Beyond Reflections

Chapters

Hearth's Warming Discovery
Back for Seconds
Into the Mirror
Reality of the Unknowns
Building Bridges
Familiar Faces
The Ways We Struggle
The Stormriders
Face Myself
The Fallen Star
Come Together
One Good Start
Doubt and Certainty
At Arms
Eulogy
All is Right
Unlikely Friends

Hearth's Warming Discovery

I ran.

Nothing was more important as I ran as fast as I could. Far off into the distance, the turrets of the castle lay ahead of me, the black mist close by. It gave chase, inching closer and closer, casting a deep gray overcast on everything it came into contact with; everything behind me was devoured, never seen again. Those things didn’t matter to me because I, too, was at risk of being swallowed by this darkness.

All this didn’t make much sense. No one could ever believe it was possible, not even dear Cadance. The only thing that mattered was to run back to the empire and cast the shield spell from the topmost tower, the crystal heart’s resting place. There was no way he could have returned but the situation I’ve gotten myself into is more than enough to prove me wrong. Ahead, the perimeter guards stood, weapons ready, but they wouldn’t be here soon; they stood their ground nonetheless.

I turned to watch them, casting my force field spell on my comrades. It helped them for a while but I knew I’ve let my comrades down as I was forced to relinquish my power over them. And all that followed was the sound of their screams, crying out for me.

But those cries fell on deaf ears.

There was no time to mourn for them and if I didn’t get to safety, there wouldn’t be any mourning. All around me, the citizens of the empire ran amok, out of their minds, and seeking protection. The remaining guards in the city lead the evacuation while the alarms blared, their ear-piercing tone blasting the one sound that was never heard in all of the empire’s history. With all this chaos surrounding me, the only thing I can think of is reaching Cadance in time.

Just as I entered the city, the mist was already too close to keep it from entering the city but should it go in any further, the citizens of the empire would be lost. The best I could do is to deter its passage. I turned once again and fired up my force field spell, casting it all over the city. It was my last hope but who else would I turn to in the empire’s time of need? Only one other pony could do it but she needed time to get to the top of the castle in order to cast a more powerful magic than mine.

Holding on to everything I held dear, I didn’t let go of reality but as my ordeal went on, I felt my life slipping before me, lapsing in and out of unconsciousness. And then came the grip of darkness.

I don’t remember anything between the time I blacked out and came into subtle consciousness. What I did notice was that I was back in my castle quarters and feeling very weak. Mobility was impossible; even moving my head was already a feat in itself. Vision was impaired as well, being blurry and all. As I tried to make sense of what was happening to myself, I could hear the voice of a familiar pony calling out to me. Her voice bellowed with the sound of sadness as if she was losing something she cared for.

“Please... don’t leave me... ”

A hoof held on to mine; That meant somepony is leaving, maybe for good.

And only did I realize, it was me.

I’ve awoken from another one of those nightmares I’ve been having for quite some time. I guess I still have those bad memories from confronting the unicorn king from a while back. Good thing today’s the day I’d always want to wake up to after a rough night’s sleep.

Hearth’s Warming, the one holiday I look forward to every year. There are plenty of other festivities to enjoy but this one is the closest to my heart because I could spend all the time I want with mom, dad, and of course, Twiley. The snow covered footpaths of Canterlot really brings out the beauty of the town, all white and soft; it really complements the hues of white that the city is known for. Even the castle blends perfectly well with the snowcapped mountain side.

This year, however, didn’t feel like the usual Hearth’s Warming that I enjoyed. This is the first time I’ve spent the holiday with Cadance and it just doesn’t feel complete without my family. I’ve learned to accept this but still, the nagging feeling of being apart from my old home just makes me want to go back. I really want to go but my responsibility is to my kingdom. Cadance does make the experience worthwhile. Aside from having the ability to spread love wherever she goes with her magic, she is an excellent cook, probably at par with Gustave le Grande in terms of pastries.

I strolled through the streets, covered with a thin layer of powdered snow, not as much snow compared to Canterlot, though. I just finished my rounds of checking the empire’s perimeter in case any wild animals ever gone astray and threatened to ransack a small portion of town; the frozen north does have its fair share of wildlife. Today’s shift wasn’t what I’d like to call hard work, the only thing I’ve noticed was a white tiger wandering aimlessly around some crystal spires jutting from the ground just west of the train station. Judging by the color of its fur around its mouth, it looked like it just finished its meal. The one feature that stood out was its right paw; it had something sticking out of it. I stealthily crept up from behind, trying to get a better look at the strange object.

And when it began to lie down, I made my move. I grabbed the tooth-like object from its pelt without getting attacked. That tiger must have been in a calm mood, moving away without even thinking of coming at me; at least, that’s what I thought.

“Hmm... what could this be? Maybe Cadance knows...”

Heading on home, I strolled through the streets of the empire, greeting everypony I passed by. There was this couple sitting by the park, looking like they are in the prime of their lives. I thought about leaving them be, seeing as they were just about to smooch but they saw me and said hi; I returned their greeting with a bouquet of flowers, courtesy of Cadance’s materialization spells. It wasn’t the most useful one she’s taught me, but it’s come in handy in more than one occasion.

Typical of Hearth’s Warming, I’d find myself greeting everyone in the palace and finding Cadance a gift. I’ve been with her for a long time now and I just noticed, I never found the time to ask her what she wanted! Oh no, this is definitely a bad time to go present hunting. All the stores are closed and I’m not the best at fabricating things from scratch, not to mention the lack of training in crafting even the most simple things. Would she like flowers? What about jewelry? Ugh, too much work to even guess what she likes. I guess I could resort to the materialization spell but Cadance knows it so well, she can tell when something’s a fake. Of all the things I chose to forget, it had to be the gift. All I can hope for is that she’ll let it go when I show her that little object I found on that tiger.

I was just by the entrance of the throne room when she was standing by the doors. Cadance, why must you be so excited whenever it’s a holiday? It’s not like your life depended on it.

“Hey there, Shining Armor! Happy Hearth’s Warming!”

“You too, sweetie. I know we should be taking a break from royal duties, why don’t we go out for a while?” Ok, so maybe that little mystery can wait. I think I can stall my wife long enough for me to slowly bring up the topic. I had to think of something inconspicuous enough for her to think everything’s normal. “How about some coffee and fritters?”

“You know, I could always make some for us. It’s no problem at all!”

“Yeah but you could use the break; besides, you should be enjoying yourself on this fine day.”

She thought about it for some time. With her lips pursing and eyes rolling from side to side, I think she saw through my diversion; she’s sure taking a while to decide...

“Oh alright. Why not? Perhaps I should go out and see more of the city.”

Thank Celestia!

We continued our day with some coffee and fritters at the cafe just a few blocks south of the castle. It’s a really small cafe, with most of the seating area outside of the main building, but it definitely serves some of the best pastries in the empire. The fritters alone are already very sumptuous. The atmosphere is simply divine, almost like Canterlot’s; the temperature is just right and the sun was shining ever so brightly. It’s just like the time I took Cadance out on a date at Pony Joe’s donut shop. It was a slow day of work for the stallion but we decided to give him a break and go to his place to get something to eat. I’m a regular at his place whenever Twilight wanted to grab a bite. He even gave Cadance and I a free donut each! With both of us enjoying the little snack, I decided to strike up a little conversation just to get the ball rolling.

“Cadance, do you miss Twiley?”

“Well of course I do. Why wouldn’t I?”

“That’s just it, I really miss her and all those Hearth’s Warming dinners with the family back in Canterlot. It’s the first time I’ve been separated from her during a holiday and, well, it just doesn’t feel the same.”

“Don’t worry about that,” Cadance began. “You may not be able to spend a day with her, but I think I got something that comes close....”

I listened closely and I liked what I heard. I’ve heard of this before and Cadance is definitely onto something. It’s a long distance communication spell, one that allows me to project my image to whoever I’m conversing with. It’s like I’m talking directly talking with the other pony without being physically there. This could come in useful for sending memos to the soldiers in times of war hassle-free.

“This could come in handy. Listen, I’d like to ask you about something. I found it while patrolling the outskirts of the city.”

I proceeded to pull out the object I found from my saddle bag. My wife studied this peculiar object for some time, using her magic to levitate it, rotate it from side to side, and examine anything that seemed out of place. The deep red hues didn’t fit in for something that could easily be mistaken for a rock fragment. What’s interesting to note is that the bottom section appears to be crudely sliced from its source, perhaps with a misused diamond-tipped saw.

“I think this looks familiar but I need to be sure.”

And Cadance’s fun-loving attitude kicked in.

“It’s nothing to be worried about, dear. No need to fuss about this.”

I really wanted to say otherwise but there’s no point arguing over small object such as this. Still, something was gnawing at me, telling me that I’ve yet to see everything. Surely there was something to this mysterious object being present, it’s magical aura pulsating a dark force conflicting with the Crystal Empire’s light.

I can only hope that Cadance is right, that there is nothing to worry about...

Back for Seconds

If I could name a moment where I felt paranoid when things were perfectly normal, this would be it. My heart raced despite nothing being wrong. But that’s just it, something was definitely wrong. That tooth-like object was something I had seen before but I couldn’t put my hoof on it. The rest of the day was about as uneventful as I’d expect it to be even if there was that little outing I had with Cadance. Speaking of which, I’d take it that Cadance thought our day at the cafe was my gift to her. That night, I went to bed thinking only about the events of the mysterious object. It was a quiet night; the crickets were out and about while the townsponies slowly receded back into their homes, dimming the lights and closing the shutters. I thought my concerns would fade as my mind drifts off into slumber; I was mistaken.

Sorely.

These flashes, they’re all so surreal; I thought I woke up in another world. Everything here was just where they should be but the overall mood of this nightmarish world was simply terrifying. Even the air reeked of decay. Though nothing seemed to be rotting, the putrid smell definitely irritated my nostrils. The crystals around me were pitch-black and covered in cracks, the sky a deep gray, and I didn’t see anypony around. Strangely, I can move freely in this place as I normally would back in reality. Maybe I’d find Cadance here?

I moved carefully through the castle halls, always watching my step as I passed through the familiar sights of my abode. There was this faint sound coming from outside the castle, the first sign of life in this alternate world in my dream, or nightmare. I decided to take a peek and I found an eerily disturbing sight. It seems all the citizens of the empire were chained and being brought somewhere. It didn’t look like guards were watching over them but something was telling me that whatever was watching them was also watching me.

And then, a bright flash. I was awake.

All sweaty and confused, I started down to the dining room to meet with Cadance, beautiful as always. She just finished preparing our meal, sending the royal chef out to enjoy himself a breakfast. She noticed that I didn’t fix myself up like I usually would, my gruff and messy appearance being more than enough of an indication. I then felt a sharp pain in my head; strange because I’ve never had a headache after waking up from a nightmare.

“Good morning!” Cadance started with her always cheerful greeting, the same one that I get every day, and one that I will never grow tired of. “You look like you had a rough night. Something you want to tell me?”

“Morning, dear. Didn’t sleep well. Had some bad dreams and well, you know what happens...” I guess crazy is another way to put it. It was definitely a rough night with a horrid dream. My wife didn’t need to know anything more about it. If that nightmare had any connection to the object I found while on patrol, she’d quickly dismiss it as me getting worked up over nothing.

“Don’t worry, Shining, it’s just a dream. I’ve made us some breakfast, maybe it’ll take your mind off your troubles.”

My head was still throbbing with the pains of the previous night. It wasn’t as sharp as it was earlier but I couldn’t keep my thoughts off it. Cadance’s breakfast should do the trick. The usual toast and egg with some hay and clovers on the side, just the way mom used to make them. It reminded me of how long I’ve been away from home that taking a bite out of a familiar dish brought back a rush of memories that have been long forgotten. It felt good.

“I take it that you really like the meal,” the pink alicorn remarked, hinting a subtle smile through her almost expressionless face. “After you told me how much you missed home, I thought it would be nice to give you some reminder of what you’ve missed for a long time.”

After breakfast, I began my usual patrol of the town’s perimeter. I won’t be expecting to see anything unexpected from today’s work after what happened yesterday. The heat of the sun bore down on the blanket of snow that covered the town a few days ago and the town began to look like the time I first saw it. I didn’t get that feeling of being in a new place all over again but it was satisfying enough to see the full beauty of the town.

Nothing out of the ordinary in the west pass; nothing going on in the east. I didn’t come across that white tiger from yesterday. I thought about heading a bit further out into the wilderness, maybe I might find something that could relate to the object I encountered.

I continued down a beaten path, party covered by snow, to a place I thought never existed in the Crystal Empire. It was a bunch of ruins, partly destroyed buildings with hints here and there of erosion on the ground. I came across something that looked like a dresser, and a scroll hidden in one of it’s hidden compartments. I searched the rest of the dresser, looking for any other possible openings but the lone drawer I first came across was the only one I could find. Unfurling the scroll revealed the sight of a language I couldn’t understand, all those sharp curves and sunken dots seemed foreign to me. My guess: a dead language. I couldn’t approach Cadance with this since she is quite new to the crystal pony culture. Guess there’s only one other way to do it, do what Twiley would do: go to the library.

I came back into the town and approached the entrance of the library. Being adorned with crystal griffons, I wondered why the effigies of these hybrid creatures would even be here in the first place. I suppose I may never find the answers to all the questions I have but a little mystery isn’t too bad.

“Good morning, sire!” The librarian greeted me with a cheerful smile as she walked me in. “What brings you here?”

“Good morning to you too.” I replied. “I’m wondering if you have a book about the history of the Crystal Empire, preferably something that has to do with ancient languages of the empire.”

“Ooh, that’ll be tough but I’ll see if I have what you’re looking for.”

The librarian left me standing right next to her desk just by the entrance. I can see that she knows her way around; she didn’t even move from one side of the building to the other, just went to the bookshelf on the farthest end of the bottom staircase and climbed up to the thirty-fifth rung of the ladder to search along three rows of books. It didn’t take her long to find what she was looking for; the speed at which she ran back was enough to tell me she was successful, even if she only has one book in her mouth.

“Here you go, your highness. If you don’t mind me asking, since when did you take an interest in ancient languages and history? I thought your schedule was so cramped that you didn’t have time to go through this.”

“Just something I decided to look into. Besides, knowing your kingdom is a first step to governing it properly.”

In the back of my head, I knew that what I said was absolutely false. I had to get answers but no one would believe me if I simply said learning about ancient history suddenly grew on me; I was never the best in academics back in Canterlot.

“Well, since you’re looking at ancient languages, you’re going to need a guide. Almost no one in the Crystal Empire knows how to read this stuff.”

“You know someone who can read this?”

The librarian smiled back at me and giggled a little bit though she tried her best to purse her lips and cover it up with one hoof just to be sure.

“Of course I do, your highness! You’re looking right at her!”

I was taken aback by her enthusiasm. Considering her age, I’d expect her to know a little bit but never really take the initiative to help out. I guess being a part of royalty entails a bit of support from your subjects.

The librarian opened the book and showed me a chart of ancient languages. On it was the one I had found earlier today. Seeing all the familiar sharp curves on the page, it was definitely the one.

“Do you know what this language is? The one with the sharp curves and sunken dots?”

My librarian guide now pondered, placing her hoof on her chin and stroking it back and forth. I just stared at the page with eyes wide open. My mind was blank but I tried to make myself look interested in it. I really am looking forward to finding the answers I seek but with no knowledge on what I’m looking at, I couldn’t help but feel dumbfounded and empty.

After some time, my guide simply noted down a few things on her notepad that she pulled out from nowhere before giving me her answer.

“It’s not really a dead language as far as I can tell; seems more recent. I’ve been doing a lot of reading lately and I managed to cross-reference a few sources with this language. This dialect is from the pre-conquest era. It was adopted by the king who quickly took over the Crystal Empire and ruled it for almost a thousand years. There is no specific name to this language so it is simply referred to as a pre-modern crystal pony dialect. It’ll take me roughly a week or so to decipher this kind of text but I think I can come up with a translation guide for you in about a few days tops.”

“Thanks. Uh, I didn’t get your name ma’am.”

“Oh, right. I am Agatha Chrystie but you can call me Crystal.”

“Thank you, Crystal. Come stop by the castle some time when you’re done with that translation guide, I’m looking forward to it. I almost forgot,” I said while pulling out the scroll from my saddlebag. “you might want to have a look at this. It was in the ruins and it had the same text as the one we saw in the book.”

“Alright then, I’ll do my best to translate it for you. You can count on me, your highness!”

Crystal walked me to the front door and as I turned around to wave goodbye, I could feel that I’ve given a little life to a common citizen of the empire. Though a prince’s duty lies within the proper governance of his own subjects, it is fair enough that working through the lives of individuals is a step towards success on a grander scale.

For now, I’ve got one less problem on my mind. But still, could there be any links between the mysterious horn-like object I recovered and the writings in the ancient ruins? I shouldn’t be thinking about it. There’s always something good to look forward to and as I made my way back to the castle, I can only hope that there really is nothing to worry about, that everything is fine.

Into the Mirror

Days went by with no word from Crystal; seemed like weeks when nothing important is happening. I had gone about with my usual routines as life went back to normal. The snow covering the streets slowly began to recede, revealing the crystalline roads beneath. It looked like the empire was going to have an early spring just like Cadance said two days ago. Once again, the sunshine bouncing off the crystals made the city sparkle, a priceless gem to the eye of the beholder. In the late afternoon, I stood on the balcony and watched the sunset alone, silently embracing it’s beauty while clearing my mind off my uncertainties and worries. The sound of hoofsteps grew louder as somepony approached me from behind...

“Beautiful isn’t it?” Cadance said, her soft voice piercing the silent air gently reminding me of her presence.

“Beautiful as always.”

“You don’t usually go out to admire the sunset like this. You’ve got something in your mind, don’t you?” My wife already had her suspicions but her intuition always has me on my toes. I couldn’t keep secrets well and she knows that; it’s like she can read my face and know what races through my mind.

I took a deep breath and began to explain, knowing that I couldn’t keep my worries hidden for long.

“You know about that object I found back then?” Cadance shook her head in silence. “Well, I found some ancient text that could provide some linkage to what I found. I don’t know what’s going on here but I feel like something’s up, something’s not right.”

“Shining, I know you’ve been going about this for some time now but I am really concerned. Your attention to these things could draw your focus away from your royal duties.” My alicorn wife slowly raised her hoof and placed it on my shoulder. “I am not the only one in charge of keeping the peace in the kingdom; you, too, are a part of royalty and we can’t keep to our obligations unless we work together. I hope you understand what I’m saying.”

Have to give it to Cadance; it’s good that she is always concerned for my safety but I what I need from her is understanding. She doesn’t know what’s really going on and perhaps we would have the mutual understanding that I need but I don’t know how deep all this is going to get. It would be best to keep her out of the loop for her own safety. I tried my best to set my mind on other things over dinner, which worked quite well. I asked her about her day and what plans she may have to usher in the Equestrian Games once the opening celebration happens. She seemed keen on having Twilight and her friends perform their welcome cheer for everypony along with a few locals backing them up.

With all that had transpired within the last few hours of the day, I tucked myself into bed with the clear mind I wanted. Even if this inner peace only lasted for a while, it will be more than enough to keep my lovely wife from worrying too much about me.

Five days have passed and just as I finished my lunch, I got the news I was, and still am, hoping for. A guard came rushing into the castle’s foyer and greeted me with the message. Accompanying him was Crystal the elderly librarian.

“Your highness, this citizen here wishes to have a word with you.”

“I know, good sir. I’ve been expecting her. If you would kindly leave us be?”

The guard closed his eyes and bowed before leaving. Normally, royal guards would reply but even without saying a word, a gesture of respect is appreciated. I don’t take all protocols seriously; it is something the guards know very well. I turned my attention to the librarian who looked at me, her eyes beaming with excitement.

“You’ve decoded the message yet?” I asked.

“Yes, your highness. It was difficult because some of the text is faded; had to try guessing some of the words. Here, I have the original parchment you gave me and the translated version on this piece of paper.”

I picked the two up using my magic, levitating the scroll on my left while the translation is on my right.

Be warned of things untrue, of world’s reflection is the passage through. Though image is flat, sharp, and crude, taking the path will be your potential rue.

Cast the horn’s power and chant this rhyme: Reveal the path sought for my choice is made, traverse I shall from the world may no longer stay.

The words don’t make perfect sense but it’s better than having a jumbled mess of words that aren’t presented in a rhythmic fashion.

“It’s the best I could make of it, your highness.” Crystal remarked, the tone of disappointment echoing as the sound of her words entered my ears.

“It’s alright. At least we got something. How could I thank you for your time and effort?”

“There’s no need to go about that, your highness!” The librarian exclaimed while backing up to the front door. “Ahem, sorry for that but your satisfaction is more than enough thanks for me.”

“Well, if you say so. Thank you again, Crystal!”

The mare turned her back and was on her way. I stayed at the entrance of the castle for a while just to see her go back home safely. Looking at the translation, I headed to my study and took a second look at it. Surely I could make something out of this.

Warned of things untrue.... taking the path will be your potential rue... This is definitely a warning to start with but what’s with the use of “rue”?

“Worlds reflection? Image is sharp, flat, and crude?” I thought long and hard but the only thing I can think of is a mirror. Consulting the castle library’s copy of “Physics Behind Reflections: A Reference Guide to Mirrors”, a plane mirror reflects anything back as a lateral, virtual image; quality is sharp to the eye when the light bounces off the surface and the image is definitely as raw as it gets. It sounds just about right to me.

Even more confounding was what the chant mentioned; it may not guarantee my return. Now this has become more confusing. What to do? Should I choose to traverse, what would I see and what would become of me? I ended my study about an hour later to ponder upon my choice and hopefully, Cadance wouldn’t notice.

Later that evening, I thought long and hard about what I ought to do next. I could choose to traverse into this “other world” that the text speaks of but what would happen in my absence? And what about Cadance? What would she do when she realizes I’ve been gone for a while? Curiosity got the best of me but I thought about leaving something for my alicorn wife should she realize I am missing. Taking a piece of paper and a quill, I began writing my message by the candlelight in my study.

Dearest Cadance,

Should you find this message, you may have noticed that I am missing. I understand that I should have kept my curiosity at bay and stopped myself from pursuing on my sudden obsession over that horn-like object I discovered. I only ask that you put your trust in me and I assure you, everything is alright. Don’t look for me though because I fear your interference will jeopardize us both. I hope you understand.

Yours truly,

Shining Armor

I carefully hid the note in Cadance’s dresser, piling all of her perfume bottles on top of the note just to make sure she wouldn’t suspect. With this accomplished, I headed back to my study to prepare my saddlebag, packing a few apples, a canteen, and the some bits. I also made sure to take the mysterious horn-like item and the scroll’s translation with me should I require them. Now facing the mirror and taking in a deep breath, I concentrated on harnessing the power of the horn and began the chant.

“Reveal the path sought for my choice is made, traverse I shall from the world I may no longer stay.”

Black aura covered my horn and the horn I held with my magic and shortly after, a purple beam fired from my own and instead of bouncing off the mirror, it passed through. The waves upon the solid plane mirror began acting up, revealing a path through to the other side. Taking one last look at my surroundings, I began my journey to the unknown, closing my eyes and hoping that what I’ve done doesn’t end me in the process.

The only thing I know about the place I’m heading to: it won’t be pretty.

Not in the slightest.

I’ve opened my eyes to a depressing atmosphere. It was dark all around but I can tell I am in my study, or am I? Everything is still in the places where I left them. The clock is still above the door and the window is just on the left side of my table. Unfortunately, the crystals that make up the castle, as well as those that comprised the majority of the empire, are of a deep black finish. Spikes grew from the sides of each crystal spire and a gray mist covered the ground.

I heard the sound of hoofsteps from outside the room but I wouldn’t risk revealing my presence to anyone in this darker Crystal Empire. Immediately, I began to cast an invisibility spell Cadance taught me and stood by a dark corner of the room.

No one entered. Only the sounds from outside echoed into the study. The faint sounds of a mare’s whimpering can be heard, tempting me to go outside but I stood my ground. Just then, a familiar voice said:

“Please... Let me go!”

Reality of the Unknowns

That voice... Cadance?

Surely this is a trap. But what if it isn’t? What if this “Cadance” is a ruse? The warning from the inscription is convincing enough for me to be skeptical about who I’d be interacting with. This isn’t even an interaction with the first pony in this world and I am already being tested; at least, that’s what I think. The voice began to fade and just as it did, I slowly crept up to the door and opened it. Taking a look around, nopony stood watch, a perfect opportunity to discover who is making those noises. I began to follow the echoes, moving left and right through familiar hallways. As I continued on, the voices trailed into a room that I remember well: my own sleeping quarters. But if I’m here, then it must mean that I am facing myself, or a much more sinister version of myself...

I wouldn’t want to move in through the front door, fearing all possible unfortunate fates that lie hereafter. Thankfully, there are other ways of getting in. Back in the real Crystal Empire, my sleeping quarters had a two-way escape route hidden in the closet. This was built in the unlikely event that the castle was entered by hostiles and I would require a quick escape route through a number of possible exits hidden around the building. One of them was situated on the right side of the door.

Feeling around for the button that I hoped was there, I began pressing the crystalline wall. The spike protruding the wall is an unlikely place to try but I pressed it regardless. Interestingly, the door opened and I found my way into the room. The passage was dark in itself but it was designed to keep a faint light glowing should any of the entrances be opened from the outside.

At the end of the tunnel is my sleeping quarters. Through the slits on the closet door, I could watch the turn of events while remaining hidden. On the bed was this alternate world Cadance and some figure standing before her, grabbing her by the hair. I can see the pain the alicorn mare felt through her face, her agony showing through her closed eyes and gnashing teeth.

“... you know what I do to those who try to escape me, don’t you?” The dark entity said to the mare, tightening his grip on her mane.

“Don’t let this happen again or the consequences will be much more dire than this.” He continued without letting the alicorn speak. “I assure you, there are far worse things than me putting an end to you.”

The sobbing of the alicorn can now be heard.

“Y...yes, y...yo...your honor.” Cadance replied with defeat in her voice, now ending her struggle with the entity. She was quickly picked up and tossed to the ground before her captor left the room. I decided to take leave my hiding spot and help her out. Hopefully, she wouldn’t draw too much attention to my presence.

“Hello?”

This Cadance quickly picked herself up and turned to me, fixing her gaze upon my face. She didn’t want me here. Slowly standing up, she crept to the balcony door, holding back her tears with her eyes staring at me.

