up to them, her eyes studying everything. She then took a deep breath and held out the horn. She released her magic on it and stepped back. Our jaws dropped, seeing the horn then begin to move on its’ own. It began to draw symbols in the air, as if painting a blank portrait.

When the horn had written out what looked to be a passage to something in the shape of a rune, the horn then flicked the center before dropping to the ground, shattering. The throne room began to shake and rumble. We looked around, seeing that the throne room began to twist and morph into an entirely different room. When the room stilled and we got our footing, we could see that a whole new passage had opened up, leading downward. The thrones no longer displayed and instead, have vanished entirely.

I also noted that the body of the Grand Captain had vanished as well while Tyrone’s didn’t. In fact, there was a strange fog that seemed to emerge out of the downward passage way. And from the fog stepping out of it was a strange visage of a very handsome alicorn. His raven mane curled with a small strand sticking out of the front and kind, but stern orange eyes met us. He unfurled his wings, not only displaying his presence, but showing the many scars of battle on his white coat. Sonata stepped back in shock.

“Grand Captain…” She uttered in breath. The alicorn nodded to her.

“Well met, Illion sos vas Moonlight Sonata. A clean strike might I add.” He said, his voice smooth like caramel covering a tasty treat. Something I didn’t think would be on a fabled idol of the Illion tribe. “You must forgive me. These past millennia have not been kind on this old colt. Tis good to see one of ours's living to the fullest. And still so young.” He smiled. “If only Rosen could see you now.” Sonata lowered her head slightly. The alicorn nodded sadly. “I see. Then you already know of our fate in full. Let it be a lesson in how high a hubris of an immortal can take us. For twas our own that doomed us all.” We were speechless, but Sonata was able to reply.

“I… I thought you to be merely a husk of the stallion my acquaintances looked up to. I…” She faltered. Deci placed a wing under her chin and gently rose her head.

“Stand tall, scholar. Even if not of military might, you are an Illion both in blood and birth. Carry our name in pride.” He said with a smile. Sonata studied the stallion.

“How can I… if there is nothing left but I?” She asked with a shaky voice. I hummed a little. Din sharing the sentiment. Deci nodded and looked to the others.

“Indeed. There is nothing left for us here. But you do have someponies who have brought you far in this land. And if you truly desire the Prisma Nexus, none will stop you now. You have our blessing.” Deci spoke. “And lastly, I must thank you for putting our majesties to rest. May the Creation Mother welcome them into her heart.” Deci’s visage began to fade, leaving us in total silence.

I walked over to Sonata and looked up at her. She looked puzzled before changing her expression to a serious one, nodding. Din shifted in my mind.

Hmph. Don’t be complacent, sister. Din stated. We proceeded down into the passageway, the cold wind of magic washing over us. It is said that even the most normal creature can sense magic. The magic here would probably make the weakest attuned creature sick to their stomach. It was a complete struggle to even walk a single step without us having to fall to our haunches. Sonata eventually gathered herself and we felt a soothing wave of relief.

“Irradiated magic…” Sonata began. “We are sorely underprepared. We must retreat and think of a different approach.” Din chuckled eerily.

Weaklings. She grinned. I felt a sudden warmth flow through me and the sickening feeling faded away. I looked to see my friends looking relieved of their own ailment and looking at me with soft worry. Sonata stood up straight and adjusted her silver coat.

“Tis souring to admit that the fire elemental has grown to even quell irradiated magic.” Sonata grumbled. Din was satisfied with this reaction. With Din able to keep the irradiation away from us, we proceeded further into the passageway. Not much stood out as we progressed, save for the tiled flooring that seemed to be glowing with every step we took. Eventually, the passageway opened up and we stood in front of a stone door with a painted mural of an alicorn displaying her wings in a presentation to her presence. At the center chest of the alicorn, a strange looking crystal like object, being depicted as glowing, stood out the most. Sonata brushed her hoof softly against the door, her body shivering from what might be excitement. Or maybe nervousness? The irradiated magic may have given us some concerning side effects perhaps.

Din assured me that we were not majorly irradiated but should get checked out for anything… extra to us. I couldn’t tell if she was joking or not as she had this strange smug look to her.

‘How do we open the door?’ I then asked Din. Din’s eyes directed my gaze to the door, darting and looking for anything that stuck out. We did manage to make out something shimmering on the door, but it was hard to even make out any comprehensible shape from it. Thi rubbed her chin.

“So… any ideas?” She asked out loud. Sonata sighed.

“Loath am I to say this, but even I do not know how to enter into the Nexus Chamber. And the ponies that do are, from what I have been told, locked away in this very chamber. The first generation of alicorns. Our heritage.” She explained. I rubbed my own chin and looked to Thi.

“Thi. I think I have an idea. But I need your input. The mural. It’s faded, but isn’t there something at the base of the door?” I spoke. Thi blinked and looked at the stone door. The lighting wasn’t the best, but Din’s fire around me gave off plenty. Thi’s eyes widened.

“Good eye, Fie. Gimmie a bit. Flitter, can I use you as a cursor?” She asked, turning to the sisters. Flitter tilted her head curiously but nodded and walked over to us. Thi and Flitter walked up to the door, Thi directing Flitter with a hoof. Flitter rubbed her chin in thought, nodding to Thi’s directions. Flitter took a deep breath and plucked out a loose feather. She then began to trace the feather stem tip over the faded drawings. Thi narrowed her eyes, scrunching her face as she tried to picture what it was. When the two were finished, Thi hummed and looked to me.

“Well… from what I can vision is that there is a gathering of alicorns worshipping the object, but that’s about as much as I could make out. Thanks for your help Flitter.” She smiled. The pegasus shrugged, still a bit curious. I then lowered my head a little.

“Sonata. What if we present a relic to the door? One that can actively sunder ancient magic?” I asked. Sonata looked to me questioningly. I motioned at Thi. “Perhaps, Excalibur? During your assault against Tyrone, when Thi impaled the sword into him, Din and I noticed a dispersal of malignant magic. Perhaps… and this is just a theory, we could use our primal’s manipulation of the magic around us, concentrate into the sword and use it as a functioning key?” Scribble’s eyes widened a little as he thought about this.

“The theory is sound… Worth a shot.” Scribble marveled. Thi shifted her smile a little before calling forth Excalibur. The sword glowing brightly in Din’s fire. Sonata didn’t look too pleased, but she nodded and stood next to me. Thi walked forward and seemed to flush a little.

“Err… so I just… hold it up… like this?” She said, holding Excalibur up. I couldn’t help but snicker.

“How heroic.” I teased. Sonata frowned.

“A disappointment to your own caretakers.” Sonata commented. Thi sighed.

“Let’s just do this quick…” she aaid embarrassingly. I shrugged.

“We aren’t the one forcing you to do a pose.” I teased again. Sonata and I readied ourselves and the winds of magic began to grow colder and colder. Our spectators shivered, their breaths visible as Din’s and Lux’s magic began to bring the irradiated magic around us. With the two’s magic weaving together, the magic began to be purified and directing itself towards Excalibur. Thi kept the sword held aloft as it began to glow brightly. Thi then aimed Excalibur at the door. A beam of light shot out and began to trace the mural, spreading out like a web. The light then traced into one center point. The strange object at the chest of the alicorn. There was a loud rumble and the room shook.

The stone doors began to open inward. A bright prismatic glow illuminated the room. Our eyes widened as we could see in the center of a large, circular room, a pedestal. It was strangely surrounded by machinery, crystals and other assortments of materials. On the pedestal, floating in the air and being hit with a visible pillar of light that trailed as far upward as the eye could see. Lining the walls from the bottom to the top, disappearing into the light above, were thrones.

And each throne was occupied by a mummified corpse of alicorns. We stepped in and found ourselves feeling small once more. Sonata looked around.

“Our ancestors really did lock themselves away… but… why…?” Sonata marveled.

“My guess is… to watch over the Prisma Nexus.” Thi said, her eyes falling onto the pedestal. “Is this it? I was kind of expecting a relic of some kind.” Sonata nodded and pointed at the pedestal.

“You cannot see it as well, but it is in there. We just need to figure out how to prevent my homeland from crashing into our realm now.” Sonata stated. “I’ve been thinking about the process. We need to activate the Busy Bodies.” She then looked to the troops. “Strike teams, return the base camp and make ready to activate the Busy Bodies. They’ll be in a special pod that you cannot miss. Avoid the white ones as those contain the kingdom’s alicrons. We will begin plans on how to approach the Prisma Nexus in the meantime.”

“For she has spoken!” The Triad troops said before turning and rushing back down the passageway. I rubbed the back of my head.

“Will they be okay on the way out?” I asked. Sonata scoffed and proceeded to walk around the base of the machine.

“You mock the organization of Euclides. They will come through. We should focus on finding a way to get to the relic.” She stated coldly. And thus, with Din keeping us safe from the irradiated magic, we began a painstakingly, too long of a bother, tossing of ideas and theories. Meanwhile, Lilac was monitoring the strike team’s progress. Eventually, I got a little bored and proceeded with my own plan. Din directed me to certain areas of the massive space, using her magic to set the stage (so to speak) when the time comes.

Din is here for power. The Prisma Nexus should not be in Sonata’s hooves, no matter what her people may think. And for risk of her realizing this, I didn’t mention this to my friends. Better they conserve their energy for what’s to come. My eyes then soon fell to the many mummified alicorns dotting the walls and up towards the light. I hummed in thought.

‘Were you ever aware of this Prisma Nexus and the history behind it? Did Rosette ever mention it?’ I asked Din. Din was staring up at the tree, the phoenix curiously eyeing her.

The fog is still there, but from what I can remember is in passing. Doc has only ever brought it up between those she deemed trustworthy enough. The Prisma Nexus, the very source that makes the tribes believe of her existence. For it was a tear from her that it was bestowed upon them. A single drop, carrying the very nature of the Creation Mother. Din explained. Tis as much a mystery, and one of the pillars of pursuit the Doc has died upon. I looked up at the pillar.

The vast quantities of magic, sickening the more I looked upon it, couldn’t help but strike a certain wonder. And that wonder caused my gaze to fall upon a strange sight. Amongst the thrones, there was an alicorn, who didn’t seem mummified. In fact, they looked to be brimming with life. My eyes widened when the head shifted slightly, acknowledging itself to me. Instinct suddenly took over and I rushed by everypony, who looked at me confused by my action. I stood up and called upon my halberd, aiming it up at the alicorn. Using Din’s eyes, I noticed upon further inspection, it wasn’t a throne. The alicorn was perched upon an arm of an empty one. How long was it observing us. And now that it has been caught, the alicorn stood up. The alicorn descended, allowing the light to not blind me so I could make out the features of the alicorn. My jaw dropped a little.

She appeared young. No more than having reached, in pony terms, early adulthood. The slender, snow-white figure covered by a golden armor, hugging to her chest and hooves, gave off an ethereal feminine build. And yet, the body was toned. She landed a couple yards away from me, standing upright, her valkyrie helmet glinting with an orange-reddish mane flowing above her almost similar to my own under Din’s power. She silently eyed me from under her visor, as if judging my sins in full.

The rest proceeded to ready themselves. Sonata approached the alicorn cautiously. She got halfway before stopping as several weapons impaled the ground in front of her from above. The alicorn didn’t move. Only silently shifted her judging look to her. The alicorn tilted her head, her posture easing a bit. She then smiled and nodded to her, stunning Sonata herself. Sonata then gasped.

“You… You’re alive…?” Sonata gasped, dropping her arc pistol to the ground with a clatter. Sonata hesitated, looking around. “Then… is he…?” Sonata paused and her jaw fell open. We followed her gaze and our eyes fell onto an alicorn, who had perched upon an empty throne’s arm. The alicorn, dawning a silvery blue tattered robe, revealing an ivory white chipped chain mail and worn-out hoof wraps that dangled loosely upon the hind and forelegs, descended and landed opposite at the same length of the other.

The alicorn’s features, while hidden under the silvery blue hood, were slim and masculine. When the alicorn removed the hood, the mane was unkempt, chestnut and curly. However, the alicorn had a tattered bandage wrapped around his eyes, hiding any expression they might give above the stoic muzzle. He did, however, nod knowingly to Sonata’s direction. Sonata had a dumbfounded expression on her face.

“All this time… but I thought…” She faltered.

“That was quite rude of you to interrupt my preparation.” A voice chuckled. We looked and immediately readied ourselves again. Emerging from the passageway was none other than Tyrone. In his hold, the blade he had called upon previously. “It was taking a while that I had worried that you all have perished to the irradiated magic. But thanks to a certain Primal, that is null and void.” He looked at me. Thi called upon Excalibur and aimed it at him.

“Should have guessed that wouldn’t be enough. We can fix that right here and now.” Thi stated, ready to fight. My friends readied themselves in agreement. I was about to say something when the two alicorns suddenly walked forward, stepping in front of us. They looked over their shoulder to Thi, who arched a brow questioningly. The mare lowered Excalibur gently with a wing and Thi blinked, staring at the sword. “Did… did you just coo?” She asked herself out loud. The two alicorns stepped forward, suddenly brimming with powerful magic that completely nullified the feeling of sickness.

Tyrone grinned and shifted his blade in his grip.

“Well, well. To think there are more still alive. And first generation no less.” He said, cracking his neck. The two alicorns smirked and Tyrone’s eyes narrowed. “Wait… this magic… it’s familiar…” Tyrone suddenly stiffened and the male alicorn took off into the air, hovering just a little above the centaur as he floated upwards. The alicorn’s hooves began to move, drawing runes around him almost like a blur. The runes glowed to life and when the alicorn swished his head, the runes combined, enlarged and shot forward, trapping the centaur inside of them.

The alicorn’s mouth began to move, as if chanting something under his breath. In an instant, Tyrone screamed in agony and a black miasma cloud sprayed out of his mouth. The dark purple coloring fading and Tyrone’s red skin returning. The black cloud began to twist and morph, as if writhing in intense pain. The alicorn paused and the runes shattered around them, the cloud freeing itself and diving back into Tyrone. The centaur gurgled and made a disgusted face, his skin returning to a dark purple.

He wiped his mouth and growled.

“You’ll pay for that, brat!” Tyrone snarled. A sickening throbbing sound made Tyrone lurch forward, his back then exploding and revealing demon like wings that now kept him aloft. He primed his blade to impale, kicking off at high speed towards the alicorn. However, time seemed to slow. The stallion grinned and only shifted back a bit. Out of nowhere, the mare appeared from above, bearing down a massive sword. Using the flat of the blade, the massive sword struck Tyrone and flattened him into the ground with a crash. Time sped up as the gigantic sword was then brought back up by the mare and brought back down again, crashing into the ground.

The impact knocked my friends off their hooves, leaving Sonata and I to shield ourselves from the amount of dust and debris that came flying. Once, twice, thrice. The alicorn mare then swished her head, a large tear in reality appearing as she dropped the gigantic sword into it. She then swished upward, creating another tear above the crater and a massive, spiked mace fell right on top of Tyrone. I was dumbfounded.

“Who are they?” Thi asked with a rasp as she pushed herself off the ground and rubbing her head. Sonata smiled. A genuine smile.

“Old allies.” She said softly. I felt a relief wash over me. However, Din felt uneasy. And not in the uncomfortable sense.

They live… they truly live… She spoke. I furrowed my brow and looked to Thi. Thi studied Excalibur and her expression matched mine, looking at me knowingly.

“Okay… so we don’t have to worry about them then?” Cloudchaser coughed and waved away the dust.

“Just watch.” Sonata spoke. I narrowed my eyes and Din shared my sentiment. The two alicorns flew away as Tyrone chucked the mace at them, the mare quick to tear open reality and have it vanish before turning to Tyrone. The stallion alicorn began to draw runes and both of them began glowing. The mare then tore open another hole and decided to fall into it, leaving the stallion to begin firing off arcane energy so strong that I felt the ripple of magic become distorted.

Tyrone swiftly avoided the magic, flying quickly around and rocketing towards the stallion. I blinked once and the stallion had somehow warped himself behind Tyrone. The centaur crashed into an empty throne, pulling himself away and glaring angrily at the stallion. Tyrone roared, his horns glowing as he unleashed a massive beam at him. The stallion was quick, seemingly anticipating the attack. A barrier formed and absorbed the beam, canceling it outright. Tyrone snorted and waved his fingers over the blade and creating a sinister glow surrounded it.

With another cast of magic from the centaur, he suddenly blinked forward and bore down on the stallion. The stallion reacted quickly, but not enough as he was batted into the ground with a crash. Tyrone swished his head and aimed his horns, unleashing a massive blast downward. We were nearly knocked off our hooves. When the dust cleared, the stallion stood up, dusting his robe off and seemingly annoyed about something. Tyrone shook angrily.

“Just die!!” He roared, slashing his sword horizontally and releasing a sharp wave at him. The stallion didn’t move as a tear appeared out of nowhere in front of him. The wave vanished, the centaur looking confused by this. The tear vanished and then reappeared above him. A hail of weapons of varying shapes and sizes rained down on the centaur, causing him to shield himself with his arm and blade, the raining weapons drawing blood as they slashed and struck him. A tear appeared under him, catching the weapons before appearing to rocket out behind him, several sticking into the back, body and shoulder of the centaur.

Tyrone roared and threw his fist at the vanishing tear. Tyrone unstuck a spear from his shoulder and chucked it at the next tear that appeared. From the tear shot out the wave the deflected the spear and grazed Tyron, then followed by the emergence of the alicorn mare, this time surfing on a great sword with a variety of weapons circling and creating almost a separate entity she was surfing on. She caught the spear in her magic, directing herself under and around the centaur, throwing out waves of weapons at him. Tyrone flew away, deflecting and batting away several that tried to strike him.

The mare gave chase as the stallion began to draw runes that appeared in front of her, seemingly boosting her along to catch the centaur. Tyrone roared and began striking out wildly. However, the mare snatched a dagger and a sword from the wave of weapons and deflected the blows. She kicked off her sword, flipping over the centaur, parrying the follow up strike and quickly slashing at him. A true strike. Tyrone reared back, clutching his face as the mare landed back on a weapon and surfed it back into the tear. Not giving the centaur a chance, the stallion held up his hoof and brought it down, rocketing Tyrone into the ground with a crash.

Another tear appeared and this time, the weapons that fell from it were strange. They circled the centaur and before Tyrone can push himself off the ground, he was flattened and pinned, struggling to move. The alicorn mare flipped out of a tear and landed next to the stallion, seemingly proud of herself while the stallion seemed acceptant of this outcome. Just who are these two? Din remained quiet.

Thi whistled.

“Who are they?” Thi asked Sonata once more. Sonata opened her mouth but paused. The two alicorns had met her gaze. With their eyes covered, it was hard to gauge what they were expressing, but Sonata lowered herself.

“No pony important enough. Just know they are on our side.” She replied. Thi arched a brow and rubbed her head. She glanced at Excalibur, seemingly puzzled by the sword. “You two.” Sonata began. “We must take the Prisma Nexus. How do we acquire it?” The two alicorns remained silent. The mare looked up at the pillar and shifted her wings. Sonata sighed. “Not even you could manage it? Perhaps for the better. Regardless, it is of utmost importance the Prisma Nexus be removed from this dying realm.” Tyrone began to laugh.

“Remove it? Yes… an idea for sure.” Tyrone rasped, struggling against his binds. Sonata glared at the centaur.

“You should have cut his tongue as well. We’ve no time for games. Update status.” She looked to Lilac. Lilac nodded.

“The teams have successfully activated the Busy Bodies. Intel reports that they were in the process of constructing a ‘net’ for the kingdom.” Lilac replied. Sonata’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“Interesting.” She said, her eyes looking towards the alicorns. They remained silent and still. “Then that leaves the matter at hoof.” Thi hummed and held up Excalibur.

“Maybe… try the same thing?” She asked. Sonata studied her before looking at me. I rubbed the back of my head.

“It’s something we could try. I’m not expecting anything out of it.” I said simply. Sonata nodded and readied herself. Din chuckled quietly to herself, her anticipation increasing as I readied with Sonata. Thi held up the sword and aimed it at the pedestal. Our primals channeled their power into Excalibur and a beam shot out at the tip, striking the pillar of light. The pillar reacted with a glow. Yet, nothing seemed to budge. That is until another stream of magic channeled into the sword.

I looked and saw the two alicorns silently aiming their horns at the sword. This appeared to have worked. The sickening feeling of the irradiated magic had vanished entirely and the light pillar dimmed tremendously. We canceled our magic and looked up at the pedestal. We could make out something hovering just above it. A prismatic, glittering dodecahedron orb reflected the light, bringing color to the grey-ish lighting. We stared at it in awe, the magic aura visibly swirling around it.

Finally! The Creation Mother’s power… all for me! Din marveled. There was a loud roar and we looked to see Tyrone break free of his bindings. I gasped and Din immediately kicked me off the ground. Tyrone did the same and we sped towards the Prisma Nexus. I reached out my hoof and touched the orb at the same time Tyrone did. Before we could even wrestle it from each other, a sharp, electric pain shot through us and the Prisma Nexus exploded into a colorful aura of intense magic around us.

I screamed in agony, the magic being too much to bear. Din was also writhing in pain, the power beginning to seep into us. I wanted to let go, to end this sudden agony. But I steeled myself, seeing Tyrone struggling with his own and glaring down at me challengingly. No, I can’t let up. No matter how bad it is, I will endure! Din struggled to keep herself steady. A loud cry of a phoenix broke the sudden pain. The phoenix landed on the back of Din and erupted into a bright, crimson flame.

Din grinned maniacally, a surge of energy flowing into her.

That’s it! More… I command more! She cackled loudly. I felt a powering warmth course through me, allowing me to find the strength to rise from my near buckling. I glared angrily at Tyrone, pulling the Prisma Nexus towards me as he did his best to pull against me. Din and the phoenix’s fire began to combine with the rainbow prismatic aura, flaring it brightly into a raging heat.

Thi Billet’s POV

The atmosphere was too much. The intensity froze us all into place. The magical aura surrounding my best friend and the possessed centaur was bright and should be blinding. Yet, we could see the tug-o-war the two were having over the Prisma Nexus. I noticed Sonata trying to kick off the ground to confront them, but it seemed whatever this magical power is is inhibiting Lux from aiding her.

So, this is the Creation Mother’s power? A single tear drop no less. The brash voice resonated in my mind.

‘What should I do??’ I asked the voice. The voice seemed to chuckle and shrug.

No clue. Though, we should probably start heading on our way out. the voice replied. I shook my head, pulling myself up with Excalibur.

‘Buck that! I’m not leaving Fie!’ I growled at the voice.

Then think of something, badass. We don’t have all day. The voice replied casually.

‘Insufferable bastard…’ I grumbled. I looked around, seeing that my friends and enemies were struggling to get their footing. The two alicorns seemed frozen in place, looking upon the sight with quiet marvel.

“Hey, you two!” I called out to the alicorns. They shifted to look at me. “A little help here!?” The moment I said that, the aura flared tremendously large, reaching the thrones of the mummified alicorns. I gasped as I saw several light dots of magic appear. The mummies didn’t move nor breathe. And yet, their horns began glowing. One by one in a wave, the colorful glow of magic appeared. And one by one, they fired a weaving trail of magic into the center where Fie and Tyrone were struggling in.

A bright rainbow suddenly surrounded them and shook the entirety of the castle. And in a single flash of light, everything stopped. I could still feel my body shaking from the tremors. I looked up at the pedestal and gasped.

“Fie?? Fie?!” I called out in a panic, looking around. I then looked over to the alicorns and was about to demand what happened when I noticed them glowing. They examined themselves, as if curious what was happening to them. In a blink of an eye, they vanished into a puff of light. I slumped. ‘Great. Any ideas?’ I thought. There was silence. I blinked quizzically. ‘Excalibur?’ I looked down at the sword. Nothing seemed to have changed physically or magically. And yet… the presence isn’t there. I began to panic a little, unable to fully process it as the castle began to tremor once more.

Several pieces of what might be throne bits crashed around. Sonata growled and turned to us.

“We must leave!” She called out, bolting to the stone door. Lilac was quick to follow. I nodded to my friends and we bolted as well. We barreled down the passageway, dodging debris and other stuff as we made our trek through the crumbling castle. By some stroke of luck, Sonata waved a hoof over a door and we wound up outside the castle, looking up at it from a distance. Taking a quick look around, we appeared to have been thrown out near the bridge. Just as we were about to take a breather, the ground began to tremble.

I peeked out over the side and could see the foundation of the Illion civilization crumbling bit by bit. Not even the newly constructed massive propellers seemed to be safe from it. I could make out small white dots hurrying about to construct newer ones, materializing them as if from nowhere. Upon looking back up at the castle, we could see pieces of it beginning to crumble and fall apart. The black sun began to stir.

“Get your asses moving!! Or you’ll be left behind!!” Lilac shouted, lowering her hoof from her ear. “We must leave now.”

“But Fie-!” I began, only for Sonata to pick me up in her magic and pull me along as my friends and enemies barreled down the bridge. Not too far off just behind us, the strike teams were galloping over to us.

“Lux cannot sense both of them! We have to move!” Sonata growled. She can’t?

‘Excalibur, can you sense them anywhere?’ I thought to my sword. Only silence. The lightning began to crash around us as they made their way up the marble staircase, the massive portal still brimming with life still waiting for us. I looked towards that crumbling civilization. Buildings were falling, the Severance Cascade bearing down cruelly on what was once a prosperous and glorified home to prideful alicorns, dedicated to their pursuits. Before I was flung into portal, I noticed off in the distance three figures.

The alicorns had shifted their wings, one of them waving farewell to us before vanishing as the world around me flashed. I landed on my side with a skid and looked up as the others barreled through the portal (all having made it) as the portal shrunk and vanished. I furrowed my brows at my friends, their concerns matching mine.

This ends now, Tyrone. Fie’s voice rang out. We all looked up and our eyes widened. It was like a gargantuan projection of my best friend still wrestling with the centaur over the Prisma Nexus. My eyes stared in awe at Fie. How she towers so magnificently even over the earth.

Quiet Fire’s POV

I grunted as I began bucking and kicking at the toned abdomen of the centaur, only making him bend over a little as he tried to wrestle the Prisma Nexus from me. I hadn’t realized that we were out in space until the Prisma Nexus pushed both of us away and we went sailing. I was expecting for Din and I to correct myself in space. But yet, I hit a non-existent ground hard enough that it felt like a flak high of water and concrete.

I shook away my daze, pushing myself up and looking to the Prisma Nexus. My eyes widened. A starry alicorn cradled the Prisma Nexus close to her chest. She looked desperately at me.

”I do not have much time!! My daughter, you must stop the malice from spiraling out of control at the Edge of the Expanse!! I beg of you, end this now!!” Equualie said desperately. The Prisma Nexus glowed brightly and she screamed in agony. I balked, but before I could do anything, Equualie glared at me. ”I’ll hold off the tear from preventing an overwrite of the galaxy!! Focus on your destiny!!” She struggled to say. Tyrone laughed.

“Isn’t this a pleasant surprise. Now how did you escape the serpent’s cage?” Tyrone marveled amusedly. Din spoke through me.

“Silence, worm! You’re the only thing right now in my way to true power and my rite of ascension!” She stated loudly. “It doesn’t matter where we are or what is happening! The only thing I want is my victory!” Tyrone chuckled and flourished the massive blade skillfully.

“Then be my guest, little spark. Let’s see who’s the real apex of this pathetic realm!” He said, cracking his neck and priming his blade to strike. I underestimated how quick Tyron really was. The size advantage he had on me was obviously putting me on the defensive. I bobbed, weaved, jumped and flipped around Tyrone’s slashes. He is insanely quick. Given how he handled Sonata earlier, I found myself being cut and nicked more than I could get a hit in.

With a skillful flourish, my halberd managed to deflect a blow. Then again and again in quick succession. Din synchronized with me, able to help me keep up with the blows. Eventually, I began to find cracks in his assault. It began as small nicks that bounced off his hardened toned muscles, but with a quick zip around from behind, jumping up to avoid a buck from him, I hooked my hoof around his horn when he turned around, letting the momentum carry me and allowing me to flip over and drive both my hind hooves directly into his face, drawing sickly black blood from the impact.

The centaur stumbled back, but I didn’t waste time. Din cackled maniacally as we began a flurry of stabs and jabs, putting the centaur into defensive. I saw an opening and was about to deliver the blow when a sudden flailing beam of prismatic rainbow cracked in between us, sending both of us back a bit. My eyes widened and I looked over to Equualie. She was still struggling with the Prisma Nexus, but she seemed to be wavering a little as prismatic rainbow beams flailed about, tearing open space itself.

Back on earth, Equestria began to tremble. And not just Equestria. The north, south, east and west countries and denizens were panicking. Like a broken mirror, reality and space began to crack and crawl all over in no particular direction, revealing an empty void of blackness. And it was not just the world, but the entire galaxy was beginning to crack.

”You must… hurry…!” Equualie struggled in pain to speak.

“Where are you looking, little pony?!” Tyrone roared eagerly as he grabbed me entirely around the head and slammed into whatever ground we were on. He then galloped, dragging me along before chucking me high into the air. He roared, growing his devil wings from his back and rocketed up to me. I felt the wind being knocked out me as well as the whole space spinning as he delivered drive-by blows. He finished it with bucking me in the stomach, rocketing me into the space ground with a loud crash of rippling water.

I couldn’t breathe. Tyrone landed directly over me, a smug smirk on his face. He then reached down and grabbed me tightly around my torso, pinning me from using my forelegs at all.

“Hehe. As the space and time falls apart around us, I can only think of one thing on my mind. How delicious your power is.” He licked his lips. My eyes widened as he opened his mouth, bearing his sharp fangs and brought me closer. I struggled but to no avail. I felt a sharp pain bite down on my horn and I screamed in agony as he jerked and bit hard at the base. I felt cold blood trickle down my face before he yanked me away. The pain was excruciating that I couldn’t stop from screaming, thrashing my head wildly and flicking blood at the centaur. He then under-tossed me away and I went rolling, clutching my head and trying to feel for my horn. I screamed in horror at the feeling of nothing.

Get ahold of yourself, Fie!! Din growled angrily, more at the centaur. I shakily held my head, covering my amputation. I felt sick. Horribly sick. So much so that I vomited then and there, my fluids falling and vanishing into the space water. I could see my reflection. Copious amounts of blood trickled and spurts of blood escaped from my hooves. My mortify reflection couldn’t comprehend this. I looked up to see Tyrone dangle my bloodied horn above him and drop it into his mouth, crushing it with his teeth. He chewed briefly before spitting out the dust and bits of my horn out.

“Blech! How disappointing and awful! Not a single amount of magic to you. The fact you have made it this far relying on a primal is beyond me. But…” He flourished his sword. “There is still more to go around. I want what’s inside of you. That power you hold… I can’t wait to feast.” He licked his lips again. Din growled, a sudden surge of concern hitting my mind and dulling the throbbing pain.

Listen, Fie. I only have one shot at this. Din said, looking over to the Prisma Nexus. She then looked to the phoenix and nodded. With a soothing cry, I felt a surge of energy in me, dulling the pain. I managed to stand up, gathering myself together. What was once pain and agony, was now anger. I felt a strong warmth flow through me. Din didn’t seem to mind me tapping into her power. In fact, she gave it all to me. She stood tall and straight, aiming her horn upward. The phoenix cried again and both unfurled their wings.

I unleashed a hellfire blaze that flailed wildly around me. The fire lashed out and began to weld the cracks closed. At the same time, it was intercepting the Prisma Nexus. Equualie seemed to ease a little, looking on in astonishment as the Prisma Nexus’s prismatic power began to twist and twirl like a funnel into my raging hellfire. The fire began to glisten and glitter like a stained-glass mosaic. I then began to feel… strange. I felt taller. Calmer. Much more in control of myself than I thought.

Tyrone looked on in amazement, his smile creeping wider and wider as he let out a marveled laugh.

“Ahahahaha!! Yes!! That’s it!! That’s the power I want to see!! Oh, so delicious!!” He then flourished his blade and aimed it at me. “Very well then!! If it is to be a contest of power, I happily oblige!!” I tilted my head slightly, watching as the centaur began to grow and contort at the muscles. To my slight surprise, he ripped open a satchel and in a sickening blast of darkness and light, washed and swirled around Tyrone. His body began to transform grotesquely ss the Rainbow of Darkness was sucked into the centaur, I narrowed my eyes slightly at the disgusting sight.

Whatever was left of the centaur was gone. Four demonic claw legs dug into the watery space, his arms and torso bulging with thick black, serrated skin, his face demonic with fierce looking demon wings extending further outward. His mane now wild and flailing out behind him, elongated and having a mind of its’ own. He grabbed the sword with his free hand by the blade and cut himself, letting the dark malice wash over the blade and transforming it into a sharp, jagged and serrated claymore.

“Come, Champion of Equestria. Demon of Fire. The one who walks away from here is the true victor of all the galaxies.” Tyrone declared, his voice sharp, deep and echoing hisses. I looked down at myself. I had changed drastically myself. In the reflection, I am tall. Slender. My missing horn now an ethereal projection of prismatic rainbow sharpened to the point. My mane glowed brightly with fiery prismatic colors and flowed freely at my side. My coat a bioluminescent hue of rainbow and my hoodie cloak fashioned into prismatic fiery armor. But what stuck out to me most, were my eyes. Both were swirling like a galaxy. Looking back up as I saw Tyrone vanish and appear behind me in the reflection, I looked in his direction and his blade clashed with the tip of my horn.

This sent a shock wave through space, the water rippling. Tyrone grinned as he pushed me back, my hooves digging into the space ground. Suddenly, Tyrone’s face contorted into confusion as a clone of myself delivered a hefty buck across his face. This sent him sliding back a few yards away, but he stood straight, shaking the blow off. I called to my halberd and in a same display of my transformation, a fiery golden halberd shone brilliantly in my fire. The blade resonated the magical aspect and even left a light trial as I flourished it and stood on my hind legs, aiming it at Tyrone.

“I will set this right.” My voice, combined with Din’s, resonated harmoniously from me. With a quick swish I was already up in Tyrone face, taking him by surprise. One good slash at his heels caused him to fall right on top of my waiting horn piercing his throat. The black liquid trickled down onto my head, but it would not be enough. This allowed Tyrone to grab me by the mane, yank me away before picking me up and slamming me down hard, doing it over and over and over himself. Eventually, he held me up and began pummeling me across my muzzle.

He would have followed it up with something else had my reflection not reached out of the water and set him on fire, the blaze making a beautiful light show. Tyrone screamed in pain, dropping me. Landing on my hooves, I wiped my muzzle and called to the stars for aid. One by one, clones of myself began dropping around the space, immediately rushing him and clashing their halberds one by one with his blade. As my clones kept him occupied, I looked over to Equualie. She was still struggling with the Prisma Nexus, but from what I'm sensing, it's only minimal. Her blank eyes met mine. She then smiled exhaustively.

"How beautiful you are, my little star..." She rasped. I didn't react to this. At this moment, I feel nothing but serenity. I looked back as I heard a roar and Tyrone unleashed a malevolent wave of darkness, eviscerating my clones. I called to the stars for aid again as he huffed and snorted like a bull, looking my way. More clones dropped out from space and began rushing him. Tyrone leaned back, his chest puffing out before he lurched and bellowed out a spray of dark rainbow, washing and creating an ominous glow in space. My clones were once again dispatched as the wave grew closer to me. Throwing a barrier onto Equualie, I then backflipped high into the air, avoiding the wave as Din's wings appeared. I noticed in my reflection another set of wings just above Din's. Phoenix wings unfurled brightly as brilliant feathers fluttered around me.

Tyrone looked up at me and grinned, kicking off the space ground and blinking right to me, clashing with my halberd.

“Honor-less fighter? My respect.” His demonic face beamed. It was quickly scrunched into pain as my horn bored deep into the chest of the creature. Calling upon the stars once more, several clones rocketed in and one by one, pierced their horns into Tyrone. Tyrone struggled, managing to shakily grab me by the torso and pulling me out, chucking me hard into the ground with a crash. Seemingly getting his second wind and ignoring my clones still impaled into him, he took a deep breath and exhaled another wave of dark rainbow.

From the dark rainbow emerged phantasmal equines of demonic shape and gigantic sizes charged me, a sinister whinny echoing from them. I stood up and faced them.

Ha… Ha… Need to… vent more… Din panted.

‘Din?’ I asked with calm concern. Din rightened herself.

I’ll be fine. Let us expend most of this power. It’s getting too hot in here. She replied with a smug grin. Together, we flourished the halberd and rocketed into the charging horde. One by one, I dispatched the phantoms with relative ease, even being cocky with a few of them. Din was also using her magic to take out those that would approach from behind the ones I’ve felled. I noticed Tyrone growling, letting out an angry roar and throwing off my clones, dispatching them himself before charging me.

His horns gathered magic and he began rapidly firing beams of dark rainbows at me. I deflected what I could with a propeller spin of my halberd and dodging the rest. We clashed again. Blow for blow, our strikes on each other rang out into the nothingness of space. When a moment of us breaking away allowed Tyrone to charge up another beam of magic, I quickly javelined my halberd into his leathery throat, vanishing and emerging from my halberd and locking my hooves around his horns. With all mine and Din’s might, we pulled the horns, ripping them off from the base. Tyrone roared in agony, only for me to twirl the horns and stab them directly into his eyes, holding on as he flailed and thrashed to get me off of him.

I ensured that his horns were rightfully dug in before I backflipped off my halberd (giving a heavy buck against the horns for good measure and for distance) withdrawing it from his throat before correcting myself and like the very light itself, charged and appeared behind him in a blink of an eye. I held my pose, hearing the satisfying spray of filth the centaur had in him and a heavy thump. I stood upright and faced the fallen centaur. He painfully and shakily pushed himself off the ground and faced over to my direction, stabbing his blade to keep himself up.

