Chapters 'As you are aware, the three tribes of ponykind each have a special connection: the Earth ponies to the ground they till; the pegasi to the skies they fly across; and the unicorns to the great, arcane auras which line matter. There is, however, a fourth tribe, long forgotten, with a connection of their own.'
'Thestrals. I know about thestrals, pops. You married a thestral, I'm a thestral. Or have you forgotten Petunia already?'
Eventide Carol- a bat pony stallion with deep red-violet fur and eyes and a forest green mane in an impossibly vertical coiffure- sat in the dimness of his cellar, listening unsurely to his formerly estranged father's bizarre ramblings.
'Except that is the fifth tribe, created by Nightmare Moon,' replied Eventide's father, Monsoon. He was an Earth pony, his fur raven black, save for a grey, 'q'-shaped discolor on his shoulder. Monsoon's white, medium cut hair fell to either side of his face with a light curl and streaks of tan. His sullen green eyes locked with Eventide's. 'Before the thestrals, there was a tribe born of Discord.'
'Discord, the Draconequus? But that's impossible!'
'It is my lineage-' Monsoon placed his hoof on his 'q'-mark, then on a similar, barely noticeable mark which has barely formed on Eventide. '-it is your lineage.'
Eventide pulled away from his father. 'How? If it's another kind of pony, how can we be both?'
'Same principle as an Alicorn, is it not?'
'Tch, sounds more like a trait than a tribe, but, say I'm playing along. Why tell me this now?'
'For the past forty years of my life, I thought myself long detached from the powers of chaos, but something has changed.' Monsoon closed his eyes, and his mark shone. Its luminosity nears irritation to Eventide's eyes, then spikes before dropping to a dull glistening.
Eventide showed only confusion, until he saw a dull figure pass through a shelf. Even in monochrome, the mare that appeared was instantly recognizable, dragging tears from Eventide's eyes.
'Mom! Then you can…' Eventide trailed off, but Monsoon responded,
'Yes, I can call forth the spirits of the dead.' The ghost dissipated as Monsoon shook his head, his mark no longer luminescent. 'But when I discovered this power,' continued Monsoon, 'it was with the ghost of the legendary Daring Do.'
'I thought she was fiction!' exclaimed Eventide.
'She made her bits by parading her exploits as stories. Not any more, however. She was killed by a Discordian.''
'Please tell me that's a working title.'
'Well, what do you want? Chaos pony?'
That sounds good, actually, thought Eventide. 'So, is it something to do with your cutie mark talent?' he said, nodding at the skull on his father's flank- a representation of his knack for archaeology.
'That was just an off chance, it's chaos magic we're talking about.'
'So do you want me to find mine? That doesn't sound too simple.'
'I am hoping you have a combat ability, which I intend to force out. Why do you think I chose to talk in your cellar?'
'I think you recall I forced you out last time we fought.'
'He's not the one doing the fighting,' spoke a new voice, a deep red hippogriff with an ice blue mullet, and sure enough, his shoulder was also marked. 'You'll find my ability to be much more… complementary to battle.'
'And who do I have the pleasure of beating up?' spat Eventide.
'Feisty one eh? I, East-Northeast Wind, will humble you.' With a harsh squawk, and a shine of Wind's mark, a quake tossed about the cellar
Eventide's hooves spread out across the floor, his wings shooting out to balance. He lifted himself off the ground, nearly clipping his wings against a shelf. 'All you've done for me is force this to be an air battle.'
'And that's what I excel at,' replied East-Northeast Wind as he calmly fluttered into the air himself.
'I would hope so.'
'Let me clean that smirk off your face. Hey Monsoon, permission to go all out on your foal?'
Monsoon answers without hesitation, 'Just try not to kill him.'
Eventide shot forward, his muzzle tearing open to bare his fangs. Just a meter away, he banked right, the same heading Wind dodged to. Eventide sank his fangs into Wind's neck, but Wind contorted himself to slam the both of them into the floor, which, with help from Wind's ability, split open, dropping Eventide against the sharp, shattered foundation and releasing Wind.
East-Northeast Wind rubbed the side of a talon against the bite marks Eventide left, gloating, 'One move and you're already helpless, left in my mercy!' He prepared his talons to strike the immobile Eventide. Wind swung down, drawing blood across his opponent's face. His talons came up again, flinging blood across the cellar. Eventide only looked at Wind, who prepared another strike. Eventide's face was scored again, blood leaking onto one of his eyes. 'Do you think you're a tough kid or something,' asked Wind, 'Why don't you strike back already? This is starting to tire me!'
Wind vigorously shook Eventide's blood off his talons, then lunged, beak wide open. He never reached Eventide; the air between them shone with a trembling thunder, the air pulsing. Every cider bottle in the cellar shattered, and the ground gave way to free Eventide. The blast flung Wind into a shelf, but the shelf did not halt him, covering him in splinters and glass shards as he hit a second shelf, which toppled as Wind rolled off onto the ground. Eventide pulled himself from the tear in the ground, his face drenched in his own blood.
'I have played your game, Monsoon,' called Eventide, 'You're covering the expenses.'
'Ouch, you ask me to hoof the bill,' says Monsoon, 'but you won't even call me dad.'
'Earn it. No, it is far too late for that, just get out of my house.'
'It was the same pony.'
'What are you talking about now?'
'The pony that killed Daring Do, and the pony that killed Petunia.'
'You were off rutting Celestia knows who when mom died, now , after years, you want to avenge her!'
'That killer is a threat. I do not know the full extent of their power, they could be a greater foe than even the Elements of Harmony have faced, and I believe it our destiny to bring them to justice!'
Eventide hesitated, but finally answered, 'Fine, I'll do it. Not to dirty mom's name with vengeance, not for your glory, but to make sure no innocent pony gets hurt.'
'Then get yourself to the hospital before your endorphins fade.'
'Am I free to go yet, doc?'
Two days have passed since Eventide Carol fought East-Northeast Wind, and they both now tend to their wounds in the Lunavale Heights General Hospital. Though Wind is still nearly immobile, and Eventide heavily favors his forelegs, the latter is restless to leave.
'If you are so insistent,' His doctor, Calluna, a pale pink mare- and fellow thestral- says, 'why not walk right out?'