“Who... Who are you? How did you get in here?” Cadance began. Her face had the expression of both terror and curiosity with the slight hint of sadness, still recovering from her encounter with her captor. Words jittered out of her mouth while her lower jaw superfluously moved up and down, supposedly muttering to herself. I don’t know what she said but she was definitely in wonder and in shock.

“Calm down. My name is Shining Armor and a secret passage brought me here. You wouldn’t believe me if I told you how I got here but if you would allow me to explain...”

Shining Armor? Though she didn’t make a sound, I managed to read her lips and make out my name.

The alternate Cadance lowered her voice and quickly responded “Look, you shouldn’t even be here. Retainers and civilians are not allowed in the king’s quarters. Do you know what he’d do to you if he found out you’re here?”

“Wait, who’s ‘He’?”

“The king! Who else?! Have you been living under a rock all this time?!“

“No! I’ve only been here for ten minutes,” I said, raising my voice. “and I haven’t even explained to you how I got here!”

We both calmed down and took a few breaths to ease our growing tensions. I knew that I had to tell her something but I was terrible at making up stories; I decided to come clean, crossing a pair of imaginary hooves that she buys it.

“I came here through a mirror portal from my own world. I know it sounds farfetched but I have proof-” Only at this point did she realize something was a little off. She’s still looking at me as if she knew me from somewhere. Her eyes still locked onto mine while darting to my hair, coat, and mane. She didn’t say anything but I can tell she noticed something wrong, leaving her mouth slightly agape.

This Cadance quickly used her magic to hold my mouth shut. She stared intently at me once more while tightening her grip on my throat. I first thought that she might have heard something outside but the absence of sound outside ruled out my first suspicions. The alicorn came closer and whispered:

“You are unwanted here. You’ve brought disappointment to your family, to your fellow ponies, and to your princess. I’m going to give you one chance to save yourself; go back to where you came from and never return.”

What is she talking about? I don’t recall doing something so bad that I’ve become unwanted.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, uh..., your highness,” I began, making sure to conceal my knowledge from this alternate world Cadance. “but I’ve never been here before. Unless you tell me what happened, I can’t take proper action.”

The alicorn moved towards the front door. Placing her horn on the door, she used her magic but for reasons unknown, possibly checking for guards. Looking back at me she began once more. “Okay, I’ll take you somewhere safer but you must leave here for good, understand?”

Cadance fired up her magic once more and this time, I can see the pink aura envelop me. I begin to feel lighter and lighter, as if I am going to float away. And if I thought I’d come out of this unscathed, the smell of scorched hair filled the air. Taking a whiff of the unknown surroundings, the burned hair wasn’t what dominated my olfactory sense; the smell of decay that I once encountered in my nightmare became real.

I’m in the empire’s sewer system.

“This is as far as I can get you. The king placed a spell on me that alerted him should my presence outside the castle perimeter be felt. We are under the castle right now so this is still acceptable. Just take the path ahead and look for a yellow stallion, he’ll take you where you need to go.”

“But...” I replied.

“Trust me, you don’t want to be here any longer and you don’t want to reveal your identity to anypony on the surface.” She now began to rush while hushing her voice to near inaudible levels. “You can put your trust in those who are no longer trusted. Now go!”

I quickly turned around, not even thinking twice about saying goodbye to my unlikely aide. Into the darkened path I traversed, casting a faint glow with my magic to guide me. Just like the alicorn said, I can put my trust in those who can’t be trusted. Maybe I can do the same with her? With path unfolding before me, I followed it without hesitation, weaving left and right and letting my light direct me to my unknown destination. The smell of decay grows stronger the further I go but with my safety in possible jeopardy, I held back my urge to give in, only pausing to catch my breath before heading to what I hope would be a safe haven.

At a time when I felt my weakest, those who stood by me were always there when I needed them. Twiley and her friends, mom, dad, and Cadance. Now that I’m alone, I’ve learned to rely on myself, knowing that no one would come to my aid. Strangely, I had a feeling someone, or something, is following me. I keep hearing these quick pauses, or lapses, in the movement of the water. Like waves in a ripple pool, I can feel something disturbing the calm waters whenever I took a breather.

I decided to keep moving, remaining alert to the presence of, possibly, a second figure following me. The crystal empire’s waste management system is relatively new but it reeked of centuries-old manure, who could possibly live in this filth?

Then, a speck of light made itself known. It didn’t look like it stayed put; it was moving closer. I dimmed my own light and used the invisibility spell to cloak my appearance. To further conceal my location, I also used an elevated platform conveniently placed next to me so as to avoid letting the water give away my location.

Unfortunately, I was mistaken.

The light stopped moving just inches before the platform, revealing what appeared to be the yellow stallion Cadance mentioned.

“I know you’re here, whoever you are!” the yellow stallion said, conviction revealing itself with an assertive tone to his voice. “Show yourself!”

Could I really put my trust in him? What if he is a guard who would turn me over to the king?

Risking my life on uncertainty, I slowly removed my shadowy veil, revealing my location.

“Alright! I’m here.”

The stallion approached me and examined my face. He began showing a very displeased look but one that wouldn’t turn into aggression.

“It’s you,” he said with a monotonous voice. “Come with me; I’ll take you to my place first.”

I didn’t think twice and just followed him. For about ten minutes, we didn’t talk, not even bat an eyelash to another. Somehow, I felt secured with him leading me. It was strange but maybe what the alternate Cadance said was making sense, that I can put my trust in those who can’t be trusted. I found myself saying her words over and over again while asking myself if I could trust a stallion living in the sewers.

Something else caught my attention: the alternate Cadance and this stallion both treated me as if they knew me, or at least saw me once in their lifetime. A strange coincidence considering I’ve never been this mirror world until now. The idea of an alternate Shining Armor doing something horrible tugged at my innards and maybe, just maybe, I will be paying for his actions sooner or later.

A crevice in the wall revealed a sight I thought I’d never see: a room but not the kind I’d see. Only one seat, a mattress, a table with a plate, a cup, and a picture frame. And this stallion lived all alone. Now this filled me with fear, what if this also existed in my world? Would it only be him or would there be many more like him?

“It’s not much but make yourself at home.”

“Thank you. If you don’t mind, I have plenty of questions to ask you.”

“Ask away. It’s not like I’m going to hurt you the way you did me and many other ponies.”

I remained silent, now filled with fear while pondering on the reality that I could be facing the repercussions of another versions of myself.

“Just three questions for now. One: who are you, two: how do you know me, and three: why are you doing this?”

The stallion grabbed a sheet and a pillow before turning around to answer my question.

“You did something unthinkable and no one can forgive you for that. At least, that’s how it goes. I don’t know the details but I know you didn’t do it. My name is Caramel, an earth pony from Ponyville.” He sighed for a moment before continuing. “Now I’m displaced and living in the sewers of the Crystal Empire. Same goes with almost everyone living outside the empire, all displaced and living somewhere with unsatisfactory living conditions.”

I scratched my head and tilted it to the right, trying to make sense of what went on in Equestria. So far, it seems my realistic nightmares were showing meg me premonitions of this very day.

“So, was it the king who did this?” I continued with my interest piqued on learning about this unknown world I’m in.

“Yes but not without help. If it weren’t for your actions, things would have gone much differently.”

Caramel turned back to the closet tucked away in the corner to grab a few things but now, the only question that I wanted an answer to is what alternate Shining Armor did. Before I could raise the question, the earth pony began talking.

“You’re probably wondering what you did since you don’t seem to recall...” Caramel said. Though I know the truth that he doesn’t know yet, I continued to play along.

The last things he uttered were vaguely audible but these were enough to leave a noose-like grip on my heart, grasping it tightly without giving me a moment’s breath.

And three words did all of that:

You.

Betrayed.

Celestia.

Building Bridges

Me? Betray the princess? Impossible!

My eyes widened and my jaw dropped upon hearing those words. They say that the truth hurts but this isn't me. Still, if everypony saw me, they would point their hooves at me first and ask questions later.

“I...I don’t understand. How did that happen?”

“I couldn't believe it either.” Caramel replied. “You need to rest up, though. I can’t believe I’m doing this but we’ll need to talk this through in a few hours.”

I nodded my head in agreement but something’s always been bothering me ever since I arrived: with the sky all dark and covered in mist, how could anyone tell the time? For all I know, somepony could be manipulating the day-night cycle and no one would know any better.

“By the way, what time is it?” I asked, wondering if the local stallion had some idea. My question was met with silence. I don’t trust this guy any more that he does towards me. Maybe I’ll find out sometime later...

With feelings of sudden disappointment in my new found companion, I drifted off to sleep, periodically waking up to check on him in case he tried anything funny. But after about thirty minutes, and with all that has happened after arriving in this mirror Crystal Empire, I couldn't help but drift off to undisturbed slumber.

I entered my dream state with sights of the castle. This time was different; I saw a chariot engulfed in green flame just by the castle entrance. Surrounded by the shadows and the mist, the sight of what appeared to be guards fighting their adversaries who were jumping out of the darkness. They all did what they could to survive but it was hopeless, their very bodies were consumed. I can only watch with disdain, quickly closing my eyes so as to avoid looking at this horrid sight. As the mist cleared, only one stallion remained standing but a bright glow enveloped him, blinding me. Before I knew it, I was awake; the flash bringing me back to reality.

These nightmares don’t tell me much and don’t last very long. This one took about three minutes tops and very few details stand out. Apart from all the action that happened, I couldn't pick off any prominent detail that could help me on my unknown quest. They did, however, bring me to this mirror world; this little coincidence may be more of an advantage to me.

Caramel brought me some bread. It wasn't much being only an eighth of a nearly stale baguette split in two for us to share.

“So, you wanted to tell me something?” I asked.

“Yes. We’ll be heading off to another location. I can’t tell you everything but I know someone who can; I can let you in on a few things, though. Ever since the king took over and subjugated Equestria, the whole land was split into territories with the King and the rebels fighting over them.” As Caramel finished, he pulled out a map from a nearby locker and showed me some key points as if he was a general of an army creating an attack plan.

“These boxes here show the king’s outposts and other important locations under his control. You already know of his stronghold in the Crystal Empire. Canterlot, Manehattan, and Fillydelphia are other territories that station a large number of his troops. Areas like Dodge Junction and Appleloosa here are untouched and are now part of the badlands of Equestria; bounty hunters and mercenaries mainly populate the desert environment, setting up camps wherever they can and pillaging supply caravans in the area.”

“And what about these circles?” I interrupted.

“Glad you asked.” The stallion replied, a little more enthusiastic this time but his voice still quite monotone. “These are our areas of interest. These circles show us where the rebel camps are located. Some are scattered throughout the badlands while others are much closer to civilization. Ponyville is the largest, most prominent camp in the land and you’re in luck, we’re going there right now. We’ll be meeting the rebel leader stationed there but I should warn you, she will NOT be happy to see you.”

Someone isn't going to have a good day...

Without the sun to give a rough estimate on the time of day, there was nothing to help me identify the time. There weren't any watches or clocks either. I previously asked Caramel about how he can tell the time but he didn’t know. He tells me that no one refers to time anymore and for a good reason. Everyday is a time to battle; pushing forward or falling back, there’s no letting up when constantly fighting for freedom. Worrying about the time of day doesn’t matter to anyone. The war’s been in a stalemate for about three months and even though both sides show no sign of giving up, the resistance has had some internal squabbles that threaten to tear them apart. The reason behind this? It was because of a reconnaissance mission that ended in disaster. Caramel thinks that I may be able to stop all this confusion and get the rebels back on track.

At least, that’s what he believes in.

We went through an almost unending complex of tunnels, veering hard mostly hard lefts with an occasional right turn until we came to a temporary rest stop. Not everything under Equestria is tightly packed dirt; this was something I’d never expect.

“A minecart?”

“This area used to be an extension of a mine shaft that was never finished. The good news is that this thing’s fully operational despite it never being used by the miners.”

I got on the large steel cart with the yellow stallion following after. Releasing the handbrake, we began our journey. I know that it’s definitely a long way to Ponyville from wherever I am right now.

“How long will this ride take? It isn’t going to be a fast one if we’re going to Ponyville from here.”

“I know,” Caramel replied. “but I didn’t say that we’re going there immediately; we’re stopping at other destinations before we can get to rebel central. Three stops lie ahead before we reach our final destination. We’ll be heading to the town of Stoneborough first.”

“And what will I expect from that area?”

“Lots of thieves. This underground slum is home to both the rich and the poor, both engaged in a love-hate relationship of sorts. The rich rule this area while the poor live off the rich, finding legal and illegal ways of getting through life. The largest rebel-run market is located here; we’ll only stay here to get some food and be on our way. Take it from me, there’s nothing to look forward to in this town despite it being the home to a lot of displaced ponies.”

About an hour in, we’ve arrived in this shady town. Shanties litter the streets just by the almost non-existent station. The market’s bright red hut was an attraction in itself, a contrast from the monochrome grays around the town. Being named Stoneborough can be very misleading since there aren’t any traces of stones anywhere. My stallion guide, Caramel, told me that this town is actually inside an unnamed mountain. Caramel stayed close and acted as a personal bodyguard with eyes watching all around me and my belongings. As a precaution, I’ve also cast a discharge spell and an invisible barrier on my saddlebag that will shock any unsuspecting thieves trying to get my valuables.

The market was the first, and possibly only, stop. Surveying the location revealed much about its deteriorating appearance, having been poorly constructed with rusty metals that are way beyond their prime. Caramel went on and grabbed some hay and daffodils to start. At about five bits for a small bale of hay the size of my hoof, this central hub of exchanging goods is a place where somepony will be exploited more often than not.

“It’s hard to come by such precious commodities nowadays,” the stallion said while approaching me by the corner of the market. “Everypony was well-off in the days before the king’s hostile takeover; now, we’re all struggling to get by another day. Folks don’t trust each other the way they used to but the trust they once had still stays with them.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“No one trusts each other in terms of security but they make sure that someone doesn’t lose a life more than a limb. They need each other to live; the rich run the market and the poor rob the rich. It’s a cycle that these ponies live by and ending a life disrupts that cycle. Morality doesn’t exist with these folks but it puts bread on the table.”

Caramel and I quickly ate our lunch and returned to the station without problem. We immediately left for the next stop.

“Caramel,” I asked. “Are you, like, one of them? Like the denizens of Stoneborough?

“I live by a moral code. Despite the many temptations I had when I first encountered the struggles of the new world order, the values I learned as a young colt kept me sane enough to continue living without deteriorating into a pony without dignity. Most ponies do but Stoneborough is an exception. I don’t know how long you’ll be staying here but once I’m gone, I hope you don’t become a degraded street rat who resorts to crime to make a living.”

I smiled and turned to face the darkness that filled the tunnels knowing that even in this dying world, there is still a ray of light that can pave the way for a new Equestria. If these rebels succeed and are led by ponies like Caramel, there is hope that this world will become just like mine.

“About an hour and a half from now, we’ll be at stop number two: Dimondia, the camp of artisans and blacksmiths. This place is, by far, the best place to stay. Locals warmly welcome those who stop by. Some ponies say that even the best weapons and crafts forged in this camp aren’t as rare of a jewel as the ponies who reside here.”

A feeling of satisfaction coursed through my mind as I smiled subtly, thinking of bringing this king to justice. The alternate Cadance didn’t feel quite at home back in the castle and deep down, I know she wants to escape her living nightmare. Maybe I’ll find a few ponies in Dimondia who could help me rescue her. With the wind beating at my mane and its sound entering my ears, I muttered words that continue to resonate into my mind:

I will come back for you...

Familiar Faces

The sound of rusty steel tires screeching to a halt entered the tunnel network of Dimondia as the minecart stopped at my current destination. I got off the vehicle and was met with an eager salutation, just as expected.

“Welcome to Dimondia!” said a cheerful, white mare. She looked a little more pale, though. “Right this way please.”

Caramel appeared to be fixing something in the minecart but I went ahead, figuring he knows the area better than I do; I followed the mare to who-knows-where. We moved through the numerous wood and straw and steel huts around town, some of which were the blacksmith huts that the town is known for. Heat and noise dominated the town’s ambiance. The clanging of metal against metal is one sound that I would learn to deal with. Along the end of the winding path was a little scrap metal hut with a lone stallion working inside. Strangely, this stallion shouldn't be here in the first place.

I approached the hut and took a peek at its occupant. While I wished it could be somepony else, I was wrong.

Prince Blueblood?

The once famed prince of Canterlot now works as a blacksmith. Soot covered his hooves and the sight of multiple scars all over his legs reveal much about his past without even asking him. I walked in, wiping sweat from my forehead, and approached the stallion.

“Prince? Is that really you?”

The stallion looked up from his workstation and faced me with bloodshot eyes, an indicator that he has been at his work for quite a long time now and hasn’t gotten enough sleep.

“Not anymore, boy.” he replied. “Look at me! All this dirt and muck! Eughh!” He stopped to wipe some sweat off his forehead with a dirt-stained handkerchief. “Still, if this... job is meant to put some bread on the table, it’s better than nothing. By the way, it’s just Blueblood now. The title of prince is long gone. ”

“How did this happen?”

“After Celestia was betrayed and the king invaded Canterlot, Equestrian royalty disintegrated, displacing myself and Aunt Luna. I wasn’t paying much attention to the specifics but I heard that somepony from her envoy betrayed her and sided with the King. Oh when I find out who did it, I’ll make sure to make him pay his debt to Equestria ten times over!”

I decided to keep my knowledge from him. He sounded threatening enough to scare me. I’ll definitely stay far away from Blueblood for a while.

“Hey!” a voice sounded from the entrance, calling my attention. I turned around to see Caramel standing by one of anvils placed by the entrance. “We’re going to see somepony important! You don’t want to keep her waiting!”

I quickly turned back to Blueblood, gave him my thanks for his time. He didn’t seem interested in me anymore as he nodded his head before resuming his work. I walked outside to meet with my guide and we were off once again.

We didn’t talk for sometime. Aside from the occasional head scratching and nose picking Caramel did, we didn’t engage in anything meaningful. All he said was that we were off to see somepony who is really close to the leader of the resistance. At the end of a long stretch of elaborately constructed blacksmith workshops on the elevated portions of the camp, we reached the foundry, the central hub where mass production of weapons and armor took place. Just outside is a unicorn mare looking very unhappy to see me.

This probably isn’t going to end well...

I slowly approached the mare, following my guide. Seeing her made me feel both relieved and uncertain. I know this pony well but she doesn’t know me.

“Madam,” Caramel began. “this is the stallion I found stranded in the Crystal Empire. He wants to find out what happened to Equestria. I think his memory’s been wiped clean or something.”

“Normal breathing, a few bumps, no broken bones... I say, you’re one lucky stallion,” said the mare, grabbing my hooves, pelt, and other body parts as if she was running a routine inspection back in the corps. “You look familiar... but anywho, I’m Rarity, the mare in charge of Dimondia. And you are?”

I can’t reveal my true identity to her. Need to think of something fast!

“Umm... i..it’s Blue.”

“Blue?” Rarity raised an eyebrow. What the hay?! I think I just blew it! Who would call their child Blue in the first place?!

“I’d rather not tell anyone my real name,” I continued. “I just go by my nickname.”

The mare simply shook her head.

“Well, Blue, if you’re looking for a place to stay, you’re more than welcome here in Dimondia. You could also choose to go to Ponyville but it’s quite rumbustious there because of the constant chatter of rebels arming themselves for battle.”

“Thank you for your hospitality, ma’am but I’m only stopping by for a little while; I’m actually on my way to Ponyville right now.”

“Well in that case, you could, at least, rest for a while, good sir. If you need a place to stay for a few hours, you’re more than welcome to accompany me in my quarters and maybe, I can answer some of those questions you’ve been wondering about.”

I can’t deny an offer from somepony important. This is Rarity I’m confronting and with my knowledge from my world, it isn’t right to keep a lady waiting.

We travelled along the stony roads that lead to a manor overlooking most of the large camp. Along the way, Rarity offered to tell me about Dimondia’s history. Though times are difficult in this alternate Equestria, her generosity shines through, even with the simplest of acts.

“Dimondia didn’t start out as a hub of blacksmiths and artisans. See, all this didn’t exist until everypony was forced into a new life of hardship. A lot of talented architects and miners decided to excavate an empty cave and found a large complex hidden underneath it. The complex was used as a sanctuary for ponies who didn’t want to get involved in the rebellion but as time went on, everypony was instructed by Celestia to do their part in defending Equestria. Soon enough, the first miners and carpenters made this whole town in a short period of time and was able to train enough ponies to set up the first guilds. These guilds grew and grew until all the guilds decided to share their secrets with each other and the whole population of Dimondia became specialists of multiple crafts. Today, we each do our part in helping the resistance by providing weapons and armor and the resistance leader, a good friend of mine, entrusted me with the camp itself.”

An interesting history lesson summed up in just under five minutes. I don’t see why history classes back in Canterlot had to be an hour long.

I followed the unicorn to a hut much larger than any I’ve seen in Dimondia. It has that dull look that was prominent in Stoneborough's identically constructed slums but the inside was completely different; it was like a castle built with parts salvaged from many industrial blowers. Still, the expertly crafted ornaments that filled the manor's interior made it feel less of a junkyard.

I found myself a seat on the mare's stained satin couch while my companion stood by the living room's sole window. Rarity came in with some water in transparent plastic cups. I took one and had a few sips to relieve my thirst.

“So,” Rarity began, “what do you need to know?”

“First, what happened to Equestria? How did all of this start?”

The unicorn mare made her way to the window opposite Caramel and closed her eyes, possibly thinking of the best way to explain a turn of unfortunate events.

“The King, who currently resides in the Crystal Empire, did all of this; forced us ponies out of our homes and taking all of our lands. It began with his attack on the empire itself, taking Princess Cadance, the would-be ruler of the empire, as his hostage. With a foothold in her domain, he used that as a launching point for his conquest on Equestria. City after city fell with many ponies either living under martial law or fleeing to the countryside and setting up small pockets of resistance wherever possible.”

“And what does Shining Armor have to do with all of this?” I asked, careful of my use of words. Anything I say from here could blow my cover.

“Shining Armor? He... betrayed the princess, the rebels, everypony. Reports say that a small group of rebels went on a reconnaissance mission to the Crystal Empire while protecting Princess Celestia’s envoy. The princess was ambushed and all of her guards mysteriously disappeared after an unknown attacker raided the group. Celestia disappeared too, leaving her jewelry behind in the area they were attacked in. A second group from Ponyville was nearby and found a stallion on a hill overlooking the group and suspected that he cast the spell. All members of that group said Shining Armor was to blame because he wore a gilded lavender suit of armor exactly like the stallion wore. I don’t know the whole truth but I like to remain unbiased to speculation until further proven.”

Looking back to the previous nightmare, I found myself in that very same situation but not all the events happened the way Rarity explained them. A stallion was in the group that was attacked but survived and I was the one standing on the hill in the nightmare. What the hay was going on?

I stood from the stained couch, now determined to find answers from a different source. I thanked Rarity for her time and walked out of the room. Strangely, Caramel was staring at me with a scared look while following me at a distance. Rarity accompanied us out of her abode but stopped us on the way out.

“You can’t take the minecart to Ponyville,” Rarity said. “you will need to walk the rest of the way there.”

“Alright then.” I replied, turning around once more and resumed my journey. One little detail about the town bothered me, though. As I left the town and saw my first glimpse of the dark, dystopian environment, the smoke rising from the ground didn’t show any sign of an underground camp despite being the complete opposite when seen from the other side.

Surely there was something strange about Dimondia. If the top of the foundry was jutting out of the ground, then why hasn’t the King’s army attacked the camp? With a smokestack rising at least fifteen feet from the ground, it shouldn’t be difficult to locate this area. I definitely need to ask Caramel about this when we stop at Ponyville.

Ponyville wasn’t too far away now. With the town hall’s roof just within sight, a short stroll through the barren dirt road passing by Sweet Apple Acres will get me there in no less than fifteen minutes. Caramel lead the way, this time, silently. Unlike the previous trips, he didn’t make note of any important changes to the town. I kept this in mind but didn’t prioritize it; there are other things to worry about.

The empty fields of Sweet Apple Acres were the first things to catch my attention. Each field had rows of withered corn plants and apple trees didn’t bear fruit. Not a single leaf was present on those deep brown branches. As I moved on, the first houses of Ponyville were derelict and in poor condition. Roofs partially caved in on the top floors and windows boarded shut were a common sight among the houses along the town’s perimeter. Even from a distance, I can see what appears to be Sugarcube corner, or at least, what’s left of it: broken roof, shattered windows, smashed appliances, and even missing walls. It really makes me wonder why ponies would continue to live in a place like this.

“You wouldn’t like what’s coming,” Caramel said, his voice now monotone. “Everypony here won’t be happy to see you and you know it.” Caramel dashed off into the distance without warning, leaving me with a grave warning and a problem to deal with on my own.

A grave warning indeed. As I walked into the town, everypony who saw me either shut the windows and locked the doors in fear or followed me at a distance, armed with torches and pitchforks. All this commotion stirred up the whole town and at the foot of the town hall’s staircase was the ironclad leader of the resistance.

With eyes wide open as if they were about to pop right out of my sockets, I was caught by surprise when the leader stepped forward to greet me with a very dissatisfied look on her face.

“Finally come to turn yourself in?” said the resistance leader, taking off the helmet and revealing her identity.

Twiley?

I didn’t get a chance to respond as she walked away, raising her right hoof just as she turned around. I was quickly picked up and carried away by armored earth ponies wearing makeshift armor.

“Wait! Let me explain everything! You don’t know the truth!”

And she turned around to look in my direction.

“Oh you’ll get your chance to explain, alright. We’ll see if anypony will side with you.”

The Ways We Struggle

They say good things come to those who wait; that didn’t happen. It just came to me and I didn’t ask. Never did it cross my mind that darkness in one’s heart can occupy a pony as innocent as Twilight Sparkle. Luna, no longer a princess, toured me around the town. Ponyville was in shambles and if given the chance to take a look at the Ponyville of my world, I can tell things would be very different.

“As you might be aware of, The King is relentless in his attacks on the numerous towns around Equestria. He’s taken over every major city and has done so with ease. He usually attacks towns head-on but that isn’t what I’ve been hearing lately. Some ponies believe that he has changed his approach. He assimilated the inhabitants of each town, subduing them with fear. All the cases I’ve seen had one thing in common: ponies were afraid of leaving their homes. They call it the Fear Plague, local doctors call it a controlled pandemic, and I call it magic-induced trauma. Anypony with a healing spell can fix it right away but to heal properly, everypony affected needs a continuous dosage of medicine called Antiagora. Unfortunately, it’s a scarce resource that is only found in the Crystal Empire.”