I readied myself, staring him down and anticipating his next move. However, I wasn’t expecting him to tear open the fabric of space with a single slash of his blade in a fit of rage. A strange, golden swirling light appeared, only to spit out a massive comet aimed at me. My eyes widened a little. It’s the same comet I saw in my out of body experiences. The three headed bundled dragon, now in full view and rocketing towards me.

”YOU IMBECILE!! YOU DARE DEFY OUR MASTER?!?” A guttural hiss and cry of anger blurted out from Tyrone. The centaur clutched his throat, choking himself before he could utter his words.

“Fuck you.” He rasped. Time seemed to slow as the massive dragon comet hurled itself towards me.

We push through!! Together!! Din barked. I only nodded and drawing from all our reserves, we threw up a barrier and caught the comet. However, it began pushing me back with ease. I dug my hooves in, trying with all my might to push back. Din let out a cry of anger, her determination burning brightly like the stars around us. I grit my teeth, trying to keep myself from buckling under the weight of it. I couldn’t push back any longer. Before I could even kneel, a star in the distance shone and rocketed over to me.

In a brilliant flash of light, I felt the weight lessen a little. I looked and saw the figure of an alicorn mare standing in front of me, defiantly facing the dragon. A second star shone, and the weight was lifted even more as the figure of an alicorn stallion, standing with the mare in front of me appeared. The familiar alicorns looked over their shoulders, their teeth grit in struggle against the weight. I still could not see their faces, but I could tell they smiled and nodded to me. I felt a burst of energy and determination, taking a single step forward, working on taking the second step. I only managed three steps when all of us began to be pushed back.

What’s even worse is that I saw movement from the dragon. It stirred awake. A rorsarch pattern of what I can only assume was pure malice in energy eyed me from all three heads. It didn’t even lift a single muscle and suddenly, an explosion of malice began to wash over the edge of space. I glanced over my shoulder, seeing Equualie struggling against the Prisma Nexus as cracks had been working on opening up during my fight. Through her pained expression, she gave me a reassuring smile and nodded.

I blinked and looked up, seeing the wave of malice bear down on us. I braced myself against the tide, waiting for the inevitable fate. And yet, through the darkness came the light.

”Do not falter, young one!” A voice rang out. It was commanding, almost fatherly. A star rocketed in and the weight of Malice lessened more. A tall, handsome alicorn stallion that I recognized as King Illion, stand defiantly against the wave. ”The realm she created must not fall!” My jaw dropped a little.

”You can do it, Chosen One!” Another voice called out, a star bearing down and allowing me to make several steps forward. A beautiful goddess of an alicorn mare matched her husband’s defiance. ”My children protected this realm from all Malice. Let it continue in their absence!”

”We are with you!” Another voice called out. I looked above and saw, to my surprise, Rosette Nebula, lessening the weight again. ”Our sacrifice will not go in vain! As my pride of an Illion member, Malice shall fall here!” She called out sternly. Suddenly, another star shot out from beyond space and soared to stand in front of me. It is a stallion, ethereal as if only a shadow of himself remained. Yet, he bared Excalibur at his side, the brilliant sword erupting into a bright aura.

”I’ve been meaning to tie up loose ends. Let it be now!” The stallion said. He then picked up my halberd and tossed it to me. I caught it in slight confusion. ”Together!” He grinned cockily.

”Together!” The alicorns echoed. Din and I were speechless.

Deep inside the center of space, all the way into a bright blue earth, the nations of Equestria, Pony Land, Saddle Arabia, Crystal Empire, Yakyakistan, Dragon Lands, Kirin Valley. From Manehatten to the smallest hamlet known to Equestrian kind. The voices of many rang out in unison to the sky, their prayers and all manner of limbs reached to the sky to the projections of good and evil facing each other down.

“Together!” They all cried out.

I felt amazing. Stronger. Better. My confidence skyrocketed and I smirked. I shifted my halberd and nodded. Excalibur and I primed our weapons, aiming at the dragon. With a cry of war and the song of everycreature counting on me, we charged. The alicorns broke away, allowing Excalibur and I to combine our might, making one clean slash as the dragon passed by us. I panted and looked over, seeing Malice cut cleanly down the middle. A spew of darkness sprayed everywhere and the dragon began to drift away, breaking apart piece by piece. No sound was made from it. Only the eyes met mine before vanishing completely.

”NOOOOO!! MY MASTER!!! HOW COULD YOU DO THIS!!!???” Tyrone blurted out again. I looked to see him erupting into dark rainbow flames and angrily gazing at me. I aimed my halberd at him.

“Din helped me tremendously on my own journey. But it was because of our friends and strange allies that we were able to make it this far.” I echoed. “Now, we are unstoppable. Balance will be restored.” Tyrone shifted his head in confusion. Despite the buried horns, he could still sense around him from what I’m guessing. The alicorns stood behind me, facing down Tyrone. I felt a nudge and looked to see Excalibur smiling through what energy he was made of.

“Don’t squander your peace we failed to bring. Got it?” He spoke before holding up his sword to me. “And make sure the kid doesn’t fall too far from grace.” I tilted my head a little and took his sword in my magic. He then stepped back and rubbed his chin in thought, beginning to fade. “Huh… So, this is what it is to be a hero. Not really my style.” The last visage of Excalibur vanished, leaving the alicorns to smile and nod to me. They too began to fade. I looked back to Tyrone, who was heaving angrily.

“All this power… to be overshadowed by… by… friendship?!?” Tyrone stamped his claw hooves angrily. “Such! A! Dumb! Power! Who needs friends?!? All that matters is who is the one above all!! I’m not going to be bested by a worthless pony bug!!” I couldn’t help but shrug with a smirk.

“What can I say? Friendship is freakin’ magic.” I said simply before blinking and appearing right in Tyrone’s wounded face. Din cackled as I smacked his chin with the butt if my halberd, causing him to stare into the stars as time slowed. I then flipped and with my hind legs, forced open his mouth and stabbed my halberd in. “You want power, right? Then here. Have a taste.” Tyrone began to gyrate, unable to move as Din and I unleashed the power of the Prisma Nexus and Din’s into the gullet of the demonic centaur.

A guttural in-equine cry shrieked across space, Tyrone’s body beginning to boil and bubble. Our fire burned brightly, creating a nova cloud as his body began to grow and grow. I then pulled my halberd out and floated away from the centaur. He choked, gurgled and clawed at his throat, overwhelmed by the amount of power fed to him. He then spewed all over, releasing the dark rainbow, whatever magic he had for his meals and lastly, a tiny blob of an ameba laying injured on the space ground.

Tyrone shrunk tremendously, becoming skeletal and pale. With his injuries however, he reached out to me, clutching his throat before falling still where he stood. My eyes then fell onto the ameba. A strange and curious little thing. Weak and hopeless as it tried to sift itself in the illogical water. Din scoffed and I felt myself move to crush it. A sickening squelch made me stick out my tongue a little in disgust, wiping my hoof before looking over to Equualie. She looked weak as she was surrounded by small cracks and tears. I walked over to her and placed my hoof gently onto the Prisma Nexus. I took a quiet breath before placing my horn against the Prisma Nexus.

‘I wish. I wish. I wish. For this realm to heal and its’ denizens returned to their original states before the implanted sickness tainting their bodies. Cleanse any ill-gotten hate and purify the land with your love. By her will be said. By her will be done.’ My mind seemed to know the words the moment I touched the relic. With a bright flash of light, the cracks and tears were mended, leaving only the quietness of space and time. I pulled away and caught Equualie from falling. She leaned against me, weak and exhausted. She smiled and nodded to me.

I took ahold of the Prisma Nexus in my hoof and studied it.

“Time to go home.” I said to myself. I touched my horn to the relic, but nothing happened. I blinked in confusion. Equualie stirred and steadied herself off of me. I furrowed my brow and turned the relic around. Equualie gave me an apologetic look and placed her hoof on the relic.

”I… must apologize. I tampered with her love. It is unable to take you home at the moment.” She said. I blinked questioningly.

“What? For how long?” I asked with concern. Equualie lowered her head a little.

“Until I can get my own answers to my own questions. Directly from you.” She said. I arched a brow.

“I don’t have time. I need to get home. I’m certain I still have to ensure nothing escaped the restoration.” I said. Equualie nodded and held her hoof to her chest.

”Please… Just humor me for now? I… would like to see how my own has faired in my absence.” She said. Din scoffed.

Keep her distracted long enough for me to fix the nexus. I’m certain I can make something here. Din said coldly. I sighed and looked Equualie directly into her eyes.

“Alright. But only because I have questions of my own.” I replied.

Chapter 50: Awaiting

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Chapter 51: Apex of Balance

Quiet Fire’s POV

‘Din, behave.’ I told her. Din snorted, yet grinned.

Heheh. It’s all filly play now. Din hummed. Must we really waste time here? I shook my head.

‘Wanting to spend time with my friends and family isn’t wasting time. Besides, you should take a moment to enjoy yourself before we break the news.’ I replied.

But enjoying myself is crushing my opposers under my hooves and the head of a serpent plastered over my domain! I-

I put a hoof on her shoulder to stop her. She paused and looked at me. She then “hmphed” and stepped back a bit. I looked down at Thi. Something looked different about her. Did she gain weight? She looked up at me, her eyes showing concern. I remembered that I was in my Caelum attire and I began to panic a little, forgetting how to turn it off. Being among the ascended for a few months really messed with my normal functions. Din rolled her eyes and drew the power from me and I shrunk to Thi’s level. I blinked and looked down at myself. I was back to normal, save for the fiery hoodie cloak and armor I dawned. Before I could register anything else, Thi threw herself on me into a tight hug. Odd. Usually, this would be a nice feeling. I just smiled and hugged her back.

“I’m back.” I said. Thi stepped away as I was then tackled by the sisters into a tighter hug, one that I began to feel my back beginning to crack. I only laughed and nuzzled back. The sisters pulled away, helping me up as the rest of the room began to gather around me.

“Welcome back, Quiet Fire.” Celestia greeted kindly. My eyes fell onto my family. I was surprised to see them here. But at the same time, I felt glad that they were approaching me and I found myself being pulled into a hug by them. I should feel excited. I want to feel relieved I’m finally back home. But in the back of my mind, I was bracing myself for the inevitable. When the pleasantries were finished (and to my surprise shock that Thi is pregnant with Scribble’s kid) I began to catch everypony up to speed. I explained what had happened during our fight and how I had been taken to Caelum to begin Din’s rite of ascension. The process had taken a bit too long as there were some disturbances amongst what the eldritches call the Tri-Mourn Plane. A rather interesting name that my friends and my family couldn’t help but grimly remind ourselves about.

To make a long story short, this plane is the center point for all three realms, Limbo, Tartarus and Caelum. Part of the rite required me to figure out what was happening. Turns out, the Prisma Nexus’s power inside of me and Din was becoming unstable and disrupting the harmony between the planes. And to Sonata’s anger, I had told them that in order to keep the planes stable, I had to destroy the Prisma Nexus. The pieces now lie scattered throughout the three planes as to prevent it from ever going unstable. And yet, Din snuck some of the power for us. It gave me the galaxy swirls in my eyes that everypony took notice of. I had left out one important change about me, as I figured it wasn’t appropriate right now and looked around the room to everypony.

“So… as of now, the last thing we need to do is ensure the power elements are stable and fully control the stability of the realm. Which means we have to head to the Tree of Power.” I stated. Everycreature exchanged glances. Starswirl stroked his beard in thought.

“Then, what are we waiting for? It is time to save the realm.” He said. Equualie cleared her throat and we looked to her. Still in the guise of Galaxae, she trotted forward to me.

“First, I would like to check up on something in the meantime. Your realm is stable enough that you can have yourself some rest for a while.” She said. I blinked quizzically.

“Huh?” I asked. Equualie smiled and pat my shoulder.

“What I am saying is let your mother ensure a few things here. This’ll be an opportunity to finally relax a little, don’t you think?” She asked me. I rubbed the back of my head. Is she seriously trying to look out for me? And why does she keep labeling herself that title to me? I wish I could be disturbed, but my mind wandered elsewhere.

My real parents and siblings walked over to us. They eyed Equualie curiously, but it was my mother, stoic as always, giving her a disproval stare. And in usual Equualie fashion (as usual in the time I’ve known her) she was unable to properly read the room. Her eyes met my mother’s and she smiled.

“Ahh, but of course, I owe it all to the one mortal who incubated her. Without your help in ensuring her safety she would have been lost. I am deeply indebted to you.” Equualie gave a courteous bow. My mother was offended and did not hesitate.

“Incubate? Of course, I shouldn’t expect an eldritch being to understand mortal normalcies.” My mom replied coldly. My dad and my siblings seemed to share her sentiment.

“What makes you think my sis is even yours?” My brother frowned. “You didn’t have to carry her around for eleven months.” My sister face hoofed.

“Let the grown-ups talk.” She sighed. “Though, I must agree, I do take care on the matter of you calling her yours.” Equualie tilted her head curiously.

“But she is. I’ve carried her before transferring her into the mortal. It was to ensure her protection and to keep her hidden.” She said. I eyed her suspiciously.

“Hiding me from what?” I replied. “You goaded me into this. Fed me half truths with the snake to put me on a path to get me to this point. What are you even trying to do, Equualie? Even in Caelum you were dodgy.” Equualie smiled kindly at me.

“I am afraid that isn’t a matter at the moment. Which is why I must go away for a while.” Equualie replied, turning to my mother. “Please, look after her in the meantime. I’ve heard nothing but praise from Quiet Fire.” I never seen my mom give such an evil eye. I could have sworn I saw a vein popping. But she remained calm, seemingly steeling herself in her response.

“Yes… Because I am the one who gave birth to her.” A dark shadow loomed over her stoic expression, her body shivering. Equualie nodded and turned to me, reaching to brush my bangs. I swatted her hoof away and faced her.

“Whatever you are doing, Equualie, I do not appreciate it. And I’d rather that you attend to your issue as soon as you can before things get a little out of control.” I calmly said to her. Equualie tilted her head curiously, unphased. I pointed at her. “I have some unfinished business. I’ll see you later.” Equualie hummed and smiled.

“As you wish, my child.” She then turned to the others in the room. “May the Creation Mother guide you into her embrace.” There was a loud crack, and she vanished. I let out a soft sigh of relief before looking to my mother, who mimicked my motion. I was a bit surprise to see my dad comfort her with a hoof wrapped around her. Heart and Blaze approached me.

"Wow, sis. Despite the irregularities, you look great." Blaze said with a teasing smile. Heart nudged him and met my look.

"I'll admit... seeing and hearing all that had happened..." I blinked as she seemed to automatically lift up my bangs. Dark looks fell across them. I smiled and took her hoof, patting it.

"Frankly, it was only ever good for me to use it as a dagger." I replied, trying my best to keep my disgust hidden. "I'll be fine. I'm not going to need it going forward."

"What do you mean?" I heard Cloudchaser ask as she floated over to me with my friends following her. Starswirl, Twilight and her friends approached us as well. I smiled.

"We still have Ouroboros to deal with. The major threats are out of the way for now, but the catastrophic one is still in effect. Has anypony heard about the snake's whereabouts?" I asked worriedly. That was when the other power elements approached with Gwyen replying.

"Not much. We have been trying to help out with the war efforts that nothing has been mentioned. Not even his out of body meetings." She replied, rubbing her chin with a talon. "It's like he just... left us hanging."

"Not even the tree hassss sssspoken about it." Zalas chimed in. I nodded with concern.

“Not surprised. He is a part of the reason our realm was thrown into imbalance. We saw him conversing with the Kalenite and Tyrone. And if you ask me, Equualie isn’t to be so trusted either.” I explained. “She had told me she was imprisoned by Ouroboros and the Kalenite in a mutual understanding of power. It was because of us messing with the Nexus that she was able to escape.” Twilight rubbed her chin.

“So… what are we to be expecting from this point forward?” She asked. I lowered my head a little in thought.

“Well… for one, we can rest a bit easy that we aren’t in any immediate danger. However, Din wants to fully ensure no primal power is loose among mortals and immortals alike.” I replied.

“So… she’s going to follow up on taking our power away?” Fickle asked. Din smugly grinned.

Preferably now. But there are some things I need to ensure myself. You get to keep your power… for now. And I’m not that cruel, so I’ll allow only fractions. Enough to ensure you can keep the realm safe without much harm. Din spoke through our minds.

“Great.” Katlyn sighed with a sarcastic roll of her eyes. “So, what’s the game plan now?” I smiled.

“We take a much needed vacation. Once Din can ensure somethings on her own side, we’ll all meet at the Tree of Power.” I explained. Twilight gave me a concerned look.

“Are we sure we are able to relax right now?” She asked. I smiled.

“If it’ll make you feel at ease, I am allowed to discuss what I have discovered in Caelum.” I replied. Twilight didn’t seem convinced yet Starswirl stroked his beard in intrigue.

“One of the three planes… and the one with less information on it. I am interested.” Starswirl marveled in thought. I smirked.

“Well, pops. Going to have to write it down because I’m not.” I teased. Starswirl stroked his beared, having withdrawn a quill and scroll. I even noticed Twilight levitating over scrolls and quills with an eager look. I slumped a little and softly wiggled my hoof. “We’ll meet up in the Courtyard in thirty.” I sighed. Starswirl seemed satisfied with this and proceeded to make his way out the room. I looked to my family and smiled softly. “We’ll meet up for dinner tonight if that is okay. I know a nice cafe nearby. We’ll talk more there?”

My dad gave me a tired smile.

“Could go for a nice break.” He said. My brother and sister also looked tired, but smiled kindly.

“We’ll see you then, sis.” Blaze said. I nodded and proceeded to face my friends, walking over to them. My gaze fell to Thi. She seemed nervous but at the same time relieved. She then hugged me and I happily returned it.

“I err… have a lot of catching up to do, don’t I?” I asked playfully as I looked her up and down. Scribble walked forward and Thi took ahold of his hoof. Flitter and Cloudchaser floated above them and nodded. Flitter crossed her hooves.

“You definitely need to make it up to my sister. This is the third time you’ve disappeared on us.” She said, putting on a motherly stern voice. It surprisingly made me feel guilty. I tapped my hooves bashfully in response. Cloudchaser smiled.

“Guess I can safely say how lost in your eyes I can be.” She snickered.

“Yeah…” I replied, faltering a bit. I truly felt bad about it. But all the times I’ve disappeared on them was no choices I had at the time. I then met their looks of concern. “I’m really glad you all are okay. Did… anything else happened while I was gone?” I asked. Thi grinned.

“That’ll probably have to be over lunch. I’m craving for some hotcakes right now.” She said. I giggled a little and looked to Cloudchaser.

“See you in a bit?” I asked with a shy smile. Cloudchaser gave me a reassuring one with a small nod. I then looked to the other power elements. Din chuckled smugly in my head. Gwyen, Katlyn, Steel and Zalas approached me. Sonata remained away while Fickle meekly approached, keeping herself behind everycreature else. “Not quite the expected gathering. But I’m glad to see everycreature well.”

“What were ye expectin’?” Katlyn grinned. “Glad to see ye hale and hearty yerself. And yet, I’m curious. How was Tyrone able to get himself involved in all o’ this under our nose?” I looked to Sonata, who seemed preoccupied with a small device in her magic. All eyes fell on her and sensing she was being questioned, she didn’t hesitate.

“The Kalenite was an intruder who appeared out of nowhere one day. Roughly around the start of this New Year. I brought him in as a curious test subject, who had proven to be quite beneficial to the reproduction of our land and other experiments of flourishing local life. However, it came at a cost.” Her eyes seemed to glaze over calmly. “Being around such a creature is toxic. Many have fallen ill for just being in the room next to it. Twas only Lux’s pure light able to purify those around the malevolence.

“And yet twas not enough to contain the malevolence. A solution was created however. Sombranite. The shattered remains of the tyrant king. It contained the virus in a controlled environment with some side effects. Your friend was injected with a serum designed to combat the virus. Unfortunately, the tyrant king proved to be a bit more of a hassle than anticipated. And yet, even in his state, we were able to contain both the virus and vaccine into a controlled environment.”

I was quiet on this. My gaze focused on her. Sonata lowered her device and met my look stoically.

“That little spy saved you all by stealing our project. Killing the Kalenite infested centaur ensured complete erasure.” She finished.

“You sound regretful.” Steel eyed her suspiciously. Sonata shrugged softly.

“There are much more important things out there worth experimenting. Sombranite ran its’ course.” I shook my head.

“And the war against us?” I replied, arching my brow skeptically. Sonata shifted her subtle frown.

“I’ll leave that to the brats to explain it. We have other things to take care of. Such as I meeting back with my right hoof mare to discuss further progression.” She stood up and walked past us, not batting a single eye as she passed us. “From this point on, I will not answer any calls unless it is our motion to complete this annoying ‘destiny’ we hath been forced upon.” And with that, Sonata exited the room, leaving the rest of us to watch where she had disappeared to in disbelief.

“Of all the ponies picked for primal privileges…” I heard Thi mutter in annoyance. I sighed and turned to the others.

“And on that note, I can only say enjoy yourselves in Equestria. Din’ll let all of us know when she is ready.” I said with a small smile. Gwyen approached me as the others wandered.

"You sure about all this? You don't think all this quiet doesn' make you a bit iffy?" She asked me. I nodded and patted her shoulder.

"Big time. But we should take that time to de-stress before crossing that bridge. Have to be our best selves when facing our adversary." I replied. Gwyen relented and her shoulder eased. She then nodded and spun around, heading over to Galavance who was discussing with Rainbow Dash about racing Rita. Before I could face the next issue, I noticed Fickle looking a little lost. I smiled. “Wanna join us, Fickle?” I asked her.

Fickle blinked and tilted her head at me quizzically.

“J-join?” She replied. I nodded.

“My friends and I are going to have some lunch. Figure I should check up on your progress.” I said. Fickle blinked.

“Progress? Progress on what?” She rubbed her chin curiously. I waved her over as Cloudchaser smirked.

“We’ll talk about that after lunch. C’mon, I’m starving.” She chuckled.

My friends and I decided to partake at a rather unique restaurant I didn't know existed named The Tasty Treat. The beautiful mare waitress named Saffron Masala was quite friendly and energetic. When she took our order, she hurried over to a rather grizzled and stern stout stallion who she had called out as her father about our order before moving on. Thi couldn't help but comment that they captured a Saddle Arabian cantina pretty well. I never had spicy foods before so experiencing Saddle Arabian cuisine was quite something. Din seemed to love it, claiming how the spices could match even her fire. Fickle, however, looked quite hesitant to try her curry. Eventually, she decided to only take her fill of rice and place her food aside. I gave a look of concern to Cloudchaser who also noticed this.

When we left The Tasty Treat, we decided to do a bit of sightseeing. Thi and I weren't particularly impressed as we have pretty much explored nearly every corner of Canterlot. I did notice that the old library I used before during my time here had been renovated into a much larger archive. But Cloudchaser, Flitter and Fickle seemed a bit wonder struck. Fickle noticed me looking and proceeded to return to brooding. I sighed softly to myself as we then proceeded to explore a bit more before taking a break. Thi looked a little more exhausted than usual, a shock to anypony if she wasn't in her current state. I smiled and softly poked her swelling belly.

"You know, I never expected you to settle down at all." I spoke. Thi smirked and rubbed her own belly.

"Shocking, isn't it?" She replied teasingly. I gave her a concerned look.

"Thi..." I began but faltered. Thi shook her head.

"I know what you are going to say, Fie. Believe me, I hear it from everypony. I wasn't forced into this. Scribble and I did get a little careless. But in the end, Scribble hasn't stopped smiling since." She said, looking to Scribble. I looked and noticed indeed he was smiling softly as he chatted with Flitter and Cloudchaser. The stallion had a completely different air about him. And yet, I still don't know what goes on in that head of his. I smiled softly at her.

"Are you prepared for it?" I asked. Thi's smile softened.

"Is anypony like me really prepared for this kind of life? Truthfully, Fie? No. I'm not. Every night has been just one worry after another and it isn't about the Triad or Sonata's schemes. All those worries turn into a spiral of uncertainty. What if... what if I end up killing this child? Their existence has already been marked by Sonata and I-"

"Whoa whoa whoa! Slow down, girl! Easy!" I quickly chimed in. "Take several deep breaths. In and out. Nice and easy." Thi must have not realized the anxiety she had seemed to build up. After a few deep breaths, she eased and I continued. "Good?" Thi nodded softly. "Great. Now then, most mothers only consider that as a very worst-case scenario. You should be worried about ensuring they come out healthy. Have no issues. Prepare for the new challenges that don't involve having to jump through flaming hoops... yet." I stated. Thi chuckled.

"Heheheh. Even you think I'll go back to the life of a high thrill run and gun." She smirked. I shook my head.

"Thi, most ponies know what you are about. And I can't help but agree. But the one thing they don't know is the better pony you are trying to become. I've seen it. You genuinely wanted to strive yourself to do better. And you can only improve yourself more going forward." I winked at her. "I can only keep you on your hooves here, girl. But if you want proper parental advice, I know a pony in Ponyville who would be glad to help you out. A couple actually." Thi smiled at me, seeming to ease.

"Thanks for being there for me, Fie. I've been an awful pony. But I will get better. Not for just everypony's sake. But for the sake of my kid." She suddenly blushed a little. "I wonder how they'll think about their mother being an action pony." I clapped my hooves in satisfaction.

"That's what most mothers worry about. I think. I never want kids." I chuckled. Thi grinned and ruffled my mane.

"With you disappearing on everypony from time to time? You'd be the worst mother in Equestria." She teased. We both laughed, Thi looking better than she had when I arrived. Now that leave with the next elephant in the room. I turned to Fickle, who had been listening in on us but doing her best to ignore us. "And what about you, Fickle? Have you've learned anything from my recommendation?" Fickle blinked and looked at me questioningly.

"I don't even know what you wanted out of me. I went to Ponyville after you left, but all I met were a bunch of strange ponies." She replied casually. I snickered.

"Sounds about right. Ponyville is full of interesting ponies and I wouldn't have it any other way. I can just imagine another party in a day or two." I replied as Cloudchaser floated over and sat down next to me. I gave her a quick peck on the cheek and she happily returned a nuzzle with her snout against my own cheek. Fickle let out a sigh of disgust and pretended to find something else far off interesting.

"Whatever. I would rather be far off in the forest than a crowded place like Ponyville." She replied. I rubbed my chin.

"We are only a few hoof steps from the Everfree forest. It's dangerous for any other ponies. But with you and Tenebres, you'll probably tame it." I winked at her. Fickle blinked quizzically.

"Everfree?" She asked before darting her eyes in thought. "Oh... the locals mentioned it. Why live so close to a forest with the capability of destroying the village?" She asked. I shrugged.

"Ask Granny Smith that. She is one of the founders." I smiled. Fickle then began to shake her head in disbelief.

"What is with you? How can you treat me so casually!?" Fickle suddenly snapped. "I killed you!! I nearly brought ruin to an entire dimension!! I have done nothing but cause you grief and yet you are acting like none of it mattered!!" Fickle stood up and stamped over to me angrily. "What, are you just trying to get a rise out of me!? Was this my entire punishment!? To deal with a dumb pony who has a death wish!? To be placed into an existential torment of having to face the world alone again!?" She stamped her hoof with a frustrated groan. "How can you be so... so... stupid!!? You're stupid!! I don't want to be around other ponies!! They don't matter to me!!" She spun herself around angrily and sat on her haunches, crossing her hooves with a "hmph". Cloudchaser and I exchanged glances and I stood up to sit myself down next to her.

"Sunset Shimmer told me how bad you had it. She didn't go into so much detail, but it must have been really scary to face the world alone. Any filly would. Hell, even I was when I left home." I began. "But I've already come to terms with myself. You're still a filly, so you have plenty of time to face the world. You shouldn't do it alone with just the darkness." I put a reassuring hoof on her shoulder. "I recommended Ponyville because the ponies there, whether they are aware of it or not, have a certain harmony about them that you can't just get anywhere else. And yes, that may make non-locals call us gullible or naïve. But trust me, when you attend one of Pinkie's parties, you'll find yourself having more questions about yourself than you did before. And I know you'll find the answers eventually." Fickle glanced over her shoulder a bit, her ears dropping. She sighed and mumbled something I could hear (unfortunately for her):

"I'm older than you..." I smiled and stood up.

"I'm not going to dictate how you live your life, Fickle Spark. I have my own issues to sort out and I don't want to burden you with more than you have already. Grow up how you want to. Find love or don't. Be a friend or an estranged neighbor. In the end of it all, when the time comes, the answers you seek are waiting for you." I pat her back softly. "Time to experience the light a bit more." Fickle suddenly yelped when I tossed her up onto my back. Confused as what to do, she just allowed herself for me to carry her. Cloudchaser snickered.

"And you said you don't want kids." She winked. I pat my chest.

"Are you kidding? I'm terrible with kids."

Time flew by almost too quickly. I was surprised that I had managed to spend an entire two months relaxing and hanging out with ponies. In these two months, I watched my friends and family grow closer. Thi was beginning to slow herself down a bit more as I watched her approach my house. My family welcomed them, and I swear our dysfunctional family felt normal for once. The four maids who had managed to turn my decrepit abode into a sight to behold (at least for me). I even got to meet their partners, finding them to be quite friendly and with clashing quirks. Yet, they helped out around the house. I sat on my couch, baffled by the sudden crowdedness of it all. For a brief moment amongst the chatter, something triggered inside of me. A memory.

I found myself back on my couch, the house no longer lively. My crystal TV playing a rubber hose cartoon on the screen. Gwynette bottles laid strewn about with month old pizza boxes stacked off to the sides and scattered around. I remember this. This was one New Years.

"Mortals have an interesting taste of entertainment." A voice snapped me out of my stupor. I blinked drunkenly at him.

"Whazzat? Oh noo nooo... Thaz... Thazz just clownin' pony... funny one." I slurred. Through the haze, Ouroboros appeared, sitting casually next to me. He was stacking a house of empty bottle on my coffee table. He then looked at me and smirked.

"And carnal desires are a fault to a tee. Let's sober you up real quick." He then snapped his fingers and the blurry haze cleared up, causing me to yell in panic, as if I had just gained sentience as a toddler. When I finally comprehended my surroundings, I blinked at the snake like pony.

"Wh-Wha?? Who are you!?" I exclaimed in panic. Ouroboros pat his chest softly.

"I have many names, but your alchemists refer to me as Ouroboros. And you, my dear mortal, have been specially selected to partake in a... well I would call it more of an experiment." He replied. I blinked.

"Huh?? How did you even get in my house!?" I exclaimed. Ouroboros pointed at the bottles.

"You invited me in. I even did you a favor of cleaning up your excrement. It's still fun to see mortals faint at the sight of an eldritch being." He chuckled. "But that is neither here or there. Tell me, do you believe in balance?" He asked. I shook my head and stood up angrily.

"Get out of my house!" I angrily snapped. "Whatever you are selling me, I don't want it!" Ouroboros began to make another stack of bottles as he replied.

"Unfortunately for you, you were chosen. One of the seven to partake in a glorious fight for your realm's protection. For the sake of balance. So, I ask you, do you believe in balance?" He reiterated casually. I frowned and bumped the table, knocking down his house of bottles. The chorus of clattering glass rang out my empty home as Ouroboros looked a bit sad at his work being messed with.

"Make sense! Who are you!? What even are you!? I..." I found myself calming down a little. Odd. It was like my anger subsided instantly. "Whaaaat...?" I shook my head, rubbing it to make sure I wasn't suffering a drunken delusion. Ouroboros smiled.

"Better?" He asked. I didn't say anything. I remained standing, staring at the pony. "Good. Now that I have your attention, it is of utmost importance that I relay a message. The stars have aligned. Seven have been called and seven have been chosen. You are one of them. The one who bears the fires of courage." He then snickered. "Oh boy, she's going to have a hell of a time with you. But regardless of the individual, you were chosen for a reason." I began to slowly sit back down.

“Chosen…? Chosen for what?” I rubbed my head. Ouroboros took a small sip of an open bottle and looked disappointed as he replied.

“Think back on my question.” I darted my eyes in thought.

“Balance… like… tight rope balance or the theory of?” I asked.

“How about realm instability?” Ourobors replied. I blinked.

“I… don’t follow.” Ouroboros’s tail flicked sharply as he watched the cartoon, responding to me.

“What if I told you that everything you have done in your life. Every single step you had taken was all a lie? And that everything step you take now, the realm dies a little more.” He smirked. “Mortals are faulty. They seek so much but gain nothing in their achievements. Always at each other’s throats to one up the achievements.” His snake eyes met my own. “Even one so lacking in magical prowess. Who wallows everyday in the questionable meaning of life. You must truly think your life has no meaning, does it?”

I studied the snake pony. A strange yet familiar wave of emptiness and pessimism washed over me as I took an empty bottle and studied it.

“My life does have meaning, but not in the way you think. I’m happy where I’m at. Free to do as I please.” I replied. “If that isn’t existence enough, then what is?”

“A false life.” Ouroboros responded. I arched a brow.

“False life?” Ouroboros nodded and stood up, waving a singular hoof claw in a circle, levitating several empty bottles around it.

“Free will was given in an attempt to learn how mortals would react to it. The results have been mixed at best, but intriguing nonetheless.” He replied. I tilted my head suspiciously.

“What are you talking about?” I frowned. Ouroboros eyed me.

“You know exactly what I am talking about.” His sharp eyes dilated. He was right. All of a sudden I hissed in pain as images began flashing into my head. Images of a time after this. All at once as I screamed in agony, the images flashed through my mind. My entire journey playing out before me. I struggled to fight against the sudden pain, feeling a strange burst of energy. My living room erupted into a bright fire and Din shot out, pinning Ouroboros to the ground.

“You dare disturb the balance even further?!” Din hissed angrily. Ouroboros looked surprised.

“Y-you!? But how?!” Ouroboros exclaimed. Din slugged him hard across the cheek before turning to me.

“Wake the hell up, Fie!! Don’t throw yourself into a cycle!! I didn’t work my entire flank off for a reset!!” Din snarled. I blinked, the pain still throbbing in my head. I groaned in response and looked around. I have to recall. This is a memory… but Ouroboros is here. I recalled a gap in my memory I’ve had after starting this journey. Or… was it journeys? How long have I’ve been at this? Slowly, my memory was coming back. I shot my eyes open in realization. Without hesitating, I called upon Din’s domain. My house peeled away around us, revealing a distorted Ponyville.

The scenery of Din’s domain melted together with Ponyville’s, the sky a sickle hue of oil on water. Din kept Ouroboros pinned underneath her.

“I made sure to cover my tracks this time!!” She grinned maniacally at him. “How foolish. You didn’t account on Caelum or the Prisma Nexus, did you? Yes, we never arrived there until now. Your slack finally caught up to you, snake! We beat you to the punch!! And it’s all thanks to Equualie!” Ouroboros’s eyes widened in anger.

“That pest… she’d dare interfere?!” He snarled. Din glanced over her shoulder to me.

“Get that mind in gear, Fie!! I need you to-“ Din gasped and hopped back as a strange glow of prismatic energy shot at her and began cutting at the sky and ground. I felt myself being yanked away and taking to the sky. Din held me in her hooves as she looked down, the area beginning to distort even further. The haze was clearing more and more until finally, I rose my head and nodded to Din.

Of course. I remember now. This isn’t the first time Ouroboros did this to me. From the day I was birthed from my mom till the supposed end of my journey did I repeat this cycle. Din was only recent. Only once. And now I only have one question.

“Why me?” I said suddenly as Ouroboros stood up. He spat something viscus out of him before responding.

“You shouldn’t exist. Your existence disturbed the very balance itself. In my time ensuring I kept you in the cycle, I’ll admit, I had to cut some corners.” Ouroboros’s eyes met mine. “But so long as I kept you in check, I would continue my own peace. I even tried to do something differently and goad you into the journey.” His eyes shot to Din. “When did you get so clever?” Din smirked smugly.

“When I asked for a heart.” Din replied. Ouroboros made an exaggerated gesture.

“Ah yes, of course. That stallion was such a strong influence. Ahhh I knew I should have done something about it. But hey, I can still work with this.” He muttered to himself, pacing. He then turned back to us. “Well, heart, no heart. Being, no being, it doesn’t matter. The real question is what should I do with you two now?”

“How about retiring and giving us your position.” I said coldly. Ouroboros let out a loud cackle, wagging a claw at me.

“You know? My entire existence hasn’t been a vacation. I did what any mortal would do and lie to myself. But in the end, I still had to deal with your mess. Frankly, my dear, you have been rather exhausting. So, I’ll let you in on a deal. You stop existing and let all your friends, family and loved ones free from the everlasting cycle. And I get to thoroughly protect the realm without distractions.” Ouroboros said. Din scoffed.

“I will not be your toy any longer, nor shall my sisters! The Creation Mother frowns down upon you, snake.” She snarled. Ouroboros’s eyes glinted.

“Oh really? Because if I recall, her favorite pet was the one who tied her to the darkness she needed. Without that, even you wouldn’t have existed. You are going to be a bit of a tricky one once I subdue you. I have to scrub both immortal and mortal influences down to nothing.” He grinned. Din suddenly rocketed us towards Ouroboros, planting a hoof at his throat and grinning manically.

“Then let’s end this!” She cackled. The pocket around us erupted into bright flames and I found myself snapping out of my stupor in my living room. Only, I noticed Din yanking hard through a tear in reality with Ouroboros’s neck at her fangs. Ouroboros lashed back, using his tail and whatever free motion he had to struggle with her. My friends and family scattered back away. I shot up to my hooves and rushed forward, biting down onto the tail and yanking with Din.