Both know how that will end; Eventide’s legs tremble even as he sits. As Calluna leaves, Eventide glances at Wind, the hippogriff staring into the lamplight. 'I think I can feel my wings now,' Wind notes, 'Hurts like Tartarus.'
'All that from a single strike, huh?' Eventide remarks, smirking, 'I think I might keep that in mind.'
'Tch.'
Eventide examines his own shoulder. 'That mark, I can see it clearly now.'
'You have awakened your powers.'
'Yes, I rather figured that was the reason. How long have you known Monsoon?'
'Just a moon. I discovered my ability during a bar fight in downtown Manehatton, and he pulled me out of the fissure I created.'
Eventide nods, no longer interested, and pulls the latest- and apparently last- Daring Do book from a shelf. He pauses, and flips to the back cover.
COMING SOON: THE NEXT ADVENTURE OF DARING DO: DARING DO AND THE EYE OF DISCORD .
'So she really was up to something with the Chaos Ponies,' remarks Eventide. He flips back to the first page, determined to distract himself. He isn't sure how much time passes, but he reads until his eyes start to drift. He looks up, around the room. He catches a pony walking by with the now all too familiar mark of 'q'. 'Wind, when you think you’re being hunted, but you can barely trot, and your friend can’t even move a wing, what are you supposed to do?'
'Well, in my best estimate,' Wind states, 'I would make sure your enemy does not know your advantages.'
'And, out of curiosity, what advantages would that be?'
'We know their method of surveillance.'
'Do we now?'
'A pony eye on spider legs. It must be their chaos factor.'
'Is that what we call those now?'
'I still have to check that it’s not trademarked.'
'Well then, this eye spider, where might it be?'
'Inside this lampshade.'
'Can it hear?'
'It does not seem to be reacting, but this might be a ploy.'
Eventide carefully looks at Wind’s lamp, the shadow of the spider unmoving. He breathes in, and notices a suspicious, wooden scent. 'I think a fire is starting.'
Alarm bells cut through the tense air, and the eye spider dashes from the lamp. Eventide tries to lunge at it, but his injuries don’t permit him to land even close as it escapes. Eventide stumbles to Wind, trying to pull him from his bed. 'Enough of that,' Wind commands, 'For the past half hour I have been hiding my healing progress from that factor. I can walk better than you.' Sure enough, Wind drags himself out of the bed, and the two 'rush' out of the room. They don't get much further, as the halls on either side are already walled off by the fire.
'Two fires? They must be trying to force us towards a trap,' reasons Eventide, 'I am about to try my factor and blast open a new path for us. I haven't a clue how it will go, so stand back.' He takes a deep breath, envisioning a blast of thunder and lightning as he previously performed in the cellar duel. The cracking air and burning ozone repeat in his mind, and his mark shines as electricity dances in his hoof. He lifts his hoof at the wall; crackling sparks collect and coalesce into a ring. The ring swirls and wobbles, gaining strength, burning the air around it.
'You’re overcharging it!' protests Wind, 'Release it, before you blow your own hoof off!'
Eventide brings up his other forehoof, balancing on his hind legs as he pushes the disc of lightning at the wall, shouting, 'Sonic Boom!' The disk crashes into the wall, screaming in ionized air as it blasts past, flying out some dozen meters further before dissipating with a deafening thunder, lighting up the overcast night sky outside. Eventide nearly collapses as he drops to his forehooves, but pushes himself out the hole, waving Wind over. The two distance themselves from the burning hospital, finally collapsing atop the scorched grass which marked Eventide’s attack.
Eventide looks back at the hospital, the form of a pony exiting from the smoking hole. He tenses, but sighs in relief as the smoke clears to reveal Doctor Calluna.
'Sweet Celestia!' shouts Calluna, 'Those fires, that explosion, I’m surprised you’re still alive, it’s like they were centered on you two!'
'Funny thing, lass, they were,' states someone else from behind her, she looks back, and is carelessly shoved aside.
'DOC!' Eventide shouts. He’s on his hooves, but uncertain if he should run or if he has a chance to win. Straining his eyes against the backlight of flames, he can barely size up his opponent, a white-tailed deer with a shattered left antler. 'A deer with the factor? I didn’t expect that to be possible.'
'Then you might need to change your expectations,' says the deer, 'Not even Discord himself understands it all, that would ruin the fun. Of course, it’s all in his future anyways.'
'So which one are you? I know there are multiple factor holders at work.'
'The name is Auselius. My factor, as you wish to call it, grants me dominion over flame!' Auselius stamps the ground, sending forth a line of fire. Eventide dodges, leaving the fire as a barrier between him and Wind. Auselius laughs as Eventide charges a Sonic Boom. 'What a joke, you just stand there spinning your energy? You're completely open to punishment!' He rears, ready to slam his hooves and unleash another line of flame, but is tackled by Doctor Calluna. She sinks her fangs into Auselius's side, and he violently shakes. 'Get off me, you stupid filly!'
Using Calluna's distraction, and the cover of the flame wall, Wind flanks Auselius. He leaps overhead, swiping his talons, and drawing blood from Auselius's muzzle. Him and Calluna leap away from Auselius, who snorts, wiping away his blood.
Auselius explodes as Eventide unleashes a Sonic Boom. His previously unmarred right antler snaps off, his legs forced at impossible angles, and all the fur around the impact burned away, leaving his scorched skin, and even bare muscle. Calluna examines him, uncertain. Bones crack as Auselius's legs forcibly reset, his eyes tearing open as he rights himself, skin pulling back shut. He glares at the nearest pony, Calluna, and lunges at her, stamping his hooves against her shoulders, and she cries out in pain. His hooves burn away at the doctor's coat, and his anger twists into shock. Calluna bears a chaos mark, clearly visible, and clearly shining. Auselius's eyes haze over, as he steps back.
'It is a rather tricky factor,' Calluna notes, 'The Vampire's Kiss, I call it. I can enthrall my enemies with a bite, except there's just a little more to activating it that I just can't quite figure out.'
'You've had a factor the whole time?' questions Eventide.
'Why do you think I'm your doctor? My first day at Lunavale, I saw you and your mark. It was faint back then- you hadn't awakened- but I had a feeling I ought to keep track of you.'