Luna and I arrived at the Ponyville hospital and as we entered the premises, the sight of ponies on stretchers and beds lined in the hallways reminded me of the last time a similar situation happened. It was back in medic training camp where I experienced what it was like to work in a field hospital, even if it was just a simulation. This was the real deal, though. The sound of ponies writhing in pain and crying in agony filled the air. Nurses ran back and forth, grabbing supplies and checking up on the many patients in the facility.

The doctor in charge of most of the patients was Dr. Stable, a gentlemanly stallion who carried himself with pride and confidence. Even with a great many ponies lined up seeking medical attention, he looked eager to have them checked up; at least, that’s what Luna told me. But now, he isn’t in the mood for a warm greeting. In fact, he was working on a stallion that just lost his leg and is losing lots of blood. The crimson liquid was pouring out of its artery and the nurses were doing their best to keep the patient stable. Blood sprayed uncontrollably for a few seconds, covering the large circular window of the operating room with the red liquid. I watched the commotion of the bustling operation while Luna simply waited outside the operating room for hours on end until Dr. Stable emerged, bloodstained and tired.

“Doctor,” Luna began. “How are the patients doing?”

“Not good. Aside from the usual cases of Fear Plague, we are getting an increasing number of decapitations. Last patient I worked on needed to have a prosthetic leg and a transfusion. Seven bags of blood were needed but his vital signs are still unstable. Don’t know if he’s gonna make it.”

“Thanks for the update, doctor. I’ll check back later.”

“No problem, Luna. I’ll do my best to keep these ponies alive. Twilight wouldn’t like a rising death toll.”

Everypony interred in the hospital was in great pain; their screams pierced my ears and all I could do is imagine the pain they are afflicted with.

The two of us left the hospital at a casual pace but the unsettling thought of how these ponies obtained those horrific injuries disturbed me.

“Luna, if you said The King subdues his enemies with fear, why do those ponies have serious injuries?”

“I… I don’t know. The King never did this before. It’s unusual for him to inflict life-threatening injuries and decapitating ponies like that. On another note, we are going to a place where ponies who aren’t drafted into the army are doing their part in helping the resistance.”

It was an unusual idea: ponies fighting when they aren’t exactly fighting in the resistance? I found that hard to believe…

The second place we went to was the local schoolhouse. Nopony was around but that was what everypony wanted an outsider to think. The real school was actually underneath the building. With a quick look at the back of the building, the doors to the underground room revealed the headquarters of the Foal Free Press. Ponies of all ages were crammed in the room and at the far end was the mare that stood up for me.

I slowly approached her. Though I didn’t want to interrupt her, she already noticed me enter and casually ended the class.

“It’s a good thing class ended on time,” said the mare.

“I didn’t mean to interrupt your class, ma’am. I just wanted to say thank you for what you did back in the town square.”

“Don’t mention it; the name’s Cheerilee by the way.”

We took a seat and exchanged looks. It was silent for a while but I broke the ice. It’s not normal for me to feel a little attached to a mare other than Cadance but I felt a little tingly inside.

“So, what’s with the classroom set-up here? I don’t recall teaching being illegal in Equestria.”

“But that’s just it,” Cheerilee said. “The only things that can be taught are all about the King. All that nonsense about him being superior and almighty… From what the scouts have been seeing back in the Crystal Empire, there’s this cult that has recently sprung up called the Order of the Eternal Shadow. Not much is known about it but its members are suspected of teaching the only legal doctrines that all conquered ponies are forced to learn. The order treats The King like a deity. It isn’t right and we need to step up and do something about it, even if we aren’t directly solving the problem.”

“So, why do you do this? I mean, it doesn’t seem like you are putting down an entire army with education.”

Cheerilee turned to me with a slightly angry look on her face, her teeth cringing within her mouth.

“Why do I do this? WHY DO I DO THIS?! Simple; because someone has to! You may be a soldier but education is a powerful weapon. Ever heard the saying ‘the pen is mightier than the sword’? You may prefer to fight with pitchforks and magic but education can transcend multiple lifetimes and even if the war is won but The King’s doctrines survive, the battle is already lost.”

Cheerilee paused for a moment and began to breath heavily. I tried to help her calm down but she regained her composure just as fast as she lost it.

“Sorry about that. I’m just very passionate about what I do and winning this war means the world to me. Can you promise me one thing? That you’ll win this war? Not just for my sake, but for everyone’s.

I paused for a moment to think this through. I initially thought that I wouldn’t be staying in this world for long but the more I learn about this place, the more I am compelled to stay. Deciding on this matter is tough and I’m not sure I can stay true to my word. As much as I wanted to avoid making the difficult choices, I had to say something to Cheerilee.

“I promise.”

Cheerilee smiled.

Great, Shining Armor! Keep your promise to her the same way you promised to return for this world’s Cadance. Better not break these or you’ll be in for a lot of trouble!

“If you must know,” Cheerilee said, “even when I’m not out there in the field, I am still doing my part in this revolution. A war can’t be won with just weapons and brute strength. It’s also about preserving the identity of those who wish to persevere. A cultural battle is at hand and you are more than welcome to join in. Otherwise, you can head on back to town hall and prepare for battle or if you want to know of other ways to help out, you can go to the house at the corner of Stirrup Street and Horseshoe Avenue. Speak to Octavia; she’s as passionate as I am about preserving our culture. Theatre, music… she’s got all of that covered. I’d love to stay and chat but I must prepare for another lesson later today. I should get back to my duties.”

“Thank you for your time, Cheerilee.” I said, smiling. It wasn’t a feeling of attachment I felt. I just needed to relieve myself of a little bit of guilt. It wasn’t right if I can’t thank somepony who helped me. I expected worse from Ponyville but I’m proven wrong. Now I realize that not everyone is needed out in the battlefield. Each pony has their role in the battle whether they are directly involved or not.

Luna was waiting for me by the exit. There was no need to call for my attention as I was already on my way. Strangely, Caramel was still missing. Something’s up with that stallion…

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw something - somepony with my saddlebag! I had completely forgotten about that but seeing that pony walking around with my things made me feel angry. Nopony takes my things and gets away with it!

I gave chase to this unknown pony, leaving Luna behind without saying a word. I heard her scream something repeatedly but I didn’t hear it clearly. I was only concerned about getting my stuff back.

The pony was a stallion, judging by his gruff stature. He ran like an athlete but I gave chase; my extreme conditioning helping me catch up to him. We weaved through the town, turning into alleys and running into tight corridors. He showed no sign of fatigue, picking up the pace when he slowed down.

I activated a duplication spell to have a copy of me follow him while I diverted from my route, hoping to intercept him elsewhere. The dark pathways weren’t helping me find my way around and having no knowledge of Ponyville made things worse. I had to resort to pure instinct and logic to catch the thief. As I ran, I began to deduce his area of destination based on the direction he is travelling.

The thief started his run into town from the schoolhouse, ran to the remains of Sugarcube Corner, and suddenly changed his direction to Sweet Apple Acres. From there, he could leave the town and be gone forever. Thankfully, I am capable of seeing what my duplicate can see. He now turned back towards the town and was heading to the center of town. Now, I can move in to intercept.

Town hall is the place to go. It’s a landmark clearly visible from any point in the town and I hid in a lemon stall, preparing the catch the perpetrator. Just as expected, the thief has made his way into the town square and I was ready. I pounced at him, grabbing his legs and suspended him upside down with my magic. The thief was wearing a jet black mask to conceal his identity. Obviously, the only option I had here was to remove it.

“Caramel?!”

“I…I don’t know what came over me. I had this sudden urge to take your things and I’m… I’m really ashamed. It’s like something took over my body. I assure you that I would never do such a thing. I”m sorry; I need to go now.”

I let my guide go and took my stuff back. Everything’s still intact. the horn, the incantation, a few small bales of hay from Stoneborough; nothing out of place. Good thing Luna was approaching the town square. At least I didn’t have to look for her. Caramel ran off, quickly brushed past Luna and knocked her to the ground. I ran towards the alicorn and helped her back up.

“Sorry, Luna. I don’t know what’s gotten into him.”

“It’s no problem, Shining Armor,” Luna said, closing her eyes and turning her gaze elsewhere. “There’s one more place I need to show you. If we see Twilight there, we must talk to her.”

As much as I dislike this world’s Twilight, Luna had something in mind. Twilight’s already angry with me and yet we have to speak with her?

“Why?”

“Where we’re going is a place few dare to speak about. Everypony knows about it but nopony is comfortable with bringing it up in a conversation. You’ll understand why when we get there.”

The Everfree Forest. Many myths have spawned from this mysterious place since it first came into existence but a lot of these have been debunked. It’s a safe place now. Back in my world, Twilight told me that a zebra friend of hers named Zecora lives there. I wondered if I could meet her in this world as well. But it’s not the friendly face that got me thinking. Back in the day, Equestrian royalty resided in the castle that is now in the forest. Then, it was the place where the Elements of Harmony were hidden. Wherever I was going, I had this feeling that the alternate Twilight would be there waiting for me. Now I’m less comfortable of meeting her with my hatred for her steadily growing since we first met.

And I’m sure she feels the same way I do…

The walk felt like an eternity. Endless rows of trees as far as the eye can see… Still, the forest is known for its many hidden treasures be it a place or object. Luna and I have walked for a while now and I suddenly have the urge to stop and rest. It’s not that I’m weak but after what has happened, the strain on my leg muscles were taking a toll on me. I allowed myself some rest under a leafless tree. Luna, on the other hand, went ahead but came back every now and then just to ask if I was ready to leave. I felt worried that I was wasting her time but every time I apologized, she would reply with “that’s okay” or “take your time”. I never got to know Luna back in my world but I would love to do that one day; it was something I planned on doing when I get back to my world: to see how similar or different everypony is between the two worlds. Now, I just wonder if I can even return home.

As I sat under a tree, I began to take everything I’ve learned into perspective. The King is the whole reason this war happened, almost everypony thinks I’m responsible for the murder of Celestia, and the resistance is slowly losing this battle. What then is my role in this turn of events? Surely I’ve been brought here for a reason and Luna hasn’t told me that yet…

“Luna,” I started, grabbing my companion’s attention. “I’m ready to go but first, tell me everything. You told me that I was brought here for a reason and I still don’t know why.”

Luna closed her eyes and hesitated for a moment.

“You know those items you used to enter this world?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m the one who brought them to you. My magic can be used in a different dimension but it really drains my energy. I brought you here because I was afraid everypony would lead themselves to their own destruction. With my sister gone and Twilight doing a terrible job of keeping everything together, I had to get help elsewhere. If it’s somepony who could knock some sense back into her, it’s you.”

Now a mixture of emotions ran through my head. My face couldn’t decide what expressions it should show. I’m angry at Twilight, I’m disappointed that I’ve been brought here, I’m sad for my family and friends back home, I just can’t think straight anymore. Anger boiled deep within myself and I was about to burst. I was never meant to be here and yet, here I am, needlessly suffering for the crimes of the alternate Shining Armor that I don’t know. I gave Luna a look of disappointment and without saying anything, I trudged back to Ponyville. Luna tried to say something but she would stop after saying Is, I’ms, and sounds I couldn’t tell.

“Look,” Luna said, “I will take you to Twilight because I need to show you something important. Please, allow me to show you something nopony would show you. Maybe it could shed some light on some of your unanswered questions.”

I reluctantly followed Luna but deep down, I had plans of ditching her the moment we arrive at the place she wanted to take me. The first sign she takes her eyes off me and runs her mouth, I will leave; no remorse, no regret, when morality tugs at my very being, this uncertainty will be ignored.

And yet, Caramel’s words echoed...

That voice goes on and on about morality, about how this world is falling apart with everypony resorting to criminal acts, especially back in Stoneborough, and about how he hopes that I would remain true to my good nature. A friend who I’ve come to trust in the most unlikely place and time...and yet he has fallen to the temptation. Twilight’s no different. Even when she’s got the heart to lead Equestria to freedom, she’s only made Luna, and possibly Celestia, feel ashamed; it makes me feel ashamed. The more I walked, the urge to abandon a new friend takes its toll on me; I can’t turn my back on her... But when I get there, to the place where she’s taking me, I’ll have to stand firm on my decision.

Fifteen minutes and twenty-three seconds later, the ruins of a castle made itself known. No turrets, no drawbridge, just the remains of a kingdom once ruled together by regal sisters. I’ve seen this back in my Equestria but not like the way it presents itself in this world. Gravestones cover the grounds leading up to the castle ruins, mausoleums line the sides of the cliff that the old castle stood on. As I continued to traverse the rugged path, I see names of the ponies whose lives were taken, probably because of the war. Their epitaphs say much about them; they were those who had families, taken away from them because Equestria needed them. One more gravestone lay underneath a lone willow tree by the edge of a cliff, isolated from the mausoleums. Along with large gray stone was Twilight Sparkle.

Luna nudged me; it was quite hard for something meant to grab my attention, though.

“Go on,” she said. “She needs somepony’s shoulder to cry on.”

At first, I hesitated, fearing the response she would give me. I had a feeling she would give me the cold shoulder or some snide comment. I cautiously approached her anyway because she needed somepony to be with. But in reality, I just went to her because Luna told me to do so.

While Twilight is the the main concern, something else caught my eye but I had to use a magnification spell to confirm my suspicions. That gravestone has the names of ponies familiar to me. Now I understand... I stared at those names for quite some time. Even when I’m at a distance, I can still read those names and Twilight doesn’t suspect that I am behind her. The stone read:

Twi igh Velve nd Nightli ht

Belo ed m ther and fathe

The text is already incomplete with the names and the words underneath them already missing a few letters while the rest of the text is completely unreadable but as is with the other epitaphs, the writings would’ve talked about them doing something for Equestria’s fight for freedom or something they can be remembered by. Right now, I couldn’t help but shed a tear; even if these ponies aren’t my real parents, the feeling of deep sorrow penetrates my heart. Twilight noticed me crying just a few meters away and now I was convinced that it was the right time to join her.

Together we looked at the gravestone, my hoof on her shoulder. She didn’t resist. Instead, she pressed her face against my chest, letting her true feelings out. She cried beneath my coat and I can hear her screaming, if not barely.

It was a feeling I truly missed from my Twilight Sparkle back home. For once, I didn’t feel indifferent; it’s like my true sister was right beside me. It was a feeling that changed me, more than anything this war could have ever done.

I stroked her mane and closed my eyes, still unsure about what I should do to comfort her. I’m at a loss of words and as much as I despise this Twilight, there could still be a way to change this...

The Stormriders

“You weren’t supposed to see me. Not like this,” Twilight said, quickly sulking back her tears after letting out a fountain on my coat. “I’ve shown you too much weakness but know that what just happened doesn’t change anything, traitor. You may have the best intentions at heart but I can’t forgive you for what you did to my teacher.”

Luna approached, her hoofsteps slowly getting louder and louder with every step she takes on the concrete path. “Calm yourself, Twilight. He’s here to help us.”

“And what good will that do? For all we know, he could turn on us like he did your sister.” Twilight turned back to me and continued. “As for you, you’re not needed here so do me a favor and GET LOST!”

Suddenly, all those thoughts about me getting along with Twilight were shattered. I guess some ponies aren’t worth giving a second chance. The sad truth about this Twilight is that she’s hardheaded with a good reason. She’s right; Luna brought me here to help straighten out this whole revolution thing but I didn’t even plan on going to this alternate world. I’m not needed here and I plan on leaving. Maybe I should’ve abandoned Luna, abandoned Caramel, abandoned everypony in this forsaken place because this war they’ve gotten themselves into is their problem. Why should I care?

Luna and I watched as Twilight trudged off, grunting and muttering words to herself. For a moment, I thought Luna was holding back the urge to shed a tear. Never thought I’d see the day a princess cry. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw another pony sitting by a grave. She was a little orange pegasus filly with a purple mane. I excused myself from Luna’s presence and walked up to her, curious as to why she was here alone.

“Hello there. Are you alright, little one?”

The filly sulked and kept quiet. She looked at me for a second or two before turning back to the grave.

“My name’s Sc...Scootaloo.”

“I..I’m sorry if I startled you, Scootaloo,” I said. “Is there anything I can do for you?

“No. Thank you for your concern, though.”

I turned my attention to the gravestone and read the writing on it.

R.D.

The greatest flyer to come out of Cloudsdale

I don’t know who this pony is but with the way the filly was just looking at the grave feeling sorry for herself, this pony was someone dear to her.

“Why are you here, Scootaloo?”

“I just want to pay my respects to somepony I idolized. I should be going home now. Bye.”

Scootaloo turned around and walked away. Poor filly, her family must be worried sick with her right here in the graveyard, cold and alone. Luna approached me. Turns out she was watching me from a nearby willow tree.

“I’m sorry,” Luna began, “I thought Twilight would listen to me this time but maybe we can talk to another pony who could be of some assistance to us. If Twilight won’t listen, then maybe her second-in-command will.”

“Who would that be?”

“Spitfire.”

There was nothing eventful during the return trip from the castle-turned-graveyard in the Everfree Forest. I was silent, reflecting on my purpose in this world. With conflict stemming from the rivalry between Luna and Twilight, I began to doubt the princess’s words. If I am so important in changing the course of this world’s fate, then why is it that everypony is trying to kick me out? My only method of escaping isn’t even working even when I did everything the way I did before. It’s as if I’m destined to remain here forever. Even moreso is the possibility that Luna is lying about what she said and that she plans on keeping me here. Maybe she’s got some sort of sick plan waiting to unfold and that she is collaborating with the enemy. All that is left to speculation for now until I can find the facts to support those claims.

With those thoughts aside for now, I’m wondering about Spitfire. Is she working alone or alongside the Wonderbolts? From what I know back in my world, she always brings her team with her whenever performing and, I guess, when working on things outside her job. She’s a strong, confident mare but based on what I’ve seen so far, she wouldn’t consider taking on an army alone. She will need the help of those who are willing to stand against the tide.

Cloudsdale is nowhere to be seen. The mist has covered the entire view of the sky so much that all I can see are dark clouds. Feels like it’s nighttime but visibility is as bright as day. It’s strange how the weather is untouched by the influences of the shadowy presence in the Crystal Empire and its anonymous ruler. Supposedly, the King commands the mist and yet he does nothing about the weather. I guess the most ruthless of rulers have no time for something as petty as rain or sleet.

Luna asked me to stop walking and take in the surroundings. We’re standing outside Sweet Apple Acres, well...what’s left of it anyway. No crops, no apple trees, even the barn is dilapidated. “Do you see this, Shining Armor? Outsiders will simply call this place Sweet Apple Acres but to those who are knowledgeable, this is the headquarters of Twilight’s elite operations unit, the Stormriders.”

I’ve gotta admit, that’s a cool name but Twilight’s private group of soldiers? That’s already making me jealous. I was the captain of the royal guards back in my world’s Canterlot but to be honest, having a group of soldiers do dangerous missions at your command is something worth bragging about. Much more than having superiority over an entire army of security guards wearing armor meant for show. Still, I have the utmost respect for the guards who keep Canterlot safe and that same respect goes to whoever bears upon their shoulders the duty to free Equestria from The King’s tyranny.

I can’t say that I know what farm life is like. Never have I expected to even walk in an apple orchard and the farm that belongs to a prominent family in Ponyville. The main attraction wasn’t even the farmhouse itself, it’s actually the basement. What is up with underground hideouts, anyway? It makes me wonder if every house in Ponyville has a basement that harbors rebels.

Walking down the staircase, a steel door blocked the way. Bulkhead latch, rusty rivets, sliding peephole... all the necessary items that make this door appear like it was salvaged from a ship are in place. My alicorn guide knocked on the door and, as expected, the peephole slid open, revealing eyes.

“Storm clouds are rolling in again,” said the unknown pony.

His voice... a 23 year old stallion? It’s a good estimate.

“Yes, but the sun will shine tomorrow,” Luna replied.

The door swung open and I get a firsthand look into the headquarters of an elite secret operations unit. I bet Celestia would never request the creation of a team of guards tasked with carrying out operations that nopony would know about.

Some say that there are instances where the fate of the world is decided upon by a group of individuals. This dark, gloomy, dirty room is as close as I can get to the real thing. As I walked in, eyes began locking on to me, following me, and watching my every move. These ponies know as much as Twilight does and with the way they are looking at me with suspicion, I can tell they aren’t happy to see me. A bright yellow mare with an orange two tone mane approached Luna.

“Do you know what you’ve done, Luna?!” exclaimed the yellow mare. “You’ve compromised Twilight’s orders! Our mission is in jeopardy with him in our presence!”

“Look, I know who he really is and he isn’t the traitor that Twilight told you about. Believe me, the Shining Armor you know of is different from this one.”

“And what does that mean? They look the same to me.”

Luna sighed. “It’s complicated but you need to trust me, he can help us. If we are to have a chance at freedom, we need his help. He was in the Crystal Empire and escaped unscathed so he knows the ins and outs that allow us to secretly enter The King’s castle without detection. Twilight will know about this sooner or later and she won’t be happy but it may be our only shot at winning this war.”

Wait! How did she know about that?! I don’t recall telling Luna anything about my experience in the Crystal Empire... She’s hiding something.

The yellow mare remained silent but her face still had signs of anger. Eventually, that anger cooled down as she walked around the room. Towards the door and back to the windowless room, she just walked and walked. After about a minute of walking, the mare approached me, the look of disappointment still evident on her face.

“As much as I don’t want you here, I’ve got little choice. The name’s Spitfire, leader of the Stormriders and Twilight Sparkle’s second in command. So, Luna tells me you’ve got a way to bypass the King’s defenses with a secret passage that runs underneath the Crystal Empire. Mind briefing the team about that?”

Everypony gathered to the table at the center of the room. It’s nothing much to look at, really. Worn down mahogany with portions chipped off; I felt like I could get a splinter just by putting my hoof on the table. Aside from concerns involving splinters, the rest of The Stormriders waited for my input on the situation. They seemed eager enough to listen to what I have to say despite their uncertainty. They have no reason to trust me, I get that, but right now, Luna needs me to get Twilight on her side. I can’t mess this up despite my slightly overwhelming worry that Luna is hiding something from me. I’m still uncertain about pushing through with the decision to help the ponies of this world especially after what just happened back at the cemetery. Still, they need me and I am a soldier of Equestria, sworn to protect ponies anywhere as long as I’m needed. That’s the oath of a royal guard made before Princess Celestia and Luna; whether I’m sick or tired, my duty is never over until it is truly over and right now, my duty is calling me to do what is right.

I approached the table and just as I did so, Spitfire pulled out a map of Equestria.

“Alright,” I confidently began, “the access point is directly below the castle. A sewer system runs underneath the entire empire and the entrance to the castle is located in the largest underground ditch. To reach this sewer system, we’ll need to use the abandoned underground railway running through the towns of Stoneborough and Dimondia. Don’t worry, I know someone who can take us there.”

Spitfire thought for a brief moment. Silence dominated the room’s atmosphere and everypony present just stared at the map. They would occasionally stare at me but would look back at the map again.

“Sounds good,” said Spitfire. “We’ll need you to go with us down there but not now. It’s too early to stage an attack. Twilight will need to know about this. Maybe your plan can be used in conjunction with hers. She said that all able-bodied rebels will assemble outside the Crystal Empire and we’ll storm the castle together. It’s very risky but catching the enemy by surprise will reduce the risks, even by just a little bit.”

Spitfire then called the rest of the ponies in the room with just a hoof gesture.

“By the way, you should meet the rest of the team: Soarin’, Fire Streak, Surprise, Fleetfoot, Rapid Fire, and Misty. There were eight of us but we lost one a few days back during a reconnaissance mission in Canterlot. The mist prevented her escape so we all assumed she didn’t make it. I always tell myself that she isn’t gone forever but as time goes by, it seems like she isn’t joining us again.”

What Spitfire said brought me back to the events that transpired in the graveyard. The grave Scootaloo was sitting by... could that be the pony Spitfire’s talking about?

“Stay here, Shining Armor,” Spitfire said, now in a more calm voice. “I need to have a word with Luna and my team. Won’t take long.”

“Take your time. You know I’ve got nowhere else to go.”

She’s a much calmer now than she was earlier. Maybe Luna was right about this. Everyone left the room in an orderly, military-like fashion. Quick and quiet, no fuss; just like the royal guards back in Canterlot.

I took a seat at the far side of the room. Despite the bright light, the corner I sat in was a stark contrast. As I made myself comfortable, I felt a sharp pain in my flank. Along with that, blood. The thick, crimson liquid dripped into the cracks and flowed into the crevices of the dry dirt floor with the trail ending at some shards of glass.

Strange...

There was a photo next to the glass. A broken frame made of wood was there as well. I picked up the photo and found the members of the Stormriders. Seven members total with the right-hand side of the photo torn off, only revealing the right hoof of another member. The eighth member, perhaps? On the back side of the photo were the words that I know all too well with some added text:

Semper Fidelis.

For Celestia and Equestria.

Down with King Sombra!

Sombra... Had a feeling he’s the whole reason behind this. Now I know; it all makes perfect sense. The horn, the crystals, the shadows, everything points back to him. The last time I encountered him was back in the Crystal Empire where he prevented me from using my protection spell. Twilight and her friends managed to stop him but in this mirror world, it looks like Sombra actually won.

The bleeding didn’t concern me at all. I brought a first aid kit to address the wound. What concerned me, though, was the photo and the writing. They had the information on Sombra but everypony in town refers to him as an anonymous figure. Why would the Stormriders hide this information from the public? Why would Twilight hide this information?

I dressed my wound, applying some disinfectant and covered the open wound with some bandages. After this, I turned back to the corner where I found the photo. Underneath some crumpled candy wrappers and a mound of dirt was the corner of what appears to be a file. I unearthed the object and the words “Classified” and “Operation Iron Hoof” greeted my eyes. Opening the file revealed a world of information that nopony else would be entitled to look upon. Background information on King Sombra, a map detailing his conquest, and images of known accomplices, myself included, were found in the compilation of documents. Also included was a very conspicuous letter entitled “Project Juggernaut”.

Nothing could have prepared me for this; the letter talked about a last-ditch effort to put down King Sombra for good. It involved the use of an enchanted suit of armor that only selected ponies were allowed to wear. It sounded like a good idea until I reached the attached amendment. I was one of the ponies allowed to wear the armor but an asterisk got my attention. A legend conveniently placed at the bottom of the document revealed a note of some importance.

*Switch engages thirty minutes after user activates armor.

What switch? What in Celestia’s name could this switch be used for? The document was written by Twilight herself, complete with a signature and a stamp of her cutie mark. Luna walked back into the room alone, the Stormriders nowhere to be found.

