Rampart

by Elias Harrow

Rating: teen
Tags: Starlight Glimmer, Profanity, Violence, Twilight Sparkle, Main 6, Applejack, Discord, Gore, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Death, Romance, Thriller
Length: 7582

As her world is turned upside down, Twilight strives to protect everything she holds dear.

After coming back from the brink of oblivion, Twilight Sparkle awakens to the Friendship Map in ruins and to word of an assassin on the prowl. Haunted by dark visions, Twilight's perception of the world she thought she knew and her place in it is called into question, and enemies old and new seek to destroy everything she holds dear.

But how far is she willing to go to protect all she cares about?

Published 2023-11-08 22:20:00 UTC
Last updated 2023-11-08 22:20:00 UTC

Disaster's Looming Shadow

The halls of Twilight's castle echoed with the sound of fury.

Beyond the double doors to the Friendship Map roared overlapping eruptions of explosive magical energy. Under all these eruptions, a wall of sound that grew louder and louder. All this accompanied by smashing and cracking debris, different parts of the room being demolished at random.

A final eruption of energy broke open the double doors. A cloud of dust poured into the hallway.

Twilight Sparkle stumbled from the room, blood running down her face, her body marred by slashes. She wobbled, collapsed, and then pulled herself upright in a sitting position.

It was not over.

Twilight felt something burning in her chest. Looking down, she noticed cracks forming, shining through a pattern of red and white light. The cracks grew from her chest, claiming more territory. Seeing her raised hooves being etched with the burning pattern, Twilight's rapid breathing gave way to cries of pain. Soon, the pattern consumed her entirely.

Clutching her head, she howled in agony as white light burned from her mouth and eyes.

More screams followed, layered and distorted.

Then the light, the glowing pattern across her body, died down. Twilight collapsed to the floor.

And the darkness claimed her.

*** *** ***

The sun crossed down the horizon – at the behest of its master, the alicorn Princess Celestia, who sat idly upon a high balcony at Canterlot Castle, overlooking the valley beyond. Yet, while staring out yonder, she paid little mind to the vista boring into her eyes. Her focus was inward – on the thousand thoughts that churned in her mind, on the uneasiness she felt in her gut.

Someone approached her from behind, announcing themselves with a word: “Sister?”

Princess Luna. Celestia did not bother to look at her, continuing to stare out into the distance. “She has not awakened for some time.”

“Have faith, sister. Twilight will overcome as she has before.”

Celestia did not respond. All that could be heard was the whistling of the wind and the rumbling of thunder.

Moments of Twilight’s life flashed before Celestia’s eyes. She remembered Twilight as a filly, attending her School for Gifted Unicorns, showing Celestia with utter excitement her progress with levitation magic, taking all the books from the shelves and uniting them all in an intricate, airborne dance.

She remembered witnessing her student and the five friends she made bond together with the Elements of Harmony, unleashing its rainbow magic upon Nightmare Moon, who would have cast Equestria in eternal darkness, and bringing back her sister, Luna.

She remembered her manifesting as an alicorn one starry night in Ponyville. She remembered the day she defeated Tirek, where her castle sprung from the ground, and she took on the mantle of Princess of Friendship.

She then saw a vision of the future: Twilight, wearing Celestia’s crown, standing upon a balcony before all the citizens of Canterlot; the very sight of her ushering in jubilation as she raised the shimmering sun upon the ornate city.

Another vision intruded upon this hopeful image: Twilight's body lying lifeless, her flesh rapidly decaying till there was nothing but bone, till there was nothing but dust. The halls of Twilight's castle, the interior of her old Canterlot residence, the very academy library where Twilight put on that levitation display as a child. All these places empty, cold, still. The image of Twilight's face, eyes full of hope and wonder, fading away – until nothing but darkness remained.

After snapping out of her thoughts, Celestia finally spoke, “We have yet to find those responsible for bringing her harm, which makes her all the more vulnerable.”

“My agents are scouring every lead. We will find the villains.”

Celestia turned her head, making eye contact with Luna. “Do you believe it is somehow connected to the troubles with the East?”

“We shall find out the truth of the matter soon enough.”

*** *** ***

Darkness. For all she could remember, this was her existence.

An eternity to suffocate under the waves, trying to breach the surface only to be pushed down again. This repeated motion along with her thoughts being trapped in an infinite loop of reciting equations without sense.

But then, all had become still, and her mind broke out of its loop. With a new sense of self-awareness, she could feel like there was something else that occurred in this purgatory. A lot of somethings.

Flipping through the ‘pages’ of her mind, she was only greeted by a tome’s worth of smudged text in a language she could not understand. Though, she felt like she could implicitly understand it – just barely.

But she remembered the agony.

For a lifetime, she had felt her mind being continuously set ablaze, shattered into a thousand pieces, only to be re-assembled and have the process start over again, ultimately reduced to a babbling state of senseless mental loops.

She listened for more to come back to her.