'Will he answer our questions?'
'If I tell him to, but first, I have a question myself. Auselius, how did you heal yourself?'
'My master provided this to me,' states Auselius, in an empty voice, as he taps a hoof to a serpentine earring, 'One of many artifacts she has collected.'
'Just who is your master?' Wind asks.
When Auselius doesn't answer, Calluna tears off the allegedly magic earring, a patch of skin, fur, and blood along with it. 'Answer him,' orders Calluna.
As Auselius opens his mouth to reply, the grass behind him starts to shake. Standing on a blade of grass, bent in half under its weight, the eye spider appears. With a scrunch of legs, it leaps onto his antler.
'I serve-' starts Auselius, but before he can continue, the eye spider dashes into his mouth. Calluna tries to get at it with her hoof, to no avail. She kicks a hoof directly against Auselius's chest, to no response.
Calluna tackles him into the ground, and finally, he starts coughing, the spider flying out. Auselius scrambles to his hooves, and before Calluna can react, he dashes away.
Calluna quickly looks for the eye spider, seeing it climb up the hospital walls. On the roof, somepony waits for it, shadowed by the night. 'Damnit, what a pain,' they mutter, 'I would've asked for more combat factors if I'd known there were gonna be three of you.' The eye spider rushes up to them, returning to their socket. 'You lucked out, but we have more resources than you ever will. I think we'll take care of your old man before the rematch, Carol.' The pony bows, and disappears with a puff of unicorn magic.
The team is quiet, but eventually, Calluna mutters, 'That bastard deer, I know him. He destroyed my family. I had him right in my control, yet I saved his disgusting life! Eventide Carol, I shall join you so I can find Auselius again, and immolate him with his own factor!'
'I suppose a physician will do us good,' responds Eventide, 'Now we need to find Monsoon before they do.'
Monsoon cannot get rid of the ghosts of the past. No fancy metaphor, his factor has gone out of control, and both of the ghosts he's previously summoned- Daring Do and Petunia- are stuck with him.
'So you can't even keep just one ghost either, huh?' Petunia mocks, 'I suppose this is what you get for not even giving me one moment with my son.' She tries, pointlessly, to slam Monsoon's antique tea kettle onto the ground, but her ghastly hoof barely stirs the heating water.
'I didn't ask for this either,' remarks Daring Do, 'There I was, exploring some tomb, when somepony with an odd, geometric cutie mark and that other weird mark shoved me into a spike pit- I can only hope my contingency reached Dash- but now I'm a ghost, and Monsoon can't even put my soul to rest. Honestly, you lived with him?'
Good grief, thinks Monsoon. He ignores the ghosts, walking past them to his stove, picking up the now whistling kettle. He fills two cups with the water, placing them on opposite sides of the nearby table.
Petunia's will gave the family house to Eventide, leaving Monsoon to move to a studio flat in the center of Lunavale. Even three years later, Monsoon still hasn't had the will to furnish it more than his redwood dining table. Not even his bed was more than a short frame and mattress.
He opens a cupboard, scanning through the tea blends, until he finds a tangerine and mango herbal tea, which he takes, and places a bag into one cup. He puts it back, and grabs a different blend without caring to look. Petunia looks over, curiously, as Monsoon sits down opposite the cup of herbal tea, placing the random bag in his own cup.
'Is somepony else coming?' asks Petunia, scornfully.
Monsoon lightly blows into his steaming cup, then looks up into her eyes, answering, 'I made it for you.'
Petunia gives him a slow blink. She waves a hoof at the tea, her ghastly foreleg passing through and stirring the water. 'Do I fucking look like I can drink this?' she retorts.
'It is symbolic ,' Monsoon mutters, 'Good heavens, you've gotten an attitude ever since you died.' Monsoon picks up his tea, ignoring Daring's snickering. He waits for another snark from Petunia, but gags as his tongue reaches the liquid inside his cup. He nearly slams the cup onto the table, black tea spilling out. 'Eugh, I thought I tossed out all these shoddy Trottingham exports.'
Daring glances out the window. 'You've got a harbor right out there,' she suggests. Monsoon follows her gaze, informing,
'I am not interested in treason; that's a naval base.' From his top level flat, the coast lies in full view. Ironclad ships litter the port, their recent obsolescence overshadowed by sheer number. Lunavale is a dumping ground for old armament; though Canterlot assures the city that it is enough to deter any sort of griffin invasion, many still call it the legion of ten thousand toothpicks. Monsoon halts his survey as he notices a shadow over his windowsill. So that's what's going on, he thinks, It must be the work of an enemy ability, forcing out mine. Fuck, if East-Northeast Wind enters its range, this whole block would be torn apart.
'Is something the matter?' Daring asks.
'See a hot mare?' scoffs Petunia.
'There's somepony on the roof,' theorizes Monsoon, 'They're forcing my ability to manifest.' In response, Daring Do disappears into the ceiling, and Monsoon looks up at where she exited. 'What are- of course.' Daring returns promptly, recounting,
'Yep, there's someone right nasty looking up there. A diamond dog. He looked awfully fit. If you plan on taking him, you best be prepared to fight dirty.'
'I couldn't imagine him fighting any other way,' snarks Petunia.
'It isn't like I can just wait for Wind to take care of him,' notes Monsoon, 'I will need your help, though.' He is halfway out the door before Daring asks, confused,
'Umm, ghost here, what do you expect me to do? It's not like I can kick him.'
'I know that.' Monsoon gives a wry smile. 'He doesn't.' He trots up the stairwell, kicking open the door to the roof.
A heavy wind buffets Monsoon's fur, and the midday sun presses down on his back. The reported diamond dog, sitting on the ledge, engrossed in reading a magazine, doesn't notice him. Monsoon sizes up the dog, a mastiff who's certainly as buff as advertised. Complementing his canid muscles, the dog's fur is a wiry, tan coat. The mark on his shoulder glows clearly, matching Monsoon's. 'Oi, cur!' shouts Monsoon.
The mastiff leaps back onto the main part of the roof and carefully folds his magazine. He takes off a pair of reading glasses, revealing sunglasses underneath. He mutters, 'What a pain.'