“Explain this!” I exclaimed to Luna with anger permeating from my voice while I slammed the documents on the old mahogany table. “You still haven’t told me everything I needed to know and this is something I need to know! And how did you know about the secret passage underneath the castle?!”

Luna closed her eyes, breathed deeply, and began.

“I saw what happened to you in the Crystal Empire with a visual reflection spell. The crystals showed me everything you went through. As for Operation Iron Hoof, Twilight was desperate to keep things under control after the murder of my sister. She believed that without Celestia, she needed to assert her power to keep the rebellion alive. To do that, she needed the remnants of the Wonderbolts to make herself known as a capable leader and the vast resources of the Canterlot archives to help her secure her place as leader of the revolution. Don’t ask me how she got those resources, though. I haven’t the slightest idea.”

“And what about Project Juggernaut?”

“A suit of armor was to be created by the blacksmiths of Dimondia using rare metals that would render the suit almost unbreakable. It would then be enchanted with powerful magic that only Twilight and I can provide. An almost unlimited source of magic would be granted to the user but from what I know, only a few individuals are capable of handling that much power. That list contains the names of those who can wield the power of the suit: Celestia, Twilight, myself, and you.”

“So what’s with the note about the switch activating when I wear this suit?”

“I don’t know. As for the suit itself, only one was successfully constructed and Twilight requested that it be hidden for everypony’s sake. Should that suit fall into the wrong hooves, the rebellion would be a complete failure. Everything we fought for will all be for nothing.”

An uneasy look was evident on Luna’s face. She was looking at the door and back at me for a while. No only that, but she was also sweating, the droplets slowly moving down her deep blue body.

Suddenly, the door swung open. A loud banging noise accompanied the door being slammed shut by the individual who entered without even touching the door itself.

“You!”

“Twilight?!” Luna and I simultaneously exclaimed.

“I’m sorry! I tried to tell her-” Spitfire said as she quickly entered the room.

“Shut up, Spitfire! As for you, what are you doing here, Luna?! Why are you showing him confidential documents?!”

“Look, Twilight, I can explai-” Luna attempted to get Twilight to calm down but she was cut short by the rebel leader.

“There’s nothing to explain, Luna! I thought I could trust you but it seems you are also an liability to the resistance. You’re no different than my brother, if that’s what I should even call him. I’m sorry, Luna, but you left me no choice. Guards!”

Twilight’s call saw a large number of guards enter the room. They shackled us to heavy lead cuffs and we were all teleported to a prison cell. The damp, dirty atmosphere of this place made me feel insecure. The walls appeared to be hewn from the rocks of a mountain as I touched them to be sure of my location. As the guards left, the lead shackles were left on and some sort of hard metallic cast was placed on my horn. I attempted to undo my shackles with my magic but it was all in vain. I couldn’t cast any spells that could help me out of this situation.

Twilight was at the door, furious with what had happened. Her eyes were bloodshot with a deep red tint that implied a genuine hatred for Luna and I. If only Celestia were here to see this. Only she would have known how to calm Twilight down. Twilight used her magic once more to slam the cell door shut. I turned to Luna to see if she was alright. I always wondered if princesses shed tears. Normally, they wouldn’t show any sign of weakness but this time is different. Right now, I can tell Luna’s defeated - no - devastated.

The dead silence of the cell was deafening but I heard the sounds of soft sobbing. The words: “I’m so sorry” echoed throughout the room. Luna...

I can’t say that I can truly put my trust in anypony now but the genuine sorrow that the princess showed was enough to convince me to stay for good. No holding back this time; everypony wants something more than anything else and that something is freedom. But for me to give them this freedom, I first need to be free.

Suddenly, the floor began to swirl with the mist. The almost unseen shadows began to creep up on me. I know they’re there, the faint light from the lamp outside the prison cell guiding me to their location. They all came together to the door and blocked the light from outside, concealing the chamber with darkness.

I then heard the sound of laughter. It was sinister in nature. It can only be one pony I know.
The faint sound of a scream from outside the cell was heard. A somewhat high pitched shriek followed by numerous screams permeated the air. Even Twilight's scream was heard as well.

Luna began to scream. I turned back towards her and began inching my way to her but the lead weights held me back. Before I knew it, she was engulfed by the shadows.

“Luna!” I called to her.

Now my body began to feel light, almost as if I was about to float, only I wasn’t floating. The cold grasp of the shadows grabbed onto my hooves, then my legs, then the rest of me. I saw myself fade from existence as my body began to disappear, being eaten by the shadowy force that also devoured Luna. At last, my head was the only thing left and it, too, was swallowed whole.

With all that done, there was nothing.

Nothing but the pitch-black beyond and the sound of silence.

Face Myself

Swallowed whole, freezing my flank off, and floating in empty space; just what I had in mind when I decided to step through the mirror. The blackness of this unknown place faded away and revealed my surroundings. Crystals... Jagged spires, cracked surfaces, and distorted reflections are just the start. Before me, Luna and Twilight, both lying on the ground unconscious and the source of the shadows sitting atop a jet black spire.

“You!” I screamed, attempting to get his attention.

“So, you’re the one I’ve been hearing about,” said the darkness. “Shame, I was expecting much more; you’re less imposing up close. Don’t worry, though, I’ll make sure you aren’t a nuisance any longer.”

“And exactly how do you know who I am? I don’t think we’ve met before, King Sombra!”

The king looked at me seriously for one moment, squinting his eyes and grinding his teeth as if he were ready to blast me with his magic. He then chuckled.

“I have my sources. And mind you, they’re much closer than you think.”

Things were getting stranger and stranger the more I stood and stared at Sombra. My legs felt numb and my gaze was locked at his shadowy figure. Only when I broke free from his hypnotic trance did the environment change to a much more disturbing sight. It was the Crystal Empire but it wasn’t quite like it. The ground was a crater with buildings slanting to the center where the castle stood tall and proud amidst the destruction. With it’s razor-sharp crystal tips, the mythical green flares that I’ve only heard from the accounts of Starswirl the Bearded lined the tops of the now imposing and intimidating structure.

The ground shook with great intensity and spires sprang out from below me, encasing me in an unbreakable prison. I used my teleportation spell to get out but I was always sent back in. Left and right, I was back where I started. My world’s Twilight told me about how Sombra’s magic was capable of things normal unicorn magic couldn’t do. Space was distorting around me and yet everything is right where it should be. The scenery changed into a dark prison cell. I don’t know where I was but the crystalline bars that kept me secured are still in place. I don’t recall seeing a prison anywhere throughout my travels across my Equestria but seeing myself stuck in a cell makes me concerned about the freedom of this world. Along with that, Sombra’s words also left me worried. Sources. His sources. Somepony’s been watching me. There were plenty of suspects but all that would be sorted out later. Right now, escaping this prison was my priority.

Luna and Twilight were locked in my cell, along with a fourth pony. White coat, blue mane, and a broken horn... wait, this may be the proof Twilight needs to see to prove my innocence. I needed to make sure this pony is alive, though. I went over to the body and began examining it for vitals. A pulse, a breath, anything that could give me an indication of life was what I was after. My hoof ran through the seemingly dead body and just as I reached the nape and around the neck, my wish was granted. The first vital signs - a pulse! It was weak but I can calm down knowing my innocence can still be proven. I called to Luna who was just waking up.

“What is it Shining Armor?” Luna said, rubbing her head with her hoof.

“You need to see this! Look familiar to you?”

Luna examined the body, her eyes focused on the body then back at Twilight who just so happened to be getting up. My guide was silent as if waiting for something to happen.

Twilight then approached me, eyes still blood-red with anger but this faded quickly when she saw the body. Her mouth was agape. Using her magic, she turned the body over and judging by her surprised looks, I guess she had a lot of apologizing to do.

“I... don’t... ugh!” Twilight began, tapping the stallion’s right cheek with her hoof. “Can you hear me? Are you alright? Just groan, or blink, or... just do something! Anything!”

There was a soft grunting sound.

Twilight smiled and hugged him. It makes me feel jealous especially after getting the cold shoulder back in the graveyard. Still, I’m happy things started to lighten up.

“Tw...Twilight?”

“Brother? Are you alright?” Twilight replied.

“Yeah. I guess...” said the duplicate. Or maybe I was the duplicate. I think I should be called the duplicate now since this isn’t my world.

“Who’s this?”

“I’m, uhh... you. Well, not really you but...” I said. “I know you’re confused about all of this but I’ll gladly fill you in on the details later. Right now, we gotta find a way to get out of this cell.”

“I know a way,” said the Shining Armor of this world, “but you’ll need to use the kind of magic only Sombra can perform. He wouldn’t want anypony escaping so easily.”

“And how do you know this?” Luna asked.

“I’ve seen him do it a couple of times. He’s been personally bringing captives in and out of the prison. I’m not sure if his magic works like regular unicorn magic but it’s worth finding out. Luna, can you replicate his magic?”

“I’m afraid not. Maybe Twilight can?”

There was no need for a reply. Twilight already had the cell door opened and was waiting for us in the hallway. Shining Armor then gestured for Twilight to come in once again, no words spoken.

“Shouldn’t we be getting out of here, brother?” Twilight asked.

I know we should but now’s not the time. The guards will be coming in soon. Best we can do is wait a few hours because they’ll be here a while. No use sending ourselves to death row because of a failed escape plan. We wait.”

Twilight turned back to the door and closed the cell.

Everyone gathered around the stallion and sat. We all took his advice to heart and just waited.

“How did you end up here, Shining Armor?” Luna asked. “We haven’t seen you since you disappeared a few months ago.”

“Funny story. I was taking a break from a scouting mission just outside the Crystal Empire when I got knocked in the back of the head. I should’ve been paying more attention but that’s pretty much it. After that, it was just plain horrible. Sombra tortured me, pushed me to my limits, wanted to see me break. He threatened to attack Canterlot and get mom and dad. He told me he’d do terrible things to them. I called his bluff but I really don’t know. Is mom and dad alright?”

Twilight looked uneasy. She couldn’t look at her brother. She just stayed silent and looked at the ground, squinting her eyes for a moment before closing them as if she was at the graveyard.

“No,” Shining Armor briefly paused. “Tell me, Twilight; are they alright?”

Twilight looked at her brother, this time her eyes glinting with tears running down her cheeks. She quickly embraced her brother and sobbed. Luna and I watched, helpless as the two now shared a common discomfort. I wouldn’t know the first thing to do if I ever lost mom and dad. I couldn’t help but think of disturbing images. Images of mom, dad, even Twilight and Cadance. My family. And all of that taken away...

“Is there anything else you’d like to let us know, Shining Armor?” Luna began. “We’ve been hearing stories of you attacking fellow rebels. Does my sister’s death remind you of anything?”

“Celestia? She’s... dead? No. No no no no no no! It can’t be. All I remember was that Sombra broke off my horn and forced me to drink something. After that, I remember nothing. He once said he needed me for his so-called science project but I have no idea what it was or what it would do to me.”

My duplicate attempted to get up on his feet but dropped back down hard. For a moment, I thought I heard the unsavory sound of rib cracking on impact with the ground. My ears wished they hadn’t heard it. Twilight and Luna quickly came to his aid and propped him up on a nearby wall. Luna then proceeded to the door to keep watch while Twilight spoke to him. Probably catching up on all those times they have been separated. The lack of sleep was already imminent but only now did the feeling of fatigue get to me. My muscles strained, my head throbbed violently... all that stuff happening at the same time. Considering that we’d be here for a few hours, I drifted off to sleep, hoping that the vivid nightmares from before would finally end.

They didn’t.

Now the images were more detailed. And disturbing. One moment, I saw Celestia’s crown covered in deep crimson blood. Another, a vortex shrouded in shadows with a figure standing directly below it. The third one had the silhouettes of ponies of various races, all summoned before King Sombra, with purple and green eyes as if they were under his spell. And finally, the sight of Ponyville in ruins with three ponies standing atop the ash and debris. Their colors were faded but some hint of a spectrum was on one of them, while the other had a faint yellow coat. The last one was pale. The rest of their bodies were covered in a blurred black veil of shadows that I can’t penetrate. All these dreams were only in my head and yet they’ve all proven something true. So far, Celestia’s murderer was identified; the method is still unclear, though. These were lucid dreams and they can show something everyone’s been missing out on. The last of the images proved to be too much for me to handle. Sombra’s horn lit up revealing his face, then the rest of his body. A spear raised above me, soaked in his aura. With one swift move, he jams the spear right into me.

“NOOO!!!”

Luna was at my side looking confused.

“Are you alright? Something bothering you?”

I looked around and I see Twilight and her brother still at the corner.

“Not really. Just a bad dream.”

The air seemed stale without the wind blowing against my face, even while laying down. With each passing morning back in my world, the sunshine didn’t wake me up, it was the cool breeze of the north that would pick me up. Getting used to it was one thing but getting used to waking up with a cold sweat only a nightmare would give is something else.

“Shining Armor,” Luna said, “those dreams... how long have you been having those?”

“Not long ago. Even before I arrived, I’ve been having some but the longer I stay here, the more terrifying they get. You’ve got something to do with this, don’t you?”

“No. I may have the ability to enter one’s dreams but I haven’t been doing it lately. With everyone focused on the revolution so much, no one’s been getting enough sleep.”

Across the cell, Twilight and Shining Armor are still in conversation. Though faint, the sounds of subtle sobbing and reassuring tones pierce the empty void of the cell. With Luna and I silent, we simply listened, hoping to find some reassurance for ourselves as well. Right now, we all needed something to pass the time and with morales so low, every bit of strength we can muster up for the time being will be a blessing.

“... it’s not your fault brother. We can’t be sure if you really did all that.”

“But Twilight, I’ve been seeing myself in those situations. Every time I go to sleep, those... things, they just keep coming back. Last time I had those nightmares, the voices kept telling me I did it. I’m sorry but I just can’t get back on my feet with those voices reminding me of what I did. The only way I see making things right again is if I have to wipe myself from existence. What’s the point in living if all this guilt will keep things from going back to the way they were.”

“And what is the point of dying? Ending this now won’t make things any better for you. For us. What would mom and dad think? Brother... we need you to come back.”

“I... I’m sorry, Twilight. I need to be alone.”

Twilight approached Luna and I, head bowed and eyes closed. Her hoofsteps echoed through the cell. Quite deafening but at this point, any sound that breaks the deafening silence is welcomed.

A defeated Twilight came to rest by my presence, seemingly tired from talking with her true brother but still had that look of uncertainty. An uncertainty that was concerned for him. I can tell she was feeling this way; back home, Twilight would do to the same thing when she doesn’t know how to react to a situation. She’d have a glass-eyed stare that looked at something once, stared at me, and quickly turned to look at something else.

“What do you think, Luna?” I said, staring at the other Shining Armor. “You think he’s telling the truth?”

“I’m not sure at all. Most dreams are usually conceived by whoever is dreaming them unless something is influencing the content. Fears, for example, have a very powerful influence on the dream and can often put weak-willed or timid ponies on the defensive, sending them to the parallel “nightmare” dreamscape. There are times when I enter other ponies’ dreams and I can converse with them, helping them overcome their fears. This one doesn’t seem to follow the rules of the dreamscape.”

“And how does that work?”

“When ponies begin to drift off into slumber, they usually enter the blissful dreamscape. I call it ‘Elysium’ as most would associate it to peaceful dreams. When some anxieties come across the dreamer, they are often placed into a median world where they come to terms with whatever is bothering them. From there, the dreamer can either return to Elysium or enter the nightmare dreamscape. At that point, I will enter the dream to ensure the dreamer can recover. There are some exceptions, though. Ponies can instantaneously enter the nightmare dreamscape if their worries overwhelm them but the source is always from themselves, not from another.”

“Can you do something?”

“I can go into his dreams and see what’s bothering him. I have a good feeling King Sombra had something to do with it. We’ll need to wait, though; I can only enter his dreams if he is asleep and we still need to worry about getting back home. I’ll have all the time I need to investigate once we get back to Ponyville.”

“Understood,” I replied. “Shining Armor, it’s been a while now since the patrols came by, is now a good time to move?”

My other self, still groggy. was propped up and waiting by the cell door.

“Now we move. Follow my lead; if we keep our heads down, we can escape through the underground tunnels. They’re not far from here and I doubt Sombra knows about these escape routes.”

Shining Armor moved through the gate, already unlocked by Twilight moments earlier. Luna and I followed close-by. The shadows were our allies now as we moved through the eerily silent halls past the currently empty cells. One can only imagine the kinds of torture Sombra put his prisoners through. In one cell, bones litter the floor with a lock of red hair and a blue feather tucked away in a corner. In another, some rotting foodstuffs on a cracked plate. Couldn’t tell what it was but I was sure it was something I would never eat. The walls were strewn with the edifices of the king himself, posed in numerous gallant stances that make him more of a hero than he really is. Then again, there is that cult Cheerilee mentioned a while back. Talk about a serious god complex...

Guards roamed the halls in pairs, patrolling every nook and cranny there is. We nearly got ourselves caught twice when the guards came out from a room next to a Sombra statue in a niche but Twilight cast a cloaking spell on us just in time. Well, it’s technically a spell that would affect the guards by preventing them from seeing us but it’s a cloaking spell nonetheless.

“We’re coming up on the tunnels now,” Shining Armor began after minutes of stealthily bypassing security. “Keep close and we’ll be out of here without a problem.”

It was a silent trip to Ponyville from the underground tunnels. The minecart, though cramped, served its purpose well. Good thing there were other carts lying around. Shining Armor would occasionally touch the remnant of his horn while Twilight was fiddling with a clear crystal shard she pried loose from our cell’s wall. Luna kept to herself with eyes closed the whole trip. I took the liberty of commandeering the cart and eased it through the underground railway system. Ponyville was still the same; same dilapidated building facades, the same gloomy faces roaming the streets, and the same suffering that permeates from the overall atmosphere of this once glorious town.

I arrived at a run down shanty set up just along the outskirts of the town; Sweet Apple Acres was just a few steps away. Twilight joined me as we bade Shining Armor and Luna farewell for the time being.

“I know it isn’t much but make yourself at home.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I replied. “This? My new home? Aren’t there any run-down buildings in town that can function as a makeshift house?

“Look, you may be used to whatever luxuries you have back in your world but this is my reality. You accept whatever is given to you as a blessing. Either that or you can sleep out in the rain considering that it can rain whenever the clouds fancy. Your choice.”

I remained silent. Twilight walked back towards the town and I turned my back on her to face my new home.

“Oh, and I expect to see you in the hospital in a few hours,” Twilight added. “We have matters to discuss.”

A blanket, pillow, and mattress and a pillow was all there was to see; it’s nothing like home but it will have to do. Twilight was right, the rain could pour at any moment and just as I lay my head down to rest, the loud thumping of the raindrops on the crude aluminum roof kept me up for some time.

Something did bother me more than just the sound of the raindrops. The escape. It all felt too easy.

The Fallen Star

Hospitality wasn’t on anyone’s minds at the time. The hospital’s been overrun with an increasing number of injured mares and colts and no one’s got the time to give you the time of day. All this alone time has finally made me see how much I have to look after myself. Consider it lucky I even met Caramel, even if he’s been acting strange recently. Haven’t seen him since that little incident in the town. As for this world’s Shining Armor, he isn’t a light sleeper. Luna tells me she’s had some luck trying to discover what’s causing his nightmare lapses. Unfortunately, luck can only get one so far...

Twilight hasn’t arrived yet; it was a perfect opportunity to get some answers from Luna.

“How’s he doing?” I asked just as I encountered the once glorious princess of the night in the congested hallway on the uppermost floor. Her sweat evidently rolling down her cheeks and neck suggested something much more sinister than I had expected.

“He’s capable of returning from the nightmare dreamscape without my assistance every now and then but, I’m afraid he may not come back if these relapses continue. I can only do so much to discover what is causing his nightmares but from my last visit, it seems he is affected by dream magic, the kind that my sister warned me about.”

“And what would that be?”

“There’s no real name for it because it was an unfinished spell Starswirl the Bearded intended to create. He never wanted it to do what it does now. In fact, the spell’s effect was meant to create blissful dreams. After much testing, Starswirl felt that the spell would be too dangerous if it were finished so he left it as it was. My sister said she destroyed the only copy of the spell. She was clearly mistaken.”

And it appears that I, too, might be under the effects of the spell. Or it may just be a side effect of a mirror version of myself experiencing the effects. Either way, something had to be done for our sake. If he doesn’t return from his nightmares, I may not have long before I succumb to something worse.

Just as expected, Twilight came to check on her brother. I was about to take a seat by the door until it swung open and nearly smacked me right on the muzzle. I quickly sidestepped to avoid the door. Seems Twilight still dislikes me; didn’t even look back to see if she caused any real damage. It was just to my pride but I just kept telling myself “She isn’t my sister.”

“Any luck finding out what’s behind my brother’s nightmares?” Twilight asked, still sounding like a pitiful young woman looking for comfort. It was real back in the prison but here, it was far from genuine.

“Dream spell meant to induce nightmares,” Luna replied. “It seems Sombra implanted these into his mind and he’s influencing the dreams. I can go back again right now and see if I can shed some light on those confessions he made back in the prison cell. If my hunch is correct, the spell on your brother is making him believe he committed the crimes.”

“No luck so far, huh? Look, if you can’t get his head straightened out, you’re gonna need some assistance. Let me go in there.”

“I’m afraid I cannot let you go-”

“I. DON’T. CARE! Get me in there or so help me I will-”

“Twilight!” I screamed. The whole room fell silent as all attention was now focused on me. Twilight didn’t look so happy. Then again, when was the last time she looked calm or happy? We both heavily breathed, our sinuses were temporarily rendered useless as hot air flowed in and out through our mouths. Time halted for hours on end with nothing to break the silence.

“Sorry,” I continued. “Look, Luna isn’t done yet. Let her finish first before you start making decisions. I know you are concerned for your brother but I want to help you. I think my nightmare lapses are related to his. I need some answers, too.”

Twilight turned her attention away and attended to her brother. Strange, though. I thought my screaming would’ve woken him up. She was still silent and possibly ignoring me. Couldn’t tell what she was feeling with that estranged look on her face.

“I’m not asking you, Twilight.”

“Then you will follow my lead and will not ask any questions,” Twilight answered. “Luna, you were saying?”

“I cannot let you go alone. If both of you plan to go, then I will go with you. The nightmare dreamscape is a realm of unknown dangers and the creatures that now reside in his realm are not like anything you have encountered before. They will test you the way they tested me and if you fail, you will never wake up again. Do you understand?”

Twilight and I nodded unanimously.

Time was of the essence. The way Luna ended was ominous enough to give me chills but if we were to get some answers, then there was no time to lose. Luna closed her eyes and her horn glowed with a distinctive shade of midnight blue. That same magical aura emanating from her horn surrounded everyone present. I began to feel drowsy, my joints giving out from the sudden surge of weakness. Eyelids were now feeling heavy and the strange sight of miniature stars flitting in and out with the brightness of the room’s light fading away. And all that felt like a minute long.

If I could make a description of the dream world, it would be like standing on Cloudsdale without ever getting off the ground. It was just plain, green fields for miles on end with the bright morning light embracing my skin at just the right intensity. The prickly heat bounced off my skin and, though irritating at first, the cool wind took those worries away. Luna and Twilight were standing on nearby hills, taking in their surroundings with wonder. After some time, the three of us convened at another hill.

“So...,” I began, “does the dreamscape always appear like this?”

“No; they shift based on the emotions of the dreamer so no two dreamscapes appear the same. If we continue down the path these hills create, I believe we can reach the nightmare dreamscape and find your brother. This status of bliss is only temporary.”

There was no path to begin with, just an endless stretch of hills extending all the way to the sun-drenched horizon. A haze of green that was both relaxing to the eyes yet painful to the mind. They say you can’t have too much of something good; I knew that feeling all too well.

Luna led us through this so-called “path” along the hills. Seeing was really believing in this case because soon enough, a deep brown path emerged from the green field, cutting across two parallel rows of hills. Dirt was one thing but to see the sudden growth of saplings as the path continued to make itself present was another. Saplings grew and grew, covered in vines and more just kept growing. I recall reading about some parasitic plants from one of Twilight’s biology books she sent me and it looked like these trees were in for a rude awakening. The parasites wrapped their trellises around the quickly decomposing bark and joined in the lightning-fast cycle from life to death. The leaves didn’t fare any better with their bright green sheen turning brown and their moisture quickly lost as the parasite’s grip thightened, sapping them dry. Along with the sudden shift from day to night, this was the first transformation to the nightmare dreamscape. Well, at least this was it for now...

“Be vigilant! The creatures may be on their way!”

“No need to remind me, Luna,” Twilight replied.

Indeed, the trials have already begun. Three wooden doors stood adjacent to each other and to us. Nothing special about them other than the chipped paint and splintered sections in various places. They’re just like those segmented doors typically found in Ponyville. The typical response was for one to enter one door and hope for the best.

I took the door to my right and found myself back at Ponyville, the Stormriders’ headquarters to be exact. I couldn’t believe it; why here? My eyes searched the room for anything inconspicuous but there was nothing out of place. I took one step forward and there was an invisible wall in front of me. Strangely, this wall was ice cold and upon closer inspection, my reflection was visible. It then materialized in front of me but it’s horn was missing. It was me but not me at the same time. The base of the horn was still present but it was jagged, like somepony ripped it off at the same time. My clone then began morphing into a grotesque parody of myself. Hooves appeared on its back, its coat began to shed, and its face appeared on various places around its body. I was taken aback when the razor-sharp claws protruded from its extraneous body parts. One set in particular was pointing to me while another pointed to a shadowy figure making itself known in my presence.

Turns out this figure morphed to Rarity. She’s sitting just right before this creature, unfazed by its presence. She didn’t even bother looking right at it or at me, if she could see either of us at all.

Sounds of buzzing then entered my ears. Endless buzzing as if the foul creatures were there yet they weren’t. Well, eventually they showed up and they were some of the nastiest things I’ve ever seen and even worse in a swarm. They creatures continued to buzz angrily but now the faint sound of a voice was growing louder and louder.

...Li...i....r...Lia....Liar...

...Liar... Yes... you... The liar...

My face was pulled directly towards the faceless creature before, nearly jerked off my neck but even with that extreme force, it seemed to repeatedly drag its claw on my chin in an unusually calm manner.

“Liar? What are you talking about?”

Remember her? Your lies will come back to haunt you, Shining Armor... Not me, but her... and you gave her your word...

“Quiet!” I said, pulling back from the creature. “What are you?”

The liar... The one who broke a promise... Everything you are and much, much more.

“I was brought to Twilight’s reality to save them. I had to stay alive! I had to, you understand?! I HAD TO!”