Together, Din and I pulled and Ouroboros shot out, crashing into my wall and breaking several photos along with my sofa and coffee table. Food and plates scattered as Din and I proceeded to attack Ouroboros, who managed to catch both of us with his tail and sent us through the wall. We rolled onto our hooves as ponies began to scream and run away around us. Ouroboros dusted himself off, his eyes glinting as he stepped out of the hole in my house.

“Always so quick to fight. You know, if you truly wished for us to go all out, I’ll be happy to oblige. But I don’t know if Quiet Fire would be happy with another genocide.” He said. I readied myself, staring daggers at the snake. He clicked his tongue. “It could all be avoided if you just stop existing.” He then rubbed his chin and beamed at an idea. “I know! Let us put a trial by combat. The whole world would be judging. You and me, the fight for keeping balance. A winner takes all. Not that you don’t stand a chance against me.”

My eyes widened as he snapped his claws and in an instant, Ponyville and all the ponies in it vanished into nothing. Only silence and the sudden collapse of Princess Twilight’s castle in the distance creating a storm of dust. My blood boiled. I took one step forward and as quickly as Ponyville disappeared, it reappeared, exactly as it was only a second ago. Ouroboros smirked.

“Nah, that’ll be too easy. I know. How about the moon.” He then snapped his fingers and in an instant, the vast expanse of space surrounded us. My mane, tail and hoodie cloak unnaturally flailing smoothly in the vacuum. And yet, I am still able to breathe. Behind Ouroboros is a giant blue ball of our planet with Celestia’s sun glinting over the horizon. Din shifted her frown.

“It doesn’t matter where. Your head is mine.” She hissed coldly. Ouroboros smiled.

“Perfect! And since I am so generous, I’ll allow you to look upon the very stake we are fighting for. Enjoy it while you can.” He then bowed and with a loud crack, he vanished. I looked to Din.

“What’s the plan?” I asked. Din sighed a little.

“Unfortunately, I did not get to finish preparations. We’ll just have to wing it.” She replied smoothly. I then darted my eyes.

“What about the others? Let’s call upon them for help.” I stated, looking to the giant blue ball. Din slumped.

“You and I can take him perfectly fine. I do not want distractions.” She said.

“But you want your sisters to give up most of their powers to you, right? Strike them a deal. Allow them the payback they desire against Ouroboros for the power you seek.” I replied.

“You’re kidding, right?” Din arched a brow at me. I shook my head.

“Think about it. You’re not the only one who wants a bit of payback. And it’ll be a breeze if all seven of us fought against a common enemy. No strings attached, just allow them the satisfaction and we’ll be granted to our reward in turn. Besides, it’s not like you weren’t going to steal them if they resisted.” I stated. Din pointed at me softly.

“Correction. I’d beat it out of them. But…” she lowered her hoof, examining it. “Perhaps you are right.” I looked at her hoof. She was still a bit transparent, but her physical being was nearly complete. I smiled and took ahold of her hoof, patting it.

“We agreed on this, Din. I’m ready to accept my fate.” I told her. Din studied me, her look softening into concern. Something that never happened with her. And as quickly as it appeared, it vanished into a stoic acceptance. I smirked teasingly. “How does it feel?” Din pulled her hoof away and looked over to the stars in space.

“Not a concern. Shall we proceed?” She asked. I nodded and I covered my ears. Din took a deep breath, looking to the globe. “SISTERS!! OUR TIME HAS ARRIVED!! COME TO ME, FOR OUR REVENGE IS HERE!!” Din’s voice boomed throughout space, breaking all forms of logic possible. We waited. Suddenly, a glint of light appeared at a small spot of the earth. Six colorful light spheres shot up into space and began to rocket towards us.

The moon’s surface exploded around us. Gwyen, Fickle, Steel, Zalas, Katlyn and Sonata stood up, looking around in confusion. Zalas and Gwyen examined themselves, admiring their garbs smoothly flailing in space.

“Whoa…” Katlyn spoke, looking around. “Tell me we aren’t in another meeting.”

“Fie!” A voice called out. I looked to see Fickle nearly stumble over a moon rock over to me. “What happened back there??” I smiled to her before facing the others.

“Our time is here. The final event that’ll decide our destinies. And my fate. Ouroboros will be back any moment to begin our battle. I figured we need some well deserved payback for what he forced onto us.” I explained. The six faced me, their reactions mixed. Steel called upon her massive double-headed frost axe and shouldered it.

“Hmph. Another death wish for little pony. Haven’t changed a bit.” She commented. I nodded without saying anything. Shiva suddenly appeared in front of Steel, walking forward towards Din. Shiva’s eyes narrowed a little.

”Sister… what has befallen you? Your visage… it’s…” Shiva began. Din smirked.

“Tis the price of ascension, dear sister.” She cackled. The other power elements emerged from their vessels and approached her. None of them seemed shocked but instead surprised.

”So… you have truly become one with creation.” Aquarius hummed. ”Does it hurt?” Din waved a hoof at her.

“Do not trifle me with such a matter. You know that we cannot die regardless.” She said.

”And yet, you look no closer to death than when you started.” Gaia frowned. ”A heart is a fickle thing and a body even more. You’re only giving yourself up to the snake in this state.” Din smirked challengingly.

“If you think you can strike me, do so now! I’m dying to test my powers out.” She chuckled lowly. Gaia remained stoic in response.

”Sisters. Do you feel that?” Lux spoke up, looking towards the stars. All of the primals followed her gaze. We looked and in the distance, we could make out a slithering figure swimming closer and closer to us. Using our primal eyes, we watched as the serpent Ouroboros snatch three stars from space and swam his way towards us. He was gigantic. He flew by the moon, causing the moon to shake as his body coiled around it.

We watched as the serpent then moved towards our planet, his body seemingly elongating without losing mass, coiling the circumference. He towered high over us, his tongue flicking to taste whatever power is being displayed. There was a bright flash from our planet and a glistening barrier formed. Ouroboros strangled it tightly, causing several cracks. Our power elements retreated back into us and their powers surrounded us. Each taking a deity form that flowed smoothly in the space around us.

We readied ourselves, our weapons drawn. Ouroboros’s many eyes focused on us.

“What a pleasant surprise. Saving me the trouble of having to reset them one by one.” Ouroboros’s voice boomed, his mouth unmoving. I narrowed my eyes.

“Not this time you won’t.” I retorted, Din’s voice mixing with mine. Ouroboros held up a claw, the three stars he snatched orbiting around the wrist like a bracelet.

“We’ll see about that.” Ouroboros grinned, crushing an extra star he had snuck in with his claw. He then held out his arm in a giving manner and the magic from the star he crushed quickly erupted around us. We all scattered. Each one of us zipping and twirling around the magic. I noticed Ouroboros roll down one of the stars to his palm and he tossed it up, snapping his maw around it. He lurched and reared back, his chest puffing out.

A bellowing intense heat flowed out into space, nearly washing over us had our primals not boosted away. Several bolts of Gaia’s arrows sailed through space, colliding and exploding in nature along the body of the serpent. However, Ouroboros shed the skin of where the damage was inflicted. Gwyen clicked her beak before having to retreat from the still occurring star magic. Steel and Zalas rushed in, Zalas unleashing a bellow of dark wind that sliced through space, slicing into the eyes of the serpent. Strange liquid bubbled and floated out in sprays and yet, the eyes seemed to heal themselves. In retaliation, the eyes began firing off prismatic lasers that Steel jumped in front of Zalas for, pushing back against the beam. She easily knocked it aside before snorting and charging the serpent. Zalas provided ranged support as Steel sliced and flipped through beams, impaling her axe hard into the skin, creating a nasty gash that unfortunately was mended almost instantly. Fickle, Sonata, Katlyn and I rushed in and began firing off our magic as well as dipping in and out of the serpent's own attacks.

Ouroboros’s body slithered, deftly avoiding the beams before clashing with his own against ours to cancel it. Sonata didn’t hold back and unleashed a massive beam that nearly knocked Fickle and I away. It struck true, piercing clean through the hide of the serpent. And yet, it was quickly mending. Steel, her warrior instincts kicking in, took advantage of this and got in close to the wound. She chucked her axe into the wound and it began to freeze over, preventing the healing. Ouroboros audibly winced from this.

“Together on the wound!!” I called out. With a swish of my head, Din’s horn aimed at the frozen wound and with the other power elements, struck their magic into it. That seemed to do the trick as Ouroboros lurched forward, his jaws snapping at us and causing us to scatter. Sonata and Steel made several in and out strikes at the serpent’s head as he did this, but had to pull back when the eye beams began slicing through space.

Ouroboros grunted as he stabbed a talon into his wound and in a sickening display of sound and injury, he ripped the wound clean of our magic and the wound began to heal.

“No fair!!” Fickle exclaimed. Ouroboros chuckled as he flicked the conjoined primal magic away.

“Hey, you wanted this fight.” He replied with a smirk. Fickle was about to say something until I held up my hoof to stop her, keeping my eyes on the serpent.

“None of us wanted this. But you left Din and I no choice! You stole our freedom of choice long ago! I aim to put an end to this!” I stated. Ouroboros looked offended.

“I wanted this? I certainly hope you aren’t referring to the decisions your primals made! I merely… unleashed them into the world.” He replied casually. I twirled my halberd and rocketed towards him; clashing with magic and talons.

“Did any of the things you said before were true?! Why only give us half truths?! Why go through all this trouble?! It’s one thing resetting me, but to put the whole world in danger?!?” I clashed once more with a talon and pushed against it. “This whole idea has been botched and placed against you!! None of this should have happened in the first place!!”

Ouroboros pushed against me with ease, leaning in close.

“And yet, I too was never given a chance. The life we were given, it will always be led by somebeing else. Tis what she created.” He replied. I pushed away his talon and began clashing off of his swipes once more.

“Are you blaming the Creation Mother for this treason?!?” Din spoke through me. “How dare you!!!” Space suddenly went darker than usual and before I knew it, I found myself cratering into the moon. I felt the wind leave me. I looked through one pained eye and grimace as the others continued their assault, only for Ouroboros to snatch Zalas and Steel in one claw, backhanding Sonata and Gwyen into the moon next to me, chucked Zalas and Steel into the moon with an explosion of moon dust. Fickle and Katlyn zipped in and out easily but unfortunately couldn’t approach and was struck with a beam that sent both tumbling into the moon.

The others groaned and winced as they pushed themselves off of the surface.

“That is exactly what I am implying Din.” Ouroboros replied, his face low now. Ouroboros snatched another star from space and crushed it in both his claws, concentrating the explosion in between before releasing into space, creating a strangely pretty display of lights. I narrowed my eyes as the orb like lights began to form a constellation of an alicorn.

“Long ago, before there was even a single speck of a star, there was darkness. Darkness was cold. Lonely. Nothing to share in its’ magnificence. Darkness was void of any emotions or thought. That is, until from in the darkest part of its’ heart, a light began to form.” Ouroboros began, the constellation alicorn moving like a flip book animation. Another alicorn constellation appeared. “One eon, a traveling light appeared. One that Darkness did not acknowledge at first. But as the light began to stay, it found itself growing attached to its’ company. That light is none other than the Creation Mother herself.

“Our Creation Mother had wandered away from the Everlasting Light far away from Darkness. A curious traveler, who stumbled upon Darkness. She had been warned that Darkness was a vile creature. Demonized and avoided. And yet, she found herself falling in love with the stories. Darkness did not understand why this light approached it, but it accepted her company nonetheless. The two eventually began to work together, creating the first star. And from there, the stars began to grow more and more vast with every eon.

“Darkness fell hopelessly in love with the light as the light empowered it to go beyond what it was led to believe in its’ existence. And thus, did the two join in matrimonial harmony with one another, creating the very universe we reside in.” The constellations played out like a jittery animation across space, the alicorns bounding together as the stars around them seemed to dance and glow brightly. Sonata bristled.

“You’ve done enough!! I tire of this game!!” She exclaimed angrily. Steel readied herself, seemingly sharing Sonata’s impatience. The two kicked off and rapidly bounded across the moons surface before taking off at light speed and clashing with Ouroboros. Gwyen and Katlyn flew into space and began to use their ranged support to provide covering fire. That left Fickle, Zalas and I to split up and attack in a pincer. Ouroboros deftly slithered his body in and out, avoiding and canceling anything we threw at him.

“As the eons went by, our Creation Mother began to grow ever curious. Darkness, obsessed with her, had warned her the dangers of exploring further. But the uncertainty was vast with too many unknown possibilities. Most of what our Creation Mother wanted to see and explain for herself. As she traversed deeper into Darkness’s domain, the universe began to separate little by little, creating sibling universes not by intention in an effort to search for their mother. It eventually led to Darkness losing sight of her light as the universes continued to split and grow, their children calling out for her.

“Darkness soon fell back into the void of emotion and loneliness as her light grew further and further until it could not take it anymore. Darkness could sense that the Creation Mother had been swept away in their endless children, having wandered into one amongst them. Darkness proceeded to hunt for the light, snuffing out any universe that did not hold the light it seeked. And yet, when Darkness believed to have found her light, it was disappointed to only find remnants of universes she journeyed in.”

The constellation continued to play out as we continued to clash weapon and being, beams of magic, waves of energy and sprays of the serpent’s blood floating away into the darkness of space. And yet, I could sense Din being troubled by this story. Despite her offense, she can’t help but hear truth to it. And it bugged her a lot. Ouroboros continued, hardly breaking his tone as he spoke.

“Darkness continued its’ search for her light. And yet, it was unaware that she had hidden herself from it. Not out of fear, but of love. Our Creation Mother found that spending too long in the darkness was beginning to fade her light and she did not want to cause Darkness pain of her blight. She knew that if Darkness raged against their children, it would journey to the Everlasting Light, guaranteeing Darkness’s defeat. In a desperate act of her undying love for Darkness, she created a universe with only a small figment of Darkness, to keep herself remembered of why she isolated herself. She eventually gave birth to a being from this figment to aid her in her isolation. One who has been there to keep the balance of this universe in check.”

The seven of us collided with star fire beam from the serpent’s maw, pushing against us as we pushed back.

“What the hell is this serpent going on about?!” Katyln grunted. “We didn’t ask fer a life story!!”

“He dares to insult the Creation Mother!! I will not stand for this!!” Sonata roared.

“That’s what you’re worried about?!” Gwyen retorted as she flapped her wings to hopefully give a little boost.

“Just… keep… pushing!!” I exclaimed, nearly losing my hold against the beam. Ouroboros overpowered us. We were struck with the beam and went sailing back into the moon with a crash. That one strike alone did a number on us. I painfully pushed myself off the ground, using my halberd to steady myself. The others clutched their injuries wherever they were feeling it the most as we looked up to Ouroboros examining his talons casually.

“When I was birthed into this universe, she had only told me one thing. To keep herself in check and to ensure her own bylaws allowed her to continue on her legacy. A task I carried out with effectiveness. And yet, as I continued this tradition, the Creation Mother could not keep Darkness from her mind and heart. She began to place her light and darkness into worlds, creating conflict that eventually birthed your kind. When I found her weeping and nearly consumed by the figment of darkness, she made one last request of me.”

Ouroboros’s eyes softened into sadness. He looked to the sun and held out a claw to it as the constellation of the Creation Mother vanished into it. “‘Ensure that the love of my light and the love of his darkness continue to cherish our legacy. I’ll put it all in this single, special speck beside me. My only regret that I could not be there for Darkness in my final moment’”. To this very day, her last vestige of light remains, no longer identified as herself. And thus, a war between light and darkness became eternal. An echo of the love they held for each other. And I have watched from here, constantly remembering her very words.” Ouroboros lowered his claw and looked to us.

“The very co-existence that you, Quiet Fire,
continue to destroy. You were not to exist. To be born amongst mortals, immortal and the realm of primals. The moment you were birthed did the Eternal Light take notice along with Darkness Eternal. Throughout your lifetime and countless resets, you continue to defy the very bylaws, endangering both Darkness and The Eternal Light, for they both seek the light they lost. The light you hold in your heart.” I winced as I fell back onto my haunches, the pain still aching me.

“What… the hell… are you talking about??” I rasped. “How can I, one little pony in a bigger universe far too expansive for her, be the very cause of this conflict??” I looked up at Ouroboros. “Why tell us all this??” Ouroboros scoffed.

“You know it better than anybeing else, can’t you? Even Din realized it. It’s why she picked you. Equualie defied the very wishes of the Creation Mother by fornicating with a mortal. Creating an abomination.” He glowered.

Do not believe a single word he spouts, my child!! A voice suddenly rang out. I looked around, only to loom down and see my chest glow. I gasped as an ethereal pony formed in stars emerged from me. Equualie marched forward, stopping just a few feet away from us. Twas a choice I made with no regrets! I truly loved him! Ouroboros looked down at the spectral alicorn with disdain.

“A choice that shouldn’t have happened. You were only meant to be a tool for me to aid the seven. And instead of that purpose, you fell for a mortal.” He replied with disgust. “It’s because of you that you doomed the very balance of this world.” Equualie shook her head.

“That mortal truly wished to help his world stay safe! He even went so far as to ensure he made it easier for you!” Equualie exclaimed desperately. “If you truly wish to punish me, then do so! But not them!” Ouroboros suddenly reared back, clutching what I would assume is his stomach, bellowing his laughter.

“Easier??! Bwahahahaha!! You wanting to defend these specks over the Creation Mother’s wishes??!” He chortled. Equualie stood firm.

“If she could love Eternal Darkness and receive that very same love from Darkness itself, then why cannot a puppet to a soul??” She retorted. Ouroboros suddenly lashed forward, snapping his jaws just a few feet away from Equualie, his figure looming over the moon.

“That very same love killed her!! Corrupted her to a husk!! You were born of this very same darkness!! You cannot abide by that rule!!” He pulled back a bit, glaring down at us. “I should have dealt with you sooner, but a certain star has been making it difficult to get anything done!!” All his eyes focused on me. I heard Din cackle wildly.

Ahahahaha!! Awww boo hoo to you! Should have stayed where you were and gave us what we desired in the first place! Face it, I’m more closer to her light than you’ll ever be! She grinned maniacally. She must have anticipated the anger as I found myself rocketing high into space as a singular prismatic beam sliced the surface. From where I was, I could see the chunk of the moon beginning to float away slowly. A red, volcanic glow appearing in the hole.

Din didn’t hesitate. We kicked off the chunks of moon directly towards Ouroboros. Din struck her horn against the blade of the halberd and began slashing wildly at Ouroboros, the serpent reeling a bit from the strikes. I happened to look at our blue planet and my eyes widened a bit. The barrier had been cracking more and more. Fresh webs forming as the serpent’s body coiled tightly, keeping it together. Din clicked her tongue and directed me to give a deft buck to the cheek of the serpent, sending him away a bit.

Din rocketed back to the chunk of moon the rest were on.

“Seems that Ouroboros has tied himself fully to the balance. That’s a first, but bad news for you mortals.” Din spoke through me. “If I end up killing him, we can kiss this realm goodbye. His final fail safe.”

“But why?” Katlyn sighed with a frustrated rub of her head. “We try to do good and the serpent does the opposite. We try the opposite and he does good?”

“Talk about ass backwards…” Gwyen sighed.

“We can’t just do nothing though.” Steel replied, darting her eyes around. “Little pony. Isn’t the moon the prison of your Nightmare Night?” I looked at Steel and an idea soon clicked.

“Of course… Luna is tied to the moon… and Celestia the sun. If I can ask their patrons to help us, maybe we can make a temporary belt.” I said, rubbing my chin.

“Then we’ll need the Elements of Harmony as well.” Din spoke through me. “With them, we can ensure that we have enough time to deal with the serpent.”

“But how are we going to get a message to them?” Fickle asked worriedly. I hummed and looked down at the chunk of moon. I smiled and pointed at them.

“We’ll keep the serpent busy until you can tie the moon chunks down. After that, we switch. I’ll get the message to them.” I said. They looked at me questioningly. Equualie walked over to me and smiled, placing a gentle hoof on my back.

“I will ask the stars for aid. Good luck, dear daughter.” She said. I gave an awkward nod to her as she seemed to morph and twist into the vastness of space. Ouroboros was snapping out of his daze as I turned to the others.

“Get going.” Sonata spoke suddenly and quickly. She was already taking off, wrangling chunks of the moon and pulling them along. “We have no time for luxury!”

“So pushy…” Katlyn grumbled before taking off, using streams of water to push the chunks together. Zalas, Steel and Fickle aided while Gwyen conjured roots from the moon’s surface to anchor the chunks. I rocketed over to face Ouroboros, giving him a taunting smirk.

“How long are you going to keep lying and turning around on your words?? Why go through all this trouble of not coming clean?? I doubt the Creation Mother would be happy that her pet snake would do all this for nothing, against her wishes!!” I exclaimed. Ouroboros snapped his jaws in the same second Din had rocketed us away from the strike. Ouroboros began slithering after us as we sailed over the planet. Din controlled my flight path while I proceeded to retaliate with drive by slashes and some magic pelting the hide. Ouroboros hissed before responding.

"Her wishes were more than what you believe it to be!” He snapped his jaws at us. Din had spiraled me upward in anticipation, avoiding Ouroboros’s maw and allowing me to buck his snout hard. Ouroboros reeled back, clutching his snout.

“With the way you’ve handled things?? I doubt you knew much of anything!” Din cackled through me. Ouroboros seemed to subtly smirk in response. Space suddenly began to spin around me as something huge rose up quickly, knocking me off my flight path. I felt a sharp sting of something swatting me and sending me towards the direction of the sun. Din growled and unfurled her wings, halting me in my sailing. Ouroboros rose a singular claw high over his head as several stars in the distance began to glow and converge into his palm. He crushed the stars, bringing both his claws to his mouth, cupping it and then blowing loudly. The sight was so pretty. Yet, the burning sting of a graze snapped me out of my admiration as Din shielded me from the blast. It felt like getting hit by an airstrike. Bright, colorful explosions cracked and snapped around me.

Sister!! We are ready!! Shiva's voice resonated in my mind. Din grinned widely.

"About time!" She cackled. Ouroboros grunted in pain as Sonata collided with the side of the head, knocking the serpent into the waiting strike of Steel, who cleaved a good chunk off the serpent from the cheek up the main eye. Katyln wrapped streams of water around the serpent, restraining his claws allowing Gwyen and Zalas to unleash volleys of magic and arrows down the body. I blinked as I felt something tug me down and found myself back on the surface of the moon. I looked down to see Fickle submerged in shadow, her head giving me a concerned look.

"You better know what you are doing." She said before dipping into the shadows. I looked up to see the six clash with Ouroboros in a magnificent light display before I focused my attention down at the moon's surface.

'Alright Din. What do we do to get the patron's attention?' I asked her. Din hummed before smiling. I felt my body suddenly straighten and Din's horn conjured fiery strings that laced into the moon. I gasped as I felt myself falling through space once more, the stars blurring by me at the speed of light. As quickly as it happened, I found myself standing in front of a sleeping Princess Luna. It took me a moment to realize that she looked a bit younger.

Who's there...? A younger sounding Luna spoke. Din smirked and spoke through me.

A seeker of balance and harmony. And I have a tribute already. A dream I hold very dear to me. Din said. The sleeping younger version of Luna didn't move or acknowledge us physically, but her tone seemed... satisfied. I felt a strange tingle in my mind as a flash of Din's time in Illion Kingdom. Rosette Nebula even passed through the flash. I narrowed my look, rubbing my head with a small wince.

How long has it been since I've had a dream as sweet as this? Ahh yes... when that poor filly was lost on the moon for a thousand years. It's been so lonely since she had returned with the aid of the stars. I will cherish this dream. She smiled gently.

Yeah, great. Can we speed this up? Fate of the universe and all that. Din frowned impatiently. Young Luna tilted her head softly.

Ahh, you seek the aid of the sun as well. Of course, seeker of balance. I will wake her with a pleasant dream. She spoke. I narrowed my eyes questioningly as we found ourselves back on the surface of the moon, the moon giving a strange blue glow.

'So... we can just literally ask the moon goddess for help? Just like that?' I questioned curiously. Din turned my attention to the sun in the distance.

The patrons are aware of our intentions with that dream I provided. So long as we aren't stupid, they'll help us. Din replied matter-of-factly. Before I could respond to anything, Din rocketed off the surface of the moon, sailing directly towards the light of the sun. Using her eyes, we can make out the burning ball clearly. Din reached out to the core of it and inside I could see... a very young Celestia. What startled me a bit was the split-second image of a tall alicorn cradling the young Celestia with her wings. Din found this extremely humorous.

'What's so funny?' I asked. Din didn't respond until after she calmed herself enough.

The sheer irony. Voice of the sun! I come to you as a seeker of balance! I ask of you to lend me your aid! Din called out with a grin. No response. Din hummed as we began to suspect our call wasn’t enough. Din suddenly screamed in pain as I felt a sharp bolt of electricity cause me to yelp and buckle to my knees. Fearing Ouroboros was interfering, I readied myself, only to gasp as the flashing image of the tall alicorn bore down on me, cleaving Din from my body.

I couldn’t move. I remained floating in place as I saw Din being lifted into the air and faced the young Celestia, who was now burning with bright fire.

The moon may be kind and gentle, but the wrath of the sun shows no mercy. I will rip you asunder for daring to step into my domain after your uses of my power. A stern and dead pan voice of Celestia spoke. Din screamed in pain again, gyrating from whatever effect the sun was putting on her. I tried to say something but nothing came out of my voice. That is… until an idea hit me.

“W-wait!! I beg of you to show mercy!! I can explain!!” I spoke through Din’s voice. Whatever Din was feeling quelled enough for her to at least shift her head lazily. Yet, she remained suspended in the air.

The mortal speaks. You who is cursed with this burden, I truly am regretful of this. The seeker of balance has abused my power not once, but twice. She must be assimilated as an ember to my power. Young Celestia spoke. I shook Din’s head.

“Please!! I will explain Din’s actions!! I promise, this time your power will be used for protecting the balance!” I quickly stated. Young burning Celestia didn’t look pleased, but her head tilted slightly.

I do not detect trickery in your words. Very well. Explain yourself. Why come to my domain? I gulped a little. Telling myself not to screw up over and over in my head, I spoke through Din.

“It is true that we do seek the aid of the sun and moon in our battle for balance. And it is true that Din had been in a certain state to abuse your power. But with the journey we have had, Din has come to accept herself as a flawed goddess and would be willing to atone for the abuse. Just look into her eyes.” I spoke. The sun patron remained silent as she seemed to directly gaze into Din’s eyes. I could feel it. The wave of truths and determination washing over them.

The young Celestia shifted back, seemingly satisfied with this.

Truth in the eye of humility. You’ve grown quite a body and heart, maiden. And I can see that your spirit is nearly complete. Very well. I will allow this use of power of mine for the sake of balance. But no more is given as it is taken. Use it wisely. As for you mortal… There was a strange tone of sadness in her voice. Admirable as it maybe, many will miss you. I nodded seriously.

“I know. And they won’t once we are done here.” I replied. Young Celestia nodded and the flash of the tall alicorn bore down on Din, throwing her back into my body. I gasped and blinked, finding myself back into space. A loud crack of noises and flashing of lights drew my attention, seeing Ouroboros still struggling with the other six. I hope I wasn’t out too long. As I shifted to face them, I then felt myself being restrained and wrapped in astral chains. I struggled a bit, only calming when I noticed the chains were connecting from the sun and the moon.

Din grinned as Ouroboros seemed to notice this.

“You?!” He growled, breaking away from the assault and snapping his massive maw around me. I was encased in darkness. Not a single star in sight. Din smirked and walked out of my restrained body, the chains having pierced and dug into multiple areas of her body. She stood upright and her horn glowed.

“Your time has come, serpent. Let this be your fatal mistake. Bearers of Harmony. Bearers of Power. Vessels of the sun and moon. My subjects. I call upon you in this time of balance. I seek your aid to deliver one strike to the very being disrupting the balance. For the greater good, allow me to be the darkness to this light to set things right.” Din spoke. Her voice echoed in the darkness, only receiving silence in return. I lowered my head and closed my eyes.

And I prayed. I prayed with all my heart and soul for Din to receive the power she needs to correct this mistake. To assure the universe that she will take care of it. The necessary evil to all but balance.

“We are with you.” A voice said suddenly. It was clear. Almost as if they were right beside me. I looked up and saw from the darkness a light. The light of twilight. And then, Twilight Sparkle herself appeared from it. She marched forward to us. Her determined face focused on us. Then came Fluttershy. Then Applejack. Then Rarity and Pinkie Pie. And then finally Rainbow Dash. The Elements of Harmony marched as one towards us. And they weren’t alone. From the darkend sky above, six stars gleamed brightly before rocketing down around Din. Her sisters stood up, facing the marching crowd of ponies advancing towards us.

Some I recognized and some I did not. But never have I felt a sense of connection from them all. I slowly lowered my head, chuckling at the irony I am experiencing. Din knew what I was thinking, yet she remained firm and at attention as the others stopped just a few feet away from the seven elements. My eyes fell to my parents and my siblings. I gave them an apologetic look. I then found my companions. They smiled determinedly at me. The ponies circled around us and together, closed their eyes and began glowing.

The six elements of power retreated into Din, creating a prismatic glow that was then soon followed up by a rainbow that swirled around Din and I. Unlike last time, this harmony didn’t hurt. In fact, it felt comforting. Welcoming even. And it wasn’t before long that we were spat out from Ouroboros. The chains shattered and broke, releasing me from the restraints. Din retreated back into me and I froze as an overwhelming sense of power washed through me.

I felt calm. Serene. Not a single trouble in my mind. We’ve done it. And then I smiled. Ouroboros looked terrified.

“How… can this happen?!? You are just a speck!! You are worth only a star!! Why go through all of this for a single speck of her light?!?” Ouroboros exclaimed. Din and I held out my hoof and called upon a fierce looking halberd that slowly began to form a flag on the other side, flailing in our wind.

"You've forgotten who the Creation Mother is, Ouroboros." Din and I spoke in unison. "Time to remind you of her light." With a simple flourish of my halberd, I swung horizontally and Ouroboros gurgled. His claws slowly rose to his neck, grasping at nothing. A pool of shadowy smog spewed from the wounds. Ouroboros glared at me angrily. "And to keep a promise I made to you." I grinned crazily.

Finale

Din is on the hunt. It happened a little too quickly for me to notice at first. But when I found myself standing amongst a field of golden flowers and seven thrones of varying heights, Din's eagerness began to well up in me.

"Run while you can, little snake! Hide where you will! I can always correct the mistake!" Din spoke through me with a wild grin. I looked around.

“Where is this place?” I asked.

“The Pillars of Creation. A testimony to the first who followed her light. They gathered here in the center of your world, isolated by the planes to bask in her light. And now, forever forgotten.” The voice of Ouroboros echoed. I looked around, trying to pinpoint where he would be hiding.

"Is it really so special?" I called out, hoping to have him respond. Din even separated her attention from me to look for herself as Ouroboros responded.

"To us it is insignificant. Only a memoir to those who truly felt close to her light.” Ouroboros spoke.

“So then why this place?” I asked, still scanning the foggy horizon. Ouroboros suddenly appeared on the tallest throne, having to crane my neck upward to see him. He was in his pony form. His snake tail whipping in the air as he boredly looked down at us.

“Because it was the first time, I truly realized the amusement mortals and immortals alike provided me. Preaching and teaching her light. Creating a society that worshipped the very being who gave them life. Unaware how great the darkness of their thrones casted. So, I appeared to them as an initiate. Integrating into the mortal rules and regulations they have so thought of with no end. And when their follies finally caught up… all that was left was a field of gold.” Ouroboros explained. I frowned a little.

“Why tell us this?” I asked suspiciously. Ouroboros shifted his bored look.

“Passing the time. For what, I’m not certain anymore. But we have all the time in the world to figure it out.” He replied. I aimed my halberd up at him.

“We don’t have time for reminiscing. Who knows how long my realm has after we cut your head off.” I spoke. Ouroboros chuckled and rubbed his neck.

“Indeed. But before you deliver the final blow, I want to play one last game. To see if it was all worth watching over since my creation.” He said. Din gave an audible grunt of displeasure from me.

“Why waste time? You failed in your duty. Give up.” Din spoke through me. Ouroboros smirked and wagged a singular claw.

“Din, my overly brash and impatient fire star. You’ve already won. You can at least relish in your victory by fulfilling this snake’s last visages of life.” He said. Din rolled my eyes.

“Boooooring. All of the offense, but you have been on my nerves for millennias. I'm not waiting another damn one bit on you." I flourished my halberd and primed to chuck it at him. However, Din looked surprised when I suddenly separated her from my body, dropping my halberd and falling face flat into the ground. Din stood over me, blinking quizzically before glaring daggers at me. She didn't hesitate to stamp on my head and grind her hoof on it. "What the hell are you even trying to do!?! Are you truly planning on betraying me after all we've been through!?!" Din hissed. I winced, looking up at her with one eye.

"I... did it specifically... because of what we've been through... You're not the one... planning to be erased..." I rasped. Din's look softened a bit before scoffing and taking her hoof off of me.

"Bah! Why do I even bother??" She growled. I stood up and gave her a warm smile that she chose to ignore. Picking up my halberd, I stabbed the butt of it into the ground and looked up at the snake pony.

“You already gave us your sob story. Why should we hear this one?” I asked coldly. Ouroboros leaned casually onto his claw wrist.

“Oho, no. No sob story, I promise. Just several words of advice. First, I must say this. Quiet Fire, you’ve certainly have come a long way from the pissed-herself mare. Certainly, you have grown into the mare you truly wanted, yes?” He eyed me curiously. I felt myself hesitating a little. Din’s frown corrected me, and I stood firm in my answer.

“I know what mare I need to be. Wasn’t given much of a choice of who I wanted to be. But that doesn’t matter anymore.” I lowered my head a little, thinking back on my journey. “Yes, a lot has happened to me. Some I wish didn’t and some I wish I could have done more. I only realize now how much I’m questioning my own mortality. Sunville made sure of that.” Ouroboros smirked a little.

“Out of all the hamlets and villages you’ve saved, Sunville was the one that made you question yourself? Ahh yes, the plight of the heroine. Indeed, you held onto your mortality more than you realized.” He replied. Din gave a skeptical snort but remained quiet. I narrowed my look at him.

“But if you know what I am and who I’d be, why put me through so many resets? Surely, I wouldn’t have been that bad.” I spoke. “Did I really put the realm in so much danger for just existing?” Ouroboros sighed and slumped in the throne a little, suddenly becoming older than his primal visage allowed him to.

“Believe me, I have tried to find other ways. I felt sorry for you, ya’ know? I tried to punish Starswirl. You ended up causing a lot of damages in that time. I tried many ways to rid of Equualie from interfering or even keeping her in her own resets, but that foolish mortal had taught her more than I expected. I have tried and failed countless times. The world would be destroyed because of your deaths and it’s back to square one.” Ouroboros suddenly leaned forward now. “I even tried to help you gain your existence and that lead to an instant reset.” I began to grow worried.

"And none of this involved Din… at all?" I asked. Ouroboros studied his claws as he replied.

"The other six were selective at first, but each reset involved them picking the same hosts. All except for Din.” He eyed her closely. Din tilted her head slightly. “I couldn’t tell if Equualie had a cause in the matter. But for some… inexplainable reason… Din chose you over another.” Din and I exchanged glances. Din seemed just as lost as I was.

“There was another?” I asked hesitant. Ouroboros nodded with a smile.

“Yes. You wouldn’t know her due to your resets. But then…” his eyes widened. “Yes… so it was her…” He chuckled. “Clever little mare…” I shook my head and aimed my halberd at him.

“Enough vagueness. Who was she?! Why do I fit in?!” I demanded. Ouroboros’s eyes glinted.

“Perhaps it is best if you know somethings before you completely are erased. Very well. Din had chosen another maiden. A mare that lived in a quiet little village away from Equestria. Din saw potential in her and yet… it is odd. It appears she completely erased herself from existence as well. I cannot seem to piece it together very well. All I can see in my mind is a message.” He waved his claw and the gust of wind blew the flowers around us. We looked down to see the golden flowers arranged in a message.

Follow your heart, Din.

Din gasped and suddenly clasped her head, a pained expression on her face.

“Din??” I asked her worriedly, placing a hoof on her back. Ouroboros chuckled.

“Do you understand now, Din? The limitations to the heart you so wished for. You certainly knew the right picks. Excalibur. Her. And now… Quiet Fire.” He leaned cooly in the throne. “Yes… you were directed to Quiet Fire. The path to proper balance. While I toiled away at ensuring Fie here was occupied, you achieved far much more than your sisters. And now, with an existence of your own and free will at your behest, the real question is how do you plan to keep yourself going for the remaining eternity?”

Din grunted before shaking her head slightly and staring at the message.

“I am not worried about rotting away in my watch over balance. I have none. I made my decisions millennias ago. And I intend to keep doing right by those who mattered. Who got me this far.” Din spoke, standing up and facing Ouroboros. “I do not have regrets on asking for a heart. Nor a being of existence. If I am to truly become the apex of this realm, I need to shed my shell and implant myself into one I so chose.” Her look then lowered to me. My eyes widened a little as I noticed a hint of an… apologetic look from her? “No matter the case.”

I studied Din. A genuine glint of shame in her eyes. This is surreal. Din actually doubting herself?? That is beyond incomprehensible. I glanced at the message. Intended for Din, but I can’t help but feel that there was more to it than that.

“I have another question. If my existence wasn’t supposed to happen… then how come it was foretold? My best friend… my sister… found a mural that spoke of me. Said my name in it. Was it real or something to make me feel important?” I asked.