'You may have forced out my ability,' states Monsoon, 'But can you control it? Specters, attack!' As soon as Monsoon calls, Daring Do and Petunia fly from the floor. Monsoon points a hoof at the diamond dog. 'Any last words, mongrel?'
'Hmm, unfortunately,' the dog states, 'Garm has to call your bluff.' As the ghosts zip towards Garm, he claps his paws together, and they disappear. 'Maybe Garm does have rather good control. Now you must fight as a warrior!'
'Ah, excuse me one second.' Monsoon rushes downstairs, and Garm presses a paw against the bridges of his snout, shrugging. He picks up his magazine, putting on his reading glasses as he examines a comic.
Monsoon returns, carrying his steaming kettle, which he tosses into the air before leaping and punting it at Garm. Garm expertly tosses the magazine away from the water, but is himself slammed by the kettle, its boiling contents drenching him. He trips on the edge of the roof, both pairs of glasses flying off, but he catches the edge with one paw.
Garm tries to get his other paw onto the ledge, but the winds force all his efforts onto keeping his grip secure. He feels the weight of the sunlight lessen as a great, dark cloud rolls in. The first drops of rain tell Garm that he needs to take action quickly, and he calls to his opponent, 'This downpour, Garm cannot keep a grip! A dishonorable death is far higher a price than master promises.'
Monsoon trots to the ledge Garm hangs from. 'This is the clearest setup for a trick,' notes Monsoon, 'And you're assuming I have a better nature to appeal to.' He places a hoof atop Garm's paw. A distant crack of lightning highlights the edges of Monsoon's form as he presses down. 'Lucky bastard, I really do have one. This master of yours I'm assuming wouldn't be interested in sacrificing such an asset as yourself.'
Monsoon crouches down, moving his hoof from Garm's paw, stretching towards the other. Garm takes hold of Monsoon, slowly dragging himself up, then plants his hind legs on the wall. 'Of course,' says Garm, 'You should have assumed she wouldn't let such an asset risk a fight without some extra tricks.'
Monsoon widens his eyes as Garm pulls him over the edge.
Chapter III: Remains to be Seen
An unscheduled thunderstorm looms over central Lunavale. Eventide Carol, East-Northeast Wind, and Doctor Calluna trek through the backstreets, picking off sticks and garbage and dirt that have collected on their long journey from the hospital. Though usually a three hour trot, two full days passed, all under the cover of the cloud and storm. The trio has been forced to take a roundabout path to the home of Eventide's father, making sure their adversaries were not trailing them, and the wounds they haven't gotten a chance to heal from slowed their journey even further. Despite their best efforts, the group arrives drenched in sweat, smoke, and mud.
Even now, they have to travel up six levels to Monsoon. Each step makes Eventide sway, the other two faring little better. A distinct rot filled their snouts as the group approached Monsoon's flat. Warily, Wind slams a hoof against the door, shouting, 'Yo, Monsoon! It's us!' His shout is left with silence, so he shouts again, 'Old man, hurry up already if you value your door!' Nothing. 'Tch, well you better at least stay away from the door!'
Wind spins back, and bucks the door. The hinges fly off, and the trio step into the empty room. More than devoid of life, the studio flat is, at best, sparsely decorated. On the far end, the most prominent furnishing is a redwood table, holding two teacups- one untouched and the other left in a sorry state- and a large box which bends the table from its weight. The trio is drawn to the package, and Wind reads a note placed at its side,
'We stopped by to recover some property, but decided, since we aren't really in need of it, to leave this for your family.'
'The hell is that supposed to mean?' asks Eventide.
'I think it has to do with that stench,' says Calluna, 'Eventide, go check outside if anyone looks suspicious.'
'You're trying to get rid of me?'
'I'm trying to get you to check outside.'
'Not until you open the box.' Eventide and Calluna stare each other down. Accusation burns in Eventide's eyes, and concern drips from Calluna's. Eventide takes a step forward, which Calluna matches.
'Eventide Carol, as your doctor, I insist you drop this right now,' Calluna orders. Eventide takes a step back, and Calluna sighs. He leaps over and tears open the box from its side.
A blue leg peeks through the opening, covered in a tuft of white and tan hair. Eventide steps back in disbelief.
How could they have gotten here already? Eventide thinks, Damn it Eventide, pull yourself together! Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in breathe out breatheinbreatheoutbreathe-
A hoof forcibly turns Eventide away from the body of his father, and he recoils, before looking back to Calluna glaring at him in a flurry of emotions. 'Trust your doctor,' says Calluna. She places her hooves on Eventide's back, hugging him.
'It doesn't make sense,' mutters Wind, 'They need him!' Calluna releases her embrace to turn towards Wind, asking,
'Something you need to share?' Wind doesn't meet her gaze, instead scanning the room. After a moment, he sighs, answering,
'There's a magic artifact so dangerous, Pʀɪɴᴄᴇꜱꜱ Cᴇʟᴇꜱᴛɪᴀ herself couldn't risk holding the knowledge of how to find and use it.'
'So what,' scoffs Eventide, 'Monsoon can- could…'
'Damnit! He's gone but he's right here,' Wind remarks, 'But no, he knew how to restore Her Majesty's memory.'
'Why Monsoon?' asks Calluna.
'I cannot explain it all,' Wind continues, 'There is much information that he never shared with me, but one thing I do know of.'
'Hurry up and tell us then!'
'He knew somepony from the Crystal Frontier, a master of the combat arts, nephew of Pʀɪɴᴄᴇꜱꜱ Mɪ Aᴍᴏʀᴇ Cᴀᴅᴇɴᴢᴀ.'
'She has one of those? So we have to find him.' Calluna scans the twisting city streets outside the window. 'It looks like we're close to the railway station.'
'They found Monsoon,' Eventide says, 'How can we be sure they won't catch us on the train, we'd be sitting ducks locked in there.'
'Well, are we gonna trot northward for a month?'
'Trotting? No,' Wind says, flexing a wing.
'Ah, we have those, don't we? Then get some rest,' Calluna offers, 'I can keep watch for the night.'
'What about Monsoon's body?'
Calluna sighs, and trots towards the box. 'I don't know if it's safe to report, we could be stuck here for weeks, maybe months for an official investigation.' She decides to examine the body, collapsing open the box.