Then you didn’t mean what you said to her? Oh you will be in so much trouble... If I let you go now, you’ll never know what it’s like to be her. All your pain would be gone if you just told her the truth.

“I know what I did!” I grabbed a stool nearby and faced the creature. I continued to taunt me as I stood my ground but I couldn’t stay unfazed. My breath continued to get heavier and heavier as an invisible weight compressed my chest, releasing deeply inhaled breaths of stale air. He cornered me to the far wall and his claws neared my throat. I felt the cold steel of his claws run by my cheek, slicing through a thin layer of skin.

“I... I... Do your worst. I deserve it.”

The creature backed away from me and used one of its claws to scratch its head. It was at that moment I realized that without true exposure to the greatest pains and hardships, I was nothing more than a wreck waiting to happen. From that point on, I broke down, silently confessing and weeping for unfulfilled promises and lies that will continue to haunt me should I hold out longer. For the first time, I truly felt broken, defeated. Nothing meant more to me than retribution for my failures and as the creature reared up to strike me down, I dropped the stool and welcomed the feeling of having my soon-to-be brazen chest ripped open. I’d see the crimson blood trickle down my hind legs while the rest of it burst forth and it would be a beautiful sight. Nothing more could be more beautiful than such a sight. From there, my eyesight faded.

“Shining Armor... wake up!”

The sound of Cadance’s voice trailed for some time before it grew louder. I saw her before me grabbing me and shaking me rigorously. I struggled to get myself back together but then the sight of another pony chiding me for some unknown crime kept me down. It was Rarity and she was furious.

“You,” she said. “You liar! Our problems would’ve been over if you had just turned yourself in!”

“But Rarity!”

“Twilight already knows. Your time is coming.”

“Please, Rarity!”

The two whisked me before the courtroom. Nothing made sense as the scene from Ponyville unfolded before me. Ponies of all races gathered to see justice. No Luna around; without her presence, I wouldn’t make it out alive once more.

“Lying about your identity, Shining Armor? The court has decided that you will be executed for crime of treason, betrayal, and murder. Do you plead for your innocence? I suggest you give up; the evidence is stacked against you.”

I’d already been weakened. Giving up was the best I could do and no doubt I had nothing left to gain or lose. Only then did I see the sight of the midnight blue mane that I’ve known so well that I remembered. Luna... Cadance...

I knew what must be done.

“You’re not real. I know what I am. A liar, but I know that I am so much more. Strike me down if you want but know that I will get back up. I had nothing in this world, nothing in Twilight’s, but I have something worth going home to.”

Judge Twilight morphed back into the creature and charged at me, claws at the ready. I held my ground and continued to let the truth flow out. It slowed it down and as it was just before me, reaching out to take a piece of me with it, its skin turned into sand. With the wind now blowing from behind me, the creature faded and the blackness was lifted. Twilight and Luna were waiting, the former shaking me violently.

“Uh... Am I awake?”

“Depends,” Twilight replied.

“Depends on what?”

“Depends if I will answer you straight or keep you guessing.”

Right. No questions....

None were needed. We were still in the dreamscape but I felt we were getting closer. The fog grew thicker but in it’s midst, light shone through. Unfortunately, the sight of victory led us to the sleeping Shining Armor. He was disturbed, his magic spiralling out of control. We were kept at bay with every step being greeted with a lightning bolt, a fireball, or a magic missile. Twilight and Luna used their magic to conjure up a shield. I, too, created my own field of protection and joined in advancing towards my other self.

It seemed as if the tree that Shining Armor was resting on wasn’t just there to prop him up; it was devouring him! One buttress root was lodged into his broken horn and a deep purple glow pulsed as it appeared to absorb the fears of its victim. To each their own, Luna, Twilight, and I split up and instinctively knew what the other was going to do. Luna attempted to slice the root off from the tree, Twilight ran to her brother and attempted to dislodge the root tip from the horn, and I got to the tree itself. I planned to slice the whole thing through the middle.

Our auras grew brighter as we hacked and slashed the tree but we hadn’t made any progress. For minutes on end, we poured our strength into the work until we were worn out. The earth below us then shook, roots shot out from the ground and held us tight with one more root grabbing onto our horns.

We were on the ground again. Twilight and Luna were at my side but now, we weren’t alone. King Sombra was right before us in his shadowy form, his minions at his side. Most were of the same misty form as the King himself but those whose forms were identifiable, we were shocked. Cadance was the most terrifying of them all. Those wispy, green, purple, and red eyes glowed; her teeth gnashing furiously. I looked back to find the other Shining Armor now struggling to get up but was held back by the roots that kept him grounded. Little by little, his body began to fuse with the tree itself and he would become just like it.

Luna called out to Twilight though I couldn’t make out what she was saying. I could pick out a few words at a time, though they don’t make sense as a whole. My magic was weak now but I continued to struggle, clawing my way through the tentacles that grabbed me and worked my way toward my other self. As I began to swing through the last set of vines, a bright light blasted everything back to reality. I was on the floor with Twilight with Luna still standing upright next to my other self. We all regrouped to assess the situation.

“Okay,” I began. “What just happened?”

“You tell me, hotshot,” Twilight replied.

“Seriously, Twilight?! Are you going to keep treating me like this?!”

“As long as you are here, you aren’t my brother. You don’t belong here and as much as I appreciate the help, I don’t need it. This conversation is over.”

Twilight left the room. I followed her outside and demanded her attention.

“Twilight! We aren’t done yet!”

She turned around and fired a blast of energy in my direction, only missing my muzzle by mere millimeters.

“So it’s come to this, huh?”

“It has always been this. Didn’t think it would take you this long to realize it. I guess I figured you wrong this whole time.”

“And?”

“You’re much more stupid than I expected. Now if you’ll do me one last favor, leave us all. You’re not wanted here. Next time I see you around, you’ll regret it.”

Anger boiled inside me but as much as I wanted to give her another chance, my last ounce of patience and generosity had been expended. I silently apologized to Luna and Cadance in my head before departing the hospital.

With hateful thoughts, I headed for an abandoned two storey shop. It wasn’t the best place to spend an eternity in hiding but it was distant enough for me to get a good view of the mountains, a relaxing view opposite of the eyesore that is Ponyville. If there is one thing I’d love more than seeing Sombra’s defeat, it would be Twilight’s agony.

And it will be beautiful!

Come Together

This rundown home and workshop was a nice change of scenery compared to the rest of the town. All away from Twilight and the bustling remnants of a town previously under siege. I ought to get myself straightened out after Twilight’s sudden attack but just the thought of it sickened me. And that strange creature from my dreams... I don’t know what to think anymore.

I guess the thought of sleep scared me as well.

I searched the upper rooms for supplies and stuffed them in my saddlebag. Medicines, bandages, and gauzes were all over the place. There were plenty of antidepressants lying around, and not just empty bottles and half eaten pills.

The bed was intact. All soft and cozy, this was a relief from the bale of hay, concrete floor and chewed up mattress I had to put up with. Sleep was tempting as it ever was and the ever so alluring comfort of a soft pillow and warm blanket just begged me to come over and drift off to slumber. The only thing stopping me was fear; the faceless beast and his haunting voice could come back for me even if I had finished him off in the dreamscape. I hoped I did.

Still, long rest was worth the risk and I really needed to get my strength back. My choice was clear.

The sheets, tattered after a long period of being unused and eaten away by moths left little to use but they had to do. Everything else showed signs of neglect, ranging from the missing door handle to the dusty cabinets and drawers. I’d get nightmares by just looking at this room but the lack of light in this place makes the environment rather calm and welcoming, though the scene feels deceptive. I lay down on the soft mattress and slowly closed my eyes, preparing to drift off to sleep when the sound of knocking echoed through the whole building. The first was a slow knock with the sound progressively getting faster and faster until it was simply unbearable. I squinted my eyes, wishing for the knocking to go away but it was worthless. I trudged through the hallway and stomped my way down the stairs to the door to angrily greet whoever was making all the noise. The pony at the door made me wish I wasn’t furious.

“Wh-what are you doing in my house!?”

“It’s not what it looks like,” I replied.

“Don’t you know it’s not polite to trespass on private property?!”

“I-I’m sorry but I didn’t know.”

“This is my shop and my home! Carousel Boutique!” The mare at the door was furious with bloodshot eyes staring right at me. Rarity... why now?

“And don’t you try to reason with me, impostor! I know who you really are so why don’t you tell me why you’re really here,” Rarity replied.

Had she been at the hospital after my departure, it would explain so much. Then again, she could have been spying on me after I left Dimondia. Regardless, she knew the real Shining Armor was back and I blew my chance at getting somepony to side with me, even if she was Twilight’s ally.

I let out a loud sigh in resignation, thinking about how to make myself sound believable.

“Alright,” I began, “this whole battle for Equestria’s freedom got me here. I thought I stumbled upon this place by accident but Princess Luna brought me here to help. I know this sounds absurd but you have to trust me. I need your help to get Twilight to listen. She needs help; we all do but we need to get her to listen.”

Rarity gave me a hard glance. What was I thinking?! I gave myself a mental slap in the face while trying to process what I just said. How was I going to convince her to help with that explanation?! I just blew it.

“As much as I want to have you turned in to the authorities, I’m not going to pass up this chance to do something big for once. I’ll help you out.”

I was speechless.

“Honestly, there was no way I’d stay in Dimondia, ordering ponies to craft weapons while I sat in a dusty old shed in the middle of a highclass district that looked just like any other shanty in the town. Sometimes, it felt as if Twilight didn’t need me anymore. She didn’t bother writing or even visiting to check up on the townsfolk. At first, I thought she was just busy but after a lack of progress on the front, I began to believe I was just cast aside like the rest.”

“Cast aside? What do you mean?”

“Ever since this whole battle started, Twilight’s been really isolated. We lost some of the elements of harmony and she grew bitter, believing that without them, we would lose all hope of winning back our freedom. She first put Fluttershy aside by preventing her from joining the battle, using the animals as an excuse. In reality, timid doesn’t suit the needs of the resistance. Rainbow Dash was assigned to the Stormriders and frequently sent her on solo reconnaissance missions away from Ponyville or Canterlot. Twilight then had a terrible argument with Applejack, causing them to part ways with Applejack taking her element, and her family, with her to the badlands. And then there’s me. I was kept away from her because she thought my skills were better put into creating a supply chain to arm the remnants of the Canterlot Royal Guards with better equipment. Pinkie Pie was the only exception. She mysteriously disappeared just as Ponyville was attacked.”

“And did you ever regret deserting Twilight?”

“I believed her for a while but as time went by, I began to question her decision. I am no leader and yet I was chosen to live as a leader. I came here to talk to her about that.”

“Then we should get started. Where do we begin?”

“Twilight wouldn’t listen to you and I doubt she’d listen to me. If we rally support around our cause, Twilight would be forced to give in. It’s not the best way to deal with the situation but it’s our best chance.”

Dimondia was one place we couldn’t pass up. Considering its distance from Ponyville, it was an ideal place to gather support. The market city in the mountains is also viable. There aren’t many places left so Ponyville is the last place to get support. With almost all of Equestria under the King’s control, every voice that adds to the chorus of freedom is a valuable addition. I am no public speaker but there are other ways to rally the masses.

Like Rarity, we’ve been brought into a situation where even our most basic of abilities are brought into question. No doubt I’ve aided in the defense of the Crystal Empire in my world but now that I’ve thought about it, I did almost nothing. I felt like I’ve betrayed my subjects and more importantly, Cadance. I may not be at my home, but now I have the best possible chance of showing my worth. I don’t plan to fight alongside Twilight to get my message into that thick skull of hers. I’m only doing it to fulfill a promise.
Rarity and I walked to the underground rail system that connected Ponyville to Dimondia. Two mine carts were waiting for us. Thank goodness for magic; the momentum needed to bring these to our respective destinations wouldn’t be enough if we pushed them all the way. I bid a temporary farewell to Rarity as we boarded our mine carts. We agreed to meet back in Dimondia’s station when our work was done. With luck, everything will go as planned because there are many ways our plan will go wrong. I moved on alone to Dimondia, then to Stonesborough.

I had a good ten minutes of rest during the trip. I’m surprised I could keep the cart intact with my eyes shut. Speeding past the Dimondia station, there was a ten to fifteen minute window of, a perfect opportunity to strategize.
What needs to be done? Rally the citizens of Stonesborough to support my cause. How will I do that? I don’t know. C’mon, there’s probably someone who might know what to do. Heralds, maybe? But then I’ll need to bribe him and I don’t have any bits. Maybe the citizens just don’t care at all…

My mind organizing so much information at a level I never even imagined. Twilight would’ve done the same minus the regular pauses needed for my brain to take a breather. My lungs weren’t agreeing with my brain, however. I couldn’t hear myself think over the sound of myself coughing out whatever was irritating my throat. Turns out I was entering a cloud of black smoke. I laid low and allowed the cart to continue through the tunnel. When signs of light peered through the holes in the cart, the whole market city was ablaze.

Screams echoed throughout Stonesborough, the fire burning all throughout the city, as the air grew more toxic with each minute passed. To the north, the skylines were filled with deep gray entities casting fire to those below them. I ran to the center of the market when a piece of wood came crashing down on an earth pony stallion making his way to the exit. I used my magic to get him out of there and brought him to a nearby tunnel.

“Thank you, sir,” the stallion said as he gasped for air. “Thank you very much.”

“You’re welcome but we need to get everypony out of here. Is there a way to safely conduct a mass evacuation?”

“Most certainly. There are access tunnels on the other side of this city. I’m certain everypony will be racing to reach those.”

“Would those reach the surface? I’ m not so certain they should be going there unless they want to get themselves caught.”

“One of those tunnels should lead to a cave outside Ponyville. Just get me to that tunnel and I’ll do the rest.”

“But your leg, it’s broken. Wouldn’t you need help going all the way there?”

The stallion grabbed some materials lying around us and constructed a makeshift splint. He then stood up and replied: “trust me.”

I helped the stallion reach the other side of the city, avoiding the flames that rained down on the city. Along the way, we directed the citizens lost amongst the chaos and brought everyone to the exit. I’d say everyone is already brought to safety. I turned my attention back to the stallion.

“I need to take care of something. Will I see you in Ponyville?”

“Yes,” he replied. “It’s not like we’ve got someplace else to go to.”

“One more thing, can you do me a favor? When you reach Ponyville, could you wait just outside the tunnel?”

“And why would you want us to do so?”

“I’ll fill you in later.”

The stallion nodded and we parted ways. I ran back to the station tunnel, laying low to avoid inhaling the smoke and toxic fumes. The way back was much more treacherous with burning debris everywhere. I managed to reach the tunnel after cutting through the burning market. I sealed the tunnel entrance with some wooden barricades; hopefully those creatures, whatever they were, wouldn’t suspect anything behind them. From here, I made my way back to Dimondia. If anypony should know the fate of the fallen city, it’s Rarity. I just hope whatever happened here didn’t happen there as well.
I managed to salvage a piece of cloth from the market to use as a makeshift mask. I was happy I did so because the whole tunnel was engulfed with black smoke. The danger of a fire breaking out in the tunnel itself was the last thing I wanted to happen. As is with the dangers posed to myself, Rarity’s safety was also a concern. The black smoke thickened as I reached the Dimondia station and found Rarity preparing to leave with some fillies and mares in tow.

“Rarity!”

“Thank Celestia you’re here! Quick, we need your cart to take these ponies to safety.”

“What about the others?”

“They left for a tunnel going straight to Ponyville. These are the last of the survivors. We must go now!”

Everyone boarded the carts and we accelerated to full speed. Adrenaline was racing through my body; I could feel my heartbeats trying to break through my chest cavity. It was a tense fifteen-minute ride back but I couldn’t help but feel sorry for those who were riding along with me. The fillies were sobbing while their mothers tried desperately to calm them down, assuring them that their fathers, brothers and sisters were alright.

We arrived in Ponyville, scarred but safe.

“Rarity,” I began, “take these ponies to the town hall, I’ll go get the refugees from Stonesborough and the remaining survivors from Dimondia.”

Turns out the groups were waiting just by Carousel Boutique. Spared me a trip to a cave I didn’t know about. I met with the stallion I saved earlier and he assured me most made it out of the city alive.

“So, that favor of yours?”

“Right, I need you to help me convince Twilight it’s time to take action against the king.”

“You’ve got a good reason that will surely convince her to do so. I'm sure you don't need to think hard.”

I smiled and we made our way to the town center. With luck, Twilight will be there waiting.

Sure enough, Rarity and her group were there. And Twilight.

“Have you started some kind of protest, Rarity?”

“Twilight,” Rarity angrily replied, “Listen to yourself! These poor souls have been forcefully removed from their homes. Their livelihoods were destroyed and all you think about is protest?!’

“Sombra attacked Stonesborough and Dimondia,” I added. “We can’t wait any longer. It’s time to take action.”

“Take orders from you? Taking action now will risk more lives. Even if we don’t attack now, I’m confident that we can pull through. We need more time in order to win. But taking orders from somepony who isn’t even aware of anything going on here will not make me change my mind.”

“I get it. I can’t change your mind, but what about them? You believe that we can still triumph in the face of certain defeat. Give them a reason to believe that too.”

I took a deep breath and allowed those words to sink in. Twilight was silent, still staring at me, then to the group.

“Give them a reason to hope again.”

At that moment, the remaining members of the resistance and the citizens of Ponyville joined us at the town hall. Twilight looked around to find herself surrounded by the sights of the guards, the mares and stallions that she swore to defend. Right out of the corner of my eye, I saw Luna, Caramel, and Shining Armor smiling at me. I returned a smile and nodded.

Twilight closed her eyes and took some deep breaths. She walked towards me and gave me one hard stare.

“Shining Armor,” she began.

I looked at her with a now optimistic glance.

“What do we need to do?”

The crowds cheered. Luna, Caramel, and Shining Armor joined us at the stage to discuss tactics. We exchanged apologies as we openly welcomed ourselves to each other’s embrace. I still have contempt with Twilight but I hope we'll find a way to make things work in the end. Now we are ready to reclaim our freedom.

Hold on for just a little longer, Cadance. I’m coming home.

One Good Start

Town hall’s façade, as simple as it looks, was nowhere near the beauty of Canterlot’s ivory towers. Sadly, those towers no longer stand tall and proud, emanating a sense of resplendence equal to that of her highness Celestia. Their fall from grace only served as a living reminder of what was once great and powerful. Those towers are the inanimate counterparts of the royalty now lost to the throng of commoners who share their hopes and dreams of a brighter Equestria. But with the visual display of architectural power, a secret lies within. Back home, my Twilight showed me the hidden chambers of the Crystal Empire’s castle now desolate and cleansed of his malevolent influence. As is with my home’s secrets, this building also had one of its own.

I joined the others we entered the empty auditorium that served as a courthouse for my previous trial. The stage, now worn away by termite infestation, stood alone in the shadows of the darkened assembly hall. From Twilight’s horn, a magenta-like glow illuminated the path ahead. It turns out the hall wasn’t our final destination, not yet. Luna then used her magic to lift the stage on a hidden hinge.

“This way, everyone,” Luna began.

We all walked a good distance down into the ground. The ventilation system in this place is surprisingly well maintained considering the lack of maintenance staff, let alone being absolutely empty upon initial inspection. We arrived at a lone door lit by a lone light bulb powered by magic. Twilight and Luna led the way in.

“Welcome to the war room,” Twilight said, “only those with authorized access can enter, if there were any authorized personnel that is. Sadly, this room was never used, not even once.”

At the furthest end of the room was a large circular door protected by three locks. One bore the image of a sun, the second a star, and a moon for the third.

“That right there is the vault,” Twilight continued, “items of great importance are kept within. Tomes, amulets, scrolls, and relics are stored there should they be needed. Luna and I recovered most of the items in there, mostly from the Canterlot castle archives. Only the Elements of Harmony aren’t.”

“So, should we get to work? Equestria isn’t going to save itself.”

The six of us gathered at the large table at the center of the room. To my right was Caramel, to my left, Rarity. Across the table were Luna, Twilight, and Shining Armor, now looking better than when I first encountered him. His horn to be exact, the shine reflecting off its surface was difficult to ignore.

“Shining, how’d you get your horn back?”

“Twilight used a piece of crystal,” my counterpart replied. “Jammed it in the hole where my true horn used to be. T’was a piece of living crystal; she enchanted it to accelerate its growth rate before smoothening out the rough edges. Still getting used to the feeling of having a rock on my head but it will do.”

“Glad to have you join us, friend.”

Shining Armor smiled back and added: “Thanks. Same to you.”

Twilight and Luna pulled out a map of Equestria, one marked with red crosses and a highlight around Ponyville. She placed some red marks on the mountainous region near an area labeled Froggy Bottom Bog. My guess is those are Stonesborough and Dimondia.

The Stormriders soon joined us. Spitifire led her team into the room with some documents in their saddlebags. Twilight’s eyes quickly ran through the sheets of paper while taking notes in her notepad she grabbed from the far corner of the room. The pegasus pony team joined us around the table to begin discussion.

“Alright everyone,” Twilight began, “it’s time for us to take action. With limited resources left, we’ll need to get creative. I’m thinking we could head over to Canterlot first; build up a sizable defense around the capital’s walls. If the information received from Spitfire’s team is right, we can use the underground passage and sneak some soldiers in while others will attempt to scale the walls.”

“We can’t risk lives just by trying to enter the walled city,” Spitfire rebuked. “Sentries constantly patrol the perimeter and the streets. Even if we do make it to the castle, a captain and his personal regiment are still guarding it.”

Spitfire carefully inspected the city map once more before Soarin’ joined in on the conversation. “What if we try going directly to the captain, confronting him and lighting a signal fire at the castle balcony? Sombra’s guards communicate with smoke and fire; when our signal is lit with a different color flame, it’s a sign for them to pack up and leave. Red means the post is active and green means retreat. We just need a way to get to the captain.”

Everyone remained in silence. Those of us who sat stared at each other or the walls, or tried crossing our legs hoping to come up with something. Others paced the room back and forth, the clopping sound of hooves against the ground occasionally creating a staccato-like rhythm before being cut off by hooves tapping the walls. Still, others sat so still their minds seemed to be more attuned to the silence, the high-pitched yet soundless environment.

Luna broke the silence with two hooves tapping the table. Everyone quickly turned to her, most reacting to the sound with a squint of annoyance.

“Apologies,” Luna said. “I think I have something in mind. What if we just send a group into the throne room? Teleportation. Advanced teleportation spells require extensive knowledge of the location one wants to travel to. Details need not be specific but the general placement of items needs to be precise. Twilight and I could send some of us here to capture the captain and light the signal fire. Others could wait just by the city perimeter and wait for our signal before entering.”

“And from there, we can use Canterlot as a staging ground for the liberation of other cities,” I added. I pointed to Canterlot’s location on the map while simultaneously studied the surrounding areas. “Canterlot is at the center of the map; we can take advantage of our position to send support to other captured cities before heading to the Crystal Empire.”

“Agreed. So what about the captured citizens?” Spitfire interrupted the conversation, raising one valid point. “We have reason to believe that Sombra is converting citizens into his soldiers, most likely assimilating them by force. They could be under the castle, in the dungeons. We’ll check there to confirm our suspicions.”

Caramel suddenly stood up and started pacing the room back and forth. We all watched him move around before Twilight called for everyone’s attention. I couldn’t keep myself absorbed in strategizing with the others. Something was bothering Caramel; he was uneasy. As he made his way to the door, I quickly abandoned the conversation and approached him.

“Caramel, something’s bothering you. What is it?”

The stallion looked back at the group, then back at me. His gaze shifted back and forth before finally settling down.

“Remember that time we met in the sewers?”

I nodded.

“I wasn’t there because I chose to live there. I didn’t have a choice; I was hunted by the guards for escaping the castle.”

That didn’t seem like something he should be worrying about. I’d call it an achievement because he did it alone and for him to carve out a home in the most disgusting place in the Crystal Empire and putting up with it for who-knows-how-long is a greater feat in itself. Still, his uneasiness wasn’t fading.

“I was a test subject for the King. He wanted to see if it was possible to forcefully assimilate his ideas and ideals and make them my own by altering me into one of his soldiers. He was close but when I was being transferred to another section of the castle, I broke free and made a break for it. I’ve been hiding in the sewers for days on end, hoping he wouldn’t find me. That’s when I met you.”

I couldn’t say anything. I tried to utter a word but something always held me back. I’ve been hanging around with a specimen?! And even if he wasn’t fully transformed, could he have been sending information back to the Crystal Empire? Was this why he kept disappearing and could his disappearances be directly involved with the attacks at Dimondia and Stonesborough? So many questions…

I slowly returned to the table, confusion in tow. Should I tell the others? And how would they react? I soon felt a hoof on my shoulder.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. I didn’t know whom else to turn to. If you decide to let them know, I won’t be mad; if they decide to take action, please tell them to make it quick and painless.”

As I listened to his words, I felt a pain I’ve never experienced before. Caramel sounded so intent at the thought of letting his life slip away before him like it was nothing but I can’t say that for sure. The way he talked… He couldn’t just let his grief build up inside and he sounded like he was going to let a trickle of tears run to his check and down his face. I couldn’t reply to him either as the pain from his words ate away at my heart. Luna was there, too, eavesdropping on our talk instead of being with the others. She approached Caramel and whispered something into his ear. I could tell he was feeling better about his predicament as his feelings of sorrow turned into feelings of joy.

The three of us then rejoined the others as they were discussing.

“… should try some spells. Purification spells maybe,” Soarin’ said before turning his attention to us. “Welcome back, mi amigos. We’re still thinking about how we can amass an army large enough to take down the king. Any ideas?”

Caramel discussed at length the same things he had just told me. The more he talked, the more the others grew interested and the faster we completed our plans. The Stormriders listened attentively, never drawing their attention away from the speaker. Twilight had a smile on her face the whole time as she scribbled notes without end. She went through three quills and two notepads as she continued to note down everything Caramel said. Whenever one quill broke, she’d quickly pull out another one from the nearby drawer and resume writing as if nothing happened. It’s good to see the Twilight I know so well, even if she isn’t the exact same Twilight I know.

“Still, that doesn’t answer the question. How are we going to boost our numbers?” Soarin’ asked.

Luna and Twilight turned to each other and nodded in unison before looking back at the group. “Leave that to us,” Twilight said as she put her notepad and quill down.

“From Canterlot, we’ll proceed to the inhabited cities nearby. We don’t need to worry about major cities like Manehattan and Phillydelphia for now because its citizens aren’t assimilated into the army. We would have a contingency plan should things go south and a sizeable force large enough to fight back against the king.” As Spitfire ended, the others, including myself, applauded the pegasus. Twilight met with the aerial reconnaissance team to discuss tactics before dismissing them. She then walked with Luna to the door where, Rarity, my duplicate, and Caramel were standing.