And then she heard the screaming.

An image flashed before her. Countless victims doused in fire, crying out in bloodcurdling unison.

Then it was gone.

A name. Did she have a name? Eventually, she managed to piece it together:

Twilight Sparkle.

It felt strange for her to recite it again. An identity that seemed to have lost its meaning eons ago.

The darkness gave way to shapes, color, and light. She stood in a crater, with mounds of raised terrain and debris scattered about, surrounded by forest and mountains, all overseen by a burning sky. A massive, bearded centaur stood before her: Tirek.

“It appears we are at an impasse,” he said. “How about a trade, Princess Twilight?”

He snapped his fingers, summoning forth bubbles above him. Trapped within each, two earth ponies, two pegasi, a draconequus, a dragon, and a unicorn. Twilight’s eyes widened in recognition.

Discord. Rainbow Dash. Pinkie Pie. Fluttershy. Rarity. Spike.

Applejack.

“Their release – for all the alicorn magic in Equestria!”

The sight of them at his mercy brought forth a terror that gripped Twilight’s soul. Her heart, violently thumping in her chest, sending tremors through her body, commanded her to act: run, fight, do something! Her panic-infused mind clawed for answers, reaching for all things yet producing nothing.

What do I do? What do I do?!

She despised feeling so helpless. She wished she could just dispense with this bargain and simply crush Tirek; no negotiation, no dancing to his tune; she would bring death to him and release her friends. If only she had enough strength to see it done; the battle with him was arduous and only led to a stalemate, bringing them to this situation now.

“So, what’s it going to be, Princess?”

Twilight looked at him with scorn. Tirek’s smug smile turned into a grim sneer. He raised his hand and squeezed on an invisible ball. With that, the bubbles containing her friends grew smaller and smaller, giving way to screams.

Twilight wanted to move, but her legs wouldn’t obey. Twilight wanted to shout, but no words came forth.

Please! Please don’t hurt them!

Before giving it another thought, a revelation came to her: this had already happened, yet this is not how it played out. Tirek was defeated. Her friends are okay. Everything is okay.

With that, all the world ground to a halt. All became fog and fume.

Weary of being trapped in this world, staring at nothing but this recreation of the past carved into the fog, Twilight became a thrall to longing.

My friends.

I would like to see them. One last time.

The fog image lost all its detail as she felt herself propelled forward, being gradually angled upwards. A light, shining through a tear in the fabric of reality, rapidly drew closer, until it consumed her entire world.

Twilight, wake up.

*** *** ***

She resurfaced, and at first the world came to her with a blurry visage, but eventually the details of what she saw before her came into focus.

Twilight found herself tucked in a bed, dressed in a hospital gown. She recognized the swirl-etched teal walls and the green ceiling; she was in a room at Ponyville Hospital.

“Twilight?”

Twilight turned to the source of the sound coming from beside her bed. There, sitting atop a chair, beside an altar of flowers and get-well cards and balloons, she saw her little brother.

“—Spike?” she croaked. The very act of speaking that single word felt like rubbing sandpaper along her throat. Before she knew it, Spike leapt off his chair and clasped her in a hug.

“You’re okay!”

“What—”. Twilight coughed. Spike pulled away and presented her with a glass of water. She grabbed it with her telekinesis, took a few gulps, set it down, and tried again. “—What happened?”

"You mean you don't know?"

Twilight looked at him expectantly.

"Twilight," Spike began. "Someone tried to kill you."

Twilight's heartbeat quickened. "What?! Who would do this? Why?"

"They haven't caught who did it yet. But I remember you told me about somepony who wasn't very happy the last time you saw her."

The name of the pony Spike alluded to came to her.

It was only a matter of time before she came back for revenge.

"Starlight Glimmer," Twilight said, announcing her conclusion.

"Yeah, I bet she's behind this," Spike said. "You were attacked with some pretty nasty magic. That has Starlight written all over it. You were put under some kind of horrible spell and you wouldn't wake up, so Discord got you to the hospital."

"Discord, huh?"

"Yeah, Discord and Princess Celestia tried to help, but there wasn't much they could do."

"But if they couldn't help.... What? You're telling me I just happened to get better on my own?"

"Not exactly. You're better off asking Princess Celestia about it, but I remember she said something about the Tree of Harmony helping you somehow. But even then, nobody was sure you were going to make it."

Twilight became silent for a moment. If what she just heard was correct, then she definitely did not hope for another encounter with her would-be assassin.

As if he read her mind, Spike said, "You should see Ponyville now. There's guards everywhere. There's even two outside the room right now. And Princess Celestia's got ponies trying to find whoever attacked you. They even got an eye out for Starlight Glimmer. So, I don't think you'll have to worry about them getting to you again."

Twilight nodded her head in acknowledgment. “How long was I out?”

“About two weeks.”

Ah, there's another shock to the system.