A piece of Monsoon's foreleg falls out, cleaved, decomposed, but the cut is clean, surgically so. Most of the leg, including the shoulder, is missing, but the rest of Monsoon is perfect, no scar, no blood. Warily, Calluna presses a hoof against his back. She quickly retracts her hoof as it burns with cold. 'I don't- I cannot tell if he's really dead!'
Eventide looks at the body of his father. 'What monster could do this?' he exclaims. 'I-if this is somepony's factor, or a curse, then- then maybe he's still alive!'
Calluna shakes her head. 'There didn't seem to be a heartbeat, but it's like he's frozen in time.'
'We have to move him, but how can we avoid suspicion?'
'Well, if you didn't tear the box open.'
'I cannot believe you even considered carrying Monsoon in a giant gift box!'
Wind steps between Eventide and Calluna, separating the two by unfurling his wings. 'Enough,' he utters, 'We can't stay here anyhow, busted doors are pretty damn noticeable. You two just go on, maybe hire one of those airplanes. I'll watch over Monsoon, get stuck down here with investigators while you find Cadenza.'
'An airplane?' Calluna questions, 'Yes, that could do. And you, just watch out for that damn deer.'
Eventide sighs, then brings hoof to forehead in a salute. 'Then Celestia be with you,' he says. He trots to the back window, opening it, and leaping out. 'Make haste, I can't stand flying in the rain.'
'Yes, you wouldn't be flying then,' states Calluna, hopping out behind him. The two thestrals soar northwest, crossing block after block. For a moment, Eventide falters as rainfall licks the many scratches on his body, but he presses forth.
Minutes pass to a half hour, and the buildings start to space themselves, fields supplant alleys, and towering complexes turn to simple stores. The duo swoop down as they come up on a small shack connected to a great, fenced-in dirt field.
Through the window, a clerk glances up from his book at Calluna and Eventide. He's a light brown unicorn with a smooth, maroon mane and purple eyes. He slides the window open calling, 'You two look a sorry lot. You ain't running from the law, are you?'
'N-no,' Eventide says. Calluna pushes him away, giving a smooth, calculated response,
'Our home got fucked up in a fire, only place to go is our family out in Crystal City.'
'Crystal Empire, huh? Awfully far, you'd need a trimotor,' states the clerk, 'Three hundred bits.'
'H-hundred? Three?' wonders Eventide.
Calluna pushes him back again, and looks back to the clerk, nodding. 'I will need to withdraw the funds, will it be ready by then?' she asks.
'I ain't gonna wake the pilots before you even have proof you can pay,' the clerk notes.
Eventide rhythmically trots back to the window. What the fuck are you about to try, Eventide Carol? thinks Calluna.
'Mister-' Eventide pauses to look at the clerk's name tag, before continuing, '- Flywheel, perhaps we could give you a little something extra to convince you then?' Then, to Calluna's horror, he flutters his eyes seductively at Flywheel.
'I- well, if you mean- I wouldn't want to take advantage-'
'Shh, shh.' Eventide places a wingtip on Flywheel's muzzle, but Calluna forcibly drags him away.
'What in Celestia's name are you doing?' asks Calluna.
'I thought I'd honor Monsoon's memory by being a whore like him.'
Calluna states at Eventide, mouth agape. Eventide brings up a hoof to carefully close her jaw, but she steps away, saying, 'Good luck then. Don't snog him so long you forget to start the plane.'
Thankfully, once Calluna leaves and returns, a plane lies just inside the fence, a 15 meter long trimotor with a 25 meter wingspan and an enclosed cabin. Eventide and Flywheel stand outside, in front of a simple step stool to the passenger cabin. She flies over the fence, tossing Flywheel the sack of payment. He counts it as Calluna and Eventide enter the plane. With half a dozen seats, they end up sitting opposite each other.
'You're cleared!' shouts Flywheel, having finished counting up the bits. The copilot closes the cabin door shut, and the plane's engine grows louder as it picks up speed.
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Chapter IV: The Crystal Faire Affair -Act 1-
'My name is Cʜʀʏꜱᴀʟɪꜱ, rightful ruler of changeling kind. Many years ago, the lowly Thorax ousted me, and I was left with only my one most faithful marshal at my side. It has been my mission to retake those lands, but only some dozen moons later, my one compatriot was defeated, disguised and trapped in marble in my place by the sickeningly beloved Elements of Harmony.
'Though I have failed even still to retrieve my lands, I was able to secretly take a different kingdom. Under this facade, I reign as Mɪ Aᴍᴏʀᴇ Cᴀᴅᴇɴᴢᴀ. Her husband still cannot even tell the difference. Thankfully, I am not stuck with only that daft Shining Armor. I have reaped, quite often, the benefits of the role of the Princess of Love.
'Of course, I only have love for you. My share of love will be the greatest gift of all: the power over The World!'
Crystal City is a quiet town. Though once the great shining jewel of pony civilization, its disappearance for a thousand years prohibited the population growth that the rest of Equus benefited from. Though tourism spiked after the Crystal Empire's return, it's now very rare outside the season of the Crystal Faire.
With the Crystal Faire a week away, the influx of visitors has only grown just enough that the crystal ponies no longer stop and pay attention to outsiders. These conditions are what greet the trimotor carrying thestrals Calluna and Eventide Carol, as it lands in the east district.
Calluna and Eventide hop out of the airplane onto a hard landing strip. Unlike the Lunavale airport, this business has a full size building, but the duo are permitted to circumnavigate and fly away. They shortly realize they are not properly equipped for the northern cold of the Crystal Empire, and stop at a vendor of textiles and scarves.
'The frontier is gargantuan,' remarks Calluna, her voice hushed towards Eventide, 'We'll never find Cadenza's nephew without help.'
'What do you suggest then?' wonders Eventide.
'We can't barge into the palace, Pʀɪɴᴄᴇꜱꜱ Cᴀᴅᴇɴᴢᴀ wouldn't care for, wouldn't know the son of her nephew's old friend- if they even were that close. You might as well be her father's brother's nephew's cousin's former roommate!'
'What about Pʀɪɴᴄᴇꜱꜱ Fʟᴜʀʀʏ Hᴇᴀʀᴛ?' Eventide tosses a hoof full of bits to the scarf vendor, taking one scarf for him and dropping another on Calluna as they walk away, still whispering as they trot down the street.