“Twilight,” I said, “can I have a word with you?”

Twilight turned around.

“Privately,” I added.

Without hesitation, Luna led the others out, leaving Twilight and I alone in the war room.

“So what’s so important that you needed to speak with me alone?”

“It’s about what happened in the hospital. And what happened after.”

“If it was about what happened in Dimondia and Stonesborough, there’s no need to talk to me about it. Rarity already filled me in on the details.”

“Not that. About the hospital, why’d you lash out at me like that? I know you don’t like me and you don’t want me around, but why would you do such a thing?”

Twilight walked away, turned to the vault and opened it. She then gestured me to come closer with her hoof. I followed.

“I can’t just tell you,” she said. “I have to show you.”

Twilight picked up an image of her family, another one with her friends in it. She handed those to me and asked me to look at them for a long time. She reminded me of how much she had to go through as she lost them one by one. Twilight then directed my attention to the glass container that held the elements of harmony. Only a crown and a necklace were kept within it.

“See these? The only elements of harmony left in possession. Generosity and magic.”

“What about the others?”

“When I lost my friends, I lost their elements as well. Well, most of them. I lost my families, biological or otherwise. I lost Celestia, my friends, mother and father… I was tired of losing those who were close to me that Luna was the only one I could call family and yet, I can’t say that is true because I pushed her away like I did with my friends. When they came for me, I don’t know what happened. I-I pushed them around as if what we had wasn’t there. And I thought the magic of friendship was dead. Some friend I became… All that time, I didn’t know what I was thinking. And then you came along. I just didn’t want anyone getting in my way that I just needed you to leave.”

Twilight handed me a deep gray key and brought me to the far side of the vault. A lone door with two locks on either side stood before us. Twilight pulled out another key and gestured me to unlock the door with her. As we did so, a loud, thundering crack filled the room and the earth shook with moderate force. It was an earthquake but nothing in the room went out of place; the sound of glass shattering or wood collapsing into the room was completely absent.

Within this second vault held a suit of armor that shimmered in the absence of light. It was of a shade of pearlescent white over a metallic bluish silver base. The chest plate had the insignia of a six-pointed star within a circle created by the fusion of the sun and the moon engraved with other gothic-inspired designs. All four greaves had a similar design with some exceptions. These greaves had the individual cutie marks of Twilight’s friends. One had three butterflies, another with three balloons, yet another with three apples, and the last with three diamonds. The helmet looked like those worn by the royal guard with one difference: both side flaps resembled lightning bolts attached to a cloud.

“Your actions don’t deserve this but I think you should wear it anyway. I made a mistake driving those closest to me away and this armor reminds me of that. But you, you made me see how wrong I was.”

Twilight helped me put on the armor, securing the buckles and constantly checking the weight and flexibility of the armor. I recall this being a one-size-fits-all set when I first encountered the suit; a surprisingly comfortable fit, it was both flexible and light. When the helmet rested on my head, the armor glowed with a gold aura. The suit was now a distinct royal purple with gold trims and rivets around the edges just like my suit back home. I admitted to Twilight that I looked rather stylish in the suit of armor. She threw a light kick right at my left flank and chuckled before leading the way out to meet the others.

Previously known as Operation Iron Hoof, Twilight and I were ready to lead the resistance. The newly named Operation Libertas is now ready to commence.

Spitfire and her team, now joined by the remnants of the pegasus royal guards stood at attention as organized regiments assembled around town square ready to receive orders. Canterlot was our primary target. Spitfire and the soldiers would create a distraction at the perimeter to draw attention away from the attack at the castle. From there, Twilight, Luna, and I will go in and do everything according to plan.

The march ahead will be a long and tiresome one. We all marched onward, aware of the sacrifices each one had to offer. This was the first step of a journey that spanned a thousand miles for one simple goal: freedom.

Should we have a successful start, we would have won half the battle already.

Doubt and Certainty

The odds were definitely in Sombra’s favor right now. With a total headcount of ninety active royal guards and another forty or fifty able-bodied citizens of Ponyville who are willing to risk their lives for the freedom of Equestria, we were outnumbered and underpowered. We only had wits and unicorn magic protecting the army; we weren’t even armed properly, only a small number of pikes and shields and those were left to the squad leaders. Even then, I felt this armor wouldn’t suit me once I truly envisioned the possibilities that our forces would be wiped out before reaching Canterlot. Luna wore her own suit of armor, gilded and embedded with intricate markings reminiscent of the medieval knights. We all marched towards the capital, first in formation but broke off into smaller units to take our positions outside the gates without being spotted. Without the trains that ran throughout Equestria, an hour-long journey was extended to about a week and a half and the small meals we packed for the march were no where near delicious to say the least. At the end of the unbeaten path through the desolate countryside, we all caught our first glimpse of the ivory towers of Canterlot.

“By Celestia!” Twilight stopped and took one good look at the now derelict castle. Luna remained silent but she was just as surprised as Twilight.

“So, do we wait till morning? Canterlot isn’t going to save itself, you know?”

“We wait.” Spitfire motioned Soarin’ to keep silent. At the western approach just at the edge of the mountain, the rest of the Stormriders were waiting for our move. The reconnaissance team had split up earlier in the day to so they could individually lead their own squads through the city once our primary offensive was complete. “We’ll need to know the guard patrol route and identify the captain. He isn’t always at the castle so we mind as well wait for him to go there as well. Daybreak is our best chance to strike. He’ll be half asleep by then.”

“Perfect,” Soarin’ replied. “Shining, you take third shift so Twilight and Luna can get you in quick. I’ll take first watch and captain will take second. Twilight mentioned that the advanced teleportation spell could only accommodate three ponies so you’ll be joining them. We’ll let the others know once you’re in. You ready for this?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be.”

Soarin’ replied with a subtle nod. “Alright, you go get some sleep now. Captain will wake you up when it’s your turn to watch.”

Finally! Some much needed rest. Music to my ears! Some solace was found in the midst of great turmoil but this is only the calm before the storm. One day to watch over our adversary before making our move. I quickly drifted off to slumber next to some shrubs but as much as I liked to keep my mind off anything, I still kept seeing Cadance in my dreams, both of them, both angry and worried.

…come home already…. Where…. Are you coming home or not?!

“You promised you’d come back for me. You promised…”

“Cadance,” I replied. “I am coming back for you. Please just hold on a little longer. I’m not leaving you behind!”

“You promised…”

The images of two different Cadances danced back and forth through the pitch-black dreamscape. I couldn’t tell which one was this world’s Cadance and which one was my real wife. I tried to block each image out and used their voices to determine my responses.

Come home now, Shining Armor! You’ve been gone for too long! Come home now or else!

The angry voice of one Cadance was a burden to listen to but having a second demoralized Cadance was too much. I couldn’t just leave them be. What if I fail? I don’t know who would have it worse, my Cadance or the other Cadance? I tried to filter their voices out of my head but the more I tried, unknown sounds also filled my head. It was the sound of empty noise that brought me to my breaking point.

ENOUGH!!!

I exclaimed with so much anger in my voice that the Cadances were gone. The noise was gone too. I was left in a void of pure darkness yet I am able to see my body; this peacefulness found in emptiness was what I was seeking all along. I just hope this peace can last.

“I’m sorry, Cadance, but my work here isn’t done. I will come back for you. I promise.”

Sleeping while wearing a suit of armor was a bad idea. It was comfortable but what I felt later on made me regret ever leaving the armor on because even the most disciplined soldier never loses their mischievous side. I learned that the hard way when Spitfire started tossing pebbles at my helmet to wake me up. Seriously? My ears were still ringing from the sound of metal clanging. Ugh… My somewhat comfortable rest was interrupted by mischief. Spitfire just chuckled from where she sat.

“Your turn to watch,” Spitfire said. “I’ve taken the liberty to take an extra hour from your shift to monitor the guard captain. He’s just by the castle. Keep an eye on him. You take your sights off him for one moment and I’ll make sure your eyeball stays glued to that spy glass, you understand?”

“Loud and clear, captain.” Talk about being threatened to start the day. I swear it’s half past ten in the evening, not that the darker than usual sky gave me any hints. I took the spyglass and placed my sight on the castle. True enough, the captain wasn’t hard to spot. A hooded figure marched along the streets and checked on the guard patrols by the castle. Everything was on lockdown; sentries on every roof, alley, and park. Much heavier security was expected at the castle gates and even more patrolling the sculpture garden. I set my sights once more on the captain and right at that moment, he entered the castle. Time to go in.

I made my way through the forest, avoiding any sentries that could be wandering through the area. Spitfire sent me off with a warning just as I was about to leave the company of the Stormrider group. The forest was one way of drawing less attention to the roaming patrols but it wasn’t foolproof. Some guards did roam around the city outskirts closest to the mountain it was suspended on. Strangely enough, this forest wasn’t here in my Canterlot. I had around two hours of watching just before alerting Spitfire and Soarin’. I arrived at Twilight’s camp with Caramel and Luna welcoming me to their little campsite.

“Guard captain just moved into the castle,” I began. “Are we ready to go?”

Everyone nodded as Twilight and Luna led me to a neatly made dirt circle to begin casting the spell. The other Shining Armor, Rarity, and Caramel watched as the ground shook around the dirt circle’s perimeter. I closed my eyes for about a second before opening them once more to the sight of the castle’s throne room, now stripped of everything that reminded anypony of the past monarchy.

The ornate stained glass windows were shattered. One managed to stay completely intact but with some major alterations. I visited my world’s Canterlot once after the Sombra incident there and found Spike had his own stained glass window in the throne room. He was standing tall and proud with the crystal heart in his little claws. It wasn’t like this here; Sombra stood in his place crushing the crystal heart with one foot while the other was on Spike who attempted to get the hoof off his head. It was an unsettling sight to see a friend being treated as such and having all this immortalized. I could just smash that window into tiny pieces because nopony should ever see such images, not once in their lives.

Once outside of the throne room, we all advanced to the royal sisters’ former chambers. Now the captain resides in it, at least that’s what I was told. Whoever he is, we’ll all make quick work of him; Equestria won’t wait for its freedom any longer.

Luna and I stayed on each side of the door and prepared for a door breach. Twilight readied herself to use her magic and push open the doors by force. Picking the door lock would be an obvious approach and touching the door handle would give away our position. Dark magic could have been used to enchant the door itself so we all agreed we wouldn’t take any chances. Twilight took one deep breath and let loose a powerful shockwave from her horn, breaking down the door.

Luna and I charged in and readied our horns with Twilight in tow. The guard captain turned around, his hood falling to his back. We were taken aback by whom we saw under the hood.

“Rainbow Dash?” Twilight approached her slowly, letting go of the energy she stored for a second attack. “I… Is that really you? What happened to you?”

“In the flesh, Twilight! And you wouldn’t believe how much better this feels!”

Rainbow Dash charged straight for Twilight, knocking her down to the ground while Luna and I were slammed to the sides of the room. We all regained our composure but our sights were still set on the pale cyan pegasus.

“Lemme put it like this, Twilight,” Dash began. “He made me faster, stronger, better than I was before I met him; he made me see what we were doing wrong. All this time I was wondering why he was locked away for eternity when we should’ve been helping him claim his place as the rightful king of Equestria! See how much better the world would’ve been if he was keeping watch over us!”

Dash then proceeded to the window looking over most of Eqeustria. Towns near and far could be seen and even the Crystal Empire was visible from Canterlot.

“Picture this: a world without war, strife, and conflict of all sorts. Peace just like Celestia wanted! I know you want this, Twilight, for everypony. No one needs to worry about anything anymore!”

Twilight sternly replied, “This isn’t peace, Rainbow Dash! It’s subjugation! Sombra wants to rule Equestria but where is your freedom? Where is anyone’s freedom? If you let him win, just think of what he could to Equestria!”

“I know you wouldn’t let my words sink into that thick skull of yours, egghead, but I’m sure my friends in the reeducation sector can help you see things Sombra’s way. Now, if we don’t have anything else to argue about, I think it’s about time to show yourselves out.”

“I’m not leaving you, Rainbow Dash! I’m sure the real you is still there.” Twilight charged straight towards her former friend and unleashed energy bolts right out of her horn. Luna and I followed by flanking Rainbow from the sides in an effort to force her into a corner. Her speed got the best of us, though. She dodged Twilight’s attacks and sent us crashing into each other. Rainbow turned around and laughed.

“How sweet of you to say that, Twilight, but I’m afraid it’s too late for me to go back. I’m never going back!”

Rainbow’s eyes glowed with a green and purple aura just like Sombra’s and charged at us once more, this time sending us through the walls and over the edge of the castle. Luna quickly used a protection spell and created a bubble for us to float back up to the observation deck. Rainbow Dash was already waiting for us.

“There is no way to get her to slow down!” Twilight pushed me to one side, narrowly avoiding a high-speed tackle. “Luna, any ideas?”

“Get her to loose her footing? Twilight, use a freeze spell!”

Twilight and I ran straight for Rainbow Dash. I quickly diverted off my path and fired bolts of energy from my horn to get her attention. Twilight readied herself as I ran straight for wall. Luna immediately sealed the nearby door to keep Rainbow from calling reinforcements but it was to no avail. Twilight had unleashed the freeze spell on the floor causing Rainbow Dash to slip but her wings carried her up to the air. So much for having her slam into a wall and knocking her unconscious…

The pale cyan pegasus reared up a good distance from the castle balcony and let loose a sonic rainboom powered charge straight at Twilight. Luna intervened by using her protection bubble once more. Unfortunately, the force of the impact was so powerful that it broke the shield and Dash made her way through. Twilight nearly took the full force of the charge but Luna inched her way and used her body to absorb the impact. I didn’t know what was going on as I only focused on the shattered magic bubble and Luna screaming in agony. I put up another protection bubble to cushion the impact not long after the first one broke. True enough, we landed a few short seconds later in the castle throne room.

“That all you got?” Dash quickly retreated to the elevated pedestal at the edge of the room. “I expected much more from you, Twilight.”

“Twilight,” I began. “What do we do now?”

“I-I only one thing left to try.” Twilight stood back up once more as her horn began to glow. “I’ll charge straight at her and use my purification spell. It’s an advanced version of the memory spell I previously used on Rainbow Dash to undo Discord’s corruption. I’m worried that she would move too fast for me to use the spell directly on her. Best thing we can do is to freeze her legs just as she is about to hit me. I’d be able to use the spell on her by then.”

“We only have one shot at this, Twilight.” I stood up and prepared myself. “Let’s make this count!”

It was of utmost importance that Rainbow Dash’s wings were also frozen. Her legs may give her impressive running speed but her wings might also be powerful enough to break the ice. Twilight can only do so much given how outclassed we were. Finding that edge in combat was a priority. I quickly ran off to the side while Twilight was getting Rainbow’s attention by throwing broken glass and debris at her, even the pieces of that stained glass window I wanted destroyed. After going around her in circles, Rainbow shifted her attention to Twilight and ran straight at her with another sonic rainboom charge. I quickly fired some ice beams directly at Twilight hoping to get Dash instead. My first shots missed but after three or four bolts, everything seemed to slow down. Whatever was happening around me didn’t concern me as much as making sure the ice beams hit Dash at her legs and wings. I simply redirected the beams and I froze her entire body! Not exactly what I had in mind but it worked.

Twilight only had to reach a few inches ahead of her to use the purification spell on her former friend and just as her horn touched Dash’s face, time had resumed moving at normal speed. It was all over. I gave myself time to breathe while Twilight thawed Rainbow Dash from the ice block. Her pale coat began to regain their color and the green glow from her eyes disappeared entirely; Sombra’s reeducation had been wiped from her memory but I wasn’t completely sure about that, or so it seemed. I proceeded towards Luna first to check on her injuries.

“Luna, are you okay?”

The former princess struggled to get up but she could only get about an inch off the ground before collapsing with the painful sound of bones breaking pierced the near-dead silence in the room. “I did what I could to slow her down. I deeply apologize for this. I don’t think I can accompany you and the others to the Crystal Empire. Please just make sure of one thing.”

“Yes, Luna?”

“Please look after Twilight. Make sure she comes home safe and sound. We’ve already lost so much these past months and even if she is a pain to be around with, she’s the only family I have left.”

I took one good look at Luna’s eyes, then looked towards Twilight. I’ve never doubted that a princess was an important figure our daily lives but I just haven’t realized that their lives would be empty without the knowledge that their loved ones are still around. I could say the same about Celestia and her banishing Luna. It only made me wish I could come home sooner to see my family again.

“I’ll make sure of that, Luna,” I said.

Luna looked at me with a smile; one that assured me that things will be turn out for the better before drifting off into unconsciousness. Twilight was still with Rainbow Dash and I thought about joining them but I wouldn’t want to interrupt their reunion. I instead proceeded to the signal tower. Utilizing flame spells in a variety of combat and non-combat situations was one of the first things taught at the academy and it came in handy here. Conjuring the green flame was one of the simplest tasks as all I had to do was to imagine a bonfire with a green glow. Right then and there, the many guards scattered all over the city began to leave through the city’s main gates. Mission accomplished. I returned to the castle throne room to meet Twilight and Rainbow Dash, who was half-asleep.

“So, is she alright?”

“Wha- Where? Twilight?” Rainbow Dash jumped and looked around and scratched her head. “What are we doing in Canterlot? And why is your brother here?”

“I’ll explain later.” Twilight replied. “I must ask if you know where the prisoners are kept. Do you remember where they are?”

“Not really. I was asleep for the most part but I remember having this weird dream where I was giving out orders to some guards to patrol a castle and then went to the dungeons looking for criminals.”

“The Canterlot Caves!” I exclaimed. “They were temporarily used as a prison to house criminals until Celestia banned their use after setting up penitentiaries and rehabilitation centers all across Equestria. I bet Sombra rediscovered those caves and used them as a prison for his reeducation purposes. What do you think, Twilight?”

“Worth at shot, Shining Armor. We’ll check that out once we’re done here. Is the signal fire lit?”

I nodded.

“How’s Luna?” Twilight added.

“She’s won’t be joining us at the Crystal Empire. She’d badly hurt and needs some rest.”

Twilight made her way to an unconscious Luna while Spitfire, Soarin’, entered the room. They joined their leader in carrying Luna away to the castle infirmary. Rainbow Dash limped after them while I remained in the castle throne room. I had one good look at the raised platform where the thrones used to be and wondered if this would be the future of Equestria regardless of the outcome of our struggle. Even if we win, our victory would be pyrrhic at best. This first battle was already difficult for three ponies; I shudder to think of our confrontation with King Sombra. If we already struggled to fight one pony and nearly lost, I don’t know how our army would fare against Sombra’s. Sometime in this world’s future, if there would be one, many would likely question our actions given the circumstances we were in. Some would call us brave heroes, others suicidal maniacs. All that doesn’t matter now, only the safety of the prisoners.

The rest of the army arrived within the city walls. Unicorn guards were previously trained by Twilight to use a simplified version of the purification spell that allowed her to reverse the effects of Sombra’s brainwashing. Rainbow Dash’s guard patrols were quickly rounded up and brought back to fight for our cause. Our numbers quickly rose to over two hundred once we rescued the prisoners from the Canterlot Caves. The military doctors were some of the first responders on the scene and most, if not all, injuries were treated. A lot of the prisoners previously suffered beatings but none were severely injured. The royal guard headcount is now at an impressive one hundred seventy-five and still growing with every able-bodied mare or colt joining our cause.

It would be another few weeks before we saw ourselves at Sombra’s doorstep at the Crystal Empire but unlike the reclamation of Canterlot, Luna never joined us. Canterlot was the first to be liberated; major cities like Manehattan and Fillydelphia followed shortly after. In the time it took to prepare for the final confrontation, Rarity founded New Dimondia after converting the Canterlot cave system into a new underground city and new trade routes to all recaptured cities were secured. The railway system was brought back to operational status, which gave us a great advantage over Sombra’s forces.

I sat by a campfire just outside of Canterlot’s gates with the other Shining Armor, Rarity, and Caramel as we ate a meal of freshly baked bread and an assortment of seasonal fruits and vegetables under a seemingly clear night sky. Rarity commented on how she finally experienced the northeasterly breeze that normally comes during the first two months of spring. For the first time, I am feeling at ease in this world; I can rest without too much worry over going home soon or doubting that I placed my trust in the wrong individuals. Perhaps what this world’s Cadance said was right, to put my trust in those who don’t seem so trustworthy. It certainly was true, as I had bonded with Caramel this past few weeks. His dark past wasn’t a concern to me anymore. To me, he was just like any other stallion I would meet on the street; to him, it was a new lease on life, one that he thought he would never get.

“In a few hours time, we’ll be off to the Crystal Empire,” Shining Armor said. “Anybody want to say a few words?”

Everyone present turned to him with either an expressionless look or one with curiosity and a raised eyebrow.

“What? It’s a custom in the army to say a few words of praise, thanksgiving, or encouragement before heading off into a major battle. It keeps everypony’s spirits up. Anyone? All right, I’ll start. I guess the one thing I am absolutely grateful for would be for rescuing me. I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you, other me. I can finally see my dear Cadance once more after so long!”

That last part sounded a lot better in my head if I was the one saying it but it was just plain awkward listening to another me thanking me for rescuing him. I guess that’s one thing I have to make a note of in case Twilie ever decides to try something like that back home. Still, an expression of gratitude is what it is; I shouldn’t be questioning the method of delivery given my other self’s sincerity.

Rarity turned to me and placed her hoof on my shoulder. “I owe it to you, Shining Armor, for saving the citizens of Dimondia a few weeks ago. I had my doubts about you being the one responsible for Celestia’s sudden disappearance and murder a while back but I wasn’t entirely sure. Now I can put those doubts to rest.”

Caramel put his plate down and handed me my saddlebag. “I’ve been meaning to return this to you sooner but this seems like the perfect time to do so.” I opened the bag and found the creased parchment with the translated incantation and Sombra’s severed horn along with an improvised caltrop bomb among other necessities.

“I hope it will come in handy soon,” Caramel added. “It’s my way of giving back everything I owe you, mostly our friendship. I would never see myself walking outside the sewers if you hadn’t come along. Heck, I wouldn’t even see myself fighting for a worthy cause alongside likeminded individuals if I hadn’t met you in those sewers a long time ago. I know we all wouldn’t be seeing you anymore after we free the Crystal Empire but it was fun while it lasted.”

“Thank you all,” I began. “I’m surely going to miss you once our work is done but let us not get ahead of ourselves while we can, we still have King Sombra to worry about. We won’t let our hard work keep us from reaching our goal. We will celebrate our victory once this fight is truly over. I don’t know if we will all make it back alive considering our casualty count these past few weeks so let me end by saying thank you once more. It’s been an honor working with you all.”

A feeling of satisfaction grew inside me as we looked up to the night sky and the horizon beyond. Just as everyone left to get rested for the following day, I stayed behind to put out the fire. I turned my eyes to the crystal spires in the frozen north and as I stared out into the clear night sky, I found myself looking at the first star shining brightly in the midst of the darkness. It was the first one in a long, long while.

At Arms

Fully optimized for the battle ahead, the train heading for the Crystal Empire had been converted into an armored personnel carrier, a war wagon of sorts. Each window panel was either boarded up, loaded with a heavy shot cannon, or reinforced with steel grates. The conductor’s cabin was modified into a powder magazine and the steam engine had been fitted with a battering ram made of special enchanted metals meant to be unbreakable. Twilight had previously studied advanced mechanical engineering techniques from some of the slave laborers and requested that the train be made ready for the offensive. Only one train had been secured these past few weeks but numerous rail cars have been salvaged all over Equestria during the each offensive; these were later added to improve the vehicle’s carrying capacity.

The last of the weapons and gunpowder was being loaded onto the conductor’s cabin by the Stormriders. Rarity and Caramel were on a nearby building’s balcony overseeing the final preparations. Everyone was set to leave in about half an hour. The timekeeping devices hidden away when Sombra took over Canterlot had been recovered in the basement of the castle during the first days we spent settling in and they have been useful ever since we located them. I joined the two ponies to ease the growing tension.

“This is it, Shining Armor. Are you ready for this?”

I stood next to Rarity and watched as the royal guards sealed up the storage cars. “I’d be lying if I told you I was ready. It’s different when you say you are ready the night before the big fight and you suddenly think about everything that could possibly go wrong. I don’t know. Maybe I am ready but something’s telling me we have to plan some more.”

“Have some faith in yourself and in us,” Rarity replied. “We’ve made it this far these past weeks. It’s time we finish this one and for all. If Celestia were here, she wouldn’t want us to delay any further now, would she?”

“You’re right. This fight is for all of Equestria. Let’s not let everyone down.”

I made some more small talk with Caramel before leaving them to join Twilight and Spitfire who were busy making last-minute repairs to the enchanted suit of armor.

“Hey there, Twilight! Is the armor all ready to go?”

“Definitely,” Twilight answered. I decided to go over all of the specs just to make sure everything checks out. Good thing, too, since the kill switch was left engaged. If I left that running, who knows what could happen!”

I smiled in reply but I felt somewhat betrayed on the inside. I had completely forgotten about that kill switch when I first had a glimpse of the Project Juggernaut files. I’ll keep an eye on Twilight just to make sure she doesn’t do anything strange. I trust her enough to let me wear the armor but the more I think about it, the more I sense something is up. Why me and not her real brother? And does Luna have anything to do with this? Why do I still think Luna is somehow involved? Ugh… I need a breather.

“Shining Armor! Twilight!”

“Luna!” We turned around to the former princess now missing a step or two while fighting to regain balance. Her chest and back were wrapped in bandages and her hind legs were resting on a wooden platform with wheels. I swear I could hear her wheezing after finding her footing.

“What’s all this for?” Twilight asked.

“The doctor says that last impact from the sonic rainboom left me paralyzed from the waist down and left me comatose shortly after. I woke up to find stitches and bandages all over my body and I realized I could no longer walk, not without support. Some friends from New Dimondia made me these walking aids just in case I ever decided to join the battle but like I said, I won’t be joining you in the Crystal Empire.”

“We understand, Luna,” I replied. “We won’t let you down.”

“I know you won’t.” Twilight and Spitfire left us to load the suit of armor onto the train. I bode Luna farewell and hopped aboard the train with Caramel, Rarity, and the other Shining Armor. The remaining ponies boarded their respective cars and we were off to the frozen north.

After about a few hours into the trip, the train was rumbling violently with portions of the walls and roof already chipping off or collapsing.

“What the hay is going on?!” Spitfire looked outside and found mortar shells flying straight at the train. “Everyone get down!!!”