*** *** ***

Twilight underwent all kinds of tests. Magical. Physical. Mental. Shortly after she woke up, Doctor Horse, accompanied by a royal conjurer, entered the room -- whereupon she was scanned for anything out of the ordinary. When she got the all clear for magical anomalies, she was asked routine questions about her medical history, and then was shuttled around from room to room for her remaining tests under the oversight of Nurse Redheart. At first, she was taken around in a wheelchair -- until she demonstrated she could walk without much difficulty. There were checks for blood pressure, heart rate, breathing, reflexes. A cognitive assessment. A psychological evaluation.

After a few hours of this, Twilight found herself in a sterile white room. She sat at a table, resting one foreleg completely on the table and using the other to support her head. Nurse Redheart, sitting opposite her, stood up. Her smile contrasted with Twilight’s tired, disinterested expression.

“Perfect! That’ll do it for this examination. We’ll get back to you with your results shortly.”

After she left the room, Twilight shifted her supporting foreleg to completely rest on the table and proceeded to bury her head in them.

Beyond the glass window outstretched on one of the room's walls, Doctor Horse observed Twilight Sparkle. Nurse Redheart entered the observation room.

Doctor Horse spoke, “Summary report?”

“Patient’s motor skills appear to be in good condition. She doesn’t seem to have any issues using magic. Her comprehension and problem-solving skills, all good. She shows no sign of mental instability. She can recall a wide range of life events and readily displays knowledge of her wider surroundings. Only concern is that she exhibits memory loss for more recent events; she’s unable to give details about the days leading up to the incident. Apart from that, I’d say she’s mentally competent and healthy.”

“I see.”

After a few moments, Twilight found Doctor Horse entering the interrogation room she had been trapped in. The sudden opening of the door caused Twilight to shoot up in attention.

“Well, usually ponies coming out of a coma are more confused or need to learn how to walk again,” Doctor Horse announced, “but thankfully, you seem to be fine as far as we can tell. You are cleared for discharge.”

“Thank you, Doctor,” Twilight said, a smile finally gracing her face.

*** *** ***

As Twilight and Spike sauntered through the halls to exit the hospital, a duo of royal guards shadowed their every step. It had been like this for the past few hours. Whenever Twilight had been shuttled to another room, those guards would follow.

As they approached the exit, Twilight looked to Spike. “I can’t remember the week before I passed out. Mind filling me in?”

“Can’t help you there. I was in Canterlot.”

“Oh? And what were you doing in Canterlot—” Twilight stopped, grimaced, and placed a hoof on her head.

“Twilight?”

“—Mom, Dad, Shining Armor, Cadence. That’s why you were there.”

“Yeah, that’s exactly it.”

“Wonder why I didn’t come with you.” After a brief pause, Twilight continued walking. “Well, something for the to-do list.”

“’To-do list.’” Spike massaged his right palm. “I’m not sure I like the sound of that.”

They exited the hospital’s front doors, entering back into the world. Outside, they found two more royal guards standing watch.

Above her, clouds covered the sky, with some sunshine slipping through whatever small gap it could. The ground was damp. All tell-tale signs that the Weather Service had recently ushered in a rainstorm.

With the passing of the rainstorm came cool gusts of light air that soothed Twilight as it passed through her. She took a deep breath, savoring the smells of the summertime flora.

The thought she had before she awoke came back to her.

My friends. I want to see them.

She turned to Spike. “Know what the girls are up to today?”

He thought about it for a moment. “Don’t know. Probably the daily grind, I guess. Applejack came with me to see you this morning, but she left before you woke up.” He looked up to the sky. “You can take a wild guess what Rainbow Dash has been doing.”

“Alright, let’s head into town. Maybe we’ll bump into them along the way.”

As they began to walk, Spike looked to the two armored-clad stallions that followed them outside. “I sure hope so. These two aren’t exactly the life of the party.”

Twilight shot him a side-eyed glare. “Spike.”

Spike came to a halt, shrugging his shoulders. “What?”

After sensing the accompanying guards were about to pass by him, Spike rushed to catch up with his sister.

*** *** ***

“How much do I owe you?”

Applejack shook her head. “W-what?”

Applejack, dressed in an apron, stood beside her cart among a plethora of vendors and customers gathered on the street. Royal guards were visible among the crowd, some had their patrol taking them through the marketplace, some flew above it, and others made their way into other parts of Ponyville.

Throughout the past two weeks, Applejack occasionally spotted unicorns among the patrols going about the town to cast an enchantment here and there. These days, it was difficult to find a street corner that wasn't under the watchful eyes of the Royal Guard.

Above, a pocket of clear skies stretched across the marketplace, sparing the vendors and customers from the scheduled rainstorm that the Weather Service ushered upon the rest of Ponyville sometime before.

Before Applejack stood Matilda with a pouch full of apples.

“—The apples,” Matilda said with a look of concern etched on her face. “How much for them?”

“Oh, sorry. That’ll be four bits.”