'I don't see how much better the little mini princess is.'
'Well, we at least have a chance to talk to her.' Eventide pulls Calluna closer with a wing, turning westward as he points a hoof toward the palace. Gliding away is the young Pʀɪɴᴄᴇꜱꜱ Fʟᴜʀʀʏ Hᴇᴀʀᴛ, soaring now just overhead. Eventide releases Calluna, and the duo launch themselves after the princess.
The young princess is fast, but luckily, for a moment, she halts. As Eventide and Calluna approach, the latter realizes Fʟᴜʀʀʏ Hᴇᴀʀᴛ suspects something, and halts Eventide, whispering, 'Quick, split off and pretend we're just flying for fun.' Sure enough, Fʟᴜʀʀʏ Hᴇᴀʀᴛ turns around, but only sees two bat ponies flying around in loops.
'Tourists,' mutters the princess. 'I am not free for signatures!' she shouts.
She knows we're following her , thinks Calluna, but now our only choice is- 'Wait!' shouts Calluna back, 'We need to ask you something, it's about your cousin!'
The princess freezes. 'Cadence doesn't like me talking about Sho,' she states, softly. She glances away, conflicted, then meekly waves them over, landing on a side road.
'Sho, that's Cadence's nephew, yes?' asks Eventide, as he and Calluna land beside Fʟᴜʀʀʏ Hᴇᴀʀᴛ. The princess nods, and Eventide continues, 'What happened, why are you forbidden from talking about him?'
'He is banned from ever stepping hoof in Crystal City.'
'Pʀɪɴᴄᴇꜱꜱ-' Eventide is halted as the princess continues,
'Flurry Heart, just call me Flurry Heart. You were going to ask why? He believes Cadence has been replaced.'
'Do you believe him?' asks Calluna. Flurry Heart turns about, scanning the road. Deciding it's safe, she ushers the two into an alley. 'I get the sense that this is a yes.'
'I didn't want to at first. I know the story of my parents' wedding, of Chrysalis, but she was defeated when I was still a foal. I cannot deny it anymore, the mare on that throne is not my Cadence!'
'Do you know where he is?' asks Eventide.
'Not too well,' Flurry Heart admits, 'Though I still sneak out letters to him through an anonymous courier. You're Monsoon's kid, aren't you?' Eventide turns away with a grunt, muttering,
'If you must call me that.'
'I… see. Hey, I help you find Sho, you help me find my mother.'
'With our luck, this probably connects to the Factor users anyhow.'
Flurry Heart tilts her head, asking in confusion, 'Factor? What does that mean?'
'I'll explain later.'
'That later better come. Now, it's a long way westward, and I need a cloak.'
5 Years Ago
Crystal City was a bustling tourist center. With the Crystal Faire just a day away, everypony hurried to book reservations for board and dining. However, an unlikely group sat at a booth in a cheap diner, gathered not for pleasure or festivities.
Sho Cadenza- a lavender unicorn with a smooth, strawberry red mane tied in a ponytail, and deep violet eyes- sat in the back corner, covered in a deceptively cheap cloak. Opposite him was a familiar Earth pony, Monsoon. Next to Monsoon sat a griffon- her plumage a scale of browns with streaks of blue, a red beak complementing her dark, forest green eyes. Lastly, beside Sho was the only one focusing on eating, a pegasus- ash grey with a spiky crimson mane, his pale indigo eyes focused on an apple fritter.
'Yo, Denza,' called the griffon, Glitzy, 'You say there's a reason that bat pony looked just like Rosetta?' Just a week prior, Glitzy had been attacked by a crazed thestral who looked identical to her pegasus girlfriend.
'I am afraid so, it seems lots of ponies in New Griffonstone are disappearing,' Sho answered, 'At first, before these thestrals started showing up, it seemed like the griffons were lynching them, but it didn't make sense for the griffons to threaten their settling agreement. I think, somehow, these ponies are somehow being turned into thestrals, and the process destroys their psyche.'
'Can you cut the big words?' asked the pegasus, Cheap Trick.
'These ponies are becoming crazed, feral bat ponies.'
'Could it be the work of a follower of Nightmare Moon?' asked Monsoon.
'I do not have a better guess.'
'Is that possible?' asked Glitzy.
'There is precedent,' recalled Sho, 'But that was the magic of Twilight Sparkle.'
'No, I think I know that one,' said Cheap Trick, 'I think it was a miscast of a common spell.'
'Of course. If the error could be traced, it wouldn't be hard at all to intentionally involve that effect.'
Glitzy looked down at the cup of coffee she ordered, passively stirring with a talon. 'At least Rosetta is still alive,' she whispered.
'Hey, we'll find her before the Faire ends,' promised Monsoon.
Chapter V: The Crystal Faire Affair -Act 2-
5 Years Ago
New Griffonstone, population 20,000 with 80% being griffons, had the highest ratio of griffons in Equestria, and the second highest griffon population in pony country. Located in the northwest part of the Crystal City metropolitan area, most citizens worked out of town.
On this day, with the Crystal Faire on the morrow, Monsoon and his friends traveled to New Griffonstone to uncover a dangerous mystery.
Cheap Trick pulled the wagon which held Monsoon, Sho, and Glitzy. Sho was writing notes in a journal as the wagon suddenly halted, Cheap Trick rearing and tilting the cart.
'Yo, what's your deal?' shouted Glitzy, peeking out towards Cheap Trick. A bat pony mare had collapsed from out the alley, blocking the road. Two griffons- both dark cyan with wood brown beaks, one thin and lean while the other was thick-set- exited the alley after her, and one looked up at Cheap Trick, saying with a grin,
'Scurry away, city boy, we'll take care of her.' Glitzy recognized the pony those griffons were roughing up. She was a lime mare, her short, pale brown mane split into bangs that faded to red, her tail marked with a patch of orange. When she forced open her maroon eyes under the drips of blood forced out, Glitzy was certain.
'Get your dirty talons off Rosetta!' shouted Glitzy, lunging out of the wagon.
'What's wrong, pony fucker?' spat the thinner of the griffon thugs.
