As Twilight Falls

by Mikemarksman

Rating: mature
Tags: Adventure, Discord, Princess Celestia, Twilight Sparkle, Sad, Main 6, Gore, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Spike, Tragedy
Length: 237552

When tragedy befalls Ponyville and, more specifically, Twilight, how does she cope? What lengths will she go to for the sake of 'justice'? And what is Celestia hiding? Grief, loss and hatred can change anypony...

Life is good in Ponyville. Peace and prosperity are even more widespread than ever before. But when tragedy befalls the town and, more specifically, Twilight, how does she cope? What lengths will she go to for the sake of 'justice'? And what is Celestia hiding? Grief, loss and hatred can change anypony...

[Story goes by canon up until Magical Mystery Cure. Incorporating canon into the story from that point onwards wouldn't work given the amount already written.]

A HUGE thank you to PureNexus on DeviantART for taking the time to create the new cover image!

Now has its own TVTropes page!

WARNING: Descriptive gore at points, character death, consumption of alcohol, and strong language. And seriously, beware the heavy spoilers in the comments!

Featured: 12/7/14, 21/8/14, 18/10/14, 14/1/15, 6/4/15, 4/7/16, and 5/7/16! (At this point, I'm sort of thinking it's going to get featured with each update, but I've no doubt my hubris would be the end of me, were I to write that...) As always, you have my undying thanks, my beautiful readers! ヽ༼ຈل͜ຈ༽ﾉ

Published 2013-01-13 14:50:01 UTC
Last updated 2016-07-05 17:39:00 UTC

Chapter II - Calm Before the Storm

Luna galloped out of the door in an instant, barking orders to all the guards nearby, making use of the 'Royal Canterlot Voice' for the first time in months. Those left in the library shared a shocked expression for a moment before bolting after the Princess. Celestia's voice was still present, and was giving out directions to several guards stationed around the town. In particular, ensuring the safety of civilians during the evacuation.

'Evacuation'.

The word rang in the Bearers' heads as they chased after Luna. Things were happening far too quickly for them to even fully comprehend the implications of the word.

Luna raised her voice as loud as she possibly could, then amplified it with magic, making it much more resemblant of a thunderclap in terms of volume. Guards were rushing around everywhere, attempting to reinforce both Princess' sudden orders as quickly as possible. As Luna reached the town centre, she immediately took to the air, hovering a good distance above, "CITIZENS OF PONYVILLE, HEAR ME! YOU MUST EVACUATE AND LEAVE FOR CANTERLOT IMMEDIATELY! YOUR LIVES ARE IN DANGER! THE GUARDS WILL GUIDE YOU TO YOUR NEAREST ESCAPE ROUTE! DO AS I SAY AT ONCE! OBEY!" The fear in Luna's voice became apparent as she rushed the final part of her warning, and of the many things that the tone and volume implied, one thing was absolutely certain; she wasn't joking. Within mere minutes dozens of ponies had rushed past them, guided and subsequently directed by all available royal guards.

Luna folded in her wings sharply, literally dropping from her position in the air and falling several stories before smashing the ground beneath her hooves into several large pieces upon landing.

Twilight gulped nervously but stepped towards her, "Princess, not that I'm an expert or anything, but wouldn't it have been better to evacuate calmly?" She was met with a glare colder than space itself, and jumped slightly in alarm.

Luna took a deep breath to regain some of her composure before speaking, "No, the faster these ponies are gone, the better."

Applejack stepped up next to Twilight, "But Princess, what exactly is this 'Calamity'?" she asked cautiously.

Luna sighed, "We don't have time to go into the details, but Calamity is a spirit creature, similar in some aspects to Discord. Of what I can tell you as to how dangerous he is..." at this point Luna seemed visibly shaken, as if she was reliving a terrible memory, "When me and my sister challenged Discord's tyranny he decided not just to punish us but..." Luna choked, tears welling up in her eyes. Even after living through centuries of war and chaos the memory still shook her. "Instead he unleashed Calamity upon Equestria. By the end of the day an entire continent was completely devoid of life..." All stared, jaws agape, eyes wide. Even Dash and Pinkie wore expressions of horror. "When Discord was defeated, Calamity was sucked through the rift back into his own dimension."

Rainbow was the first to regain her senses, "S-So, if he's like Discord..." she trailed off.

Luna was quick on the uptake however, and started moving again, beckoning for the others to follow, "Yes, Rainbow Dash, he cannot be killed."

Rainbow recoiled slightly, having only meant to ask whether or not the beast could be banished.

Luna caught this, stopped and turned to them, "By the end of the day, many good ponies will most likely have died," Her voice took on the tone of somepony who has seen far too much war and death over their lifetime, "You must be prepared to do what is necessary. That is your duty as the wielders of the Elements, to Equestria and its inhabitants. Is that clear?" Luna stared at them for a few seconds, and was eventually met with a few solemn nods. She hated this, she absolutely hated it. Even a millennium later, she was still dragging her subjects and friends into what would undoubtedly be a bloodbath, and it made her feel sick.

In the field, the rift, now rippling violently as if the land itself were trying to expel something vile from within it - which, in itself, wasn't that far from the truth - was reaching the required size. The absolute silence was permeated by a single sound, originating from the epicentre. It wasn't a roar of anger. Or twisted laughter. Or anything that could be perceived by mortals as coming from any creature's vocal chords. It was a sound not too dissimilar to a thousand stone tombs being forced open at once.

Celestia addressed those assembled telepathically once again, among them over a hundred guards, the Bearers of the Elements, Spike, and Princess Luna, "I've received word from the evacuation corps, the first evacuees are arriving in Canterlot now." Twilight glanced around, most of the civilians had left already, and the few that remained were quickly making themselves scarce, "Now then, it's time we prepare ourselves. I want all guards to lay down a constant barrage of arrows as Calamity approaches. It won't do much in the way of stopping him, but he still feels pain. If he can be slowed down until we arrive, we should be able to contain him. Luna, if you would."

Luna's horn glowed, and moments later huge piles of armour, bows and quivers full of arrows materialised around the edge of the group. Commands were barked out by the higher ranking officers and the guards quickly donned the battle gear laid out for them. "Bearers!" The girls jumped, "We cannot risk using the Elements of Harmony here. If too much of their energy is used, Discord's stone prison could weaken, we cannot risk having both of them free at once. Applejack, you and Pinkamena will search the town for any remaining civilians, but will not approach the battle, understood?"

Applejack flinched slightly, this would all happen so close to her home, and she was worried sick over whether her family had left or not, "Don't worry, Applejack. I assure you, your family has already left and is safe." The two gave an affirmative grunt and headed out.

"Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, you will assist them from the air." Rainbow Dash almost argued, but realised that arguing with somepony she couldn't see was pointless. That, and the fact that the other party was Celestia herself, and given the dire circumstances, debating the issue was probably not the best of ideas. The two nodded, took to the air and were off in seconds, mildly surprising all who knew Fluttershy well.

"Twilight, Rarity, you two are to assist Luna in using your magic to suppress Calamity until we arrive." Rarity and Luna both gave a quick, "Yes" in response.

Twilight, however, voiced her concerns, "Princess Celestia, wouldn't it be better for us to try and open a rift back to where Calamity came from?"

Celestia seemed to sigh before replying, "Even between the three of you, you may not finish in time, and if you were caught off-guard, the results would be disastrous. I'm sorry Twilight, but I'm not willing to take that chance." Twilight lowered her head slightly but nodded. Celestia took the silence as a queue to continue, "And Spike, the only way we will stand a chance against Calamity is if we have somepony - somedragon - just as large and powerful as he is. Luna will cast a special spell on you, maturing you into a fully grown dragon. You will then be able to combat Calamity directly should all other attempts fail. Understood?" Spike gulped but stepped towards Luna bravely.

Luna spoke to him, "I have to warn you Spike, although this spell will reverse in a few days, nothing is meant to grow this quickly. The process will be... very painful, to say the least." Twilight pulled a face at this, but said nothing. Luna sighed, looking at him sympathetically.

Spike nodded slowly, "If it means I can protect my friends, I'll endure it." Spike spoke confidently.

Twilight couldn't stay silent at this, "No! No way!" She shook her head vigorously, "Spike's still young, he doesn't know how to fight, and you're trying to put him up against a creature that can decimate a nation! As if that isn't enough, you want to hurt him in the process! I won't allow it!"

Celestia's voice held a hint of anger now, "Twilight!"

Twilight begged both the Princesses now, "Please Princess! I swear, I'll be able to open a rift in time! Don't endanger Spike like this! Please! I'll- "

"TWILIGHT!" Celestia roared. As much as she hated doing so, now was not the time to debate action; the clock was ticking, "YOU WILL OBEY MY ORDERS! THIS IS NOT YOUR DECISION TO MAKE! IT IS OURS AND HIS! DO YOU UNDERSTAND!?"

Twilight cowered on the ground, as if hiding from the burning wrath of the Princess. Even if she was miles away, she wouldn't dare try to anger the Princess of the Sun further. All she could manage was a meek response, "Y-yes, Princess Celestia..."

The guards were creating defensive fortifications five thousand meters from the field, as per orders. Luna shook her head solemnly. They would slow Calamity for about a second each, give or take; until he stepped on them. She sighed and turned to Spike, who sat nervously on the ground next to Twilight and Rarity, both attempting to reassure him. Twilight's heart wasn't in it though, that much was obvious.

"Are you ready, Spike?" Luna asked. Rarity lifted her head a little to reach him and gave him a quick kiss on his cheek. Spike blushed furiously but nodded, confidence restored.

"Be careful, little brother." Twilight practically whispered before stepping aside. Again, Spike nodded and sat up straight.

The two unicorns retreated a few hundred meters, whilst Luna hovered above, preparing to cast the spell. "He'll be fine, dear." Rarity hugged her friend gently. This time it was Twilight's turn to nod, words would have betrayed her.

Luna took a deep breath. She was torn on having to do this, especially to one of her close friends. But she had to be strong, now more than ever, for Equestria, and more importantly, for the ponies she loved. She exhaled, and steadied her breathing. Then she began. A beam of energy, black as her own dark night and tinged with deep blue shot towards Spike. He quickly shut his eyes but remained still.

For a moment, nothing...

... Nothing...

... Still nothing...

Agony. Pure agony. Everything hurt, inside and out. He couldn't even form coherent thoughts as the pain scrambled his perception of the world around him. It was as if all he had ever known was pain. All he could do was scream.

Luna grimaced but continued channelling the spell. If she stopped now, the results would've been even worse. She pushed on.

Twilight and Rarity looked on in horror as Spike began to scream. They noticed him changing. Or rather, they heard him changing, even from their distance, the sickening crunch of bones twisting into new positions, breaking, and resetting repeatedly was not one the two were likely to forget any time in the near future. Wings sprouted from his sides, smoke began to billow from his mouth, turning his screams into a choked, hoarse cry of despair as his flame production glands kicked into overdrive. Then he began to grow.

Twilight's hind legs collapsed. She simply sat and looked on, absolutely speechless. A new series of harsh snaps resounded as his tail began to take shape. Twilight couldn't stand it any more, and Rarity wasn't faring much better. The two cried onto each other's shoulders, but nothing could be done to silence the scream, or what was by now more of a roar...

The rift was opening much more slowly now, the edges had to be strong enough to hold it open after the spell had finished, otherwise it would all have been for nought. Back in Canterlot, Discord sighed inwardly. He wished he could be there right about now, to revel in the suffering of the hapless ponies that dared to stand against Calamity, 'Oh well... After the sum of all my imprisonments, what's a few more minutes in the long run?'

Spike slumped over, gasping for air. The whole process had taken only two minutes. In Spike's opinion, that was two minutes too long. He would've cried, but he couldn't. All he could manage was a dry heave. A dragon's tear ducts seal up during adolescence, much to the pride of the entire race.

Twilight and Rarity looked up, the agonised roars had ceased. Luna was drifting down towards him, looking a little tired but otherwise fine. Spike, on the other hoof looked... big. That was the first thing that came to mind. The correct term would probably be something along the lines of gargantuan, his shadow stretching far into the distance. Then he spoke, in a deep gravelly rumble, "Princess?", the ground shook slightly as he did. In the back of her mind Twilight remembered laughing at how Spike's voice would sound once he had grown. But this wasn't funny. Not in the slightest. Spike sat forwards slowly, placing one huge claw down to steady himself, whilst the other came up to support his head, which hung forwards.

Luna flew level with his head and spoke, "You are truly the bravest dragon I have ever seen, Spike." she smiled sadly, "And I am truly sorry for what you have endured. What I made you endure."

"It's fine, Princess." Spike boomed again as he brought up his hind legs to stand. As he did so he glanced at the huge dome in the earth where he had been sitting just a moment ago, "Wow..." he said, his voice resemblant of a rock slide.

"Wow indeed!" Rarity called up to him. Spike glanced down to where Rarity and Twilight now stood and smiled. Or at least he attempted to. He wasn't used to the new proportions of his face yet, the result looking like and even mix between a smile, a surprised expression, and a scowl all at once. Despite themselves, and the drastic situation they were in, the girls laughed.

Luna and the others stood a small way behind where the barricades were still being erected. Whilst the barricades towered over the ponies, Spike clearly towered over the barricades. The voice of Princess Celestia became present once again, "We are about half an hour away. What's happening, sister?"

"Things are not looking good for us, Celestia. The rift is entering its final stages as we speak."

"Hold on for as long as you can. Good luck Luna."

"And speed to you, Celestia."

The awful noise that had been emanating from the rift for quite some time suddenly stopped. The rippling effect that the land in the area had been simulating also ceased just as quickly. For a moment, there was a terrible silence. An awful moment of apprehension. The calm before the storm.

Then the storm came with force. A huge white claw, the size of a large house, jutted out of the rift at an obscene angle before latching onto the land above. What followed it out was exponentially worse.

Calamity had returned to Equestria once more.

Author's Note

Edited as of 5/1/14. Quality, grammar, and wording of sentencing is now vastly better than it was. Rainbow Dash is now referred to as 'Rainbow' or 'Rainbow Dash' in narration, as opposed to just 'Dash'.

Chapter III - Calamity

Another colossal claw protruded through, latching into the ground on the opposite side of the rift as the behemoth heaved itself through. As Calamity's head emerged from the earth, everypony present - with the exception of Luna - realised that no horrors they had witnessed throughout their entire lives could have prepared them for this. Even from this far away, some features could already be defined, such was its size. The head was white, presumably bone, and covered in black, red and pink splotches. From this distance they almost seemed to be moving, across the deformed skull. The neck that followed shared the same characteristics. As the torso of the creature emerged, a small sense of relief washed over a few of the more observant guards. There were no wings visible, and judging by his size, Calamity would be very slow to advance.

As the last of his body was wrenched outwards, the jagged, spiked tail that was almost as long as the creature itself descended carefully towards the rift. As the tip made contact, the rift immediately collapsed beneath its own gravity. A rush of air howled in all directions from the site. The gust swept towards the guards, who were now holding their weapons defensively as they felt the wind approaching, expecting some sort of magical onslaught. However, this was an assault of an entirely different kind. As the air passed over the ponies, each and every one - including the Princess herself - had to wildly fight the urge to vomit. Many failed. The putrid stench of death and decay was overpowering.

Twilight and Rarity shared a shocked glance. Both had emptied their stomachs instantly onto the ground beneath them, and both were extremely pale as a result; even Rarity looked a few shades more white than usual. The guards who had resisted the urge immediately cast themselves back into their defensive stances once again, expecting the monster to charge whilst most of their forces were incapacitated. It didn't. It just stood, and watched. Both sides stared at one another for what seemed like an age. In reality, only a few seconds passed. Calamity then began to what could only be described as 'flex' his 'joints', the accompanying sound was that of a hundred trees being felled at once as several bones cracked. He was preparing himself.

The guards were readying themselves as best they could, though the resolve of even the most seasoned commanders was beginning to crumble slightly at the sheer enormity of the monstrosity before them. Without warning, Calamity began to lumber towards the ranks. Even from their great distance, the guards could tell they had gravely misjudged just how quickly the terrible creature could move, closing almost a hundred meters with each hulking step. Luna bellowed to her guards loudly, "READY YOURSELVES!". Simultaneously, dozens of archers reared onto their back hooves, loaded an arrow into their bow and took aim. Sticks and stones against the lightning.

Twilight and Rarity stepped up behind the Princess, flanking her on either side, a look of grim determination on their faces. Spike remained still, he knew his presence here was only as a last resort. The collateral damage a battle between the two could cause would be enormous, and by the end, even if he were to survive, he doubted anypony else would escape the chaos in time.

Calamity had already closed a thousand meters. A massive splintering sound echoed around what would soon become a battlefield with each step the monstrosity took. A few seconds later, Luna cried out, "FIRE!" Luna enchanted each of the arrows as they were about to leave their respective bows. Volley after volley of miniature magical missiles flew towards Calamity, who swatted them aside with an appendage that had immediately sprouted from his neck, almost in the way one would swat at an irritating insect, and his mouth unhinged as a turbulent, horrific gurgling sound emanated deep from within him.

This continued for another thirty seconds. Calamity had now closed more than half the distance to the first line of guards. Luna glanced at Twilight and Rarity, "You two! Follow me!", she cried as she galloped towards the centre of the defensive line. The two gasped as they stood by Luna once again, now closer than before to the creature its features were much clearer. They wished they weren't. Apart from its tail, claws and the new shield-like appendage that still hung loosely from its neck there was something moving across what was assumed to be its flesh. But the realisation dawned upon the two, and many guards in the vicinity, that it wasn't Calamity's flesh at all... It was sewn together. Sewn into him. What made matters all the more horrifying however, was the simple fact that the flesh of the countless creatures - both common and completely non-existent upon Equestria - still moved. These creatures were alive. Or at least, some were. The darkened black splotches, now much more clearly defined, were undoubtedly those of rotting corpses. Once again, both Twilight and Rarity vomited uncontrollably, tears forming in their eyes. It was too much for them. They couldn't do this any more...

Luna grimaced as she glanced over to them, they were clearly not ready for such an undertaking. It pained her to have to ask so much of them, they were still so young... "Pull yourselves together! Twenty-four more minutes, and all this will be over!" she commanded, pushing the two back to their feet. They wiped the leftover vomit from their mouths and nodded slowly, still dazed; though tears still flowed as miniature streams from their eyes, "Follow my lead!" Luna spoke clearly and confidently. She was terrified, but had to keep face, she had no choice. The alternative didn't even bear thinking about.

Calamity was now just over a thousand meters from the lines. The arrows had bought precious seconds, almost a minute in total, but were nowhere near adequate and were running out quickly. Twilight and Rarity were channelling as much energy as they could into Luna's horn, the spell ricocheting from it. The vibrant beam shot towards Calamity, stopping just before him. A huge dome, shimmering multiple shades of black, blue and purple encased the advancing menace, "HOLD YOUR FIRE!" Luna barked out the command sharply, she had to focus here. Calamity lashed at the barrier with his claws and tail, which rippled slightly under each massive collision, but held firm.

A minute passed, Luna and Twilight were panting heavily now, and Rarity was trembling and sweating profusely, having almost reached her limit. "Keep going! We cannot - Will not - stop now!" Luna cried. Those words offered little comfort to the others, there was absolutely no way they could keep this up for long. The lighter blue hues in the dome began to flicker and fade in time with the dimming aura around Rarity's horn, eventually ceasing as she collapsed into a heap on the ground, gasping heavily; the tip of her horn charred slightly from the intense amount of energy and focus the spell had demanded. Twilight and Luna had to work even harder now, and even Luna came to the realisation that the barrier would not hold. As both exerted the last of their magical energies, small holes began to form in the barrier, in the same way holes are burned into parchment held above a flame. With one last almighty push the barrier around Calamity smashed, and the same sickening gargling sound from before resounded once again with much greater volume.

Still dazed from her spell suddenly being shattered, Luna didn't notice the gap between them and the fiend growing smaller by the second until it was barely a few hundred meters away, and was snapped from her stupor only by the ground shaking as the gargantuan claws pummelled the earth, "R-RETREAT!" Luna started, glancing around, she threw Twilight onto her back, and ran to Rarity to do the same. Once both unicorns were slumped over the alicorn's back, she moved as swiftly as she could towards the retreating guards. She wasn't fast enough, the others weighed her down. An incredible impact missed her by mere inches, and all three were thrown to the ground by the resultant shock wave.

Yet another limb was protruding from the creature, this time from the front-left 'shoulder', it was this that had caused the impact. Upon observation it seemed to resemble a crude giant mallet, now in even worse shape than when it was created, cracked and broken, missing several large chunks; bones were never intended to be subjected to this kind of treatment. Twilight seemed to snap from her daze, and Rarity wearily rose to her hooves, knees buckling slightly, Luna winced as she rolled onto her hooves, her right side bleeding profusely.

Calamity whipped his body around ninety degrees, the resultant force sending his scythe-like tail cleaving across the ranks of retreating guards at near super-sonic speeds. All watched in abject terror as dozens of guards were cleaved in half, maimed or mutilated horribly. The guards further to the left of the swing were nowhere near as lucky. The tail, however quickly it moved, had several blunt sections, and these had been forced through their comrades moments before, slowing the swing considerably; the result being that around twenty guards were now partially impaled, screaming in agony. The tail came to an abrupt stop, then yanked furiously, pulling the unfortunate captives with it. As the tail disappeared into Calamity's body, the screams of the guards could still be heard, their torture beginning in earnest. When the tail re-emerged moments later no guards were to be seen, but all present knew they were still alive, still suffering, their half-muffled, agonised wails still piercing the air.

As the few remaining able-bodied guards hauled their comrades to the relative safety of the rear blockade, they tried not to look back, or breathe too deeply. If the stench of death had been terrible before, it was now absolutely unbearable. As Twilight and Rarity followed the Princess's gaze upwards their hearts sank. They were now only a couple hundred meters from Calamity's jaw, and while he seemed incapable of facial expression or speech, the way he slowly tilted his head to one side spoke volumes, 'Is that all?'

Spike was already moving before Luna had even called to him, he had seen enough already, he would not let his friends and sister die too. His wings beating furiously as he almost instantaneously closed a two-thousand meter gap. He still ached everywhere from the growth process, but he didn't let it impede him, instead releasing a draconic roar of intense pain and rage that would have turned even the most seasoned dragon slayer's legs to jelly. After all, he was protecting more than just a pile of jewels here. He was protecting his home, his friends, his big sister, and the mare he had loved since first sight. As he shot towards his target, Spike felt an urge build within him, an urge as old as the dragon race itself; the want - the need - for violence. Instinctual knowledge of how to fight, and kill, flooded his thoughts, along with a fearsome primal blood-lust. There was no room for fear now.

A collision of cataclysmic proportions hurled Calamity backwards, though even after such an impact the monster still stood upright, anchored only a short distance away by several hundred lances that had shot into the ground from behind him. Lances retracting, Calamity attempted to cleave his target with his tail, swinging for the neck.

Spike leapt backwards and into the air, narrowly avoiding the sharp tip cleaving open his soft underbelly before unleashing an incredible burst of green dragonfire.

"Fifteen minutes..." Luna spoke through clenched teeth as she cast her head back towards Spike for a moment before turning to the each of the unicorns supporting her in turn. Though both were exhausted, neither of them were seriously injured. Luna on the other hoof, had a large tear in her side from being hurled to the ground so quickly under the weight of the others, and was using the last traces of magic she had to hold it together.

Celestia's voice rang out in their heads once more, "Sister, are you injured?" she asked worriedly, she had noticed Luna's laboured breathing.

"I will live." Luna replied, "Many are dead, the few that remain are maimed and broken. Spike is the only thing standing between Calamity and the rest of Equestria..." she paused to take a deep breath, "... at this point." All three turned to look at Spike, now exhaling incendiary death unto the creature, the rancid odour of burning corpses drifting on the wind, "One hell of a strong brother you have there, hmm?" Luna tried to lighten the mood, despite how weak she sounded. Twilight simply nodded in response, apparently too exhausted to even care about the Princess's choice of language, though Rarity still managed a weary but clearly shocked expression; much to Luna's amusement. She knew now wasn't the time for fun, but as she cast her mind back to the days of endless war and suffering, she remembered that this was the only way to keep going. Even the Princess of the Night herself had to admit it eventually. You had to find light, even in the darkest of times, if you were to ever find the way out. They limped away, all three sharing one single thought, 'Just another fourteen minutes...'

As Spike ceased the barrage of dragonfire, he felt one small - but sickeningly twisted - measure of relief. The screams from inside the monster had stopped, the unfortunate guards now certainly dead, freed from months of torture at the whim of the monstrosity that had taken them. Plumes of dark green and black smoke rose from the creature as it writhed to put out the remaining embers. Whilst the shield appendage that was attached to Calamity's neck had protected his face and neck, his torso was badly burned, clumps of bloody, stitched flesh dropping onto the floor below. Spike sensed his advantage, taking a step forward upon landing.

Calamity looked around frantically for a moment, desperation beginning to set in. Had he been at full strength he would easily have been able to out-compete a dragon, even one at the peak of its physical fitness. However, centuries of tearing through dimensions to get back to the one where his master was imprisoned had taken their toll, and he was still relatively weak. But Calamity had learned from his master's cunning in the days by his side, and his eyes set on a new target, or rather, targets, three of them, the ones that the dragon had so carefully made sure he was in front of throughout the encounter.

He decided to test his theory, the now jagged string of bones hanging limply from his shoulder shot towards Spike's midsection clumsily. Calamity noted that instead of simply stepping to either side the dragon actually conceded ground, hopping backwards instead before yanking at the chain as it reached its full length, tearing it from him. It was certain now. For one reason or another, the dragon was purposefully manoeuvring himself between him and the ponies, and he would suffer for his weakness. Calamity reared up, formed four huge bone spears, two on each front leg, then fired them.

Though they were difficult to dodge, Spike managed to hop to the left of the first, only to see the second sailing towards his new position. He dodged left again.

Calamity shot the remaining two spears in quick succession, carefully aiming them so that each would force the dragon further to the side. The instant the last one jolted from his body, he darted, heavily but surprisingly quickly, towards the now visible trio of ponies.

Spike narrowly avoided the final spear as it sailed by his right wing, now flat against his torso. He glanced quickly around the area before setting his eyes upon Calamity, now lumbering towards the trio of ponies at a much greater speed than before. He would be on them in seconds. Spike took to the air, seemingly flashing across the huge gap for the second time in ten minutes.

Calamity knew the dragon would catch him in mere moments. It had to be now. Performing his favourite attack once again, Calamity rotated, his tail gaining incredible velocity before being hurled towards the trio, now just beyond striking distance. As the tail began to reach its full length Calamity's body seemed to shrink, bones from throughout the creature now weaving across towards the tail, extending it.

Spike saw the tail extending, he had to stop it before it reached the three. Changing his course from Calamity to his tail at the last second, he soared to intercept it.

The sound of bones cracking was growing louder. All three turned, then stared wide-eyed as inevitable death approached. The tail flew towards them with terrible speed, and was by now only meters away. They closed their eyes, awaiting a painful death. Thoughts of who they had really been, and how they had lived their lives briefly crossed their minds. Followed by...

A huge gust of wind, filled with choking dust, but no physical pain. The three slowly, hesitantly, opened their eyes.

Spike was exhausted, but he had done it, the tail now firmly pinned to the earth beneath his grasp. He had managed to dive for the end of the tail from the side, with assistance from his wings, and had violently slammed the instrument of death into the earth a few dozen meters to the right of where the ponies now stood.

The three regarded him with awe, even the Princess, who had grazed death more than a few times over her lifetime, "Spike!" the younger two cheered with relief.

Luna smiled slightly, "Just another twelve minutes... Hang on Spike..." Her voice became weaker as she spoke, her weakness becoming apparent to the others. Even with her magic holding the sizeable wound on her side closed, she had already lost a lot of blood.

Spike made an attempt to smile at them once again, turning his head over his shoulder so as to face them, before realising he had made a costly mistake.

Huge vibrations shook through the tail as more bones shot into place. One last lance protruded from the tail, then lurched towards the underside of the dragon pinning it down. Spike attempted to disengage from the tail, leaping backwards. He landed and spread his wings as he prepared to take flight.

A split-second too late.

The lance shot forth mercilessly, and embedded itself into its mark, Spike's heart.

For Spike, time seemed to grind to a halt, and a moment lasted much longer than just a single moment. In this time, there was only shocked silence.

Spike stared down at the twisted spear, seeming more confused than hurt.

The trio stared at Spike, mouths agape, none able to fully comprehend what had happened.

Calamity stared at both parties, striking a triumphant pose, his head held high in the air.

For just a moment, all was still.

Time caught up with itself once more, the silence broken by a terrible, agonised roar the likes of which even the Princess had only heard in the deepest, darkest torture chambers on the planet, over a thousand years ago. Neither Twilight nor Rarity had ever heard anything like it, and it pushed them dangerously close to their breaking point. They simply stared, tears streaming down their faces, as Spike continued to roar, his claws clutched loosely around the intruding object.

Spike's knees buckled, and he collapsed onto all fours as he stepped towards the three, barely avoiding slamming the lance to the ground, and further into him. Torrents of blood now poured from his chest, his heaves of pain bringing up more from his mouth. It was unbearable, even worse than the transformation process. The burning pain spread everywhere inside him except the only place where combustion should actually be taking place, his flame-producing glands instead being quenched by his own blood.

But there was a small sense of relief to be had, in that it was fading quickly. In fact, everything seemed to be fading quickly. A chilling revelation came to him, even as his senses began to dull, 'Is this really it? Am I... Am I going to die?' Spike mulled it over in his head, barely aware of his surroundings now. He was crouching on the ground, still clutching the spear. He couldn't remember why he was going so any more, only that it was very important.

Calamity, now regaining his original posture and size as his tail retracted, began to step towards the three. The dragon was finished, and whatever reason he was defending them for, he wouldn't wait to find out.

The immense footfalls of the monster snapped the three back to reality. "SPIKE!" they urged desperately, darting towards him as quickly as possible.

"SPIKE!" Spike... it was a name... it was his name, and those voices... his sister... and Rarity... Spike's half lidded eyes snapped open, his awareness returning. 'Twilight, Rarity, the Princess. They're in danger!' Spike struggled to stand, the pain had returned along with his awareness, he felt weak now, and his own blood was choking him slowly.

"R-Rarity! We h-have to help him!" Twilight cried worriedly. Her horn began to glow as she tried to stop Spike's bleeding, the glow around Spike's chest growing as Rarity followed suit. Both were exhausted, their horns ached from exertion, their bodies more so. But this wasn't about them, for they both knew the horrifying reality of the situation. Spike could die, if left unattended to. They had to do something, anything, to save him. Luna slumped to the ground wearily. Centuries of ancient magic was no use if she couldn't use it. She felt so useless, and using all her magic - what little she had left - to stop her own bleeding made her feel unbelievably selfish.

Calamity stepped closer again, only a few more steps and all four could be eliminated at once.

Twilight and Rarity shared a terrified glance before Twilight turned slowly back to her surrogate brother. She seemed calm, almost at peace with the situation. They were already dead, she realised. All she could do was relieve his suffering, if only for a moment; one last act of kindness for her little brother. The glow of the spell surged suddenly, now shining out of Spike's chest cavity like a floodlight. Rarity half-smiled, trying to be brave, and did the same; the effect almost doubling.

Spike realised two things. One, Calamity was no more than three seconds away from cleaving them all in half, and two, the pain in his chest was almost gone. He had to act now if he was to save them all, and he knew what to do. With a roar that shook the very heavens, Spike clutched the lance firmly and yanked it out, along with a sizeable portion of his heart. It didn't matter to him. He turned at a nearly impossible speed, mimicking the attack Calamity seemed to be so fond of, but instead of his tail lashing out at the creature, he hurled the makeshift javelin at supersonic speed towards the beast, every fibre of his being pushed into that one movement, all the emotion, all the rage, all the hurt; everything and anything he could draw upon.

The effect was nothing short of spectacular. In less than a fraction of a second the lance had caught fire due to the immense friction it was met with from travelling so quickly. The blazing inferno of a projectile hit Calamity in the same second with the force of a comet, literally exploding as it hit him. The resultant shock wave violently threw Calamity back a few thousand meters, giving him no time to react and steady himself. Unfortunately, the same applied to Spike, who now sailed backwards through the air towards Ponyville. With an almighty crash he connected with the earth and skidded to the outskirts, past the hastily constructed second line, scattering guards everywhere and levelling one or two buildings before coming to an abrupt stop.

The trio of ponies, due to their small stature in comparison to the events, were relatively unscathed. They had been thrown back of course, but this had mostly resulted in just rolling uncontrollably across the ground towards Ponyville. Still, the anguished cries of the Princess certainly didn't go unnoticed. As Twilight stood, she called to the closest guards who had dodged the impact, "H-Help us! The P-Princess is hurt!". Commands were barked and a stretcher was quickly approaching as a few medical ponies approached and asked her to step back. Satisfied that Luna would be taken care of, Twilight half ran, half stumbled to where Spike laid, Rarity following close behind.

It wasn't good. Blood now seeped freely down onto the ground, forming a viscous pool that the two had to tread through, much to their horror. As they approached, the two saw the extent of the damage and immediately began to weep once more. Most of Spike's heart was gone, and the area around it was all but disintegrated. His head turned towards them slowly, even in his deep rumble of a voice, he sounded pitifully weak, "Twilight, Sis, I... I don't think I'm gonna make it, am I?" he asked, though his tone suggested he already knew the answer. She was about to offer something comforting, more for herself than for his benefit, it seemed. But she stopped as Spike shook his head slowly, "Listen, Sis, whatever happens, I want you to promise me that you'll protect everypony... and help Celestia beat that thing..." She only nodded in response, her words choked down by the lump in her throat, "Look after the others, and the Princesses, and especially Rarity..." She nodded once again, "And don't forget to take care of yourself too, okay?" A third nod. Spike smiled this time, properly smiled, for the first time since the transformation, "Thanks... Big Sister..."

He turned his head slowly to Rarity, who was now weeping uncontrollably, "R-Rarity," he began, "Rarity, please don't cry. I hate... seeing you so upset..." Rarity looked up at him quickly and stifled her sobs so she could hear what he had to say, "Listen, don't worry. No... matter what... happens, my heart... will always belong..." Spike couldn't speak any more, only think, as the last of his senses faded, along with the image of his sister, and the mare that he loved so dearly, 'To you...' he thought to himself sadly, but he felt some sense of happiness too. He had finally said it, and it didn't sound half as cheesy as he thought it would. At least, he assumed it was happiness. It was a warm rush that swept over him, embracing him, nurturing him, comforting him, "Is this what real love is supposed to feel like?" Spike thought to himself briefly.

Then he thought no more.

The two watched as his eyes slowly slipped shut, "Spike!?" Rarity started, panic rising in her voice. "SPIKE!?"

No response.

"No..." Twilight gasped, her face set in an expression of absolute disbelief. Her little brother was gone, forever.