“No worries.” Matilda supplied the bits and turned to walk away. “You take care now.”

“You too.”

Matilda hauled off the last of the supply Applejack had brought into town.

Applejack felt abashed at the exchange. Moreso that it kept happening; this wasn’t the first time she spaced out. She knew that, despite what happened, life had to go on. But it didn’t make it any easier. Whatever she tried to do, be it working on the farm or spending time with her friends, she lost focus.

Gnawing dread led to nights of tossing and turning in bed. And from those sleepless nights, she would get up and walk, her legs bringing her across Ponyville to the hospital, driven mad by the constant itch of needing to know Twilight’s current condition.

She made it a part of her daily ritual to visit her hospital room before her responsibilities called her away, filled with the hope that she would arrive to see her conscious, and every time to have that hope dashed. Today, she had gone with Spike, only to find no change once again before she left.

Over these past weeks, a voice – at first whispering in the darkest reaches of her mind – grew in prominence, a voice that said to her that Twilight would never wake up.

It was then Applejack noticed a change in the ponies around her. A new wave of chatter washed over the street, and heads peered toward a singular direction. Applejack turned to see what the ruckus was about.

She couldn’t believe it.

There Twilight was, with Spike riding upon her back and two royal guards in tow, waltzing through Ponyville.

Rainbow Dash swooped down in front of Twilight. “Hah! Look who decided to come back from the dead.”

Twilight laughed. “It’s nice to see you too, Rainbow.”

“Stay right there. I gotta tell the others. Try not to pass out while I’m gone.” And with a rainbow streak through the air, she was out of sight.

Twilight shook her head in amusement.

Applejack stepped towards her. “–Twilight?”

Twilight turned to her, and once her eyes registered Applejack, her smile widened.

Seeing her again, Applejack felt all the tension, the aches, the knots throughout her body fizzle away. She breathed out, and for the first time in the past two weeks, she felt steady.

“—Ah’m – glad you’re back with us.”

“It’s been too long. It’s good to see you again, Applejack,” Twilight said.

Neither mustered any more words. They just stood there, gazing upon each other, content with the silence.

Spike, on the other hand, looked between them with confusion. He waved his claws in front of Twilight’s face.

Twilight's eyes shifted focus to Spike's claws. She guided them out of the way with her hoof. "Hey, cut it out."

Pinkie Pie’s voice called from a distance, “Twilight!”

Twilight turned to see Pinkie Pie and Rarity dashing toward her. Before she knew it, she was pulled into a hug with them, causing Spike to topple off her back.

“Woah!” Spike cried out before slamming into the ground.

“You okay there, Spike?” Applejack asked.

Spike got up and dusted himself off. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

Just as Twilight was released from the hug from Rarity and Pinkie, she found herself once again pulled into an embrace with Fluttershy. "Oh, thank goodness! You're really here! Y–You're really back. –I–I thought– you'd–." Tears flowed from Fluttershy's eyes, and she sobbed lightly into Twilight's shoulder.

“Hey, it’s okay. I’m okay,” Twilight cooed.

A few seconds passed and Twilight pulled away from Fluttershy. For a moment, Fluttershy's gaze was directed to the ground as she regained her composure. She sniffled and her breathing steadied. Then she looked up at Twilight and gave her a smile.

Twilight took a step back and noticed that Rainbow Dash had been standing right there by Fluttershy. She looked to each of her friends, having a hard time minimizing the width of her smile.

She cleared her throat. “So –" Twilight gave a mirthful chuckle "– what have you all been up to these past weeks? Has the Map called to any of you while I was away?”

Upon asking that question, her friends all looked at each other with concern. Registering these uneasy faces, Twilight felt her own smile gradually fade away.

Rainbow Dash rubbed the back of her head. “—Yeah – about that. Did Spike tell you yet?”

Twilight and Spike glanced at each other, Twilight looking at him with a bemused expression.

She felt a tinge of annoyance that Spike was keeping something from her, but at the same time, she understood why. He had already been the bearer of bad news before; he probably wasn't keen on taking on that role again so soon.

She turned back to Rainbow Dash. “Tell me what exactly?”

*** *** ***

Destruction had claimed it.

Within the central room of Twilight’s castle, what was left of the Friendship Map, divided in two, had collapsed in on itself, encircled by thrones torn asunder. Scorch marks tainted the surfaces of the room. Drained of its color, the castle was a dead husk. The shadows held sovereign sway over its halls.

Before the ruin of her regal purpose, Twilight could muster no words. She simply stood there.

Fluttershy was the first to speak, “Twilight?”

Twilight took a few steps forward and caressed the Map’s shattered form. She slumped to the ground. Silence filled the room as she sat there. Then, at last, Twilight spoke.

“All this…. I don’t know what to do.”

Applejack approached her and placed a hoof on her shoulder.

Twilight held onto Applejack’s hoof. She looked up at her and gazed into her eyes. Twilight then turned her attention elsewhere, gazing out into the distance for a moment. A new expression appeared on her face, one of determination.