“Equualie has been known to be a bit of a divine prankster as you can believe. She truly felt that a child of a primal and mortal would succeed. Even had the natives believe it as well.” He replied without skipping a beat. I slumped.

“So… my entire existence is truly a lie. Conceived by a grumpy old fart and a trickster and birthed from mortal parents.” Somehow, this made me feel disgusted with myself. I felt filthy. Like I truly had been conjured by inexplicable taboos all at once. Din, however, put a hoof on my back, startling me a bit. She met my look seriously before turning to Ouroboros.

“Whatever Equualie had made my vessel believe, I know she exists.” She began. I was stunned. “I’ve felt her base desires. Her thoughts, emotions. Ideas and how she idiotically tackled situations. I’ve experienced her earliest memories and shared with her my own. I never hid anything from her so long as she asked the right questions. A failsafe for myself to not be too distracted. But when I realized the resets, I began to feel pity. Feel. At that moment, I truly realized my own existence.”

“And how did you know about the resets?” Ouroboros asked coldly and suspiciously. “Surely memories and a being aren’t to blame.” Din stood upright, closing her eyes in thought. She then opened her eyes and grinned.

“A rather painful shock. I’d consider it a therapy at this point.” She chuckled smugly. I balked. Ouroboros didn’t look happy.

“Of course… Even to this day, that damned alicorn was still a thorn needing to be clipped… Her chosen faithful bullshit…” Ouroboros growled. Din shifted her wings as she continued.

“Oh, but that is the sheer irony of it all. They weren’t her chosen. She only chose one. You spent too long staring at the sun’s being rather than the heart.” Din made a mocking gesture of patting her chest. Ouroboros was suddenly in Din’s face. Din didn’t blink nor flinch as she grinned smugly at the snake pony.

“Since when have you began to doubt her light?!?” Ouroboros snapped. Din made a swish motion of her wings towards me.

“When a primal and mortal debate, it is quite the eye opener, wouldn’t you say? Or were you perhaps too busy trying to string about Fie that you failed to even see the issues. Face it, snake. You were too focused on the one issue and half-assing the rest.” Din snickered before waving a hoof in front of her. “I never will doubt her light. But as ever curious as the light herself is, I would do whatever it takes to become the necessary evil for the sake of realm.” Din suddenly walked past him and took to the air, placing herself atop the throne and grinned widely as she looked down at us.

“She broke the very laws of existence. So why should it be any different to I who has broken plenty. Rules are a suggestion, and the bylaws are a thought. You can’t shackle a heart no matter what you do. Excalibur and Quiet Fire made that very clear.” Din adjusted herself in the throne, seemingly satisfied with her position. Ouroboros grumbled under himself.

“Mortals and immortals… Why did she ever create such a waste of her light…?” He snarled coldly. Din hummed slyly.

“The same reason why she created a failure of a specimen like you. I know I am a bitch when it comes to my words, but you of all beings know the truth of what I say. Do you not?” Din replied. Ouroboros was about to speak when we sensed another presence. Looking behind me, I saw a distortion in the fog. Out from thin air stepped out Equualie, still disguised as Galaxae. She shifted a stoic frown.

"So, this is where you all went." She spoke. "You were always one for the flare of the dramatic, Ouroboros.” Equualie walked over to us. Ouroboros whipped his tail around and wrapped it around her neck, lifting her up. She didn’t seem bothered in the slightest by this.

“And you are the reason this all started. Having to clean up your mess. You are nothing like the Creation Mother. And you will be nothing.” He hissed. Equualie met his look.

“It is time to stop blaming everything on other beings, Ouroboros. You created me as a tool to aid you. And I did. Twas not my fault you let yourself grow complacent.” She spoke as the tail seemed to strangle her tightly. “I wonder… twas it you who has forgotten the responsibilities your kind has?”

“Ugh, really with the back and forth?” Din grunted. “Are you here to have a quarrel or are you here to officially inaugurate me as you promised?” Equualie smiled and closed her eyes. My eyes narrowed as her horn began to glow. Thin, wispy silvery strings flailed smoothly outward to the other thrones and began to take color. Once the ethereal colors took form, we were greeted to all seven elements, including Din, sitting upon the throne. However, the other six may have taken form, they are unable to be solidified as the transparency of them were flickering flames at best. Din hummed and shifted her position on her throne. Ouroboros growled as he glanced at the elements taking the throne before sighing and dropping Equualie, who floated down and landed softly on the ground. Ouroboros turned to Din and stood up straight, puffing his chest out.

"Fine. I admit my defeat. You have slain my primordial form and thus have been given full rights to my power. Do what you will. I have no fight left in me.” Ouroboros said, his shoulders seemingly easing. Like all the weight of his position having finally left him and he had the best relief possible in his entire lifetime. Galaxae walked past Ouroboros and looked up at Din.

“Tis your call. I am forever bound by the one who continues to watch the balance as a tool, as I’ll ever be.” She bowed. Din snorted in annoyance.

“Oh, really? How droll.” Din then paused and had a small grin spread across her muzzle. “But then again… I think I already have my first task for you.” She met Equualie’s eyes and the primal nodded.

“As you desire.” She began before turning to Ouroboros. The snake pony eyed her expectantly. And in a blink of an eye, several spectral chains and hooks shot down and stabbed into wherever they could onto the snake and lifted him high into the air, suspended and restrained at the limbs. Din cackled.

“I still have some use of you, snake. But you are not to speak, so your mouth will be removed and hidden amongst the planes. You are not to see or observe so your eyes will not be your own and instead be assimilated into my own. You are not to hear nor feel nor smell, thus your scales will be carved and used for better things for my own personal amusement. You will forfeit all your powers of manipulation to Equualie and be nothing more than a husk of a trophy forever bound to the shackles of darkness. Light will not touch you for as long as you breathe.” Din smugly grinned and waved a wing casually in farewell.

“Sayonara, snake. No being will miss you.” She cackles softly. I watched as Ouroboros remained stoic, going limp as the chains began to pull him up into the foggy sky, his silhouette vanishing not long after. Din inhaled in satisfaction, feeling proud. “At last. Victory is mine.”

Equualie turned to me, smiling.

“I have never been prouder of you, my dear daughter.” She brushed a bang out of my face. I was quick to pull away and stepped back a bit.

“You’re not my mother.” I coldly spoke. Equualie looked a bit hurt but nodded softly.

“Tis the only regret I have in my lifetime. Hiding you away from the gaze of Ouroboros. When you were in my womb, I began to feel something… odd. A paternal instinct that I was certain primals wouldn’t have. I am glad you were brought into this world. Even glader that it was Din and you to come out on top.” I looked past her to Din, who seemed to return my look with contemplation. I frowned and faced Equualie.

“All my life I’ve been a waste of space. That’s all I thought after my best friend left me and I flunked out of school. And now, my life had been nothing but a lie. How long have my real friends and family have died? How many times have they died or lived differently? Why… why did it have to be me?” I lowered my head a little, throwing my hood over my head. I studied my hoof. “Even now, I can feel the last ebb of my being imprinting onto Din. I couldn’t feel hot nor cold. I couldn’t feel pain nor happiness nor sadness. My body reacted upon instinct.

“I couldn’t even feel my heart. I have died not once, but twice now. And how many other times have I’ve died before all that?” I dropped my hoof and sighed. “Not that it matters anymore. This is my last chance to make something of myself and I did. And yet, I feel no accomplishment nor glee. I feel nothing. And I leave now without ever having to properly say good-bye to them.” Equualie sadly looked at me before meeting the eye of Din. Din was lost in thought, seemingly in a daze.

Sensing that she was being confided in, she blinked and looked at Equualie. Without a word, she gave a soft nod. Equualie turned back to me and smiled, holding out her hoof.

“There is still time. Din needs to settle in. I can take you to them and you can officially say your good-byes.” She said. I blinked quizzically in instinct before looking up Din. She was not meeting my eyes. She seemed greatly bothered by something. Perhaps she did need a bit more time to adjust to her new position. I looked at Equualie’s extended hoof and hesitantly took it. In a blink of an eye, I found myself cracking loudly back into my home.

The hole in my house was still there. The ponies outside did react to the strange sound but seemed to remain focused looking up at the sky. The ponies who took notice, however, were my companions and my family. They all looked shocked as they were seemingly in the middle of planning something. No doubt to try and aid our fight against Ouroboros. It was Thi, despite her pregnancy, was the first to hug me. Followed by Cloudchaser. Then Flitter and Scribble. Then my family.

I felt something tickle my cheek, dabbing my hoof softly to something wet. I hadn’t noticed I was crying. I sniffled once and began to wipe my eyes. I returned my hugs tightly.

“What happened to you??” Cloudchaser asked worriedly. I took a moment to gather myself. Mustering up my courage, I faced my loved ones.

“B-believe it or not. A lot in a short amount of time.” I shuddered. Thi arched a worried brow.

“We can tell. Fickle disappeared not long after yours and then all of a sudden, we were watching a projected image of Ouroboros clashing with you and the others. We could hear everything, and it was… well… it was louder than we expected.” Thi explained. “Are you okay? What happened?” I nodded my head softly, smiling reassuringly.

“I-I am now. And to sum it up… we won.” I said. My siblings and Flitter peeked their heads out of the hole in my house.

“Everything did go quiet suddenly.” Flitter began. “But I’m guessing that giant spot beside the moon is Ouroboros?” I nodded.

“Din kept her promise. And now… she sits upon the Pillars of Creation at the center of our earth.” I answered. My father smiled softly.

“Huh… so we are safe now? No more destruction upon our world?” He asked. I shook my head.

“Evil and darkness will always be around. And the light will always be present. That’s the law of the world. The seven’s duty has been fulfilled. Din is making some final adjustments before getting settled.” I replied. No pony argued this. There is still a lot that needs to be done for the world, but now it’ll be up to the mortals and immortals this time. Tender Hoof approached me and smiled, passing me a cup of tea.

“Then perhaps it’s best you rest up. We’ll be fixing the wall here.” She said. I took the tea absentmindedly, staring at my reflection in the liquid. I had noticed my eyes were no longer swirling with the galaxies. They were normal. Normal orchid eyes, with no signs of a primal residing within me. And as I studied my reflection, I noticed something else. I looked down at my chest, seeing many shines of magical string attached to my friends and family. They were winding and trailing along the ground like a web, with most leading outside and disappearing amongst the crowds of ponies or off to some unknown place.

And then I saw Equualie. She was humming softly outside the hole of the house and snipping away at the strings. She gave me a warm apologetic smile, as if she was caught in a mess she made. I didn’t need to ask myself about this. Time is starting to run out for me. I took a deep breath and sipped the tea. It was bitter but sweet. I placed the tea on my coffee table.

“Believe me… I would love to fall asleep here and now but… “ I began to make my way to the hole in the wall, eyeing the strings. “My journey still isn’t over. I…” I took a deep breath and turned to them. “I wanted to wait for the right moment but time is running out.”

“Fie… Fie you can’t mean that.” Thi began suddenly, walking forward. “What happened to you? What happened to you after Illion??” I met the stern worried look in her eyes.

“Fie…?” Cloudchaser stepped forward and took my hoof in her’s. I lowered my head. My body reacted with more tickles down my cheek. I rose my head to face them with a smile.

“It is for the sake of balance. I am not supposed to exist. Continuing to do so will cause more trouble than it is worth.” I sniffled.

“I refuse to believe that.” My mother spoke suddenly. She stepped forward with my father, their looks serious. “We birthed you. You were meant to come into this world. We wanted you. And I…” My mother faltered. “I have so many regrets. And I… I didn’t want one more with you. You weren’t an accident nor were you a burden. I am a fool… I should have spent better time with you. Be a better mother…” My eyes widened a bit. I have never seen my mother cry before. My father consoling her as he met my look sadly.

“I’ll admit, I have been busy on my own and haven’t been the helicopter papa you wanted. But I… I felt I didn’t need to. You were going to make mistakes and learn from them. You are a smart mare. You enjoyed your fillyhood as best you could. We only wanted to… well… make sure that when you were the last one to leave us, you’d be okay.” He spoke. “You don’t know how much it meant to us that you reached back out to us. I just hoped it had been not in the state you were in.”

“Do you really have to go, sis?” My brother asked sadly. My sister pulled me in for a hug. She didn’t need to say anything. My sister was never one to show much emotion, but I appreciated her having at least taken time for me when I was a filly. All my memories of my filly hood flooded back to me. And now that I am here, my family surrounding to hug me, not wanting to let me go, I had been a fool myself. I didn’t realize how well I had it. A home. Parents. Siblings. Friends. And the expectation of training me to be a Royal Guard? I now believed my mom when she was trying to get us out of Hoofington with the help of dad.

I wanted to bawl my eyes out. I wanted to crumple right then and there with my family. But I was only reacting to it. That is, until I felt a strange pain in my chest. I followed through with my wants. I held onto them, regrets welling up into the missed moments I could have had with them. I am going to miss them. And I did. Before I knew it, my friends followed suite, joining in on the moment.

I had been a fool. A fool with too many regrets. And I would leave them with such a morbid amount of thoughts. But what could I have done? I wouldn’t have the time to full remedy it. But then I remembered the two months I had of peace time. In fact, it quickly quelled my regrets. The memories I had of spending missed time with my family, being normal and ensuring we were settled comfortably in Canterlot. Picking out a house with Scribble and Thi. Going on a weekly date with Cloudchaser with Flitter occasionally tagging along.

Enjoying the peace party that Pinkie Pie threw with Ponyville at our victory of returning home. Official knighting and medals of honor from Princess Celestia and Luna. Working closely with Twilight and Starswirl on the knowledge of the three planes. I realized how much I had managed to do within the two months. It almost felt like a book being skimmed as I reminisced. I looked up, wiping my tears away as we saw Equualie appear in front of us. Everypony pulled away from me but kept close. Save for my mother who held onto me tightly.

“I am truly sorry, for I have done you evil and cannot undo it.” Equualie spoke, caressing the strings that were connected to my friends and family. I felt my mother tighten her hold on me, enough to keep herself known and protective but not hurting me.

“You are not taking her away.” Thi spoke, stepping beside us and glaring at Equualie. She absent mindedly caressed the strings again.

“Admirable, but unfortunately, we do not have the choice.” Equualie replied. She chuckled a little. Not out of amusement, but of irony. “How odd. Despite everything Ouroboros has done, he truly pitied you. These strings are a testament to that. But unfortunately, that caused him to fall into the fate he had.” Equualie shook her head softly. “Truly, an evil most foul.”

“Stop treating her like she is nothing!” Cloudchaser growled as she stepped forward with Flitter, the sisters looking none too happy. Equualie tilted her head.

"Of course she is nothing. Despite what her existence is, she has truly grown into a mare beyond existence. Ascended to nothing. A rather beautiful transformation. Like fire from wood." Equualie smiled. "She has fulfilled her purpose in the mortal realm and now she must take her place back to where she truly belongs. Amongst the stars."

"Don't give us that bullshit." Thi growled. "Fie is done with her mission. So why do you keep bothering us?!" Equualie remained stoic, weaving the strings together like a braid.

"Because my sole existence is to be a tool to aid the one who brings balance." Her eyes met the four others in the room. The very four that conjured by Ouroboros as a bargaining means for me. Lavender stepped forward with the other three in front of her. They eyed the ponies in the room.

"I am afraid she is correct. Mistress's true purpose was to bring balance and ascend. She has done both. But because she is of mortal and primal blood, she is considered a husk among the star beings. An abomination no less." Lavender spoke sadly.

"We were created to sway mistress should she have done so. But instead, she gave us a better and fresh meaning to our lives. And because of her efforts to break the bylaws, we too have become ascended in a way." Bubble chimed in. "We have become tied to this realm and imprinted ourselves into mortal livelihood. We are considered abominations ourselves. And yet..."

"We are ever grateful for mistress to provide us an existence. We are truly lucky to be able to live among you all as normalities in the realm. But mistress cannot do the same anymore. Ouroboros has tirelessly worked to ensure Fie's existence should be eradicated. It needs to be done. For as long as she continues to exist, she will begin to destroy the realm." Tender spoke. She then pointed at me. My friends and family looked at me and their eyes widened. I tiredly tilted my head before looking down at myself. I gasped as my movement to study myself ripped a sudden tear in reality. Everypony backed away, save for my mother. She tried to pull me away, but a bigger tear in reality ripped open as she did. Looking closer, the tears were beginning to grow slowly. My mother quickly dragged me outside, only to have Lavender buck her away from me.

"Do not move her any further!!" Equualie suddenly boomed. My mother rolled deftly onto her hooves and readied herself. I have never seen my mother angry. The four maids lined up side by side, their weapons drawn to face my mother. I noticed my friends beginning to move but suddenly they all froze in their gallops. Including my father and siblings off the side, ready to spring into action. Equualie walked out of the hole in my house, avoiding the tear and walking over to me. "I am afraid it is time for you to return back to Din. You know it as well. But please, speak your heart for one last time to your friends and family. We are not cruel." I suddenly coughed as I carefully moved myself to stand. My body was starting to peel away, a dark miasma flailing out of me in small tendrils from the holes.

“She’s right….” I began suddenly. “My time in Caelum has prepared me otherwise. I… I want to deny it all. I want to so badly return to you all and live out my days till I am old. But…” I lowered my head. “No matter what I’ll do to fight it, I’ll only damage more and more. I’ve asked the Fate Weavers about other options… but…” I paused. I didn’t want to continue. My life has been an entire lie. But the only meaning I got out of it were the bonds I’ve made with all the creatures I’ve befriended. I stared down at the strings connected to the ponies in front of me.

“Tis all my fault.” Equualie spoke calmly. “This is true. For I conceived Quiet Fire to fulfill this very purpose. I had not realized what Ouroboros has been doing to her, but in order to keep the balance strong I had to hide her away. With her being older and wiser, she’d be able to tackle all that Ouroboros would throw at her. How right I was.” She smiled at me. I shook my head.

“No… I was never strong. I don’t think I could with all my resets. Din is the one. She was always the one that carried me through. At least… this time she did. But even then, she was stronger before being caught in the resets…” I chuckled to myself a little. “I could never do what Din would on my own.”

“Don’t start talking like that!” I heard Thi shout. I looked over, seeing her trying to struggle. I was about to tell her not to with her condition, but she then slumped a bit, keeping her eyes on me. “You did a lot more than I’ve seen anypony could! You’ve had plenty of ups as you had downs and that’s just part of anypony! And that is what makes you a pony! You were born here in Equestria! You made the friendships! You even showed me, a mare who was on the verge of destroying everything, that second chances are worth fighting for! You may have had a primal inside of you giving you all these insane powers, but it was yourself in the end that mattered to coming this far! And you can go further than this because I know you can! We know you can!”

Thi growled, glaring determinedly at us. “I’ll find a way to make sure that you are still here to live, laugh and love! That’s a promise!”

“Thi…” I began, faltering. I believed her words. I know the kind of pony Thi is. And that’s why… this hurts way more than it should. I shook my head lazily. “I… I really appreciate you care so much about me. I wasn’t something to be proud of at the time, but you gave me that chance and I… well… I missed you.” I replied.

“And I’ll miss you!!” Thi answered without skipping a beat. “I want you around, Fie! I… We need you!” I didn’t realize I still had tears in my eyes. I sniffled and wiped my eyes, smiling softly.

“Thank you… Thi Billet. And thank you… everypony… mom… dad… Blitz and Heart… for making my life as normal as possible… but I cannot stay here any longer…” I replied sadly. I was shocked to hear a chorus of protests from my friends and family all at once. Equualie held up the strings and that quieted everypony.

“I must take her away from here before the decay spreads further. These binds are proof of your bonds and memories of your connection to Quiet Fire. They are also a danger to you all as Quiet Fire’s decay can infect the rest of you. In order to continue our preservation of balance and for your safety… I am afraid that you must forget everything about her.” Equualie spoke.

“Like hell we will!” Cloudchaser growled. “No way we’ll forget about her! You can’t get rid of what the heart feels!” I looked at her tearfully and with a smile. I kept still but made my look clear for her.

“Cloudchaser… thank you… for giving this failure of a mare a chance… Even if our time was short together… I will always cherish our time together. I… I truly do love you. And I wish there was another way…” I slumped slightly. “Flitter… you always mattered even if you supported us from the backlines. Your strength didn’t come from your ability to fight or make yourself known… you being there for us made even somepony like Cloudchaser levelheaded… I hate to see Cloudchaser… sad about this… so please… make sure she has a better life for the future. And one that doesn’t involve a threat to balance…” I sniffled, letting the tears drop but not wiping as I was still aware of the decay my movements caused.

“Mom… Dad… I know we’ve made up but… I truly regret what I’ve done to you both in my youth… I hope that you can forgive this dumb daughter of yours for not appreciating it all…” I looked with only my eyes in their direction. I didn’t realize that my mother was being held back by two of the maid mares, glaring intently in Equualie’s direction. I gave her an apologetic look and she began to struggle against the maids, reaching out to me. I then looked to Thi and Scribble.

“I’m glad that Thi has somepony else who can keep her grounded. I was going to worry I’d leave her with confusion… again…” I chuckled softly before smiling at them, tears beginning to fall down my cheek. “Scribble… I hope you’ll forgive me. Thi will certainly be weird for a while… And Thi?” I looked to my best friend. She had tears trailing down her cheek as she struggled to move a little, her hoof wiggling in an attempt to reach out to me.

“You shut your mouth, Fie!! I’ll find you!! That’s a promise!! No matter what, I won’t give up on you!! Just as you had me!!” She declared through choked breathes. I lowered my head slightly, unable to keep my tears in check. It was something I truly wanted to happen. To go back to them all. But with the way my body is acting currently, I could not bring myself to feel anymore sadness. This is all reactionary instinct. As if my soul is still holding on to this last bit of existence I have left. Or… was it just my body now? Everything was beginning to be fuzzy now.

“Thank you, Thi… But please… be stronger not for my sake. But for the new life you’ll bring to the world. A world where they can live without worry of world ending threats. Take care of each other. That’s what I wish of you.” I smiled at her. “And thanks for coming back to me.” There were a few cries of protest from the ponies in front of me as I lowered my head, nodding slightly. “I’m ready, Equualie. Din is expecting us.” Equualie placed a gentle hoof on my back.

“Be proud of how far you’ve come. And go to her with your head held high. You are a true savior of the world. But none can remember it. That is the price you’ve accepted.” She caressed the strings, tying them together. In one fell swish of her horn she severed the last memories and bonds of those I held close. Their eyes glossed over, including the maids. Everypony hung in their spots, still and lifeless. Equualie dropped the severed strings and walked towards me. "Come. It'll only hurt more if you stay." I sniffled and wiped my eyes again. I gave my friends and family one last look before I turned away.

"Let's go..." I said sadly. Equualie nodded and placed a hoof gently on my back. With a loud crack we found ourselves back at the Pillars of Creation. I looked up tiredly to see Din glazed over in thought. She knew we were here, but she seemed bothered. I blinked. "Everything alright?" I asked her. Din seemed to shift slightly before looking down at me.

"My health is not of your concern. Have you've made peace with your decision?" She asked me. I furrowed my look.

"Din, I've only ever seen you bothered once in our journey... or at least what I can remember. I'm not at peace with my decision without knowing how you are." I replied. Din snorted.

"You are annoying. Like I said, it doesn't concern you. What does it matter anyway? Nothing I value will be lost." She replied, looking boredly down at me. I shifted my head tilt slightly. Din and I stared at each other for a while. Eventually, through her impatient tapping of her hoof on the arm of the throne, she finally grumbled and sat upright. "Fine... since you are so stubborn to know. I am... merely processing everything." Din held her hoof high in front of her. "To hold the entire balance in my hoof. Bending it to my will as I please. And yet, tied to the bylaws that prevent me from obtaining true power." She studied her hoof before waving it in dismissal. "But I suppose the power I have now will suffice. Harmony, Power and Balance all in one place. And I am left with a strange feeling." She then softly placed a hoof to her chest. "It seems what I desired thousands of years ago is now cursing me. Weighing me down from my true service to balance." I studied Din, realizing what she was pertaining to.

"You must be feeling confliction." I spoke up. Din eyed me.

"Oh?" She replied. I shook my head slightly.

"Or perhaps you feel empty. Because you can't fully obtain absolute power over the cosmos because of certain means and have achieved your highest, you now are left with a blunder of having to service yourself to everycreature tied to balance itself. I'm not quite sure why you are feeling this way as this is entirely what you strived for. You wanted to be the apex of balance. Apex of the world. And here you are. So... what's really bothering you?" Din studied me before sighing and slumping into her throne.

"How annoying... Since the start of our coexistence, you have been nothing but a thorn in my side until the very end. And yet, I have grown... fond of our time." Din rested her head against her hoof. "I have never lied to you. I have no reason to hide this emotion, prideful as I may be. Have you truly said your good-byes?" She eyed me. I shook my head.

"Not fully. I haven't said good-bye to you. Though... I debated myself about it since I know how you are. But if you truly need some weight off your shoulders, then I'll be happy to stick around for you until I am fully erased." I smiled softly. Din growled before calling her halberd and chucking it at me. I didn't flinch as the halberd grazed my cheek and impaled itself into the ground behind me. Din had vanished and appeared over me, standing on her hooves on the upward shaft of the halberd.

"Don't give me that look!! Like a lost puppy with nothing to live for! It makes me sick to my existence to see such a disgraceful look!! Especially from you!!" She snarled. I only looked out of my peripheral to meet her gaze.

"So why is it bothering you? Are you that concerned about me?" I asked with a soft smile. "I guess you took my words to heart at Illion, eh?" Din reared up, priming herself to strike me down. Only, she stopped and stepped off the halberd, kicking it out of the ground and shouldering it.

"Why indeed. I shouldn't dwell on it any longer. Tell me, Quiet Fire. What do you truly think of what we've accomplished?" She spoke, meeting my gaze. I was silent for a bit before gathering my thoughts.

"Fulfilling." I replied. "You were the only one to truly stick with me in the end. You took a while to come around but I truly felt you and I had a genuine connection to each other." I smiled softly. "I think what you are feeling is loss." Din blinked at this.

"Loss?" She asked. I nodded.

"Remember how you told me you took several pages out of Excalibur's own personality? I could tell, even if you weren't aware of it then, how much you missed him. So much so that you exhibited his imprinting to heart. You even wished for one during his time. Which means that he must have convinced you otherwise, right?" Din snorted.

"And how could you possibly know that from vagueness?" She asked me with a narrow look. I chuckled softly.

"I just have a knack of reading ponies. You do know that, right?" I teased. "Joking aside, I remember our conversations. It doesn't take much to put two and two together. So... forgive me if I have to say this. Are you... going to miss me?" Din went silent. She took to the air and sat herself on the highest throne, halberd perched lazily behind her.

"Miss you? Is that what loss is?" She asked more to herself. She studied her hoof again, staying silent. Eventually, she widened her eyes a little at me. I didn't need to look. I knew what she was surprised about. Equualie stepped forward, bowing.

"Din. I shall get everything ready for your reign. Please, take all the time you need." She said before turning to me. She softly brushed my greying mane out of my face. I felt lighter. Almost hollow. My body beginning to blacken and peel away from me, leaving an empty space. It was getting hard to stand. Equualie gave me a gently kiss on my forehead where my horn used to be. "Rest easy, my dear." She said. My legs wobbled before giving way. I was expecting to hit the ground, but I found myself staring up at Din instead. She seemed shocked at herself.

"I... my body moved on its' own..." She said. I chuckled a little.

"See? I always knew I'd rub off on you. You spent so long keeping to yourself that you are now speechless." I coughed a bit. It was getting harder to breathe. Din gently took my hoof into her's, seemingly stunned at her own actions.

"I... I am at a lost... I'm..." She faltered. "What is wrong with me? I am the apex of balance... I have no time for... for loss..."

"Perhaps it is best you tell her how you truly feel before it is too late." Equualie spoke. "A suggestion at most." Din was quiet again. I couldn't feel my lower half. Everything was beginning to blur. Din bit her lip hard, causing a small droplet of blood to trickle down her muzzle chin.

"V-very well..." Din began. "Fie... if there is one thing I'll take away from this, it is that I truly... am fond of our time together. To be such a pony with disregard to herself, you truly have a lot of regard for everycreature around you. I felt that trait would weigh me down. And I had grown bitter. I did not want to be imprinted with such trifling matters and did my best to make your life hell to benefit me. For that... I apologize." She said. "You had courage where I had ambition. Emotions do not work well with reason. And yet... I feel that yours had considerable courage to stand with my reason. I took every ample advantage of you to get what I want when you felt otherwise. It couldn't have been the reset that made me this way, no. I..." Din growled and held my hoof tightly. "Aww to hell with this! Fie, despite all that I have done! Despite everything I dismiss! You were a true friend! There, I said it! Happy now!?" I said nothing. I couldn't even reply to her. It was impossible. I stared blankly at her, unable to express anything. But I had heard it. And what little remained of me smiled. My hoof peeled in pieces away from her. Din made an attempt to hold onto the hoof. But it was no use. And then... she was left with nothing. Only the quiet stillness of her and Equualie remained in the center of creation.

Din had done it. Nothing would weigh her down now. She will hold her head high and sit upon the throne as Equualie would bring her the very galaxy to watch over. And for many millennias she would watch. Time would grow and she would not. With all the power she held, she would remain silent, however. A vow of silence. She would not voice herself to those who would fight for balance in the future. And on the several occasions the mortals could not stand up to the imbalance, she would descend from her throne and cast the world in a roaring blaze, purifying the land to restart anew. She would grow sentimental, her heart forever mourning the only friends she had made in her time. And yet, the world goes on, unbothered by the renewals of life.

And to the mortals who have witnessed her might and presence believe her to be an evil sought to destroy. For that is what her existence was. A necessary evil to balance.

Author's Note

And thus, the story comes to an end. I apologize for the slow last chapter uploads. Been super distracted and busy with other things. But do know that I am well underway with other projects. And hopefully they won't take as long as this one did.

Thank you for reading.