Rarity wailed and lurched across the small gap between them, blood splashing messily as she went, before collapsing next to the fallen dragon's face, weeping against it loudly. A horrendous symphony of cracks and groans sounded as Spike began to shrink down to his original size, his life energy no longer sustaining the spell. The process was much faster now, lasting little over twenty seconds. Rarity looked down at his much smaller form now, tears falling from her face onto his. She nuzzled him gently and continued to weep for the dragon who had so valiantly given his life to save theirs.

Luna's eyes snapped open immediately, and a few lonely tears trickled down her face before falling onto the stretcher. The spell had vanished, which could only mean one thing...

Twilight simply stood and stared at her brother, now dead, and Rarity weeping over him. It was inconceivable. It was wrong. It wasn't fair! Tears of bitter rage flooded over her cheeks as she turned her head in the direction of the wretch that had caused all this. The air around her crackled sharply, her horn began to glow a much deeper hue of purple than usual, almost black in appearance. Plated armour began to appear around her now slightly larger body. And her eyes, sunken, pained and almost faded in appearance - no doubt a product of her despair - now glowed the same shade of red as the blood, her brother's blood, that pooled around her hooves.

Luna was snapped from her grief by a familiar feeling permeating the air, "Oh, no!" she glanced down at herself, but no armour appeared, no indication of her changing at all, in fact. It wasn't the Nightmare... But whatever it was, it was still there; somepony had awakened it. Luna scanned the area again and picked up on the magical signature. It was Twilight. Panic rose within her, knowing that Celestia would not arrive for at least another ten minutes, and in her current state she could do nothing. Luna hastily contacted Celestia once more, "SISTER!" Luna's voice lacked restraint and composure, shocking the bearers of the stretcher, almost causing them to drop it before they regained their composure.

Celestia feared the worst, "Y-Yes, Luna? What is-"

"IT'S TWILIGHT!" Luna effectively screamed, "SHE HAS DRAWN UPON CHAOS MAGIC! YOU MUST HURRY!"

Celestia visibly recoiled in mid-flight before continuing. She realised one thing, this was - somehow - even worse than she had originally feared.

Twilight advanced. She wanted blood. She wanted revenge. She wanted justice.

And she would have it, no matter the cost.

Author's Note

Edited as of 6/1/14. Quality, grammar, and wording of sentencing is now vastly better than it was. Measurements of exact distance have been replaced with approximations by the characters. Spike's final words and thoughts have been tweaked to sound more realistic.

*Sighs* I really wish it could have ended any other way, Spike. Really, I do. Perhaps one day I'll write an AU version of this fic where I don't kill you off by chapter three... ;___;

Chapter IV - Vengeance

Another ten minutes remained before the arrival of Celestia's forces. For most involved, these ten minutes were to be the longest of their lives. For one specific unicorn, however, ten minutes wasn't anywhere near enough.

The remnants of the Royal Guard shared the same collective thought as they limped away from the carnage, 'Just ten more minutes and it's over...'

Celestia flew ahead of those accompanying her, tirelessly beating her wings ever-harder, 'Ten more minutes until you're safe, Twilight!'

Twilight didn't halt her advance for a moment as she gazed upon the object of her hatred, 'Ten more minutes... Only ten more minutes... To make him pay...'

Calamity tore the spear from his neck before crushing it in his mighty claw, sending splinters flying in every direction. It had been his in the first place, yet it had pinned him to the earth for several minutes; the sheer force of the impact effectively scrambling his thoughts for the duration. As he righted himself, Calamity thought he sensed something familiar, the thing he was searching for. He took a moment to clear his mind of the pain-induced haze. It was still there. As far as Calamity's emotions went, he was about as close to excitement as he could manage. He jerked his head around in anticipation, searching for his master, the only true wielder of chaos magic - Discord.

Twilight galloped towards Calamity, keeping her pace steady as she advanced, not slowing or faltering despite the ever diminishing distance between them.

As he found the source of the chaos energies, Calamity's body slumped slightly. It wasn't his master. This was a pony, the same pony from earlier, the purple one. But something had changed in her demeanour. Her aura was now almost black, in comparison with its previous lavender hue, she was coated in deep purple armour, and her eyes now glowed blood red; not to mention the particularly dangerous chaos energies whirling around the pathetic pony. For a creature from a race so underdeveloped she had great potential. It would have to be stomped out. He was already late, and the master needed him now. He would not fail him.

Calamity stepped forward.

Twilight's hooffalls became heavier as her rage increased almost twofold, the monster - the demon - was looking at her with what she could only sense to be disappointment as it sauntered towards her, and it infuriated her. "Nine hundred meters!" Twilight hissed to herself through her gritted teeth, her voice now seemed deeper and reverberated slightly. Any normal pony would sooner have volunteered for a solo expedition to the moon than approach Twilight in this state. Hate seemed to seep from her and force itself into her surroundings. The grass where she stepped would curl up and die, the earth beneath it drying up and becoming as barren and infertile as desert sand. The air, still crackling around her, held some kind of stale quality; as if fury itself had suddenly decided it wanted a smell with which to be associated. This, in conjunction with the ever present stench of death and rot coming from Calamity, and the heavy amounts of magic in the air had a more than adverse effect on all life in the area. Small rodents in the immediate area died as their hearts stopped instantaneously, and the larger animals fled quickly, sensing the ever-present danger; parched leaves swept across Sweet Apple Acres as the trees slowly began to die.

"He'll pay!" she hissed again, louder this time. He was almost in range, "He'll pay!"

Calamity took a confident step forwards. No matter what weapons of magic this fledgling possessed, he could easily match it, if not return it tenfold. 'She isn't in control, rage clouds her judgement.' He waited, watching as she drew closer. The moment she stepped into range, it began.

Calamity lashed out first, a chain of bone shooting outwards from his one of his 'kneecaps', hinged at the 'joint'. It struck directly where Twilight was standing only a second ago. She moved with dizzying speed, almost beyond what could be followed by the normal pony eye as much more than a blur, dodging two downward swings of the chain before stopping sharply a mere few dozen meters away.

Twilight slammed her hoof into the ground, shattering a dry patch of earth as it materialised under her hoof. A huge column of earth shot upwards from beneath Calamity's midsection, crushing several bones in his 'chest' as the tremendous force nearly flung him into the air. He reared back, several shattered bones falling from his chest.

Without pausing to inspect the damage, Calamity swung the chain towards Twilight, prompting her to quickly dodge backwards. However, he didn't stop the swing, instead allowing it to make a full circle and plunge into his own chest. The pain would be worth the end result. As it retracted, the chain now carried a huge spiked mass with it, leaving it with an appearance resemblant of a morning star. He swung again, faster this time. Whilst this whelp wasn't a serious threat in the long run, she was delaying him; he was wasting time.

Twilight tried to dodge again, charging furiously at Calamity. She began to work more potent magics than before, her horn glowing intensely with a dark aura. But as Calamity's mace thundered into the earth behind her, it shot the attached spikes from it as shrapnel. Whistling through the air, a few of these collided with Calamity, who didn't seem to notice; they were too small to do him any real damage. Twilight, on the other hoof, felt one bite into her rear-left leg and howled in agony, tears of rage, pain and frustration once again forming in her deep red eyes as she collapsed beneath the shadow of the behemoth, her leg broken.

Calamity realised he had made a mistake, and a costly one at that; he had acted too carelessly in his haste. A chaos spell, no matter the novice level of its caster, was dangerous at best. Interrupting even the simplest ones could cause a catastrophe, and here he was, with such a spell aimed at his torso. Calamity only had time to give one reflexive response. He swore to himself in a tongue that, spoken aloud, caused the ears of mortals to bleed. The spell shot a bolt of pure chaos energy into him, exiting through the other side, leaving a hole the size of a boulder. He reared up once again, the horrific gurgling sound unceasing even as he regained his composure. The pain was incredible, but Calamity only found himself spurred on as he focused on his goal, 'She will die, now!'

Twilight stood shakily, her horn throbbing in agony in time with her heart. She set herself steady once again at the realisation that she was wasting time. She looked up at Calamity with a disturbing smile, one not too dissimilar from one that Rainbow Dash had pulled on one of their camping trips weeks ago as she weaved a terrifying camp fire tale describing the intricacies and 'terrible secrets' of the Cloudsdale Rainbow Factory. The fictional horrors Rainbow had weaved seemed almost laughable to Twilight now, compared to what she had suffered, and what the abomination before her would endure.

Calamity focused, drawing upon his more powerful magics. Even if it left him weakened, he couldn't afford to be delayed any more. The gurgling he had been emitting rose to a booming crescendo as hundreds of spines, resemblant of spider legs, jutted out from his back. The closest ones shot towards Twilight, who remained smiling disturbingly up at him. In an instant, she was gone, appearing once again a few moments later to the right of the small tower of spines that had missed her and now jutted from the ground. Calamity intended to end it there, her arrogance and her attempts to taunt him proving to be her downfall. One thin but razor sharp bone shot from the pillar.

Twilight had been expecting it, counting on it. Calamity was a creature of habit, she had realised. Most of his attacks were simple variations of his other, more favoured ones, and she remembered this one well. After all, he had murdered her brother with it. The red in her eyes now positively blazed, fuelled by her rage at the memory as she raised her hoof and snapped the bone from the pillar, removing Calamity's control over it. She wasn't smiling any more. With a glow of dark magic the bone embedded in her leg removed itself and levitated above her in tandem with the one she was just holding. With another wave of magic, he broken leg snapped back into place, though she gave no more than a whimper as she stared up at him with malice in her eyes. All of her studies in the magic of friendship couldn't help her here, this monster was beyond saving. 'But my other studies, particularly those of anatomy, could prove useful...' she mused, rage opening up options to her that she would never even dare to contemplate otherwise. Calamity could see, and even though he didn't have any 'eyes', he must have had nerves behind the holes in his skull to be able to perceive the world around him. Sensitive nerves. She roared and launched the hovering bones like spears, aimed directly at Calamity's 'eyes'.

Calamity threw his weight forwards, dozens of spines following suit.

Twilight didn't move, this had to be timed just right.

"NOW!"

'NOW!'

Twilight was the first to react, teleporting away just as Calamity shot the spines in a cross-stitched pattern, tearing up the solid earth where she had been stood a fraction of a second ago like tissue paper. The projectiles she had fired hit him, boring themselves into his skull, tearing through the nerves within. The constant gurgle that Calamity had been emitting ceased suddenly, replaced by a whine that sounded like thousands being burned alive, their voice boxes melting together horrifically. It was then that Twilight realised that these nerves were not Calamity's. Although he could still feel pain through them, they belonged to each individual, pony or otherwise, intertwined with his body; they felt the pain as much as he did.

She didn't care, "If you hadn't become a part of him, he wouldn't be so powerful. He wouldn't have killed my brother..." she spoke calmly, judgementally, condescendingly. It was their fault, almost as much as it was Calamity's himself. His body teetered for a few seconds then collided with the earth as his legs gave out, the spines on his back now splayed limply across him. Even face-to-face with him, and even after having grown taller, Twilight still had to look upwards just to stare the beast in his now destroyed eye sockets. She smiled to herself at the thoughts of how he would suffer, "Now then," she started cheerfully, using the same tone as Pinkie would when asking a playful question, "we have five minutes. How should we begin, I wonder?"

Calamity lurched his head forwards, snarling, blindly trying to bite the insolent mare's head off. Twilight simply teleported back a few yards as Calamity's jaws snapped over thin air. She made a tutting noise, her grin growing wider. He was still very aware of his surroundings.

'Good.'

She focused power into her horn once more. Even the use of simple magic now hurt more than anything Twilight had ever experienced before, but she swore to herself that Calamity would hurt so much more. Giant spiked chains, intertwined with a dark metal resembling barbed wire, sprang from beneath the earth, throwing themselves across the now struggling Calamity. Even blind, he knew what these were, he could sense them; his master had used them on others before. He desperately tried to escape in time, to no avail. The chains landed on opposite sides of him, burrowing back into the ground, holding him down. Then they pulled taught, accompanied by several muffled screams and a large gurgle as the spikes bit into his flesh before tearing through it. Twilight wasn't satisfied. He was still struggling, something was missing, and she now had only just over four minutes to find out what it was.

The answer came to her quickly enough. Her horn glowed brighter as she channelled energies into the chain, the black metal now beginning to make a hissing noise as it glowed, first red then white hot. Calamity made a few frantic attempts at throwing off the chains, but succeeded only in cutting further into his flesh with the now near-melted metal before collapsing and howling in pain. Several of the spines on his back were cut in half, or in the case of a few larger ones, into several pieces. Twilight paid some attention here, tightening the chains section by section, taking care not to cut off an entire bone when it could be sliced like a carrot on a chopping board.

She was almost satisfied with her work, but then another idea occurred to her, one that would truly bring Spike justice. She stopped smiling once again and focused. With a flash of magic, the bones that were still embedded into Calamity's skull began to spin in place, throwing all manner of flesh, blood and organs out through the eye sockets. She then approximated where his heart would be, if he had one at all, and slowly forced the whirring bones through his insides towards it.

Twilight squinted, focusing as the bones found their mark. At the behest of their wielder, the chains tightened around Calamity's underside, exposing the 'heart' for her to see as layers of rancid flesh were peeled away by the searing heat. Now that the insides of the beast were fully exposed, Twilight could hear the screams of those within much more clearly than before; many of them spoke in unknown tongues, apparently begging for mercy or release from their torture. She would not grant that request. Not yet. They had to suffer for the monster they constituted into to suffer. She gained no satisfaction from the knowledge of such, it was horrible, she knew it was. But she wouldn't relent, not now.

She looked back towards the 'heart'. It wasn't so much a heart as a collection of hearts, intertwined into one grotesque recreation of the organ it was supposed to resemble, almost all of them beating completely out of synch with one another. She frowned and forced the bones she had been manipulating into the collection of hearts. They still whirred around madly, and Twilight only slowed them once the inside of the organ was sure to be a hollow mess, 'Just like mine is, thanks to you...'. She smiled grimly at her own poetic imagery, then continued.

Calamity had stopped struggling, trying to minimise the pain of the searing restraints. Regardless, what he was suffering through was beyond excruciating, if not the true definition of agony itself. For the first time since his creation, Calamity wished it were possible for him to die.

"Not long left..." Twilight whined, executing the final step of her quickly formulated revenge. The bones shattered within his heart, lacing the inside with shrapnel. Some escaped from the hole that had been made upon the entry into the heart, and for the first time since the torture began, Twilight grimaced in disgust. This was going to be messy...

Celestia tried her hardest to contact Twilight, to no avail; the black veil surrounding the unicorn made it impossible for her to reach the unicorn. Ponyville was in sight now, and whilst most of it looked intact, she could see even from a distance the sheer devastation that the battle had already caused to the south west of the town, "At least it's not as bad as last time..." she whispered, her voice a strange yet familiar mixture of relief and horror as she recalled Calamity's previous rampage that had torn a continent asunder.

"This is it! The grand finale!" Twilight spat disgustedly into what was left of Calamity's 'ribcage'. She turned sharply and trotted away, putting some distance between her and the monster that now lacked about half of its original internal body mass. Once she reached what she estimated was a suitable distance she span back around and began. She looked behind her briefly, scanning for any new arrivals. Surely enough, the skyline was dominated by the regiment of fast-approaching pegasi elites that Celestia had brought with her, 'One more minute, at most...' She turned back to Calamity and began. The bone fragments embedded within him slowly began to bubble, incredible heat building up within them but not being allowed release. Barely half a minute later, the fragments were shaking violently, and Twilight knew it was time. She glared at the monster before her and spoke.

Celestia had dove ahead of the rest of her forces, trying to reach Twilight before Calamity did, but as she approached she realised that the monster wasn't posing any significant threat. He was in chains, bleeding profusely, steam rising in red swirls as his blood boiled. And there was Twilight, staring impassively with deep red eyes, "Oh no..." Celestia pushed her mighty wings to their limits, trying to reach her beloved pupil in time, closing the distance almost as fast as Spike had done less than an hour before. She landed with little grace and galloped towards Twilight, calling her name. No response. She was only metres away when she heard it. Almost a whisper, yet it seemed to echo all around her. It was undoubtedly Twilight's voice, only darker, heavier, dripping will killing intent. Celestia froze.

"This is for Spike..." Twilight spoke softly, her quiet voice echoing until it faded into silence, "... You demon spawned SON OF A BITCH!" she roared, the noise ringing in Celestia's ears. Calamity's anguished, gurgled cry was the only warning Celestia received as to what was coming, as the fragments exploded within Calamity, destroying his 'heart'. "Just as you destroyed Spike's heart, and broke my own, I've removed yours..."

The following shower of blood and gore was much larger than Twilight had originally expected. Even in her rage-fuelled state, she grimaced and braced herself against the wave of putrid innards flying towards her. She didn't get the brunt of the mess, being so far away, but she was still sprayed with blood, and small sections of tissue and bone, though she was fortunate enough not to sustain any further injuries as a result. The same could be said for the Princess, who looked between the two - but mostly at Twilight - in shock and disbelief, "Twilight, you did this?"

Twilight simply regarded her mentor passively and nodded. Celestia was about to ask why, but halted when she recalled what her pupil had said only moments ago, 'This is for Spike... just as you destroyed Spike's heart...' The realisation hit Celestia like a tonne of bricks, but she said nothing. She knew what Twilight was going through, she had experienced it herself. Losing a friend on the field of battle was traumatising, and though she had never lost a sibling this way, she could only imagine that it was much, much worse. All Celestia could do was listen as Twilight tried to explain what had happened. However, what Twilight said next wasn't what she was expecting at all.

"It's still not dead..." Surely enough, Calamity still lay there beneath the chains, inhaling and exhaling in an erratic pattern. The elites were arriving now. Accompanying the pegasi air regiment were several dozen earth pony archers and unicorn swordsmen. Whilst the archers took position around the perimeter of the now subdued herald of destruction there was a collective sigh of relief, many of them had expected to die fighting today. Between the dozens of unicorns present, opening the rift to rid Equestria of the monster would take little over a few minutes.

Twilight noticed this, however, and darted forwards, followed immediately by Celestia, "Twilight what are you doing!?" she shouted after her.

Twilight ignored her completely as she approached the unicorns. More than one visibly recoiled at her appearance, her blood-stained visage a horrific sight. She slammed her hoof into the ground, causing it to tremble madly, interrupting the rift spell as the unicorn casters toppled over, "I'M NOT FINISHED YET!" Several elites moved towards her, trying to subdue her, only to be thrown back several metres, some bleeding quite badly, lashed at by invisible tendrils. Immediately, Twilight was surrounded by elite troops, weapons raised as they mistook her for an enemy, "MOVE! NOW!" she barked at the ones blocking her line of sight. They shrunk back slightly at the sheer volume, but stood firm otherwise. Twilight advanced slowly, the sound of several arrows being nocked and swords drawn from scabbards pierced the air, "IF YOU DON'T MOVE, I SWEAR I'LL-" Twilight collapsed, now unconscious, onto the ground. A few of the braver guards shared a look then darted towards the mad pony, preparing to arrest her.

"STOP!" Celestia commanded, the glow of the spell she had used to incapacitate Twilight fading from her horn. Instantly, all present stood stock still. Celestia regained her composure before stepping towards the unconscious unicorn, "Lower your weapons, take care of the wounded and get that thing out of here at once!" she ordered, pointing a hoof at Calamity. There was a scramble of activity around her as all returned to their previous duties, asides from a few medical ponies - ashamed that they had not attended to their comrades' wounds straight away upon being attacked by the unicorn - whom now set to work patching up the bleeding elites.

Celestia sighed quietly, a deeply troubled look on her face as Twilight's features returned to normal. The armour upon her dissipated, the aura around her flashed out of existence, she slowly shrank back to her original size, and the crimson glow in her eyes faded away. Celestia called over an unoccupied medical pony and asked him to check Twilight over whilst she withdrew a cloth from his pack and began to wipe the remnants of blood from herself and her protégé. Afterwards, Celestia just sat and stared sadly at the face of her faithful student, now marred with gashes, cuts and bruises.

A cheer from behind her brought her back to her senses. She only barely caught sight of the last of the rift closing once again, a white claw disappearing through it. She sighed once more and slumped slightly. So little had been lost today in comparison with what had been lost before, "Nevertheless," she looked down at Twilight's face once again, "I fear we have already lost too much..." A single tear slid down her face and onto Twilight's. If she had been paying attention, she would have noticed her tear had merging with one of her student's before sliding slowly down Twilight's cheek and rehydrating the cracked earth below.

Author's Note

Edited as of 18/3/14. Quality, grammar, and wording of sentencing is now vastly better than it was. Measurements of exact distance have been replaced with approximations by the characters; both in narrative and in character dialogue. Greater description added to make it more clear exactly what was happening at some parts, especially during Calamity's torture. Character names used instead of titles in an attempt to avoid 'Lavender Unicorn Syndrome'. Rainbow Factory reference shortened in order to make it fit more appropriately.

Chapter V - Requiem

Two days had passed, and in those two days the world had been turned upside down for the inhabitants of Ponyville. The majority of the town's populace had returned as soon as possible the previous day, and most were overwhelmed by the lack of destruction they were sure would occur after their evacuation; some even questioning the judgement of their Princesses. Other than a few buildings on the outskirts being levelled, nothing much within the town had changed. The outside of Ponyville was a completely different story.

To the south west, between Sweet Apple Acres, Fluttershy's Cottage, and the Everfree Forest, the huge expanse of land that had once consisted of rolling meadows and open fields was now a torn and jagged mess. Several wounds marked the landscape. From scorched earth to huge craters, splintered colossal bones and even a pillar of rock that now towered several stories into the air; all stark reminders of the scale of the battle that had taken place only two days prior.

Almost all the inhabitants of Ponyville were gathered on a largely unscathed patch close to where the destruction had taken place, preparing to pay their respects to the dead. Of the original 117 guards who had answered the call to arms, 89 had been killed. Another 16 were maimed, leaving a total of only 12 guards physically unscathed. Mentally however, these stallions and mares would never truly heal, that much was blatantly clear to those closest to them. They would live their lives each day remembering how easily they could have died, and how, by pure chance, they had escaped the terrible fate that so many of their friends and comrades had suffered. Each day they would question why it was they that had survived, whilst so many foals and colts would never see their mothers or fathers again, as they were now; if the haunted expressions on their faces were any indication.

The Bearers were faring no better than the day they had when they learned of what had happened. Each had been grieving in their own way, isolated from one another for two days until this point. Only when the time had come to reminisce the life of their friend did they see face-to-face once again.

[Two days earlier]
Having aided the evacuees upon Ponyville's exodus, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Applejack and Pinkie had returned from Canterlot upon Celestia's summons. One of the royal carriages was dispensed at the Princess's order - much to Rainbow's disgruntlement - and the four had returned relatively quickly in comparison to how they had arrived in Canterlot in the first place; no longer needing to keep track of hundreds of ponies at once. However, when the carriage finally began its descent, Rainbow Dash, along with the others, found herself to be grateful for having a seat to slump into as her legs weakened beneath her. Even from their high altitude, it was obvious that the magnitude of the battle had been incredible; the land itself seemed beaten and scarred. To the horror of both Applejack and Fluttershy, all wildlife in the immediate area - plant and animal - had simply disappeared, or was in the process of dying, if not already dead.

The outlying trees of Sweet Apple Acres were now bare and brittle, the stream that ran just by Fluttershy's cottage now ran an oil slick black, and even the Everfree forest seemed to have recoiled in an arc somewhat from where the majority of the carnage had taken place. One detail stood out to the four more than any other, however, and each wished to themselves that their assumptions were wrong, but as they continued their descent there could be little room for doubt about the strange, dark tint that the earth held. Several patches of land were physically waterlogged with blood, such became more and more evident the closer they drew to the scene.

Each jumped away from the carriage windows, reeling, unable to grasp how something so horrible could have happened here, so close to their homes. Fluttershy was sobbing quietly, head in her hooves, trying not to think about what she had just seen. Applejack felt light-headed and set herself down next to the pegasus, trying to comfort her. Rainbow Dash was trying to keep face, but failing. Her legs felt weak, and she felt like she was going to throw up; horror gnawing at her composure all the while.

However, each of their troubles paled in comparison to those of Pinkie. As she seated herself, she mimicked what Fluttershy had done and put her head in her hooves, but steadily teetered back and forth, shaking her head slowly as she did so, murmuring quietly to herself all the while. If her friends hadn't been so distracted trying to calm themselves and deal with their steadily rising nausea, they would have noticed a few not-so subtle changes in Pinkie's demeanour. She was uncharacteristically quiet, and unnervingly flicking her gaze between the other three over her hooves. If they had paid closer attention, they might have noticed a few stray strands of usually puffy bubblegum hair slowly unfurl themselves before laying flat across her face, before being swept away quickly by her hoof. Were it not for Fluttershy's agitated sobs, and Applejack's consoling filling the carriage, they might even have heard what she was whispering - almost chanting - to herself under her breath.

"Go away! Please, go away..."

A few minutes later the four had regained their composures enough to stand, though Pinkie seemed noticably jittery. Applejack leaned over and placed a hoof on her shoulder, "It'll be okay, sugarcube. Don't panic. Ah'm sure everypony's fine." Pinkie seemed to relax and smiled weakly at her friend, who smiled back.

Unbeknownst to the others, behind that smile, deep in the abstract intricacies of Pinkie's mind, a cruel voice whispered out, 'I hope not...' before falling silent as it was subdued in the same way it had been countless times before. The carriage was slowing now, no doubt nearing ground level. The four now twitched with anticipation, each eager to ascertain Applejack's previous statement. As the carriage slowed to a halt, and the door flung open, they jumped out preparing to bolt in the direction of their friends. They probably would have done just that, if not for the imposing figure of Princess Celestia awaiting them outside, and the purple unicorn that laid on the ground beside her, a medical pony evaluating her, applying the occasional bandage.

Rainbow Dash was the first to speak, frantically glancing between the Princess and her friend, "Twilight?" The unicorn didn't respond. She was pale, covered in patches of blood, and her eyes were closed. An edge of panic seeped into Rainbow's voice, "Twilight!?"

The others now took a horrified step towards their friend before the Princess held out a wing quickly, grabbing their attention as it blocked their line of sight, "Calm down, all of you. Twilight is unconscious, but otherwise fine." Upon saying this she chewed her lower lip ever-so-slightly. Even she didn't yet know what the full effects of both the battle and the chaos magics would may have had upon her student, but she resolved to worry as little as possible. After all, at least Twilight was still alive.

The four stopped and looked up at the Princess, all silent now. She continued, "Twilight will be better soon enough, you need not worry. But there is something you all have to know..." the Princess's face fell.

Applejack stepped forwards, registering the expression immediately, "Where's Rarity!? Is she okay, Princess!?"

The farmer was too worried about her friend to care about interrupting the Princess, who looked at them with a pained expression but spoke, "Yes, follow me." The Princess turned and began to trot away from the carriage, the others followed, each looking at their friend as the medical pony continued to cut bandages of different shapes and sizes from a large cloth.

Applejack abruptly spoke up again, "And Spike, where's he? We could see him from the other side of Ponyville not too long ago!"

Celestia struggled not to stop there and then as she felt the fresh sting of renewed sorrow. She remained silent and kept walking.

Applejack shrugged it off, attributing the Princess's silence to her voice simply not being heard. Besides, Spike certainly seemed to be holding his own the last time she had seen him, exhaling a green inferno, and the Princess certainly didn't react like anything was wrong.

They continued on towards a white object not too far away, "Is that Rarity?" Rainbow Dash asked incredulously, squinting at the object in concentration.

"Nah, there ain't no way Rares would let herself out in public lookin' like that." Applejack replied, commenting on the splotches of dust, mud, and blood covering the object, "It's probably just another one of those creepy bone-thingies..." she continued, shuddering slightly. But as they drew ever closer, they realised, to their horror, that the object in question was indeed a pony.

"I-I think it is R-Rarity..." Fluttershy gasped in shock. The four focused their senses, trying to shut out the terrible smell on the wind as they concentrated on the pony. Then they heard it, sobbing and wailing, drifting faintly towards them on the putrid wind.

The four darted past Celestia, who wore a pained expression but continued to trot at the pace she had set for herself, trying to gather her thoughts and compose herself before she arrived. She had heard it from Luna, but that wouldn't make it much easier once she got there.

They were galloping now, even the two pegasi, seemingly too frightened by the prospect of what was happening to remember their wings. As they drew closer Pinkie finally spoke up for the first time since they had left Canterlot "It is Rarity!" she shouted, momentarily disregarding her need for precious air. The sobbing grew louder as they approached, leaving little doubt as to the pony's identity as they approached. The pony with their back turned to them was definitely the Element of Generosity, and the knowledge of such only made them gallop faster.

"What's that next to her?" Applejack asked, noticing how Rarity was hunched over something, but it was too hard to make out, even from as she closed the distance.

"RARITY!" Rainbow Dash cried out, now only a few dozen meters from her friend. No response from her either. Twilight had been out cold, but Rarity was clearly conscious, so why was she ignoring them? Why was she crying?

Rarity continued to sob as her friends approached. She had heard them call, but she didn't care. She wanted to be left alone in peace to mourn for the innocent little dragon who had acted to selflessly and ultimately sacrificed his life, and suffered an agonising death, so that she could live.

Rainbow Dash, who was now at the front of the line, just ahead of Applejack, had seen it first. She started speaking even before she skidded to a halt beside her wailing friend, "Oh no... No! No! NO NO NO!" She began to cry out, tears forming in the corners of the usually stoic pegasus' eyes as she stood by Rarity. As the other three all stopped beside her, this reaction was shared.

Applejack slowly reached up and removed her hat, falling limply onto her knees next to Rarity. Fluttershy stood stock still, tears streaming down her face, her body paralysed with shock and fear as she stared. Pinkie tried, even now, to find something positive in the situation, but there was nothing, nothing at all. As she stood behind her friends, her tears now flowing freely too, her hair began to unfurl rapidly as it straightened, her eyes began to appear much more serious, the warmth seemingly sucked from them. As the pegasi collapsed by the unicorn and other earth pony, Pinkie was the only one left standing. She cried too, but her expression was not one of loss, it was one of passiveness, as if she had seen the exact same event occur a hundred times before.

The Princess approached the cacophony of sobs and wails, and prepared herself for the worst as she looked down at what all five of their gazes were affixed to. There lay a dragon who would almost have been as tall as her stood upright, a gaping hole in his chest, his eyes closed, his head cradled in Rarity's hooves as her tears, combined with the ones from the new arrivals, formed a miniature stream flowing down his face. There lay Spike, or his body, at least. Some would say that his soul had ascended to a better place, where he would live in paradise forever. Others would argue that his spirit would live on in their memories of him day by day as the hero that saved Equestria. A few would believe that his essence had simply been extinguished and had vanished on the wind with his dying breath. Nopony would ever know. Only one thing was certain. Spike, assistant and surrogate brother to Twilight Sparkle, beloved friend of the Elements of Harmony, admirer of 'Lady' Rarity and saviour of Equestria, was dead.

They wept for their lost friend for what seemed like an eternity. All cried, and all - save two - howled from the pain of loss, of sorrow, and despair. The tear-stained face of Celestia turned towards the pink mare on her left. Both were crying, but both stood, and both remained silent. Pinkie was certainly an odd pony, but something about this didn't seem quite right to the Princess. Celestia had experienced the pain of tragedy and loss countless times throughout her long life, she had watched as her beloved subjects were massacred left, right and centre in numerous bloody battles a thousand years ago.

That was exactly the problem.

Celestia had undergone this hundreds of times, and from it a hardened resolve had emerged. Yet there stood Pinkie, her face tear-streaked but calm, her gaze cool, her legs still supporting her when even the hardest of her friends had fallen. The stance of a battle-hardened warrior watching a close friend die, and Celestia knew it well, 'How? And when?' Celestia thought to herself. Almost in response to her unspoken questions, Pinkie turned her gaze to the Princess beside her, a few stray locks of hair falling across her face. She stared at the Princess coldly, emotionless and expressionless. Celestia had to fight the urge to step away from the mare that seemed to be staring into her soul, "Pinkamena?" she asked, wondering what was troubling the pony, and in turn trying to make herself feel less troubled.

The response only unsettled her even more, "Yes, that is my name, Princess..." Pinkie turned her head back to her friends again, "That is my name..." Something was seriously wrong, Celestia realised, but she was snapped from her thoughts by the sound of two sets of hoofsteps behind her. She turned to see Twilight and the pony from earlier trotting towards her.

The stallion looked as if he was about to speak, but Celestia cut him off prematurely, now was not the time, "I will have the report on Twilight's condition later, Doctor Scalpel. You may tend to the others now."

"Of course, Your Majesty." he replied, cantering off the way he had came.

Twilight had continued trotting towards the others throughout the quick exchange and was now beside the Princess. Celestia spoke up, "Twilight, I am so sorry for hurting you, but that magic was dangerous. If you were not subdued you might have..." Twilight kept limping slightly as she moved towards the group, but turned her head to the Princess before shaking it slightly, then continued on. Another tear streaked down the Princess's face, 'I hurt her, and even on top of everything that's happened today, all the hurt, all the loss, she still forgave me that quickly...' The four that surrounded Spike barely registered the arrival of Twilight as she set herself down by them, gazing at him silently. It was only when she came to rest her head gently across his chest - taking care to avoid the wound - that they were snapped back to reality. He was more than a friend to her, he was her brother, and now...

"Twilight..." They all spoke in near-unison, even Rarity, her voice hoarse from her unceasing weeping. Twilight simply lifted her head, her eyes brimming with tears before she flung herself into an embrace with her friends, a fresh bout of tears erupting from all present. They wept for their friend for what seemed like another eternity.

"B-But Princess, it's too soon..." Twilight started, but her choked voice wouldn't finish her sentence. The sun hung low in the sky now, it was ready to set, but Celestia ignored it. Honouring the saviour of the world was much more important than moving the heavens right now, at least to her. The seven assembled ponies stared down into the perfect rectangular hole in the ground, before directing their heads to the open casket beside it, Spike residing within.

"The sooner we do it, the better... Trust me, my Faithful Student..."

"But it's so unceremonious..." Rarity began.

"We will hold a memorial in two days to honour his sacrifice, along with the other guards. But I don't believe Spike would have wanted every stranger in the whole of Ponyville to turn up to his funeral, do you?" This much was true, Spike had mentioned it to Twilight in the library a while back during a particularly sombre conversation, though it felt like a lifetime ago to Twilight, and the irony of such only served to hurt her further. Spike had always said that, should anything happen to him, he only wanted his closest friends to be with him at the end, and they would be. Twilight nodded in response.

"Take some time to gather your thoughts," Celestia began, "Prepare your final words, leave nothing unsaid that you will regret later." she spoke as she lowered the casket into the hole. "Then we will leave him to the rest he deserves."

She turned to them, silently asking who would be the first to pay their respects. To everypony's surprise, Rainbow Dash stepped forwards immediately, leaning her head over the hole before speaking, "Spike... what you did today was strong, and heroic, and brave... very brave. I'll never forget that about you, ever..." She trailed off before starting again after a suppressed heave, though a few stray tears fell from her sore eyes. "I... I'm scared Spike. You were so fearless, you stood up to that thing like it was nothing, and now... Now you're gone... I don't know what to think any more... How could you die? You didn't deserve it! It's not fair!" She sobbed freely now, her teeth gritted in pain and anger, "I promise you Spike, I won't ever forget you, or what you did for everypony today. I want to be like you now more than..." She paused for a second as she considered it, "I want to be more like you than the Wonderbolts... You're my hero now..." She shed a final tear and stepped back.