“You know what?” Twilight stood up and turned to face her friends. “We’ll get through this. Like we always have. I’m not sure how. There’s a lot of things I don’t know.” She looked to each of her friends as she spoke. “But one thing I know, more than anything, is the thought of all of you, how much I’ve missed seeing you, is what gave me the strength to come back. I don’t know what tomorrow will bring, but I want to let tonight be just for us.”

She smiled at them, and they smiled back in kind.

*** *** ***

Twilight and Spike stood inside Sugarcube Corner, right by the front entrance.

“I’d love to stay longer, but I’m beat. I think I’m going to just head home,” Spike said.

“Okay. Have a good night, Spike.”

“You too.” Spike left the building.

Twilight soon walked out to the top of the front steps, looking to the two guards standing watch. “Good sirs, see to it that he returns home safely.”

They nodded and proceeded to follow Spike down the street.

Twilight turned back inside and made her way to the upper level of the establishment. There, she saw her friends enjoying a party Pinkie had prepared for when Twilight woke up. Pinkie, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash were across the room playing Pin the Tail. A gramophone played music in the background.

Twilight felt nostalgic seeing the tables, punch, and games laid out. It felt very similar to a simpler time, when Pinkie Pie threw a birthday party for her pet alligator, Gummy.

She spotted Applejack and Rarity sitting in one corner of the room, speaking with each other. Rarity looked like, whatever she was saying, she was saying it with authority. Applejack, on the other hand, looked apprehensive. They both spoke in hushed tones. As Twilight approached, she could faintly make out their conversation.

“Applejack, really. You never struck me as one who would have trouble speaking their mind.”

“Yeah, well, it wouldn’t be right to spring on her. She just came back from nearly dyin’.”

Rarity was about to make a retort, but her eyes caught Twilight. “Oh, Twilight, darling, there you are. I take it Spike decided to call it a night?”

Twilight took a seat beside her. “I sent an escort with him. I just hope he doesn’t run into any trouble.”

“The Princess has ensured that every inch of Ponyville is under guard. I think he’ll be alright if you leave him unsupervised for an hour or so.”

“I don’t think I’ve done right by him.”

“Whatever do you mean?”

“For as far back as I can remember, I thought of him as my faithful assistant. But that feels sour now.”

“I’m not sure I understand, darling.”

“I can think of times where I’ve been negligent of his safety. I can think of times where I’ve worked him too hard.”

Rarity bowed her head in thought. “We all have our chores to do, something children must be brought up on; it’s good to instill a strong work ethic, but still –” Rarity looked uncomfortable “– I believe I understand what you’re trying to get at.”

“I need to look out for him better. From now on, things are going to be different.”

*** *** ***

As the evening progressed, each of the friends mingled together in different combinations, sometimes pulled together by a game, or joined together in dance.

By this point, Rarity had moved on to speak with Fluttershy. Meanwhile, Pinkie Pie and Dash were playing cards. That left Applejack and Twilight sitting next to each other.

Applejack directed a question at Twilight, “Now, how much do you remember exactly?”

“Well, I feel like I remember my whole life as I should. But there’s always the chance of unknown unknowns. The week before the incident up to the incident itself is the most obvious gap.”

"Well, Ah can't say much 'bout that. Ah doubt anypony could. Nopony saw much of you."

Twilight’s expression grew stern, and her attention turned to the tabletop.

“Has somethin’ come to you?”

“Not really. It’s just. There’s another gap, I think. It’s strange. Even though I can’t recite any details, it seems like there’s something there – but it feels like it shouldn’t be there at all.”

“That so?”

“Maybe it’s nothing. Maybe my mind’s playing a trick on me. Enough about me. I’ve missed about two weeks; what’s been up with you?”

“Well, Ah’m not sure if you’d be interested in hearin’ what Ah’ve been up to. Shoot, Ah don’t think there’d be much to talk about. Been more or less the same song and dance for me.”

“What may seem trite, simple, and in the background for one may be fascinating to another. Give yourself a little credit; you’re more interesting than you think.”

Applejack smiled.

“And I’m sure there’d be a lot to talk about if we try to dig into details that seem simple at first glance. You’d be surprised. How about you lay out one of the days you’ve had, even if what happened seems mundane and boring, and we’ll see where we can go from there?”

Applejack put a hoof to her chin. “Hmmm.”

“Would it help if I said it’s for an academic purpose?”

Applejack chuckled. “If you’re gonna write one of them fancy papers ‘bout farm life or what have you, then you better write it in plain Ponish. Ah once tried to read one of them and gave up ‘cause they were so intent on using big words that I couldn’t understand a single sentence. I mean, nopony talks like that! Just seemed like a bunch of hooey to me.”

“Tell me about it. They often overcomplicate the language because they are saying nonsense and just want to seem more intelligent than they actually are.”