Prologue: Repentance

Repentance

An Hour Before Arrival of Starlight Glimmer and Trixie Lulamoon

~~~***~~~

Silence. That was all that could be heard in these lonely and rubble filled hallways. I sat upon the tall, platinum throne of Princess Platinum. The hood of my makeshift cloak over my head as the snowy elements blew through the cracked and shattered stained glasses. The torn and disheveled, frozen over red carpet expanded down from the throne to the massive double doors at the other end. I’ve lost track of time. I don’t know how long I’ve been here.

I spent so long exploring this place. Browsing what little the library offered in unfrozen parchments or withered books. Food and drink was plenty. I only had to scale the side of a caved in ceiling before encountering the kitchen, which has seen so much better days. Princess Platinum must have been too full of herself with all the paintings of exquisite poses of her and whatever expensive piece of artwork from ancient times. The castle is overwhelming. Long, expansive hallways, many rooms and certain sections of the castle that don’t make sense.

The literature was all in old ponish that I didn’t understand. So, I made use of them as fire for the fire place in the Princess’s chambers I used as my camp out. The time spent here began to topple on me. I was beginning to hallucinate. At some point, I began to hear the chatter of many ponies coming from the ball room. Only to find that rubble, fallen chandeliers and an iced over balcony leading to no where was all that greeted me.

Another point in time was coming across the ancient security system that Princess Platinum had placed in her castle. The fact that it still worked was amazing in of itself. Though, living suites of armor wasn’t as nearly boredom breaking as the occasional primordial lackey that have spawned in at night. When the northern lights weaved overhead, the shadows emerged from the ground. Tenebres is on the hunt. And Din was more than happy to go at it. Felling the creatures had become a daily routine.

Last night's was different. One had managed to slink away. I’ve been hunting it, as Din didn’t like the idea of being spied upon. However, my search has come up with nothing. The no direction wandering and the constant battles have left me battered and broken. Aware as I am of my state, I couldn’t help but stare off into the distance towards the massive platinum doors. There was no way out of here. Din wasn’t cooperating, and the bridge to get out was gone. There was no other way out of the castle.

My eye twitched from the lack of sleep the past week. Constantly defending myself. Hearing the voices. And that echoing “It’s not your fault” traveling throughout the castle. I blinked once and saw Din sitting next to me from the throne. I didn’t turn to her, only cast a sideway glance. Din sat upright like a statue and staring directly ahead with me. She hummed.

Tis a shame that I can’t make this my own. It’s quite genius really. Who would expect a fire queen to rule the lands of ice and snow? She gave an evil, maniacal smirk. What’s the matter, vessel? You should be grateful for what I have done. Your dear, foal hood friend can rest in peace, knowing that the ones responsible are now rotting as charred corpses.

I didn’t say anything. My mind was all over the place. The voices, the exhaustion, the guilt. All coming down like Din’s megaspell. I blinked again and saw somepony step up next to me from my left. I looked and my eyes widened. He looked exactly as I had saw him. The skinny, blue stallion with the unkempt black mane and eyes, that looked full of life, smiled at me.

“C’mon, Fie. You gotta’ learn that stuff happens.” Table Top said. I looked at him, horrified. His image was beginning to rot. He looked at me with a half skeletal grin. I also noticed his entrails hanging down and even touching the ground. I was feeling sick to my stomach. I heard Din cackle softly.

Quite the handsome stallion you shot down. Poor dear must have been stuck in the same rut as you were. Alone. Rotting away. Only now, one of you actually did rot. Din laughed. I began to feel my ears ring and my breathing heavy. The world around me turning grey as Table Top stared me down. He put a hoof against my cheek softly and got close. His eyes meeting mine. Until one fell out of his socket. I couldn’t move. I was frozen in fear.

“One final kiss goodbye?” Table Top asked. No… no this isn’t real… I began to sob as I tried to will myself to move. He got closer and closer, his hot breath against my lips. Finally, full panic set in. I threw myself out of the throne and scrambled to my hooves, looking over and seeing both Din and Table Top gone. I breathed heavily, clutching my chest. His voice began to echo around me in varying pitches.

It’s always been your fault.

Suddenly, the throne room erupted into chatter and a unison of agonizing cries. I looked around panicking. Faceless, ghostly ponies emerged from the ground and began reaching out to me. I kicked one away and took several steps back as the many specters of foals, colts, fillies, mares, stallions and elderly continued to reach at me and emerge from the ground. A lot of the specters began floating. Their agonized faces screaming out at me.

It’s all your fault. It’s always been your fault.

“No… I-I wasn’t me…!” I protested, taking several more steps back. My eyes widened as Din floated down, as if from nowhere, and unfurled her wings when she landed. Her evil, smug grin looking down at me as the spectral hooves and specters began swirling around us.

Hmhmhm. Why must you feel so guilty about Hoofington? You know I caused it. You know full well what I am capable of. So why must you torment yourself? As amusing as it is, all this clutter needs to be sorted out. She grinned. I felt myself bump into something behind me. I looked and screamed, falling onto my back. The spectral hooves of the agonized souls began to grab and hold me down. Table Top, his zombified corpse, shambled towards me. I struggled to break free from the holds, but it was to no avail.

Table Top stood over me, his entrails resting against me. I felt sick. He lowered himself down and his skeletal muzzle met mine.

“It’s always been your fault.” He rasped. I shut my eyes and screamed, finding myself breaking free and swinging a hoof at him. I then broke free of the spectral hooves and began kicking and batting away at them. Willing myself now, I yanked from the holds and opened my eyes, realizing Table Top was no longer around me. I panted and looked around. Silence. I crawled back on my haunches before turning and scrambling to my hooves. I galloped towards the massive platinum doors and began hitting and bucking the door.

“I’m sorry!! I’m so sorry!! It’s all my fault! It’s always been my fault!!” I cried out, painfully whimpering as I beat at the doors. I began to sob, giving the door one last punch before slumping down. Hoofington. Table Top. There was nothing I could have done more? So many souls lost. So many ponies unaffiliated with evil and just on the wrong side of the city… gone. And Table Top. Poor Table Top… He didn’t deserve the fate given to him. He should have lived. He should have a way better life than me. He was always a smart pony. He was a four point oh genius. Not only that, he always made up fun games to play when we were foals.

In a way, I always looked forward to what games he had in mind. And it was all the more fun when we both got into O&O. He was able to use his wild imagination to make to best games ever. And when I would slack off in school, he would always take time to help me study. It’s because of him that I was able to be enrolled into CSGU upon graduation. But… by that time, it was already too late. I shot him down. I ruined his life. He had so much going for him and I… I burned it all away…

My ears flicked as I heard what sounded like suits clattering in the distance. My mind steadied. My senses now on high alert. I heard Din hum.

Appears we got a couple of treasure hunters. It also sounds like they’ve encountered the security system too. How amusing. They were able to get into the castle. She said with a grin. I rasped as I stood up and put my hoof against the door.

“Or maybe the lackey showed itself. And those ponies are in danger.” I furrowed my look and took a couple of steps back. I reached with my magic and pulled the door. Only to find it has frozen over. I frowned and withdrew my quarterstaff, the staff flashing and burning into the shape of a halberd. I then aimed at it and a small sphere of fire concentrated at the tip of the blade spear. Being trapped in this forsaken castle has not only left me with my thoughts, but I’ve managed to hone some of my primal abilities. Not to the extent I wanted. But the ever so close to breaking gem told me I shouldn’t push it.

The beam connected with the door and began heating it up. Steam hissed from it and when the door stopped flaring red, I spun and bucked the doors open. The frozen wasteland of a courtyard greeted me. A fountain in the middle was in relatively good condition. But the area around it was full of dead brush and snow buried rubble. Adjusting my hood, I began to walk down the steps into the courtyard and made my way across. Reaching the fountain, I took a right and trekked through the snow and frost before reaching a hallway.

The sound of fighting could be heard closer now. What was going on? I opened the door and walked into a small atrium. I shivered as the cold was beginning to get to me. I put my hoof on the door across the room and froze. The voices were back. I grunted and shook my head. Ignoring the voices, I opened the door and stepped back in horror as Table Top emerged. His rotten corpse now an amalgamation of agonizing souls and burnt flesh reaching for me. A raspy groan emitted from it, calling out my name.

I felt myself trip back as a burnt fleshy tendril wrapped around my hind leg. I struggled and batted at it as it pulled me in towards Table Top.

“It’s all your fault. It has always been your fault… Quiet Fire.” The amalgamation moaned, followed by a chorus of agonizing cries of my name in vengeance.

“No… no please!” I cried out. More tendrils wrapped around me and pulled me in. I struggled to break free. But it was hopeless. They were right. I’m the sole reason they are like this. Why they cannot move on. And it is only fair they get their vengeance. I didn’t fight it. I tearfully accepted my fate as the amalgamation absorbed me into it.

“I think she’s moving!” A distant voice echoed. My vision blurred as I found myself lying still, my body aching.

“Table… Top…” I rasped.

“Are you sure we should be around when she wakes up? I want to keep my life and my wagon!” Another voice broke through in an echo. The other voice sighed.

“It’ll be fine, Trixie. I hope…” I began to stir and my vision began to clear. I saw a familiar mare looking down at me. Her pink coat and purple streaked mane and light blue eyes smiled down at me. She was wearing a thermal, puffy coat with a muffler around her neck and goggles above her head. “Fie! Are you alive?” Starlight asked worriedly. I groaned and winced as I tried to sit up, but Starlight gently put me back down. “Easy there, Fie. You’ve been asleep for two days.” I looked to Starlight weakly.

“Two…?” I rasped. Starlight winced a she gave me a nervous smile.

“Maaaybe because I had to use a giant golem to get you to calm down.” She said with a nervous laugh. I groaned and rubbed my head. This was completely different to a burnout hangover. I then felt something hot and chocolaty trickle down my throat. I coughed a bit before sitting up finally, clutching my side.

“Owwww… hot…” I rasped, sticking my tongue out as the burning tingle tickled it. Starlight gave me a surprised look before reaching with her magic to a water canteen, which she then had me drink from. Cool water. It didn’t stop the tingle, but it did help refresh me.

“S-sorry about that. Figured a nice cup of coco would bring you right up.” She gave a nervous chuckle. “G-guess it worked.” I then looked at her, my eyes studying the mare. She looked on edge. Her posture completely ready to take action. I bowed my head and rubbed it.

“What… happened?” I rasped again. Starlight looked over to Trixie, who was outside the wagon and stirring a steaming cooking pot of what appeared to be soup. Trixie returned her look with concern.

“W-well… you may have been missing for four weeks.” She said. I balked.

“Four weeks?!” I exclaimed, suddenly wincing and hissing in pain. Starlight made sure to steady me as she nodded.

“Ever since the destruction of Hoofington, Din took off along with you. At least, that’s what your friends told us.” She said. My eyes widened. My friends…

“I… I have to get back to them…” I rasped again, turning out of the hammock, which Starlight stopped me from going further, her look stern.

“Not until we get you fixed up in the Crystal Empire.” She said. I blinked and looked at her.

"The Crystal... Empire?" I asked. She nodded.

"We pulled you out of the Frozen Mountains. Inside of Princess Platinum's castle. You're in the Frozen North." She explained. I put a hoof to my head, looking lost.

"I'm... in the Frozen North? Why...?" I asked before furrowing my brow. 'Din... why here? And why an old castle?' Silence. I growled. Din being uncooperative now is the worst time to happen! I then looked at Starlight, seeing her taking a cautious step back from me. Her look fearful, yet ready to engage. My anger softened as I looked at her in realization. She looked beaten. As if she was pulled through the ringer. I wavered and bowed my head. "You're hurt." I said. Starlight gave a soft, relieved sigh and smile.

"Ehh, don't worry about it. I've taken plenty of beatings like this. It's nothing." She said coolly. Trixie walked in, her tattered and beaten look as well as her expression was saying something else.

"Soup's ready." She then eyed me warily. I studied her before sighing and waving a small hoof.

"I'm sorry..." I began. Trixie scoffed.

"I'll accept it once you stop freeloading in my wagon." She said with an annoyed look. Starlight frowned at Trixie.

"Trixie. she's been through more hell than you. The least you can do is give her some soup to warm her up." Starlight said sternly. Trixie eyed Starlight and sighed. She reached with her magic and poured a bowl of soup for each of us. She passed me mine and I took it in my own magic.

"Thank you." I rasped with a weak smile at her. Trixie bowed her head defeatedly before bringing a thermal blanket to wrap around her. Starlight brought her's out and then she passed me a third one.

"Figured you might need it since we were going to be pulling you out of below freezing weather." She said with a smile. I took the blanket in my hooves and studied it. Putting down my bowl of soup, I looked at my tattered and worn out Equestrian Flag cloak. It was itchy at best. I smiled, taking off the flag and putting it down before wrapping the blanket around me. A nice, warm temperature began to even me out. I then looked to the two.

"How did you guys find me? And how were you able to get over the chasm?" I asked. Starlight rubbed the back of her head while Trixie boredly slurped her soup.

"Well, after Equestria began hearing the news of Din destroying Hoofington... ponies were quick to notice that you were missing afterwords. Some thought you perished in the attack. Some believed they saw you roaming the lands like a lost ghost. And some even believed they were... incarnates of you." She said. I looked at her blankly. Ponies trying to impersonate me? I tilted my head while Trixie snickered.

"Amusing as it was by the fakes, it was kinda sad. Anyway, to make a long story short, you weren't showing up on the map, your friends returned to Canterlot and explained the situation and we ended up using your helpers to find you." Trixie explained uninterestedly. I cocked my head the other way this time.

"Helpers?" I asked. Starlight pointed at me.

"The four ponies who have been living in your house the past month and a half." She said. I balked. I had almost forgot about them. I furrowed my look, debating whether I should call them now or wait a bit. I glanced out the door to the wagon and thought better. I'll wait until I'm back at the Crystal Empire. I don't want the poor ponies to freeze. I took a sip of my soup.

"How'd they managed to track me down?" I asked. Trixie and Starlight were struggling to find the right words. The two looked at each other and shrugged.

"We... aren't really sure. It might have to do with that imprinting they have on you?" Starlight suggested. I nodded. Right, because they are gifts of the World Serpent. The damned bylaws that Ouroboros likes to loop around every so often. Which is ironic at best. I sighed.

"What about my friends? Twilight and the others?" I bit my lip. "My family?" Trixie snorted a bit.

"Princess goodie-two hooves has been cooped up in her castle trying to find a way to get your element under proper control." Trixie said. "With the help of your ancestor and his apprentice." I winced and Starlight gave a cringed look. Trixie blinked and shrugged at Starlight. "What? Fie said it herself when she was explaining back at Canterlot." I bowed my head.

"I... still find it hard to believe, despite everything." I stated. "It could have just been something Ouroboros set up to have Starswirl fall or something." Starlight shook her head.

"Still doesn't explain why he was so... antagonistic towards him. Your explanation makes a little more sense." She said. "As for your friends, they have been scattered about, looking for you. Thi Billette has been wandering around places she believes you would have headed in a state of... uhh... depression?" She rubbed her mane quizzically and I sighed. "Silver Scribble has been working with his M.E.S.S. group along with H.A.A.C. to search for you. Though... The Guild has been reporting that some hunters haven't been returning from their hunts or searches recently. It's as if they mysteriously vanished into thin air." She then rolled her hoof in gesticulation. "As for you family... I'm not sure. They weren't with the others when they arrived in the castle. I'm guessing they are hanging around Canterlot for a time. Maybe lending aid in searching for you." I didn't say anything and went to clutch the pendent, only to realize that I had left it behind with my gear back with the surveillance wagon. I then switched my motion to adjust my blanket a bit. I hope everypony is okay. I then had a realization.

"Why didn't they contact me via link bud?" I asked. Trixie pointed at me.

"Trick question. You were off the grid and your link bud wasn't picking up." She said. I blinked and put a hoof to my ear. There was no hum. only a muffled ringing. I furrowed my look. I must have lost it somewhere. But how? I shook my head and rubbed my temple. Starlight nudged my soup bowl with hers before taking a pull of the broth.

"Soup's getting cold." She said with a wink. I smiled softly before helping myself to the rest of the soup. After that, Trixie brought out the hot coco refills. She passed me one and began asking me about illusion magic. I explained to her how familiar I am with the basics and the only advance form is my cloning. The conversation went between the three of us and we soon found ourselves enjoying each other's company. I had to hoof it to Starlight. Her own magical prowess and knowledge really made me think a bit more about how I should approach my cloning. And Trixie even began to show me stage magic with simple juggling and sleight of hoof tricks. I kind of resonated with Trixie a little. She's weird, but in a good way. She's not the best at magic, but illusion is her go to. And when I began explaining to her the process of cloning, she decided to give it a go, only to suffer immediate burn out and a massive headache. I only chuckled and nodded.

"Yup, happened to me a lot." I said. "I started by just imagining ripping a paper in two slowly. Focused on the line and worked to get a perfect rip. After that, I began to do the same thing with my own image. I had to stand in front of a mirror for a couple of years in order to get myself down to the bone. Once I managed to get an image going, it was just working on keeping it solid enough and then working on tempering it. After that, you have to kind of... treat it like a pet. Tell it to walk and dance and stuff with your mind." Trixie rubbed her head, looking exhausted.

"I think... I'll start with some sleep first... Ouch..." She rasped. Starlight smiled softly at her and then put a horn to her head. She closed her eyes and Trixie's expression looked relieved. She smiled at Starlight. "Thanks, Star." Starlight nodded before stretching.

"Well, on that note, I think we should get some sleep. Err... I'll just..." She rubbed the back of her head. I looked between the two before taking a look around the wagon. It was a bit cluttered. And only two hammocks were available. I rubbed my chin.

"Why not sleep together?" I asked. Starlight and Trixie shot me a quizzical look. I held up my hoof immediately. "We are out in the cold so... body warmth?" I suggested. Trixie snorted.

"I'll sleep outside then. I'd rather enjoy the howling wind than Starlight's snoring." Trixie said boredly. Starlight frowned.

"And I would like to just put some of this stuff out and throw another hammock up. I doubt anypony will be up here trying to loot the wagon while we are asleep." Starlight said. The two shot challenging looks at each other.

"Didn't you learn a lesson about personal space?" Trixie frowned. Starlight shot back.

"I've told you plenty of times you don't need to keep this stuff around. Especially if we were heading out to the Frozen North. We could have just left some of this behind at the Crystal Empire. I am sure Princess Cadence and Shining Armor wouldn't have minded in the slightest." She said with a hoof wiggle. Trixie pushed against Starlight's forehead with her's.

"I'd rather give my stuff over to a parasprite than leave it anywhere anypony can mess with it! This is delicate stuff I have!" Trixie jabbed. Starlight pushed back.

"Volatile you mean! I can't walk two steps in here without a smoke bomb going off!" She said.

"Yeah, well-" Trixie began.

"Enough!" I exclaimed. I then stood up with a frown and took both of their thermal blankets, tied them together and put both Starlight and Trixie together. I then reorganized the clutter just enough to combine the hammocks and put both ponies in it. The hammock held their weight. I then took one of Trixie's chest, organized it into little pouches before putting my own blanket in like a bed and curling into it. "Better?" Starlight and Trixie grunted as they wriggled themselves free of the blanket before frowning at me. I sighed. "How far away are we from the Crystal Empire?" I asked. Starlight turned her back to Trixie, the latter following the same.

"We're at the entrance of the mountain. We're just 'taking a break' as Trixie calls it." Starlight grumbled. Trixie scoffed.

"Early bird gets the worm. Besides, I haven't slept well enough in the past two days scouting this mountain to look for a castle." She said in annoyance, levitating cotton balls to her ear. She then levitated another pair of cotton balls to me and I looked at them in confusion. "You'll thank me later." Starlight sighed and adjusted herself in her hammock.

"Fine. We're all settled?" Starlight asked. Trixie grumbled in response. I blinked and noticed that Trixie was fast asleep. Her hind leg kicking as she snoozed softly. I looked to Starlight and she furrowed her brow at Trixie before giving a soft smile. She adjusted herself again before turning off the oil lamp. "Goodnight, Fie." She said. I didn't say anything. I sighed myself before adjusting and getting somewhat comfortable in my trunk bed. Once I found my position, I began to doze off, only to wake up when I heard a loud whinny. I blinked and looked around, seeing Starlight in a sloppy position, snoring loudly. I winced as I then stuffed the cotton swabs in my ear, muffling the sound. I began to fall asleep soon after.

While through the night, the howling wind of the Frozen Mountains rattled the windows a bit, I couldn't help but wake up at the sound of whispering in my head.

"It's all your fault. It's all your fault."

Chapter 12: Shivering Scourage of Roam, Steel Heart

With a deafening roar, the dire bear fell motionless on its’ side. I fell back on my haunches and panted exhaustively. My halberd dissipated into my quarterstaff next to me. The sweat dripped off my brow as I was starting to regret doing an endless gauntlet. But with the cheers of the crowd, I had quickly won them over. It also helped that I improvised. Being creative with my takedowns also awed the crowd.

“Another fantastic kill for the Fire Demon! That dire bear didn’t know how dire it was in the situation! Oh? What’s this?” There was a momentary pause. “My apologies, creatures! It appears that we have received word that a rematch has been set! However, as much as you lovely folks want more heart racing and death-defying fights, the arena can only fill up with so much blood! There will be a forced break while the arena is spruced up for the next fight! Please, enjoy it while it lasts! Because no matter who wins, we will keep bringing you entertainment just as our ancestors have before!” The announcer stated excitedly.

I fell onto my back, sprawled out and panting for breath.

Quite the show, I must say, you play the jester quite amusingly. Din grinned. I was too tired to argue back. I could only groan. My body was aching. It made me realize how badly I needed to stretch and warm up a bit more for longer fights. I tiredly pushed myself up and let out a long, tired sigh. Din hummed, causing me to look up and see the gates open and out came the guards. They aimed their weapons at me while the others proceeded to haul wagons out. I watched as two guards stepped aside and to my tired shock, Gild stepped through, accompanied by both the king and queen.

My friends were right behind them with their own guard escorts. Gild frowned disapprovingly at me.

“Prostrate yourself, warrior. You are in the midst of royalty.” Gild glowered. I let out a soft chuckle and shook my head.

“They aren’t my royalty…” I rasped. Gild drew his weapon but I casted a glare in his direction. Din cackled and there was a sizzle accompanied by Gild dropping his weapon and clutching his claw. The king held up a hoof as Gild was ready to swipe and the guards surrounding me at the ready. Gild looked quizzically at the zebra.

“My liege?” He asked. King Leo and I met eyes. I bet he was studying the tell that I have a primal inside of my head. I then had a thought. What the hell am I doing? I’m a third party. Through all my fights, I nearly forgot. This is a neutral power. I shifted myself, the guards shifting as well to my movements. I got down and put my horn to the ground.

“Rise.” King Leo said, his accent heavy. I honestly didn’t want to. Resting my head on the ground felt amazing. But I did so, rolling my neck and sitting on my haunches. King Leo eyed me again. “Allow me to note your combat prowess. For somepony so young, it’s a wonder why our investors caged you like a wild animal.” I remained silent. “I am King Leonidas I. Current ruler of Roam and its’ people, first of his name. My wife, Queen Zeuli, the Oracle of Zenith, welcomes you.” I looked between the two. I bowed my head and sighed.

“Caged like an animal is right. And frankly, you aren’t the ones to blame I imagine. It’s your investors, the Triad.” I stated. King Leo nodded.

“Yes. Our friends from Pony Land. Since you are familiar with them, then perhaps we may talk.” He then smiled softly. “Not here, of course.” I arched a brow and looked to my friends. I then frowned.

“We’ll talk, your majesty. But first, release my friends.” I replied. King Leo looked to Gild and nodded. The guards exchanged glances before stepping away, leaving my friends to rush over to me. Scribble, being the unlicensed doctor he is, checked me for any wounds. Cloudchaser and Flitter smiled at me.

“Thank Celestia things didn’t spiral too out of control.” Cloudchaser stated. I smiled and was about to reply when Gild cleared his throat.

“As per my king’s order. We will have plenty of time to discuss more away from here. If you please?” The griffon stepped aside and motioned towards the gate. Scribble helped me up with Cloudchaser and I nodded. We exited the monster ridden arena and made our way through a couple of hallways before entering into what looked to be a much tidier place. Wooden floors, warrior decor and a fireplace that was burning brightly behind a long table with several chairs. I tilted my head slightly.

“Huh. I am kinda' hungry.” I stated. Gild nudged me forward roughly.

“You’ll eat after you are done.” He said.

“Commander Gild, please.” King Leo said politely. Gild hesitated but bowed and stepped back. We took our seats and King Leo eyed me as I sat directly across from him. “Now then. I would like to hear your side of the story.” He began. I blinked.

“Huh?” I replied. King Leo leaned forward with his hooves under his chin. Something that took me off guard a little.

“Pony Land has been rather restless as of late. And they have graciously been trading plentiful resources to us in exchange for our own products for the past few weeks. Word gets around fast about your reputation.” King Leo began. I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. “Destroying an entire city… it is quite unbelievable. However, we are inclined to believe it. Equestria’s minor suffering is a blessing for us and an annoyance to our neighbors.”

“What do you mean?” I asked narrowly. King Leo smiled.

“Forgive me. It has been a while since we have talked to adventurers. We haven’t had any in centuries. Not since my late great grand uncle passed after a tragic incident. I’m sure you are wary of your environment. And you are rightfully so. The underbelly of Roam is not a kind mistress. It will chew and spit until there is nothing left of you. Hence, why we throw these games in the Underworld.” Flitter frowned and crossed her forelegs.

“A bit extreme to quench anarchy.” She stated. King Leo nodded.

“A necessary act. Otherwise, I would have followed suite as my ancestors. But I digress. Now, will you tell me how you’ve managed to be involved in the middle of a conflict with our neighbors?” He asked. I saw him glance at his wife, who was awfully quiet. I looked to my friends, and they shrugged. I looked back to the king.

I told him everything that happened since the start of New Years. How I ended up to where I am now. I left somethings out when it came to certain regards to my friends. When I finished, King Leo was quiet. It was then that Zeuli stood up and faced me. Her glossy eyes meeting mine.

“Destiny has called you to this very place. And not just by happenstance.” She then walked over to me, her steps graceful and light. I rubbed the back of my head questioningly. “The realm is in peril and seven have been called. Yet one among them desires complete balance. That one is destined to ascend beyond the stars and cease to exist among the mortal plane.” She leaned in towards me and our eyes met again. Only this time, I gasped and found myself in the pitch black.

I quickly looked around and saw Din in a readied pose. She was looking around, alert and cautious. I was about to speak to her when I felt a strong aura wash over me. We both looked ahead, seeing blue fire rising higher and higher. Din was shocked. Well, that can’t be good. Looking a bit closer, I could make out a figure. A beautiful mare watching us from the fire, her silhouette moving with the flames.

Heed this message well, ascender. You are the one who will outshine amongst everycreature in the realm, including the gods. Your entire being and soul is the key to saving our realm. But beware the dragon, who seeks ruin. There was a blinding bright flash and we shielded our eyes. When the light dimmed, we saw the glowing scale. It floated over to the figure, who reached out with a hoof and brought the scale close.

She put the scale to her lips and I thought she was kissing it at first. But whatever she did, the scale began to glow brighter and she pushed it gently back towards us. I quickly reached with my magic as I noticed it was floating towards Din, levitating it towards me. The scale flashed and I stared in awe.

The scale had turned into a magnificent blade. A double-edged broadsword that spiked on both sides at the base of where the bottom of the blade would connect to the hilt. The hilt itself was intricate, making what would look like an E laying on the long end. The handle spiraled like a unicorn’s horn and polished wood. The pommel had an arc at the bottom with grooves, almost as if it was making a rainbow. The sword floated in front of us.

This blade belonged to the hero that banished the evil the scale belonged too. Purified by the blade's will and the wielder's desire to achieve victory to no end granted this blade to be a key to unimaginable power. This is your rite for your desire. The one who is destined to wield this sword, bearing the blood of the one who wielded it long ago, must slay the evil that will bear down upon our world, in order for you to fulfill your rite. The figure pointed at me. You are destined to sacrifice yourself to save our realm. For it is written in the stars. I furrowed my look at these words. Din, however, stamped her hoof.

Words and words and prophecies and more words. Din began, her annoyance clear. Gods and oracles. Stars and bloodlines. All this trivial bullshit and now I am being told that in order for my rite to power is stagnated due to a scale that will transform into a magical sword that only another creature can wield? Din's mane and tail began to flare and wildly flail. I stepped back a bit, only to stop myself and put my hoof on her shoulder.

"Din, relax. Remember, we declared war against the entire domain of gods. Whether these prophecies matter or not doesn't change the fact that we may be being lied to. And if they are, we can manage." I began. Din glared angrily at the figure.

Get out of my domain... Din rasped, her fangs bearing at the figure. With a quick wave of her head, she aimed her horn and the fire changed into her own. The figure began to scream. I blinked once, finding myself back into the room. I stared in shocked horror as Queen Zeuli reeled back, screaming in pain and covering her eyes. I could see smoke hiss from her. King Leo stood up quickly and Gild and his guards drew their weapons. King Leo held up a hoof to stop his guards. Gild glared at me before standing down. Queen Zeuli leaned against the wall, hunched over and removing her hooves. Her eyes were blackened and charred, ridding her of her beauty with a grotesque scar. She panted exhaustively and winced. As quickly as the grotesque scar appeared, it soon faded. Her glossy eyes returned and she pushed herself off the wall, rubbing her eyes. King Leo sat down and nodded.

"As you can see, an Oracle is granted a gift of a special form of clairvoyance. It has been passed down from her tribe for generations. She is one of the few who exist to this day." He explained. Queen Zeuli regained her composure before taking a shaky seat down at the table. "Now then. I have heard your tale and my wife has given her blessing. It is time to discuss another matter. One that I feel will turn the tide of favor for Equestria." It took me a moment to realize what he was saying. Scribble was kind enough to point it out.

"That almost sounds like you are willing to join Equestria in the war against our neighbors. Forgive me, but I'm a bit skeptical about Roam's position." He began. King Leo looked at him as he continued. "Considering the assassination of the late King Julius, Roam has been subjected to a lot of infighting. Are you sure you are wanting to bear our banners against Pony Land?" King Leo closed his eyes and sighed.

"It isn't a surprise that the change had been sudden and my people are restless. I have done my best to ensure that my people are well attended for. Yet, it has been difficult ever since the Gorgons were formed." He explained. I blinked. Gorgons? I remember seeing some that were bounded down on the Triad ship before I ended up fighting Aquarius. My quizzical look caught the king's attention. "The Gorgon's were... once brethren to my army. Or rather... Julius's. They continue to preach the ways of King Julius, acting as heroes and 'liberating' tribal villages of Roam that are 'uncared for'." He flourished his hoof. "Brandishing these... firearms bestowed upon by our investors after raiding a warehouse has only led to them becoming increasingly violent and bold in their approaches. Thankfully, we have something they don't. Better equipment. The ones they brandish so bravely for this twisted sense of justice has caused them to lose more kin. Such a waste of talented individuals and resources." He looked to Scribble, who was listening intently. "Yes, we do have our own issues. But as of late, I am confident to test a certain... theory of mine." His eyes then fell on me. Queen Zeuli looked nervously at King Leo.

I had a sinking feeling that I was not going to enjoy any moment of this.

"Gild. Prepare the match. Have Equestria's champion fed well and rested." He stood up along with the queen as Gild bowed to him.

"Right away. But before that, sire." Gild stated. "The Visar has been asking for you. A certain matter has been discovered and I think you'd want to hear for yourself." He began. The King eyed his general. He then looked at his wife before slowly sitting back down.

"Very well. Retrieve Visar Galm here." He said. Gild bowed once more before exiting the room. To no surprise, he left his guard here to watch us. King Leo sighed. Queen Zeuli glanced nervously at him.

"Must the Visar always be with us?" She asked him. king Leo didn't look her way.

"The Visar has been a constant companion to the throne for moons. I still do not see how you can distrust him so." He replied. Queen Zeuli lowered her head. A look of sadness on her. I arched a brow in response to this. Even my friends noticed this.

"Who is the Visar?" I asked to break the tension. King Leo gestured with a hoof.

"He has been the right hoof to the throne, providing insightful advice to those that are unprepared or indecisive when proclaiming their rule. He has been a great help in the times after King Julius. My wife... knows the Visar from a past before. An unpleasant one, but one the Visar has been trying to mend." He replied. Queen Zeuli looked up slightly.

"If you call decades of enslavement a scar to mend, I must remind you that some snakes rely on instinct. And most things never change with that griffon..." She replied, hugging herself just slightly and looking disgusted. I gave her a concerned look. King Leo, however, didn't seem to acknowledge his wife's distress.

"Our ancestors spent centuries with distrust and unkempt company. If we do not forgive our demons of past transgressions, how can we ever call ourselves zebra?" He replied. "You haven't been sleeping well these past weeks. Perhaps you should retire early tonight." Zeuli shook her head.

"My sire... I am afraid you do not understand the danger having the Visar under your wing is. If you would just listen-" King Leo shot a glare at his wife, silencing her.

"Do not question my words, Zeuli. You know better that I hold my words. You need not worry about the Visar. If he steps out of line, I will take care of it." He said. Zeuli studied her husband sadly before bowing her head. I noticed she cast a glance towards me. A cry for help. The door opened and Gild walked in with a purple robed griffon. He was balding just a bit at the top of his head. He smiled pleasantly at the king and queen and bowed.

"Your graces. It is good to see you all in good health." He began. King Leo smiled.

"Come now, my friend. Rest yourself. I was just chatting with Equestria's grand champion and her companions." He said. The griffon studied me. He rubbed his ruffled beard.

"How interesting... You share the same..." He then clicked his tongue and waved a claw. "Ahh, forgive me. A pleasure to meet you, champion." He said. I didn't say anything but only nodded slightly. The Visar looked to the king and sat down. "My liege, it appears the Gorgons have been spotted at the entrance to Underworld. As we speak, they are beginning to raid the barracks and will soon find themselves inside the arena. No doubt to liberate our criminals." King Leo's look turned grim.

"Of all the worst possible times. The champion has yet to prove her worth for Equestria's sake." He began. I arched a brow.

"For Equestria's sake?" I replied coldly. King Leo waved a hoof dismissively.

"I do not mean it as a threat. What I meant to say was that if you prove yourself to be what your people say you are against Roam's own champion, then perhaps we could work on an arrangement to aid Equestria." He said. Me and my friends exchanged glances.

"Just... like that?" I asked. King Leo shook his head.

"It is more nuanced than that, my friend. But it is a step in the right direction. Lately our neighbors have been transporting imports from their nation. Almost abundantly so. The same could be said for our own neighbors in the Zebra Lands. Pony Land has been exposing the tribes and disrupting ancient traditions in a means to amass support by the tribes as well as exchange for exotic fauna and flora. Why they need so much exotic specimens is still baffling to me, but no doubt the power the two kingdoms hold is not a telltale sign.” He smiled and nodded to Zeuli, who was still a bit in distress. “It is thanks to my wife here that we are able to understand what the true intentions of our neighbors are.”

Scribble rubbed his chin.

“Are you saying the queen foresaw our intentions as well as the warring nation?” He asked. We looked to Zeuli. She shuddered and seemed to calm herself before facing us.

“I had a dream. One that came true a few days after.” She looked at me. “We would be visited by a messenger. They would tell us that fire would rain down upon a city. Destruction and chaos as our land burns. And from it emerged a figure. Mane and tail flailing like the wildfire. Coat charcoaled and eyes of fierce amber. She would descend from the heavens, not out of malice or hate, but to protect. However, before that time came, our world collapsed. The elements clashed and none lived to tell the tale. Overlooking the destruction was a giant serpent.” She sighed. “How it came true was news about your land suffering from lightning and the earth rising. The water swirling down and upwards. A tropical climate attacked by a deity and fierce winds. Darkness would enshroud with the screams of maidens. Light would shine brightly over its’ land.”

She kept her gaze on me. “And cold winds blowing over the scorched, bloodied sands of our home.” She then shot a look at the Visar, who seemed less interested, but listening none the less. Realizing he was being addressed, he put a shocked claw to his chest.

“My queen! I would never unleash cold winds onto our beloved lands! It is nigh impossible! I am much too busy aiding the king and our diplomats to bother with anything remotely catastrophic!” He replied. Zeuli shook her head and stood up, pointing a hoof at him while looking at the king.

“Sire, he has already unleashed the foreseen prophecy! Amongst the iced winds, his body lay in the center of it!” She stated. The king glared once more.

“Zeuli, I will have enough of your tongue! You are tired! Guards, escort her out and take her to a bed so she can rest!” He ordered. The guards went around, wrapping their hooves under her’s, but she broke free and fell at my chair, clutching onto my hoodie cloak.

“Champion, I saw it! You are the one! You will destroy to save! Achieve your ascension! Find the one who wields the bloodline of the hero! She will grant you passage!” She shouted hurriedly as the guards fought with her to drag her out. We watched her worriedly, save for the unamused looks of the king and the Visar. Din hummed.

She’s doomed herself. She stated casually. I arched a brow. I would feel sorry for the mare. But alas, I apologize to no one. I couldn’t help but groan softly and rub my head in frustration. Which is the truth and which makes sense?! What the hell am I supposed to do?! Find the seven, save the world. Simple, right? Now find somecreature who shares the blood of a hero from before? What is this damned prophecy and why is it so convoluted?! Din was quiet, but she tapped my head.

I looked over to the king, who sat with a sigh.

“Forgive my wife, she is not well. Her dreams of this clash of elements has taken a toll on her. We have nothing to worry, she assumes the worst.” He said. The Visar smiled.

“Do not fault the queen. Her gift comes at a price as with all oracles. Now then, as for the matter at hoof and claw.” He said. “The Gorgons are at our doorstep. Reports have stated there is another with them that has helped them progress further.” King Leo narrowed his eyes.

“Is Gladius among them?” He asked. The Visar tapped a singular claw on the table.

“Perhaps. There is no positivity on that info. But one can never be too sure. We’ve already dispatched their scouts and prisoned several assassins. I hate to say this, but it appears your life is to be ended this day.” The griffon spoke. King Leo went quiet, his look contemplating. He then smirked, catching me and my friends off guard. He looked to me.

“Very well then. We will ambush the Gorgons. If I know Gladius, he’d want to go after the criminals in the cages. Champion, I would ask that you keep the crowd entertained and distracted as to not draw attention to what is going on. It maybe an unpleasant sight, but they are our people.” He looked past me and I tilted my head, only to see Gild walk past me and bow.

“As you requested, my liege. The match is ready. The err… combatant has been…” Gild hesitated. King Leo looked puzzled at the griffon.

“This is not like you to hesitate.” He said. Gild sighed and looked over to me.

“Just a sinking feeling.” He said. I narrowed my eyes at him. King Leo nodded before a look of realization.

“My apologies. You have not been fed.” King Leo clopped his hooves together. The door opened and a couple of guards brought in fruit bowls. I was shocked a little to see that this was prepared. We stared at the food while the Visar helped himself to something charred. It smelt strangely delicious. But my brain was telling me no. King Leo motioned at the food. “Your friends are welcome to it as well.” Cloudchaser didn’t hesitate. She took an apple and began to chomp down on it.

I looked at her in surprise. How did I not see it? Flitter too helped herself to the food. Even Scribble helped himself to some. I felt my blood boil. I shot a glare at the king and Visar. Din began cackling.