Jagged wood and steel flew right above our heads and pierced holes into the opposite wall; even an undetonated mortar shell made its way into the car. The journey was now perilous once we entered Dead Mare’s Gorge with Sombra’s guards already waiting for us. Everyone on board didn’t have the luxury of time to wonder how Sombra’s forces knew there was an attempt to secure the Empire. We all did what needed to be done; I ran to the front cabins and met with the royal guards who were there.

“There isn’t much time left before this whole train falls apart. Man your stations and get those cannons ready!”

Without hesitation, the guards moved the cannons to their respective windows and waited for my order. I looked out the window to find an entire platoon ready to fire at the train.

“FIRE!”

The heavy shot cannonballs flew straight towards their intended target and dealt with two mortar pits. Our concern was to only immobilize the pits and not cause any casualties. Sombra’s forces still consisted of crystal ponies and they could still be saved. Each guard quickly readied the cannons and fired another shot. It was an intense hour of combat with each side sending a volley of metal and shrapnel. I swore the train’s armor panels were already falling apart. After firing one more barrage, the whole train shook with great intensity, knocking everyone down to the ground. I quickly ran to the conductor’s cabin to find it almost completely destroyed. The steam engine didn’t fare any better; the driver was knocked unconscious by the explosion and most of the cabin had been blown apart. Twilight and Spitfire rushed to the front of the train right behind me.

“Anyone know how these controls work?”

“I’ll handle it, Twilight. Not gonna lie, I only glanced at the driver a few times to see how these worked. I’ll try to keep it on track.”

“Just keep it steady Spitfire. Shining Armor, you’re with me. We need to get to the rear cabins and get the armor set ready.”

Without hesitation, Twilight and I swiftly ran past the tired guards who continued to fire back at our attackers. Once we reached the fifteenth train car, Twilight began fixing the armor onto me but a stray mortar shot blasted the side of the train car open and blew up the powder reserves. I grabbed on to a hanging piece of metal as I was now over the edge of a cliff.

“Hold on! Grab onto this!”

Twilight grabbed a wooden pole and inched it towards me. As I was about to grab onto it, the metal bar snapped and sent me falling into the depths below.

And so the darkness swallowed me whole. No sound, no sight, and all sense of tactility were robbed from me. No amount of screaming or crying for help would be heard. So this is it? Everyone was on their way to the Crystal Empire without me, perhaps on their way to their certain doom. The last thing I would’ve thought of at this time was Cadance; a broken promise indeed. If only I could make a wish, I’d want to fly back up there and join my friends. I closed my eyes and I resigned to my fate.

The next time my eyes opened, all was bright. The weightless feeling of sitting on a cloud was rushing all over me and the power of the breeze brushed my face with cool wind. I looked at my hooves and found them covered with metal. The same went with the rest of my body. I turned to find a pair of mechanical wings carrying me out of the darkness. I always thought mechanical wings would still require the user to use their own body strength in order to get them to work. Whatever was powering these wings, it brought me back to Twilight.

“I thought I was done for, Twilight. What going on here?”

“That suit of armor is thought-activated. When you need the armor most, you just think about it and the armor will assemble itself, deploy it’s hidden pair of mechanical wings or concealed weapons, whatever you want it to do.”

The two of us returned to the steam engine. Spitfire was doing all she can to keep the train on the tracks and found a panicked look on her face. I looked ahead to see what she could be seeing and found the entrance of the Crystal Empire station. It wasn’t the station’s façade that had me frightened but what was at the station. It was barricaded and converted into a fortified gate with ten cannons on the ground and two mortar pits above. Without any form of long-range offensive measures installed on the steam engine, our only chance of getting through would be the battering ram. Even then, the improvised fortress was likely packing a lot of reserve gunpowder. The train would be destroyed if we charged through the gate. Twilight and Spitfire looked at each other, then at me. We had no other options left but we knew what the other was thinking as we all suggested to detach the steam engine and the missing conductor’s cabin from the rest of the train.

“I’ll see you on the other side,” Spitfire said.

Spitfire grabbed the controls and began to decelerate the train so the rear cars would slow down enough for Twilight and I to detach them. Once detached, Spitfire quickly brought the train up to speed once more and made a mad dash for the station. It wasn’t long before the train’s two front cars became a tiny blip at a distance. The last sign of the train disappeared entirely once the leader of the Stormriders made a turn at the side of a nearby hill. An explosion followed shortly after.

I sure hope it worked…

Smoke rose from the distance, then the sight of flames became clear. The station was engulfed in an inferno but the train, or what’s left of it, wasn’t slowing down any sooner. Twilight and the unicorn guards used their magic to bring the vehicle to a halt a few meters away from the station. Twilight and I stayed behind to look for Spitfire while the others charged into the city with the royal guards and the Stormriders leading them. I searched through the rubble but not a single body was found, not even those belonging to the crystal ponies. Only the sight of singed metal and burning wood littered the scenery while the station went up in flames. Twilight was up on the platform looking down at something, or somepony resting on a bench.

“Hey, soldier, up here!”

“You had me worried back there, Spitfire.” I climbed up to the platform and joined the two mares. “Why didn’t you bail out?”

“Correction: I did. The whole thing must’ve been on full throttle. I told you I wasn’t experienced with trains.”

“C’mon, Spitfire,” Twilight interrupted. “Let’s get you on the train. The doctors will take care of you.”

“What about the others? My team? Where are they?”

“They already went ahead. They’ll be fine.”

Twilight went ahead and accompanied Spitfire to the mobile medical ward on the train while I joined the others who already smashed through the gates of the Crystal Empire.

This whole place felt off for a second. I remember seeing a good portion of the Crystal Empire a few months ago and nothing felt the same. Smoke rose from the crystal peaks of the towers around town while red flames erupted from the war-torn streets. High above, the pegasi waged their battles in impressive aerial displays reminiscent of the Wonderbolts acrobatics, the same ones that were distinctively known by their numerous barrel rolls and knife-edge near misses. It reminded me about the Wonderbolts military division from the olden days. Destruction left its wake on homes and businesses with charred holes dotting the many buildings around town. As I ran past shops, some were pinned down on intersections with Sombra’s guards surrounding my allies. I quickly joined groups and repelled attacks before pushing forward towards the castle. Aerial attacks from the rooftops weren’t a concern was fellow pegasi drew our aggressors’ attention away from the ground. I joined Rarity, Caramel, and the other Shining Armor outside of the library as we assisted a group that was pinned down at an alley. Pushing onwards from our position or even retreating was no longer an option as we were now pinned from two sides. Twilight ran past the corner and into our alley. Stopping to pant before pushing a dumpster to block the way, Twilight huddled with us and gave herself some time to breathe.

“Any ideas? We’re pinned down and we could use some aerial support right now.” My other self said as he ran to the entrance of the alley and fired magic bolts right back at the enemy.

“There must be another way into castle without attracting any attention,” Twilight added.

Caramel turned to the corner and found a manhole cover. He and Rarity ran towards it and opened the entrance. Twilight grabbed some stones lying on the ground and smashed the library windows in and ordered the group of ponies we had assisted to find another way to the castle. The group made haste into the library before Twilight and I entered the sewers.

I’ve always wondered how it felt like to be in Twilight’s place whenever Princess Celestia would send her to save Equestria with her friends. Must’ve been an honor to have the fate of Equestria in their hooves and succeed in the end. Military might would’ve fared better in most situations but as I learned from the changeling invasion of Canterlot, there are just some things that overwhelming physical force can’t overcome.

Sewer tunnels just can’t seem to cut it. I know I’ve spent a fair amount of time in them but we just can’t get along. Caramel was lost in a place he considered home at one point in life. Lights didn’t help either. Unless we walked into an open wall with makeshift living quarters in it, we were running around in circles. I swore, it felt like an hour of aimless wandering through the scent of decay and rotting garbade. The sudden realization that the castle was due north of the library pointed us in the right direction and Caramel headed straight for his old quarters. Coincidentally situated underneath the empty lot that would later be used to build the Equestria Games stadium in my world, this opportunity couldn’t have come sooner or at all. Caramel emerged ironclad and gilded. Smoke rose from his armor and enveloped him.

“Thought this might come in handy one day,” Caramel reemerged behind us. “I stole it from the armory before I escaped reeducation.”

“Could that smoke sneak us all into the castle?”

“Only one way to find out, Shining Armor.”

As expected, the smoke shrouded the user of the suit of armor. As Caramel continued to use his smokescreen, Twilight and the rest of us began to fade from each other’s view. It was like floating, being weightless, but all that mass was still there in the form of jet-black smoke. There was no communication from then on until the arrival at the castle’s secret door. We later learned from Caramel that anyone turned into magical smoke caused by the enchanted suit of armor was incapable of speech. I peeped through the slits on the lone door ahead and the memories of many weeks stuck in this world came back in a flash. The sight and sounds of pain and agony from somepony I never thought I’d see again. Now that room was empty. Twilight and Rarity entered and examined the shattered crystal furniture and tattered curtains. The rest of us cautiously followed. I made note of a crown sliced in half at the center and a set of golden horseshoes lying close to the room’s entrance. My other self looked at crown and horseshoes silently, perhaps with an air of remorse and concern, but the time for lamentation will come eventually. Now was the time to claim what is rightfully ours.

There was a sound of creaking iron hinges at the door. Twilight gestured us to hide. We all scrambled for the secret exit and hid in Caramel’s smokescreen.

A slender mare entered, pale pink and bruised all over her body. She was close to merely bones and skin. She limped to the bed and laid her head on her pillow. I’ve seen her before but not like this, not so badly injured and close to collapse. Enough was enough.

“Cadance.” I left the smokescreen and exposed myself to her.

“Shining Armor?!” Cadance turned to me, mouth agape. “Is it… is it really you?”

I gestured no as my other self joined my side, then Twilight and the rest of us. The smoke was lifted as Caramel took his place by the bed.

“I’m the Shining Armor you met many weeks back. Remember when you led me out of the castle to the sewers? Do you remember me?”

“I-I think so. I don’t remember much.”

Rarity and Twilight attended to Cadance’s wounds. The rest of us watched the door in case the guards came to check on Cadance. We all caught up on the past weeks and confirmed our suspicions; Sombra wanted to rule all of Equestria and he needed his own army of slaves in order to accomplish it. Without his magic at full potential, he needed an alternative. It still doesn’t clear up everything I needed to know. Celestia just disappeared and it was clear Sombra was behind it. But why?

It was only a matter of time before we all had our chance to end all the suffering everypony had undergone. Though weak, Cadance expressed her willingness to join us. We were afraid but we couldn’t debate any further.

“Are you sure you want to do this, dear?” My other self led the way to the throne room with his wife slowly limping behind.

“I’ve had it with his abuse and delusional grandeurs. I’m sure.”

It was quite a walk from the bedroom to the castle’s throne room but when we reached the crystal and steel doors, we paused for a moment. That feeling of uncertainty definitely tugged at me. I checked my armor over and over again, going over every trick and secret it contained. Kill switch disengaged, wings properly functioning, armor reassembled with thought. Everything was fine.

“This is it,” Cadance said. “I know you all worked so hard to come this far to turn around. Are you sure you are all ready to face Sombra?”

We all nodded unanimously and prepped our weapons. I mustered up all courage and stepped forward to open the doors to the other side.

Green flames erupted from both sides of the room as the torches lit the room for all to see. Upon the throne sat King Sombra, an intimidating sight to behold. Nothing but darkness sat on the dark throne with the surrounding crystalline walls corrupted by his dark magic. Even with the light of the green fire showing the way ahead, his side was pitch-black with his shadowy influence reaching out to every corner of the room but we all knew he was watching our every move.

“I’ve been expecting you.” A deep and raspy voice from a not-so-distant past echoed through the room. The shadows flitted back and forth around us as if it was making way for something moving beyond what our eyes could see. “You’ve caused enough trouble these past weeks but you’ve made things more convenient for me. I can deal with you all at the same time. And thank you, princess. You’ve done a good job bringing them all here but I am sorry to say, you’ve outlived your uses!”

“What?!” Cadance replied. A shadow claw grasped her and whisked her away from us on the ground before her magic was sucked away. Twilight and my other self fired bolts of energy at the shadows but were reflected back. They dodged their own strikes just in time. I was afraid to fire back as I only watched Cadance screaming in pain as her magic was drained into the darkness. Eventually, the shadows subsided to reveal an imposing figure of shadow and cast-iron plating. The red on his cloak soon emerged and revealed the physical form of something that even the fittest royal guard could ever dream of achieving.

“Release her!” I walked up to the king and past where the invisible force field was merely seconds earlier. Sombra immediately threw Cadance to the ground like a mere plaything. I quickly conjured a mattress and cushioned her fall.

“No more of tyranny, Sombra!” Twilight yelled from across the room. “It’s time you relinquish your rule over Equestria!”

“You know I can’t simply do that, not when I am giving everypony a chance at a world that knows peace beyond all comprehension, a world where no one will ever know what ‘pain’ and ‘suffering’ mean. I’m doing everyone a great deal of good!”

“GOOD?! What good is there in enslaving your subjects? And what did you do with Celestia?”

“All will know about the master plan and they will gladly oblige. Unfortunately, not everyone sees things my way, including Celestia. If my plan were to come true, I needed to make sure everyone who opposes would be dealt with. Of course, there was no way I would deal with her myself and spoil the surprise. That’s where your brother comes in. Am I right, Shining Armor?”

The king’s horn glowed green and purple lifted my other self into the air and right next to him. Twilight fired a burst of energy to interrupt the beam but was injured with the resulting beam reflecting back to her. My other self’s eyes glowed green and his magic aura had matched Sombra’s. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

“I’m sorry, Twilight, but you are fighting against the will of the king.” Shining Armor said in a dull, monotone voice. The broken horn, the prison… I knew there was something wrong with everything we all went through. “He will rule Equestria and all will live peacefully but you and everyone who dares to defy him will be dealt with swiftly and severely. Consider yourself lucky that you even made it this far.”

“What do you mean by that?” Twilight asked.

“Shame that your brother forgets these things but allow me to fill in the gaps. That broken horn was my doing. I needed a way to jam his ability to use magic but I am one for trying new methods. Simply disabling it won’t do. The rest of the reeducation process was finished faster because of that little discovery. He’s been secretly relaying information to me ever since you freed him from the prison. As for knowing that you were going to free your brother, I have informants everywhere. Even those whom you’ve come to trust the most.”

Another puff of smoke rose on the raised floor and revealed Caramel with eyes glowing green and purple with the king’s aura enveloping his body.

“NO!!!” I yelled. Not you too.

“I didn’t want it to come to this, my friend. What I said back in Ponyville was true and I meant every word. I’m so sorry but – he still owns me. I can’t be free, not with him and you still around. Only one can stay behind and lead this land to freedom.”

I should’ve called you out when I had the chance…

“Turns out my re-education worked,” Sombra smiled as he stepped forward to join my – his – comrade. “I really have to thank you for letting him through to your worthless little town. He’s been a great help. So... I’ve been told you’re not from here. Would you mind showing me how to get to your world? I’d love to have another domain to exercise my power in, considering that your world’s Sombra failed where I will soon succeed.”

No more. No more will any of my friends succumb to his influence. I charged straight for the king and prepared to fire an energy blast from my horn. From his end, the shadows around the room shifted and raced through the crumbling marble and granite carvings and columns. Once again, the icy cold shadows reach for my body like the claws of that nightmarish beast from long ago. I’m no longer afraid of him. If he comes back here, I’ll be waiting. As the last of my vision faded away, Sombra came forth into my dreams.

And he wasn’t alone.

That faceless creature came back and there were more of them. I counted seven including Sombra himself as his pale gray body changed into a pale white monster. Razor sharp claws protruded all over him; his tail turned into a manticore stinger with a third claw at its end and his face lost its features to a face-hugging mutation straight out of a wild mare’s tale. The rest of the creatures had a more mare-like gait with flatter hooves and claws but were just as menacing. Some bore a great resemblance to my friends; it was a corruption of their image and Sombra twisted them to break me. But I wasn’t going to let up now, not when I’ve come so far.

A double-edged spear appeared in my mind and one ejected straight out of the armor set on me. Just for good measure, I created a claw of pure magic energy to prop up the weapon for increased versatility in combat. Targeting the closest monster in sight, I ran straight for it while the others stood still. The monster responded with a glowing horn and a shield toss that knocked me off my feet. The whole area was dimmed save for the light from my horn and those from the faces of the monsters themselves. Getting up once more, I ran headstrong into the eyeless, faceless creatures once again, this time going after Sombra. With a much larger and physically imposing structure sporting more claws and a deep ominous laugh that followed me everywhere, he was one target I wasn’t going to slip out of my sights. Soon enough, whenever I approached one of those creatures, they would resemble Sombra’s own incarnation of the monster but just as I strike them down, they quickly receded back to their original size.

All that wasn’t capable of stopping me, though. I continued to run after visible creatures and attempted to slash them down with my double-edged spear. They’d stay down for a while before standing back up and resuming battle. Some charged straight at me and swiped their cold, dark claws on me. I fought back hard, repelling their claws with my spear and armor set. Even if it could only do so much to protect me against the weight of their thunderous blows that should’ve already split regular steel alloy armor into many pieces, mine still held with minor scratches and cracks. Over time, those monsters began releasing tentacle arms in an attempt to restrict my movement. Sombra approached me and kept me at bay, hindering my legs with a cold grasp of his own slimy, tentacle-like arm protrusions. They held me tight but I tried to fight those things off me with every last bit of strength I had left. Those things cracked my armor and attempted to turn it into my casket. I’ve learned that breathing your last in a dream would make one wake up but I doubted I would wake up from this nightmare alive.

“Give up now, Shining Armor!” Sombra exclaimed in a much angrier tone than his ominous, raspy voice. “You’ll never survive this!”

“MAKE ME!!!!!”

I summoned what was left of my strength and yanked a second spear out of my armor, sliced a tentacle off my left hoof, and ripped apart the rest of the tentacles that were constricting me of air. My armor was now cracked and close to breaking point. All that happened so fast that I couldn’t think. I flew into a berserker rage, slicing the six creatures that tried to keep me down. One after another, I hacked through them until they disappeared. In one fell swoop, I threw my spear right at Sombra, pinning him to the ground. One more of those horrible monsters stood before me. I plucked a jagged piece of metal that hung off the side of my armor and charged straight for the creature

Shining Armor… Shining Armor…

It started saying my name almost in a chant-like way. I didn’t let it bother me as I pinned it to the ground and reared up to jam the metal shard into its chest. The creature uttered my name once more, this time in a soft, pitiful voice; it was almost like it was crying. The sight of a tear running down the side made shake off the rage and delirium. I opened my eyes to find that I was about to end Twilight. She had open wounds all over her body and – all this was about to happen. I backed off slowly to find the others in similar pain. Even the other Shining Armor and Caramel had large gashes and cuts dripping with blood. I turned back to Twilight and propped her up to the wall closest to the door. She looked at me with a stern look but her lips, despite being covered with blood from an open wound made a smile. I felt that for once, things might turn out well in the end.

I turned to see Sombra impaled to the ground with one of my double-edged spears still lodged in his chest. He was struggling but he looked too weak to get up. And I did all that? It couldn’t be. It felt too easy to be over. It just wasn’t right. Twilight reminded me of that when her horn glowed magenta followed with a faint beeping sound from my armor.

“What? What are you doing, Twilight?”

“Ending this for good!”

Suddenly, the pull of an invisible magnetic force was felt all over my body. I could slip onto the ground but only my armor flew off my body and on to Twilight. She struggled to stand up but she managed to do so and walk straight towards Sombra, who has just grown to massive proportions and was preparing to strike. I tried to chase after Twilight but my feet were magnetized to the ground, rendering me useless. I could only stand and call out to Twilight. I knew what she was going to do.
She kept on walking ever closer to the king, almost tripping halfway across the hall. As she was just inches away from the king, she was knocked back by a shockwave at the foot of the king, now in pure shadow form. The armor flew off her beaten body but it didn’t scatter all over the ground. It flew straight onto the other Shining Armor.

“Brother! You don’t need to do this. Let me end this.”

“No, Twilight,” my other self calmly replied. The green and purple aura from his eyes slowly dispersed into thin air as the last pieces of the armor found their way to his hooves and chest. “Sombra’s right. He couldn’t bring himself to get rid of Celestia so he got me to do it instead.”

“It’s not your fault! Please, let me do it instead!”

“I have to. I’ve done enough to deserve this. I know what I’m going to do is crazy but it’s better this way. When I see mom and dad again, they’ll be happy to know Equestria is in good hooves. Goodbye, Twilight.”

I can only watch in sorrow as the two parted their ways. Everything felt slower even if nothing was distorting time; my eyes were still fixed on Twilight and Shining Armor but at the corner of my field of vision, Caramel stood up and was telling me to go. I couldn’t hear him but I can make out what he was saying. I looked behind me to find Rarity and Cadance limped their way out of the room and soon after, Caramel dragged me out of the room as well. Twilight was still inside going after her brother but was pushed back to the throne room’s entrance. A force field then covered the four of us as Caramel rushed to close the doors. Everything was bright as the light emanating from the suit of armor the other Shining Armor was wearing nearly blinded us and kept the shadow Sombra at bay. I can see my other self smiling back at Twilight and turned around to face the king before Caramel closed the doors behind him. He nodded at me once and smiled before the last sliver of light was sealed off.

Twilight banged at the force field’s walls and cried out for her brother once more. All that followed was a blinding white light, a violent gust of wind, and an eerie silence looming.

It was the sound of the roaring thunder.

Eulogy

Dust filled the air as the remainder of the sound dissipated into nothingness. I couldn’t help shed a tear for my departed friend; I know Shining Armor meant what he said but his words took me back to the war room, grimly reminding me of the same things Caramel wished for. Those two words – quick and painless – he meant them. He shouldn’t have… I should’ve known better…

The dust cleared the way to empty space. No more were the throne room, the windows, and the columns that were once decorated by crystals, granite, and glass. It was a harrowing sight indeed, leaving those who were left behind to wonder where the occupants had gone. Twilight got the worst of it. She ran to the doorframes, the only surviving reminder that there once was a throne room, and let out a painful scream. It was one that echoed of total loss, abandonment, and hopelessness. I joined her, side by side, and held her close, probably the closest I had ever been with her since. Not even that hug by the graveyard could compare to what had happened here. Likewise, Rarity huddled along with Cadance to comfort her in her time of grievance. We all had our pains and sufferings, but nothing ever prepared us for our greatest losses. No matter where we were when Sombra took over, we were united by a common sorrow in the midst of victory. Without counting all our losses, I felt this end was pyrrhic, especially for Twilight. I couldn’t bring myself to think of life without the ones I loved so much. In reality, the truth was inevitable, but it was one that we could never truly accept until the time came.

I turned to the castle crater and found the steel chest plate I had worn for the past few weeks, all scratched, cracked, and dented. It bore the six stars of Twilight’s cutie mark but the magic that had empowered the suit had disappeared, leaving this monochrome relic behind. I passed this piece to Twilight who in turn flipped the piece revealing the image of my own mark. Perhaps there was more to her than I thought.

“It’s time to go.” Rarity depressingly said as she and Cadance were preparing to leave. I escorted Twilight out. In pure silence, we trudged through the halls and out the castle to a throng of mares and stallions cheering for us in victory. The sound of happiness, however, didn’t last long. Heads were slowly hanging low as the voices uttered their condolences to us, even those who were previously fighting against us. This gloomy atmosphere led us to the train station where the Crystal Empire’s bullet train was waiting for us, along with the bodies of those who had fallen in battle. The four of us – Twilight, Rarity, Cadance, and myself - along with some members of the Stormriders were the first to leave the empire to prepare our dearly departed for their final rites.

The Everfree forest, not as scary as it would seem after the darkness over Equestria had been lifted. Being escorted by the remainder of the population of Ponyville and Canterlot felt a little reassuring. As we entered the plot of land that the castle of the two sisters had occupied, I greeted faces with mixed emotions. While most grieved, not everyone felt that way. Out of the corner of my eye, I chanced upon a lively Scootaloo chatting with Rainbow Dash. Not everyone had to be so glum.

At the castle, Twilight and I met with Luna, Cadance, and Rarity at a hidden room. It was an amber room filled with gold and precious paintings thought to be lost over a thousand years ago. In its center stood a display case bearing Celestia’s ceremonial crown; gold and precious gems lined its laurel wreath hoop with 8 arches joining the central monde resting atop a velvet cap.

Luna removed the glass cover and hovered the cap over to Twilight.

“But I’m not royalty,” Twilight began. “You should be the one to wear it and carry out the ceremony.”

“It’s not that I’m rejecting my role. I’ve spent days reflecting on the past weeks and I felt that you’d be a better leader than I am. This is, after all, a new beginning.”

“What do you mean?”

“With King Sombra gone, I’ve learned that we may no longer find use for a princess or a prince ruling over Equestria. Not long after this war started, I’ve stopped using my title because it became irrelevant. My sister once told me about a day when our titles would mean nothing, when the common pony would be of equal stature to the royals and social elites. This is that day, Twilight. I’m sorry if things will never go back to the way they were.”

Luna tightly embraced Twilight as the former princess shed a tear.

“You and I are no different now.”

Cadance tapped me on my shoulder. “I – just… want to say thank you.”

“I’m sorry, Cadance,” I replied. “I don’t know what else to tell you.”

“There is nothing more you need to say. When I left you with those words long ago, I assumed you to be the stallion I married. After all of this… it just feels different, you know? He did what needed to be done and now that I will never be with him in life, I’ll find comfort through his sacrifice. I’ll find a way to carry on.”

The gravediggers arrived and emptied out the tomb made for Rainbow Dash. She said it gave her an uneasy feeling, almost made her sick. Spitfire and the rest of the Stormriders joined their comrade at the entrance of the castle’s rear entrance, now modified into a crypt that housed the armor chest piece that I had previously worn along with other items of significant value attributed to the fallen. Among these were an old leather saddle, an iron feather pin, and Celestia’s tiara and necklace. I, too, gave my own item: the brick Caramel had given me just before we entered the crystal castle. I wouldn’t see any use for it now but it still carried the memory of the closest friend I’ve made here. Twilight stood by the door to the crypt to receive these items one by one as each pony that came up to her gave their most sincere condolences. She didn’t thank them verbally, only me. Elsewhere, the sound of sadness filled the air on this first clear day. Mares mourned for their husbands, colts and fillies entered each other’s embrace as they reminisced fond memories of the families they will never have again.

With the last of the items now sealed in the crypt, Twilight approached the wooden stage to address the crowd before us. To her right were Cadance and Luna, and Rarity and I were on her left.