“Heh. Reminds me of when Ah was a filly, when Ah went to Manehattan because Ah wanted to be a ‘sophisticated pony’. More style than substance, Ah’ll tell ya. Ah remember when some dinner guests were confused about me talkin’ about a rooster. Ah was so afraid of lookin’ like a fool, when they were the ones who didn’t know what a rooster was!

"They were so caught up in speakin’ and actin’ fancy, they didn’t know somethin’ children know. Ah reckon none of them would know the difference between their ass and a hole in the ground.”

Twilight laughed. “Yeah, I met my share of pretentious blowhards while living in Canterlot. Also, see what I mean? I say one word – academic – and look where we went off to. Now will you tell me about your day?”

“Oh, alright. If you insist.”

*** *** ***

Twilight wished to turn in for the night, so she wished her friends farewell. Applejack, feeling the same, decided to accompany her. As they stood outside Sugarcube Corner, they waved their final goodbyes to Pinkie and the others, who peered from the upper floor window.

The activity of Ponyville was a shadow of its former self from hours before, seeing that the sun made its journey down the horizon. The sunset cast its glow upon the town. This warm light stood in opposition to the stark shadows becoming ever more dominant. Soon, a starry night will conquer the world.

The two walked along the near-empty town road.

“You sure you’re alright, sugarcube?” Applejack asked.

“—Yes. Why do you ask?”

“Well, it’s just with everythin’ going on, Ah know it’s a lot to take in,” Applejack said. “So, if there’s any way Ah can help you, feel free to ask. Ah’m here for you, Twilight. You know that, right?”

Twilight beamed at her supportive words. “I promise you: I’m fine. But – I appreciate it. If anything, I’ve been getting the feeling that there’s something troubling you.”

Applejack came to a stop. “Well – there’s been something gnawin’ at me for a while now, but Ah’m not sure if it would be right to say. It feels like it would be a little much, especially with all you’re dealin’ with.”

“Come on,” Twilight teased. “You said you’d be there for me. Well, I’m here for you. You can tell me.”

“–Alright, Ah suppose Ah said too much already.” Applejack took a breath, and continued, slow and steady, “While you were out, Ah came to check on you whenever Ah could. Each time, Ah hoped it would be the day you came back to us, and each time, Ah was reminded of all the things Ah wish Ah asked you, the things Ah wish Ah told you. Ah thought you might never come back, and that Ah’d never hear your voice, your laughter, or see you for all that you are ever again. And Ah –”. Applejack stopped, her eyes darted about slightly, trying to find the words for what to say next.

“It’s okay. Take your time.”

“–Ah feel right foolish. You came back and now Ah have the chance to tell you all Ah wish Ah could’ve – but it’s just so hard to say. The thing is – you are dear to me. More than Ah ever realized before. Twilight, Ah—”. Another halt, and just as she was about to speak again:

“I love you.”

Applejack stood stunned, saying nothing. Twilight felt like she was in free fall, that she assumed too much and just made herself look like an idiot, that Applejack was leading up to something else entirely, and that she simply made things awkward between them.

Applejack sighed. “Dammit, Twilight." A smile grew on her face. "Ah was just workin’ up the courage to tell you that.”

Twilight caressed Applejack’s cheek. “Too slow to the punch, I’m afraid.” Applejack held it in place and chuckled.

“Ah love you too.”

Twilight leaned closer to her. Applejack responded in kind, her gaze shifting to Twilight's lips. Closing their eyes, their lips coming closer together, they finally—.

“Oh, isn’t this just adorable!”

Oh, fuck off.

Twilight and Applejack both recoiled and released each other.

That voice.

That condescending voice. Twilight recognized it anywhere. It was the voice that would make a mockery of you if you so much as breathed air.

Following the source, she found him lying on a rooftop eating from a bag of popcorn.

Discord.

Applejack cleared her throat. “Did ya really need to barge into our moment like that?”

“Oh, far be it from me to interrupt your public display of affection, but after going through the slog of watching you two make googly eyes at each other all day up until finally reaching these touching confessions of love.” Discord vanished and reappeared standing beside Twilight. He took on a new appearance, styling a mustache, beret, scarf, a dress shirt, brown overalls, complete with a pair of black boots. “I couldn’t help but come up with a few – directorial notes.”

Twilight rolled her eyes.

“For one thing, your delivery was much too tame; it needs more passion. I was thinking something more like this.” Discord snapped his fingers and a rectangular hole opened in the fabric of reality, displaying the events of a black-and-white movie.

The scene showed Twilight and Applejack wearing ornate dresses, standing face-to-face before the background of a rocky shore, both of them glowing in soft, glamour lighting.

“Oh, Twilight, Ah can’t bear to live my life without you! Ah love you!” the image of Applejack pronounced.

Twilight’s image responded, sounding more Transatlantic than usual, “Oh, Applejack, I wouldn’t trade you for all the books in the world; they’d-only-be-a-close-second. Now, kiss me, my love!”