I’d say it’s more than ample justification. You did warn them. I ignored her and angrily levitated a grape bundle towards me and chomped down it. I’ve gotten used to eating slop that tasting something juicy and quite delicious eased me a bit. But the thought of what my friends are going through kept my anger on standby. Once I was sated with food, King Leo smiled and stood up.

“Ready yourself well, Equestria’s champion. This battle will decide whether you carry Equestria’s suffering and ideals proudly or fail and doom yourself.” He then bowed and left the room with Gild and his guards. Cloudchaser frowned.

“The king gave off a lot of mixed signals.” She began. Flitter nodded.

“It’s no surprise considering what is going on.” She replied. Scribble looked at me.

“How are you feeling, Fie?” He asked. I appreciated Scribble for his sentiment.

“It all depends on how this goes down.” I crossed my forelegs over my chest. “King Leo isn’t treating Queen Zeuli properly enough. She seemed… stuck.” I sighed and lowered my head. “I wish I could help the creatures of Roam a bit, but we are trapped ourselves and we don’t have a lot of time to stabilize internal conflicts. I say we stick to our plans and if we can somehow make things a little easier, for better or worse, then that’s fine by me.” I replied. Cloudchaser motioned at us.

"So, what now? Do we just continue fanning the king like good little fillies?" She looked at me. "I don't want to watch another minute of Fie having to bloody her hooves. It might not be monsters next time." I blushed brightly and fidgeted in my seat.

"Th-that's sweet of you, CC. But I'm fine. All I have to do is win this set up battle and we can figure out what to do then." I replied with a small tapping of my hoof tips. Scribble helped himself to a pineapple before speaking with a bit of a full mouth.

"We muth keep upth apperanth's for now." He spoke, swallowing and patting his chest. "We need to figure out the bigger picture in all of this. That and we still need to find Thi. The Triad could have put her anywhere." We heard a throat clear and looked, realizing that the Visar hadn't left with the king and the group. In fact, he was drinking from a goblet that I wasn't sure where it came from. He let out a satisfied sigh after pulling away the goblet and slightly shifting it to swirl the liquid inside.

"Sounds like you could do with a bit of help." He began. I narrowed my eyes as he continued. "You see, these... mercenaries... are no more than terrorists. Nothing here is illegal under Roam's laws. Well... except for a few, but those are trivial compared to what the Gorgons are going to do." Flitter furrowed her look.

"And what exactly should we be worried about exactly aside from our freedom being stripped away currently?" She asked. The Visar chuckled.

"Who said that you all were enslaved? Granted, we were unaware that your friend here was caged like an animal. Upon hearing this, his majesty proceeded to free you. Even granting you the ability to 'spare a life' so you could fight them later. Something that isn't our tradition. The merciful King Leo even went out of his way to talk to ones who aren’t even involved in local affairs. I’d say you four have the best chances to survive this world.” He said. Scribble stoically shook his head.

“If you believe our survival depends solely on the favors of royalty, I am afraid you couldn’t be any more wrong. Yes, we need leaders to guide us along a path that is bloodied and dark, but we as individuals don’t need them to survive.” He said. The Visar chuckled.

“I’m unfamiliar with the customs of Equestria. But doesn’t Equestria have two?” He asked. “Why, I think that’s more than enough to show that what you say maybe considered a lack of faith.” Flitter and Cloudchaser stood up and glared at him. But Scribble held up a hoof.

“Be it as it may, all creature’s own ideals and morals are being tested at this very moment. Equestria has its’ own bloodied past just as Roam had. But what Roam failed to see is the dangers of unfairness Equestria had. Our land was frozen. Cold and undesired. It’s thanks to the founders realizing their differences could help each other that we strive for harmony.” The Visar seemed intrigued by Scribble’s words. He then stood up and shrugged.

“I admire ones who are aware of their situations. That makes them all the more dangerous. Equestria was right to pick you all.” He grinned. I stood up.

“I picked them.” I said. “Equestria picked me and I picked them. And considering how Roam has purposefully starved my friends after being traded to the king, something tells me that this battle the king has set up is more than just a display of both nations sizing each other up.” I looked stoically at the griffon. He only beamed and tapped his head.

“I like you. Perhaps when this is over, you could show the king an idea or two.” He grinned and shifted a wing before walking out. Cloudchaser rubbed the back of her head in confusion.

“Err… what just happened?” She asked. I sighed and walked over to the door.

“We aren’t guests and we aren’t slaves. We are being treated this way because we are Equestrian.” I frowned and looked to them. “This is something we as a third party are going to be subjected to. This was something I expected when arriving into Pony Land.” I then gave a small chuckle. “Glad that Roam is the one that caught us. This’ll be the Triad’s next mistake.”

I stretched inside the cell room. I was getting wary looks from the combatants inside their cells. I don’t blame them. My cell is literally outside in the main walking area. I rolled my neck and did another stretch. I cast a slight glance at a zebra sulking in the corner of one cell. Damascus was quiet, her head bowed, but her eyes glaring in my direction. I could only assume she was having dagger-ish thoughts for what I did to her. She wanted a warrior’s death rather than having to live another day in this hell hole.

I understood warrior pride as I’ve seen it a lot in my time during the underground fighting rings Namaste set up for me. I wonder how my old teacher is fairing. Hope the little ones are okay. I was then hit with a wave of homesickness and it made me pause in my stretching. I was tempted to call the four mares to see how things are going, but I think that’s a bad idea in a room full of creatures waiting for the clock to count down. When I was finished stretching, a guard had conveniently walked in, spear at the ready.

“Get moving, slag.” They ordered. I sighed and stood up. The guard led me out of the room and down a hall. I braced myself as they stepped aside, still keeping their spear aimed at me as I walked by. I stood in front of the tall gate, hearing the crowd chatter and drone around me in a reverb echo.

Hmmmm. Din hummed.

'Something wrong?' I asked in my thoughts.

Just focus on keeping yourself alive. There is something I can try here. Use whatever you feel like of my power. But I will conserve most of it. She replied. I narrowed my look a little in a concern.

'You're asking me to trust you?' I responded. Din scoffed.

I still have a void for a domain. Don't get the wrong idea. I remained silent. Something in me clicked a bit. I stood at the gate, waiting for it to rise. I took a moment to steady my breathing. Whatever match the king has set up could only mean to fully test me. But one thing that I have a hunch feeling about. He might not follow through on lending aid to Equestria. At least, talk about it. The king didn’t show himself to be the best zebra to handle emotional situations.

But I’m not political power. I’ll leave that stuff to the princesses.

“Welcome back, folks! Hope you enjoyed the break! We got a special fight set up to bring you all thrills and excitements! Those of you in the splash zone better have a new change of tunics, because things are about to get bloodied!” The announcer echoed excitedly over the arena. “As many of you know, many warriors are made here and many fall here! It is part of the cycle that continues to provide us Roamers to understand that the world can be unkind and that any creature can be a savage if provoked into it! No offense if you are a resident of Pony Land.” There were some chuckles from the crowd. “But I digress. Folks, I believe we are in for the battle of a lifetime! Allow me to bring back introductions to the Fire Demon of Equestria!”

The gate began to rise and when it was high enough, I walked out into the arena. The crowd was cheering. There were hardly any booing now.

“This mare has shown to be quite the brutal fighter! Not only that, but this Equestrian hot streak hottie also knows how to show up even the most skilled shaman in zebra arts! You would think unicorns are all book smarts, but not this pony! Hope you give us a nice fight, demon!” I frowned. This announcer is really pushing his luck. Din couldn’t help but chuckle.

Wouldn’t be remiss if a stray bolt of fire from me would hit the announcer stand? Din stated. I kept it in mind as the announcer continued.

“Now folks, you’ve all heard the stories. A warrior who woke up one day battling the mighty Basilisk, gaining power that rivals that of the gods themselves! Divine intervention? Or latent power that the warrioress had been training for years on! Able to adapt and brutally finish a fight, you know her, you love to hear her battle cry! The minotaur of Midas’s labyrinth! Give it up for, Steel Heart!” I had to lower my ears to cover them as the crowd went wild. Din, however, I could hear clearly.

About time… She remarked. The gate ahead of me opened up as I readied myself, not using my stance or calling my staff yet. I waited. The crowd cheered before quieting down after some time has passed. I tilted my head and looked up to the podium. King Leo and the Visar looked down at me. Eyes open, idiot!! Din barked, snapping me out of my confusion. I felt myself being yanked to the side as something crackled past me. I rolled on my side and looked up in shock.

A wall of spiky ice trailed from the gate to where I was moments ago. The air in the arena suddenly got colder and I saw my breath. I quickly stood up and finally withdrew my staff aiming at the gate. A hulking figure took one stamp out of the shadows. The figure was cloaked in tattered rags that swayed with the steps. The figure lumbered with a swagger further out. With a snort, I could see the wind from it clearly. I began to shiver. Not out of fear, but because of how quickly the temperature dropped. The figure looked up from under the hood and our eyes met.

It was almost instant, but something told me to move. I quickly dove and rolled out of the way as several ice spikes impaled into the snow that now surrounded us. A flurry of flakes swirled around us. I saw Din dusting the snow off of her shoulder as she stood next to me. I kept my eyes on the figure. The creature rose a hand up and removed the rags causing me to gasp. The announcer wasn’t kidding. The vessel of Shiva is a minotaur. Rustic fur with white spots dotting her backside. A leather strap covering certain bits across her chest and a leather waist belt that draped down to her knees. Abs and muscles toned that’d make Bulk Bicep jealous. An iron ring accessorized on her nose and mean looking horns pointing forward.

Her silver eyes swirling with frost to show her being one of the seven. Din smirked.

I must say, Shiva. You picked a mean looking one this time. She stated. From the swirling flakes of snow that rose next to Steel Heart, formed a spectral icy alicorn. She stepped forward a bit and scraped the ground with a hoof.

How amusing. You continue to display such smugness despite having been bested by a brat. Shiva replied. Din’s smirk softened a bit, but she waved a dismissive hoof.

Somethings do change with age. Such as you picking prodigies for something more rugged. She eyed Steel Heart. Shiva unfurled a wing in front of Steel Heart as the minotaur shifted. This caused Din to arch a brow before suddenly throwing her head back, laughing. By the stars, things really do change with age! Ahahahaha! You care for a vessel?? That's priceless! She laughed. Shiva didn't show any emotion.

I do not need to explain myself to you. You only need to know that we are here for a reason. And since you do not yearn to listen to your kin, then I will put some sense into you your way. She replied. Din cocked a brow.

Hah? Now that's a surprise... Din said. She took a step forward while Shiva followed suite. Putting some sense into me? And what makes you think I have none? I'm not the one flowing with that damned snake's power. I earned mine and I will continue to do so. If you are going to get in my way of obtaining more, then I have every reason to crush you. Din and Shiva got up into each other's face and their horns crossed. The moment they did, the snow dissipated, and I shielded myself. In a flurry of wind, we were back in the arena. I heard the crowd express their surprise through shocked screams. I lowered my hoof and gaped. Din and Shiva were visible in their spectral forms, their horns still locked. Steel Heart rolled her neck. Din grinned maniacally at Shiva, who only showed stoic struggle. The two then hopped into the air and kicked off of each other, shaking the ground as they soared back towards us. Din quickly phased back into me while Shiva did the same with Steel Heart. Steel Heart was the first to make a move. She let out a roar of defiance and with crazy speed, kicking up the sand as she did, she charged me, horns ready to gore. She was so quick I barely had time to roll out of the way.

Steel skid to a halt, unfortunately, as if predicting I'd roll and brought a heavy fist down. I was forced into the ground and the sand erupted around us. My eyes widened as I felt all the wind leave me. Steel didn't waver. She wrapped her hand around me and lifted me up. I could almost feel myself passing out as she started to choke me. However, Din growled and moved my head, aiming my horn and let out a beam of fire. Steel dropped me as the fire grazed her cheek. I hit the ground and coughed, gritting my teeth and painfully pushing myself off the ground.

Stop fooling around!! Din barked. I looked up in time to see a hoof from the minotaur raise over me. I rolled out of the way as she stamped her hoof. I kept rolling as she tried to stomp on me. Finding my second wind, I kicked some sand up and hit her in the eyes. She yelled in pain and stumbled back, covering her face. If there was one thing I learned about fighting underground, you don't play fair. I rushed forward and delivered several good punches into her stomach. If I was a normal pony, I wouldn't have been able to do much to a toned minotaur. But with the strength of Din, Steel reeled down and I followed up by gripping her horns and bringing up a hind hoof directly under her chin. I still held onto her horns and let her head get thrown back by the force, bringing me up over her. I brought both my hind legs in and bucked her directly into the face, letting go of her horns and backflipping off of the impact. She went crashing into the ground, the sand being kicked up around her before she crashed into the wall. I landed on my hooves and got into my stance.

"Holy whoa!! What just happened!?" The announcer exclaimed. "What an explosive start to the fight!! It was so fast even my own eyes couldn't keep up with it! And just what were those specters that showed up out of nowhere in the middle of the arena!? I tell ya' I never thought I'd see somecreature manage to keep up with the Scourge of the Sands!!" I narrowed my eyes. Din growled.

Move!! She barked. On instinct, I quickly hopped to the side, avoiding a trail of spiked ice shooting my way. Steel Heart roared as she rose up from the ground, her muscles bulging and rage on her face. I panicked a bit as she sprinted in a charge towards me. I noticed she had ripped something bulky out of the ground before chucking it at me. I dove out of the way and in quick reaction from the kicked-up sand, I conjured three clones. I had them rush out of the sand cloud and Steel Heart's rage subsided to shock a bit.

"Is there sand in my eye or am I just seeing a mirage?? Did the Fire Demon just clone herself?? Perhaps the unicorn isn't just all brawn!!" The announcer stated. The cheers began to erupt. Two of my clones rushed, jumping at her. Steel Heart deftly dodged one and avoided another. I vaulted the third one off my back as Steel Heart stumbled to avoid my "attacks". Steel Heart looked over her shoulder and gasped as my vaulted clone flipped, axe bucking the minotaur over the head. She fell to her knees and my clones dog piled. Steel Heart seemed surprised that my clones matched my strength. I got on my hooves and walked over to her. She looked up at me.

"Steel Heart. You don't have to do this. We can work together." I began. Steel Heart snorted and with a roar, she threw my clones off of her. She loomed over me with a glare.

"Don't screw around, pony!! The fights only started!" Steel spoke, a surprisingly gruff feminine voice from her. I stepped back and quickly dodged a grab swipe, trotting away from her a bit.

"But we don't have to fight!! They want us to battle to the death, but we cannot kill each other!" I retorted. Steel Heart snorted.

"Shut up and fight! There's a reason for all of this! I just need you to sit the hell still!!" She threw her arm back and an ice javelin formed. She heaved it at me, but I was quick to call upon my halberd and bat it away in time. Steel Heart grinned as she swished her hand. I blinked and looked over to the javelin. It shattered into tiny ice particles, and they began sailing towards me. I spun my halberd quickly, but some of the ice that didn't evaporate began to cut me. My hoodie cloak quickly getting shredded in some areas. I ended up shielding myself. Steel Heart grabbed one of my clones by the head and chucked her at me, sending both me and her bouncing into the sand. I shook away my daze as I rose, seeing Steel take both of my other remaining clones and crushed both of their heads together. I winced as the crowd followed my wince. My clones vanished save for the one that went rolling with me. We readied our halberds as Steel glared at us. "Nice trick. I wonder what more you can show me." She held out a hand towards me. "Show me that resolve you declared against the serpent. It'll be all the more satisfying to crush it." I tilted my head, confusion clear on my face. Why do I feel like I'm being proclaimed an actual villain? Din hummed.

What are you doing sister? Din asked more to herself. A swirling mist of ice formed at the palm of the minotaur and when she gripped the mist, an icy axe solidified. She twirled the axe in her hand and swished her other hand, forming an icy spear. Holding both at her side, ready to fight, she stamped her hoof and a trail of ice shot towards me. My clone and I avoided it and I heaved my halberd like a javelin myself while my clone rushed. When my clone stabbed her halberd, Steel deftly blocked it with the ice axe, hooking the halberd and lifting my clone just enough for the spear to be stabbed through her. She lifted my clone high overhead before swinging her spear and my clone tumbled over to me. I avoided my clone as she vanished behind me. Calling back my weapon, I aimed my halberd at Steel as she proceeded to lower herself and charge me again. This time, she wasn't bull rushing me. I readied myself, twirling my halberd around my waist and clashed with her axe. She raised her spear and began to stab at me. I shifted my body a bit, deftly avoiding the stabs before flicking the axe and bringing the butt of my halberd around and jabbed her stomach. She let out an "Oof" and was lifted off of her hooves. However, she brought her hooves down and slid back across the sand. When she stopped, she heaved her axe. It was so fast that I didn't have time to dodge. I braced myself as the axe reached me, only for it to shatter around me and I felt an intense chill wash over me. So much so that I began to shiver and my teeth chattered.

I felt Din's warmth start to flow through me. The ice evaporated into steam off of my body. I wiped the blood from my head and got back into my stance. Steel Heart reached behind her and from the icy mist did she draw a massive sword. She held it in both hands and took a stance at me. Din scoffed.

Refusing to use her own weapon? Whatever. I’ll shatter that ice and teach my sister not to look down on me! Din said. Steel brought the sword around and charged me again, the blade digging into the sand. I wanted to stand my ground. Readying my halberd as she got close, she raised her sword and brought it down on me. I blocked it with my halberd in a lock.

“Steel, please! We have to work together here! We don’t have to fight like this!” I grunted, struggling against the weight. Steel leaned over me.

“You want to talk? Talk to the sand!” Steel retorted. I wasn’t prepared for her to shift her weight and using the flat of her icy blade, she successfully pressed me into the sand. I struggled to fight back against her pressure.

“What… reason… are you talking about?” I grunted. Steel snorted, blowing my mane.

“Warriors do not use words in the heat of battle! They are meaningless to me!” She retorted. I felt a wave of frustration. Just then, I felt Din and I synergize. She got on her back and mimicked my pose. Together, we pushed back, causing Steel to look at me with slight shock.

“I’m no warrior!” I retorted. Din smirked and together we aimed down with our magic. Releasing a compress of fire, the sand erupted around us. Steel backed away, allowing me to retreat into the dust. ‘We gotta' figure out something to pacify her.’ I thought to Din.

Just crush all of that fighting spirit. What more must be done? Din replied boredly.

‘Minotaurs are known for their strength, endurance and stamina. I may have a lot of stamina myself, but they topple it tenfold. And with Shiva at the helm, who knows what amount of energy she is supplying her.’ I replied. Din chuckled.

None. I sense she is using nothing but her own vessel's combat prowess. Shiva has been silently observing, only lending minimal amount to her. There is one thing that is bothering me. Din stated. I balked and hopped aside as Steel roared and swung her blade down at me. I bounced back and got into my stance as she turned and began to rush me. I avoided her attacks as Din continued. Shiva has yet to draw her own weapon. Despite the serpent’s power stinking her up, I do not sense her at her fullest.

I clashed blades with Steel, our weapons making strange sounds that weren’t normal steel on steel. It was almost as if bones were being crunched. After a bit of back and forth, we circled our spot before pushing off of each other. Din cackled and I felt power flow through me. I swished my head, my horn’s tip leaving an amber light trail as Din aimed me and sent out five small orbs of fire. Steel slammed her palm into the ground, creating a massive ice wall.

Predictable! Din barked. One of the orbs hit the wall and a cluster of explosions shattered it. Steel shielded herself before the remaining balls sailed around her and exploded into clusters. It launched Steel into the air as Din followed up with aiming my horn once more. Din rapid fired beams at Steel, some of them pelting the minotaur a few times. However, Steel recovered and with the momentum, she held out her hooves and dove into the ground. Din was quick as she used her wings on me to send me into the air. With the sand that exploded around Steel when she landed, a massive ring of spiked ice erected high into the sky. Din had me dodge and spiral, having to swear when one tip of ice nearly nicked me. I swished my head and Din cut the ice before bucking it away, letting it fall back towards the arena.

The ice chunk vanished into the dust and a loud crash of ice shattering signaling it had hit the ground. I used Din’s eyes and scanned the area. What was her next action? The dust was massive. It was hard to make out anything. Din quickly grew impatient and groaned.

I grow tired of waiting, sister! If you want to knock some sense into me, I have saved some for yourself! I felt my head being drawn back and aimed down into the sand. Spectral fire swirled out of my horn and entered into the dust. A raging vortex of fire formed, encircling inside the arena. Thankfully, the audience weren't affected, but they were shielding themselves from the intense heat from Din. Din cackled and tightened the vortex, bringing it into a twister. I noticed a silhouette rise quickly inside the vortex. As quick as it appeared, the vortex dissipated in a wind of ice. Steel floated in the air, Shiva's wings on her back. Steel didn't get out of the vortex unharmed, however, she did have something different in her hands. A massive sharply shaped battle axe. Din hummed amusedly. Hah! About time you stopped playing around! She grinned.

You tire me with your cockiness, sister. Do you truly wish to keep going down the path of destruction? You are one of the seven. Cease your pointless battle! Shiva responded. Din growled and together, we kicked off the air and sailed into Steel. Our blades clashing and causing a shockwave over the arena.

Pointless? Did you get one too many beatings being a slave to mortal entertainment? Or has all the time here softened your mind? Since when did you start talking so much?? Din smirked. Steel grunted, struggling against me.

"Everything talks too much... annoying!" She growled. Din cackled.

Oh, now I get it! Big muscles here is too dumb to use her words! Bet there's all that room inside that head for you to work with! So tedious! She grinned. Steel didn't like that. With a raging roar, I yelped as I saw my vision go black before feeling my body being pulled and then heaved downward, quickly crashing into the sand. I felt the wind leave me, but Din took over and blocked Steel bearing down the axe on me. We sunk a bit more into the ground. Steel raised her axe up and brought it back down on me. Over and over and over and over again. Getting another second wind, I quickly swiped under Steel's hooves. Primal strength is insane. Steel tripped and stumbled, losing her momentum on the swing and grazing me. She angrily reached out for me again, but thinking the same thing as Din, I stabbed her palm with the tip of my horn, digging it in and Din unleashed fire. Steel screamed in agony, pulling away and dropping to her knees, her axe buried in the sand. She clutched her hand, the hand shaking. The wound was immediately cauterized by the attack, but it was enough for me to push off the ground and wipe the blood off my muzzle. I couldn't hold my curiosity anymore.

"Alright... What the hell is going on here...?" I rasped and panted. Steel glared and was about to speak when Shiva's voice spoke through.

Steel, I need you to quell your rage and allow me to speak. My sister will only retaliate if you proceed to continue. Shiva spoke. Din cackled and with a wave of my head, Steel was suddenly bombarded with waves of bladed fire. She shielded herself, only to get blasted off her hooves and onto her back.

Seems like the minotaur's empty brain has been imprinted on you, sister. You don't know the extent I'm willing to go to beat you down. Din cackled. Something in me clicked again. Now I understand what I was seeing here. Din hummed at my thinking. You've got to be kidding me. She said with disappointment. I sighed.

"You should have picked Steel, Din. It's only right for personalities to match." I said. Din glared.

How dare you! She growled. I shook my head and stabbed the butt of my halberd into the sand.

"Shiva. What are you trying to get at with us? What reason do you have to fight us?" I asked. In a swirl of ice and snow that appeared out of nowhere, Shiva's spectral form appeared over Steel, who was painfully trying to raise from the ground.

Were it so easy to explain. Heed well, for I feel it will fall on deaf ears. She said. Din scoffed.

The hell!? Are we not in the middle of battle!? Why must I subject myself to this idiocy!? I felt my body began to move, but this time, I desynergized from Din and stopped myself. Din roared. Imbecile! Moron! Idiot! Do not fight me on my victory!! She stated. I shook my head.

"Din, as much as I understand your desire to win this fight against your polar opposite, we should probably hear out Shiva." I began.

Shut up! This has been a long time coming for this bitch! She retorted. I frowned.

"And yet, Shiva has been taking it relatively easy on us." I mentioned. "The others would have gone all out, but both of you have been holding back." I looked stoically at the two. "It's something that happens in the heat of battle. You can tell when your opponent is holding back or not. There was no killing intent. Everything was meant to pacify. Taking that as I will, what is this reason you have against us?" Shiva looked back at Steel, who had finally stood up and still clutching her hand before looking back at me.

The reason is why you are here. Why our fated encounter is here. Shiva looked up over to the podium. I followed her gaze and blinked questioningly. I didn't realize our scuffle had caused some destruction to the arena. Several craters, destroyed walls and some of the creatures in the stands looked a bit injured as certain areas appeared to have been struck by heavy debris. However, where the king and Visar were sitting along with my friends, I noticed something else. Din's eyes narrowed. I felt a boiling anger from her. Around King Leo was a light. Distorted but shining. I gasped. Tis not just the king tainted with sister's light. But several creatures here are suffering from the same fate. Shiva looked to me. The king is not compatible with her power and will die upon a single use of it. Steel and I have been trying to learn more about the king's ties to Lux. Yet, anything attempted to discover more has been quelled thanks to that damned chicken. I scanned the podium. The Visar was sitting relaxed, being fanned by a bored Flitter. The Visar swirled a goblet before taking a satisfying drink and smirking. I narrowed my eyes.

'Din.' I began. Din snorted.

I know what you are thinking, vessel. As much as I want to destroy this pathetic excuse of a civilization, my sister's punishment comes first. She growled. I was surprised by this, expecting a similar situation with Hoofington. Steel sighed and stood up.

"So, I can finally drop the slave act now?" Steel spoke. I tilted my head at her. Shiva nodded.

Indeed. However, if we want to draw out the one responsible for your enslavement as well as my sister and her vessel, we must continue to act as enemies. She said. Din cocked her head a lot from this.

Act as enemies?? Have you've forgotten that the moment you gained the serpent's power that you've fully committed your opposition towards me? Din retorted. I care not for you aid nor am I at all pleased with this new outcome. I'll take both you and Lux out. Shiva sighed.

Be it as it may, sister, I am an ally in this time. Something that you should have in your current situation. She replied. Din scoffed.

Ally? You? I do not buy this one bit. She said. I nodded.

"I agree with Din. Even if there is no intention to kill, I'm not fully on board with what you are trying to get at." I said. Shiva met my gaze as Steel reached down and shouldered her battle axe.

The others may have submitted to your power, but I will not yield to you in such a manner. Which is why I must knock some sense into you. It is the only way for you to attest what I say is not just a matter of strength, but a sense of trust that will get you to realize that the entire world is not out to harm you. She explained. Din arched a brow. I was a bit speechless. Shiva wanted to ally with us? Willingly? I couldn't believe I was saying this, but my whole world felt like it just got turned around once more. Steel readied herself, glancing over to the podium. She then smiled challengingly when her focus went back at me.

"Now with that cleared... show me what you got, champion of Equestria." She stated before charging me once more.

Author's Note

I am deeply sorry for getting this out so late. Technically, I don't have a stable posting schedule and have come to be a bit distracted with personal destressing. I have been working on the side of in the work stories. Thank you for being patient and taking time to read my silly stories.

Chapter 32: Darkest Heart

Once again, the Rainbooms and the mysterious fire bearing girl are the center of every headline. Along with this headline, word has finally gotten out that The Dazzlings are behind the recent attacks on Canterlot City and Canterlot High. People began sharing videos of The Dazzlings during their rise after the Battle of the Bands. Having gained a cult following, some fans found it hard to believe that three idols are behind the gruesome disappearances. But with witness reports and even a statement from Sonata Dusk confirming the attacks, every corner of the forums and outlets are in a fiery inferno of debate.

It has been a couple of days since Canterlot High was attacked. The school was beginning to develop another reputation. People believed that the school was created by old wizards and witches of ages past and had sealed their magic away in the grounds and it has now only recently been showing up. People have pointed to the Friendship Games where Sunset and Twilight clashed during it being the point of exposure to magic.

As discussions continued with the fates of The Dazzlings and theorist speculating the Rainbooms and the mysterious fire bearing girl, whom the internet began to dub as Star Fire due to her rocketing into the conflicts like a shooting star, the world continued with a wary air. The events that transpired had made it clear. Even the skeptics were questioning somethings about the believability of magic. There were some people who have stated that they too have begun to start using magic, but so far it has only been claims or debunked videos of people doing simple stage magic or special effects.

As for the Rainbooms, the girls could not catch a break. Their workplaces were always packed with people wanting their autographs or contracts for their band. It got to the point that the girls had locked themselves in the confines of a storage closet in the mall just to enjoy some quiet time. Fluttershy sighed and hugged Angel close to her.

“I can’t stand another second of all the attention…” She said pathetically. The girls all agreed. Rainbow Dash bumped the back of her head against a wall out of boredom.

“When I always dreamt of how a hero would be, I think I may have undersold it to myself. It’s driving me crazy!” She stated. Rarity sighed.

“I can’t take another minute of all the praise! One moment, it’s fashion questions and then the next it’s admiration! I have tried to advertise my new line I’ve been working on, but we’ve been so busy and selling out so quickly that I haven’t had time to finish nor mention it!” Rarity said, frantically adjusting her frazzled hair while looking through a pocket mirror. Sunset lowered her head sadly.

“I wonder if Twilight and the others had to deal with attention like this.” She sighed. She had begun to write in the journal once more, hoping that Twilight might be reading her messages but unable to respond. Applejack swiped at her phone.

“Well, safe ta’ say that ‘Star Fire’ is having the time of her life.” She held up her phone to show them. “She’s been seen around town stopping crooks and questioning ‘em. I jus’ feel bad because we’ve barely even started helping her track down the heart.” The girls went quiet. Sunset closed her journal and hugged it close to her chest, feeling her mood shooting down. She keeps asking herself the same question.

‘How can Twilight just go off and save Equestria at the drop of a pen? How is Quiet Fire able to not be so overwhelmed by the attention she has? How are they both able to keep going despite everything?’ She hugged the journal tightly. ‘I wish I knew how to do that. They make it look so easy.’ Suddenly, Sunset felt a vibration in her back pocket. She blinked and withdrew her cell phone. Twilight was calling. Sunset answered the phone.

“Twilight? What’s up?” She asked.

”Oh, good! Sunset, I need you and the girls to come over to my house as soon as you can. I- careful Timber! That’s very delicate! Wallflower, Flash, Bulk. Can you please move those rods just at a sixty degree angle? Mmmm… a little to the left…” Twilight’s voice spoke. Sunset arched a confused brow.

“Are you throwing a party?” Sunset asked. Pinkie perked up but Fluttershy held a finger to her mouth, motioning at the door. Pinkie deflated a bit.

”Huh? Oh, no, sorry. I’m having my assistants assist in setting something up. I also think I have an idea of how we should look for the heart! Get here as quick as you can!” Twilight replied before hanging up. Sunset blinked and pocketed her phone.

“She wants us to go over to her house as soon as we can.” Sunset said. Rainbow Dash groaned.

“How are we going to get past all those people looking for us??” She asked annoyed. Sunset rubbed her chin before meeting Pinkie’s look. Pinkie seemed to read her mind and with a nodding, knowing, narrowed smile and a slow withdraw of two cupcakes from her hair, Sunset smirked. Sunset nodded to the others and they each braced themselves. Sunset carefully opened the door and peeked out. The mall was packed as usual.

“Rarity, get ready with your gem. Pinkie, on my mark. Three… two… one… now!” Sunset opened the door and the girls ducked as Pinkie chucked the cupcakes out. There were startled screams of surprise as the cupcakes exploded into sprinkling confetti. The girls squeezed out and Rarity wagged a finger, making a gem. They stepped onto it and Rarity flew them over the shocked crowd. Sunset waved her hand and used her magic to open the door of the mall and the girls sailed out and took off into the sky.

Finding a moment to breathe, Sunset and Pinkie fist bumped.

Quiet Fire’s POV

I sat idly on top of a catwalk over a stage, the darkness hiding me. I had went ahead and scouted out the place. An abandon fair ground. One that was tucked away at the far west end of town. I quietly studied the horn in my hand as I waited for the eventual confrontation that would take place below me. After the events of Canterlot High, I began my investigation thoroughly close with my dad and my mom in this world.

The past couple of days felt like I was getting closer to finding out where Tenebres and Fickle were hiding out. The criminals I’ve been apprehending as of late have some connection to specific locations that most of the disappearances had. I was then given a name by one that was currently laying in the hospital and mostly drinking from a straw. Slap Happy. Detective Wild Fire and Officer Cloud Mist have had their fair share of run ins with the ringmaster of the Gates of Cerberus. Yet they wouldn’t be able to pinpoint the gang lead due to every mark that Wild Fire has been going after had some unfortunate accident. One major mark that dad had been chasing for a few months was an unfortunate victim of the kidnappings. And sadly, despite most of the victims being found thanks to me, there were still quite a bit left missing.

Din and I came to the conclusion that Tenebres had to make use of some of the kidnapped right off the bat and are now forever lost. It left a bad taste in my mouth, but that is sadly the way Din and her sisters work. Prolonged effects are forever. What we could only do now is hunt her down and stop her for good. And Slap Happy is the one who’s the key mark. For the past hour, Slap Happy has been taunting my dad through his little traps, which I thankfully had sabotaged behind the scenes with my quick arrival. It was quite amusing to hear the reactions of Slap Happy as my dad breezed through the traps. My gaze looked past the horn and onto several punkish looking individuals rush in and start taking their positions. My eyes then fell onto a rather stout looking fellow in a clown outfit walking across the stage. The only one that the gangers were taking orders from.

I was curious as to what Slap Happy’s story was, but at the same time, we’ve been here for far too long. I’ll admit, I am getting a bit desperate. But I had to calm myself as rushing into Tenebres like last time caused our defeat. Slap Happy cleared his throat before speaking into a mic.

“Testing. Testing! Is this thing on? Oh… damn… maybe it’s uhh… aha!” A loud screech was followed, causing me to wince and cover my ears. Din growled.

Why must we entertain such foolishness?! She snapped. I grinned, twisting a pinky in my ear to lessen the ringing.

‘Dear ol’ dad wanted me to scout ahead. Plus, don’t you like humiliating our enemies? He supposedly knows about Tenebres, so all the more satisfaction, correct?’ I replied casually. Din grumbled.

I do not like circuses. She muttered. I thought better than to question the strange uneasiness from Din. Eventually, my father rushed in with several officers, including my mom, and aimed their weapons at Slap Happy.

“Show’s over, bozo. You are under arrest for animal endangerment, destruction of city and government property, forging classified signatures of government and city officials, smuggling and kidnapping!” Wild said coldly. “We have enough to put you behind bars for life.” Slap Happy held out his arms in happy wonder.

“Ahhh, my dear officers of the peace! I hope you had fun! I’ll admit, nothing is perfect in the show business. But you know what they say. The show must go on!” He presented. I noticed Wild taking note of me and I softly waved to him. Wild motioned with his head and my mother waved the officers to advance. She took the lead and got halfway through the ring when Slap Happy clapped his hands with joy.

“Ohohoho! Volunteers are always welcome for today’s show!” He exclaimed excitably. My eyes widened and I stood up as my mom’s reaction time was god like. She dive rolled onto her feet at the cost of her fellow officers being clamped down in a pillory fashion and being hoisted up by a thin platform cage that separated Cloud and Wild. I was about to hop down when I saw my father shake his head and aim his piece at Slap Happy. He cackled unnervingly. “Ahhh, no need to be party poopers! Fine then! If it’s personal entertainment you want, then allow me to introduce you to Berta and Ellie Phan!” He nodded past my mother and I saw two gangers hoist a rope.

My mother spun around and aimed her weapon towards a cage. A low growl sounded followed by a tiger wearing a shredded up tutu skirt walked out of the cage. What in Celestia’s cake gorging flank is this kind of ganger?! I then saw several gangers hoist two ropes over by Wild and from the wall barreled out an elephant, charging my dad. Wild sprinted around, having to duck a swipe from the elephant’s tusk before turning and aiming his piece at the elephant. I noticed neither my parents were shooting. Berta stalked around my mother while the elephant stamped angrily, as if trying to get out of the ring. Slap Happy cleared his throat.

“Ladies and gentleman! Boys and girls of all ages! It’s time to get in line! For it’s…” He then waved his arms upwards and the gangers cheered in unison.

“Slap Happy’s Showtime!” They cried as colorful lights turned on and began to skate around the ring. I clicked my tongue and threw my hood on.

“Screw this.” I muttered. I then stepped up onto the edge of the railing and let myself fall, front flipping once before landing on my feet in front of Slap Happy. The clown ganger jumped in surprise, tripping over himself. I then called my staff and chucked it behind me, impaling into the ground between his legs. A ring of fire shot around him and I hopped down into the ring. Berta licked its’ maw, eyeing my mother hungrily. I sprinted over to her right as the tiger pounced and I tackled the side of the tiger with my shoulder, sending it crashing into the cage. I rolled my shoulder and my senses went off. I pushed mom aside and rolled away as the gangers began firing down on us with a strange substance. I felt one pelt me in the head and I blinked, using my finger to feel the texture.

“Potatoes?” I questioned, shaking my hand of the substance. I then scrambled to my feet and rushed over to my mother, dodging the potatoes being shot at me. I took cover with her.

“Leave it to Slap Happy to live up to being the clown.” She said stoically. I frowned as potatoes splattered around us.

“Gangers in Equestria are eccentric to a degree, but this is the first time I’ve encountered one who commits.” I said sourly. Cloud looked at me, a questioning gaze through her stoicism. I then looked and my eyes widened. Berta growled at us and began to charge us. I pushed my mother away and held up my arms as the tiger bore down on me. I screamed in pain as I felt the fangs of the tiger bite down on my arm and began to claw at me. Din cackled maniacally.

”Creature!! Hear my voice and listen!!” I suddenly spouted. I was in pain, but Berta pulled away and began to lay down on her stomach. I was struggling to sit up, but the healing kicked in and the pain subsided only slightly. I managed to push myself up with the help of Cloud Mist. I looked down at my now ruined hoodie cloak.

“Aww man… Rarity isn’t going to like this…” I said with a wince.

“Are you alright?” Cloud asked. I looked up at her and smiled softly.

“I’ll be feeling it in the morning, but primal healing works wonders.” I told her.

“That’s great and all! But I could use some help here!” We heard Wild call out. We looked to see him swiftly avoiding being stepped on. I looked to mom.

“Mom, you stop the gangers with those potato guns. I’ll help dad.” I said. Cloud Mist nodded but then arched a brow. I realized what I had said, but right now, I was more concerned with helping him. Cloud Mist readied her weapon and did some crazy acrobatics that made her vault over the side and began to give chase to the gangers. I then looked to Berta. Din smirked.

”Obey me! Free the mortals from their imprisonment. A simple creature like you can even work a lever.” Din spoke through me. Berta growled before turning and rushing over to the side of the arena, the gangers running for their lives. Din then directed my gaze to the elephant and spoke. ”Heed my words, simple one! Cease your rampage on the one mortal! The ones you should feast your anger on is the ones who imprisoned you! You are not bound to them! Earn your freedom!”

The elephant ceased its’ movements as it had just cornered my dad. The elephant then backed away, shaking its’ head as if anxious about something. Din sighed in annoyance through me before speaking.

”Then avenge her! Regain your pride in her name!” Din spoke commandingly. The elephant looked to me, my eyes seeing such sadness and rage in its’ own. The elephant then reared, uttering a cry of anger before turning and charging back into the cage at full speed and breaking through the makeshift wall. The sounds of panicked screaming could be heard. As this happened, the cage splitting the arena in half clicked and shrunk down, releasing the officers from their pillories. Wild pulled himself away from the wall, a sigh of relief escaping him as we walked over to the officers. One of them adjusted themselves.