The next to step up was Applejack, who set her stetson on the ground beside her, "Ah don't know how this happened Spike, Ah just don't know..." She began sombrely, "But Ah do know this, you were a great friend, and a good hard worker. You had a code that you stuck to all the time, and Ah respect ya for that now more than ever..." She smiled slightly as the remembered the fiasco she had undergone after saving him from the timberwolves, and how he had eventually repaid his self-imposed debt, "You were a good friend right up to the end Spike. Ah'm going to miss ya..." she finished, sniffing slightly, trying to collect herself, before stepping back next to Rainbow Dash; her hat was not replaced however, it remained on her back after she had picked it up.

The next to step to the edge of the grave was Fluttershy. "S-Spike..." she sobbed, "I'm so, so sorry for what happened. We - I - should have been there for you w-when you needed us the most..." Her heaves were now easily visible as she tried to suppress the veritable torrent that now poured from her eyes, "If this is g-goodbye, I just want to tell you how lucky I've b-been to be your friend... to have shared so many good moments, to h-have laughed with you, cried with you, even e-exchange r-recipes from time to t-time... I'll cherish those m-memories, no matter what..." With that, she scrunched her eyes tight and tried her best to smile at him for the final time before retreating to join her friends. Everypony still wept, even despite their eyes being rimmed red and burning terribly, though not one of them could have stopped even if they had tried.

Rarity trotted up to the edge and began, speaking deeply from her heart, "Oh Spike... I didn't deserve you... You gave everything to save us, all because I was too weak to literally pull my own weight..." she sobbed quietly now, everypony else was shocked at her change of heart, her usual pride and theatrics had all but vanished, her visage now one of sorrow and shame, "You loved me, I knew you did, ever since the day you gave me that beautiful gem, and what did I do? I ignored it! I ignored you! I never even told you how I felt, always found something more important to do! Always treated you so badly, and now this..." She was breathing deeply, trying to calm herself, "But you still saved me, saved everypony. You were content enough to stay my friend if it meant you could stay by my side..." she trailed off trying to regain some of her composure before she finished. "I'm sorry for everything I did wrong Spike, I hope you can forgive me. And I'm sorry it's taken me this long to realise it, that I do love you, in my own way, Spike, and I always will..." She took a deep breath, "My little Spikey-wikey..." at the mention of her old nickname for the dragon Rarity could bear it no longer and wailed loudly, true pain evident in her cries of despair. She slowly turned away, casting her head back to the grave as she walked back to her friends, as if waiting for him to come back to life, to tell her it was all a lie, that he was fine, that by some miracle he had survived.

Needless to say, it didn't happen.

Pinkie glanced around slowly, noting that Twilight should be the final one to pay her respects before advancing silently. She stood and simply stared into the pit for several seconds. When she finally spoke, the voice that emerged slightly disturbed the others present. It was Pinkie's, definitely, but it was... flat, empty, almost emotionless, "Spike, my friend... I'm very sorry that things had to end this way. I'll remember everything, I promise. I'll never forget you. Stories will be told for generations of your bravery, your tenacity and your heroism." The others stood bewildered at how Pinkie's demeanour had changed as she continued, "Even as your face fades from the memories of many, your legend will transcend all of our lifetimes, and the lifetimes of many for centuries to come. We will mourn for you greatly, but will eventually find light in the fact that you chose your fate so that we could live on. You were - and still are - our dear friend..."

Her tone faltered and became choked, finally resembling the voice the others had come to know, even if it was made hoarse by the lump in her throat. "You are our bestest friend Spike... and we're all going to miss you... very much..." her head had been held up proudly throughout her speech, but now it drooped and she gritted her teeth as tears streamed down her face, pattering lightly onto the coffin six feet below. "I'm so sorry, Spike... I promise I'll throw you the greatest party ever when we meet again, it'll be... so much fun..." The last sentence was spoken by the hollow voice once again, as if she didn't truly believe her own words. She regained her composure and trotted back to her place amongst her friends, who each regarded her differently, some speechless, some even worried about her, but they put it down to grief; after all, Pinkie was notorious for being a 'little' odd, perhaps this was to be expected.

Twilight realised that it was her turn to speak and hesitantly made her way to the edge. She spoke, "This is it... This is goodbye, isn't it?..." Twilight seemed at a complete loss for words, "Spike... My little brother," she audibly choked on her tears and cleared her throat loudly, "There's so much left to do, so much unsaid... You could have outlived us by centuries..."

Behind the other ponies Celestia shuffled ever-so-slightly, as if made uncomfortable by the statement. She glanced around, hoping that none of the mares had picked up on it, only to be met by the glare of Pinkie for the second time that day, though this time it was cold, harsh, accusing and piercing. Celestia could almost hear the cogs in Pinkie's mind whirring as she slowly and deliberately turned her head back towards the grave, 'Does she know?' Celestia thought and panicked slightly as she too turned back to Twilight.

"But now we'll outlive you... We are doing right now... And it makes me feel horrible, and selfish. If I had helped, if I hadn't been so useless up until that point, you'd still be alive... We wouldn't be here mourning for you, we'd be back at the library... finishing that conversation with Luna... and everypony would be happy..." Her sobs visibly shook her now, and she was audibly struggling to breathe, but she continued regardless, "But that can't happen now. I'm so sorry Spike. Everything that everypony has already said is exactly what I'd say, and this. You were, are and always will be more than my assistant, or my friend. You are my little brother, and I love you so very, very much... Promise me you'll never forget that, Spike. I know I never will..." She swayed slightly now, and took deep laboured breaths to steady herself before she finished, "I love you, Spike. Goodbye..." With that she took a step back and motioned for the others to join her.

The Princess spoke up, although she did so quietly, "Is everypony ready?" She was met with a set of slow nods. A glow of purest white appeared around her horn and the top of the coffin as it slowly came to a close, much in the same fashion one would close a good book upon its conclusion, slowly and deliberately, sad to have it ended so soon. It seemed like a year had passed in the time it took for Spike's face vanished beneath the lid.

The 'click' of the lid locking into place was heard.

The magical aura now surrounded the pile of dirt by the grave, but Twilight held up a hoof quickly, "Wait!... Wait..." she spoke simply. The others regarded her incredulously as she approached the pile of dirt and began to dig into it before depositing a hoof-full of it into the hole, "This way is better, it would mean so much more to him... If we did the dirty work for once..." she whispered sadly. The others agreed and, one by one - including the Princess herself - each took scoops of dirt and began to drop them into the grave, creating a steady muffled patter as the dirt began to pile up. Were it not for the fact that almost every piece of dirt was wet with tears by the time it entered the steadily receding hole, there would have been a sizeable mound of earth left by the grave, but the wet dirt compacted nicely, leaving only a small mound to mark where the dragon now rested.

Celestia carefully wiped the tears from her face with her upper forelegs so as not to irritate her eyes with the dirt, before breaking the silence solemnly, "Spike, faithful companion of the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony, friend to many, protector of more and saviour of all, I hereby commend thee to the ages. May you rest in peace." All present now surrounded the grave and silently offered up a final prayer for their friend.

Celestia waited until all were finished before speaking, "My little ponies, I'm sorry I can't do more to help, but I must return to Canterlot and allow the sun to set, and raising the Moon and the stars in Luna's stead will be very tiring. If any of you need anything, no matter what, please do not hesitate to call for me, I promise you I will come to you should you need me. The service will be held here in two days... I think it would be best if we turned this place into a memorial for Spike and the other guards." She was met with a few affirmative, distant grunts of agreement, "You all should head home, you need time to think and clear your heads." She turned her attention to Twilight, "And you, Twilight, make sure you get yourself checked out at the hospital, I will be reading that medical report tonight, and I want any outlying problems dealt with before I return, understood?" Twilight simply nodded slowly, her throat hurt from crying, she didn't want to needlessly speak. With that, the Princess offered a, "Be safe, everypony." then turned and departed, wings carrying her towards Canterlot. The six looked at each other for several minutes. Then, one by one, they departed and headed home with heavy hearts.

As Twilight entered the library she was astounded by how different it felt, even with Owlowiscious waiting for her, the place seemed empty. She trudged silently up to her room and collapsed heavily onto her bed. Even after she thought she had cried a lifetime's worth of tears, she felt the familiar burning sensation in her eyes and throat as she wept, quietly now, into her pillow.

Three hours later, she finally cried herself to sleep.

[Present day]
Each of the Bearers stood, awaiting the start of the ceremony. An aisle lined with photographs on each side split the ponies present into two groups, each image holding the face of a stallion or mare who had lost their life. At the very end of the aisle was the mound of earth where Spike had been buried, effectively creating a corridor leading towards his final resting place. A large object - hidden beneath a white cloth that waved slightly in the breeze - was now positioned just behind his grave where the headstone would have been. As for the ponies assembled, all were wearing black, and the six Bearers seemed tired and weary. Of the six, Twilight was clearly one of the worst affected; black arcs beneath her eyes, her hair slightly dishevelled, her face covered in fresh bandages, and her back leg now in a splint. The doctors had told her she was very lucky, the fact that the bone had been snapped back into exactly the right place during her fight had astounded them. Pinkie was not much better in terms of appearances, save for the bandages, she and Twilight shared an almost symmetrical countenance.

Twilight looked over the attendees. Most of Ponyville had shown up, along with several other important-looking figures, amongst them the Princesses. Twilight looked over to Luna first, noticing the huge bandage wrapped over the wound on her side and grimacing slightly in response. She would have to apologise for that later. Twilight then set her gaze upon the other Princess. Celestia stood proudly, as she usually did, her multicoloured mane swaying slightly in the breeze.

Twilight felt a pang of something deep within her, though she struggled to identify exactly what it was. She looked around hesitantly, expecting to notice something wrong, but found nothing. She turned back to Celestia and felt it again, a sharp surge of blazing emotion, 'Is Celestia causing this? 'Why? Why do I feel like this? What is this feeling?'

However, before she could explore the mystery any further, an old grey earth pony stepped up before crowd and spoke, "We are gathered here today to remember those brave souls who lost their lives defending Equestria for our sake. Though we may mourn for them, we should find comfort in the fact that they will never grow old, as we who are left behind grow old. They will..." He continued like this for several minutes, before reading out the names of each and every guard who had died. "...Tranquil Night, Stalwart Shield, and Spike." At the end of the long list, the elderly pony trotted over to the covered object between the droves of pictures and pulled a cord. A magnificent statue, several feet tall stood proudly. It portrayed Spike, striking a valiant pose, poised to throw the crude spear held in his right claw, his other hand hung just below his heart. His expression was one of set determination, one of calm and acceptance, of true aim and heroic valour.

'So different to how he actually looked right then...' Twilight thought solemnly. On the base of the statue was an engraved plaque, reading: 'Here lies Lord Spike, defender of justice and harmony. May we draw strength from his valiant sacrifice, even when our hearts are heavy and hollow with despair. With his guidance we will find the light once again.'

The old earth pony then turned back to face the assembled crowd before speaking, projecting his voice slightly so that he could be heard from the back of the large congregation, "We will now begin to pay our respects. Please set your lilies down by the picture of the loved one you wish to honour. If nopony close to you is shown here, we ask that you leave your flower at Lord Spike's memorial, as a token of respect."

The first row of ponies stood up and began to file out to find the image of their loved ones; already some crying could be heard. For some this was their last chance to say goodbye to their friends and family, the bodies lost to the beast that had already taken so much from them, not even leaving behind a corpse to bury, denying them the one small act of closure from which they might eventually overcome their loss. For these ponies, it was the most upsetting of all.

As more rows of ponies filed out, the collective sobbing of the crowd grew louder. The occasional cry of, "Mummy, we miss you!" or, "Daddy, please come back!" or, "Why did you have to go, big sister?" from the younger foals broke the hearts of all present, quickly eliciting tears from the majority.

Soon enough, it was time for the Bearers to pay their respects to their fallen friend. As they trotted silently to the statue, a few stray tears streaking across their faces, they felt a strange sense of relief. Yes, Spike was dead, and was buried, and it was awful; but some of the young colts and fillies around them would have nowhere to go to visit their parents and siblings as they rested for eternity, nowhere to go to find comfort, to grieve, to offer up prayers. In that respect, as twisted as it sounded, Spike, and his friends, were the lucky ones.

They reached the base of the statue, and one by one placed their lilies onto the small mound of earth. Just as they were about to return to their row however, they heard a small metallic clicking sound, followed by an almost inaudible pop. They turned to the source of the sound. Rarity now held in her hoof the beautiful heart-shaped fire ruby that Spike had gifted her long ago, along with its now empty casing, which she placed back around her neck. She then hovered the gem up towards the statue, and with extreme care slotted it between his left hand and his chest. By the most astronomical of odds, it fit perfectly. Rarity attempted a smile, though tears stained her face as she spoke, "You already gave me your heart once, Spike. I want you to take care of your own this time, for my sake and yours..."

More tears followed, but Rarity wasn't finished. A familiar glow appeared around her horn, and despite the fact that it still hurt to use even such a small amount of magic so close to her overload two days prior, she didn't show it. The gem began to glow, beams of dim blue light now emanating from it. Twilight turned to her friend and smiled through her tears as she too did the same, beams of lavender now shining from the gem too. As the other ponies watched the spectacle, the gem slowly beamed with a growing array of colours as every unicorn present began to channel a small amount of magic into the now iridescent gem. As the two alicorns present channelled their energies into it too, a huge rainbow-hued beam shot into the sky before bursting into its component colours; a silent rainboom in its own right. The gem, now charged permanently with magical energy, emitted beams of light continuously; inspiring to look at but not so dazzling as to hurt the eyes. As the six friends looked from one another, to the statue, to the mound of earth beneath it, they all smiled weakly, despite how hurt they all felt inside. As the first of the congregation started to leave, the sombre mood slowly returned.

Soon enough only the Bearers and the Princesses - accompanied by their guards - remained, who approached the six promptly. Luna was the first to speak, "That was truly beautiful, wasn't it sister?"

"Yes, it was. I'm sure Spike would be proud of you, all of you, for what you have done today." The six before her nodded slowly but said nothing. Despite the beautiful display, and the small sense of closure it had given them, nothing had truly changed. So many were still dead. Spike was still dead.

Eventually, Twilight swallowed and spoke up, "P-Princess Luna, I'm so, so sorry for your injury, if I hadn't-"

She was stopped by the Princess holding up a hoof, "Speak nothing of it. It was wrong of me to expect so much from you both. If anything, I should be the one apologising." Sorrow visibly seeped into her expression, "I still can't comprehend it all..."

"Me neither, sister." Celestia replied before turning her attention to the mares before her, "My offer still stands. If any of you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask. I have a small measure of time on my hooves right now, if any of you feel the need to ask me anything."

Twilight spoke up, "Well- uh, you see... Actually, it doesn't matter Princess, I'll ask another time." Twilight still couldn't identify the feeling that rose within her each time she spoke to her mentor. 'Distrust? Resentment? But why? The Princess hasn't done anything to warrant it, has she?'

Celestia regarded her pupil curiously for a second before raising her head, "That's fine, Twilight. Whenever you feel ready, you know where to find me. Anypony else?" The others shook their heads, with the exception of Pinkie, who had taken to staring daggers at Celestia.

Pinkie spoke, prompting everypony to turn to her, "There's something you're not telling us, Princess Celestia..." Pinkie spoke in the same drawl of a voice she had used two days prior, though now it held more of an accusatory tone.

The others gasped slightly, even Celestia herself, before Luna spoke on her sister's behalf, "Pinkie, what are you talk-"

She spoke no further as the pony in question shrieked, "SHUT UP! MY NAME IS NOT PINKIE! AND YOUR SISTER IS A LIAR!" Everypony assembled visibly recoiled. Pinkie was gritting her teeth, but tears of frustration trickled over her features. Luna almost berated the young pony for even daring to make such accusations, never mind the demeanour with which she had done so, but stopped herself. She had heard that Pinkie had not been herself since the incident and did not want to make things any worse. She bit her tongue, and waited for Celestia to speak. Fortunately, she didn't have to. Pinkie turned sharply and galloped, sobbing, from the memorial in the general direction of Ponyville.

The others glanced around worriedly, Rainbow Dash preparing to give chase before Celestia stopped her, "Let her go, Rainbow Dash, she just needs some time to think. This week's events have hurt us all, and undoubtedly changed her somewhat. She should be okay, she just needs some time to herself."

Rainbow folded her wings against herself before turning to Celestia, "Alright, Princess, if you say so. Still, she shouldn't be talking to you or Princess Luna like that..."

Fluttershy took a nervous step forwards, "W-What did she mean though, P-Princess Celestia?"

Celestia sighed and shook her head, "I have absolutely no idea. Perhaps her grief is making her create stories in her head; I've seen it happen before. Promise me you will all keep an eye on each other, and especially so for... Pinkamena." She gave them a serious look for a moment, "Now then, I believe it is time Luna and I took our leave, if nopony has anything else to ask?" The others shook their heads slowly in response before offering a bow and a, "Goodbye, Princess" to the princesses before trotting away.

The two alicorns flew in silence. Although Celestia was deep in thought, she inwardly let out a sigh of relief, 'That was... tough to say, even with all my expertise in public speaking.' In a way, that was a good thing, after all...

She had always hated lying.

Author's Note

Edited as of 25/4/14. Quality, grammar, and wording of sentencing is now vastly better than it was. Description of the scene at the memorial has been changed slightly to allow readers to more easily visualise the scene. Changed a few words throughout the chapter that, although they made sense as they were, would have been far more appropriate/effective if changed. Re-wrote some sentences/paragraphs that I found to be particularly appalling (although, after 1 year of pony-writing experience, my skills have improved to the point where just about everything pre-chapter 9 is considered appalling as I re-read it - Might have to do a re-write one day in the distant future).

Chapter VI - Blame

One month had passed. In that month, change had became the norm around Ponyville, and it was anypony's guess as to which direction said change would lead. The more perceptive of the inhabitants, however, had seen the changes in the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony, and had prepared for the worst.

The Carousel Boutique now spent more time closed than open, its owner always found at the memorial, staring blankly at the earth beneath the proud, shining statue - almost comatose - for hours on end. Many had tried to snap her out of her trance, or prevent her from reaching the memorial, but each time these ponies were simply levitated aside gently by Rarity's magic, seemingly ignored.

Applejack's efforts on the farm weren't productive in the slightest, her thoughts too preoccupied with images of her friends. All were suffering, causing her to suffer too which, in turn, made the farm suffer as a whole; profits dropping to half as much as usual at best, even with Big Mac working overtime. Despite his almost superpony strength and stamina, four weeks of near non-stop apple bucking had began to take their toll; his gradual exhaustion becoming more apparent with each passing day.

Rainbow Dash had almost been fired three times in four weeks, often seen taking her aggression out on any 'offending' clouds nearby, which wouldn't usually be a problem, if not for the fact that she attacked all of them, including the ones that were supposed to be there - and threatening anypony who tried to intervene - setting the other weather pegasi back days. She was now rarely seen outside of work. Nopony knew exactly where she went, or what she did - though several rumours were beginning to spread - only that she would return to work the next day with sunken eyes, a frazzled mane and the prominent stench of alcohol drifting on the wind around her.

The amount of parties that were held in Ponyville had crashed, the Element of Laughter seemingly uninterested any more, devoting almost all of her time to working. Though it was great for business, the Cake's had begun to worry for Pinkie. She seemed all too happy to perform the same menial tasks over and over again. She had always performed the same tasks when she baked, but in the past she would try to entertain herself. She would sing, dance, hum tunes and jump around the bakery's kitchen, even having pretend 'sword fights' on occasion; brandishing two rolling pins and clashing them together mightily until one would inevitably disarm the other, sound effects and all. Now she worked in silence, and made it clear that she didn't want to be disturbed while she worked, a distant look in her eyes all the while.

Twilight and Fluttershy were nowhere to be found, and the only indication that they were even in Ponyville at all was the disappearance of food that the town's ponies had been leaving on their doorsteps, the plates appearing in their place an hour or so later. That, and the occasional sob that could be heard from within if one listened closely enough.

Not everything had changed for the worse though. Some things had actually improved, or at least healed. The scarred landscape outside Ponyville had began to rejuvenate, the rain eroding the pillar of earth away, albeit rather slowly - due to a certain rainbow-maned pegasus - so that it was now only three quarters of the size it was originally. The colossal bones were being sawed into pieces by construction crews each day before being carted off for disposal. The blood stains had all but washed away, the earth returning to its natural colour. Both the Everfree forest and the trees at Sweet Apple Acres were healing, and the stream by Fluttershy's cottage now ran clear once again.

Pinkie's looks had returned to normal, her mane at its usual puffiness, but although she still bounced around and tried to spread cheerfulness outside of her solemn working hours as she had always done, she seemed to have lost her spark, often giving up on her efforts almost as quickly as she started; always returning to the bakery and becoming cold and silent the instant she entered. She had sent a letter to the Princesses, asking them both for forgiveness for her actions at Spike's memorial, claiming that she was upset and couldn't think straight at the time. She received a reply the next day informing her that all was forgiven, and that Celestia's offer still stood; though Pinkie had never asked for it in her letter. Celestia's letter also asked her to remind the others of said offer, and so she had. The replies she received, however, were less than encouraging...

"Ah'm too busy for that, Pinkie..." Applejack replied half-heartedly

"I'm fine. Go away! I'll do my job just fine! Just you watch!" Rainbow Dash growled before taking off.

"I simply don't have the time dear, I'll be rather busy later. I have to... visit a friend." Rarity trailed off as she glanced at the ground sadly and made her way towards the boutique.

"I-I'm fine..." called Fluttershy through the ever-so-slightly ajar front door.

The only reply Twilight gave was a loud 'thump' as she slammed a hoof against the door, indicating she had heard.

"The Princess wants you to know that you can still ask her for help if you need it you know!" Pinkie had called in a cheerful sing-song voice from outside, and it grated on Twilight's nerves. She slammed a hoof against the door again, reminded of how easy it would have been to send a letter to the Princess, if only Spike were with her. She heard Pinkie sigh and trot away from the library. Twilight frowned as she stared blankly across the library, unable to clear the thoughts of her late brother from her mind. She had to talk to somepony she could trust in order to lift some of the heavy emotional load she had been carrying ever since the incident, somepony who wouldn't judge her, who would give her the answers she so desperately needed.

After what seemed like an age, she came to a decision, "I guess I have no choice then..." she spoke to herself, her voice quiet, almost a whisper.

Thirty minutes later, Twilight was sticking a small note to the library door, 'Gone to Canterlot. Don't know when I'll be back. Door is unlocked, withdraw books if required. Usual rules apply. - Twilight Sparkle.' She turned and headed for the train station, taking care to keep herself out of sight as much as possible. There was only one pony - one princess - that she desired to speak with now.

The journey seemed a lot longer than it usually did, leaving her alone with her thoughts. If not for the fact that a certain dragon was at the forefront of her mind, as he had been since the incident, she might have been grateful for it. When the train finally stopped Twilight's body seemed to move independent of her thoughts, her mind elsewhere. She navigated her way to the castle almost subconsciously as she thought her affairs over yet again.

Celestia had always regarded day court as something of a gamble. Ponies came in droves from all over Equestria almost every day to request an audience, each petitioning the Princess for something they regarded as crucially important, be it to themselves, the Princess or even Equestria as a whole on some occasions; as well as everything in between. From the poorest to the richest, all were allowed to speak equally under the Princess. But the gamble wasn't on whom she would be speaking with. No, the gamble was whether or not the day would be filled with meaningful proposals, helpful suggestions, and sensible questions that she could answer. These days were common, and the majority of courts were filled with such. However, on this particular day, it seemed that the odds were stacked against her. Already she had dealt with the same inter-family feud she had settled no less than thirteen times in the past decade, informed the majority of Canterlot's nobility that the 0.7% tax increase for households with a net income of over 90,000 bits a year was not "Extortionate beyond any reasonable limit of proportionality!", and had denied several other ludicrous requests from razing the Everfree Forest to the ground to opening trade with the migrating dragons.

'Honestly...' Celestia raised a hoof to her face as the huge doors to the chamber closed for the last time that day, 'Let's burn down the Everfree Forest, Your Majesty! Pay no heed to the magical backlash that could absolutely annihilate Ponyville and everypony in it, Your Majesty!' Celestia thought to herself in a mocking tone. This wasn't her normal post-court mindset, even on a bad day, but the stress of worrying about the Bearers had been getting to her; none of them had replied to her offer for help, even after she had been in direct contact with Pinkie. She was on the verge of making a visit Ponyville just to check that things were okay. She shook her head slightly, remembering to dismiss the guards before making her way into the halls of the castle. She was expecting some peace and quiet as she made her way back to her chambers, and wanted nothing more than to rest, her head was pounding and she felt emotionally exhausted having had to keep a straight face throughout the entirety of the court. However, as she rounded one of the final corners she was met with something - or rather, somepony - completely unexpected.

There stood her Faithful Student, Twilight Sparkle, dark rims around her eyes, her features held passive as if expecting to be met with something terrible at any moment. When she spoke, her words were clipped and to-the-point, "You said we could ask for your help, Princess Celestia, so I will. I have some questions that I hope you have the answers to."

Celestia examined her grimly, 'I knew I should have gone to them before now. She's tired, very tired. Oh, Twilight...' She stepped towards her pupil but kept her worries hidden, "That's right, Twilight, but not here. Follow me to my chambers, we'll speak there." she said, turning. The unicorn simply followed silently, plodding along behind her master.

With every step, the feeling grew. Twilight watched her mentor as they drew closer and closer to their destination. It was gnawing away at her, it felt horrible. She had to ask, but she couldn't find the words. 'What is this feeling!?' Twilight repeated to herself yet again, the question spinning through her distorted thoughts as it had been since she had set eyes on her teacher only a minute ago.

Celestia glanced at the unicorn behind her, then nodded to the guards at her door, indicating that she wished to be left alone. The guards obliged and trotted away obediently. As the two stepped inside, Celestia trotted slowly towards her bed and sank into it lazily, though with practised grace, and indicated with a wing that Twilight do the same. The unicorn in question simply stood by the door and shook her head, "If it's all the same to you, Princess, I'll stand."

Celestia was now visibly confused, but relented asking why; electing to address the problem at hoof as quickly as possible, "So then... What's on your mind, Twilight?"

The words stirred Twilight's emotions further, causing her to feel as if bitter bile was rising from the depths of her stomach. She forced it down, suppressing her emotions in the way she had become accustomed to over the past few weeks. She would ask later, but first she needed the answers that mattered, "How did it come to this, Princess? Discord is sealed in stone, he shouldn't have been able to summon any of his minions here, so how?" she trailed off, awaiting Celestia's answer.

"That, Twilight, is a good question. And one I'm afraid I simply don't have the answer to at the moment. We've been looking into everything, but there's no evidence to suggest that Calamity was even summoned by Discord at all."

"I see." Twilight responded mechanically, her voice devoid of emotion as she continued, "Why did Calamity attack Ponyville then? What was he - it - after?"

The Princess struggled with herself now, 'Should I tell her? No. Now is not the time, it would break her completely...' Once again she had to lie to protect the ponies she held dearest, "I don't know, though it would stand to reason that it sought to destroy the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony for sealing its master." Twilight was having more and more trouble suppressing the venom building up inside her with each word the Princess spoke, and it was starting to show.

Celestia stood now, and took a single step towards her pupil, who was now wearing what could only be described as an agonised expression, "Twilight... Are you alright?" she asked worriedly as she quickly approached her trembling student.

Twilight looked up and saw her teacher advancing. Despite her best attempts at withholding whatever toxic thoughts had been festering within her, the simple, caring words Celestia had spoken proved enough to break her resolve, "NO! NO I'M NOT ALRIGHT CELESTIA! I'VE HARDLY SLEPT IN FOUR WEEKS! MY BROTHER IS DEAD BECAUSE I WAS TOO WEAK TO SAVE HIM! I TORTURED HUNDREDS OF INNOCENT CREATURES JUST TO HURT ONE! HOW THE HELL DO YOU THINK I FEEL!?" Weeks of subdued emotions exploded all at once, the anger, the sadness, the hurt, all of it directed at Celestia. The Princess visibly reeled at this, her pupil was shaking with rage, tears streaming down her face, her expression a mixture of hate, shame and fear.

Twilight had collapsed, sobbing into her hooves loudly before the Princess came to her senses and tentatively stepped over to her beloved pupil, "Twilight..." Her tone was not one of shock or anger, it was one of hurt and concern. Celestia sat by her pupil and patiently awaited her response.

When Twilight did speak, her voice was filled with remorse and shame, "Princess, I-I'm so, so sorry... I d-don't know w-why I feel this w-way..." Celestia reached out with her hoof and gently lifted Twilight's head until their eyes met. As Twilight realised that her teacher bade her no ill will despite the verbal assault she had just delivered, a fresh bout of tears streamed down her face.

"Twilight... It's time you ask me what's really on your mind..." she said gently, wearing a soft, encouraging smile.

Several minutes passed, as Twilight took several deep breaths, trying to find the right way to start. In the end, she sniffled heavily and settled with the simplest, "Why, Princess? Why d-did this have to happen to us? To those poor ponies? T-To Spike?"

Celestia looked Twilight in the eyes and spoke soothingly, "Even I do not know the answer to that question, Twilight..." she nuzzled her student gently, "Only that we should live on in the hope of seeing them again, one day."

"You r-really believe that, P-Princess?"

"I do."

At this, Twilight stood up and backed away from her mentor slightly. Her next question would be difficult enough without looking her idol in the eyes. Though it was no longer mixing with the other pent up emotions that now flowed freely, she still felt it, that awful feeling in her stomach. Every time she looked at the princess she adored, or heard her voice, it was there, and she needed to know what it was, "P-Princess..." Twilight's eyes were now downcast, particularly interested in the carpet beneath her all of a sudden, "Ever since the m-memorial I've had this feeling..." she traced a hoof ashamedly through the carpet that had transfixed her so, "And I'm still feeling it, even now..." she trailed off, expecting Celestia to say something, but the Princess remained silent, "Every time I see you, or hear you, or even think of you, I get this horrible feeling..." she tried to find the right words, "I-It's almost as if I... resent you, but I don't know why... I-It's tearing me apart..." more tears streamed from the unicorn's eyes before she scrunched them shut, awaiting the Princess's response.

"I think I understand..." Celestia began, "You're hurting inside, and after the events of that day, when I... shouted at you like that, then effectively forced Spike to undergo that horrible procedure..." Twilight couldn't decide what was more shocking, the fact that, for the first time in her life, she was hearing the Princess speak as if she was ashamed, or that the venom in her own stomach was replaced by sadistic joy as she did so, "You subconsciously blame me for everything that happened, and rightly so." That was too much. Even if it did satiate the cruel desire within her, it wasn't what Twilight wanted. The Princess was speaking as if she was solely to blame for all the hardships they had endured, as if she was the only one guilty of doing any wrong that day.

Twilight staggered forwards and leapt into an embrace with the Princess, "It's n-not all your fault P-Princess! Don't m-make it seem like that..." she sobbed. Both wept into each other's manes now, each upset over the guilt and suffering of the other.

Several minutes passed before Celestia gained enough of her composure to speak again, "You still blame me a little, don't you?"

Twilight nodded, "Y-Yes, but it's nowhere near as bad as before... I-I feel like I can t-trust you again, Princess."

"Then we can only hope it will fade completely, given time." Celestia nuzzled her student gently once again before casting a glance over the the balcony, "Speaking of time, it is almost time I set the sun for the day, you should probably make your way home. Which reminds me, you're not planning on going back to Ponyville, are you?" At this Twilight seemed confused, "I think it would be best if you spent a while here in Canterlot."

Twilight managed an inquisitive glance, "What makes you say that, Princess?"

At this, Celestia smiled, "I'm expecting a certain Prince of the Crystal Empire to be here on official business in a few days time."

Twilight took a second to register what the Princess had said, then smiled for what felt like the first time in years, "Shining!" Twilight embraced Celestia once more, "Thank you, Princess!"

Celestia looked as though she were about to respond, but both were interrupted by a loud cough coming from the balcony. Both wheeled round to see Luna leaning against the archway, wearing a playful smirk, "I trust I'm not interrupting anything too intimate?" Celestia rolled her eyes and Twilight blushed deeply at the insinuations of the statement. Luna laughed, though abruptly stopped as she noticed the large rings around Twilight's eyes. She glanced to her Celestia worriedly, who in turn gave her a look that she had come to interpret as, 'We'll talk about it later'.

Celestia turned to Twilight, "If that is all, I think it is about time you got some sleep, Twilight. I expect you would have stayed with your parents tonight, but I would advise against it. Not that I wish to sound... harsh, but you look exhausted, it might startle them."

"To put it mildly." Luna added with another smirk, earning a slight glare from her sister, causing her to chuckle once more.

"You may sleep in your room here in the castle if you wish." Celestia finished. Twilight nodded gratefully, but wore a solemn expression. Even though a large weight had been lifted from her emotionally, she knew that the nightmares would be back, as they were every night.

Celestia whispered something to her sister, who nodded and stepped up to Twilight, "Twilight, I need you to relax for a moment, okay?" The unicorn looked puzzled but obeyed, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath before exhaling it slowly. As she did so, Luna pressed the tip of her horn against Twilight's, a soft blue aura slowly flowing from Luna's down into the unicorn's. Twilight was embraced by a soothing feeling momentarily, then it was over. She opened her eyes and looked at Luna questioningly, who smiled back knowingly, "No more nightmares, at least for a while. You've suffered too much already."

"How did you-" Twilight glanced at Celestia, who smiled back knowingly. Twilight smiled and hugged Luna tightly, tears threatening to find their way to her eyes once again, "Thank you so much, Princess!"

When Twilight eventually relinquished the embrace, she finally realised just how tired she really was. Luna spoke with mock annoyance, "Now, off to bed with you! I've seen quite enough tears of late!" All present smiled before Twilight bowed slightly and promptly left the room.

As the door closed, the two turned and stepped out onto the balcony. Luna spoke as Celestia began to lower the sun over the horizon, "The nightmares she is having are horrifying." Luna grimaced, "Even by my experience of a 'Nightmare' they are bad. No wonder she's being avoiding sleep for so long."

"Yes, I can imagine they are, but you have taken care of them?" Celestia asked sadly.

"For the time being. Though she will only truly be rid of them in time..." Luna replied.

Both looked out over the sunset now, and both wore a troubled expression. Luna's, over the graphic images of what Twilight had done that day that had flashed before her eyes as she had channelled the spell. Celestia's, over the fact that she had lied to her student, again. Even if it was to make Twilight feel better, lying still didn't sit right with her. 'All will be revealed in time...' she thought to herself, 'Just be patient, my Faithful Student...'

The two then looked at each other wearily before Luna spoke, "At least things can only get better from here on in, right, Sister?"