As the two lovers smacked their faces together, the music swelled in sync with a wave smashing against the rocks behind them.

“Yeah, whatever,” the real Applejack interjected. With that, the magical reel dissipated. “What’s between me and Twi ain’t meant to be entertainin’ for you.”

“What’s that you said? You were watching us all day?” Twilight asked as Discord’s outfit vanished.

“Why, yes. At the insistence of Fluttershy, I might add. And – I suppose – a certain Sun Princess as well.” Discord waved his talons dismissively. “Don’t want to have another nasty run-in now, do we?”

“Did you find out anything – about what happened or who did it?” Twilight asked.

For a moment, Discord’s expression turned grim. He looked as if he wanted to say something but decided against it. “Well, all I can say is whoever struck you did so with powerful dark magic. It was enough to make even me feel light-headed.”

“That much I gathered,” Twilight said.

Discord’s smug smile returned as he slithered upward, suspending himself in the air. “Yes, and I’m sure you can also appreciate your status as remedial Princess. Such a shame about that Map of yours. How will you ever cope?”

“We take solace in each other. We take strength from each other. That hasn’t changed; beneath it all, that’s what it always has been about.”

“Ah, yes. I see that you’re still fully capable of spouting sentimentality about the ‘magic of friendship.’”

“Har har,” Applejack chimed in. “Why are you here, Discord? To dig at me and Twi? ‘Cause we ain’t exactly in the mood.”

Discord teleported behind Twilight and Applejack, scooping them both in his arms. "Oh, is it so hard to believe I simply wanted to check up on my dear friends?"

Applejack raised an eyebrow. "Uh huh. And you just decided that now would be the best time to pop in?"

"No time like the present! After all, life is so precious. Isn’t that right, Twilight?"

"Uh, yeah. Maybe we can catch up another time," Twilight said awkwardly.

"Oh ho! I'll hold you to that!" Discord dropped them and started walking away. "In the meantime, I’ll leave you two to smooch to your hearts’ content. Ta ta!”

“Discord, wait.”

Discord turned to face Twilight.

“Thank you – for looking out for me.”

Discord floated off the ground, wide-eyed, silent for a few moments.

Then he relaxed and smiled. “Anything for a friend.”

In a flash of white light, he was gone.

As the last of the light faded from the sky, Twilight and Applejack continued on their way – while a hooded figure watched them from a distance.

*** *** ***

Among the night-time streets of Manehattan, a discarded newspaper blew in the wind, getting caught on one of the streetlights, allowing any observer to get a glimpse at the front-page headline: “Royal Guard Responsible for Cove Street Massacre”. Slipping off the streetlight, the newspaper once again blew along the road.

A squad of royal guards and local policeponies dashed across the street as residents scattered in all directions. In the distance: raging fires, screams and shouts, shattering glass, the clanging of alarm bells. A blanket of clouds loomed overhead, bringing forth a drizzle upon Manehattan.

Walking along the street: an earth-pony stallion who had a grey coat, grey mane, grey eyes, and a mask for a cutie mark. He wore a bracelet on one of his forelegs and had a satchel slung over his back.

“You’re not welcome in our town!”

Coming to a halt, the grey stallion noticed a confrontation at a nearby intersection. Among a larger crowd, a group of four ponies tossed bricks at a patrol of seven royal guards. One brick missed. Magical shields blocked two others. But the last brick collided with a guard’s helmet, knocking him to the ground.

The crowd scattered. While one guard stayed behind to assist the dazed soldier, the remaining royal guards hounded the brick throwers. One assailant was tackled by a duo of guards while their comrades continued the chase for the rest.

Turning away from the scene, the grey stallion entered a nearby alleyway. The occasional lamppost and the glow seeping from building interiors provided the means of lighting his way. As he went through his route, the stallion intermittently looked over his shoulder. He entered a building and emerged from the other side, making his way through more alleys.

The grey stallion came to an alleyway with no oversight from any windows. At its end were some descending steps leading to a basement door, a light hanging over it. He came to a stop at the stairs and inspected his surroundings, at his level and up at the rooftops. Afterward, the stallion unlocked the door at the bottom of the steps and entered inside.

Moments passed, leaving the alleyway home to little more than the rushing wind and the raindrops that pelleted the earth. Or so it seemed. Soon, a dark figure rappelled from one of the rooftops. Landing upon the ground, wrapped in black gear, was none other than Special Agent Sweetie Drops.

Cautiously, she made her way down the steps and attempted to open the door. With no passage granted, she turned her attention to the lock. After dealing with the lock, all Sweetie Drops found past the threshold was a bright room full of boxes. No stallion in sight.

She stepped outside and gestured to those still looking from the rooftops to come hither. A moment later, two stallions, draped in the same attire as Sweetie, descended from above. One was a unicorn who rappelled down while the other was a pegasus who glided to the ground. Sweetie looked up to the rooftops, sensing the presence of two pegasi mares, overseeing them from above.