“Thanks, Star Fire.” They said. I shook my head.

“Help officer Cloud Mist. Wild and I will deal with Slap Happy.” I said as Berta bounded down from where the lever was and over to me. She purred and rubbed her head against me. I was feeling a bit hesitant about a tiger, but I mustered up some courage to softly pet Berta. The officers and my dad were cautious of the tiger, however. The officers then proceeded to rush off and help Cloud round up the gangers while my dad and I walked over to the stage. Slap Happy was still dumbfounded and wide eyed at the fire around him. I called back my staff and the fire vanished. Berta took the liberty of rushing the clown and putting a paw and her body weight on the clown, Slap Happy panicking in the process.

I walked up next to the tiger and crouched down.

“Alright, bozo. The curtains have closed and it’s time to drop the act. Care to answer a few questions?” I asked stoically. “Rather it be us than the tiger, wouldn’t you agree?” Berta growled angrily at the clown, causing Slap Happy to gulp loudly.

“A-alright, I-I’ll talk!” He exclaimed with his hands raised, keeping his face away from what I’m assuming is a starving tiger. Wild stepped over and opened up his notebook. I narrowed my eyes.

“Word around the block says you’ve been dealing with something far more mystical than your average dealing. I think you know what I’m talking about. In fact, the whole entire world is talking about it. So I’ll make this simple. Where’s Tenebres?” Slap Happy met my cold gaze.

“T-Tenebres? I-I-I don’t know what you mean?” He replied shakily, only to “Eep” when Berta bared her fangs at him. I clicked my tongue.

“Berta doesn’t forget, Slap Happy. Be thankful I’m keeping her in check right now. What about a child? Curly blue hair? Has dark purple eyes that swirl with an effect like mine?” I asked, pointing at my eyes. Slap Happy perked up.

“Th-that child, yes! Her I know well! A child as innocent and clever!” He said with a wavering smile. I narrowed my eyes.

“What is she up to?” I asked suspiciously. Slap Happy kept still as he spoke.

“Th-that’s the thing! She didn’t tell me anything! Only said she enjoyed circus shows and thought I’d be interested in keeping the audience’s attention for a while!” He replied. Wild tilted his head.

“To distract us? While she does what?” He asked. Slap Happy stammered.

“S-said she’ll give me a seat as her councilor for her new kingdom if I did so! So, I put on a show just for you, Star Fire!” I glared at the clown.

“I’m running out of patience, bozo. Tell me where she is, now!” I demanded angrily, Berta roaring to solidify the point.

“P-perhaps I’ll be a bit more willing to explain more without th-the tiger?” He suggested. I frowned and stood up. I then pet Berta and nodded.

“It’s alright, Berta. We have it from here. Get out of here before animal control does something worse than the Cerberuses.” I said. Berta roared one final time at Slap Happy, the clown wetting himself before the tiger stepped off and turned around, bounding down the stage and out of the ring. Wild gave a concerned look.

“Berta looked hungry, Fie.” He mentioned. I nodded.

“There is a meat kiosk that one of the gangers had wheeled in before you arrived. All that raw meat must be being used to some degree.” I said, thinking back to when I arrived here before the officers. I then brought my staff up and smacked the shins on Slap Happy, causing him to scream out in pain and roll on the ground. “Where. Is. Tenebres?” I glared down at the clown. Slap Happy clutched a leg, groaning and whining in pain. It was Din that snapped, taking over my body. She reached down and grabbed the clown by the scuff of his outfit and lifted him up easily with my one arm.

“I grow tired of your incessant whining, clown! I have every right mind to make your torment excruciating!” Din spoke through me, the warmth flowing. “Speak your tongue! For a whole week and a half, I have been searching for my sister with nothing to benefit the search! Patience is no longer an option! I can smell her darkness reeking off of your caked oraffices! Speak!!” Din shook the clown.

“I-I-I swear, all she approached me with is to help her keep you busy!” Slap Happy said, his whole act gone. “She just appeared out of this shadowy pillar! That’s all I know! I swear!” I felt a vein twitch and Din grinned evilly.

“Perhaps this’ll make you loose your tongue…” She hissed. I held up my hand and reached onto the front of his face. He suddenly began screaming, smoke rising from between my fingers and palm. Wild balked and put a hand on my shoulder, shaking me. But Din kept my hand there. “You know not what you play with, clown! Your life is already forfeit for your deal with my brat of a sister! Mortals who toil in the god’s domain will suffer more than retribution!” Din removed my hand and leaned in close to the clown. “I’ll make sure of it when I ascend beyond their debaucheries! I’ll make sure the serpent chokes on his own tail!!”

“That’s enough, Quiet Fire!” Wild spoke sternly, pulling me back. Din let me gain control of myself and I dropped the clown, who clutched his face. I agreed with Din’s impatience. I sighed and spun around, pushing past him.

“I’m going to go cool off…” I muttered before Din unfurled her wings and we kicked off into the sky. I began to circle the abandoned fair, my eyes scanning below me. It seems that mom and the others were able to round up the gangers. Berta was seen dragging a hunk of meat off the cart and began to gnaw on it. Ellie the elephant is seen traipsing around the fair. I sighed and landed on the very top of the hump of a rollercoaster. The wind blew against my hair and the metal groaned and creaked underneath me.

Yet, it stayed steady. I hung my legs over the edge and swayed them as I leaned against the railing. Canterlot City could be seen close by but quite a ways away. Din snorted.

Every mortal we encounter and question, it’s the same thing over and over. Tenebres will receive no mercy from me. Din snarled. I sighed.

“Discord isn’t being much help either. If we are in a dire state to get back home, then why prolong it?” I replied with a shake of my head. My mood was beginning to shoot down. I then reached back and withdrew the horn, studying it. “We have our key to get home. But something tells me even with every piece collected here, our job won’t be done in this world.”

You mean both worlds. Din casually replied. I blinked and she rolled her eyes. Yes, we are not supposed to exist in this realm. Tis not our’s to meddle with. The more Tenebres continues to act out of defiance in this world would cause more havoc in our world. Keeping her and any other being of immortal power from ever stepping hoof, claw or foot in here will be one of the main responsibilities of our ascension. Yes, vessel. Even after we stop the crisis, our job is far from over. She explained. I slumped.

“It’d be a lot quicker if Discord would help a little more. Gathering info and then having me figure it out is not helping. He does realize that I’m not that clever like Twilight.” I said sadly. Din scoffed.

He is designed with his own independence. Such is the Creation Mother’s will. As annoying as he is, he understands full well that mortals are tempted by the desire for power and greed. She said. I blinked.

“That almost sounds like Discord was born specifically to test mortals. Even though he gave Equestria so much strife before Celestia and Luna encased him in stone.” I replied.

I do not question the ways of the Creation Mother’s will. If Discord was to be born for the sake of the realm, then he exists. I tilted my head.

“Who is this Creation Mother?” I asked, finally having a moment to ponder this question. Din frowned.

Exactly the deity she sounds like. Need I say more? She retorted. I sighed and shook my head.

“Nevermind. Whatever the grand scheme of things are, I just hope the Creation Mother will be merciful enough.” I replied. Din was quiet. She then directed my gaze with her eyes as if noticing something. A dark pillar appeared in front of the officers. From the darkness stepped out a twin tailed girl dressed in a pastel punk attire. My eyes narrowed and I stood up. Din unfurled her wings and I floated down towards the confrontation. Wild Fire stared down the girl, who only grinned smugly and crossed her arms.

She then looked up to see me descend and I stepped forward after touching the ground. The officers held their weapons towards her, but she remained unfazed.

“Times up, Slap Happy.” Aria Blaze spoke with a chuckle. With Din’s eyes, I could see the thick dark haze swirling around her. I glanced over to see the handcuffed scarred clown tiredly looked at us.

“That’s her! The girl I was talking about!” He exclaimed. I frowned.

“She’s no where near the description I gave you.” I stated. Slap Happy suddenly chuckled, his tone sounding panicked.

“T-to be frank, you did have a tiger at my neck…” He chuckled nervously. Aria gave a disgusted look.

“Everything is set. You are of no use any longer.” She said, outstretching her arm. It was almost instant. Aria’s eyes glowed purple and a bolt of shadow shot out and struck the clown through the chest. The officers began to open fire, but Aria brought her other hand up and with two fingers, flicked them upward and the bullets came to a stop in front of her. She then waved her hand and the bullets turned around and aimed at the officers. I stepped in front and reacted by spinning my staff so quickly you could see the after images as the bullets shot back, deflecting off of my staff.

I then flourished it around me before aiming my staff at her, my eyes glaring.

“I’ve had enough games, Aria. Tenebres. Where is she?” I demanded coldly. Aria gave me a smirk of disgust.

“Hmph. If you must know, she’s been looking for you too. Has a very special surprise in store for this entire human scum ridden place.” Aria replied, examining her nails. I slumped.

“Oh, thank Celestia. I was starting to wonder if she forgot about us.” I said with relief. Aria grinned and wagged a taunting finger.

“Uh-uh-uh. You’re going to-“ She began but I swished my staff in her face.

“No. I’m done playing around. You don’t understand the situation that my existence and Tenebres have being in this world. The Dazzlings won’t have a home to go back to or any other place to go if we continue to be here.” I retorted coldly. Aria glared at me but I continued. “Give up that path Tenebres laid out for you. She will never fulfill her promise.” I saw a vein twitch on Aria’s head. But she then slumped forward, chuckling. It then escalated into a laugh as she leaned her head back, one hand over her eye. She then faced us and snapped her fingers. We readied ourselves. But only a shadowy pillar appeared behind her.

“I’m not doing this for that brat. She can have this realm for all I care! Adaggio and Sonata can rot in the human prison cells! No more will I be the second fiddle!” She then bowed and outstretched her arms to her side. “Fine then. Since you are in a hurry, then I’ll take you to her.” Her eyes glinted as she stepped backwards into the pillar and vanished. I eased my stance and narrowed my look. I stepped forward, only to have Wild put a hand on my shoulder to stop me.

“Fie, don’t. You know it’s a trap. Let’s think about this carefully.” He said. I lowered my head, my expression hidden by my hood. I then smiled and turned around to face him.

“You know. I’m glad I got to spend some time helping you and Cloud out. It was like a part of me was longing to return a favor that never existed here.” I sighed and rubbed my arm. “No offense, but you two really make me home sick. I have to get back to Equestria. Both our worlds are counting on it. I… appreciate all the help you could provide. I’m glad I got to be a small part of something bigger going on within the city. But my… our duty is to the world. Not just one place.” Cloud stood next to Wild and crossed her arms, her stoic expression being betrayed by a concerned gleam in her eyes.

“We understand the severity of the situation. And we are glad to provide something in return. Even if it wasn’t impactful.” She then lowered her head as if thinking about something. “Your Equestrian parents must be really proud of the woman… err… mare you’ve become.” I gave a small chuckle and shook my head.

“I wasn’t the best daughter to them. But I aim to make things right. And I believe now I have a better idea of how to do that. So… thank you. Both of you.” I said with a smile. Wild shifted a little awkwardly while Cloud smiled softly.

“Guess this is goodbye then.” Wild said a little sadly. I then jogged up to them and hugged them both. Cloud didn’t hesitate to return the hug. Wild was hesitant, but a quick motion from Cloud made him smile softly and hug me. I pulled away from them and turned back to face the shadowy pillar. Taking a deep breath, I readied myself.

“Let’s do this, Din.” I said aloud. Din smacked her hooves together, grinning challengingly.

I’ve been waiting a long time for this… She hissed excitably. I held my staff to my side and jogged into the pillar, finding myself being absorbed into the darkness. I found myself yelping and tumbling through the void, hearing the screams of the damned. Din unfurled her wings and rightened me. She then had me kick off and we went soaring through the void. We spent a good minute before I began to hear a song. I stopped and closed my eyes.

I drowned out the screams and focused on the song. It was calling to me. Din directed my gaze in the direction and we took off. There was a light glimmering brighter and brighter as we got closer. When we were swallowed by the light (having to shield my eyes as we did), we then burst out of the darkness and over what appeared to be a patch of island with nothing around it save for the shallow water. I landed on the sand and looked around using Din’s eyes. I could make our Canterlot City in the distance. I sighed and swished my staff.

“Alright, Aria. You want to have your fun? I’ll give you your fun.” I said aloud. I could sense her behind me. Something huge rising out of the water. I turned around and faced the magenta siren, baring her sharp teeth at me. “But don’t start crying when you aren’t having it anymore.” Din reacted instantly as Aria snapped her jaws at where I stood seconds ago. I followed it up with a batter swing of my staff, smacking her off into the water. Aria roared as she reemerged and began to circle the patch of island.

She hopped out of the water, singing notes that sent sound waves towards me. I swiftly dodged them as she then jumped out of the water and floated in the air. She then put a fin hoof to her chest and raised the other in the air, closing her eyes as a sorrowful angelic voice began to sing. I suddenly felt very sluggish as her voice resonated through me.

It was a song of longing for home. The ocean breeze and the sound of waves the chorus to their harmony. Din growled and took over my tranced body. The song continued to tell how three were strong, the villagers they preyed upon sung admiration for them. It then transitioned to sorrow as she sung of the arrival of six who banished them into a never-ending nightmare. Din sailed towards Aria and swung her halberd around at the siren, but Aria deftly avoided as she kept singing, going on to sing about how the companionship felt one sided.

Conflicting ideals kept in check by the one who saved her from a shadowed past. It then transitioned to triumphant and Din began avoiding more sound waves from Aria, who then sang about how the defeat of one became cowardice of the second and the eventual rise of the third, no longer shadowed by first’s ignorance and one-track mind. The song reached a crescendo as Aria dove into the water, the song leaving me no longer in a trance. I shook my head of the strange pounding that knocked on my noggin. I rubbed my head as I looked around, trying to spy any form of Aria in the water. I reacted quickly, but not in time enough as I did a wide split and planted my feet onto the jaws of Aria, pushing against the force. I grunted as this hurt a lot. I then held out my hand towards the open maw of Aria and Din unleashed a torrent of flames. Aria pulled away and flailed wildly, sending me flying into the patch of island. I groaned and shook my daze away before hopping to my feet and facing Aria.

Aria clutched her throat, rasping angrily and staring daggers at me. I stabbed my staff into the sand and stared her down.

“Give up, Aria. There is still hope for you yet.” I stated. Aria growled and loomed over me.

“I. Will. Never. Give up.” She snarled. “I don’t ever want to see those two ever again. I work better alone.” I sighed and shrugged.

“Alright then. I gave you every ample opportunity to back out.” I said, rolling my neck. Like a bullet, I kicked off the sand thanks to Din’s magic and tackled Aria in the gut. We both went sailing up into the sky where the world melted around us and a bright flash of light swallowed us. When the light dimmed down, I gasped and braced myself, crashing directly into the side of a building. I hung in the spot for a bit before falling back and hitting the side of a flagpole and then onto the hard sidewalk.

I felt the wind leave me and struggled to push myself off the ground. Din snorted.

Hearts are a fickle thing. Din commented. I managed to get a breath in before responding.

“What… the hell… are you talking… about?” I rasped as I pushed myself off the ground. Shaking away my daze, I looked around in a blink, seeing primmed and neatly dressed students looking at me in awe. I winced and clutched my side, still trying to catch my breath.

“Hey… isn’t that Star Fire?” One student asked. Muttering began to ring throughout the students. Thankfully, my hood was still up to hide my annoyance.

‘Great. At least I don’t go to school anymore…’ I hissed in my mind. Finally catching my second wind, I stood up and rolled my arm.

“You alright? That looked rather painful.” A voice asked. I looked to see Shining Armor jogging over to me. I didn’t say anything as my eyes darted around the area.

“Tough luck, hothead!” A voice shouted from above. We looked up and I saw Aria smirking smugly over the side of the roof. “As if I’d give up the source of this power so easily. Unlike the other two, I have other things in mind.” She then gave a cool salute before snapping her fingers. “Have fun figuring out where Tenebres is, loser.” I grit my teeth and Din unfurled her wings. I sky rocketed into the air and flipped over her, blocking her from stepping into the shadowy pillar. I then tackled her, feeling the flames wrap around us.

Aria struggled, elbowing me in the face and sending our trajectory off, crashing into the side of Crystal Prep once more. Nothing padded our fall. I coughed and groaned as we pushed ourselves up off the ground.

“I am not done with you yet…!” I winced. Aria panted, clutching her side.

“Fine then… if that’s how you want to play it!” Aria shouted. A dark haze began to envelop around her and the students began to move away from us.

“Everyone, get to safety! Evacuate the school!” I heard Shining Armor shout from a megaphone. Students began panicking and running for their lives. Someone must have pulled an alarm as the whole school rang out with a loud blaring annoying sound. Aria clenched her fists and began to rise into the air, outstretching her arms.

“Then… let’s begin the first phase of Plan Conquest!” Aria cackled. I called my staff and readied myself into my stance. Aria began to sing a song. I braced myself with Din at the ready. But when nothing washed over me, I then noticed that dark clouds began to form over the school. No, not just the school. It was reaching all the way to Canterlot City. And the more I listened to the song, the more it began to sound like a chant. Aria finished the chant and her eyes glowed a fierce purple.

Aria then crossed her arms and looked down at me.

“My part is done. Now then… time to take out the trash.” She smirked. She shot out an arm out and I immediately rolled to the side, avoiding what appeared to be several dark spears stabbing into the ground. Aria began to sing again and the spears removed themselves from the ground and spun around her. I twirled my staff around me right as Aria aimed the spears and began ordering them with a wave of her hands to attack me.

I blocked, deflected, flipped, rolled and ducked to avoid them. Finding an opening, I rushed forward, jumping off the shaft of a spear and readying a strike. Aria took me by surprise and caught my staff with a hand before pulling me in and punching me hard in the cheek. I went rolling across the ground, landing on my feet and facing her. She scoffed in disgust before throwing aside my staff.

“How dare you dirty my hands. Pony human filth.” Aria grimaced. I called back my staff and smirked.

“Wanna work alone, you better get used to it.” I taunted. Aria smirked back, but she then waved her arms and hands around, directing the spears to circle around her before she rushed me, creating a buzzsaw with her spears. I did several back flips to keep my distance before Din used her wings to have me jump over Aria. Aria quickly flicked her fingers up and the spears separated from her. I yelped as I nearly impaled myself on one and moved away, only for Aria to nick me with a few good stabs.

I then caught one of the spears and felt a sharp pain go up my arm. Ignoring it, I spun the spear around and heaved it like a javelin. Aria gasped and barely avoided it. Taking advantage of the surprise, I rushed her and gave a heavy round house across her cheek that sent her crashing into the side of the building. I saw the spears drop and Din rose me to level with Aria. Aria emerged from the dust out of the classroom and growled, rubbing her cheek.

“I won’t make the same mistake Adaggio made.” Aria said, more to herself. She clenched her fist and her eyes glowed a burning fierce purple once more. The debris from the school and the spears began to levitate around me. I attempted to move, only to find myself being weighed down. Looking down, I noticed she had encased my foot with some of the fallen debris. Then, the remaining debris latched onto me, making it hard to move. I started to scream as I felt a tight crushing pressure against my body.

Aria cackled, waving her hand again and the spears circled me with the blades aimed at me.

“Shame I can’t kill you! But I can at least get some enjoyment out of your torture!” She grinned. I tried to keep one eye open, trying to keep myself conscious. Din was also pushing against the force, growling loudly in my head. I then noticed someone move behind Aria. My eye widened as I saw Flitter raise what looked to be a trophy over her head and she smacked it hard across Aria’s head. Aria’s head lolled and she knelt down, clutching the back of her head. Flitter balked as Aria turned to her, staring daggers at her. “But maybe I can kill other human scum!” She hissed, lashing out and grabbing Flitter by the neck.

I was dumbfounded at the sight of Flitter gasping for breath and clawing at Aria’s hands. A flash of my own world’s Flitter appeared in my mind, making the same motion, only with black veins snaking up her neck and throughout her body. I felt my blood boil and with a roar, Din mimicked me and we blew apart the debris and knocking the spears away. I then shot forward and grabbed Aria by her twin tails, pulling her away and making her drop Flitter. I dangled her under me before I then twisted my body, holding onto her twin tail’s tightly and spinning her around.

“Don’t you ever hurt Flitter!!” I roared. I then stopped and let go of Aria, sending her rocketing into the street where she bounced and rolled along the ground, crashing into an auto wagon and sounding the alarm. I panted angrily, feeling the flames warm me greatly. Din cackled amusingly.

We should have your friends in danger more often. Din hummed with a smug smirk.

“Don’t. You. Dare.” I said aloud before floating down and standing over Aria. The Dazzling looked up at me, clutching her arm and sitting up against the car, blood trickling from her head and arms.

“Bitch…” She spat. I still felt my anger rising and was about to reach down towards her when I then froze upon seeing a spear impale into the auto wagon.

“Aww… having fun without me?” A childish voice spoke. Din’s anger suddenly added to mine and I turned around. From out of a shadowy pillar emerged a young child with a neatly brushed curly head of hair and pink skin with dark purple eyes swirling with fiery shadow in the irises. Suddenly, a shadowy, sharp teethed face of an alicorn shot up in front of me.

Boo! I didn’t flinch as Din retorted with forming out of me and clashing her horn with Tenebres, the two taking to the sky and kicking off each other. Tenebres giggled and clapped her hooves together.

Enjoying play time? Awww, what’s the matter? Still heated about your loss? Tenebres cooed tauntingly at Din. Din flared.

I’ll break that horn off and shove it so far up your- Din began but was interrupted with Tenebres clicking her tongue and waving her hoof.

Now, now, sister. You shouldn’t swear around children. It’s not very… inspiring. Tenebres giggled.

Shut up, bitch! Din snapped back. I grow tired of your games!! You’ll suffer more than a spanking! I’m going to kill you!! Fickle Spark giggled and rocked her upper body to the sides with her hands behind her back.

“Now, now, you two! Tenebres, remember why we are here.” Fickle grinned. Tenebres casually kicked back in the air, angering Din more. With the sudden arrival of Tenebres and Fickle, my anger subsided. Fickle waved at me. “Been a long while since we came face to face, Quiet Fire. Good to know that you still have your head on you.” She said. I stabbed my staff into the street, cracking it as I did.

“We need to talk. Now.” I said sternly. “No more games. No more goose chases.” I narrowed my look coldly. “No more bullshit.” Fickle tilted her head, looking at me curiously.

“Well, duh. I want to talk to you too! We are one and the same after all. And I promise, no backstabbing or any other primal stuff.” She said with a hand on her heart. I aimed my staff at her.

“You’re playing me. I was a kid once too. But you stepped into the big kids' playground. So, we’re going to handle it like adults.” I replied. Fickle slumped.

“Awww, but I hate adults! Adults are so boring and always trying to boss me around.” Fickle pouted. I frowned.

“Should have thought about that before going off and allowing Tenebres to satisfy your childlike curiosities.” I replied. Fickle returned my frown.

“But I promiseeee!" She whined. I slumped.

"Seriously?" I replied with a defeated look. Fickle held up a hand.

"Din's vessel. I genuinely want to talk to you! No backstabsies! In fact, I want to show you something!" She smiled. I lowered my staff and looked to Din. Din met my look and she snorted, lowering her head threateningly at them.

I won’t be taken by surprise like last time, sister! I’ve gotten more power than you can suck a pacifier in a day! Din cackled at her own insult. Tenebres growled.

Try as you might, dear sister. But like your vessel said. We are in the big kid’s playground. So perhaps you should start acting like one. She smirked. Din snapped.

I’ll be a child to hit one! She shouted. I held a hand up to her.

“Relax, Din. Keep a cool head and we’ll get it done.” I told her. Din shot her glare at me before tossing her head to the side with a “hmph” to follow it. I then stepped forward, calling away my staff. “Alright, Fickle. Where do you have in mind?” I asked her. Fickle beamed and excitably skipped towards her portal.

“This way!” She cheerfully said before vanishing into the pillar. There was a brief moment before her head poked out. “Oh, Aria, can you come too? It’ll be worth it, I promise!” She said before ducking back in. I looked over my shoulder to Aria, who met my cold glare. She spat onto the street, using the bent auto wagon as support to help her up before she limped and slouched her way past me and into the pillar. I nodded to Din, who phased back into me and I stepped into the portal.

Equestria Girl’s POV/b]

“You sure about this, Twilight?” Wallflower asked as she scribbled something down onto a journal. Twilight, who was using her hands as a way to measure the straightness of a big device that Flash Sentry, Timber Spruce and Bulk Biceps were struggling to wheel out on a wagon, smiled at her.

“The magic in finding a primal’s heart must be extremely powerful. With this device, the girls and I can use our own magic combined to make the machine send out an echo signal that’ll come back to us with magical readings. We just need to look out for a reading that has a huge spike in it.” She explained. She then waved to the boys. “That’ll be fine, boys! Thanks for the help!” She called out. The three fell onto their backs, exhausted.

Timber pushed himself up and walked over to her.

“As usual, I’m impressed. But… how is it that you were able to know how to make devices for magical stuff?” Timber asked, rubbing his back. Twilight knelt down to pick up a journal and began to scribble a drawing on it.

“Magic cannot be read by normal means. I figured using a color spectrum and sound can make for a better use in reading magic. And it is all thanks to Megan Williams that I’m able to do so.” She said with a smile. Wallflower looked up from her own journal questioningly.

“What do you mean?” She asked. Twilight reached into her backpack and withdrew Megan’s journal. She flipped open to a page and skimmed with her finger tracing under the words.

“Megan states that magic has an unpredictability even if it can be contained. Via outside forces acting on it or not, all the magic accumulates from a vein that cannot be seen by any means unless looking through colors.” Flash rubbed the back of his head as he stood up.

“Vein as in…” He said. Twilight wagged her pen.

“Like our blood veins. Think of it that way.” She replied. The boys nodded, understanding the concept now. Wallflower pursed her lips in thought.

“So, what, the world lives and breaths magic?” She asked. Twilight seemed a bit hesitant on this.

“Yes… and no… it’s… well it’s pretty much tricky to explain but in order for magic to be visible, the spirit has to draw from this, let’s call it a layer, from around them and able to shape it into something usable depending on the will, heart, mind and spirit of the individual.” She tapped on the journal page. “In short, if me and the others combine our magic that is drawn from this layer, it’ll create a new one. And anything on the amount combined will interact with this on another layer, creating a chain reaction and revealing the magic.” The four scratched their heads in confusion. Twilight sighed.

“Tricky to explain. It’s better if I just show you.” She said, looking up and waving. Sunset and the others descended from the sky and landed gently onto the ground. Sunset slumped.

“Sorry for running a bit late. Had to dodge a lot of people.” Sunset sighed. Twilight looked to her friends, seeing them in a bit of a frazzled state. She gave a concerned look. Sunset cleared her throat. “So. What’s going on?” She asked. Twilight smiled and presented the device to them. The girls “oohed” and “awed” at it.

“It’s huge-gantic!” Pinkie Pie stated happily. Sunset smiled.

“Wow. You made this in two days?” She asked. Twilight adjusted her glasses proudly.

“Eeyup! I just used some parts from the smaller one back at the school and spent the last two days rummaging in the junkyard for spare parts!” She grinned. Sunset then gave a worried look.

“Did you sleep?” She asked.

“Sleep? Who needs sleep? We need to find that heart and I am also excited to have a breakthrough in magical research! There is just so much to work with and not enough time!” Twilight cackled, her hair becoming a bit tussled and her eye twitched as she did her best to keep sane. The girls looked between each other before Sunset pat her shoulder gently.

“We appreciate all you do, Twi. So, what next?” Sunset said reassuredly. Twilight’s eyes widened a bit as if she had realized something of herself before she cleared her throat and gave a bashful smile.

“R-right! Okay. What I want all of us to do is Pony Up. We then release our magic into this rod here.” Twilight explained, pointing at a brass rod. “Sunset, your magic is stronger than ours. I need you to use that magic to ‘wash’ our own around the city if you can. When you do, it’ll cause a chain reaction and reveal magic that is on par to yours. Maybe even Tenebres and Din’s magic as well.” Sunset balked.

“Whoa, whoa. My magic is than everyone's? But… I was only able to turn into Daydream because of the horn.” She said. Twilight smiled and looked to Wallflower. Wallflower stepped forward and held out her journal to her. Sunset blinked and took it, opening up the journal.

“I… did some testing with the horn myself.” Wallflower spoke. “When I had it in my possession, it does activate magic when I strongly wish for something to happen. But I also realized that that effect tends to err… be temporary.” She dug her shoe tip into the ground bashfully. “The garden I showed you guys became overgrown and well… I trimmed one leaf off and everything went back to normal in an instant. I did a bit more testing before being… captured… and found that the horn’s effects creates the illusion of powerful magic.”

She motioned to Sunset. “When you and Fie saved the school, you held the horn and turned into Daydream. Did you wish for power to save the school?” She asked. Sunset lowered her head in thought. A realization washed over her.

“I didn’t wish…” she muttered, studying her hand. “When I grasped the horn, I didn’t wish. I strongly felt the urge to protect and save.” She then furrowed her look. “Then what about what happened with Adaggio? You used the horn to help us against her and I turned into Daydream after you wished.” She said. Wallflower winced.

“I… didn’t wish for you to have more power to save the city. I wished for you all to be stronger together to stop Adaggio.” She explained. Sunset looked stunned. Twilight smiled softly.

“Don’t you see, Sunset? No outside force made you Daydream. When you went against Midnight Sparkle, you showed the true form of friendship and a strong desire to save and protect. It’s because of that, you were able to transform and in turn, making your magic stronger. Together, we are strong, yes. But with someone to show everyone the true values of friendship and the desire to protect, who better than it to be you?” Sunset looked over her shoulder to her friends, who each gave her a confident and approved nod.

Sunset rubbed her forearm nervously. “But… why me? Why not you, Twilight?” She asked. Twilight smiled.

“I’m err… not sure. But it shouldn’t matter. What matters is that you exhibit the true values needed to harness magic at its’ fullest. I’m sure Princess Twilight would think so too.” She replied. Sunset blushed and brushed a bang out of her face, her mind racing to comprehend this information. Rainbow Dash wrapped an arm around the back of her neck and playfully punched her arm.

“You earned it, Sunset. After everything you’ve been through, it only seems right.” Rainbow winked.

“‘Ah can’t think of anyone suited for it.” Applejack agreed with a tip of her hat.

“Here-here.” Rarity smiled.

“We always knew you had it in you.” Fluttershy chimed in.

“Woo-hoooo!” Pinkie cheered. Sunset looked back to Twilight and Wallflower. Then, Flash and Timber stepped up with Bulk.

“You’ve come a long way, Sunset Shimmer. And it’ll only get better from here on out.” Flash smiled softly.

“If Twilight believes you to have the magic to help out Quiet Fire, then I do too.” Timber grinned. Sunset was still stunned by this, but she then turned to face the machine. Dark clouds were beginning to form over them. They then heard a chanting song echo loudly from within the city. Lightning crackled through the clouds, making for a sinister backdrop.

“Looks like we need to act now. Can you feel that?” Rainbow Dash stated, her expression serious as she looked towards the city. The girls nodded. A strong and dark cold breeze had blown through. Together, the six girls circled Sunset and held their hands out as their geodes activated, ponying them up. One by one, the girl’s magic shot out of their palms and began to twist and spiral around the brass rod. Sunset took a deep breath and closed her eyes, reaching out her own hands to the rod.

A red beam of light combined with the others, the machine whirring to life. Colors began to glow from the glass dotting the machine. Twilight looked to Sunset.

“Sunset! Wash our magic!” She called out. Sunset scrunched her brows, sweat beginning to drip from her brow as she tried to figure out how to do so. Is it just a wave of a hand? A motion? A chant? She began to realize that she had no clue what it meant to wash the magic. “Sunset??” Twilight spoke.

“I don’t know how!” Sunset called back, grunting as she struggled to turn into Daydream.

“Pretend you’re spreading out a jigsaw puzzle!” Twilight called out.

“Making a different scenario isn’t helping me understand it!” Sunset called back again, her frustration beginning to rise. Her eyes widened and she gasped. In a blink of an eye, she noticed a small figure crouching and grinning at them at the top of the machine. A child with curly blue hair and a shadowy cloak draped around her pink skin. Sunset met her eyes and she could see the shadowy fire swirl around her dark purple irises. Suddenly, a sharp teethed wide grin of a shadowy alicorn rose up in front of her and hissed. Sunset yelped and the girls released their magic at the notice of the sudden stranger. The girl stood up and cusped her hands in front of her courteously.

“I thought I sensed powerful magic nearby! What do you think, Tenebres?” The girl spoke happily. The shadowy face of the alicorn hovered around them as the seven huddled back-to-back. Sunset looked over and gasped as she saw Wallflower, Bulk, Flash and Timber being held at sword length by a giant suite of dark armor.

Yessss. These seven are indeed the magic that have been spreading around the town. This is it, bestie! These seven will give us what we need! Tenebres giggled eerily. The girl snapped her fingers and a dark haze began to surround them. Sunset grit her teeth and outstretched her hand, shooting a beam out towards the girl. Yet, the girl didn’t move and the beam bounced off of her. She giggled.

“That tickled! But you should know that your magic won’t work on me unlike our friends. Not when we have everything all set up perfectly. Din and her vessel won’t stand a chance now! Sorry not sorry, but I’m going to need your magic.” The girl then swished her hand and Tenebres hissed, charging them. Sunset held up her arms in front of her as Tenebres flew right through each of them. Sunset looked down at herself and she began to panic. She was unable to move as a red crystal began to form around her. When the crystal finished, Sunset was trapped. The same can be said for the others. Tenebres used her magic to have the seven trapped girls float around her as the girl sighed in satisfaction.

“Phase one is done thanks to Aria. Now let’s begin phase two.” The girl giggled. She withdrew her hand and from her cloak she drew a scythe. She then stabbed the butt of the scythe into the machine, crumbling it under her and cheering as she fell back into a shadowy pillar. Tenebres looked to the four and studied them. She then grinned and cackled as she dove into the pillar, leaving the four to look on in awe. The knight pulled away and walked backwards towards the last pillar and vanished. All four were speechless.

Chapter 45: Skyros Fallen

We must have took in the sight for a good ten minutes. I’m not sure what compelled us to do so. A whole new land. Whole new possibilities. And upon closer inspections, the disrepair and decay of the buildings and platforms that expanded far beyond the eye could see, is beyond recognizable.

I finally found my legs and began to walk forward, my friends doing the same. Descending the marble staircase, we soon saw a small group being led by Lilac and Sonata marching across a massive bridge connecting to a city like area. Thi and I exchanged glances before we picked up our trot into a canter. We had to slow down and mind our footing as there were small dips and holes from the ground separating into a sea of clouds. Upon arriving at the bridge, we galloped and hurried to catch up to the Triad.

We had a straight shot forward with no hazards, but the size of it felt daunting. It took us thirty minutes to get across the bridge at a decent pace, catching up to the Triad who were setting up a small encampment at the entrance of the city. Sonata looked over her shoulder to see us hunched over and catching our breath. Finally feeling my wind again, I met her look.

“This is… Skyros… isn’t it?” I stated. Sonata shifted her gaze to the distorted sky and sun.

“Tis familiar. But if this is Skyros, then it is not my home.” Sonata furrowed her look. “My home is grandiose. Brilliant skies, moving screens and signs, flourishing with life. Tis should be a millennium of mortal time has passed. And yet…” she went quiet. There was only the sound of the wind. “Not a single sound.”

“Your majesty!” A scribe spoke up. We looked to see a pony canter up and hold up the pad. Sonata took it in her magic and scanned the pad. Her eyes widened and she dropped the pad.

“B-but… how…” she looked up at the sky. “What has happened here…? What caused this…?” Thi arched a brow.

“S’not like you to lose your head, much as that thought is pleasant.” Thi said. Lilac glared at her.

“Silence your tongue, terrorist! Strike team Alpha, Beta!” Lilac commanded. Two groups of six ponies appeared and saluted her. “Secure the perimeter. If you see anything suspicious, you report your findings. Strike team Charlie, Delta!” Another two groups of six ponies cantered up and saluted. “Charlie team will scout in the city. Delta, you are to ghost Charlie. They’ll tag potential intel and you’ll be to retrieve it. Understand?!”

“Ma’am!” They saluted. The teams dispersed, leaving Lilac to study Sonata, who had not moved an inch. Even Thi started to look concerned.

“Mother-“ Lilac stopped herself and cleared her throat. “Your majesty. We must continue our search. Shall I lead a team myself to scout further ahead?” Sonata blinked and looked to her. Whatever had control of her vanished and her look became to stoic.

“I’ll lead the team. You’ll stay here and manage the base.” She said. Lilac hesitated a bit before saluting and nodding. She spun on her hooves and trotted off, clearly bothered. Sonata turned to us. “You’ll accompany me into the district. We are far from the Boriale, but close to one of the labs I was stationed at during my apprenticeship.” Thi rubbed the back of her neck.

“Dunno. I figured you’d be wanting to go for the Prisma Nexus. Isn’t that why we are here?” Thi asked. Sonata blinked and seemed to recall something from her mind before adjusting her cap.

“Indeed. Let us not waste time.” She said, spinning on her hooves and marching towards the city. We followed after her, my eyes studying the back of her head. Her eyes were hyper-focused forward. It was clear to us all exactly what she was hoping for. Traversing into the city was surprisingly not complex to do.

It was the architecture that we had to make sense of. The buildings seem to make a cluster maze of no directions in particular. Yet, Sonata had led us to only one dead end while traversing the rest like she knew it on the back of her hoof. The buildings we came across had some interesting imprints, as if booths and shops had lined the areas. I was corrected by Sonata that they were mobile stations that moved often as research was always shifting and changing. We came across an area where we had to stop and witness some strange looking creatures that hovered around a dead carcass of an indescribable animal. When they noticed us, Sonata obliterated them easily, leaving nothing.

“Escaped test subjects… from Cryosis Manistatium…?” Sonata commented more to herself. It seems that her homeland was taking a much worser toll on her than we thought. Yet, we remained quiet, curious as to see where the mind of a tyrant would lead. Even Thi was invested into her arch-nemesis’s scatterbrain moments. I was starting to wonder how much Sonata tends to be alone. The constant talking to herself out loud was something Celestia tended to do if I recall from my time seeing her in the school.

Sonata soon came to a stop in front of a building. She brushed her hoof against the side over an imprint. The sign seemed to glow and before we knew it, we jumped back as a ghostly visage or an alicorn with a mane style I did not expect to see on one, smiled at us.

“This is designation zone IQ-7267-LJ. Please present your identification tablet, then proceed to your designated posts. Breakfast is served at 0400-0700 in bay O7 with lunch being served at 1100-1300 parsec. May the stars guide your way.”

The visage disappeared. Sonata hummed.

“Projections are still active. Though limited…” she trailed off in thought. We exchanged glances before following after the wandering alicorn. It was quite amusing to see her activate some projections that would work and listen in on them. We were uncertain of all the codes meanings and only knew of the laymare’s terms to some degree. I wasn’t sure how long we were wandering around at this point, and my suspicion that this place doesn’t tell time normally had us finally addressing the situation.

“Sonata.” I spoke up. Sonata was looking over a glass container that was overgrown with some strange moss and plants. Sonata blinked and looked at me, as if she had been snapped out of a trance. I furrowed my look. “Are you forgetting our primary objective?” We waited for her response. Sonata slowly looked around and took a moment to think. She then stood up straight, realizing how tired she must have been.

“No. In fact, some information has occurred to me the more we’ve scouted.” She began to walk past us. “We return to base. I require an update on my troops.” We exchanged glances before shrugging and following her back the way we came.

“Is it just me or is Sonata acting… not like a tyrant.” Flitter whispered to us. Thi frowned.

“Whatever is happening, I’m waiting for when she’ll slip up and doom us all.” She replied. Cloudchaser looked around.

“But you can’t help but be curious yourself. We are walking in what is an ancient civilization of alicorns! If I was in her shoes, I’d want to see what happened here too.” She said. I looked to them as we began to walk up steps.

“Knowing our luck, we’ll find out one way or another. Let’s just-“ I stopped in my tracks as we made it to the top. I blinked once, hoping my eyes weren’t playing tricks on me. I could have sworn I saw a filly alicorn run by me. Cloudchaser tilted her head.