Celestia was never one to tempt fate, but found herself too exhausted to care, "Yes, Luna, I suppose you're right..." The regal sisters shared a final weak smile, then Luna turned to the horizon, and began to raise the moon.

Twilight sank onto her bed contentedly, even if the sun had set only minutes ago, she was far more tired than she ever thought possible. She closed her eyes and thought through the events of the day, 'I'll have to make sure I get somepony to check on the library...' was the last thing that crossed her mind before she drifted off into the realm of dreams.

Twilight sat in the library now, surrounded by her closest friends. Princess Luna laughed mirthfully, a few stray tears streaming down her face as she desperately tried to finish the story of one of Celestia's greatest exploits. The reactions of the mares assembled differed greatly. Fluttershy and Rarity had turned beet red, simply the idea of Princess Celestia behaving in such a way making the two feel embarrassed on her behalf. On the other hoof, Applejack, Pinkie and Rainbow Dash were laughing just as hard as Luna was, desperately trying to keep their laughter under control so that they could hear the end of the story, "She had absolutely no idea what was happening! She was all over the place, and she'd only had half a glass!"

Spike stepped through from the kitchen, carrying a tray full of refreshments, laughing heartily as he placed it on the table in the centre. Twilight had expected this, and braced herself. But nothing felt wrong, they were happy again, this was the way things should have been. There was no room for sadness here, only laughter, and happiness, and joy, "And the next day she didn't remember a thing!" Luna continued. All were laughing now, even Twilight. Come to think of it, she didn't know why, after all, she had only caught half the story, not that it mattered. Everypony leaned in closer, each loudly whispering their questions as if they were afraid of being discovered. All went silent as the sound of the door opening filled the room, and through it stepped Celestia looking radiant and beautiful as always. Twilight thought she heard another whisper, but none of the others were speaking; all were staring at Celestia, trying their utmost not to burst out laughing at her timing.

Celestia glanced nervously around the room, realisation slowly dawning upon her face, "Luna! If I find out you have been telling those stories again, I swear I will-" she was cut off there, each of the room's inhabitants exploding into a chorus of laughter at Celestia's expression. Even through the laughter, Twilight swore she still heard the whisper from earlier, it was strange. Not unnerving, just... out of place.

After a minute or so, Spike wiped a tear from his face and took a cautious step forwards, "We're sorry Princess Celestia, but your timing couldn't have been any better!"

The Princess in question smiled amusedly, even as she scowled playfully at her sister, "Yes, I'm sure... I trust you have been well, Spike?"

"Oh you have NO idea! Everything's been awesome!"

Twilight stood back a little and looked at Spike and Celestia conversing merrily. As she did so, the whisper from earlier grew louder. She could hear it now. It was distinctly male, and she was sure she had heard it somewhere before... "When all the truth does..." Yes, she had heard it before, somewhere... "Is make your heart ache..." The room was distorting slightly now, the dream ending. Twilight cast one final glance to the Princess and Spike, who smiled back at her.

Everything began to turn to darkness, but the voice was still there. She recognised it now, "Discord!" she shouted into the nothingness.

To her surprise, there was no malicious laugh in response. Instead, his tone of voice changed, to the point where it almost seemed sorrowful. An image of Celestia appeared from the darkness as he spoke again, "Sometimes a lie..." the image faded and was replaced by one of Discord in his stone prison, "Is easier to take..."

Twilight awoke, but didn't jolt upwards as she had expected herself to, she simply lay there and thought things over, 'What was that all about? I don't think that was a nightmare, was it? It was just... weird.' She rubbed her eyes with her hooves and looked at the window, rays of sunlight were streaming through the gap in the curtains now, 'At least I got a decent night's sleep for once...' Twilight got out of bed and went to brush her hair. As hard as she tried, she couldn't shake the image of Discord from her mind, or the cryptic words he had spoken, 'And why the emphasis on Princess Celestia? This is getting really weird...' Twilight mused. She considered asking Princess Luna about it, perhaps the spell hadn't worked properly? 'No, not yet at least, the Princesses will be busy...' An idea occurred to her, 'I suppose I could do that, I'm not going to find any answers just sat here anyways.' Ten minutes later, Twilight was trotting off towards the castle's statue garden. As she walked, she mulled it over in her head, 'When all the truth does is make your heart ache, sometimes a lie is easier to take? That was what he said to AJ in the maze...' She was sceptical as to whether or not her visit would actually turn up anything, it seemed silly really, it was probably just an abstract dream. Still, she couldn't shake the feeling that she would find something, almost as if she was drawn to the statue prison of the draconequus by some unseen force. Twilight shook her head and continued on.

Down in the statue garden stood a lone statue of Discord, Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony. His pose was one of defeat and resignation. His head hung low, and if one looked carefully enough they might see the faint raised outline of a tear just below his eye. The sound of the wind passing through the garden seemed to change, resembling a long, drawn out sigh for just a heartbeat, 'She will be here soon...' he thought to himself sadly, and prepared.

Author's Note

Edited as of 27/4/14. Quality, grammar, and wording of sentencing is now vastly better than it was. Titles changed to names where possible.

Chapter VIII - Revelations

The lower halls of Canterlot castle were silent, save for the steady rhythm of Twilight's hooves clacking against the cool marble floor. The sun had climbed above the horizon only minutes ago, leading Twilight to believe that she and Celestia were currently the only ponies awake throughout the entirety of the magnificent structure. This wasn't true, of course. Guards patrolled the halls regularly and their hoofsteps could occasionally be heard reverberating from some far-off corridor, but at night these guards would patrol the upper floors of the castle as the Princesses slept. As such, most of them wouldn't descend to the lower levels of the castle this early, which suited Twilight just fine, it gave her time to think.

'I need answers, especially about Calamity, and the Princess... and Spike.' The mention of her surrogate brother still hurt, stirring up leftover vestiges of sorrow and anger deep within her. She shook the sadness away, but held onto the fury. Now she marched purposefully towards the statue garden, 'I will have the answers. I will know the truth. I will-' As she rounded the corner her thought processes stopped dead along with her movement.

Princess Celestia stood only a meter away, a pleasantly surprised smile gracing her features, "Twilight! What brings you to the castle this early?"

Twilight gave her brain a jump-start and spluttered out the first answer that came to mind, "Uh, I umm... The library! Yeah, I was just erm... heading to the library so I could erm... read... books..."

Celestia seemed more concerned than unconvinced, "Have you been sleeping well, Twilight? I was sure Luna's spell would have worked..."

Twilight considered this then nodded frantically, "Y-Yes Princess, I've been sleeping just fine. I, erm, well you know, it's just an early morning for me I guess..."

Celestia gave her an inquisitive look for a moment before leaning forwards and nuzzling her gently, "Luna tells me something is troubling you. I won't pry, but if you ever have to talk to anyone my offer still stands, Twilight. I will always be there if you need me." She gave the unicorn a reassuring smile, "I would love to stay and chat, but I must prepare for day court. Later, perhaps?"

Twilight simply nodded slowly, giving the Princess her best attempt at a smile as said Princess trotted past her. She released a breath she didn't know she was holding and relaxed. Just as she was about to set off again, the sound of hoofsteps behind her ceased, "Oh, and Twilight?" The unicorn wheeled around to see that her mentor had not turned, but a playful edge had seeped into her voice, "Stay out of the restricted archives, okay?" With that she continued on down the hall, leaving behind a nervous and bewildered Twilight.

After taking a moment to relax yet again Twilight released an almighty sigh of relief, "Why was that so difficult!?" she questioned nopony in particular. As if in response, a single memory bounced to the forefront of her mind, 'I want to tell you the truth... about Celestia.' She scrunched her eyes shut in irritation, "Damn it, Discord!" she hissed under her breath before setting off towards the statue garden once again.

Twilight sat on her haunches before the statue and took a deep breath before closing her eyes. Surely enough, after a few seconds she and Discord stood once again in the darkness. "Thank you for returning, Twilight Sparkle. I see you're expecting the answers I promised you. I won't keep you waiting. We left off at how I didn't summon Calamity, I believe?" Twilight gave a curt nod, "Then allow me to elaborate. You see, influencing anything beyond the proximity of this statue is nearly impossible. Even contacting you in your dreams was difficult despite the castle being right next to me. No, the reason Calamity arrived in this world is because he followed me, as he has been since we were separated all those centuries ago; tearing through dimension after dimension to get here."

"Why?"

"To free me. The reason he was banished was due to my imprisonment. Without me a lot of chaos reverted back to harmony almost instantaneously. He couldn't hold onto the rapidly diminishing chaos energies. Were he to fight the Princesses in such a state he would have been obliterated."

"So then how did he get here? Last time I checked, chaos wasn't exactly rife until after he came along."

"You're not going to like this, Twilight Sparkle, but it seemed like he'd caused a fair amount of chaos before he arrived here. Stocking up on chaos, if you will. If his old habits are anything to go by, I'm guessing he looked like a tangled mess of mangled corpses?"

Twilight shuddered at the memory, "Yes. How do you know this anyway? I thought you didn't have any influence outside of this place!?"

"I don't, but Calamity and I shared a sort of link. To a limited degree, we could sense the other's thoughts, birds of a feather you could say. And when that feather is chaos, strange things happen, even I don't know exactly how it worked, but it did. And before you ask, no, I don't feel the link any more. If I had to take a guess, I'd say that he's putting all his energy into recovering. Being on the receiving end of uncontrolled chaos magic is never fun."

Twilight reared back defensively, "Y-You know about that!?"

"Of course I do! I could sense the energies released from here! Why the sudden apprehension?" Then it clicked, "You? You're serious?" Twilight was trying to decide whether to be ashamed or defensive of her actions, her face an odd mixture of the two. She wasn't prepared for Discord's response, "Well... That would explain a lot... I can't imagine that was fun for you, either..."

The two simply stood in awkward silence for almost a minute. Discord couldn't help but admire that she had fully manipulated chaos magic without any training, even if her emotions had done most of the work. Twilight on the other hoof, had expected to be mocked, or at least a joke made at her expense at the revelation. She hadn't expected Discord to be sympathetic to her plight in the slightest. Though neither would admit it, each felt a small measure of respect for the other.

Discord coughed to break the silence before speaking, "But anyway, creating a dimensional rift large enough for a being the size of Calamity to step through requires a huge expanse of relatively flat land. Now, to reach me as quickly as possible Calamity should have created a rift somewhere in the mountain beneath Canterlot; some of the caverns inside are colossal." Twilight nodded, recalling her meeting with the real Cadence before the wedding, "But something stopped him. It seems that Canterlot has some sort of magical shield around it. Naturally, Calamity resorted to using the closest available expanse of land instead once he realised this."

Twilight stood petrified by the implications of what Discord had just said, "So, wait... You mean... everything that happened..."

"Could have been avoided. Ponyville would never have been in any danger if not for that shield." he spoke as if he were stating a commonly known fact. Twilight was fighting tears back as best she could when Discord next spoke, "I haven't lied to you yet, Twilight Sparkle, and I won't start now. I don't believe Celestia would ever have raised the shield with such a purpose in mind. However, it strikes me as odd that Calamity didn't find anywhere closer than Ponyville. It's almost as if he had to find a gap in a larger shield... If anything, I don't believe what happened was caused on purpose, but by negligence on Celestia's part..."

Twilight let the tears fall, she didn't sob aloud though, she had cried enough over the past month and she was sick of it, "Negligence..." her eyes were fixated on the darkness beneath her hooves, "All those ponies... My little brother... They all died because of her NEGLIGENCE!?"

Discord did nothing as Twilight fumed. It was only when she calmed herself that Discord spoke again, "The only way you will ever know for sure is if you ask her yourself, Twilight Sparkle. That is simply what I believe. I understand that you're very angry, so I'm going to make you an offer now, while there's still time."

Twilight immediately shot him a withering look, "That's it, isn't it!? You attack me when I'm at my weakest! Use my weakness to make me fall for your deceit!"

Discord shook his head solemnly, "No." Twilight prepared to accuse him again, but he cut her off prematurely, "Listen to me! I'm offering you the chance to leave. The anger you feel now is trivial compared to what you'll experience if you stay, and hear what I have to say."

"This is some sort of mind game, isn't it!? You want me to stay, don't you!? Oh, you're so smart! Lord Discord has fooled us all again everypony!" Sarcasm dripped from every word. Discord's face remained passive - albeit with great effort on his part, "Make your choice, Twilight Sparkle, or I'll make it for you and end the spell now. It's tiring to maintain if you haven't already figured that out."

"What happened to 'telling me everything', huh!? Fine, you know what? I'm staying, I bet it's all just a bluff isn't it!?" Discord shook his head at the infuriated unicorn and spoke,

"Take a few minutes to calm yourself. This is going to be hard to take." Twilight huffed, determined to prove him wrong, but after a few minutes some of the initial childish anger evaporated. She was still angry, but the spite was almost completely gone.

With an exasperated sigh she spoke, "I'm sorry. I'm really angry at the moment, and I took it out on you just now. That was wrong. You've told me no lies yet, I should try to be fair with you... Though in retrospect you could've phrased that better."

Discord nodded, "Point taken. Are you ready?"

Twilight nodded, "As ready as I'll ever be, I guess..."

He inhaled slowly, "After what you said yesterday, about your little brother, I put two and two together. The dragon involved, that was Spike, wasn't it?" A short nod. "And my guess is that Celestia cast a spell on him to mature him enough to fight?"

Twilight's voice was hollow, speaking of a memory she wished she could forget, "No. Luna was the one to cast it, but Celestia told her to, yes..."

Discord sighed before continuing, "As you might have guessed, that particular spell was an ageing spell, not a growth spell. That was how Spike developed all the characteristics of a full-grown dragon, yes?" Another nod. "If my assumptions are correct, there is only one spell powerful enough to grow a dragon to full maturity whilst avoiding their inevitable wyrmsleep. I know this is difficult for you to recall, but I must know. Did the spell cause Spike a lot of pain?" Barely suppressed tears, and a series of rapid nods followed.

Discord shook his head sadly and waited for the unicorn to compose herself. It took a while, but eventually she looked up at him, wiping the tears away, "G-Go on..."

"The spell used on Spike - the Senescentis Transpositus - is forbidden."

"W-What?"

"The tome containing it was locked away in the Canterlot archives long ago, and with good reason. I trust you understand how basic growth in ponies and animals works? In essence, a creature's cells must divide in order for it to grow and mature. However, these cells can only divide a certain number of times. This determines - along with other factors - the animal's lifespan. Now, the spell used on Spike does exactly that, it accelerates cell division at a ridiculous rate, the result being almost instantaneous growth. The problem lies in what happens afterwards. The spell would eventually have faded, as all spells do, and when that one fades, the divided cells cannot be rejuvenated. It effectively halves the lifespan of the target." Twilight was speechless, her mouth opening and closing rapidly as if she were trying to say something.

Discord waited patiently and eventually she managed to croak out, "C-Celestia told Luna t-to do that t-to Spike? D-Did she know?"

"I could lie, and tell you that she didn't to make you feel better, Twilight Sparkle. But yes, she did know. It's right there in the book. I know, because I was there when it was written over a millennium ago."

Twilight was at a complete loss for words. Only a weak, "Why?" escaped her lips.

Discord's expression grew even more grave as he continued, "That, however, was not the reason the book was archived. The real reason that the spell is forbidden is that, upon ceasing, the subject will revert back to their original age, and along the way horrific damage occurs. Broken bones, disfigurements, tumours, haemorrhages, lacerations, organ failure and everything in between. The last time it was worked out, the spell has an eighty-six percent instant mortality rate upon ceasing, and none of the survivors lived anywhere near as long as a few years afterwards due to the complications that ensued. In short, by having Luna cast that spell on Spike, Celestia sentenced him to death.

Twilight stood, trembling, staring off into nothingness. She had given up on suppressing her sobs now, they racked her body violently as she cried out, "IT'S NOT TRUE! YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS! YOU'RE LYING DISCORD!"

The draconequus spoke as calmly as possible, but it was difficult. As she was, she reminded him very much of a yellow pegasus in much the same state four months ago, and the unfamiliar pain in his chest was back again, "I'm sorry, Twilight Sparkle. I speak the truth."

"BUT WHY!? IT CAN'T BE TRUE! WHY WOULD CELESTIA..."

"CELESTIA!" Fury welled within the mare, and Discord could've sworn that her eyes flashed red for just a moment.

Then he realised what was about to happen, "Twilight Sparkle! I know what you're thinking! Don't do it! She-" His voice cut out into nothing as she forced her eyes open. Jumping to her hooves and hastily wiping away any tears that hadn't fallen into the veritable puddle below, the mare galloped off towards the throne chamber with blazing speed.

She was gone by the time Discord had released the spell to look for her. Realising what was about to happen, and that he would get the blame for it once the unicorn inevitably told the Princess everything, only one thought occurred to him.

'Oh, shit...'

Chapter IX - Icarus

Twilight's rapid hoofsteps thundered throughout the lower halls of Canterlot castle, not that she could hear them over the tremendous beating of her heart echoing in her ears. Several bewildered guards had already noticed her but had failed to stop her as she bolted past. She was, after all, a close friend of both the princesses, and none of them wanted to cause her any trouble in her current state, for fear of being reprimanded by said princesses later.

Twilight rounded another corner, her hooves furiously pounding away at the marble floor beneath as she drew ever-closer to the throne room. All the while an incessant chant was rising in her head, the only thing she could hear above her thumping heartbeat, "Celestia... Celestia... Celestia!" Each mention of the name only spurred on her rage further as she powered down the last few halls, oblivious to the yelps of two startled guards as she caught sight of her destination. A colossal set of double doors stood at the end of the corridor, flanked on either side by guards. A long line of ponies stretched halfway up to her before trailing through a set of doors to the right. She shot towards the huge doors, paying no heed to the livid shouts of the dozens of ponies behind her as she galloped past them.

As she neared the front of the line two guards who had noticed the sudden commotion stepped in front of the doors, their wings outstretched so as to block her entry. One boomed at her, "Halt immediately! You'll wait in line like everypony else!" As she closed the distance it became apparent to them that she had no such intention.

"Hey, isn't that Twilight Sparkle?" the other asked, a look of confusion plastered across his face.

The first guard simply shrugged, "Regardless, she hasn't been summoned so we don't let her in. If it's important we might have to reconsider though. Depends. She's certainly creating enough commotion..." he sighed.

"Something's wrong..."

"Come again?"

"Something's wrong! Look at her!"

Celestia listened attentively, thoroughly captivated by the proposal the young stallion was putting forth. Recycling rainbows, it was a simple idea, but a genius one nonetheless. It would be so much more efficient, never mind cost-effective and paperwork-free. As he began to describe the intricacies of the device that would re-collect the excess spectra, the Princess couldn't help but smile, 'It's ponies like him that make this really worth it. He must be younger than Twilight, yet he's already hard at work trying to better Equestria. Truly one of the best generations in centuries...'

She snapped herself from her musings to listen to what he had to say, "W-With the appropriate facilities I-I'm sure that they can b-be produced v-very cheaply compared to how C-Cloudsdale Weather Corp. currently operates, Y-Your Majesty."

She couldn't help but grin at his nervousness, "Don't be so shy, I don't bite." her smile turned from playful to reassuring, "Besides, I think it is an excellent idea, Mister Gears. As for the funding, I am willing to give you a grant for both the new facility and any equipment you require."

The stallion's face lit up and he bowed deeply, "Oh, thank you, Your Majesty! Thank you so much!" Celestia giggled lightly before scowling at the shouts coming from outside, which were gradually growing louder.

Gears noticed her expression and fell silent immediately. The Princess registered this and sighed, "Don't worry, Mister Gears, I am just concerned about what is happening outside. Rest assured, you've done nothing but impress me. You may leave now."

Gears bowed respectfully and gave a, "Thank you, Your Majesty." before making his way out of a door to the side. When the din failed to cease, Celestia began to worry, especially when she heard one of the guards outside bellow something over the racket. The guards lining either side of the chamber shared apprehensive glances as she rose to her hooves.

The two guards stepped forwards, blocking her path, but Twilight, in her unbridled rage, didn't see two guards, not even two ponies. No, to her adrenaline-fuelled brain they were simply obstacles, and they were in the way. As she closed the last dozen meters she realised that they had no intention of stepping aside, instead bracing themselves against the impending impact, "MOVE!" she cried out. When they didn't, she released a bestial roar as her horn glowed deep purple and her eyes briefly flashed crimson.

One moment the guards were stood defensively, the next they were ricocheting violently off the doors behind them with a sickening crunch. For a brief second there was silence, followed by horrified screams from the ponies behind her; Twilight barely took any notice as she slowed and trotted forwards, stepping over one of the now unconscious guards.

Two mighty thuds reverberated through the large chamber in quick succession as the cacophony outside suddenly ceased. An eerie silence fell, the seconds dragging by agonisingly. Only when the first screams of terror punctuated the air did anypony move. Celestia flared her wings as she galloped down the steps of her throne, the guards around the room drawing their weapons immediately. She bellowed to them, "Get those doors open, now!"

Twilight snarled as she glanced up at the towering doorway, another obstacle in her path. 'Celestia... Celestia is inside!' She reared back and pointed her horn at the doors, more dark energy gathering around it and crackling in the air. With a blinding flash the dark aura impacted heavily against them, shunting them open with terrible force.

The doors flew open at lethal speed. The left swung and embedded itself into the wall behind it with an almighty crash that shook the entire chamber. The right, torn from its hinges completely, shot halfway across the room before being halted by the magic of the few more alert unicorns. The guards that had moved to open the doors stood frozen with shock, having avoided being pulverised by a few inches.

Twilight advanced into the veritable smokescreen of dust created by the impact of the left door. She emerged from the other side with her jaw set with grim determination. As she set her eyes upon the object of her rage, her anger intensified even further. Taking a huge gasp of air she roared across the chamber.

"CELESTIA!" The Princess nearly choked upon hearing the voice, realising who it belonged to. As the silhouette emerged from the dust there could be no doubt about it, and her heart lurched in her chest. The mare was obviously furious, shaking with rage and wearing an expression of pure hatred.

The guards around the room moved immediately to apprehend her, "Stand down!" Celestia barked across the chamber. They did so and stepped back to their posts, though they were clearly hesitant to do so and remained apprehensive. The Princess relaxed her wings, though she was clearly concerned as she spoke, "Twilight! What's wrong!? What happened out there!? Are you al-"

"SHUT UP! SHUT UP RIGHT NOW!" Celestia took a step back, shocked by her sudden outburst, and all the guards looked at her expectantly.

"Twilight, you need to calm d-"

Twilight charged forwards several meters before skidding to a halt, "I SAID SHUT UP!" The guards were visibly restraining themselves at this point, barely managing to stay put despite their orders. She marched, slowly now, towards her mentor, stopping halfway across the chamber, "I'M GOING TO ASK THE QUESTIONS, AND YOU'RE GOING TO ANSWER THEM! DO YOU UNDERSTAND!?"

Red flashed in the unicorn's eyes for a brief moment, but Celestia noticed it, 'I cannot risk her releasing those magics in Canterlot, especially with Discord's statue on the premises...' The Princess slowly nodded, and Twilight took a deep breath, attempting to calm herself before she spoke.

After a few moments she exhaled and glared daggers at her mentor, "On that day, Calamity was never supposed to have appeared in Ponyville, he should have appeared here if he was after Discord! But Canterlot and the surrounding area were obviously protected! So why the hell was Ponyville left alone!? Were we not worth your time, Your Majesty!?" Her voice, although lowered in volume, still carried the same blood-chilling malice that it had done before.

Celestia desperately fought to control herself, 'One false move and half the castle could be destroyed.' she thought as she prepared her response. "Twilight, that was beyond our control! The shield won't reach that far, the energies from the Everfree Forest interfere with the spell!"

The unicorn didn't seem pleased with her answer, "So you knew there was a problem, and you did nothing!?"

"There was nothing we could do! No high-level spells can be maintained that close to Everfree from this distance, it's impossible!"

"So you did what first occurred to you then? You protected yourselves and left us in danger!"

"Twilight that's n-"

"SHUT UP!" Another red flash shot across her eyes.

Celestia stopped herself and waited for her student to calm down again. Desperation began welling up within her as the seconds ticked by, 'Where are you, Luna?'

Twilight took a few more steps forwards, keeping her eyes locked with those of the Princess, "How can I trust anything you say!? You're a liar, Princess! You lied to us! You lied to me!" Celestia remained silent, for this much was true, and she hung her head in shame. "Tell me why, Princess. You knew what that spell would do to Spike, you knew it would kill him!"

Celestia's eyes widened now, 'Did she actually sneak into the restricted archives?'

"So why!? Tell me why you KILLED MY BROTHER, CELESTIA!" A constant red haze hung in her eyes now as she stared down the Princess before her.

"I-I had no choice, there was nothing else I could do, Twilight! That monster would have killed thousands if he wasn't stopped! I did what I had to do as the ruler of a nation! I had to make a decision, so I saved as many lives as I could!"

"AND SACRIFICED SPIKE'S!" her eyes glowed even brighter now.

"And I'm deeply sorry for that, believe me. But his was one life, and by having Luna use that spell, his life saved thousands!"

Twilight fell quiet, "It was exactly that..." A lone tear streaked across her face and her voice cracked slightly, "I-It was j-just one life... B-But it was..." Her voice grew into a roar of draconic proportions, and her eyes positively blazed blood red, "HIS LIFE! MY BROTHER'S LIFE! NOT YOURS! NOT YOURS TO PLAY WITH! NOT YOURS TO SACRIFICE! YOU'RE THE MONSTER HERE, CELESTIA!"

The guards around the room were astonished, the sheer volume of the shout causing the floor to rumble beneath them. Suddenly they didn't seem too keen on trying to detain the unicorn with the red eyes.

Luna dived towards the ruined doorway. Guards were scurrying about everywhere, with the exception of the throne chamber, others securing separate parts of the castle. As she landed she noticed a pair receiving emergency treatment, they looked as if they'd been crushed beneath something. Luna approached the captain and enquired about the situation, "I'm not exactly sure, Your Majesty. Twilight Sparkle did that," he gestured at the two injured guards, "Destroyed the doors and began demanding answers from Princess Celestia."

Luna seemed worried, "Why aren't your guards inside, Captain?"

"Princess Celestia's been communicating with us the whole time," the guard reached up and tapped his hoof to his forehead, "Keeps tellin' us to stay out, Your Majesty."

Luna seemed satisfied and nodded, "Thank you, Captain." She turned behind her to the doorway and concentrated. The chaos energies were definitely there, and growing. She hastily summoned what appeared to be a small bracelet to her side before entering.

Twilight was veritably growling at the Solar Princess now as she grew taller, her eyes now a deep, abyssal crimson. Sections of armour were now beginning to materialise on her form, and the air around her crackled violently, "I'LL KILL YOU FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE, YOU BITCH!"

Celestia was in shock, her jaw hanging agape, but was snapped from her fear for her student when she noticed movement by the now ruined doorway, 'Luna!' Twilight bent low now, aiming her horn directly at Celestia, the dark energies collecting around it. Luna hurtled forwards as she realised what was about to happen.

Celestia prepared a defensive spell, but the impact would probably destroy half the room, and those in it.

Luna closed the distance and effectively shot the bracelet she had levitated beside her at Twilight. Just as the final few plates of armour materialised, the object connected with Twillight's horn, sliding onto it and tightening, fixing itself into place.

The armour quickly faded, she began to shrink and her eyes slowly returned to normal; the dark magic sucked back into her horn. She cried out in pain throughout the process, turning to the new arrival and snarling at her, desperately trying to regain her lost powers.

Luna spoke up, "It's no use, that foul magic won't work as long as that ring remains in place." Lost in her own fury, Twilight immediately began trying to smash it with her own hooves, to no avail.

After several seconds she turned and levelled her gaze at Celestia once again, "DID SHE KNOW, CELESTIA!? DID YOU TELL YOUR OWN SISTER WHAT IT WOULD DO!?" Luna looked on confusedly, she was sure that the chaos magic was the source of the danger and that removing it would resolve the problem. Twilight's appearance was more or less back to normal, but she wore the same hateful expression as she had done before, and killing intent seeped from her in waves.

Luna took a hesitant step towards the mare, fearing that the magical cuff may have hurt her or even malfunctioned somehow, "Are you alright, Twilight?" Twilight didn't move an inch, instead simply focusing her stare even more intensely on her mentor. Luna called out again, worried now as she considered the magical backlash Twilight had just endured, "Whatever happened Twilight, we'll figure something out. You just need to relax and tell us what happened... Twilight?" No response. The unicorn continued to bore her gaze into Celestia, still awaiting the response to her question, oblivious to all else.

When Celestia failed to reply - instead turning towards her accuser to avoid glancing at her sister - Twilight stomped a hoof angrily, channelling more energy into her horn, a familiar purple glow surrounding it. Coming to the realisation that her normal magic still worked, she stepped towards Celestia again, slowly charging her horn with excess energy, "It doesn't matter anyway! You killed my brother, I'm going to MAKE YOU PAY!"

A purple bolt of pure energy rocketed towards Celestia, who deflected it with a hastily constructed shield of light. Twilight screamed in frustration and released a pulse of energy, sending multiple slicing blades of raw magic whizzing into several of the pillars surrounding her and sailing towards the guards before Celestia could even cry out to them.

"Defend yourselves!"

The guards dodged around the room as the razor-sharp arcs shot across the chamber in all directions. Most jumped for cover behind the pillars, the few that were in direct peril aided by the unicorns amongst their ranks, immediately erecting shields around those in danger. As the last of the magical discharge ceased, the more seasoned guards darted to put themselves between the Princesses and their assailant, only to be halted by Celestia's commanding tone, "Stand back! Do not harm her!" she barked, her expression ensured none of them dared to protest, even if she was preventing them from doing their job.

Twilight sprang into action as Celestia turned to her guards momentarily, a small smile etching itself into her features as her horn lit up once again. The door that had been blasted across the room - now laying on the floor just in front of her - erupted into a mass of wooden stakes and splinters as Twilight's magic ripped it apart; emitting a terrible chorus of groaning and snapping, causing Celestia to wheel back around in surprise. Without a moment's hesitation she sent the make-shift missiles barrelling towards Celestia, her smile growing further as the Solar Princess's eyes widened at the veritable hail of spikes roaring towards her. The irony wasn't lost on Twilight, even in her rage state, her grin now widening to grotesque proportions, 'She'll die to a spike, for what she did to Spike.'

Celestia whirred around to face what was effectively a wall of wooden stakes rushing towards her, now barely a few meters away. Her eyes widened in shock and her horn shone almost subconsciously in response. In a fraction of a second, a towering, cone-shaped inferno flashed into existence, enveloping and disintegrating every last splinter it touched in the blink of an eye. The heat was beyond belief. Whilst Celestia seemed unaffected, the guards had once again taken cover to prevent themselves from being literally cooked in their own armour, and Twilight recoiled greatly from the intense light and heat produced as it momentarily blinded her. Even Luna, who was farthest from the spell, held her hoof up in front of her muzzle to protect her eyes from the heat.

As Twilight looked back up her smile vanished immediately as she came to two conclusions; her attack had failed, and the spell was still roaring towards her. She desperately tried to remove herself from its path, to no avail. As the flames closed in, Twilight could do nothing but scrunch her eyes shut at the intense heat, promptly causing her to stumble and fall. It was burning her now, not physically, but a sharp prickling pain could be felt along her side that faced the flames. As she lay there, preparing to be consumed by the flames, Twilight's racing thoughts ceased, true clarity making itself known to her, 'I've failed you, Spike... I'm so sorry...'

The conflagration continued to speed down the middle of the chamber directly towards the fallen unicorn.

Celestia's lightning-fast reflexes had once again saved her life. She breathed a huge sigh of relief as she realised that no more attacks were being launched. 'Wait... Oh no!' Celestia panicked. In her haste to defend herself she had conjured the first spell that came to mind, not taking into account the fact that both her student and her sister where the ones in its path. She immediately raced forwards, her horn glowed pure white and her wings flared.

The blaze disappeared instantaneously, wisps of smoke and dark smudges on the floor beneath the only indication that there had ever been a fire. Celestia halted and cried out as she saw the still form of her Faithful Student through the clearing smoke, "TWILIGHT!?" Tears welled in her eyes as she slowly came to realise what she had done, "No..." Seconds ticked by in silence as all spectators looked on in shock.

Whilst Celestia simply stood, mouth agape, her brain refusing to accept what her eyes were registering, Luna began to notice several out-of-place details. Namely, the scorch marks left by the blaze stopped a few meters from where Twilight now lay, and although she couldn't see properly from this side, she was sure that the unicorn didn't have any severe burns. Despite her shock at the situation, the gears in her mind were turning quickly, 'What am I thinking? That spell would've vaporised her, never mind burned her. There's no way it connected!' As if in response, a small yet audible groan emanated from the unicorn in question, who twitched slightly before slowly drawing herself together, attempting to stand.

Luna smiled slightly and nodded her head, whilst Celestia actually laughed despite herself, shaking her tears away and dashing towards the unicorn, "Twilight! You're alive! Thank heavens!" Twilight shakily raised herself to her hooves, blinking the bleariness from her eyes as she turned to the owner of the voice. But when she realised that it belonged to Celestia she immediately began channelling what little magic she could muster into her horn, only to collapse from exhaustion; having not recovered the energy that the intense heat had sapped from her.

As Celestia drew closer Twilight desperately tried to retreat, scrambling backwards frantically but with little success, simply slipping on the marble floor. She stopped as a shadow descended upon her. Celestia was staring at her with a look of pure concern, "Are you alright, Twilight? Please, say something!" Twilight scowled at her mentor and once again tried to send a surge of energy into her horn, despite having none left to use, resulting in a few harmless sparks falling from the end and eliciting a shriek of pain from the unicorn.

Celestia's expression became one of anguish, "Twilight stop! You're hurting yourself! Twilight, please!" In response Twilight bit down on her lip and focused again on her horn, sickened and enraged by the caring words spoken by the Princess she had adored and idolised for so long. A steady stream of sparks now jutted from her horn, causing her to release a muffled whimper, her horn felt as if it were on fire, and her vision was blurring.

Celestia stomped her hoof against the ground with a crash, anger flashing briefly across her features, "That's enough!" the Princess's horn glowed white, a similar glow encasing Twilight's momentarily. The sparks ceased immediately as Twilight found herself incapable of using any magic whatsoever. "That's enough..." Celestia repeated softly, laying down in front of her pupil, "Tell me what happened, Twilight. Tell me how you really feel. Tell me why you want to..." she paused and gulped, trying to subdue the lump that had appeared in her throat, "... kill me."

A tear of frustration slid across Twilight's face as she glared at her teacher, who once again looked back at her with worry and concern. As the Princess extended a comforting hoof Twilight shrieked and jumped back before falling awkwardly barely a meter behind. She stood again almost immediately and trotted backwards quickly until she was well out of the Princess's reach.

Celestia stood, only to be halted by a distraught yell from her student, "S-Stay back! Don't c-come any c-closer!" There was genuine fear in her voice, and it wounded Celestia greatly to hear it, knowing that she - for whatever reason - was the cause.

Nonetheless, she complied and stopped her advance before speaking, "Twilight, my Faithful Student. You're hurting, I can see it clearly; I just want to help you. Please, tell me..."