As the drizzle turned into a downpour, those on the ground entered the basement. The unicorn stood in the center of the room with Sweetie. The pegasus hugged the wall by the entrance, peering out into the night.

Sweetie gazed at the bare red-brick wall ahead of her. Reaching into her pack, she brought out a bracelet, a plundered duplicate of the one the grey stallion had been wearing. After slipping it on, she dragged her hoof across the wall ahead of her. One spot on the wall reacted to her touch, causing a glowing insignia to emerge. And thus, a section of the wall swung open, revealing a passage.

Sweetie looked back and nodded to the unicorn. She entered the passage with the unicorn in tow, leaving the pegasi to guard their exit.

They went down a hallway built with red brick and proceeded down several flights of stairs. Gradually, the design of the building changed from red brick to grey stone. Going deeper and deeper into the maw, the at-first bright interior gave way to the dark, barely illuminated by torchlight. Soon enough, the space widened: high cavern walls, stalactites, and stalagmites intermixed with stone columns and slabs.

There was the grey stallion again, walking down some wide steps. At the bottom, a light blue earth-pony mare, clad in a black jumpsuit, who had golden eyes and blue streaks in her mane, awaited him.

Sweetie Drops located a spot behind some stalagmites. After motioning for her companion to stay where he was, she left to take position behind the stalagmites.

The grey stallion reached the bottom of the stairs whereupon the mare asked, “Do you have it?”

The grey stallion reached into his satchel and pulled out a spherical object, presenting it to the mare. Its north and southern hemispheres were dark grey with a pattern etched into both. The elevation dropped in the middle of the ball. A blue hue highlighted this exposed middle strip of the object.

“And there’s more where that came from, ready to be shipped out on your order,” the stallion added.

“Excellent.”

The stallion put the object back in his satchel. “Are you sure this will work like you hope? The agent seems – unpredictable.”

“More predictable than you think,” the mare said. “Come. We are expected.”

Ahead of them stood an archway which led to a singular wooden door. The duo moved for the door, but the blue mare stopped in her tracks and looked behind her. She scanned the area behind her and settled on Sweetie Drop’s hiding spot.

The Special Agent ducked down. A moment passed, two, yet the blue mare kept staring, testing Sweetie’s ability to keep her breathing under control.

“Something wrong?” asked the grey stallion.

Saying nothing, the blue mare finally relented and followed him.

After hearing the door swing open and slam shut, Sweetie Drops emerged from her hiding spot and approached the door herself.

Looking through the door’s keyhole, the sight of several cloaked figures sitting at a round stone table at the center of the room presented itself to Sweetie. Though, while an overhead white light shone upon the room’s heart, the features of those present remained obscured. Two other ponies, a mare and a stallion, cloaked in darkness, stood by at the room’s edge, who Sweetie Drops surmised to be the ponies that just entered.

Putting her ear to the door, Sweetie could only make out some of the words. She reached into her pack, in which she pulled out a glass emanating with blue shimmering sparkles. Placing the glass against the door, it held there without any assistance, making Sweetie Drops free to press her ear against it. The words became clearer now.

“—a little more pressure and the public will be ready to go along with the declaration,” said one of the sitting mares.

The voice of a stallion across the table interjected, “Even with public support, an open challenge to the Princesses would be suicide – so long as the prime target lives.”

Another mare’s voice joined in, “I have some agents standing by in Ponyville waiting to perform the deed.”

While Sweetie couldn’t recognize the other voices, this voice was familiar: Mirage, the Lieutenant Governor of East Equestria. From what she saw of her in public, Mirage looked strikingly similar in stature to one Fluer de Lis or Princess Cadence, though Mirage bore wrinkles on her face which betrayed her middle age. She had a light brown coat, a reddish-brown mane, green eyes, and a round mirror for a cutie mark.

Mirage continued, “Which brings me to why they are here. Step forth.”

After listening to some hoofsteps, Sweetie Drops heard something placed on the table, presuming it to be the object she saw earlier.

“What is that?” the stallion from before asked.

“A weapon that will tip the scales in our favor. It’s—” .

Sounds of a struggle and sharp cries of pain echoed from behind Sweetie. She recoiled, ejecting herself from the glass. She looked behind her and saw her companion drop to the ground from around the corner, a pool of blood seeping from his neck. Sweetie Drops scrambled to hide behind a rock formation, adjacent to a stone column near the bottom of the steps.

Stepping out from around the corner: a stallion and a griffon dressed in black. The stallion called out, “We know you’re there — Sweetie Drops.”

The door swung open. Mirage stood there, staring directly at Sweetie. The Special Agent tried to reach for a flash bomb, but a green magical aura acted against her attempts to move.

"Did you think you could hide from me?" Mirage's voice was laden with menace. "I'm afraid you won't get the chance to tell your masters what you've learned here today."

Sweetie Drops was pulled into the room.

And the door slammed shut behind her.