'H-hey mate, just leave the damn filly,' said the other, stepping away, warily.
'The hell I will! This dumb thessy doesn't answer when I ask for the toll, and then she fucking bit me!'
'You idiot, don't you recognize that griff! I am not picking a fight with Glitzy!'
'Oh please, no way in hell her reputation is from anything but paid off rumors! Look, it seems she has a Cadenza as her sugar daddy-' He pointed at Sho, then paused, eyes widening. 'Oh shit , that's Sho Cadenza!'
'Sho is not my fucking sugar daddy!' shouted Glitzy, leaping, talons outstretched, at the thin griffon. Blood sprayed from his neck as Glitzy's talons wrapped around him. Her eyes flicked to the right as the other thug ran towards her, and she circled about her grappled opponent to kick the other onto the ground. 'Mind telling me your names so I can inform your kin of their loss?'
'F-Freezeframe,' choked the thin griffon. The other griffon pushed himself up, running away. Freezeframe shouted for him, 'H-hey! Don't leave me here, Centerfold!'
'A pity,' muttered Glitzy, 'I was hoping for a good fight.' She released Freezeframe, licking off the blood he left on her fingers. She turned back towards bat pony Rosetta, lightly grasping her hoof. 'Hey, you're safe now. Do… do you remember me?' Rosetta looked at Glitzy's grasp, then into her eyes. A tear formed in Rosetta's eyes, and she opened her muzzle, saying,
'Gli- tsi.'
Cheap Trick gasped, seeing Freezeframe struggle towards Glitzy. He tried to shout, to warn her, but no sound came out. In an instant, all was silent, not just voices, but the flow of the wind, the shifting of hooves on gravel. Not even a breath sounded. Even without the warning, the stillness struck Glitzy, chilling her.
'I didn't want to display my power,' quoth Freezeframe. His words echoed as if coming from everywhere and nowhere. 'Not with all these onlookers, but I guess they just have to die next.' Glitzy looked back, Freezeframe already swiping down. Rosetta pulled at Glitzy's leg, tripping her but keeping Freezeframe's strike from connecting.
Glitzy recovered, and swung up at Freezeframe, talons catching and tearing away feathers on his left cheek. Freezeframe ducked under her, headbutting her underbelly. In response, Glitzy dug her talons into Freezeframe's shoulders. Freezeframe shook erratically to break Glitzy's grapple, and she toppled over, vulnerable and downed.
Freezeframe crouched beside her, pinning her down with his talons and lightly rubbing his sharp beak against her throat. He laughed, the sound reverberating through Glitzy's ears. 'Any last words?' he asked, 'Oops, heh, guess you can't share.'
A blast of magic covered his face. Sho had leapt out the wagon, preparing a barrage of spells. Before Freezeframe could even think, Sho released a dozen more, tearing through his face and splashing his blood against the ground. One last blast, prolonged into a blinding beam, burrowed through his head, cutting the grand silence with a harsh whine. Freezeframe toppled, followed by a dull thud.
'Oh, oh come on!' protested Glitzy, 'I almost had him, Denza!'
'You almost had your throat torn out,' corrected Sho, the last of the energy from his attack fading off his horn. Just then, Monsoon awoke, having slept through the entire fight.
'Mmm, Sho, your spells always smell like muffins,' said Monsoon. After a second, he exclaimed, 'You used an offensive spell? What happened?' Monsoon peeked out the wagon, seeing the dead Freezeframe. He noticed a peculiar mark on the griffon's shoulder, and glanced at his own, faint mark.
'I didn't think griffons had magic,' noted Cheap Trick, 'Good thing his ability was shit.'
'Griffons? Magic? The hell?' asked Monsoon.
Sho climbed back into the wagon, nuzzling Monsoon. 'Relax, I'll explain later,' he promised. 'Glitzy, get Rosetta in here, we're going to fix this.'
Eventide Carol, Calluna, and Flurry Heart sit, burrowed and camouflaged, in the cold, icy fields outside Crystal City. They watch the wagons and carts trekking across the westward road, waiting.
'How can we be sure which courier is ours?' asks Eventide.
'I enchanted the letter,' admits Flurry Heart, 'Once they leave the confines of the city, we'll get a nice, clear beacon.'
'Ah! What luck!' shouts Calluna, pointing to the southernmost road, 'Then we already have it.' In the distance, a slim mare trots along the road, a small bag glowing and shimmering against her waist.
'Quiet down, Doc,' shushes Eventide, 'We'll wait till she approaches, then tail her, but let's try not to scare her away.' As they watch, the courier approaches, the group can see her clearly, a grey pegasus with a yellow mane. Once she passes the group, Flurry Heart digs out from the hiding spot, trailing behind her.
'Hey,' says Flurry Heart. The courier rears in surprise, accidentally landing on her rump.
'O- oh, sorry,' says the courier, 'Do you need something, your majesty?' She looks curiously at Flurry Heart with one eye- the other more venturous.
'Those letters, where are they going?' asks Flurry Heart.
'I don't know that I should say… but you are a princess. I go between Welarapeg and here. That's really all I should tell.'
Flurry Heart nods. 'No, that will do.' The courier carefully gets up, continuing on her path as Flurry Heart returns to the burrow. 'We have a long day's trot ahead, best be rested before that.'
'Why can we not go to a proper inn?' pleads Eventide, 'The city is just over there.'
'That would be a loss of progress,' notes Calluna.
'The ponies would notice me,' says Flurry Heart. Eventide hums in dissatisfaction, wrapping his scarf about himself again as he lays down to rest in the burrow. Flurry Heart uses a simple blanket that she had prepared. Calluna decides to snuggle up to the princess, who looks at her in surprise, but carefully lays a wing on her. 'I hope we can find the real Cadence before the Crystal Faire. I fear that may be the time the fake makes her move.'
'On the twenty-fifth Faire since the reappearance of the Crystal Empire,' mutters Eventide, 'Why do things always have to go wrong on the big anniversaries?'
Chapter VI: Interlude -Rosetta-
5 Years Ago
Monsoon, Cheap Trick, and Sho Cadenza all sat on the couch in Glitzy's home, Glitzy herself lying beside the fireplace which Rosetta gazed into. 'She still hasn't said another word,' said Glitzy, 'but she's still in there, I can feel it… I can hope it.'