Twilight snarled at the Princess once again. Even without her magic, and indeed, enough energy to even retreat properly, her fury was re-ignited by the Princess's comforting words. How could she claim to care after all she had done to hurt her? Or was this just another poisonous lie? More frustrated tears fell as she shrieked in response, "YOU KNOW DAMN WELL WHY, I'VE ALREADY TOLD YOU! YOU NOT ONLY RISKED SPIKE'S LIFE, YOU CONDEMNED HIM TO CERTAIN DEATH, REGARDLESS OF THE OUTCOME!" Her voice cracked as she continued, her anger partially giving way to despair, "And you never told me. You hid it from me as if it didn't matter! Do you even care about what you did? Do you even care how I feel!?"

Luna watched in disbelief, 'W-What? There's no way Celestia could've done that!' Celestia simply looked on, close to tears as her student broke down completely, her fresh sobs the only sound daring to permeate the absolute silence.

When Twilight spoke again her words weren't full of malice, or hate, or resentment as the rest had been, "How, Princess? How can you live with yourself?"

No, this was far worse than any of those terrible emotions. It was a genuine question, and Celestia felt her heart break upon the realisation that Twilight had meant what she said, she really did think of her as a monster. The Princess couldn't suppress her own tears any longer, lowering her head, gritting her teeth, and weeping quietly along with her student.

When she eventually looked up again she was met with Twilight's pained, yet unmistakably expectant expression. She was awaiting the answer.

Unable to form a response to the horrible question, Celestia instead answered the ones Twilight had asked beforehand, "T-Twilight... I'm so, so sorry. Spike never deserved such an awful fate, and I shouldn't have kept the truth from you. Believe me when I tell you that if there had been any other alternative I would have chosen it immediately."

She shook her head, "Nevertheless, I've truly wronged you both, and I promise you I will do whatever I can to put things right between us, no matter how long, or how much work it takes. As for your feelings, Twilight, I care more than you could ever imagine. It's hurting me that we're even having this conversation. I only hid the truth from you because I thought it would only cause you more pain! You've been through so much over these past few weeks, so much has changed so suddenly for you, and I understand how you feel." Celestia's eyes glazed over slightly as she recalled the untimely deaths of her closest friends during the Chaos Wars, "I just don't want you to suffer any more than you already are, Twilight! You mean so much to me..."

Twilight found her stare weakening despite herself. It had been her sole intention to gain an answer to her last question, if for no other reason than to hear Celestia hurt herself further. But now she found her resolve crumbling. The words the Princess had spoken seemed so sincere, so genuine. 'Even after everything she did... I can't help it... What if she's telling the truth? Is she really to blame?'

Celestia noticed the slight change in Twilight's expression and attempted a small smile as she continued, "I've watched with pride all these years as you've grown. It only seems like yesterday when you were that little filly, conjuring magic far beyond the normal limits of even the most gifted young unicorns. Yet you stand before me today, renowned for dozens of even greater feats! You acquired the sixth element after learning the magic of friendship. You released my sister from her terrible Nightmare."

Off behind Twilight, Luna shifted uncomfortably at the memory.

Meanwhile Twilight was slowly stemming her flow of tears, wondering what her mentor of many years was getting at, "You discovered Queen Chrysalis and saved Canterlot. You put your own needs aside to save the Crystal Empire and defeat King Sombra. You triumphed over Discord and his corrupting influence, twice, in fact. You even succeeded in overpowering the greatest threat to Equestria in history. Alone. You've truly grown into a mare worthy of becoming a princess. You've proven yourself time and time again, and I don't want us to fight like this any more."

She smiled again at Twilight, even though her tears still flowed freely, and answered Twilight's final question as the answer finally clicked, "I can live with what I've done because I know that there are ponies in the world that are so much better than I, and it is my duty to find them to better Equestria, despite how heavy my conscience may be. Because there are ponies that are truly capable of greatness. Ponies who seek to spread love, peace, and unity. Ponies who bring hope and light into our lives, even in our darkest hour." Celestia glanced past Twilight and momentarily locked eyes with her sister, who smiled back and nodded. She turned back to Twilight, "Ponies like you, Twilight."

Twilight was torn. Everything that Celestia had said was the truth, she knew it, and it filled her heart with joy to receive such sincere praise. Her anger was all but gone now, replaced by a strange combination of regret - stemming from her actions towards the Princess - and contentment that the alicorn in question was sorry for what she had done. They had both suffered enough already, there was no need to drag things out any further. They were both sorry and ready to move on, that was all that mattered.

And yet, Twilight couldn't shake away a third emotion, nagging away at her incessantly. As she focused on it - looking the Princess of the Sun in the eyes as she did so - she realised it was almost a feeling of apprehension. Out of nowhere a not-too-distant memory echoed in her mind, 'Sometimes a lie is easier to take.' Twilight had to fight to stop herself from visibly flinching, 'No! No way! I could tell she was telling the truth! Why would she lie to me now!?' But she couldn't shake the feeling, and it was building rapidly.

She had to be sure, "P-Princess?" she asked uncertainly.

"Yes, Twilight?"

"I-I know this might sound a bit strange... and off-topic. It's about when I defeated Discord again..."

Celestia remained silent for several seconds until her brain caught up with the sudden turn of the conversation, "Oh?"

"Y-Yeah, it's just..." she came up with an excuse, "I had th-this dream last night, and it felt strange, almost real..."

"Side effects of the spell, perhaps?" Celestia enquired, still unable to ascertain exactly why the conversation had shifted so dramatically, "What does this have to do with Discord anyway?"

"Well I was j-just wondering... I know it's not really something I should ask, b-but I'm really worried about the dream. What actually happened when you and the Griffon Lord were interrupted by him?"

Celestia looked inquisitively at her for a moment, then sighed, wiping away a few stray tears as she spoke, though her voice still held the calming and reassuring tone from before, "Discord tried to attack him, disguised as one of my guards, trying to make the Lord believe it was an 'assassination attempt', I had to subdue Discord's magic with my own and teleported him to where you saw him when you arrived."

Twilight's eyes widened a fraction as she came to conclusion, 'One of them is lying. Discord or Celestia...' Now all she had to do was ask one of them, and gauge their reactions. She momentarily considered returning to Discord before changing her mind. Regardless of Celestia hiding the truth from her, Discord was still a much better liar, so getting the truth out of him may have proven difficult, promises or no, "A-Are you sure, Princess? B-Because I'm pretty sure that D-Discord was in a lot of pain and couldn't move, and that you had to wipe the Lord's memory?" Twilight prepared to study her reaction.

"You must be mistaken, Twilight, that certainly didn't happen... Are you sure it wasn't just an average dream?" Whilst Celestia's tone of voice remained serenely calm and soothing, she averted her gaze for a moment and just barely shifted in apparent discomfort as her expression briefly flashed to one of surprise.

Twilight felt her world come crashing down around her ears for what seemed like the thousandth time. The Princess had blatantly lied to her in the same tone as she had used to praise and apologise to her only moments ago.

She withdrew immediately, having regained some of her energy over the course of the conversation, and took several dozen rapid hoofsteps away from her mentor, until she was closer to Luna than Celestia. 'Discord told the truth all along...' she found herself thinking subconsciously as she buried her head in her hooves.

Celestia cautiously stepped towards her, "Twilight? Twilight what's-"

As the unicorn raised her head in response, their eyes met once more, and Celestia stopped dead in her tracks. Whilst Twilight's expression was one of absolute outrage, her eyes seemed to be staring into her soul, rather than at her. They were empty.

"HOW COULD YOU!?" Twilight's voice shook with rage and despair, "YOU LIED! EVERYTHING YOU JUST TOLD ME WAS A LIE, WASN'T IT!?" Celestia was given no time to respond, "IF YOU CAN LIE TO MY FACE SO EASILY, HOW CAN I TELL ANYTHING YOU'VE EVER TOLD ME WASN'T JUST ANOTHER LIE!?"

Memories of all the praise Twilight had ever received from the Princess flashed by for the both of them. They were the most precious memories that the two shared, spanning from the day they had first met to the present, 'Did I ever lie when praising her?'

'Was every approval just a lie?' More flashes.

'No. Never. Not even once. She earned all of it.'

'Yes, of course they were...' Twilight shook with rage now, and for a moment a faint red glow appeared deep within her empty eyes before being sucked into the ring once again. She scanned her mentor once more, then spoke, "This is it, isn't it?"

Celestia was almost speechless at the implications of those words, "W-What do you mean?"

Twilight suppressed her rising anger as best she could and spoke clearly, turning away from the Princess as she did so, only to be met with Luna's equally shocked expression as she began to trot away, "I'm leaving. Don't you ever even DARE to come looking for me." Her words carried such an edge of malice that everypony in the chamber - bar none - felt some measure of intimidation, "I'm done with your lies, and your sick games, Celestia."

Celestia couldn't stop herself, she had to say something, anything. Her most beloved student was leaving her behind, regarding her as a monster and thoroughly despising her, all because she couldn't tell her the truth. She blurted out the first thing she could think of, desperate to keep her there until she found the right words to put things right, "I wanted to tell you the truth so badly, Twilight! But I didn't want to hurt you! And everything I said, I wasn't lying! Plea-"

Twilight wheeled around just before she passed Luna, once again shaking with uncontrollable rage, "YOU'RE EVEN DOING IT NOW! YOU FILTHY, DISGUSTING, LYING BITCH!" She had tried to leave before she lost herself completely, but she was beyond that point now. With a roar that echoed throughout the entire castle, despite no magic being used whatsoever, Twilight charged at the Princess she had once so dearly adored, "DROP DEAD!"

Tears streaked across Celestia's face as she stood still, watching her Faithful Student hurtle towards her with pure murder in her eyes. She wouldn't move, and she couldn't even if she wanted to. She was vaguely aware of various shouts throughout the room, but they didn't matter. All that mattered now was Twilight. As she drew closer, Celestia cast her mind back over the years, the hateful expression Twilight wore now replaced by the one that she had grown to know and love. That caring, gentle smile that she wore when reassuring her friends, and when she laughed, and when telling her mentor of her most recent accomplishment, 'I'm so sorry, Twilight. I'm ready to pay for what I've done...'

Luna was snapped from her daze immediately as the shout rang through the chamber. Twilight was charging at her sister full-speed, her head tilted forwards slightly, her horn aimed directly for Celestia's face. Realising what was about to happen, she boomed a single command to the horrified guards around the chamber, her apprehension causing her to call upon her old way of speaking without realising it, "SEIZE HER!" All guards in the chamber immediately shot towards the unicorn, but it was futile. Even the closest wouldn't make it in time. All the while Celestia simply stood with her despairing gaze focused on Twilight, now only a few meters away. Luna teleported immediately, placing herself beside her sister.

Twilight grinned with savage satisfaction as she saw Luna materialise beside her sister, 'Too late!' Her horn was now mere inches from her target, Celestia's eye.

An ear-splitting shriek pierced the air as the attack connected.

Only after several long moments did Luna dare breathe again. The scream had been her own, convinced she wouldn't stop Twilight before she killed her sister. The unicorn lay at their hooves, thrashing and writhing against Luna's indestructible magical chains that now pinned her down. Luna turned to Celestia, only to find that she had joined her student on the floor. She was about to speak, but Celestia cut her off prematurely, "Twilight. I'm truly, genuinely sorry for everything." she choked out, "Can you ever forgive me?"

In response, Twilight stopped struggling and, looking her mentor in the eye as she did so, quite literally spat in her face. Celestia simply stared at her student and wept openly whilst Twilight regarded her with absolute contempt.

Luna barely resisted the urge to kick some sense into the mare beneath her before turning to the two she recognised as Celestia's most trusted guards, "Take her home. Make sure she stays there. She is not to leave until I say so. And make sure her parents are informed of exactly what has happened." They complied, and as the chains faded, only to be replaced with the vice grip of the elite guards, Luna's horn lit up momentarily, followed by Twilight's, "Your magic is beyond you until I see fit. Think about what you've done today, Twilight." She looked back to the guards, who were preparing to drag her off, her expression softening slightly, "Be gentle with her. Regardless of what she's done, she means a lot to the both of us, even if she doesn't realise it."

They nodded and began to tug at Twilight, who still had her eyes fixed on Celestia. Realising she wasn't going to move, the two peeled her away, causing her to start thrashing around once again, though she still screamed at Celestia, "YOU LIED TO ME! YOU LIED TO US! TO FLUTTERSHY! EVEN YOUR OWN SISTER! YOU HAD HER KILL MY BROTHER! I KNOW WHAT YOU DID CELESTIA! I HOPE YOU ROT IN A FESTERING POOL OF YOUR OWN BLOOD FOR THE REST OF YOUR MISERABLE LIFE! I SWEAR, NO MATTER WHAT IT TAKES, I'M GOING TO MAKE YOU SUFFER THE WAY YOU'VE MADE ME SUFFER! I'LL KILL YOU SLOWLY YOU FUCKING VILE LITTLE CONNIVING BITCH! I'LL-"

The string of threats and mindless insults continued even after she had been dragged from the chamber, and indeed, long after she had been removed from hearing range, the guards eventually placing a silencing spell on her to prevent her from disturbing the peace as they left the castle.

Luna turned to the remaining guards, "Leave us." They obeyed, leaving the two regal sisters alone. Luna dropped down beside her sister and placed a comforting wing over her. Celestia turned and cried onto her shoulder in response, her heavy, choked breaths between sobs the only sound in the room. Luna knew they would have to talk about what had just occurred - sooner rather than later, if some of what Twilight had just spoken was indeed true, but now was not the time. Right now her big sister needed her to be there for her. Celestia had just lost the Twilight Sparkle she had known and loved for so many years. Whether things could ever be resolved, she had no idea. Only that things would never truly be the same between the two of them again. Tears fell from her own eyes now, and the two simply cried into each other's manes, though neither said a word; both were lost in their own troubled thoughts.

They stayed like that for several hours, - their privacy defended by the guards, despite no such order ever being officially issued - before realising that it was their time to move the heavens as they always had.

The sun set on the horizon, disappearing steadily from view. In that short moment when both the sun and moon were absent from the sky, Celestia cast her eyes across the beautiful cosmos above, then the tranquil land below. This was always her favourite part of the day by far, but now it only brought suffering and pain as she quietly whispered the name of the dazzling phenomenon that had brought so much joy into her life up until this point.

"Twilight..."

More tears...

Chapter X - The Enemy of My Enemy

Luna didn't bother knocking, she knew she wouldn't get a response. Her horn shone dimly as she gently nudged open the door to Celestia's chamber. After yesterday's events, and the fact that Celestia had raised the Sun without stepping outside, Luna had deduced that her sister had never left her room. She took a deep breath and trotted inside, hoping to get the worst out of the way early.

She took a deeper breath as she gazed upon her older sister. Celestia was curled up on her bed, staring up at Luna sorrowfully. Her muzzle was streaked with tears, and her flowing mane was now a dishevelled mess. What really startled Luna, however, was her eyes. They looked tired, as if she hadn't slept all night. Only, as alicorns they were both gifted with amazing longevity, and Luna knew that they could both go for days without sleep and barely be affected. There was only one way the puffiness and redness around her sister's eyes could have formed so quickly.

'She hasn't just been crying recently, she's being crying all night...' Luna felt her heart break, but didn't allow herself to show it. They had to figure things out as soon as possible, hopefully even rectify the situation before things got any worse, there would be time for sadness later.

"W-What is it, Luna?" Celestia rasped.

Luna advanced but said nothing until she set herself down on the bed beside her sister, sighing heavily, "Celestia, I know it's not a good time. Actually, it's probably a terrible one, but we have much to discuss..."

Celestia bit her lip and nodded slowly, trying to stop herself from crying again as she anticipated the outcome, 'Twilight left me because of what I did, what if Luna does too?'

Luna reached a comforting wing around her sister, knowing what she must be going though, "It's alright, big sister. I won't leave you, or hurt you, no matter what happened. I promise. But I need to know, Celestia. Is what Twilight said in the throne chamber true? Were you somehow directly responsible for Spike's death? And where does you lying to me and the others come into it?"

Celestia gulped and briefly looked away, considering telling her it wasn't so. But as she looked back at her little sister, the one that had fought and ruled by her side, the one who still loved her despite being banished to the moon for a thousand years by Celestia herself, the only pony she could ever truly confide in, she decided against it, 'No more lies, it's time to fess up...'

"What!? You told me it would only hurt him!" They were barely a few minutes into the conversation, and already Luna was finding it difficult to control herself.

"I lied, Luna. I'm so, so sorry."

"There's a massive difference between a spell that hurts and a spell that's effectively a death sentence! Why didn't you just tell me!?"

"Would you really have used it if I had?"

"No."

"Exactly, that's because you actually care about others. Twilight was right..." tears streaked down her face, "I really am a monster..."

After several tense seconds Luna took a calming breath before embracing her sister again, "You're not a monster. You did what you thought had to be done to save lives, and whilst I don't agree with it, I understand why you did so."

"But I still told you to cast the spell! I effectively made you kill him!"

"Actually, whilst it is true that you had me cast it, the fact of the matter - no matter how terrible - is that Spike was impaled. The spell didn't kill him."

"Technicalities! He would have died regardless! I sent him to die for no reason!"

"The reason was to protect Ponyville during the evacuation. And besides, had Spike not been able to intervene, myself, Twilight and Rarity would almost certainly be dead. I doubt he would've wanted to live on if his two most precious ponies were taken from him in the process."

"..."

"Alright... So you lied to me about the spell, and Twilight blames you for sending Spike to die..."

"I'm so sorry Luna..."

"It's... alright. This has certainly created a gap between us, but we'll fill it in time. Right now, there's work to be done. What did she mean when she said you lied to the others?"

Celestia looked puzzled for a moment before speaking, "She mentioned Fluttershy..." she cringed as she remembered what Twilight had shrieked as she was dragged away, "She said that I lied to her. I think she was talking about when Discord was sealed..."

"What do you mean?"

"I was worried about what Discord might do if he were allowed to roam free after the incident, so I told Fluttershy that there was no way he was innocent. He had to be sealed there and then, it was the only way to persuade her."

"And he really was innocent?" Luna seemed sceptical.

"That's the thing..." Celestia brooded, "All the time he seemed far too... serious. And he kept maintaining that he was innocent, only stopping when I threatened to reprimand Fluttershy..."

"So you believe he may actually be innocent after all?"

"No, it's Discord we're talking about after all. Still, I can't help but feel as if he really wasn't fully responsible."

Luna held up a hoof to silence her before speaking, "Sister, when all this is over we're going to release him and hear things from his side, understood?"

Her expression left no room for argument, and after a few moments Celestia simply sighed wearily, "Alright, Luna. I suppose we should at least give him a chance..."

The younger alicorn managed a small smile, "Thank you Celestia, for coming clean about everything I mean. I know that you only told those lies to protect everypony, but you know what they say about the road being paved with good intentions..." Celestia simply nodded in response. Luna thought back, "I remember Pinkie accusing you of lying after Spike's funeral, did she know about the spell somehow?"

Celestia shook her head, "I don't think so, but there's a lot I need to tell you about her and..." a shadow passed across her features momentarily, "Her family. But, if it's all the same to you, I'd prefer that we talk about that another time. As for her accusations, I think she noticed my guilt and realised I had more to do with it than I was letting on. But after her letter of apology it seems as if she's forgiven me, even if she never truly knew of my involvement..." Another grim shadow cast itself over Celestia's face, 'Although her behaviour that day made her seem to be more certain than that. There's no way she could know about... that. Is there?' Haunting memories crept up on Celestia, ghosts of a troubled past returning to possess her.

Luna noticed her sister's expression and nuzzled her gently snapping her from her dark thoughts, "I'm always here for you, no matter what. And don't worry about Twilight, I'm going to fix everything as soon as I can, okay?"

Celestia's response became choked with tears of gratitude, "T-Thank you so m-much Luna!" she sobbed into her sister's mane.

Once the tears stopped, Luna stood and trotted over to the door, "I'll talk to her tomorrow, we need to repair the damages to the throne room in time for the next courts. In the mean time, I suggest you take a walk to clear your head..." She flashed a cheeky grin as she turned her head back to her sister, "But seriously, do something with your hair first, it looks like you've been attacked by a pack of timberwolves!" She darted out the door moments before the magically-propelled-pillow could hit its mark, "Missed!" she called back as she darted down the corridor and out of sight, leaving Celestia shaking her head, but smiling.

Two days had passed since the incident, not that Twilight really noticed, or cared. After arriving back at her old home she had - upon being released by the guards - trotted past her parents and up to her room, locking the door behind her. She hadn't left since. Not when she heard her mother's shock downstairs as the guards explained what she had done. Not when her father had demanded that she open the door and explain herself. Not even to eat. She was thankful for her en-suite bathroom, removing any pressing need for her to leave the confines of her room at all, which was great, as she had no intention of going anywhere else any time soon. She felt betrayed and angry, and the feelings only intensified as she spent the last two days sitting, quite literally, in the darkness.

'Why!? I gave her a second chance, and even then she lied to me! What am I saying!? I know why! Because I adored her, and all that time it was all just a huge lie! Some sick game for her own amusement! I won't let her play with my feelings any more! After what she did, I-'

Her train of thought was interrupted by a voice from downstairs. However muffled it was, she knew it was familiar, and that it didn't belong to either of her parents, nor Shining Armor, whom she had expected; it certainly belonged to a mare. She listened, but couldn't make out the conversation. Then she heard hoofsteps, thumping against the carpet as her parents and the visitor ascended the stairs, growing louder as they approached her room. Then they stopped. "Twilight..." It was her mother's voice, but it sounded unmistakeably worried, "Princess Luna is here to see you..."

Twilight's stomach turned to ice as she sat bolt upright, staring at the door through the darkness. "Please, Twilight. Open the door. The Princess just wants to talk... Twilight, please! Your father and I are-"

Twilight cut her off abruptly, speaking for the first time since she'd entered the house, "She can let herself in." Several moments of silence followed, followed by a small blue light glowing around the lock, opening the door with a click.

Luna stepped into the room. It was dark, but the light from the hallway shone a beam of light down the middle of the room, and onto Twilight's bed. Twilight looked... relatively normal... Asides from her mane being slightly frazzled, and the sunkenness around her eyes, she looked perfectly composed. Too composed. She was sitting bolt upright, and her mouth was drawn into a thin line, her face expressionless. Luna stood there for a few seconds before Twilight spoke, "Close the door please, Princess." Her tone was flat and emotionless.

Luna obliged, turning and giving her parents a reassuring nod before slowly closing the door with her magic, plunging the room into darkness. When Twilight didn't continue, Luna decided to get things started, "May I open the curtains, Twilight?"

"Yes."

As light washed into the room once more Twilight couldn't help but scrunch her eyes shut as they adjusted. Luna stayed where she stood until Twilight looked back up at her, "I want to start off by saying I'm sorry." Twilight blinked in surprise as Luna continued, "I should never have used that spell on Spike without knowing what could happen."

Twilight took a few seconds to register what she meant, "You didn't know?"

Luna shook her head in response, "No. And I never would have done it if i had known beforehoof. I'm sorry, Twilight, it's all my fault." A glow surrounded Luna's horn as she trotted up to Twilight and touched their horns together. The ring that was still latched to Twilight's horn expanded and was levitated off at the same time as the glow spread to her own horn.

Twilight felt her magic return to her once again. She looked up at the alicorn's sad expression and relaxed her posture, sympathy washing over her, "It's alright. If you didn't know, then you're not to blame..." Twilight slumped as she thought of who was to blame for the thousandth time.

"So, you forgive me for what I did?" Twilight simply nodded and gave her a weak smile.

"Thank you, Twilight. I know times have been tough for you recently, especially after the recent... fight. Celestia told me everything yesterday, and I can honestly tell you that she's torn up inside about everything that happened. Especially what you did, and said. She truly is deeply sorry Twilight, and I need to know, even if you're not ready to tell her yet, can you ever find it in your heart to forgive her and move on?"

Luna's pleading expression was met with Twilight's, which had turned stone cold, "Sorry isn't enough. Unless she brings Spike back, then the answer is no. And even if she could, I don't think I could ever see her the same way as I once did."

Tears formed in the corners of Luna's eyes, but she blinked them back, "Twilight, please! Even I don't agree with what my sister did, but she only lied because she thought it was the best way to help ponies, and she didn't lie to you when she said all those things about your accomplishments in the throne room, no matter how much you think she did. She loves you, Twilight! She truly does care! If you had seen the state she'd gotten herself into after what happened, you'd know!"

Twilight's expression remained dispassionate, "I'm sorry, Princess. But because of her my little brother is dead. He was only a baby, Luna, at least by dragon standards, and now he's dead, and every moment I spend alive is another moment that he could be spending with us, had Celestia not told you to cast that damned spell. Even if what you're saying is true, if I'm wrong, and she does truly care, it still doesn't change the fact that he's gone because of her, and I won't ever forgive her for that." She looked at Luna's distraught face for several moments, then sighed, "Would you have forgiven me if I had succeeded in killing your sister?"

Anger briefly shot through Luna as she remembered the events, and how close she had been to losing Celestia, "I'm going to be truthful with you Twilight. No, I don't think I could have... In all honesty I'm still furious about what happened." she conceded, "You're one of my closest friends, Twilight, but now I'm having to choose between siding with my friend or my sister, and I don't appreciate that."

Twilight knew that Luna had every right to be angry, but she retorted all the same, "The same sister that banished you to the moon for a thousand years?" Twilight recoiled from her position, tumbling from the bed as pure murderous rage radiated from the Princess. It only now occurred to Twilight that she had never been on the receiving end of a rage-fuelled attack from any alicorn. Even when Celestia had almost incinerated her, it had only been in self defence. Staring up at Luna now, Twilight found herself quaking uncontrollably with fear, cowering as far away from her as possible. Despite the mortal peril she was in, she still couldn't help but berate herself as she recalled the plans she had thought over repeatedly over the past two days, 'What the hell was I thinking!? I'm nowhere near powerful enough to fight Celestia! I'm weak...'

Twilight could feel herself suffocating, not even daring to breathe for fear of incurring the Princess' wrath. Luna was taking heaving breaths, desperately trying to suppress the urge to strangle the mare. Then she saw the fear in Twilight's eyes. After a furious internal debate, she relented, falling back into her sitting position on the bed, though she still breathed deeply. Silence reigned for over a minute before Twilight's voice - barely a whisper - was heard as she stood, "P-Princess, I'm s-sorry." Luna looked over to her, Twilight was still shaking and tears were evidently building in her eyes.

Luna said nothing, instead diving towards the younger mare and embracing her, "It's alright, Twilight. I... forgive you. You're hurting inside, it's not your fault. You're filled with anger, and pain, and it's time you let it all out."

The unicorn responded by throwing her own hooves around the alicorn, burying her head deep into her mystical mane and weeping uncontrollably, crying out between sobs, "Why - did things - have to be - like this!? - Why did - Celes - tia do this - to me!? - I thought - she cared - about me! I trusted - her! - Spike's gone - and it's all - my fault! - I should have - protected him - but I thought - Celestia would - know best - then she... " This continued for several minutes, all the while Luna just stood beside her, consoling her as best she could until her sobs eventually died down.

Once they did she nuzzled the unicorn gently, "Better?"

Twilight nodded in response as she wiped away her tears, "I'm sorry Luna. I shouldn't have said that... I don't deserve your friendship..."

Luna held up a hoof in response, "No more. Think nothing of it. This is about you, not me. I can tell something is still troubling you deeply, well, other than what we've already discussed."

Twilight nodded, but looked on the verge of tears once again, "Those guards I hurt, I nearly... crushed them." She stared at her hooves, and her voice shook with fear as she spoke, "Please Luna, please tell me they're alright!"

Luna smiled reassuringly at her. It was becoming clearer that the Twilight they knew and loved was still there; just as caring and considerate as she'd always been, "They're alright, Twilight. I won't sugar coat it, their injuries were bad, but they're both expected to make a full recovery. It'll just take a few months."

Although a wave of relief washed over her, Twilight still dipped her head and closed her eyes, "I hurt them, Luna... I didn't even see them as ponies." She looked up at Luna, worry clear on her face, "I saw them as obstacles! And when they didn't move, targets! What's wrong with me!?"

Luna placed a comforting hoof on her shoulder, "Anger is a dangerous thing, especially so in cases such as yours. It can change your perception of many things. For instance, when you saw Celestia, did you see the mentor who took you under her wing when you were a filly, the one who you admired and aspired to be, or did you see the... 'monster' who sent your brother to die?" Twilight simply nodded ashamedly at the final statement, "It happens to the best of us sooner or later. What matters is what we do afterwards to put things right. Once we're thinking straight again."

Twilight averted her eyes as she spoke, "But that's the thing... I still see Celestia that way - a monster - and I don't think I'll ever be able to change that. I hate her for what she's done..."

Luna sighed, she had hoped to at least lay the foundations of the bridge that would re-unite her sister and her Faithful Student, but now she realised it would probably take much longer than just one visit. Instead, she decided to change the course of the conversation, at least for the moment, "I understand... How about we talk about something else for a while? You look very tired, have you slept at all since you arrived here?"

Twilight shook her head and dragged a forehoof across the floor, "I tried, but the nightmares are back again. I can't sleep for more than a few dozen minutes at a time."

Luna's eyes widened, "Oh Twilight! I'm sorry!" Twilight glanced up in surprise, "It's my fault! When I... took your magic away it must've cancelled the spell! Here, let me re-cast it..."

Twilight stepped back and shook her head as Luna lowered her horn, "I-I'd prefer if you didn't, Princess." Luna gave her a concerned look as she continued, "I know it sounds strange, but it's because the nightmares have changed. I don't think you'll want to see these..."

Luna sceptically raised an eyebrow. She respected Twilight's privacy, but this was serious! "Twilight, whatever these nightmares hold, they can't possibly be any worse than the Nightmare I myself once became, the Nightmare you yourself freed me from. No matter how horrible they may be, I think it's about time I repay my debt to you regardless."

Twilight sighed but nodded her head slowly, "Okay, but at least let me warn you of what they've been about." The Princess nodded and gestured for her to continue as she cast the spell, "I'm in the throne room, but I can't move, or speak. Celestia just smiles at me from the throne. Then out of nowhere, Spike appears." Her voice choked a little, "Baby Spike. He turns to me and starts talking. I never hear what he says, I just see his mouth moving... Celestia gets up, and trots towards him, still smiling. I try every time... I always try to warn him, to tell him to get away, but I just can't! My mouth won't move! Then... when she finally reaches him... she..." Twilight stopped, tears welling in her eyes once again, her entire body shaking. Luna enveloped the unicorn in another hug as the spell finished, "She..."

Luna just shook her head at the unicorn, indicating that she need not say any more. Twilight gulped and looked up at the Princess as she stepped back, "Thank you so much, Princess."

The Princess smiled down at her as she spoke, "I'll send the guards outside back to the castle, you are no longer being punished and may leave the house whenever you like. Your magic is also back under your control." Her tone remained gentle but had an edge of firmness to it, "I'm doing so because I've seen that you're hurting enough as it is, and because you are genuinely sorry about the ponies you hurt. Well, my sister excluded. You haven't changed, Twilight. Your circumstances have certainly changed. Your views on Celestia and probably myself may have changed too. But you're still the same Twilight that befriended me when nopony else dared approach me. You're a good pony who has been put through some of the worst things the world can throw at her, all at once. I'm giving you your magic and your freedom because I know that you will use it for good. I understand that you don't forgive Celestia, and I'm not going to try and force you to, that choice is up to you. But I want you to prove to me that I've made the right decision, Twilight. I'd suggest staying clear of the castle, you aren't ready for another meeting with my sister, be it intended or accidental, and truthfully nor is she. Maybe it would be a good idea for you to go back to Ponyville and check up on your friends?"

Twilight nodded slowly, "Yeah... I was going to stay for Shining Armor's visit, but honestly I don't feel like seeing him now. He has an empire to manage, he doesn't need to be worrying about me too."

"Perhaps you're right. When are you planning on leaving?"

Twilight paused for several seconds as a thought occurred to her, "In the morning. I want to explain everything to my parents before I leave."

Luna nodded and stepped back, flexing her wings slightly against her sides, "I have to get back to the castle, the moon must be raised soon." She turned to the door, "Remember Twilight. You're a good pony. Spread that goodness to those around you and you'll find some of the pieces of yourself you think you've lost. I promise." With that, the door swung open and Luna stepped out, taking a few more steps and closing the door behind her without looking back.

Twilight simply sat staring at the door. Her eyes fell to her hooves, "Thank you, Luna..." She felt some comfort in the words of the Princess, but they didn't mix well with what she was feeling inside. How could a 'good pony' plan on vengeance? She couldn't help but amend the statement in her head, 'Thank you, Luna... But I am not a good pony...'

Twilight sat up on her bed, unsure of what to do. Luna had left over an hour ago, leaving Twilight alone with her parents once again. She had taken the opportunity to finally talk to them a little about what had happened in the throne room, but explained that it would take a lot longer than she currently felt up to. She was tired, and it showed. She had departed for her room to get some much needed rest - despite the fact that it was only just starting to get dark - after only a few minutes. But when she had climbed into bed her mind began swimming with unwanted thoughts. Primarily, 'I'm nowhere near powerful enough to fight Celestia! I'm weak...' which looped endlessly like a stuck record.

She glanced outside her window. It was dark now, the moon high in the night sky, gently illuminating the tallest spires of the castle. Her gaze fell from the moon, to the towers, to the main section of the castle. Her eyes lingered there for several moments before she made her decision, 'Sorry, Princess. Staying clear of the castle will have to wait.'

Most ponies would never even consider sneaking into the castle after dark. Guards were posted at almost every doorway, with more patrolling the halls tirelessly. The punishments for being caught creeping around after dark could be very severe indeed, especially if the perpetrators had less-than-pleasant intentions. And that was only on the lower levels. At night the upper floors of the castle were the epitome of overkill when it came to security. The few that actually dared to try and infiltrate would spend months learning the layout of the castle, and the change in shifts as the guards rotated. They would meticulously plan their route to their objective, taking into account time frames and setbacks. They would triple-check their equipment. Twice. Before setting out. Then, more often than not, they would be caught, after making the grave mistake of attempting to do so at night, when the security was at its most formidable.

Fortunately, Twilight wasn't either of these groups of ponies. She'd already done this before, with a reasonable amount of success. Even when she had been discovered - by both the guards and Celestia - she didn't even receive a harsh word. She was certain she could have simply waltzed back to her destination were it not for her fight with Princess Celestia. Not that it mattered, Twilight had spent years studying in the castle. By memory alone she could navigate the halls of the castle with as much ease as the guards who patrolled them every day, and recall the general routes most guards would take. She carefully poked her head around the pillar to see two guards trotting up towards her, chatting idly, 'This is going to require some good timing...'

As the guards drew closer a gravelly voice came into focus, "-eard they're still in the infirmary. Apparently Morning Star had it the worst, though. Multiple fractured ribs and a collapsed lung. Dunno when they're gonna be able to release him yet."