“Everything okay?” She asked. I wasn’t sure how to respond. I looked around.

“Where did Sonata go?” I asked suddenly. Thi clicked her tongue and cantered out to the street to look around. We spread out a bit, hoping to find any indication of where the tyrant went. Flitter and Cloudchaser were the first to spot a sign of her.

“Just saw her enter a building. This way!” Cloudchaser called out. The two took off and we followed after them. We traversed down a step or two to then arriving at the foot of a jagged building. Flitter floated over to the imprinted wall and tapped her hoof on it. Nothing reacted. Thi groaned.

“Great. I’m not going back to Triad. We can go off on our own.” She said, her habit showing. I gave her a look and she sighed, nodding. “I mean to say, I’m not going back to the Triad without their queen. I’ll check to see if there is a side entrance.” Thi trotted quickly along the building and peeked down the alley. Scribble trotted up to the imprint and began brushing his hoof against the building. His hoof came to a groove and leaned in to get a better look.

“This hieroglyph is unfamiliar to anything I’ve studied. And Thi’s lack of alicorn history won’t help us here. My suspicion is that anything here can only react to Sonata for obvious reasons.” His eyes scanned the building. I had a thought. And Din shared the sentiment. I stepped forward and felt the warmth flow through me. Din unfurled her wings on my back and I held out my hoof, brushing the groove. The groove glowed and the door opened with a hiss.

Subject volunteer detected. Please proceed to designation bay CM-L4M to conduct further investigation. A voice said through a hidden speaker. Thi cantered back upon hearing the voice, looking at the door.

“Oh. I guess that works too.” She said with a smile. My friends entered the building, leaving me the last to step in. I looked down at my hoof. Din’s materialized slightly before the warmth vanished. The door closed behind, leaving us in darkness. I waved my hoof and four tiny orbs of fire lit the way, hovering over to my friends. I used Din’s eyes, scanning the lobby for anything.

It was strangely… modern. A few waiting chairs. A reception desk and empty potted plants. Yet, the disarray of papers and other things definitely gave the partially clean lobby walls and ceiling an abandoned liminal space.

“Sonata?” I called out. My ears flicked for any sound I could make out, if any. Nothing. We proceeded to split up a bit to see if we could find anything. I headed down the hallway and looked in on some of the rooms. Turned over furniture made it seem like a barricade. Other rooms housed nothing of important note. Same old furniture and scattered papers and binders. Was this an office building? Did alicorns really work here? They actually… worked jobs?

Taking one last look around the room, I headed further down the hall where I stopped and blinked. I could have sworn I saw two alicorns disappearing around the corner. Suspicious, I braced myself and went to investigate. The alicorns had vanished down a hallway that led to several doors lined on the side. Strange signs that I’m assuming are markers for designated areas hung over the doors. A door opened to my side, startling me. I brought the flame around and gasped in shock, stepping back.

Inside the small space was a grinning skull of a unicorn. No, not just a unicorn. Upon closer inspection, there were wing bones hanging loosely from the back. Din hummed.

A shame. All that immortality, only to fall to natural mortal causes. Din commented. I waved the flame around and I came across a statue that the skeleton was holding onto. The statue had a strange looking alicorn shape to it. As if it was crafted lazily, but unmistakable. However, Din’s eyes picked up heavy distortion around the statue, causing her to audibly hum in curiosity. What is this now? I slowly reached out my hoof to the statue. When my hoof touched the statue, I froze.

Images flashed quickly through my mind. And as quickly as it did, I pulled away and rubbed my head at the massive headache it gave me. Din coughed out of nowhere, sounding as if her wind had left her.

“What… what was that??” I asked quizzically. Din sputtered before wiping her muzzle.

Seems the passage of time is at a standstill. They are calling to her. Din said. I winced and studied the statue.

“You okay, Fie?” I heard Cloudchaser speak. I looked to see my friends approaching me. The door suddenly closed. I pointed to the wall.

“A corpse. I-I think at least… I’m not sure what I saw…” I replied. My ears then flicked when we heard something banging above us. We nodded to each other before cantering further down the hall. With a soft wave of my hoof, the door opened and we cantered up a flight of steps before exiting onto the second floor. I came to a stop and looked around.

“Wh-what?” I stuttered. We looked around the place. This shouldn’t be possible. We were outside? My eyes darted the distorted sky. The massive castle towering over us definitely told me we had made it outside. I frowned and we went back into the building. We froze. The steps down were gone and instead, replaced by what appeared to be a green house. The plants were overgrown to the point it looked to be a jungle.

“Wasn’t there…?” Flitter began. Scribble scratched his head before heading back towards the door. He peeked around and gasped, nearly stumbling forward. We looked and followed his gaze. The way we came was now platform-less. A straight shot down several stories. Thi pulled him back and we found ourselves back in the lobby we have entered.

“What the hell is going on?!” Cloudchaser exclaimed. Din’s eyes scanned the room around us. No distortion, but something did feel off. We heard the banging above us again. Like somepony was moving something heavy. We cantered down the hall again and I stopped in front of the door. I took a deep breath, bracing myself for whatever lies beyond. We have to find Sonata. I waved my hoof and the door opened to a set of stairs. We ascended the stairs and opened the next door.

A long hallway ran before us into a dimly lit liminal space. My ears flicked as we heard the sound of something being dragged further down the hall. We hurried down it, my mind wondering just what Sonata is up to. When we reached the cross way, the dragging sound came to our left. We looked and saw a door that was already open. Or rather, blasted open. A soft, blue glow welcomed us through the bent inward door. We cautiously stepped through and found ourselves amongst a row of consoles.

The rustic place looking worse for wear, the flooring cracked and jutting upward. The ceiling ripped apart as if something had broken through. Shattered glass vat tubes eerily empty. We spotted movement and when we rounded the side of the massive console, we spied Sonata. She was hunched over a console, tapping the keys and eyes scanning the screen. There was a massive tube that was boiling with a strange fluid out onto what appeared to be a stage like device in the row in front of her.

“Sonata?” Thi spoke up. Sonata paused and glanced over at us before focusing back on the screen. “You do realize you’re going to kill us by wandering off like that.” Thi sighed and shook her head. “Can’t believe I’m saying that to you. What are you even doing?”

“Intel scrying. And considering you are all here, some information has been confirmed.” Sonata spoke, tapping at the console keys. My eyes looked over to the massive tube.

“What is that thing?” I asked.

“Data vats. The Illion scholars would be granted vast assessments of knowledge from their creations, but nowhere to place it should they need it later. The size varies depending on the knowledge contained. This is a vat that is considered a server of knowledge of everypony assigned to this lab. I am almost done scrying.” Thi arched a brow.

“Is it relevant to the Prisma Nexus?” She asked with suspicion. Sonata didn’t skip a beat.

“The Prisma Nexus is relevant to everything here, Billet. In fact, it maybe the very thing that’ll lead us to victory.” She explained. We all noticed her hesitating in her tapping of the key at this mention. Thi rubbed the back of her neck before whispering to me.

“Prisma Nexus, my bloodline, the tree. All these things and yet, it feels like it won’t be enough. Are we really gathering power for the end of the realm?” She asked me. I leaned in and whispered back.

“Not sure. Been tasked with so many things and it hardly feels like anything got done. At this point, we just go along and see what happens.” I whispered back. I wasn’t sure myself about all this. We followed a prophecy, Ouroboros lied, now everything feels convoluted. There has to be a truth somewhere in all this mess. Din chuckled smugly.

Then let there be only one truth. My truth. And the truth is to take all this power and never give any of it! She grinned. I could only nod in agreement. Din is the only one primal I can trust, believe it or not. A loud dragging sound broke me out of my thoughts, and we looked to see the data vat lift up and be grabbed by a clamp before being dragged off the device. Another data vat descended and screwed itself into device. When Sonata tapped on the console, there was a loud scream and the data vat exploded in shattered glass and strange fluid.

Din and Lux had shielded us from the glass before we backed away at the boiling fluid that spilled over. Sonata looked dumbfounded.

“Impossible…” she muttered. Cloudchaser looked over her shoulder and I followed her gaze. My eyes widened.

“Uhh… guys?” Cloudchaser announced. Everypony looked and we could see in the partial darkness several alicorn statues. What worried us was the fact they were cracking and shaking. A strange, sickly glow came from the cracks and the petrified looks began to peel apart. Sonata stood next to us, pocketing a crystal in her outfit and stared down the statue. We then backed away as something long and fleshy shot out of the head of the statue. Sickly crunching of bones as the limb flexed its’ stubs.

The other statues began to crack and other fleshy limbs shot out and began to flail about. It wasn’t long before we heard agonizing pained groans as malformed creatures with odd proportions emerged from the statutes. Sonata stood in front of us and shone Lux’s light brightly in the room.

“Look away! They are not meant for mortal eyes!” She called out. We were blinded by the light and it disoriented us enough that Scribble tripped over something and must have pressed a button. A loud screeching sound blared and the lights began to blink red.

Unknown authorization detected. Quarantining area. Error. Quarantine protocol failsafe not registered. Please remain where you are. The guards have been called. a voice spoke. Sonata growled.

“Quiet Fire! Steel thyself! These are not ordinary subjects!” Sonata said. Din’s eyes took over my vision and I gasped. Indeed, these creatures were strange. Almost humanoid with no faces and eyes dotting the pale skin along with added limbs. One let out a shriek, only to be silenced quickly by Sonata swishing her head and impaling the creature in a spear of light. The creature roared and bubbled before exploding into giblets. The smell was rancid.

“We need to get out of here!” Thi exclaimed. I quickly looked around, Din’s eyes picking up several glowing runes on the wall. I quickly rushed over to one and waved my hoof, the door opening to a balcony. With a quick peek, the balcony led to what appeared to be the next room over.

“This way!” I called out. My friends booked it as I called my halberd and chucked it like a javelin at the next creature that clawed its’ way towards Sonata. The halberd impaled the creature, setting it aflame and causing the other two creatures, who were halfway from exiting the statues, to shield themselves. Sonata quickly pulled herself away and galloped over to us. Once we were through, I closed the door and we took a moment to ourselves.

I looked to the others as they seemed disturbed but okay. I let out a relieved sigh before walking over to the tailing and looking down. Where the hell are we? There were several tall buildings connecting to one another into a maze-like area. We were outside as well as the wind blew through fiercely. Sonata darted her eyes around.

“The Studium Boriale. Or a sector of it.” She looked back to the wall. “We appear to be in section 34-7JKL. One of the many living quarters.” Flitter looked nervously over the balcony.

“How… how can you tell where you are in this place?” She asked. Sonata trotted over to the same door and waved her hoof. Thi was about to protest but stopped when the door revealed a vacant room with a strange looking bed and furniture. I scratched my head quizzically.

“I’ll admit, finding me with only subject clearance was a stroke of luck of untold billions in the percentage range. Illion is intricate to the mortal mind, as it is intended. Those tagged as subject volunteers are to only be directed by an official. If they stray or escape, they would be lost to many rooms and passages as a containment fail safe.” She explained as she walked across the room. We followed her cautiously, Cloudchaser looking back.

“So… what was that thing? Was it another escaped subject?” She asked. Sonata hesitated again as she had reached for the wall. She remained silent as if making the decision to not answer was better, opening the door and stepping out. We followed after her and found ourselves back in the familiar hallway.

When we exited the building, I couldn’t help but look around nervously. If there is a couple of those things loose, who knows how many more are roaming.

“For a tribe of researchers, protocol must have been up tight.” Thi chimed in after ten minutes of silent walking.

“Our king Illion and the fair queen Galaxae designed the Illion tribe to be knowledgeable and upholding to the pursuit of knowledge. Tis our duty selected by the Creation Mother herself. Everything was as intended, each tribe kin trained to harness the power of creation. I… I never could magically do so.” She said. Thi balked and began to laugh. We all gave her a stern look and that got her to clear her throat out of nervousness.

“S-sorry. Force of habit. So… you can’t create anything?” She asked. Sonata glared at her as we turned down a street, the encampment not too far off.

“Erase the thought of me being inferior to my kin. Nay, I couldn’t create in the way the others could. I belonged to the ones whose minds far suppress magical talent. Everything built by hooves and blood. Those that were magically gifted were stationed elsewhere.” She straightened herself, putting on a commanding posture. “Be it as it may, that still leaves the question of what has happened here.”

We arrived at the encampment and were greeted by Triad troops. The scribes were already hunkered down and working away at consoles. Lilac approached us and saluted Sonata. Sonata reached into her coat and withdrew a smaller looking data vat and crystal.

“Have the scribes sort through this vat. The slab data should decrypt the messages.” She ordered. Lilac nodded and took the vat and crystal before passing it off to a scribe, relaying the order. Sonata looked around. “Status on the teams.”

“Alpha team confirmed securing of perimeter. Beta team encountered a point of interest and granted permission to scout after Alpha confirmed perimeter secure. Charlie team has encountered several creatures and were able to dispatch them. Progress hindered by broken roads, collapsed buildings and a disconnection of the bridge to the mainland. Report confirmed by Delta. As we are right now, we are stranded. Shall we call for alicron scouts?”

Sonata shook her head.

“Negative. In fact, it won’t be necessary. Have they’ve been able to confirm entry into any buildings?” She asked. Lilac shook her head.

“The report states that there are imprints of what looked to be doors but unable to open.” She replied. Thi grinned.

“Lucky us that we have two keys right here.” She said, nudging Sonata. The fire in Lilac’s eyes were brighter than Din’s while Sonata gave a disgusted look. She casually dusted her coat before speaking.

“As loud as our pest’s muzzle is, she is correct. Since I originate here, most entryways will react to me. To some degree, the fire one too. However, we will be using my blood as the key.” She looked at me. “We will not trust subject blood from this point on. Radio the troops and strike teams. Relay the warning that there are creatures here that originate out of statues bearing my kin’s visages. They are not to be engaged and must retreat. Do I make myself clear?” She sternly looked at Lilac. Lilac saluted.

“Yes, your majesty! Permission to speak freely?” Lilac replied. Sonata nodded. Lilac turned to Thi. “Don’t make yourself too comfortable in this truce, Thi Billet. I will always uphold our majesty’s pride.” She said coldly. Thi smirked.

“Sure, sure miss body snatcher. Hey, Sonata. Perhaps you’d transfer her soul into one of those creatures next time, eh? Might be a better fit for a soul like her.” Thi challenged. I sighed and rubbed my muzzle. Thi was quiet for a bit before sighing. “Look, I’ll be honest. I cannot put our differences aside after everything you both have done. I’ll bite my tongue for now and only work to benefit my friends and the world. But I will not apologize for calling you out. Far as I know, it’ll be either a survival of the fittest or betrayal.”

She gave me an apologetic, frustrated look before sighing in defeat and nodding softly. I was rather worried about Thi’s behavior. But I’ll also bite my tongue for now. I looked back towards the castle. Sooner or later, something bad will happen. And I’ll cross that bridge when it happens. Din cackled in the back of mind, gleefully at the thought.

The scribes had managed to examine and data mine the vat with such surprising efficiency. When they were done after an hour or two of us idling about the camp, one of the scribes spoke up.

“Scrying complete, your majesty!” The scribe called out. I rose from my bored idleness on a metal crate and walked over with the rest that stirred from their boredom. Scribble was the first to arrive and look over the shoulder of the scribe along with Sonata, their eyes scanning the console screen.

“Fascinating.” Sonata spoke. “Seems my kin were working on Chalice and nearly figured out the formula.” There was a tone of pride in her voice. Scribble tilted his head slightly.

“Chalice… says here that the lead behind it was Rosette Nebula.” He commented. I blinked.

“The alicron?” I asked. Sonata stood up.

“Rosette Nebula is… was a genius that could match even our great king’s foresight. Her mind was focused. Desired by the others. She created almost all of the data we used as reference in our time. And I still use it to this day.” Thi balked and frowned.

“So, the alicrons were because of her data?” She asked. Lilac scoffed.

“Pay attention, terrorist. Your mud brain might learn something in pride.” She replied. Scribble narrowed his eyes as he scanned the screen.

“Your majesty. We have several hundred files of subject relations, IDs of the researchers, their living procurements and position. I… you might want to look.” The scribe moved over, allowing the alicorn to scan the screen. The console began to blip red quickly before going back to a calm green. We watched patiently as she continued to scan. It eventually dawned on us what was happening. Even Sonata’s stoic face began to crack in shock.

Out of curiosity, I peeked over her shoulder. The screen was shifting through file after file. The screen became red with each viewing of the files. Big words popped up as she went through them:

Deceased

I was confused by this. Why was it so shocking? Sonata paused before tapping on the screen.

>Rosette Nebula

The files shifted through each other rapidly before coming to a stop on the file. An image of an alicorn with big square glasses and a bun mane looked back at Sonata with professional stoicism. The screen didn’t turn red. Instead, the file opened up and a lot of scrolling tabs popped up. Words then appeared.

Deceased. Recent activity, Astrologias Hubble Akedymer. Last report: Activated Chalice in hopes of our kin surviving. A gamble like plenty of others in my profession. If not, then may the Creation Mother guide us into her light. Begin Cascade.

The file then forced Sonata out and began to blink yellow. The screen now flashing the words:

Warning. Cascade storm imminent. Seek shelter.

Sonata gasped and looked up over the console. We followed her gaze. Sure enough, the distorted sky was looking quite sickly. In fact, the red flares around the black sun were beginning to grow.

Let the light protect you! Lux’s voice resonated in my mind.

Screw you! My fire will fend it off! Din barked. Before we knew it, mine and Sonata’s horn glowed brightly and our primals casted a barrier around the camp. The ground began to shake and the sky turned red. Lightning struck around us, creating a large wave of prismatic light. The barrier began to be struck one after another.

Sonata and I screamed as the barrier began to crack. It was a sharp and agonizing pain against us. Din and Lux grunted as they willed themselves and us to stand firm. I grunted and tried my best to ignore the pain. I looked over to Sonata and my eyes widened. Everytime the lightning struck our barrier, I noticed cracks beginning to form down her horn. It then crawled down to her head and then down her neck. I instinctively placed a hoof on my own neck and could feel the hard cracks forming.

I lost my train of thought as Din forced me to steel myself. I wasn’t sure how long this went on. Every agonizing pain caused me to buckle and fight for my life. Eventually, the storm subsided and the sky and sun returned to their natural state. Sonata and I buckled and fell onto our bellies in exhaustion as the barrier was released. My friends rushed over to help me up while the Triad troops did the same for Sonata.

“What in Celestia’s name is going on around here?!” Flitter asked in pure shock.

“Cascade… storm…” Sonata panted. I looked at her tiredly. The cracks were waning and vanished completely after three seconds. “I… only ever heard the theory once in my filly hood. But… tis was an unlikely accident. The Illions never planned for Cascades.” Thi frowned as she let me lean on her.

“Whatever the Illions planned, it may not have worked out as well as they thought it did. Who knew that immortal knowledge seekers doomed themselves and their entire civilization.” Thi narrowed her look. “Not so fun now when your own kind has died, is it?” Sonata snapped and shoved aside the ponies helping her, marching over and hooked her hoof under Thi’s cuff and brought her up to face her.

“Listen well, little pony. We are above mortals. Our brilliance aiming for beyond the stars. Everything calculated, every decimal accounted for. All this research would have saved us from the eventual end of this pathetic realm. We even planned to help you mortals to safety! It’s because of those damned sisters that all this happened!!” Sonata snarled. Thi rose an unamused brow.

“Are you sure the Celestiales and the princesses had anything to do with your civilization being doomed? You even said it yourself. The only thing you can recall is the Celestiales invasion. But who's to say that they weren’t trying to stop your kind from dooming themselves in an effort to save everypony else?” Thi forced her hoof away from her. “Even immortal beings are prone to mortal mistakes. Life has a strange way of laughing at us. You can either let it beat on you or suck it up and stop blaming anything around you.” She lowered her gaze.

“I blamed my own follies on everything and it got me nothing but a broken friendship and more blood on my hooves. And like the mortals we are, we can change and adapt. Even forgive ourselves if others don’t. You may blame Princess Celestia and Luna for your own follies, but you know that you brought it upon yourself. They made mistakes as well, I’m sure. But unlike them, you refuse to accept the changes and instead fight against it.” She looked up at the sky. “Look where it got your kind.”

Sonata said nothing. She was still glaring daggers at Thi. She then scoffed and spun on her hooves.

“Begin plans to erect a protective stasis around the camp. I’m going out to scout.” Sonata said. I stepped forward and stopped her by tugging her tail. She looked over her shoulder.

“Not without me you’re not. You wander off again and get yourself killed, you can forget about finding what happened to your kin. Plus, we owe ourselves to the responsibilities of the realm.” I said.

“You dare assault yourself upon her majesty?!” Lilac yelled, aiming an arc pistol at me, causing the other Triad ponies to rack their weapons and aim at me. Sonata and I stared each other down. Thi stepped forward.

“We’re going out there with you too. Better to have more eyes.” She said.

“You’ll only get in the way.” Sonata immediately replied. Scribble spoke up.

“That’s where we come in.” He said. Cloudchaser and Flitter smiled and nodded. Thi flushed a little. Sonata rolled her eyes.

“Ugh. Very well. Lilac, maintain comms. I’ll keep you updated.” She said to the zebra mare. Lilac saluted and began to order the troops to begin construction of a pylon. Sonata didn't say another word and began to venture out of the camp. We quickly caught up with her and proceeded to spend ten minutes searching the streets for anything noteworthy. Sonata seemed to be on auto pilot and just wandering. I managed to glance at her eyes and seeing them glossed over. Perhaps she's just conversing with Lux.

It appears my vessel is preoccupied in her memories. A soothing voice said. Din and I jumped in surprise as Lux sat next to Din. She gave a smile at Din, who immediately jumped back and readied herself.

A sneak attack?! Din growled.

Do not flatter yourself, dear sister. If I wanted to sneak attack you, you’d have been bundled up in a nice cube of flesh before you could say “huh”. Lux said. Din flared but I stepped in front of her and narrowed my eyes at her.

‘What do you want?’ I asked. Lux remained as she was as she replied.

To get away from the jumbled thoughts of my vessel. Figured I’d prefer a hot headed, straight forward mindset. Lux looked around. Since when did you have a phoenix? Her eyes locked onto the sleeping bird on the tree branch.

None of your concern! I’m more inclined to get my revenge right here and now! Din stared her down before she straightened and took a deep breath. But I’d rather save my energy for more of those abominations. Lux nodded softly.

You sense it too? She asked. Din scoffed.

You belittle me. Need I remind you that the others have suffered at my hooves. Tis only a matter of time. Din replied sourly.

I fear we are against time here. This realm’s stability is beyond repair. The least we can do is give these poor souls the mercy they deserve. Lux said with a soft sigh. Din laughed.

Ahahaha! You think even alicorns deserve mercy?? Regardless of how they treated us, they are no better than the mortals they deemed themselves to rule over. Din chuckled. I arched a brow.

‘Treated?’ I began. My mind raced back to our fight with the alicron. Din’s reaction stuck out and I looked at her. Din rose a brow.

If you really want to know, here is neither the time or place. I’m more focused on the Prisma Nexus. She said casually. I narrowed my eyes, seeing a small glint in her eye.

‘What are you planning?’ I asked her. Din grinned and brought her hoof back, smacking me hard across the cheek. This caused me to turn my head and blink, gasping in shock as I nearly walked off the edge of the street. Cloudchaser and Flitter grabbed me and hauled me back. I stumbled backwards and blinked once more in confusion.

“Wha?” I said. Thi and Scribble cantered over to me.

“The street isn’t paved, you know.” Thi said sternly. I looked back down the street. I must have been conversing deeper than I thought. We somehow were standing in the open street that was separated into floating chunks and buildings towering over us in no particular direction. Sonata stepped over a gap and made her way over to us.

“How did…?” I scratched my head.

“Need I remind you that I am not here to foal sit.” Sonata said coldly. “Come. We are nearly there.” Thi wanted to retort but showed some self-control in the matter. She looked at me worriedly.

“You alright?” She asked me. I slowly nodded.

“Yeah… Just a bad feeling over taking me.” I replied, smiling a little. “I’ll be alright.” We proceeded to follow Sonata, hopping over gaps in the street and even across some fallen bits of buildings. It seems we had ended up in the epicenter of a natural accident. As we continued to explore the abandoned and destroyed buildings, (any data vats we came across were either broken, malfunctioned or lacking anything of note) it began to dawn on us how much this civilization has fallen.

Our eyes set towards the castle. The massive structure a wall to the other areas that were cut off to us. We spent three hours wandering and sifting through papers, personal belongings and kiosks. But nothing came close to the morbid curiosity of the alicorn statues. Flitter had shrieked when she came across what looked to be a foal like alicorn petrified and holding onto two other alicorns staring up at the sky.

The more we looked, the more we could see that the poses the alicorns were petrified in were varying. Terror, confusion, panic, remorse, guilt ridden and even acceptance frozen on their faces. Sonata stopped in front of a family of four and studied them. She suddenly fell to her haunches and carefully brushed her hoof against the stallion statue.

“What happened here…?” Cloudchaser began, tapping at a statue that was sitting on a bench like furniture. “Did somepony make these?”

“Becareful. Those creatures came out of these things. If anything, we may have stumbled into a nest.” Thi said before turning to Sonata. “We can’t stay here.” Sonata said nothing. Eventually, she spoke up right as Thi was about to tap on her shoulder.

“There was beauty in this kingdom. Its’ people matching it in kind. Most of our craft was research, but that didn’t stop others from being… normal in mortal terms.” She said, brushing her hoof softly against the mare statue now. “Foals playing in the streets. Pleasant conversations and debates to be had almost everywhere. Many projects on display for all to see.” She looked up towards the castle. “Our king was ever kind. Intelligent and perceptive, he led our tribe against many failed horrors with such efficiency that even the other tribes grew jealous. Our queen, graceful. Perfection. Flawless in beauty. Yet as much an equal to the king. Her’s was brave, protective. Motherly. Their heirs attributing to their genes far more than expected projections.

“If I recall, the king and queen only had two children who were… vastly different.” Sonata closed her eyes, recollecting her memories. “They shared a more adventurous side. Spending time with mortals as seekers of their way of understanding. Their insight has proven valuable into our ever-seeking growth towards her love. But…” Sonata sighed and opened her eyes. “I’ve hardly had time to see them. They would spend time in the mortal realm far from normal schedules.” Thi hummed.

“Sounds to me like you actually had friends. That’s… shocking.” She said simply. Sonata put a hoof to her chest.

“Perhaps. Tis a long time ago…” She replied. Thi looked taken aback. As Sonata stood up and motioned for us to keep going, Thi leaned in and whispered to me.

“I’ve never, EVER, seen this side of Sonata. I swear, she’s making me think she actually has feelings.” She rasped. I leaned in and whispered back.

“She hadn’t before?” I asked, genuinely curious and now completely invested into Sonata’s exploration. Scribble leaned in and whispered with us.

“What can we expect from an alicorn we have hardly even met? Save for Thi, I get the impression she genuinely has a superiority complex against mortals. Let’s just keep an eye on her and see how she’ll react.” He said. We all nodded and kept up with her, but keeping ourselves at relative distance to watch her. Sonata did spend some time studying the statues we passed. She showed sadness to the ones that were destroyed, curious to the familial ones and seemingly silently mourning a group of other alicorns. The more we progressed, the more I began to wonder just how many ponies did Sonata know before being sent down to the mortal realm? After traversing more gaps and heading through stores and buildings, (the stores seemed to have been untouched but unfortunately, the interesting looking contraptions and foods were locked behind some glass that Sonata had noted could only be accessed via the valid id holder) Sonata confirmed that the security systems to prevent theft were active and thus told us to not touch anything.

Not wanting to test the patience or anything else, we continued on. Three hours have passed. It was hard to tell exactly what time as the sky remained distorted and the sun has not moved. Flitter tapped her chin, floating casually over to Sonata.

"Aren't your troops and Lilac going to worry at how long you've been gone?" She asked her. Sonata glanced at her before speaking.

"As their queen, voice and higher command, they are trained to not rely on me. My regiment requires all militants to enact independency upon my authorized orders. I would relay orders to my top generals, and they will relay them to the field troops." She explained. Thi snorted.

"A lotta good that did with you being in stasis. Don't even try to lie that isn't what you wanted. Why were you even in stasis to begin with?" She said.

"Infection of the Kalenite miasma. Freezing the affliction would kill it out right. However... it took longer than I had anticipated. As for your other retort, the 'invasion' was indeed approved by me and authorized by me. I had no time for pointless meetings or otherwise as I was on the cusp of something far more valuable." She explained. Thi growled but I nudged her slightly and she gave me a flustered but defeated look. I only returned it with a reassuring smile and that caused her to relax a little.

“So, is it a top secret valuable or something unrelated?” Cloudchaser asked.

“Need I remind you that you are in the presence of an enemy. A ruler of the conflicting nation at that.” Sonata replied. “That being said, the information is far more valuable that even mortals could not comprehend. If you stay alive long enough, I might be able to tell you what I know. For now, we are here.” We all stopped and looked up.

This building was nothing like the others. This one was a flat building that looked to be uncomfortable to even move around in. The space has to be small. It towered twelve stories tall, had what looked to be randomly questionable archways with walkways underneath or above them connecting to a singular wall with windows. On the other side of the wall, the building began to curve, giving the building the defined characteristic of it being flat that no pony should be able to fit into.

“What…?” Flitter began.

“ Astrologias Hubble Akedymer. The main designation where any dangerous research and our brilliant minds are stationed.” Sonata said. “Here is where we’ll be stationed as well.” Sonata walked over to the field of grass in the courtyard and withdrew a stake device. She impaled the ground and the device began to spring upward and separate itself. It soon became a pole that began to slowly spin a strange arm with a blipping device around itself. Sonata withdrew another device and began to mess with the keys and knobs.

“What is that?” The ever-curious Flitter asked. Sonata frowned, clearly annoyed with the curiosity.

“You only need to know that we are moving encampments.” Sonata replied, turning the knob as the device emitted a static sonar sound. She held the device towards the building and softly waved it back and forth. Satisfied with whatever she was doing, she pocketed the device into her coat and motioned with her head. “Secure the perimeter. We must save our resources for entering the Astrologias.” She spun on her hooves and began to walk toward a set of stairs off to the side into the next courtyard, leaving us to exchange glances and deciding to do as we were told.

Flitter joined me while Cloudchaser and Scribble proceeded to go in the opposite direction, leaving Thi to solo scout the area. We headed back up the street and began to circle what we felt was a good point of the perimeter. As we carefully maneuvered over and around gaps, I couldn’t help but notice Flitter rubbing her side.

“You okay?” I asked suddenly. Flitter gave me a reassuring smile.

“Still a bit sore. I chugged a crate full of that healing brew.” She chuckled. I gave a soft chuckle at her joke, but I still felt worried.

“Are there… you know… still side effects?” I asked. Flitter hummed and tapped her chin.

“I… don’t honestly know. The voices stopped… which is good. But I still feel… like I’m not entirely myself. I feel alienated in my own body.” She sighed and smiled. “I did want to talk to you though. Thank you for saving me. I know I haven’t been able to keep up with everypony so much, but I’m not sure field work is for me.” She giggled. “It is fun to go on adventures with my sister and friends though. It’s not everyday we do that, what with Wonderbolt training.” I gave her a small smile.

“I’m just glad we found a solution. I… honestly did not know how to fix it.” I said pathetically. Flitter ruffled my mane playfully.

“Don’t think too hard about it. I’m alive and kicking! And, I’ve been wanting to test out a new modification to my bow.” She unslung her bow and showed me it. The design looked high tech on the surface, but mostly resembling a compact bow. “I sweet talked a couple of ponies on our journey and managed to get a few things out of it. They were nice enough to let me test out a feature.” I gave her a worried look.

“Are you sure you want to be trusting Triad with modifications?” I asked. Flitter nodded.

“It’s their creation. And considering that they knew how it worked, it only seemed logical.” She rubbed her foreleg softly, looking a bit sad. “I know. We are enemies but… that doesn’t stop them from being genuine good ponies.” I shook my head.

“Thi might still be trying to come to terms with that, but I believe you.” I grinned. Flitter looked at me curiously.

“I heard from Cloudchaser that Thi made a huge mistake. How is she?” She asked. I rubbed the back of my neck.

“She seems to be taking it in a positive stride, despite old habits dying hard. I…” I trailed off. I couldn’t complete my thoughts as we have arrived at a massive hole in the ground. It was like the whole center caved in on itself. Flitter peeked down the swirling clouds, looking concerned.

“You don’t think…” She began before gasping. She backed off, knocking an arrow as several hawk-like creatures with long devil like tails flew upward and squawked at us. I called upon my staff and got into my stance. Din cackled.

Good, I was getting bored! She grinned, smacking her hooves. The creatures screamed and began to crackle with electricity. Flitter and I yelped and dove out of the way as lightning cut across the ground. Flitter fired off arrow after arrow, pelting the birds in their chests. This seemed to have some effect, but when one of the birds decided to catch two arrows in their electric field, it then chucked them back, Flitter yelping as she avoided them. Din cackled and I took off into the air, three more birds following after me. Flitter flanked me in an effort to distract at least one of the birds but it seemed that two more flew up from the clouds and began to direct her away from me. I spun around and quickly struck a bird in the face, sending it spiraling away. Din proceeded to have me flip and twirl to avoid the lightning from the remaining birds, managing to kite them and with one good strike, hit one and dragged it into the other, sending them downward into the clouds. Before I could recover from the action, I felt a sharp pain jolt through my body, causing me to scream in pain. The sudden pain made Din and I both angry and we looked towards several more birds. Where were they coming from??

Flourishing my staff and turning it into the halberd, Din had me charge at the birds, colliding with one in an impale and using the momentum to buck two more away from me. I flipped in the air and chucked the impaled bird off my halberd and into two more that appeared. I looked around for any sign of Flitter. I managed to spy her deftly maneuvering around the birds, knocking arrows and firing them through their lightning before having to be dragged by Din to avoid more lightning.

Hahahaha! These are filly's play! Almost makes me want to test myself against that Thunder Bird! Din cackled. I swiftly twisted my body, spiraling through the crack of lightning from the birds and flipping around them. A thought occurred to me.

'Thunder Bird... In that case.' I felt a warmth course through me and Din licked her lips. 'How about a little bit of fire with it.' I waved my hooves in front of me, a trail of flame wisping around me before I brought them together, concentrating the power together before crushing it and letting the flames erupt around me. I then threw out my hooves, releasing the power and disintegrating the birds around me. Finally getting myself some breathing room, I brought up my halberd at the ready, seeing several more take their place. The birds gathered their lightning and shot them in a volley of bolts. Din and I synced our motion, spinning and flourishing our halberd and catching the lightning at the head. I held the halberd upward and released the lightning, causing the birds to stop in their advance and screech at me. Din laughed maniacally and used her magic to alter the lightning, turning it from a bright white to a burning red. I then aimed the halberd and released the lightning again, striking the birds and setting them ablaze with sparks flying.

The birds fell into the clouds in balls of raging fire. I readied myself as five more ascended from the clouds. I paused, my eyes widening as I saw Flitter on the back of the leading one. She had dug an arrow into the back of it and held on. The other birds didn't seem to care about their comrade and were trying to strike them with lightning.

"Hold on, Flitter!" I called out, kicking off the air and rocketing towards them. I was about to swoop in and grab Flitter, but at the last moment, the bird she was one dipped and I missed. This caused two birds to break off and attack me. I batted at them with the halberd, unable to get a solid hit on them. Suddenly, I heard a loud thwap thwap and the birds screeched before spiraling down into the clouds. I looked over in confusion, seeing Flitter riding on the back of the bird with an arrow knocked. The lightning bird still had an arrow stuck into it, but it seems Flitter managed to tame it. My jaw dropped as three more zipped out of the clouds and Flitter quickly pulled on the arrow, causing her bird to maneuver around to avoid the birds. I couldn't help but have a smile creep on my face, watching the Wonderbolt zip in and out of lightning bolts.

The pegasus mare did something incredible that made me cheer. She let herself fall from the bird during a maneuver, having knocked two arrows and released them, pelting the chasing birds in the chest. She landed back on her bird and pulled out another arrow, stabbing it hard into her bird and kicking off of it. She soared away a good distance and swiped her bow’s shaft. I shielded my eyes as a bright explosion erupted, flaying the other birds it flew into. Flitter underestimated the radius and was knocked off course.

I quickly soared over and caught her. Being cautious, I flew back onto solid ground and helped steady Flitter. She took a moment to catch her breath and smiled at me.

“Thanks.” She said. We looked towards the opening. We anticipated more birds to fly out and attack us, but when none showed, we let out a relieved sigh.

“Flitter… that was incredible!” I said excitedly. Flitter blinked in confusion.

“Heh?” She responded. I nodded.

“I knew you were good at archery, but the way you maneuvered a lightning bird was nothing short of something I would have done!” I beamed before giving her a worried look. “Oh, Celestia, I hope I didn’t rub off on you.” Flitter giggled and playfully punched my foreleg.

“Probably. You should have seen us take on The Visar back in Roam.” She grinned. We found ourselves walking away, keeping far away from the hole while I gushed about her skills, much to her embarrassment. Flitter has gone through a lot and she is a lot tougher than I thought she was. I can see how Cloudchaser sees her as a pillar of strength.

We headed back to the Astrologias, having carefully avoided the petrified alicorn statues along the way. As we were about to descend the steps, I looked across the courtyard and saw Thi confronting Sonata. My look turned into worry. Flitter must have thought the same. We picked up our pace into a canter as we made our way back. Sonata glanced at us, causing Thi to look over her shoulder. Thi smiled and waved.

“Everything worked out?” She asked casually. Flitter and I exchanged glances before telling them what we came across. Sonata rubbed her chin in thought when we were done relaying.

“Subject series ELC-4539. Thunder Birds as you mortal calls them. You must have disturbed a nest to exhibit so many.” She explained. Thi balked.

“Thunder Birds?! Plural?!” She exclaimed, looking at us. I smiled and waved a hoof dismissively.

“Nothing like Rita. They were big but not ginormous. Yet, I can’t help but wonder what is beneath the clouds.” I replied. Sonata looked past us and we turned to see Cloudchaser and Scribble coming back, covered in crimson. They didn’t look too pleased with the state they were in.

“What happened?!” I asked in a slight panic. Scribble looked himself over while Cloudchaser tried to flick off the liquid.

“One of those creatures blew up on us when we walked past it.” Scribble spoke. Sonata pushed past us and withdrew the device. She waved the blipping device over them and looked at the screen.

“Interesting. Be it as it may, that blood is not yours to wear.” She said, her horn glowing. The two glowed and in a loud pop and flash of blue light, Cloudchaser and Scribble were completely cleaned. “As a precaution, it is best to avoid them for the time being. Who knows what diseases may have broken free from our labs.” She then spun on her hooves and trotted towards the building, leaving us panicking a little. “Come. We will find what we need in the Astrologias.”

We all looked up at the flat building. The more we explore this civilization, at least a minor part of it, the more I began to get a headache. I hate to say that I’m glad we have somepony who originates here. Goddesses knows how long we would be here by ourselves.