Cheap Trick bounced a hoof against the edge of the couch. 'It don't make a bloody shred of sense,' he muttered.
'I wish I could be certain how her mental state was inflicted,' noted Sho, 'She is in some altered state of consciousness, but without knowing if it was from the trauma of whatever incident caused this or a direct effect of the transformation, I can't figure anything else out.'
Monsoon stroked his hoof against Sho's back, saying, 'You can take a break from that research. I can tell when you're wearing yourself thin.'
'But I don't have a single lead on what's causing this!' Sho protested, 'I can't sit around while Rosetta's like this.'
'Well, if it's a curse, maybe true love's kiss will do the job,' suggested Cheap Trick. Glitzy looked away bashfully.
'I do not see how that could…' she tried to find an excuse, but Cheap Trick's wry grin was overpowering. Sighing, she warily stepped between the fireplace and Rosetta. She carefully lifted Rosetta's chin, then brought her beak to Rosetta's lips.
'Yo, Cheap Trick, pass the popcorn,' snarked Monsoon.
Glitzy released Rosetta from her embrace, panting. She looked into Rosetta's eyes, and Rosetta smiled. 'Oh, Glitzy, I had the most horrid dream,' said Rosetta. Glitzy lunged into a hug, crying. 'Is something wrong, dear?'
'So it was magic; all those psych books for nothing,' muttered Sho.
'Just forget it, forget all about it, Rosy,' told Glitzy.
'I am truly sorry, but she does need to remember,' said Monsoon, 'Rosetta, there was no dream; think, where were you?'
The Week Prior
Rosetta sipped her mug of hot chocolate, staring blankly between the Prench manuscript and her half blank paper. She hated to admit it, but even after eight years of living up north, the chill of winter still slowed her work. She drank the last drops, and left her desk to check the kitchen. As she opened each cabinet, it became disappointingly clear she was out of any more packets.
Sighing dejectedly, she grabbed her checkbook and scarf, and trotted outside. In the dead of night, she would have to search further into the town for an open corner shop. She recalled one at the intersection of Grover and Eighth, the former street already an extension of the road she took into town.
As she made her way along Grover Street, Rosetta felt a different sort of chill. A dry frost grew within her, and she nervously checked each alley she passed. She could not see anypony, yet somehow knew she was being watched. All she could do was trot faster, then soon, she broke into a run. She saw Eighth street ahead, and pushed her run into a sprint.
She nearly tore open the door to the store. Panting, she pressed herself against the wall, pulling loose her scarf. Sighing, she paced along the shelves, looking for the boxes of hot drink packets. She found the aisle containing her objective. She sifted past the teas and coffees, until she finally found the mix for the sweet nectar of dark hot chocolate.
When Rosetta turned to the counter, she tried to prod the clerk, who appeared asleep. Irritated at his unresponsiveness, she shook the clerk, who fell from leaning on the counter, revealing a wide, bleeding tear in his underbelly. She backed away, shocked, into the soft shelf behind her.
Wait, shelves aren't soft.
'You really must be more mindful of your surroundings,' said the not-shelf, 'I was worried I hadn't muffled his screams well enough, yet you with your… chocolate addiction didn't even notice.'
'What do you want from me?' pleaded Rosetta, turning around towards the voice. A night blue thestral mare towered over her. Her sharp grey eyes burned into Rosetta, and her wispy, lavender mane nearly entranced her.
'My brethren have not had any luck testing on the bottom of the barrel drunkards or homeless, so we needed somepony healthy.' The bat pony unveiled a small ruby gem, intricately carved in a cratered ball. 'Rejoice! Soon you shall be clean in the image of Nightmare Moon!'
The moment the moon-shaped gemstone touched her, Rosetta, dropping her scarf, gagged in immeasurable sensations. Feathers shriveled and fell, her wingbones expanding, contracting, reforming to a grotesque mockery of a hand, skin connecting in a thin membrane. Her teeth grew sharp from flat. Her bloodshot eyes thinned to slits.
'Now, speak,' urged the thestral. Rosetta only mewled, then yelped as a hoof firmly slapped her muzzle. 'Another failure, I was hoping we could move to trying on earth ponies soon, but it appears not.'
Rosetta was alone, her attacker gone in the newly bright night. She stumbled out of the corner store, shielding her eyes against the brightness of the moon. She wasn't sure how long, how far, how lost she went, but one thought pierced her mind:
Glitzy .
In front of her was a house, then in front of the house was her. This house was familiar, this house was good, this house was Glitzy's. Rosetta stamped her hoof on the door.
The door opened. A good form on the other side rubbed her eyes, saying, 'Rosetta? Izzat you?' Rosetta outstretched a hoof, but Glitzy shooed it away. 'What! You aren't Rosetta!'
I'm not Rosetta?
If I am not Rosetta…
Then I am nothing.
She couldn't handle that, she brought herself closer towards Glitzy, but Glitzy slammed the door. She was still in the way so Glitzy swiped her talons over her face, and the door shut.
Glitzy does not want me- Glitzy hates me- I am truly nothing.
The nothing tarried at Glitzy's door for a minute, for three minutes, for thirty minutes, till the sun- the bright, blinding, painful sun- peeked through the horizon. Past the bothersome winter sun, there was something else.
I hunger- but I am nothing. If I ate, would I be nothing no longer, for I would be full?
The hungered nothing shambled away, aimless. Once, a tree lay in her way, covered in pears. As she left, full, the tree lay surrounded by dried pears.
She lived as such for the space of a week, until her search for a fruit tree was stopped by two blueish griffons. They spoke to her, but it did not matter. They threatened her, but it did not matter. They beat her down.
Suddenly, it mattered- Glitzy stood over her and said it mattered.
'Ngh- I… can you forgive me?' pleaded Glitzy, hearing the account of her reaction last week. Rosetta placed a hoof on her shoulder, then the other, embracing her again.
'Can you still love me?' asked Rosetta.
'Always. Always forever and evermore!'
'Then you have your answer, but I might just have to show you these fangs.'
Sho Cadenza tugged at the hood of his cloak, announcing, 'So we have our lead, a gem fashioned in resemblance to the blood moon.'