The other voice - distinctly feminine - responded, "It's terrible. What happened in Ponyville was bad enough, but now we're being attacked here too..." The pair approached the opposite end of the pillar. Twilight made sure to conceal the glow of her horn as she teleported to the other side of it and behind them silently, remaining still as they trotted away, "And by the ponies we trust the most. I mean, before that the two were on nothing but the best of terms with each other. Now this... If we can't even relax around Princess Celestia's own personal protégé, then who can we trust?"

As their conversation began to fade, Twilight turned and continued her journey with quiet and cautious hoofsteps, 'Anypony but the Princess herself, it seems.'

Twilight stepped out into the statue garden and was immediately relieved that her assumptions were correct, no guards were patrolling in the immediate area, 'As long as I keep to the shadows, I'll be fine.' With soft earth beneath her hooves she relaxed her hoofsteps slightly, no longer having to worry about the sound they would create against a marble floor. She wasted no time as she reached Discord's prison, laying on the ground behind the statue, all but invisible to anypony who wasn't specifically looking for her. With a deep breath, she closed her eyes.

"Twilight Sparkle? I dare say I'm pleasantly surprised." Discord looked towards her quizzically as her form manifested in the mindscape, "Although in all honesty, I wasn't expecting you to return. I suppose all has been resolved and forgiven then?" Twilight didn't speak, and her expression was sunken as she considered what she was going to ask of him. Discord raised an eyebrow and dropped the joviality from his voice, "Okay. Now I'm just surprised. Very surprised. I was sure that you and Celestia would've talked things over after you'd calmed down, and that you would have revealed my secret to her soon afterwards." Twilight shook her head in response. Discord leaned forward slightly, genuinely intrigued, "So what brings you here then, Twilight Sparkle?"

A great pause followed as Twilight made her decision. Twilight's expression turned from sad to calm and emotionless, "Revenge. Celestia doesn't deserve to live after what she's done. I've come to make you an offer."

Discord's curious expression was wiped from his face. He blinked, then spoke, "I'm sorry, come again?"

"I want Celestia dead by my hooves, and I want your help to do it."

Discord stared at her in disbelief for almost half a minute before he composed himself. "That... was not what I was expecting."

Twilight would've allowed a fraction of a smile to work it's way onto her face, had she not been thinking of her circumstances, 'This isn't like in the throne chamber... I'm planning to kill a pony - even if she deserves it - in cold blood. This is pre-meditated. This is murder! And yet, after what Celestia has done, it seems almost too kind...'

Discord coughed slightly before speaking, "I take it the meeting with Celestia didn't occur peacefully then?"

"No. I tried to kill her, and she nearly killed me. Needless to say, she won by a landslide, and all she was doing was defending herself."

"I... see." Discord's face was still a mask of shock, even if his tone was level. Of everything that could have happened, he never expected this, "Well, before we discuss this 'offer' of yours, I'm going to tell you one thing outright. You physically cannot kill Celestia."

Twilight's emotionless expression gave way to rage and disbelief, "What!?"

"To truly 'kill' beings such as Celestia, Luna and, to some extent, myself, you must first destroy the connection they have with their allocated responsibilities. Unless you plan on destroying the sun - dooming all life on the planet in the process - then properly killing Celestia is impossible. As long as the sun exists, no matter how many times Celestia 'dies', the next time the sun has to rise there's literally a 'poof', and she's back. Besides, even I could only even hope to perform such a feat at the full height of my power, so I don't think your plan is exceptionally feasible."

Twilight was seething. This new revelation did nothing but stir up more hatred from within her, "She's immortal!? She can't even die!? And she still sends other ponies to die for her!? She still sent Spike to die for her!?"

"In short, yes." Discord said as flatly as possible, trying to remain passive, "Though I may have an alternative solution to the problem. Tell me about the 'offer' you were going to make, and I'll see whether or not what I have in mind would work."

Twilight took deep breaths to calm herself before speaking, "Okay. I was considering releasing you from your prison. In return I wanted you to help me exact my revenge, seen as though we both share a common enemy here."

Discord nodded, "Correct. However, if I escaped I wouldn't go out of my way to harm Celestia so much as hide from her. There isn't much in this for me..."

Twilight looked up at him flatly, "It doesn't matter now anyway. If I can't kill her, there's no point. She wins."

Discord scowled in response, "Not necessarily. Whilst you may not be able to kill her, there are plenty of other ways you can exact vengeance. And I dare say some of them are worse than death itself..." he said cryptically.

"I'm listening..."

"Despite what you have seen in Celestia recently, she truly does love the peace and prosperity of Equestria. She poured her heart and soul into raising this continent from the ashes of my reign and beginning anew, and she succeeded. Take away the love of her subjects, take away the peace, take away the very ideals of love and unity that Equestria was founded upon, and what is Celestia? An immortal alicorn, I'll grant her that, but what else? Nothing. The Princess of a dying nation. It will take a long time, but I believe that if you truly want revenge on behalf of your brother, this is the one thing that will hurt her the most."

Twilight couldn't help but let her jaw drop, "But what you're suggesting, it's... it's... I couldn't do that... I just couldn't..."

"That is the problem. If you are truly serious about avenging your brother, then you must be willing to sacrifice a part of yourself in the process. It's the only way."

"I..." Twilight fell into deep thought, her morality waging an all-out war against what she knew was right and just, 'Does the end justify the means?'

Discord spoke up upon realising that Twilight wasn't planning on continuing, "As for my end of the deal, I'll help you achieve this, but in the end I want my throne back. Unfortunately, I know enough about you to realise that the chances of you giving the throne to me of all creatures are roughly on par with a snowball's chance in hell, so how about this? Upon the completion of our goals we will establish a new order over Equestria. We will rule as a diarchy, in the same manner as the regal sisters do now. We will split our duties in half. Whilst I manage the distribution of chaos across the land, you will be responsible for managing the spread of harmony; perhaps we could even come up with some sort of system. After all, one can't exist without the other. Of course, this is all if you're willing to do what it takes to avenge your brother's death. If you need more time, feel free to go and return whenever you have come to your decision, it's not as if I'm going anywhere in a hurry."

Twilight had been subconsciously staring at the same patch of darkness throughout Discord's offer. Only now did she move as she shook her head, "No. That won't be necessary. I've already made my decision." She stood proudly before Discord, staring into his eyes with new-found confidence that she had made the right choice, "The end justifies the means." Upon hearing herself say those words, she dropped her façade and shrunk away, averting her eyes ashamedly, "I-I'll do whatever it takes to hurt Celestia and avenge my brother, no matter the cost." A lone tear streaked down her face.

"Then we have an agreement, Twilight Sparkle."

"So... W-What now?" Twilight stuttered, still not truly believing that she had agreed to this.

Discord stroked his beard absent-mindedly, "First thing's first, I need freeing from this prison if I'm to be of any use, and that's going to be difficult. I'm still working on a plan of escape, but this is what I have so far. I need you to go back to Ponyville and rally as many of your fellow Bearers to your cause as you can, subtly. In exactly one month the preparations for my escape should be complete. When that time comes, I need you - and whoever you can persuade to follow you - to return here with their corresponding Elements of Harmony. I don't know how you'll go about doing it, but only those who you are sure will follow you down the path you have chosen should come, otherwise they'll probably alert the princesses. Of all your friends, the two I would most like you to bring are Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie. Rainbow Dash's loyalty would prove an invaluable asset to our cause, though because of that it may be difficult to convince her in the first place; and I have my own reasons for wanting Pinkie Pie here. I'd also like to speak to Fluttershy before we go through with this. I doubt she'll follow us, but I'd like to speak with my only friend one last time before we leave."

Twilight nodded, "So, you want me to head back to Ponyville, persuade my friends to join me without mentioning anything that would lead them to seek out the princesses, and return in one month with whoever I convince, Elements in tow?"

"Precisely. I think it's safe to say that you could probably tell Fluttershy about what's going on, I doubt she'd say anything if you asked her not to. As for Pinkie Pie, tell her that, 'Discord has a cure, for the both of you.' I know it sounds cryptic, but she'll understand what it means. Convincing the others will be up to you though I'm afraid. Do you have any questions?"

"Too many to ask right now. I honestly can't believe I'm doing this. I know it has to be done, but it makes me feel sick..."

"This is exactly what I meant when I said you would have to sacrifice a piece of yourself. There will come times where you'll have to put your morals and emotions aside, and push on. I know you don't truly believe in 'the ends justifying the means', otherwise you wouldn't feel like you do. That's fine. So long as you have the steel to do what needs to be done, and I can see very clearly that you do, Twilight Sparkle."

Twilight looked up at him and sighed, feeling as if the weight of the world was bearing down upon her, "Thanks, I guess..." She paused briefly, "Discord... How long do you expect the duration of the plan to take?"

Discord looked down at her sympathetically, "Years, at the very least, I'm afraid."

"Then call me Twilight, using my full name all the time is a little unnerving..." Despite herself, she managed a weak smile.

"Very well... Twilight." He grinned down at her, "Now then, I think it's time we got to work... I'll be channeling as much energy as I can into the spell over the next month, so only come back beforehand if it's really necessary."

Twilight nodded and focused on opening her eyes, "Good luck, I guess."

"And to you, too, Twilight."

"..."

Twilight opened her eyes. Carefully rising from her spot behind the statue she glanced around, scanning for any nearby guards. Upon affirming that none were close enough to spot her she set off back the way she came. The journey seemed much longer this time around, and Twilight's whirring mind was making concealment all the more difficult. 'The first steps of a new life...' She shook her head and ducked behind a nearby pillar as a patrol emerged from the far end of the corridor. 'A better life? Is it worth it? Would Spike want this?' They approached, and Twilight performed the same teleportation trick from earlier. Still, she had to fight to keep her balance as she appeared behind the guards - resulting in the manic waving of her left hooves - having not landed evenly. 'CONCENTRATE!' she chided herself as she finally set her hooves down gently and continued on.

Her focus held until she rounded the next corner, 'What have I done?' She ducked behind another pillar, waiting for the next patrol to arrive and pass by before attempting the final stretch. 'What will I do?'. A duo of guards emerged right on cue.

A door opened somewhere behind Twilight, and her blood ran cold as she immediately flung herself around the back of the pillar so as to conceal herself from both parties, standing upright on her hindlegs and pressing her back firmly against it. She broke out in a cold sweat and her lungs screamed for air as she tried to suppress the huge instinctual gasps brought on by adrenaline, for fear of being heard. Her heart pounded in her ears as the patrols drew closer. She was pressing against the pillar so hard it hurt, knowing one exposed hoof would be enough to give her away.

She wondered why she was so terrified of the guards, but only briefly. She had made an attempt on Celestia's life, on top of nearly killing two guards. She wouldn't hurt them if she was discovered, but she was certain that they would hold no such reservations. After all, even if they had been told not to hurt her, they could just say that they couldn't tell who it was in the dark. 'Paranoia, Twilight. Concentrate.' As the patrols reached each other on the other side of the pillar to Twilight, they stopped.

After several seconds, a seemingly amused stallion's voice broke the silence, "What are you doing here, stranger?" Twilight's breath hitched in her throat, and a few tears streaked down her muzzle as her eyelids scrunched shut, awaiting the inevitable beating she was about to receive.

Then came a reply, "Oh you..." This voice distinctly belonged to a mare. Unbeknownst to Twilight the two that had spoken shared a short but passionate kiss - leaving their patrol partners rolling their eyes - before the mare spoke again, "Not on work hours. Don't worry, I'll make up for it later..." The mare leaned in close and whispered something to her partner that made him blush furiously as she giggled and cantered back to her - disapproving - colleague, who had already continued on.

After she heard the other two depart, Twilight released a huge sigh of relief, and shakily proceeded her exit. The incessant voice in her head still wouldn't relent despite her near-miss, 'What will I become?', and she'd had just about enough of it, 'I'll become whatever I need to be, to do whatever I have to do! Okay!?' She reached the gates and quickly teleported around the guards posted by them, escaping off into the city, the voice now silenced, at least for a while.

Twilight allowed herself a small smile as she made her way to the train station. It would take a while for the Ponyville express to arrive at such an hour, but she could wait. She'd already left a note for her parents telling them that something important had come up back in Ponyville. She bought her ticket and sat on a nearby bench beneath a hanging lantern. After several minutes of deep thought on Twilight's part, a particularly harsh breeze extinguished the flame above, plunging the area around the bench into blackness. Twilight simply sat, considering staying there and accepting the darkness, maybe even embracing it.

Then she caught herself. "I'm not going to sit here and spout ironic metaphorical clichés, for crying out loud! And if I have to," She smiled as her horn shone, the glow of the lantern returning as it re-ignited, "Then I'm going to remain in the light. I'm going to shed light on Celestia, and show her for who she truly is before bringing her to justice. I'll bring brightness and warmth into all the lives of those who are suffering. I'll drive away darkness like Celestia's at any cost." Whilst she was glad nopony was around to hear her talking to herself, she didn't feel ashamed of it; it made her feel better knowing that she knew the reasons why she had made her choice. Surprisingly relaxed, Twilight reclined on the bench, ignored the cool breeze and allowed her mind to wander.

When all four of its previous passengers disembarked, Twilight rose and climbed onto the train, shuddering as she was hit by the sudden warmth inside. From her seat by the window, Twilight saw the lantern from earlier slowly dim. The flame didn't sway now, as it did before being snuffed out by the wind. Now it simply faded, the darkness closing in as the flame - and the light and warmth that it brought - slowly burned out. For reasons she didn't fully understand, the sight troubled her deeply.

Chapter XI - Truth and Tribulations

Twilight rubbed her eyes as sunlight streamed through the gap in the curtains, washing over her. She was thankful that the nightmares were absent from her slumber once again, and made a note to herself that she would have to get Luna a gift to show her gratitude rather than simply thank her.

Yawning, she rolled out of bed and took a step towards the bathroom.

Then stopped.

She hadn't seen it last night, it had been too dark, nor had she remembered it was there in her tired state. But now, illuminated by the streaks of light reaching across the room, she saw it was still in the exact same place as it had been on that terrible day. Spike's basket. Dust had settled on it, giving it an almost eerie appearance. Ever since the incident Twilight had avoided entering the room at all, sleeping wherever she dropped as her fits of depression took hold. She recalled how even though Spike was too big for the basket after his sudden growth spurt months earlier, he had insisted that she didn't put it away anywhere. It was much more to him than just his bed, and as Twilight stared, transfixed by it, she understood why.

Memories of Spike flashed before her eyes. Or, at least some were flashes, some were much longer, but by the end she realised she must have been staring for several minutes. Once she regained control of herself, she trotted towards it slowly, and levitated it up to eye-level with her magic. As she gazed at it closely, she felt a crushing weight appear in her stomach, and her heart literally ached. She waited for the tears, but they never came. The feeling inside her was almost indescribable. This emptiness, this void, wouldn't even allow her to cry. All it would allow her to feel was pain, and it just kept getting worse with each passing moment. "Is this what true despair feels like?" she asked the basket as if expecting a response. When she received no answer, she simply sighed and set the basket down on the nearby desk. With a glow of magic the dust that had settled on it dissipated.

She trotted towards the bathroom once again, though her body felt sluggish and unresponsive, wanting only to give in to the overwhelming emptiness within. She shook away the thoughts, 'Right now, I have a job to do.' She entered, and proceeded to prepare herself for the meeting with her friends, whom she had not spoken to in over six weeks.

Twilight felt her spirits lift as she trotted through Ponyville, if only a little. Ponies were surprised to suddenly she her out and about again, and were greeting her happily as they passed by. Even so, Twilight couldn't shake the feeling that something was... off. The patchiness of the clouds above seemed odd, and though as busy as always, the streets somehow seemed quieter. Less animated. She shrugged it off and managed a wave to Lyra and Bonbon as they passed by smiling. As she reached the street corner, Twilight could see both Sugarcube Corner and the Carousel Boutique, but didn't approach either. Despite whether or not it was practical, she had decided that she would visit Fluttershy first. The poor pegasus was Discord's only friend, and she deserved to know the truth the most.

As she approached the cottage, Twilight couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. The plants in Fluttershy's garden were wilting, the gardens were filled with weeds, and the small stream that ran by her house was clogged with various water plants and refuse from further upstream. She reached the door, noticing an empty plate on the doorstep before knocking. Silence. Twilight raised her hoof again, knocking a little louder this time, just in case the pegasus didn't hear her. After getting the same lack of response, an unnerving thought occurred to her. She back-pedalled and looked to the windows. Though the curtains were closed, light clearly shone around them from the inside.

The lights were still on... The cottage was falling into disrepair... There was no indication of any movement inside...

Twilight panicked now, darting to the door and furiously pounding her forehooves against it. No response. She span and prepared to buck the door open, magic enveloping her hooves to ensure they did the job. A loud 'THUMP' from the other side of the door stopped her just in time. As she lowered her hooves and turned to face the door once again, she realised that this was all too familiar, except last time she had been the one on the inside. If Fluttershy's thoughts were anything like Twilight's own when she was in the same situation, then the simple 'THUMP' told her all she needed to know. It said, 'I'm still alive. Hurray. Thanks for reminding me. Now leave me alone.'

Twilight cringed as she remembered herself doing the same thing, and wondered just how bad it had made her friends feel. She drew a breath and spoke softly, just loud enough to be heard through the door, "Fluttershy? It's Twilight... Look, I know how you're feeling right now but... may I come in? It's important, I promise." Almost instantaneously the sound of locks turning could be heard. After a few painstakingly slow seconds the door eventually opened, revealing an unkempt Fluttershy within. Her mane was dirty and ungroomed, her eyes sunken and red. She looked pale, and thin, and when she spoke her voice was barely even a rasp,

"T-Twilight... I'm... s-sorry, I didn't... realise it w-was... you. Please... c-come in."

Twilight raised a hoof to her mouth and gasped audibly, "Fluttershy! What happened to you?"

The pegasus simply dipped her head and scrunched her eyes shut, "I'm sorry! I'm so p-pathetic... He was your b-brother... and you're s-still strong enough... to do things... I-I'm useless..." Twilight was horrified at the implications of the pegasus' simple words. She'd been locked up in her house since the incident, but she hadn't left, at all. Twilight stared wide-eyed, and prayed that her other friends were faring better as she spoke the only word she could form,

"Fluttershy..." before enveloping the pegasus in a comforting hug.

The first thing that struck Twilight as odd as she followed Fluttershy into the living room was how clean the place was, despite the state of the outside. Twilight couldn't help but wonder, 'Has she spent this whole time cleaning? But then what about cleaning herself? She looks terrible...' As the two sat down next to each other, an odd brushing sound came from the direction of the kitchen. Whilst Fluttershy didn't seem to notice, opting to stare at the floor instead, Twilight looked up to see Angel nudging a plate of salad across the floor with his nose. The sight struck her as adorable at first, but upon closer inspection she saw that the rabbit seemed only mildly interested in her presence, focused instead on the pegasus next to her.

As Angel stopped at Fluttershy's hooves he brushed his head against her to get her attention, tapping the plate rapidly and staring up at her with wide eyes when she turned to him. The pieces clicked in Twilight's head, 'So that's why... He's been looking after her all this time, even when the other animals have left.' A great deal of both pity and admiration filled Twilight. Angel had stayed with Fluttershy and taken care of her alone for nearly two months, but he was scared for her, genuinely scared, that much was clearly visible. Fluttershy simply smiled back at him weakly but shook her head, causing him to look around desperately before glancing up at Twilight. He began poking her and pointing between Fluttershy and the food, looking up at her apprehensively. She got the message. "Fluttershy, when was the last time you ate anything?"

The pegasus seemed puzzled for a moment before responding, "Uh... I think it was the day before y-yesterday. No, that can't be right... Maybe three days? Four days? I don't know, it could've even been a week..."

Twilight's own stomach gave a tremendous rumble as she looked at the food, 'I haven't eaten in three days and I'm starving! How can she seriously not be hungry after so long!?' she thought as she realised that Angel's concerns really were warranted. Twilight took a breath to compose herself and gather her thoughts, "Fluttershy, you need to eat something..."

Fluttershy looked at her with a sullen expression, "I'm not hungry, Twilight. I'm fine."

Twilight stared at her friend in disbelief, "You can't keep going on like this! You'll starve!"

Fluttershy returned a stare of her own, though it held no malice, only a calm acceptance of her fate, "Good. If I don't then all that will happen is that my closest friends will just keep disappearing one by one until they're all gone. It's my fault every time, and it's not fair to anypony else... Equestria would be a better place without me..."

Twilight was absolutely gob smacked, only finding her ability to form coherent sentences after several long minutes. When she finally collected herself, Twilight spoke softly, "Fluttershy, that's not true and you know it." Fluttershy looked as if she were about to contradict her, but Twilight gave her no such opportunity, "You're the Element of Kindness, Fluttershy. How would Equestria be better off without you? More importantly, you're my friend! How do you think me and the others would feel if we lost somepony else who is precious to us!?" Twilight calmed herself as she stared at the now tearful pegasus.

Fluttershy stared at her hooves, desperately trying to find some way to prove Twilight wrong.

Twilight thought back to why she was here in the first place, 'Now is probably the best time to tell her, maybe it'll bring her out of the mess she's in if she knows.' She rested a comforting hoof on her shoulder as Angel climbed up and nestled himself against her. "Besides, the whole reason I'm here is because we have the chance to bring one of your friends back."

That had the intended effect, Fluttershy swung around to face her in an instant, "W-What?" she asked in disbelief.

Twilight managed a smile and nodded, "It's true." She considered her position for a moment before continuing, "Relax, I'll tell you everything." the plate levitated from the floor up to them, "After, and only after, you eat something." Fluttershy began munching at the greens before she'd even finished the last word, and Twilight couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt, 'This was all because she couldn't help her friends... But how will she react to -' Her train of thought was derailed as Angel nuzzled one of her legs affectionately to show his gratitude. She reached over to give him a pat, but he bolted out of the room and into the kitchen. He emerged a few moments later, only this time he was pushing another plate of salad across the room. Twilight thought it was intended for Fluttershy, but when it came to rest in front of her, in conjunction with Angel pointing at the salad and then her in quick succession she got the idea, "Thank you, Angel." She levitated her own plate and happily began devouring the meal. The two simply sat and ate in silence. Or at least, as close to silence as is possible when two half-starved ponies are wolfing down their first meal in days.

Fluttershy looked a lot better already. Some of the paleness had already faded from her, and her sunkenness had alleviated itself somewhat. She now sat patiently, waiting for Twilight to begin. The unicorn opened and closed her mouth several times before finding the right words to start, "In short, I've spent the majority of the week in Canterlot, and whilst I was there I visited Discord's statue. I noticed a crack in it, and magical energies were definitely leaking from it, as I prepared to leave and tell Celestia," she spat the name, causing Fluttershy to jump slightly, "Discord spoke to me."

Fluttershy positively glowed, "He's alright!?" she asked, leaning towards Twilight, who gave her a nod,

"Now before I go on, you have to promise me that this conversation will never leave this room, alright? No matter who asks, this talk never happened, okay?"

"Of course, Twilight. If it's that important to you, then I promise."

"Thank you. Discord told me he wants to speak to you when he can-"

The normally timid pegasus let out a 'squee' of delight, "Let's go now! I'll go and get ready! We can be there by-"

Twilight held up a hoof gently, "It's more complicated than that, we have to wait another four weeks."

Fluttershy was evidently upset, "W-Why?"

Twilight sighed in response, "To explain I'll have to tell you everything that's happened, but it's going to take a while," Fluttershy nodded politely, "I actually visited Discord - twice in fact - before he asked me to tell you this. He told me things about what happened in Ponyville..." Fluttershy cringed at the memory, "He also told me that Celestia lied to us when we sealed him. I even checked with the Princess, and it's true, she lied to every one of us."

Fluttershy's face began to darken slightly, "So... all this time he really was innocent!?"

"Yes, from what I have to go on, it was a complete accident."

Fluttershy was fuming now, "How... How dare she!?" The pegasus shook with both anger and the rapidly approaching tears, "She's our Princess, our friend! Why would she lie to us like that!?"

Twilight's tone was sombre, "It gets worse, Fluttershy. It gets much, much worse..."

Fluttershy blinked back her tears and looked at her as she tenuously asked the question, "H-How? What do you mean?"

Twilight sighed and closed her eyes, "You know that when Calamity returned Luna used an aging spell on Spike, right?" Fluttershy seemed confused by the answer but gave a polite hum in response, "In short, Celestia told Luna to cast that spell, without telling her of what would happen as a result." Fluttershy just waited expectantly as Twilight paused to ensure that she wouldn't let her emotions get the better of her, "That result being that, if Spike had actually survived the battle, he would've died a slow and even more agonising death than he did when the spell faded."

Fluttershy was at a loss for words, she had shrunk down on the sofa, tears welling from her eyes silently at the revelation. She tried to speak, but all that escaped was a strangled cry. She hardly even seemed to notice when Angel hopped up to her muzzle and began patting it reassuringly. Twilight simply sat and closed her eyes, knowing that the sight of her friend now would only cause her to cry once more. Fluttershy didn't move from her position, and she was still crying when she finally spoke, "I-I'm sorry, Twilight. I should've been there for you, not locked away in here focused on my own troubles... Princess Celestia, she's your mentor! I can't even begin to imagine how you must have felt when you found out. How did you even cope?"

Twilight opened her eyes and gazed sadly at her friend as she remembered the incident, "I... I didn't. I was - still am - so angry, I bolted to the throne room, fully intending to kill her for what she did." noting Fluttershy's eyes widening she justified herself, "She betrayed us, Fluttershy. All of us. She sent Spike to die for her. Ponyville wouldn't even have been in danger if she had taken the time to actually protect us in the first place!" Fluttershy simply stared at her, but her expression held no hostility, so Twilight continued, "I attacked her, and in my rage I was able to conjure the chaos magic again. But even when I threw everything I had at her, she still nearly killed me; by accident! Eventually Luna arrived and subdued me, but even when my anger subsided I still hated Celestia, I still wanted her dead. I was placed under house arrest, and when I was released I sought out the only one who could possibly make my wish a reality."

"D-Discord?" Fluttershy asked uncertainly,

"Yes. But it turns out it's basically impossible to kill her, even for Discord. So we made a deal." Fluttershy was both intrigued and terrified by what her friend was telling her. She still couldn't believe everything Twilight had said, it seemed so surreal, so impossible. But then again, so had the events of that fateful day when her friend, and so many others had their lives snuffed out. "I'm going to help him escape from his prison in one month. In return, he's going to show me how to hurt Celestia as much as possible. I'm going to turn her life into a living hell, just like mine is because of what she's done. Or at least that's the plan anyway."

Fluttershy managed to suppress her shock momentarily, "W-What do you plan on doing once he's escaped?"

Twilight looked puzzled for a moment then shrugged, "I'm not sure. By that point we'll probably have Celestia hunting us down. We'll have to go into hiding for a while I guess."

Fluttershy's face suddenly became determined, "Count me in."

Both Twilight and Angel stared at her in confusion, "What? Fluttershy did you just hear me properly?"

"Yes. I won't let you suffer alone any more, and there's no way I'm letting Princess Celestia get anywhere near either of you after what she's done!" Fluttershy raised herself up from the couch slightly in an almost defensive pose. Twilight giggled inwardly, she had no idea how the pegasus would actually go about keeping the Princess at bay, but it was good to know that her friend still stood by her, despite everything she'd just told her. Better yet, this moved the plan along nicely, so she wasn't about to protest.

She smiled and placed a hoof on Fluttershy's shoulder, "Thank you, Fluttershy. You truly are the best friend anypony could ever ask for. But seriously, this is your choice, I'm not going to force you to come with us. It'll be dangerous, and things will never go back to the same as they were before if you do. It's entirely up to you, you're still my friend no matter what decision you make."

Fluttershy returned the smile, and Twilight noticed a confidence in it that was rarely seen in the timid pegasus, "I won't let you do this alone. I'll stand by my friends, for better or worse. I'm in."

After holding her stare for several seconds Twilight affirmed that she was serious and nodded slowly, "Alright, if you're absolutely certain. Think things over though, you have a whole month to decide and I'd never forgive myself if you made your decision because you felt pressured into it. Fluttershy nodded, deep in thought as she mulled over everything she had been told. Twilight stood up and sighed, "I'd better be going, I still have to talk to the others. This conversation never happened, remember?"

Fluttershy managed an abashed smile, "What conversation?" Twilight looked stunned for a moment before realising what the pegasus meant and smiled herself.

She turned her head to the room's third occupant, "Take good care of her, okay Angel?" The rabbit saluted in response as Twilight made her own way out. As the door clicked shut Angel's expression became as concerned as a rabbit can manage as he looked up at his owner with wide eyes. Fluttershy noticed it immediately, picking up on why just as quickly. She would be leaving in only a months time. Leaving everything behind, including...

"Angel, I'm so sorry..."

Twilight trotted back into the centre of Ponyville. Once again both the Carousel Boutique and Sugarcube Corner were in sight. She opted to visit the former first, considering it was closer. As she approached the door to the establishment she could clearly make out the "Sorry, we're closed!" sign. Nevertheless she proceeded to approach, confident that Rarity would let her in outside of business hours, considering this was her house as well as her store. Twilight raised her hoof to knock but was interrupted by a small voice beside her, "Don't bother, nopony's home."

Twilight turned to see Sweetie Belle looking up at her tiredly, "Oh, um, hey Sweetie Belle. Do you know where your sister is?"

The filly sighed and waved a hoof sadly, "She's at the memorial again. She's been spending more and more time there every day. I hardly even see her anymore..."

Twilight sighed. 'Of course she'd be there... It's where I should've been all this time instead of being so selfish...' "Thanks..." She looked back at the filly who had just sat herself dejectedly on a nearby bench, "Um, Sweetie, shouldn't you be out playing with your friends or finding your talents or something?"

The unicorn crusader shook her head and stared at her hooves, "Applebloom's been working on her farm all the time since what happened to Applejack, and Scootaloo's been out searching for Rainbow Dash every day..."

Twilight was more than a little unsettled by this, "What happened to them? Are they alright?"

"Oh, yeah. Well, they're not hurt, at least. Applebloom said something about her sister not being 'productive' enough or something, and Rainbow Dash, well... We've seen her around when she's working, but other than that nopony's been able to find her, and when she is working she's in a really, really bad mood and doesn't even talk to anypony..."

Twilight drew her mouth into a tight smile, "Alright. Thanks again, Sweetie Belle. I'll see what I can do, okay?" The younger unicorn nodded sadly and murmured something about 'everypony changing' before trotting off towards the market place. Twilight watched her go and shook her head, "Even their sisters... This really is bad." She turned and trotted towards Sugarcube Corner, cursing herself for not asking about Pinkie's situation before Sweetie left. She hoped against hope that her friend would be fine, remembering how strange she had acted - even by Pinkie standards - right before they... buried Spike. The memory still stung, and the emptiness from earlier returned in earnest.

Twilight approached the counter and the welcoming smile of Mrs Cake. "Twilight! It's been far too long! What can I get for you today?"

The unicorn managed to smile back, but only barely, the emptiness within her was taking longer to subside this time. "Hello, Mrs Cake. Actually I'm here to see Pinkie, it's really important. Is she in?"

The smile that Mrs Cake had been wearing suddenly faltered, "Uhm, yes, she's in, but..." she looked down at the counter, "I know this wouldn't usually be a problem, but she's... working... so she can't..." she trailed off.

Twilight regarded her quizzically, "Is something wrong, Mrs Cake?"

After a hefty pause she nodded and lifted her head to fix her worried eyes on Twilight. The unicorn couldn't help herself from feeling more than a little agitated, despite how cruel it sounded, 'Great, just great! Nothing's ever simple, is it?'

The older mare called into the back of the shop, "I'm heading out for a moment, I won't be long!" then turned to Twilight and led her to one of the quiet tables in the corner. They sat, and Mrs Cake proceeded to speak in a hushed tone, "It's Pinkie. She's not been herself ever since the..." She gazed up at Twilight apologetically, "The... Oh, Twilight, I'm so sorry..."

Twilight just sighed sadly in response. It still hurt, but it was important that she found out what was wrong as soon as possible, "It's alright, I'll make things right again... eventually." She had to fight the urge to scowl as she considered exactly how she was going to go about doing just that, "And I know what you mean, but thank you for being so considerate regardless, Mrs Cake." The older mare still held her sympathetic look, but said nothing. "So, what's happened to Pinkie anyway?"

Mrs Cake glanced towards the counter, registering that nopony was there before speaking in her hushed tone once again, "It's when she's working, Twilight. Ever since that day she's been totally engrossed in her work. At first we thought it was normal that she'd lose her flair for a while, considering what happened, but instead of improving and getting out more she started working overtime, and soon afterwards she started coming in on her own free time too. Not that it was bad for business or anything, we have more cupcakes than we know what to do with, but I'd rather just have the old Pinkie back... She acts differently now too, both inside the kitchen and out. Since that day she's simply being going into the kitchen and working in silence, hardly even speaking unless it's about the work, and you know how difficult the Pinkie we know would find that..."

Twilight nodded solemnly, "She's also becoming more and more withdrawn. At first she still made attempts at spreading her cheer throughout Ponyville when she wasn't working, but her heart wasn't in it, we all could tell. I think she could too. As she began working more, she did this less and less. She hasn't made any attempt to do so at all since around two weeks ago. She wakes up, works for as long as we let her before Carrot and I tell her she has to stop for her own well-being, then goes back to her room. The only time we ever see her outside of that is when she's getting something to eat. I don't know what's going on with her, Twilight. Me and Carrot have tried everything, but between this and taking care of the foals we're getting too tired. I'm scared that we'll lose the old Pinkie if we don't do something soon, Twilight. I just don't know what to do..."

Twilight put a hoof on one of Mrs Cake's and looked up into her worried eyes, "I think I do. Will you let me see her, Mrs Cake?"

She nodded enthusiastically, "Of course, Twilight, I just thought you should know. Please, bring Pinkie back to us."

Twilight gave her a determined look, "I'll do my best, Mrs Cake... Mrs Cake?" Twilight traced her gaze to the counter where Pinkie was now placing a new variety of treats out on display. Her mane was long and straight, and her features somehow seemed sharper compared to how Twilight remembered her. As Pinkie finished, she looked out towards the doorway with a passive expression, then gazed through the window beside her momentarily before turning back into the kitchen. Twilight gave Mrs Cake's hoof a gentle tap, snapping her attention back to their conversation.

"I-I'm scared, Twilight. Something about her now, it just scares me and I don't know why..."

Twilight fixed her with an even more determined look than before, "I'll fix this, Mrs Cake, don't worry."

"Thank you, Twilight." The unicorn rose and trotted slowly - hesitantly - towards the kitchen.

"Pinkie?" The earth pony continued her work without so much as a single hiccup, seemingly oblivious to her friend's voice. Twilight took a step forwards, Pinkie still had her back turned to her but she continued regardless, "Pinkie. I have an important message for you." Twilight leaned her head around the door frame to ensure that nopony else was in earshot. Upon confirming that this was the case she closed the door and decided to go for broke, "It's from Discord." Twilight had hoped that the shock value that the words carried would have stunned Pinkie into registering her. Instead, they had a different, and completely unexpected effect, in that they didn't have one. The pink pony didn't even twitch as she continued stirring some cupcake mixture in the same steady rhythm she'd been using for the past minute. Twilight felt her eye twitch slightly at Pinkie's apparent mastery of the art of 'not giving a fuck'.