“Mares and stallions, fillies and gentlecolts, I stand before you today to bring the news of our victory. King Sombra, once the tyrannical ruler of Equestria is no more but I am saddened for our victory cost us the lives of our loved ones. They may no longer be with us in body, but they will live on in our hearts. I - um… uh…”

“Fillies and gentlecolts,” Luna interrupted, saving Twilight from an emotional breakdown mid-speech. “I believe it’s time we face the future together. Through these last few months, I’ve seen myself as one of you. Without my sister Celestia to guide you all, leading Equestria through numerous trials left me and Twilight exhausted, but we both put our faith in each of you to the end. We don’t expect you to do the same; we haven’t been acting in the most reasonable ways but we just wanted you all to live as free individuals. We are at a loss of words now, but our actions will say much more than we could today. We’ll rebuild Equestria together. We’ll restore the land to the way it once was.”

Everypony stomped their hooves loudly, applauding Luna and Twilight for a seemingly half-hearted speech. I guess the content would suffice; they both had been through a lot and they need some time to come to terms with reality. Though our time in the spotlight is short-lived, I believe we got our message across. Still, something bothered me. Without princesses, how would Equestria go on? Everyone always relied on Celestia’s wisdom to keep things running. Perhaps Celestia had thought of the day she would no longer lead her subjects. Whatever the reason, I believed she had faith that she wouldn’t be the only reason why good ever continued to blossom wherever anypony went. This is the reality everyone will face in this world’s future. Putting things behind wasn’t over just yet; there was one last ceremony to conduct.

A pyre atop a carved marble slab lay in the center of the ancient castle’s throne room. It was already late afternoon and the blood orange sun would soon find its place away from the eyes of ponykind. The celestial body would set and so would the princess’s spirit find its way to wherever the deceased would go once their life in this mortal plane was over. Though there was no body to set alight, the pyre was set ablaze anyway, the smoke carrying the memories our princess to the horizon and beyond. Luna reminded me of this long lost tradition. Ponies of ancient times believed that the pyre burning ceremony was reserved for the rulers of Equestria. Celestia didn’t want this to be carried out once she is no longer the ruling monarch but Luna thought one more wouldn’t hurt. She had reserved this last instance for her.

“Rest now, dearest sister,” Luna muttered. “Thank you.”

The princess of the night lowered the sun and made way for her moon. For once in her lifetime, her subjects would bask in the beauty of her night, but not in the way she wanted. Tonight was a night of reflection, a night to remind us of past joys, present sorrows, and an uncertain future.

Once the ponies had left the castle and the last of the coal burned no more, Twilight, Luna, and Rarity moved to the library. I gathered my things and placed them in my saddlebag before proceeding to their location. At the secret room of the castle’s old musky library, the five of us had gathered in it, away from public eyes. Though my identity is no longer secret, the truth about my arrival is still unknown. It’s best that way.

“Shining Armor,” Luna somberly began. “Do you know this what this is?”

I turned to the dusty tapestry on the wall. Though most of the details had been eaten away by moths over time, the important details were still clear and visible. It was a symbol of balance and harmony, the two sisters coming together in full circle with the respective halves of the sun and moon in between them.

“I do. Equestria’s origin. Why do you ask?”

Luna picked up the tattered piece of cloth and looked at it intently, slowly stroking each strand of thread as if caressing a strand of her dear sister’s rainbow-colored hair.

“I remember the day sister banished me. It was difficult for her to bear knowing that she would live her days without the one pony she cared for the most. Now I must bear the same punishment she had gone through. This one will last as long as I live.”

“Luna, it’s not your fault.”

“I know, Shining Armor. I know. I now have to look after the only family I’ve got left: Twilight. Speaking of family, I believe it’s time for you to return to yours. You’ve already spent a lot of time here. As much as you’ve played an integral part in our victory, we need to keep you out of our history. Future generations will know everything that happened to us these past months but they will never know about you. Balance must be maintained between our worlds. I hope you understand.”

Twilight, Cadance, and Rarity stepped forward to unveil a mirror hidden under a tattered white sheet. There was a mirror just like it in my world. I’ve seen it only once in Celestia’s castle but she no longer keeps it locked up. Luna’s horn glowed a deep midnight blue and the solid reflection on the mirror’s surface rippled. I turned my eyes to my friends and fought to keep a smile on my face though in reality, I probably won’t remember these friendly faces once I cross over. Twilight approached me and held my hoof tight.

“You are one special stallion. My true brother was my first best friend and nothing can ever change that. He may no longer be around but you are and will always be my friend and a friend to all of us here. You may not be the pony that we wanted, but we surely needed you.”

“Thank you, but what about you? Wouldn’t you need to rebuild Equestria without Celestia guiding you?”

“I won’t be going through all of that alone. Luna, Cadance, everyone will play their part. Don’t you worry about us.”

“I will surely miss these moments, both good and bad. I didn’t ask for this, but I couldn’t ask for a more humbling experience. I wish you all the best.”

I turned to the rippling mirror once more. I took my first step in, then another. Once more I glanced at my friends, nodding to reassure me that we will all carry on. Just like Caramel did. It was with a heavy heart that we had to part ways, but I was certain we’d see each other one way or another. There was still one last thing to take care of before I can put all this to rest.

Dearest Cadance… You don’t need to worry anymore. I’m coming home.

All is Right

I only closed my eyes once and there I was, back in my study. Everything was still right where I left them. Books were still scattered on the floor, papers still littered the crystalline bench like a tornado had just gone through the room. Even the physics book about mirrors was untouched, right at the page about refraction indices and how to go about calculating refraction values. The room’s only mirror didn’t show any signs of rippling; I tapped the surface over and over again hoping there would be a sign that there was still a chance to go back. I hanged my saddlebag on the door hook and wandered through my seemingly foreign abode.

Everything’s still the same, same walls, same navy blue and lapis carpets, same diamond sculptures. Doesn’t seem like anything was different. I came across a lone orange pegasus guard wandering the halls, his eyes noting grandeur of the castle walls and ceiling detail by detail.

“Oh, your majesty.” The guard nervously replied as he straightened himself and stood at attention while his gaze darted across everything in the hallway, other than myself. “I-I d-d-didn’t se you there.”

“At ease, soldier. Did you happen to see Cadance anywhere?”

The pegasus calmed down and took a quick breath of relief. “I believe she went to the spa down the street. She left two and a half hours ago.”

I proceeded to walk away from the guard and just like military protocols; he also began walking the opposite way after a nonverbal dismissal.

“Just one other thing, soldier.”

“Yes, sir?”

“What day is it today?”

“Uh, Wednesday, sir. One week after Hearth’s Warming Day.”

I left the pegasus guard at the hallway and quickly dashed to the seventh floor bedroom. Right there at the dresser, among Cadance’s makeup, hairbrushes, and jewelry, was the letter I had written just before I left.

This was written two hours ago. But I’ve been away for roughly two months! Something about that other world felt off… Wait, two months went by in that other Equestria, yet only two hours passed here. Well, at least Cadance doesn’t need to see this letter anymore and I’ll probably get away with that mess in the study. Hopefully.

I tore the parchment paper into tiny pieces and burned the heap with a fire spell. The ashes were blown away by the light breeze of the Hearth’s Warming season and carried them through the open window and scattered them throughout the empire. Satisfaction at last and it all went by without a hitch.

“Mind explaining to me what that was about?”

At that moment, I felt something grip my throat really tight as my breathing sped up tenfold. I turned around to see Cadance at the door with a very uneasy look on her face, almost angry.

“Uh, I- it was nothing. Absolutely nothing. Did I mention you look great today? Were you at the spa?”

“Yeah, at the spa and hair salon. I left early and I didn’t want to wake you up. Parchment paper doesn’t spontaneously ignite unless somepony was playing with matches near it or uses an ignition spell. I know you’re hiding something, dear. Remember what we agreed on when we were just newlyweds? NO. SECRETS.”

Luna’s words quickly echoed in my head. Balance must be maintained between our worlds. Surely something bad is going to happen if Cadance finds out about me going to another world.

“Alright, you got me. I was messing around with an ignition spell. I was going to write a letter to mom and dad but it didn’t sound good when I read it so I burned up the parchment.”

Cadance looked at me intently, possibly trying to see if she could get around my lie. I know that face when I see it: a focused look with one eyebrow raised and arched while the other remains flat and closed, expressionless lips. She gave up eventually.

“If you say so but you don’t need to do that,” Cadance began. “Twilight and your parents will be staying with us for a week. I should’ve left a note for you but I couldn’t find you anywhere. Anyways, I’m heading off to the train station to meet Twilight. You look like you had a bad dream, are you all right?

“Uh yeah, if you put it that way. Really bad dream with you going missing and I got really worried about you. I’ll meet with you at the station in a little while. I just need to get some things ready.”

Cadance and I left the room. She had gone off to the castle entrance and prepared a royal guard escort and left some instruction to the castle caretakers to prepare a room for Twilight and my parents. I returned to the study to clean up. I gave myself some ample time to reduce the mess I had created when I first left. The fruity scent of the study still remained after some time but I barely noticed it when I last arrived, a reminder of a long night of reading up on security measures and effective distribution of workload. The memories of that evening some weeks earlier flittered in my mind beginning with Cadance bringing in some perfume and candles to brighten up the room and spending some time stargazing. We had a few sips of some crystal ice wine and some clusters of half-frozen grapes, something we consider a delicacy up north. I was just wrapping up until we spent another hour just looking out at the night sky and talking about the past. I mentioned a few things about the day when Sombra came back and how I wished I had been the one who defeated him. She just kept telling me to leave it behind but I just couldn’t, not when I felt that I’ve done something worth more than just a thank you for “being there when I needed you.” Back then, proving to Cadance that I am more than just a guard captain was something I put a lot of effort on; I couldn’t explain it but I felt that I need to show her that I am able to look out for her.

I placed the last of the books on the shelves and arranged the parchment paper sheets along the desks close to the mirror. Twilight’s knack for organization must’ve rubbed off on me because I now find myself arranging things in alphabetical order and making sure nothing ever went missing. I still find it awkward, even borderline scary, how Twilight ever became so organized and finds fun in doing so. The last thing left to fix was my saddlebag. I emptied it out and found a broken crystal shard along with an empty piece of paper. Though it felt like the same piece of paper that the local librarian had given me, this one was clean, no writing whatsoever. Sombra’s horn fragment was no longer here, replaced by a crystal shard that looked almost, if not exactly like the same living crystal fragment Twilight used to replace the other Shining Armor’s horn. I set the crystal on the sheet of paper and wrapped it tightly, carefully letting each crease touch the crystal shard before tying a black ribbon crosswise and securing the wrap. I placed my little memento in a small crystalline table just across the window before heading out the door.

I rushed through the castle and out the front doors to the train station on the west approach to the city. Though the city’s atmosphere was lively with the bright yellow-orange sun’s heat subtly contrasting the light winter breeze commonly felt throughout Equestria’s north. This was an uplifting change of scenery from the more somber tones of the other Crystal Empire I had just left. Still, the sights of a war-torn version of the city would occasionally appear before me and I would give some buildings a careful second look. It was with the train station as well. One moment, flames erupted from the ground and the whole building was dilapidated and after a blink, it was back to normal. Cadance had a guard escort waiting on site, among them was the pegasus guard I had met earlier now clad in golden armor.

Eyes moved back and forth between Cadance and I but we both were eagerly anticipating Twilight’s arrival. Just about a minute after my arrival, the train came to a steady halt at the station. Steam billowed out of the engine’s smokestack and enveloped the train in a white mist. Once this translucent mist cleared, I was greeted by Twilight, equally eager to give me a hug shortly followed by my parents, both with wide smiles on their faces.

“Twilight! It’s so good to see you! How are you, kid?”

“Doing just fine, big brother best friend forever! You sound like you missed me for a long time. I was just here a few months ago when Sombra came back, you know.”

“I know, kid, but a few months is already long enough. Come, let’s get you, mom, and dad settled in.”

As nightfall arrived, my family had settled in their rooms for a week of catching up. That old dance that Twilight and Cadance made up when they were younger? It never got old. Sometimes I sing that jingle in my head just to feel young again. Sunshine sunshine, ladybugs awake… Mom and dad didn’t seem to tire quickly the last time I remembered we went out for a walk. Mom always went out for a quick stroll whenever she needed some fresh air to circulate around her noggin. That old book binding house dad used to run… he said he left it to a nephew of his. Hope it’s still around; I might visit it sometime.

There was a lot of catching up to do at the dinner table and while I shared some of my uneventful perimeter patrol experiences amongst my other duties, I kept my mouth hushed about the last two months – two hours in real time – and my adventures with our otherworldly counterparts. Twilight wouldn’t believe me if I told her. She’d probably educate me on the impossibility of interdimensional travel through magic mirrors even if she might possibly journey through one sometime in her life. I wouldn’t know if she would see one at all. Regardless of our personal joys, I did my best to hide my own sorrows for some friends and their uncertain future. It’s best to hope for the best, I guess. Dinner wouldn’t be over for another two hours and though I wanted to catch up with Twily, it could wait till the next day. After all, I’ve got a week with her.

It was all peaceful bliss when the day ended.

Dreams tend to be forgotten once awoken, a fact that most of us don’t bother trying to recall them when asked, at least when Twilight or Cadance does. They know it as well as I do and the feeling is occasionally mutual. Still, it was the change of pace that left me more than satisfied. No more faceless creature from the darkest depths of my imagination tormenting me. Though my peaceful rest was undisturbed, I turned to the clock with its hands close to noon. Ugh, Cadance warned me about the unlikelihood of brunch, especially with guests. I was left with no other choice.

Guards and castle caretakers enthusiastically greeted my half-asleep face while I returned them with smiles and nods. It was a common enough gesture that they took it for what it was: a greeting. Two lefts down the fifth story and into the third room on the second corridor on the right was my destination. My suspicions were still proven right when I inspected the mirror. No ripples and no signs of a way back. Once I began my walk to the kitchen, I nearly lost my footing to a piece of parchment paper. Like anyone would do, I decided to give it a quick look before setting it aside or throwing it away depending on the content.

Addressed to right recipient, mailed to the right castle but the handwriting didn’t belong to anyone who would likely write to me. Hmm… Date is spot on with one detail off. Two years from today, addressed from-

Turning to the mirror, I let out a long and quiet sigh and a smile to top it of. As Twilight once said, a good friend always keeps in touch with those closest to them, always looking out for each other. Even when they are miles away from each other, their hearts are still close by. Perhaps things are turning out for the better over there. My eyes scanned the letter once more, noting the last sentences.

Luna knows what happened to your world’s King Sombra. You should feel blessed that no one had to lose a life to save others. Sacrifice is a big word and what it entails may sometimes be bigger. Wherever you are, I hope you are doing well.

I tucked the letter in the same drawer I kept the shard in and left to prepare my meal. One last look at the mirror and I knew that whether it was here or there, all was right with the world.

Unlikely Friends

“Wait! You don’t understand, Twilight!”

I struggled to free myself from the royal guards who are now in Twilight’s service but knowing the guards of Canterlot, it is highly recommended to just stay put. Twilight didn’t care at all, remaining silent and barely even showing any sign of curiosity. Her contemptible attitude towards me is likely because of my other self betraying the princess but really, what happened to Celestia?

“Have him seated”, Twilight said, forceful in her tone. “and make sure you shackle him. I don’t want him to get away.”

The courtroom was actually the Ponyville town hall converted into a courtroom but it bore no resemblance of such. The judge’s stand and the jury’s section were stacked up soap crates and park benches respectively. The interior still showed signs of the balconies raised up high but some have collapsed completely while others are barely holding up without the aid of support struts. To add to the worn-down, nearly derelict state of the building, every window was either shattered completely or blocked off with wooden planks nailed to the window pane. The curtains that once hung from the podium and windows are now shredded in numerous places. Candle lights flickering in the darkness provide the lights of the almost run-down building.

Twilight took to the stands and faced the crowd, the jury, and finally looked at me with a very disgusted look; she didn’t want to see me but I’m here in her presence regardless.

“Fillies and gentlecolts, we are gathered here today to evaluate and decide upon Shining Armor, the stallion responsible for the betrayal AND death of our leader Princess Celestia. Does the defendant have anything to say?”

“Wait- WHAT?! Nopony told me that she was killed! What in the HAY was going on here?!”

Twilight looked back at me with a grim smile on her face, now beginning to show me her darker side.

“As you all know, Celestia’s envoy to the Crystal Empire was attacked by a lone stallion. The problem was, only those who knew of the envoy’s route were able to track it down but its location was given away from somepony from the inside. Witness reports from a secondary group of rebels say that Shining Armor was found separated from his group and attacked Celestia and his comrades. As proof of the incident, turn your attention to the evidence.”

A crown was pulled out from the judge’s stand and it was an all too familiar sight - Celestia’s crown - known for it’s engraved gold body and purple quartz crystal expertly crafted from long ago. Burn marks now covered the edges of the crown and the now damaged crystal brings about thoughts of how badly the princess must have been injured. I didn’t think that a stallion would have magic strong enough to murder a princess but I know he- the alternate Shining Armor- couldn’t have done it alone. Nopony can match the magical abilities of an alicorn and something made him strong enough to do it. Something’s going on here...

“Umm...” I started, a little unsure about what I will say but maybe I can find out what that something is if I can get myself out of this courtroom. “Twilight?”

“Silence traitor!” Twilight screamed and just as quickly as she screamed, the guards used their magic to restrain my mouth, casting a spell to stick them shut.

“The traitor has committed the gravest possible crime imaginable and it should be reciprocated with the worst punishment!” A pony from the jury raised his voice and attested to my crime with a proper punishment. This pony’s deep, raspy voice suggested an elderly stallion.

“Very well,” Twilight continued. “In line with this stallion’s suggestion, we shall put the traitor to death by PUBLIC EXECUTION! All in favor, say I!”

Everypony in the room raised their voices in a unanimous “I”. Not a single pony present thought twice about their response given their immediate reply. As for Twiley, she doesn’t take kindly to violence but she just doesn’t care about me. This isn’t Twilight at all. What’s wrong with her?

Just as the gavel was going to slam to end the court session, a mysterious hooded figure walked up to her and whispered to her ear. Twilight turned back to face me and took some deep breaths.

“Alright, traitor, I will give you a chance to tell me your side of the story. But should the jury find your alabi lacking, your sentence will be carried out.”

I breathed a sigh of relief as the guards’ magic was lifted, allowing me to speak and move freely. Well, almost freely with the shackles still restricting fluid motion on my legs. I stood up from my seat and thought about what I wish to say. With my belongings taken away from me, I had no proof to present to Twilight and to everypony present. I’m just hoping that what I say will be enough to convince everyone of my innocence.

I took one more deep breath, calming my mind despite my rising anxiety and prepared to give it my best.

“Your honor, it is very clear that Shining Armor is the perpetrator of the crime and I learned of his betrayal from numerous ponies from my travels but you must understand, I am not the Shining Armor that you are looking for. I come from a different world that mirrors yours and I am not responsible for such a heinous crime. I understand that you are all upset with the loss of your Princess Celestia and I am sorry for your loss but you have to believe me when I say that I was not involved in the attack.”

I took my seat once more, now more anxious than ever. Everypony looked to each other in confusion. Twilight, however, was unmoved, or looked like she was unmoved with my explanation. Her angry eyes still watched me and was determined to put me to death regardless of what I said.

“Do you have any proof?” said a mare in the jury. Her faded cerise coat and her almost equally grayish rose and cerise-ish gray mane stood out from the jury’s stand. “If we are to believe your alabi, you should show us some proof that you really came from a mirror world.”

The moment I feared most right now has finally come. I know I have proof but without my saddlebag, I’m a sitting duck out in the middle of a warzone. With all eyes on me, anything I say that involves me asking to leave the courtroom would be acknowledged as an escape attempt; the shackles prevent me from leaving and Twilight has her guards watching my every move. If I choose to ask for my belongings to be brought in, then everypony would think that I am carrying a weapon or some other implement that can be used to aid in an escape. I doubt that anypony would allow my bag to be brought in regardless and I find myself returning to square one - a pony without a way around the problem.

And just then, a stallion bursted into the room. I didn’t get a chance to get a good look at him but his yellow coat and brown mane brought me some comfort. Caramel arrived and he brought my saddlebag; now I have my way out of this predicament. Thank Celestia he came just in time!

“Here!” said Caramel, tossing my saddleback in my direction.

I turned back to Twilight and the jury and presented the contents of my bag before them. They didn’t react at all but I can tell they are willing to lend me their ears.

“These items,” I began, showing the red and gray horn to the crowd followed with the parchment that contained the incantation that led me to the mirror world “are what brought me here. I know it doesn’t make a lot of sense but if I had a mirror, I am willing to show you.”

Twilight didn’t need to think twice. She signaled for a mirror to be brought in without even uttering a word. As expected, the guards brought in a mirror; there was nothing fancy about it, just about as average as a dressing room mirror could get save for a few vines carved from oak that decorated the sides.

I began, concentrating my energy on powering the horn with my magic. The incantation came next. I recited the word on the parchment with conviction, confident that the portal to my world will open. The only way to know if the spell worked is to try and traverse the mirror. If I did it right, the mirror’s surface should ripple like a water droplet falling into a pool once my hoof comes into contact with the mirror.

At this point, my hopes were riding on the ripple manifesting on the surface. I placed my hoof toward the mirror...

With anticipation coming from all sides of the courtroom, I hid my anxiety because even if I felt confident enough to believe the spell will work, there was a side that told me the spell would fail, that I wouldn’t convince the jury and I will ultimately be put to death for a crime I didn’t commit.

I tapped the mirror.

And...

Nothing.

No ripple, no magic, no effect.

Now the crowd murmured amongst themselves, talking about my foolishness. I don’t know what they’re really saying but everypony will think I am a fool to believe that my own magic is actually capable of opening portals to alternate worlds.

Twilight then took to the stands once again. “We waited for your alabi, we listened to your claim, and you have failed us. You failed to convince us of your innocence and you shall now be punished for your crime. Guards! Take the traitor to the town square and prepare the noose. He shall be executed by hanging to show everypony the face of the stallion responsible for our greatest loss!”

I gulped down some air. I never thought I’d live to see a world where things aren’t what they really are, that my sister would send me to my death, and the Cadance from my world will never know what happened to me. Only now did the memories of Princess Cadance come back to me; I’ve been focusing too much on trying to figure out what’s going on in this mirror world that I may never go back to mine.

Outside the town hall was the platform I would be hanged from. This wasn’t present the first time I came to Ponyville but judging by the way it was built, it was only a half-hearted effort. Scrap metal and wood planks made up the bulk of the platform and an old rusty swing set that was clearly missing the swings made the raised section of the platform where the noose was tied. A door was also placed underneath the noose to act as a trap door should anypony suspect that I wouldn’t suffocate.

Despite the crude building materials, and an equally crude effort to build such a contraption, it was still menacing nonetheless. The atmosphere was just right for a public execution, which didn’t make me feel any better. With rain pouring down hard on the stony roads and everypony just waiting for me to live no more, the thoughts of home raced through my mind as my heart rapidly pounded. Twiley, mom, dad, Cadance, everypony I knew and everypony I could have known will continue on living without me and when they realize I’m never coming back, it...it’s something I don’t want to think about. A tear ran down my cheek when I was lead up the stairs and with the thoughts of my loved ones going through my mind, I couldn’t help but think of Cadance the most. I told her that she didn’t have to worry and that I would return for her but at this point, I can’t keep my word. Even this world’s Cadance was also in my mind and I also vowed to free her from this nightmare she is living in. Now I remember the words dad told me as a young colt: “Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”

I’m sorry, Cadance, I muttered. I’m sorry I couldn’t be there for you...

Suddenly, the sound of a pony from the crowd. A mare cried out from those who watched and brought attention to her. I took a closer look and it was that same mare from the jury who questioned my alabi.

“It doesn’t have to be this way. I believe what he says even if he failed.”

Everypony rose their voices in anger and demanded that I be put to death. Death to the traitor! and Hang him! were just some of the responses I heard left and right. The mare who protested was whisked away to the back of the crowd. At that moment, everypony cheered happily as she was removed from the multitude while also turning back at me to finally see my life fade away.

But just like her, somepony else was also on my side.

The hooded pony from earlier also took to the stands, avoiding everyone who tried to get in her way. Even the guards tried to stop her but her protruding horn glowed and she swatted the guards away like they were a bunch of flimsy flowers on an open field.

“SIIII-LENCE!!!”

And just like that, everypony fell silent on command.

“I will take this pony into my custody,” said the hooded pony. Her voice was familiar, especially the way she just screamed for everypony to silence themselves. As much as I would like to speculate on the identity of this pony, I didn’t need to; she removed her hood to reveal who she was.

Princess Luna.

“This matter isn’t for you to decide, Luna!” Twilight said in reply. “You don’t have any right to decide the fate of the traitor. He is convicted and nothing he, or you, can do will make everypony here change their minds!”

“Did my sister teach you everything she knew so you can talk to me like that!?” Luna protested. “This attitude of yours brings more shame to my sister’s name than Shining Armor’s betrayal. I will deal with the stallion personally but you better think about what you’ve done today. I, too, mourn for the loss of my sister but just because you were left in charge of the resistance after my sister’s death doesn’t give you the right to put other ponies to death for the sole purpose of avenging your mentor.”

The alternate Twilight sneered and left and the crowd dispersed shortly after. Luna stayed behind and dismissed the guards watching me, ensuring them that I will be kept in check. Just like Celestia, and alternate Twilight, Luna also commanded the guards with confidence and might, even when the guards were originally her sister’s.

Luna turned her gaze back to me when we were the only ones left in the town square.

“I know I have a lot of explaining to do and you will know about everything; you were brought here for a reason, Shining Armor. Come, let’s take a walk.”

As much as I am perplexed about the sudden turn of events and even more confused about why Luna speaks as if she knows so much about what’s going on, I had no choice. I had the opportunity to learn about the reason for me being in this mirror Equestria and possibly learn about a bigger role I will play in this rebellion against the King and the future of this world.

Maybe I will also learn about my other self, the Shining Armor I saw from the Crystal Empire, about what he truly did to deserve the hate that I am receiving from the townsponies, and who he truly is because I know something isn’t right.

I stood still for a moment to think of all this sudden turn of events. First Twilight, then Luna, what’s next?

“Are you coming, Shining Armor?” Luna asked.

“Yes I’m coming, your highness.” I replied. “It’s not like I’m going anywhere any time soon.”

“No one’s called me that in a very long time. Princesses no longer exist in Equestria.”

“I believe they still do... your highness.”