She tried to think of something, anything, she could do that she was sure the Cake's hadn't already tried. She came up blank. The Cakes were practically Pinkie's surrogate parents in Ponyville, after all. There was only one thing that she could be sure they hadn't said. She hesitated for a moment, considering her options before resigning herself to it, 'This is the only thing I can try. It's do or die, I guess...' She trotted until she was almost side-by-side with her friend, then spoke softly, "Pinkie. Discord said that he has a cure, for the both of you." Pinkie suddenly froze, the only movement in the room was the wooden spoon that Pinkie had released knocking against the glass bowl. The sound it created permeated the silence like thunder.

"... What?" Pinkie hissed.

Twilight had to fight to stop herself from jumping around in delight at her progress. Completely ignorant of the malicious undertones in Pinkie's voice, she simply repeated herself happily, "Discord said he has a cure for the both of you!"

Just about all the joy she felt about making progress left her just as quickly as the air from her lungs as she received a ridiculously powerful hoof to the stomach, causing her to collapse in a heap on the floor. She looked up at Pinkie through bleary eyes as tears blurred her vision. Before she could say anything, however, Pinkie was atop her, pressing her forehooves against her neck. Twilight blinked several times before the tears left her eyes, allowing her to gaze up at her friend once more.

Pinkie was visibly shaking, tears welling in her own eyes as she spat the question as loudly as she dared without attracting attention from elsewhere, "WHAT DID HE TELL YOU!?" Twilight felt pressure begin to build against her throat as she gazed up at Pinkie's murderous expression. Had she not been panicking so much, she might have thought to simply levitate Pinkie off of her, but as it stood she was absolutely terrified, never mind in excruciating pain from the unexpected blow she had received moments beforehand. She felt more pressure build and began to find it difficult to breathe. "WHAT DID HE TELL YOU!? TELL ME NOW, TWILIGHT! TELL. ME. NOW!" Twilight's eyes went wide as she realised that Pinkie truly intended to throttle her if she didn't get an answer.

Spluttering as she did so, Twilight forced out a response against the flow of air that was desperate to reach her lungs, "H-He di-dn't - tell me - any-thing. - I'm j-just - a - mess-enger. - I don't - know wh-at you're talk-ing - ab-out - P-Pin-kie." After a few more seconds, just as Twilight's vision began to tunnel, Pinkie rolled herself off her friend and sat against a counter. Twilight coughed violently, gasping lungfuls of precious air as she grasped her throat and curled herself into a ball to alleviate some of the pain in her stomach. The two simply stayed in their respective positions, each collecting themselves, until Twilight managed to prop herself up against the counter opposite Pinkie. They both to stared at each other, though Twilight was obviously still terrified.

Pinkie was the first to speak, her voice meek and broken, "Twilight... I'm so, so sorry... I don't... I didn't..." she trailed off as a few tears fell across her muzzle.

Twilight, although obviously still on edge, managed a curt nod, "It's alright, I guess. There's no permanent damage, at least." She paused to let out another hacking cough, "Now that that's out of the way, do you mind telling me what the fuck that just was!?"

Pinkie - still crying - hung her head low but looked up at her, "I'm s-sorry, T-Twilight. I c-can't tell y-you... T-That's why I g-got so m-mad when you s-said that... I thought h-he'd t-told you my s-secret... I'm so, s-so, so s-sorry!"

Twilight, despite her reservations and - relatively minor - injuries, crawled over to her friend and draped a foreleg around her neck, putting her back against the same counter as Pinkie. "It's okay, Pinkie, it's okay. Can we just put the entire thing behind us, I do seriously need to tell you something, and then we need to talk." Pinkie nodded, unable to form words through her choking sobs. "I won't ask what it means, but Discord said that he has a cure, for the both of you, I'm guessing you understand what that means?"

She wiped away her tears, "Y-Yes, I think so. What were y-you doing talking to D-Discord anyways!?"

Twilight sighed, "It's a long story. I'll tell you soon. Until then, nopony, and I mean NOPONY, can know. Understand?"

Twilight swore she saw Pinkie's mane inflate just a tad as she spoke, "Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." with all the accompanying gestures.

"Good. Now then, if you know what it means then that leads us on to what we need to talk about. I'm going to Canterlot at the end of the month. That's when Discord said we should return to him, so you have a decision to make. Are you considering taking him up on his offer?"

Pinkie seemed deep in thought, "It's Discord, can I really trust anything he says?"

"Trust me, Pinkie, you can. When I tell you exactly why I was talking to him, you'll have no doubts, believe me."

Pinkie just stared at her blankly for a couple of seconds, followed by an, "Okie, dokie, lokie!"

"So, are you considering it?"

Pinkie jumped up, causing Twilight to flinch slightly. When the unicorn looked up Pinkie's mane was once again poofy, and her usual glow seemed to have returned, "Considering it? I'm done considering it! Heck yeah I'll take it! If he really does have one then I'll host the bestest 'Discord made me better' party EVER! I've wanted this since FOREVER!" She seemingly teleported to Twilight, appearing out of nowhere to embrace the unicorn in a crushing hug before speaking, "Gotta' go, thanks a bunch, Twilight!" Then she was gone. From the front of the bakery she heard Pinkie scream something about 'Taking a well-deserved break!' accompanied by a rush of wind that still found it's way to Twilight in the kitchen as Pinkie bolted out the door.

As she stepped back out into the front of the shop Twilight was met with the tearful eyes of Mrs Cake. She wondered what was wrong as the baker wrapped her up in a hug of her own, "Thank you so much Twilight! If you ever need anything, you only have to ask." She said, releasing the unicorn. Only then did Twilight realise that they were tears of happiness, not sorrow.

Twilight simply shook her head, "Don't worry about it, I'm just happy I could help." She turned to the door, "Sorry, Mrs Cake, I'd stick around but I'm really busy today, and sorry about Pinkie too. I didn't expect her to just bolt like that..."

Mrs Cake just looked over at the entrance and shrugged bemusedly, "Don't worry about it, it's not exactly your fault. Besides, she's probably earned the next year off with all the work she's put in... Now then, you said you're busy, I won't keep you." she said with a smile.

Twilight nodded in response and exited. She turned to face her next destination and set off, ticking off another box from her mental check-list, 'Two down, three to go. Not bad for one day...'

The barn could be seen up ahead as Twilight stepped onto the dirt track. Glancing around, she noticed that there were far more apples on the trees than she was used to, and briefly wondered why before remembering what Sweetie Belle had said earlier, 'Applebloom said something about her sister not being 'productive' enough or something.' Still, she was puzzled. She had heard tales of Big Mac's almost superpony strength and stamina, and had seen how hard Applejack had needed to work when he was injured just to fulfil his workload on top of her own. She was sure he of all ponies would've been able to keep up with the work in her absence. Twilight began scanning for anypony nearby, but came up empty.

She continued towards the barn door and was about to knock before she heard the distinct 'CLOP' of hooves connecting with a tree somewhere over to her left. Actually, it was more of two 'CLOP's in quick succession. It wasn't overtly obvious, but it was clear if one paid attention that the hooves weren't working in synch. Twilight lowered her hoof and trotted over to the left, peeking her head around the corner of the barn when she reached it.

Applejack stood with her rearhooves still pressed against the tree, staring pensively at the ground beneath her. Twilight watched as she reset her stance and gave another half-hearted attempt at bucking the tree. Once again her hooves connected at marginally separate intervals, causing the tree to shake without relinquishing its fruit. Her face fell from pensive to downright sad, and Twilight felt awkward watching her. She didn't want to intrude into her friend's privacy, but her heart ached as she saw the defeated expression the farmer held.

So when said farmer suddenly screamed at the top of her lungs Twilight almost jumped out of her skin. "T'AIN'T FAIR!" Applejack's visage was one of unbridled fury as she threw all technique out the window and bucked the tree repeatedly as hard as she could, "AH CAN'T DO NOTHIN' RIGHT! AH CAN'T EVEN HELP MY FRIENDS! AN' THERE AIN'T NOPONY TO BLAME BUT MYSELF! AH'M ABSOLUTELY USELESS!" Twilight could only stare sadly as her friend released a furious barrage of kicks into the bark of the unfortunate tree. Once she withdrew her hooves the bark looked as if it had been half-devoured by a horde of parasprites. To add insult to injury, not a single apple had fallen from the tree in the process.

Applejack registered this as she turned to the tree and placed a forehoof against the area she had just bucked to the moon and back. Twilight felt her stomach lurch, causing the pain from Pinkie's - surprisingly powerful - blow from earlier to resurface momentarily as the apple farmer let out a strangled cry and spun to sit against the tree, burying her head in her hooves as she wept. Twilight couldn't stand it any more. Regardless of the state Applejack was in, and the blow Twilight seeing her in such a state would undoubtedly deal to her pride, she couldn't just stand by and let her friend suffer like this any longer.

Applejack raised her head at the sound of hoofsteps approaching, quickly wiping away the tears and pushing up the brim of her stetson before looking up at the new arrival. "T-Twilight?"

Twilight stopped in front of her friend, "Applejack? What's the matter?"

"Ain't nothin' the matter, Ah'm fine." she huffed as she stared up at the unicorn.

Twilight let out an exasperated sigh as she stared at Applejacks 'liar face', "Applejack, has anypony ever told you that you're a terrible liar?"

"Ah ain't lyin', Ah was just restin'!"

Twilight facehoofed as Applejack's 'liar face' kicked into overdrive, "Look, Applejack. I've had a particularly bad week. Even since returning to Ponyville I've already had to move Spike's favourite belongings, dissuade Fluttershy from suicide and been assaulted by Pinkie Pie. I do not need the Element of Honesty lying to me, alright?"

Applejack's eyes widened at the news, but her curiosity got the better of her, "Returning here? Where'd ya go?"

"Canterlot, I'll tell you later. Right now I need you to tell me what's wrong, Applejack." She sat next to her friend and waited patiently.

Applejack sighed deeply, "Ah'm useless Twi'. Ever since this mess started all Ah've been doin' is worryin' about y'all back in Ponyville. Everypony's changed..."

Twilight nodded, "I've heard, but do you know the specifics?"

"Yeah... Fluttershy did what you did and locked herself inside. Ah tried a few times to get both of ya out, but ya both did the exact same 'bash the door' thing. Kinda' creepy, come to think of it. Rarity's been ignorin' her job and spendin' hours at a time at ya brother's grave, just starin' at it, an' Pinkie's been workin' so much nopony's even seen her outta' the bakery in the last two weeks. An' Rainbow Dash?" Applejack's face fell further, "Ah'm not exactly sure if what Ah've been told is true, but word is that she's been drinkin'. A lot. Showin' up to work an' not even been able to fly straight, apparently. What Ah do know is true is that after work she's been dissappearin' as she pleases an' nopony knows where she goes..."

Twilight nodded as she took all of this in, "And you?"

"Me?"

"Yes, Applejack, you. It's pretty obvious after what I just saw that this has been affecting you too."

Applejack stared at the earth beneath her, "Ah can't work, Twi', Ah just can't. Every time Ah try all Ah see in my head is y'all sufferin', and how Ah should be out there tryin'a help y'all instead of buckin' apples. But Ah tried, Twilight! Ah tried so hard! You, Fluttershy and Rarity barely acknowledged me, Pinkie flat out ignored me, and Ah can't even find Rainbow Dash! What could Ah 'ave done!?" She paused for a moment, then scowled, "Ah could've tried harder is what Ah could've done! But nu'uh! Ah gave up! Ah quit! Ah quit on my friends, Twilight! Ah'm a quitter, and Ah'm a terrible friend!" Applejack was trembling now as she recalled what Twilight had said earlier, "Pinkie attacked ya, and Fluttershy... suicide!? Ah couldn't help Spike, Ah couldn't help Fluttershy, Ah couldn't help Pinkie, Ah couldn't help Rarity, Ah couldn't hel-"

Twilight's tone was worried but firm, "Applejack!" The farmer stopped, but she was still shaking uncontrollably, the huge amount of stress she was dealing with finally showing through, "Listen, it's going to be alright. We can still help our friends, but you have be strong, okay?" she said as she placed her forehooves on Applejack's shoulders. Applejack gulped and nodded slowly, "Good. I need you to calm down and relax before we can help them though."

After a few seconds the earth pony reclined against the tree and closed her eyes. Slowly, but surely, her trembling subsided. "Listen, Applejack. You can stop worrying about the others, I'm taking care of it, everything's going to be fine. I talked to Fluttershy this morning, and with the help of Angel she's on the mend. As for Pinkie, we talked... Well, first she attacked me, then we talked, but everything's fine now. From what I could tell she's back to her 'normal' self again."

Applejack had opened her eyes and was staring at her with both admiration and sorrow, tears brimming in her eyes once again, "Y-Ya did somethin' in one mornin' that Ah couldn't do in a month..."

"That's because you still have your responsibilities here stopping you from helping, and because it was a mission..." she paused slightly as she changed the name 'Discord' to 'Celestia', "From Princess Celestia." It took every fibre of her being to speak the name casually instead of hissing it, and using her oh-so-perfect title didn't help.

Applejack looked up at her quizzically, "So she knows?"

Twilight quickly formulated a response, then began turning the situation to her advantage, "Yes, she realised none of us were willing to ask for help, so she called me to Canterlot earlier this week. After giving me the new purpose I needed she told me that it was my mission to ensure that you were all safe and returning to your normal selves. Of course, I was happy to accept, I wanted to help you all anyway, the mission just put even more power behind my drive to do so."

Applejack slowly nodded, "So you're goin' to find Rainbow Dash an' Rarity an' make things okay again?"

Twilight smiled, "Exactly."

The farmer stood and looked down at her friend, "Then let's go, no use waitin' around here all day!"

Twilight stood and put a forehoof against Applejacks shoulder as she shook her head, "No, Applejack. You need to stay here, at least until your family isn't so behind with their work. Then you can help, alright?"

"But Twilight! Ah-"

"No. Your family comes first Applejack. You need to start working again, they're tired, and you owe them that much."

"That's exactly the point! How can Ah work if Ah know that two of my friends still need help?"

Twilight stared deeply into Applejack's eyes, "Applejack, do you trust me?"

The farmer's face became deadly serious, "You know Ah do, with my life."

"Then trust me to take care of this. I promise you, I'll fix things. If it takes a while then you can come and help. If, and only if, you're back on schedule, okay?"

Applejack looked as if she would press her point further but sighed resignedly, "Ah trust your judgement, Twi'. Ah'll get off my flank an' stop worryin about the others 'till the work's done."

Twilight smiled and gestured towards the damaged tree, "Prove it."

Applejack trotted over to the tree and span around, positioning herself for the kick. As she leaned onto her forehooves visions of her friends suffering clouded her thoughts momentarily, then Twilight's voice reverberated through her mind, "I promise you, I'll fix things, trust me." Clarity returned to her thoughts as she reared up her hindlegs and delivered a sturdy buck into the tree. She span expectantly, only for her heart to sink as the tree stopped shaking without a single apple dropping off.

Just as she hung her head in defeat the distinct sound of apples falling into barrels could be heard all around her. She looked up at the tree - now bare of it's fruit - then down at the barrels, which were filled with apples, then back at the tree again. After repeating this process several times she released a mirthful laugh, "Ah did it! Ah finally did it!"

Twilight appeared next to her friend and draped a forehoof around her neck, "I knew you could do it!"

After a few moments Applejack spoke, "Thanks, Twilight, for everythin'."

The unicorn retracted her foreleg, "Don't mention it. You're my friend, and friends look out for each other. But right now, let me look out for our friends, you need to look out for your family." Applejack gave an affirmative grunt and Twilight looked up at the sky, "It'll be getting dark in a few hours, I'd better go." Applejack nodded and stepped back as the mare vanished in a flash of purple and white. She turned to the wounded tree behind her and gave it an apologetic pat before pinpointing the closest tree that bore fruit. She pulled the brim of her hat down slightly and smiled confidently, finally ready to work.

Twilight materialised about halfway between Sweet Apple Acres and Spike's grave. She considered teleporting the rest of the way, but decided against it, the walk would help her clear her head before she visited her brother in his final resting place once again. As she approached she noticed the tall - but undeniably majestic - wrought iron fence that surrounded the area, as well as the pair of royal guards that stood unmoving at the gate, standing watch against potential vandals or looters; though neither were common in Ponyville. Twilight only now recalled that Spike had received a Lordship after his death, 'A world of good that does him, Celestia, you deceitful bitch.'

She approached the gates and realised that the enclosure was actually rather small, but then remembered that, although the other guards that had died had their collective memorial service here, they were all buried elsewhere. The enclosure was the residence of Spike alone. Twilight approached the open gates and stepped hesitantly, expecting to be halted by the guards posted there. Though she passed by without incident, and despite the guards not moving a muscle, she could've sworn she felt coldness and animosity radiating from them as she stepped through the threshold. 'It's impossible to tell, but they probably know what happened in the castle... Or maybe I'm just being paranoid.' She shook away the thoughts, it didn't matter anyway.

She proceeded along the path, and noticed a single lonely figure at the base of Spike's statue, staring down at the earth below. Twilight steadily closed the distance, trying to make out the figure, though she knew who it probably was anyway. She noticed that the gem that acted as the literal heart of the statue was still glowing with the same beautiful spectrum as it did that day almost two months ago. The figure's cutie mark came into focus, and all doubts that Twilight had about who the pony was faded immediately. She trotted until she came to a stop beside her, and mimicked her friend, staring down at the earth before her solemnly. Tears trickled down the cheeks of both, but neither made a sound as they paid their respects. Several dozen minutes later Twilight sighed raggedly, remembering why she was there, "R-Rarity?"

The unicorn in question didn't answer until almost a minute had passed, "Yes, darling?" Neither had removed their gaze from the grave.

Twilight paused for a moment before speaking, "There's something important we need to talk about..."

Rarity sighed, "I know what you're going to say, Twilight. The only reason I'm even speaking is because you have a far greater right to be here than I do. You want what the others want for me, don't you?"

Both were still staring at the grave, "And what would that be?"

Rarity's tone wasn't mocking, just upset, "Rarity, you need to forget about this and move on, what's done is done. Rarity, you need to come back to the shop, you're losing customers and you can hardly pay your bills. Rarity, your sister misses you when you're gone for so long, she needs her big sister to be there for her, especially after everything that happened..." she trailed off.

Twilight spoke up in the same flat tone that they were both utilising now, "No, Rarity. I'm not like the others, because I understand what you're going through more than they do. We cared for him. We protected him. We loved him. But in the end, it wasn't enough, we were too weak to save him when he needed us the most, and we'll have to carry that burden for the rest of our lives."

"But if you feel the same way I do, then why did you come looking for me? Surely you know that my feelings won't just change."

"I don't expect them to Rarity. Mine haven't either. I've been thinking of what happened that day, how things were before, and what's happened since, every single day. I don't think there's anything wrong with dwelling on the past, we both find comfort in it, and it's teaching us to learn from our mistakes." Rarity nodded, "But we can't solely dwell on the past, we need a future too. We need new things to care for, to protect, to love. That doesn't mean we've forgotten about what once was, it just means we're ready to accept things for what they are and continue on. We'll never stop looking back, and that's good, but we have to look forwards too, no matter how hard it is." Twilight gestured to the plaque at the base of the statue, 'Here lies Lord Spike, defender of justice and harmony. May we draw strength from his valiant sacrifice, even when our hearts are heavy and hollow with despair. With his guidance we will find the light once again.' The two unicorns read it in silence before Twilight spoke again, "We have to find that light, Rarity. What about your sister? Do you not care for her? Do you not want to protect her? Do you not love her?"

Rarity turned to Twilight for the first time, looking slightly taken aback, "Of course I do!"

Twilight looked up at her in return, "Then show it. You're spending too much time in the past Rarity. I know it isn't easy, hell, I spent a month locked away in the library, and that just shows how much stronger than me you are, if-"

Rarity cut her off immediately, "Don't you even dare say that, Twilight. He was your brother, you had every right to do what you did. If I lost Sweetie Belle I don't know if I could ever have the strength to say what you've said today. You're the stronger one, Twilight, and maybe you're right, I can't do any of those things for Sweetie Belle while I'm here..."

Twilight nuzzled her friend gently, "I know it's going to take a while, but just try spending a little less time here each day, okay?"

Rarity nodded in response, "I'll do my best, Twilight. Would it be alright for me to ask a favour of you though?"

Twilight smiled, "Of course, Rarity. Anything."

"Will you come with me until I'm strong enough to do it on my own? I know I won't leave early enough if I come by myself, and only you really understand how I feel." Rarity seemed almost ashamed but scared as she asked the question, her expression resembling one of a foal asking to sleep with her parents as a thunderstorm raged outside.

Twilight locked eyes with Rarity, "You have my word, Rarity. Besides, I need to get some visiting done anyways..." she glanced down at the grave sadly for a moment.

They both stood in silence until Rarity glanced over at the sun preparing to set on the horizon, "We'd better get going soon, darling. They'll be locking up soon, and I need to find Sweetie Belle and apologise." Twilight nodded and the two trotted along in comfortable silence all the way back into Ponyville. As they neared the Boutique they spotted Sweetie Belle, and Twilight quickly wished Rarity goodnight before leaving so as to allow them some privacy.

Twilight smiled softly to herself as she trotted back towards the library, 'It's going to take a while, but I think Rarity will be alright. Now there's just Rainbow Dash...' Just as she was about to turn off from the row of houses she was trotting by, Twilight heard the crash of tumbling garbage cans in an alley to the left, followed by a familiar groan. Twilight cantered into the alleyway to see Rainbow Dash splayed across one of the bins, trying to stand up. Twilight neared the pegasus, intending to lend her a helping hoof, but instead recoiled at the disgusting stench of stale vomit and alcohol drifting on the wind around her. Whilst she was coughing and fighting the urge to vomit herself, Rainbow regained her uneasy balance and approached the unicorn. When Twilight looked up she was almost muzzle to muzzle with the pegasus, "R-Rainbow Dash!? W-What happened to you!? Look what you've done to yourself!"

As it turned out, Rainbow Dash wasn't particularly in the mood to be lectured, as evidenced when she slapped the unicorn across the face with a shaky hoof, causing Twilight to tumble backwards in shock and pain, "Yeah? Fuck you too, Twilight. Think you're so... int... intel... smart! Fuckin' egghead!" Before either of them could say anything else Rainbow took off, flying surprisingly well towards the outskirts of Ponyville, though Twilight was sure she didn't usually fly in a zig-zag.

Still shocked by what had just happened, she shook her head and trotted home, rubbing the sore red mark on her face, 'I'll deal with her tommorrow...' she thought solemnly. She had considered Rainbow Dash to be a little arrogant at times, - such as the time when she and her friends had been forced to pose as 'The Mysterious Maredowell' - but never anything this extreme. A shudder went through her as she imagined what the effects of alcohol abuse would be on her other friends: Applejack, Rarity, even Fluttershy would probably act more than a little out of character. A sudden afterthought disturbed her greatly, and she hastily acted upon it, 'Note to self: Pinkie is to be kept sober until forever.'

Twilight opened the door to the library and ducked as Owlowiscious swooped in over her and landed on his perch. Twilight cursed herself as she realised that she'd completely forgotten about the poor creature, she hadn't even looked for him since she'd arrived back, nor had she asked anypony to look after him while she was in Canterlot. Fortunately he was looking healthy enough, and Twilight sighed in relief after checking him over, glad that he was smart enough to look after himself for the most part. She fed him before making her way upstairs. Once in her room, she found herself staring at Spike's basket once again, more memories flashing by. Remembering her promise to Rarity, she tutted, "I'll have to visit you on my own too, there's a lot I have to tell you..." Feeling the dark thoughts creeping up on her once more along with the emptiness returning, Twilight quickly diverted her train of thought as she rolled into bed. She felt sleep slowly tempting her and once again offered up a quick thanks to Luna before drifting off into a peaceful slumber.

Luna was hunched over the bin she held in her hooves, sure that the churning contents of her stomach would be better off inside it than her. She was sweating profusely, and her breaths were deep and ragged. Tears beaded in her eyes as she tried to shake away the images that haunted the edges of her vision. 'Oh, Twilight...' was all she could think as she tried to forget what the back-to-back nightmares had held. Burning. Tearing. Shredding. Breaking. Crushing. Slicing. Drowning. Maiming. And blood, so much blood. Luna didn't know why she found these aspects so terrifying, she had witnessed almost every single one during the chaos wars, and yet, this dream - this nightmare - seemed more horrifying than reality. She didn't know what it was. Maybe it was her inability, even as the Princess of the Night and Dreams, to move, or speak, or do anything. Maybe it was how little Spike's screams wouldn't stop, even after he was surely dead. Or perhaps it was that all that blood, the blood of an innocent, the blood of a child, was, quite literally, on Celestia's hooves. Her sister's hooves.

Luna vomited violently. When she was finished, she still felt sick, but a lot better than she had done before. Shivering, she thought sadly, 'Twilight... There must be a way to make these stop.' She closed her eyes and tried to steady her breathing, only to be met with more recollections. Choking. Beating. Hacking. Biting. Stabbing. Grating. Twisting. Peeling. The nausea returned full-force, causing Luna to empty what little contents her stomach had retained, and then some, into the bin. She stood shakily and trotted out onto the balcony for some fresh air. Once she emerged, the unmistakable form of her sister turned to face her.

Celestia smiled softly, the same sweet, comforting, innocent smile that she wore in the dreams, even as she committed those atrocities, "Luna, are you alright?" Luna yelped and took a step back, tears beading in her eyes once again. Celestia's smile quickly faltered and she darted to her sister, "Luna? What happened?"

Luna looked up at Celestia before burying her muzzle in her sister's mane, the tears becoming too great in number to suppress, "I-It's T-Twilight's d-dreams, Celestia! T-They're, h-horrifying! Y-You're smiling in them, b-but you d-do awful things! You... Y-You..." Celestia looked off into the distance with a heavy heart at her sister's words as Luna lost her ability to form coherent sentences and resorted to simply sobbing even more deeply into her sister's mane. But as she clenched her eyes shut, the images simply came back. Ripping. Sawing. Screaming. Crying. Smiling. Blood. Blood. Blood...

Author's Note

Hey guys. Took in some feedback and finally cut out some of the references that didn't really fit in the earlier chapters. Also, you've probably noticed that I've changed the speech and paragraphing style after feedback I received from DemonWilde52 (who's constructive criticism is really pushing this story in a better direction *squee*) and a few others. Please let me know if you think I should keep the style like this (In which case, I'll edit the previous chapters so that they follow the same format), or if I should change anything. As always, I'll keep you guys posted on chapter progress on my profile. Peace.

Chapter XII - Upon the Precipice

'Another day, another friendship problem...' Twilight thought as she awoke, 'But a day closer to justice nonetheless.' She twisted beneath her sheets, trying to stretch, but had to stop as her stomach burned in protest, causing her breath to hitch in her throat as she relaxed again, 'Wow, thanks a lot, Pinkie. It might not be permanent but it still hurts like hell.' She proceeded to lift a hoof to her face and check for any bruising after her 'encounter' with Rainbow Dash. When she found no indication of such, she deemed it safe to facehoof, and did so. She had absolutely no idea how she would go about finding the pegasus, let alone have a civilised conversation with her. Her next thought was to find Scootaloo, but upon remembering that Sweetie Belle hadn't even seen her, she facehoofed again. 'Nothing can be simple, can it?'

Twilight climbed out of bed and stretched - carefully this time - as she considered her options. 'So, it looks like I'll be spending a while trying to find wherever Rainbow is, I've got that promise with Rarity to keep and I should probably check up on Fluttershy too, just in case.' She cast a cursory glance at Spike's basket, unwilling to be pulled into the inevitable spiral of happy yet painful memories that accompanied it, before heading downstairs to the kitchen, intent on eating something proper before embarking on what she was sure would be a difficult search.

She was right. Four hours in, and she still had no leads. She'd already asked a few passers-by if they had seen Rainbow Dash, but she just received the same answers each time, "Oh, Rainbow Dash? Can't say that I have."

"Only on the job, and she's not doing a particularly good one of late."

"Not since a while ago, Twilight. Well, I've caught glimpses of her, but that's all. Sorry I couldn't be more helpful..."

The list went on. Twilight trotted to a bench and slumped onto it, deep in thought as she revised her strategy, 'I need a better method. Who!? Who would know where Rainbow Dash is? Scootaloo didn't seem to be having much luck, according to Sweetie Belle at least. Still, it could be worth a try, if I can find her. Who else? I don't really know anypony on her weather team by name, and it's not as if I'm going to try the wing spell so I can fly up and ask them, not after what happened the last time I gave Rarity wings. She cursed herself for not looking where Rainbow Dash flew off to the day before. Even if nopony had seen her, somepony in Ponyville must have some way of finding her, somehow, despite how impossible it seemed.' Her stupidity came back to hit her so hard it would've knocked a less intellectual being dead, 'If it's the impossible I need, then I need look no further than-'

"Heya, Twilight!" Pinkie's voice shrieked from right behind her. Had Twilight not half-expected it then she would probably have suffered a heart attack, "What're you sat there all grumpy-like for? That was my job only yesterday! Oh, I just gotta' say I'm sorry about the whole punchy-punchy surprise attack your friend thing again, like seriously. I mean, imagine if I did that to all my friends, well, I guess they wouldn't be my friends for much longer after that. Oh no! Twilight! Please tell me you're still my friend! You're still my friend, aren't you!?"

Twilight began to turn her head, but only had to look around about half way, Pinkie had somehow appeared on the bench beside her without a sound, "Yes, Pinkie, I'm still your friend." Pinkie looked as if she were about to start another outburst, causing Twilight to interject quickly, "Actually, I was hoping you'd be able to help me with something. I'm looking for Rainbow Dash, but I haven't seen her anywhere. You don't have any idea where she could be, do you?"

Pinkie rubbed her chin with a hoof for a moment, "Dashie? Well, I did have a twitchy tail, tickly hoof, itchy nose combo just before I got here, but I don't know if that'll help..."

"Why? What does it mean?"

"Oh, it means Dashie has opened her fifth bottle. It's been happening a lot since I left Sugarcube Corner yesterday, it's getting kinda' annoying, y'know? But yeah, I don't think that helps much, does it?"

Twilight sighed, "Not really... Anything else?" As Twilight spoke Pinkie's body went rigid and she bounced up and down like a jackhammer for several moments before proceeding to roll one eye and sneeze. Twilight stood from the bench and took an alarmed step backwards before Pinkie returned to 'normal'.

Pinkie shook her head rapidly, "Wowww. I never did like that one..." Twilight just raised an eyebrow, unwilling to get her hopes up just yet, "Dashie just walked into her front door." Out of nowhere she repeated the exact same sequence as before, "Twice."

Twilight jumped so that she was almost muzzle to muzzle with Pinkie, "She's at her home!?"

"Of course she is, silly! It wouldn't be 'her' door if it was in somepony else's house would it? Unless she decided to take her door to somepony else's house for some reason, hmm..."

Twilight hugged her friend before taking off, "Thanks so much, Pinkie!" she called back.

Pinkie barely registered it as she pondered over the benefits of using one's own door in another's house, "Maybe something magical would happen. After all, doors are magic, they let us walk through walls..."

Twilight was beginning to wonder if the throttling she had received yesterday had starved her brain of oxygen, 'Stupid, stupid, stupid! Who looks for a pegasus on the GROUND!? Obviously she has a home! Just because she sleeps on trees and stray clouds during the day, doesn't mean she does it at night too! Stupid, Twilight, stupid!' This continued in much the same fashion throughout the balloon journey. She even almost forgot to cast the cloud-walking spell before disembarking, earning her a swift slap to her own face as she tried to snap herself back to her senses, accompanied by a new wave of more profane self-insults, 'Fall to my death? Good plan! As you can clearly see, Twilight Sparkle, the Bearer of the Element of Magic, is tremendously fucking intelligent! Nice going, brain, any more bright ideas?' She stopped to take deep breaths and focus. Once she was relatively calm, she proceeded to ask passers-by for directions to Rainbow Dash's house.

Twilight hadn't been sure what to expect. Perhaps the residence of Rainbow Dash would be extravagant beyond measure? Or maybe abstract beyond any recognition of it being a home? With Rainbow Dash, who knew? Could it even be a Wonderbolts shrine? So when she arrived, what she saw was not at all what she expected. She even re-checked the address just to be sure. The house was just like any of the others in Cloudsdale, save for the rainbow that merged with the design and somehow ran off the edge of the cloud as a liquid stream. It followed the same architectural design, and hovered at the exact same height as all the nearby houses. Only the rainbow intertwined with it could distinguish it from the others, and it was entangled so flawlessly that one wouldn't even notice the other houses didn't have one, unless they were actually looking for a rainbow snaking around all the houses in Cloudsdale. Rainbow Dash's house was... average, by Cloudsdale standards. It didn't seek to be the best, or stand out as its owner did. Twilight was having trouble getting her head around it, 'In everything else she goes out of her way to grab the spotlight, but her house doesn't? Is she trying to hide something?' She caught herself, 'I'm here to help Rainbow Dash, not delve into her personal life, or stand out here staring at her home for that matter.'

Reaching the doorway, she noticed it was slightly ajar, but knocked anyway out of politeness, "Rainbow Dash? Are you in?"

She heard something topple over inside, "Whoisit?" the pegasus slurred in response.

Twilight gulped as she realised that the pegasus was either seriously hung over or drunk, "It's me. It's Twilight. Can I come in? I need to talk to you."

Silence. Then, "Idon'twanna... talkaboutit, Twilight."

Twilight took a deep breath before pushing the door open and began searching for her friend inside. The stench of alcohol was overpowering as she made her way inside, but she shut it out as she scanned for her friend. All she could see were empty glass bottles. Everywhere. She turned into what she presumed was the living room and saw her. Rainbow was sat against the far wall, head slumped, a half-empty bottle still cradled in her hooves. "Rainbow Dash!" Twilight darted over to her friend and sat on her haunches in front of her, shaking the pegasus gently with a hoof.

Rainbow wearily lifted her head, "Twilight... What'reya... Doin'here? Idon'twannatalk... Twilight." Her head tilted backwards as she lifted the bottle above her head and began to drink heavily, almost downing the remaining contents in one gulp.

Twilight just watched her friend, horrified. All thoughts of the purpose she had actually tracked her friend down for had vanished, "Rainbow Dash, please, stop this! You're destroying yourself! You HIT me last night, don't you remember?"

The pegasus slumped her head again, and a few tears began falling from her muzzle to the floor as she spoke, "Yeah. Iremember. Iwasn't. Thinkingstraight. Ihurtyou... Please. Twilight. Justleave." The guilt seemed to have sobered her up, at least a little, her sentences becoming slightly more coherent, "I'mdone. I'vehad. Enough. Leaveme. Alone."

Twilight shook her head and lifted Rainbow's head, tears in both their eyes, "I can't. I won't! You're my friend, Rainbow Dash! I won't jus-"

"GET. OUT. TWILIGHT." She pointed sluggishly towards the door with one forehoof, holding the other ready to strike her if she didn't comply.

Tears still streaked down both their muzzles as Twilight stood and left without a word. Rainbow tried desperately to resist the urge to call out to her. To ask her to come back. To help her. Just as she was about to, the front door clicked shut. Silence roared through the building for several minutes, then she couldn't stand it any longer, and cried out, rolling waves of tears falling from her muzzle and breaking onto the clouds beneath. "I'msorry, Twilight! I'msorry! I'msorry! I'msorry! Ididn't. Meanto!' But her friend could not hear her, so Rainbow turned to the only form of solace she could find, and opened another bottle.

Twilight stood by the grave in silence. Rarity stood beside her, and both were deep in thought. 'I'll try again tomorrow.' Twilight thought sadly, 'I just have to be patient.'

Rarity spoke, shaking her from her thoughts, "I'm worried, Twilight."

"W-What? What about?" Neither's eyes left the grave.

She brushed her mane to the side, with a sad flick of her hoof, "About everything. About the Boutique. About my sister and her friends. About our own friends." She gasped, "I-I've not seen Fluttershy since... since the memorial! Two months, and I'd completely forgotten about her the whole time! And our other friends! Pinkie tried to cheer me up at first, and I ignored her, and Applejack too! I saw what was happening to Rainbow Dash, but I didn't say anything. What have I done?"

Twilight spoke soothingly, "It's alright, Rarity. Fluttershy hasn't even left the cottage since that day, and from what I've heard, she wasn't letting anypony in either. I've spoken to her, Applejack and Pinkie, and all three seem to be faring better now."

Rarity nodded solemnly, "And Rainbow Dash? Could you even find her?"

Twilight shook her head, "I found her alright. Yesterday. Drunk. She swore, backhoofed me in the face then flew off." her tone was clipped, but undoubtedly more sad than angry.

Rarity's eyes widened, "W-What did you do? Where did she go?"

"To her house. Don't ask my why, but I think she's been flying away from Ponyville to throw anypony looking for her off-track. She's been sneaking back into her house all this time."

"Why?"

A heartfelt sigh escaped Twilight's lips, "I found her there this morning. Everypony thinks she has a drinking problem, right? Well, it's much worse than just that. The house is absolutely filled with empty bottles, it looks like a factory." Rarity gasped, but Twilight continued, "I think she's been in her house all this time to try and hide it, Rarity. She doesn't want to admit what's happening to her. She almost hit me again when I refused to leave. I think she's scared. She's drinking to cope, but she's too ashamed to admit it."

"I see." Rarity's tone was pained. She was trying to find a solution, but this certainly wasn't her area of expertise.

"I'm doing what I can to help her, but I don't know if it's enough." Twilight whispered sadly.

Rarity placed a comforting hoof on Twilight's shoulder, "I'll do what I can to help if you need me, but in the end we can only hope, darling. It's down to her as much as it is us." The conversation died there. Both had yet to look away from the grave when Rarity spoke some time later, "Why do we do this, Twilight?"

"Huh?"

"Every time we speak here, we just stare at the grave. Is there a reason for it, or is it just something we do?"

"I don't know. I think, maybe, it's because we just want to involve him in things, y'know? Just in case he can hear us wherever he is now." Twilight drew her features tight, unwilling to cry in front of Rarity, whom she was there to provide support for.

Rarity sniffled, "I hope so, dear, I really do."

After the visit with Rarity, Twilight had headed to Fluttershy's cottage to ensure that everything was fine. When Fluttershy appeared, she seemed in much higher spirits, and was looking much healthier than she had before. After an hour or so Twilight had left feeling rather pleased with herself, Fluttershy was doing alright again. Then she remembered Rainbow Dash, 'I won't give up on you that easily, Rainbow. Everypony else is healing and you're just getting worse. You're not going to be the only one I can't help.' She trotted back to the library purposefully. 'Before the month is over I WILL have all five of my friends back.' She smiled, 'And hopefully, five allies for my quest. But one step at a time, Twilight.'

The next day, Twilight found herself outside Rainbow Dash's house again, though the door was closed properly this time. She knocked and waited. "It'snotlocked!" came the voice from inside, Rainbow's words slurring into one once again. Twilight made her way inside quietly. Rainbow Dash was in the living room again, but this time she was reclining lazily on her sofa instead if slumping against the wall. "Whatisit?" Rainbow opened her eyes and saw Twilight standing before her. For a moment her expression became pained, but then it was wiped as she stared blankly at Twilight, "Whatisit, Twilight? Don'tyoudare. Lecturemeagain."

The unicorn tried anyway, "Rainbow Dash, all your friends are worried about you. I'm worried about you. Please, just try and stop drinki-"

"OUT." Twilight complied. If what Rarity said was true, this would have to be done on Rainbow's own terms, so she just accepted it and left without a word. Rainbow watched her go, the urge to call out to her more powerful than yesterday, but she suppressed it, 'I don't need any help...' She saw straight through her own lie and reached for the nearest bottle.

Twilight approached Rarity, now standing by the guards at the gate to the memorial. The seamstress spoke first, "Thank you for coming again, darling. I know how time-consuming this must be."

They stepped through the gates, "Not at all, Rarity. Besides, it gives me time to clear my head. Honestly, it's what I need if I'm going to visit Rainbow Dash every day."

"You visited her this morning?"

"Yeah..."

"Care to tell us about it?"

Twilight seemed confused as they came to a stop by the statue, "Us?"

Rarity smiled slightly and gestured to the grave at the statue's base, "Just me, you, and him."

This cycle continued for five days. Each day, Twilight would attempt to get through to Rainbow Dash, with little success. Each day she was 'kicked out' of the pegasus' home, and would then visit the memorial with Rarity to gather her thoughts. On the sixth day, however, Twilight had an idea. As she trotted into the living room, she proceeded to stand before Rainbow as per their now unofficial 'routine'. "Whatnow, Twilight? Thisisgetting. Boring."

Twilight gave her a concerned look as she spoke, "I won't lecture you again, Rainbow Dash. You've made it clear that you want neither those lectures nor myself in your house for long, so I'll just say this." Rainbow's ears perked up, this was new. "Remember who you really are." Twilight turned and left, leaving Rainbow more than a little confused. It was the first time the unicorn had not mentioned her problem, and she had left willingly this time.

'Just what is that supposed to mean? I know who I am, I'm Rainbow Dash. Duh. What is she getting at?'

Twilight brooded as the balloon drifted her back towards Ponyville, 'I hate to make it look like I'm not interested any more, Rainbow Dash, but if you have to make the decision, then who better to convince you than yourself?' She wondered if her plan had worked, if she had 'set the ball rolling', as it were. From there Rainbow Dash could do the rest.

'I'm Rainbow Dash. I know I am, so what does she mean!?' She had unknowingly spent the last two hours trying to figure out an answer. In her concentration she had even shut out the temptation to drink, if only for a while, and had sobered up surprisingly quickly. "I'm Rainbow Dash for crying out loud!" she cried out loudly, "I definitely know who I am! Everypony does! I'm the fastest flier in all of Equestria! I'm the only pegasus to ever perform a sonic rainboom! I'm the Bearer of the Element of Loyalty! I'm awesome! And I'm a winner!" Before she realised what she was doing she had climbed onto the sofa and was standing in a victory pose. She looked down at the bottle she had placed on the floor after Twilight had left, "I'm a winner..." she repeated to herself. She slumped back into her previous position and held the bottle in her forehooves, bringing it up to eye-level. "If I'm a winner, do I need this?" She was drawing it towards her mouth regardless. "One more can't hurt." she said as she tipped her head back along with the drink.

Only to have it knocked from her hooves at the last moment by a large object. Rainbow looked around in surprise and saw Tank spiralling off into the wall on her left. She trotted over and held him still before he could cause any further damage, "Let's get you something to eat, huh?" He nodded in response and the two headed into the kitchen. Rainbow turned her head to where the bottle had landed, but already the dregs were spilling through the clouds beneath. Strangely enough, it wasn't as painful to watch as some of her other spilt drinks had been. 'Remember who you really are.' Rainbow's face became all-business as she trotted into the kitchen. 'I'm a winner. But I can't win if there isn't a challenge.' So she set herself one.

Twilight knocked and called out, "Rainbow Dash? It's me, I'm coming in." She almost backpedalled when the door suddenly opened to reveal said pegasus waiting inside with a large and almost victorious grin on her face.

"Heya, Twilight! Come on in!" She beckoned her jovially with a hoof.

Twilight, on the otherhoof, was unnerved. Whilst Rainbow was obviously less intoxicated than she had been previously, she somehow looked even worse. Her eyes seemed more sunken and were now completely bloodshot, and her mane was a frazzled mess. It almost looked as if she'd been tugging at it. "Uh, Rainbow Dash?" The pegasus had already trotted into the living room. Twilight gulped and stepped inside, closing the door behind her before following her friend.

Twilight was shocked by what she saw, or rather, what she didn't see. All the bottles were gone, their absence making the room seem much larger than Twilight remembered it. "Not bad, huh?" Rainbow asked as she waved a hoof across the room before literally collapsing onto the sofa.

Twilight darted to her friend, "Rainbow Dash! Are you alright?"

The pegasus groaned slightly, "Yeah, I'm fine. It's just. I really want - really need - a drink. But I don't feel too good. Could you grab one from the back please, Twilight?"

'She's so close! I won't let her stop now!' Twilight shook her head, "No, Rainbow Dash."

The pegasus looked as if she was on the verge of tears, "But why, Twilight? I just need one, I promise! After that I'll stop!"

She sat down by the sofa and looked her friend in the eyes, "Rainbow Dash, how have you gone this long without a drink?"

Rainbow pulled a small grin, "After what you told me yesterday I set myself a challenge to see if I could still be the best I can be. I told myself I wouldn't drink another drop until I saw you again." Pride radiated from the pegasus, "But seriously, could you please grab-"

"So why settle for not being the best you can be when you know it's within your grasp? You have to keep trying, Rainbow Dash!"

Rainbow shook her head, "I can't, it's not that simple, Twi. My head hurts and I don't feel well. And it's getting worse. It's making me sick, Twilight! I just need one to make me feel better! Then I can stop for good!"

'I should have known. I have to do whatever I can to distract her.'

Twilight sighed, "I was afraid this would happen, you're suffering from withdrawal symptoms, Rainbow. You've drank so much over the past two months that your body has become accustomed to it. Now that you've stopped, your body thinks that something that is supposed to be there is missing, that's why you feel so bad. It will pass, you just need to wait a few days. You have to push through it. You can do this."

"I can't, Twilight! I just can't! I'm weak! I'm pathetic!" She looked away, ashamed, "I'm afraid!" The pegasus curled herself up and began crying quietly into her hooves. Twilight moved herself so that she was sat on the sofa beside her friend, comforting her as best she could, "It's alright, Rainbow. We all were. We still are. So much has changed, and we all feel the need to escape, but this isn't the way to go about doing it. You're hurting yourself and, by extension, your friends. They miss you, Rainbow, but you can't see them yet, if they saw you like this they'd be heartbroken. We care about you, and we're behind you every step of they way. You just have to be strong, Rainbow Dash."

Almost half an hour later, as the last of her tears stopped, Rainbow Dash jumped to her hooves, swaying slightly as a wave of dizziness hit her. Twilight moved to her and steadied her with a hoof, "Where are you going in such a hurry?"

The pegasus just gave her with a defeated look, "I'm sorry, Twilight, I really am, but I can't do this any more." She began trotting towards the kitchen.

Twilight's mind kicked into overdrive, 'I have to think of something, quickly!' Of course, she could just immobilise her with magic until the symptoms wore off, but she doubted Rainbow would be too pleased about that, and she didn't have the time to be re-building bridges with the ponies closest to her. One memory jumped to mind. Realising she couldn't think through what she wanted to say, she just blurted out what came to her, "Spike wouldn't have wanted this!" Rainbow stopped dead in her tracks, "You said he was your hero. You said you wanted to be like him! Yet here you are, giving in! Did Spike give in? No! He fought until the very end!"

Rainbow turned to her once again, tears flowing anew, "I-I'm not S-Spike, Twilight. I-I'm not that s-strong."

Twilight shook her head, "No, you're not Spike. Remember who you really are. You're Rainbow Dash. You can never be Spike, that much is obvious, but you can be like him. You can be strong, and brave, and persevere against incredible odds. You can push through whatever the world throws at you, and still come out on top, because that's who you are, who you've always been. Because you're Rainbow Dash, and you're my friend." Twilight was crying now too as she trotted up to her friend, who was frozen by the words she had spoken. "This all happened because of what happened to Spike... My little brother, your hero. If you do one thing to remember him by, do this. For his memory, and for the rest of your friends." Twilight stared at her pleadingly, tears flowing freely from her eyes.

After a lengthy pause, Rainbow's croaked response broke the silence, "Okay..." The two embraced in a crushing hug and wept against each other. After another, even larger pause, permeated only by the sobs of the two, Rainbow spoke again, "I'm s-so sorry for what I d-did. For being such a j-jerk. F-For hurting you!" She buried her muzzle deep into Twilight's mane as the two continued to weep over their own losses, mistakes and wrongdoings. "I-I'll change. I owe you all that much. I'll be better. The best."

"I know you will." They each took a step backwards, and Twilight levelled her eyes with Rainbow's, "That's who you really are, and we all know it, even when you don't."

Rainbow hung her head, "Thank you, Twilight. But..." she glanced up at her friend ashamedly, "What I said was true. I'm not strong enough to do this. Not alone."

Twilight understood. The fact that Rainbow Dash was actually asking for help was enough to convince her, "You'll never be alone. We'll all help you through this, I promise. And thank you, Rainbow Dash. I know how difficult it is to ask for help, especially for you. Thank you for letting me help you."

Rainbow nodded sheepishly, a small grin gracing her features, "That's enough! No more sappiness, or I think I'm gonna hurl! Let's go find the others, I need something to take my mind off everything."

Twilight smirked, "You're not going anywhere until you clean yourself up." As she spoke a hoof mirror popped into existence, levitating itself before Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow shrugged, "I've looked worse." Twilight's flat expression bored into her. "... Fine. Give me a minute." She took to the air and swooped through the doorway. From upstairs, she shouted, "Oh, and Twilight?"

She trotted to the bottom of the stairs and called up, "Yeah?"

"No crying, hugging, or mushiness of any kind ever happened. Nopony has to know about that, understood?"

Twilight recalled how her conversation with Fluttershy had ended, and giggled at the irony, "Fine, but good luck inventing a believable cover story."

"Are you kidding? I'm Rainbow Dash! They wouldn't even believe somepony so awesome did any of that stuff anyway!" Twilight grinned and facehoofed. "Okay, I'm done, let's go!" Before Twilight could react Rainbow had swooped down the stairs, literally picked her off her hooves, and flown out the door.

Things had improved drastically in Ponyville over the week afterwards. The streets were once again lively and animate, courtesy of Pinkie Pie, the animals were returning to Fluttershy's cottage, both the Carousel Boutique and Sweet Apple Acres were back on top of their respective workloads, and the weather was actually being dealt with correctly. After over two months of separation, the six friends were nothing short of ecstatic when they were finally all together again in the library. After each pony had apologised for their absence, and thanked one another for their support (most of which was directed at Twilight), the six finally managed to share a few laughs, recall pleasant old adventures and just pass the time in general together just like they used to. For the first time in three months, things felt like they were finally returning to normal.

'Only, things never can truly return to normal.' Twilight thought sadly, though she hid it well from the others, 'There's always going to be that one final piece missing, and we're never going to get him back.' Anger towards her mentor stirred within her as it had done countless times already, but it disappeared quickly as Twilight reminded herself that she had a solution in the making. The other five burst into a fit of laughter, and Twilight couldn't decide whether to be excited or nervous as she came to another realisation, 'It's time to move things along...' She glanced at her friends and counted as she looked over each one, 'Pinkie and Fluttershy. That leaves Rainbow Dash, Applejack and Rarity. But how do I convince them?'

"Twilight?" She was snapped from her musings and realised that the others were staring at her, "Are ya alright?" It was Applejack that had spoken.

"O-Oh yeah, I'm fine, just thinking."

Rarity smiled warmly, "What about, dear?"

Twilight blushed, flustered at the sudden attention, "I-It's nothing, really, I-I just... uhm... I..." Her blush intensified at her inability to explain herself, she wasn't about to plainly announce that she was planning on taking her friends on an anti-Celestia campaign.

A sly smirk plastered itself across Rarity's face, "Ah, I know what it is..." Twilight shrunk down in her chair a little at Rarity's almost predatory smile, "So, care to tell us?"

Twilight feigned ignorance like her life depended on it, "Tell you what? I-I've got no idea what you're talking about!"

Rarity slowly advanced towards her, "Oh, I think you do, Twilight."

Sweat was forming on her brow and she almost broke under Rarity's all-knowing gaze, "H-How did you know!?"

The seamstress waved a hoof as she trotted - deliberately slowly - up to her, "Please, darling, I can sense this sort of thing a mile away." Rarity stopped before her and pushed her muzzle right up to Twilight's. Twilight gulped and desperately tried to look away from the piercing eyes of her interrogator, but they constantly demanded her attention. Rarity's voice lowered to almost a whisper, so that the others could only just hear it, "So... Who's the lucky stallion?"

The other mares in the room gasped excitedly, and Rarity's victorious smile stretched even wider. Twilight blinked. Then her brain registered what Rarity was suggesting. Her blush covered her entire face, threatening to even spread to her horn as she jumped out of her seat, knocking Rarity to the ground as she did so, "WHAT!?" she cried as she dashed between her friends, "Nonono! That's not it at all!" Twilight glanced frantically around the room, Fluttershy was blushing herself, apparently embarrassed on her behalf, Pinkie was bouncing up and down whilst throwing heart-shaped confetti everywhere and Applejack and Rainbow Dash were in hysterics; either at her reaction or simply the thought of her even having a love interest. Either way, it didn't help.

Before she could even defend herself Rarity was draping a foreleg around her neck, "So, who is it? Caramel? Goldengrape?" She squealed with delight, "Is it Braeburn? Have you been longing to just leave everything behind, gallop back to Appleloosa and embrace him as the sun sets? Or maybe you're into the quiet type, is it Big Mac? What draws you to him? His gentle personality? Those dreamy emerald eyes? That impeccably toned muscular body?" Rarity was fighting the urge to drool as she spoke.

"Hey! Ah'm standin' right here! Stop talkin' about my family like that!" Applejack's eyes shifted to Twilight nervously, "But, uh, t'ain't like Ah got a problem with it if ya do feel that way, Twi. Braeburn and Mac're free game, far as Ah know..."

Twilight shrieked and shook Rarity's hoof away, "I DON'T FEEL THAT WAY! I WASN'T EVEN THINKING ABOUT ANY STALLIONS, OKAY!?"

Rarity raised an eyebrow, "Alright, Twilight darling, relax, we understand." Twilight huffed and tried to bring her blush back under control, "There's plenty of mares available in Ponyville, I'm sure some of them are interested in you too."

That was the final straw. One moment Twilight's face was on fire with embarrassment, the next her mane and tail were literally ablaze. She pounced on Rarity and stood over her in a similar way to how Pinkie had in the bakery two weeks ago. Lowering her muzzle close to Rarity's she spoke quietly but threateningly, "That's enough. Stop talking, Rarity."

Rarity's eyes widened, "T-Twilight, dear, you're not coming onto me are you? I must say, you're coming off a little too strong, and I'm afraid I don't 'swing that way' anyway, so to speak." The others were absolutely hysterical now, even Fluttershy was laughing.

Twilight was at the end of her tether, and as she spoke Rarity swore she saw a faint flash of red behind her eyes, "Rarity, one more word and I swear I'll turn your mane into snakes! I WASN'T. THINKING. ABOUT. MARES OR STALLIONS! DO YOU UNDERSTAND!?" Rarity just kept her lips pursed and nodded. After several seconds of holding the stare Twilight stood and sighed in exasperation as her mane and tail fizzled out and reverted to normal. She trotted over to her chair and sank into it gracelessly, putting a hoof to her forehead as the other four continued to laugh. Originally she was glad that they actually could laugh together again, but at that moment she wished she could just make them all depressed again, if only for a few minutes while her furious blush subsided.

Twilight and Rarity stared at the grave. 'It's time.' Twilight thought to herself in an all-business manner. Another two days had passed since the meeting in the library, but Rarity was still trying to cut short her grave-visiting hours, so Twilight held true to her promise and accompanied her. Besides, it gave her the perfect opportunity to talk about it without it seeming strange. She had already planned her words carefully beforehoof, all that was left was to determine if Rarity would side with them or not. "There's something that's been on my mind a lot recently, Rarity."

"Do tell."

"It's just..." She paused in mock hesitation, "I can't shake the feeling that I haven't had... proper closure. After everything that happened, there was nopony with the answers I needed. Even when I went to Canterlot and asked Princess Celestia, she told me she didn't know how or why it happened. The more I think about it, the more I feel like something's missing, and it's tearing me up inside. Don't you feel the same way?"

Rarity sighed wistfully, "I know what you mean, Twilight, yes. I don't think we'll ever have all the answers."

Twilight pretended to brighten up slightly, "That's exactly what I thought, but then something hit me. There isn't anypony left to ask. But what if the one with the answers isn't a pony at all?" Rarity turned from the grave and looked at her in confusion. "What if we asked Discord? Calamity was his pet, he knows something, I'm sure of it. We could go and just ask questions. We wouldn't even have to release him, he can still hear us in stone form, remember? I'm sure there's a spell somewhere that would let him communicate without releasing him. I even asked Princess Celestia and she said it's fine. What do you say? Will you come with me?"

Rarity looked at her sympathetically, "Twilight... I know how much this means to you, and I won't try and dissuade you from seeking out the answers you need if they will grant you closure, but after everything that happened I don't think I could ever even look at that monster again, knowing he was partly responsible."

Twilight struggled to keep a straight face, 'That's exactly it! Celestia's the one responsible! She's the monster here!'

"Besides, even if he were to speak to us all he'd do is mock us and lie to make us feel even worse. I'm sorry, Twilight, but I don't think I could ever face that... that DEMON ever again."

Twilight gave Rarity a defeated look, "There's nothing I can say to change your mind? I could really use you there, Rarity."

Rarity shook her head, "I really am sorry, Twilight. But if I were there all I'd do is ruin your chances of finding anything."

Twilight forced a small smile, "I understand, Rarity. I won't pressure you into it, it's totally up to you." Inwardly, Twilight was kicking and screaming like a foal throwing a tantrum, 'All that hate is for what Celestia did, not Discord! If only I could tell you, Rarity! You'd join us for sure! Damn it!'

"Thank you for understanding, darling. If there's anything I can do to make up for it, just let me know okay?"

"Of course." They both turned back to the grave. Twilight nearly screamed aloud as she drew a line through Rarity's name on her mental check-list, 'So close... I can't afford to push it though. I'll just have to hope I get another chance before we go. Even so, I was SO close!'

Twilight followed her friend from tree to tree hurriedly, levitating buckets with her as she went. Applejack would buck a tree as she reached it, only to use the momentum from the kick to push her to the next even faster; Twilight was finding it hard to keep up. The farmer skidded to a halt and bucked the tree behind her, and Twilight only just managed to manoeuvre the buckets into place on time. Applejack turned her head skywards and whistled, "That right there's gonna be one heck of a rainstorm." Indeed, the whole reason the two had been darting around was due to the grey storm that loomed overhead. Twilight had trotted over to the farm after leaving the memorial intending to secure Applejack's support when the pegasi had towed the thunder head in from Cloudsdale, and she suddenly found herself volunteering to help her friend collect as many apples as possible while it was still safe, "We'd best be headin' back to the barn, don't wanna get caught out in this."

Twilight nodded, still slightly out of breath. The two cantered back towards the barn and had almost reached the door when a flash illuminated the entirety of Ponyville, followed by the distinct roar of thunder. They broke into a gallop for the door as the rain came down as one solid sheet, causing them to dive inside. As Twilight set down the dozen buckets of apples she had been levitating both ponies looked themselves over and were relieved to be only mildly soaked.

Applejack headed into the household in search of some towels, leaving Twilight time to prepare herself, 'Sorry, Applejack. I don't want to lie to you, or any of my friends for that matter, you're the Element of Honesty after all, but I need this, and I'm sure you'll agree it's for the best once you see things our way.'

Applejack returned to the barn and threw one of the towels draped over her back to Twilight, who caught it expertly with her magic and began drying herself. After the two had finished, Applejack tipped her hat, "Thank ya kindly, Twilight. It was real nice of ya to help out on such short notice."

Twilight smiled, "I'm always happy to help my friends."

"And don't we all know it? Ah dare say that we'd all be sat depressed out in that there rain if it weren't for you fixin' us up. Now then, why don't ya come on in and wait out the storm with us? We could use some fresh conversation, we don't get that many visitors all the way out here.

"Actually, Applejack..." she spoke with rehearsed hesitance, "I really need to speak with you about something in private."

Applejack smiled, "That's fine too, what's on ya mind, sugarcube?" she asked as she trotted over.

"It's just... I need your help, Applejack."

The farmer spoke soothingly, "Sugarcube, ya know all ya have to do is ask. What's the matter?"

"It's... It's about Spike." She didn't have to act that part, three months on, and it still stung her heart like venom. "After all that happened, I couldn't get any answers from anypony. Not even the Princesses know how or why it happened. But then I thought about it, and there is someone that nopony would've thought to ask."

Applejack didn't see how she could help there, she was clueless but responded regardless, "Who?"

"What if we asked-" A flash of light flooded the barn, quickly followed by the tremendous roar of thunder overhead. "Discord?" Twilight was trying not to smirk and drop her act, 'If I didn't know better, I'd say it was Discord himself that did that, the timing was right when I didn't need it...'

Applejack seemed dazed for a moment before speaking, "D-Discord?" she gulped as Twilight gave her an affirmative nod, "Ah don't think that's a good idea, Twi..."

"Just hear me out, okay? I asked the Princesses before I left Canterlot, and they told me that there's a spell we can use to talk to Discord without releasing him, it would be perfectly safe. But to cast it we'd need your Element, Honesty, to give him the ability to speak. I just need answers, Applejack, answers I know he has. I just need closure so I can finally move on. Please, will you help me do this?" she pulled her best pleading expression.

The farmer pulled down the brim of her hat until it was almost covering her eyes, "Ah don't like it, Twi. Nothin's ever 'perfectly safe' with him. Besides, even if he could talk, even if he were under my Element's influence, Ah don't think he'd be obliged to tell ya the truth. He's a liar, and a darn good one at that. Even if Ah did help ya, Ah'd only go as far as usin' my Element then leavin'. Ah ain't even gonna lend an ear to that scum bag after everythin' he's done to us. Ah know how important this must be to ya, sugarcube, but all he's gonna do is lie and hurt ya even more."

Twilight's face fell without her even trying, "Applejack, please, I need you there! If anypony can convince him to tell the truth, it's you! Please give this a chance, I'm begging you!"

Applejack tipped her head forwards so that the shadow the hat cast now covered her face, "Ah'm sorry, Twilight, but that's where Ah stand on this. If it were anythin' else Ah'd do it right away, but Ah can't help ya with this. Ah'll use my Element, but that's all. After all he's done to us both, Ah just can't bear the thought of speakin' with him." She looked up, and Twilight noticed tears in her friend's eyes. "He turned me into a liar, Twilight! One of the only things Ah can remember about my parents is that they were good, honest folks." Her tears fell now, and Twilight felt absolutely terrible for pressuring her, "When they..."

Outside, more lightning forked down to earth, followed by the mighty thunderclap.

"When they died, Ah promised myself Ah'd never tell a lie to anypony. That Ah'd be good and honest like my parents were. Ya know, somethin' Ah felt Ah could remember 'em by. Somethin' Ah know they'd be proud of me for. Then HE came along." Twilight jumped at the ferocity in her friend's voice, "And wrecked everythin'! He turned me into a LIAR! Now every time Ah try and think of what my parents would think about me, Ah don't think good. Ah don't think proud. No. Ah think LIAR! Ah think DISAPPOINTMENT! AH THINK FAILURE! Now Ah'll always know that Ah let them down! All because of that no-good SNAKE BASTARD!" The farmer desperately tried to hold her composure as though she wasn't shaking with rage and weeping, "Then he kept lyin'! He lied to Fluttershy, the only one who ever trusted him! And murderin' Spike. That was the final straw! Twilight, if Ah'm gonna help ya with this, even if it is just with my Element, you have to make me a promise."

Twilight was still reeling from Applejacks relevation, and her heart was heavy with guilt at making her friend feel this way. She couldn't even formulate a response, so she just gave a single nod and hoped it was enough.

Applejack released a huge breath and took several more to calm herself sufficiently, "Ah want ya to keep me in check. 'Cause the next time Ah see that walkin' freak show Ah know Ah'm gonna try and break him in half."

Whilst Twilight doubted breaking Discord's statue form in half was a good idea, she wasn't about to say so. Applejack was serious, she could tell. She'd never seen the mare this angry in her life. Silence descended upon the barn as both tried to collect themselves. Another flash of light flooded through the barn, the following unholy crash - which shook the barn itself slightly - signalling that the storm was passing directly over them. Twilight gulped, "A-Applejack, I'm so sorry... I didn't know. I would never have asked so much of you if I had..."

The farmer managed a thin smile as she pushed her stetson up from her face, "It's fine, sugarcube. Ah shouldn't have lost my temper like that anyways..."

Twilight stepped forwards and nuzzled her friend, "Let's speak no more of it, okay?" Applejack nodded and looked through the gap in the door. Twilight followed her gaze and did the same. It wasn't all that pleasant to be out in, but from inside the barn the tempest almost seemed to provide comfort. They were shielded from it's cold winds and lashing, icy rain. They were sheltered from the terrible rumbling thunder overhead. They were safe.

Quiet regained its hold on the barn again, the only sound to be heard was the gentle ambience of the rain outside. After several minutes Applejack spoke quietly, "So, fancy comin' in now all that's over? Looks like this storm's gonna last a while."

Twilight smiled but shook her head, "Thanks for the offer, but I think I need to go and clear my head. There's so much on my mind at the moment, I might as well take advantage of being able to trot around Ponyville undisturbed."

"Ya can't be serious? You're not really considerin' goin' out in that, are ya?"

"Oh, don't worry, I know a shielding spell that should keep me dry."

Applejack coughed awkwardly, "Ya sure you're not just avoidin' Big Mac? No need to be shy, Ah won't hold nothin' against ya."

Twilight felt her eye twitch slightly, "Applejack, I already had this discussion with Rarity. I'm pretty sure you remember how that ended?" she raised an eyebrow.

The farmer forced a nervous laugh, "Uh, yeah, hehe... Just checkin' was all."

Twilight smiled sweetly, "Well, in the future, don't." She shook her head, "Anyway, I'm going, see you around."

Applejack gave a wave as Twilight stepped out into the rain, "Be careful out there Twi, I'll see ya soon."

Twilight was drenched by the time she'd reached the bottom of the path, not that she cared. She hadn't been totally lying when she said she knew a shielding spell, but using it would've required her constant concentration, which would've defeated the objective of using this as thinking time. She was trotting towards the centre of Ponyville now, paying no real attention to her route or surroundings, 'I don't think there's any way I can change her mind.' She wasn't anywhere near as angry with herself for failing this time, and she noticed such pretty quickly, 'Applejack has a solid reason behind not giving Discord another chance. It's not my place to interfere, mission or no.' She sighed, 'Discord, you've really shot yourself in the hoof here... Applejack would feel the same way I do if she found out the truth, she would've been a valuable asset, but now, thanks to your 'games', she'll probably never side with us.'

A splash at her hooves caused her to look down. Her distorted reflection in the puddle looked back up sadly. She stayed there for just a moment and imagined what it would be like if her mum and dad were gone, 'In all honesty, I'm glad there's no way to convince you, Applejack. You've suffered enough already, and you've never burdened anypony else with it, not once. It would be selfish of me to ask you to give up what you've worked so hard for just so I can have my own revenge.' She trotted on, brought up her mental check-list and smiled as she completely scribbled out Applejack's name, as opposed to putting a line through it. 'It's better this way.' The final name on her check-list was marked with the same 'HIGH PRIORITY' tag as Pinkie's, 'Persuading Rainbow Dash to be open-minded and not attack Discord on sight... This will be difficult.' She began formulating her story in her head, 'I swear, I'll be a better actress than Rarity by the end of the month at this rate.'

Three days later Twilight had finally caught Rainbow Dash off-schedule. She had been working overtime ever since Twilight's last visit to compensate for her inadequate performance over the last two months - and more probably to avoid being laid off - making reaching her nigh impossible. Even more so considering she was spending almost every single break sleeping to regain her energy. If she didn't have a deadline, Twilight would have left her to her work, but as it stood only a week remained until her time was up, she had to move now. She approached her friend who was lounging on a bench outside Sugarcube Corner, munching on a chocolate muffin at a leisurely pace, "Rainbow Dash?"

The pegasus looked up and gave a muffin-muffled reply, "Oh, hey, Twilight!" She swallowed the entire mouthful and grimaced as if it was painful. If Twilight had to judge by the sheer amount of food that had just forced its way down her friend's gullet, it probably was, "What's up?"

"Something quite important, actually. Can I speak to you in private for a moment?"

Rainbow Dash glanced around quickly, "Doesn't look like anypony's listening in, Twilight."

"I know, but I don't want anypony to overhear this and get the wrong idea. Please?"

Rainbow rolled her eyes, "Okay, fine, let's walk." The two proceeded towards the outskirts of Ponyville where things were significantly quieter, "So, what is it anyways?"

Twilight slowed her pace to a steady trot, and Rainbow Dash followed suit after trotting a few steps past her, "It's about what happened to Spike."

Rainbow grimaced slightly, "Oh... Okay. So what do you wanna talk about?"

"Well, I was in Canterlot a few weeks back to see if the Princesses had any information on how everything happened. Turns out they didn't. I thought I'd never have any answers, that I'd be doomed to never know exactly why Spike was taken from me, but then I realised that there was one key detail that everypony else had overlooked. Calamity served Discord, so why not ask Discord himself?"

If Rainbow hadn't finished her muffin already she would've spat it across the road, "Discord? Are you nuts? I can think of a hundred reasons why not!"

Twilight held up a hoof gently, "Please, Rainbow Dash, let me finish. I know it sounds like a bad idea, but I need to know why my little brother died, and if we'll ever be in danger from that monster Calamity again. Besides, the princesses have assured me that it's safe, they have a spell so that we can hear him but he can't escape his prison."

"I don't like it, Twilight. This is Discord you're talking about! 'Twists and turns' and riddles and all that crap! What makes you think he'll even tell the truth anyway?"

Twilight gave her an almost smug smile, "Got it covered. Turns out Applejack's Element will work perfectly with the spell. He won't have a choice but to tell the truth!"

Rainbow shook her head, "Still, it's Discord, he lives to make this kind of thing go wrong. Where do I fit into this anyway?"

"Well, if he does somehow break the spell and lie without us realising - which is very unlikely - I think you'd be able to fight his influence the most effectively, considering your loyalty. I also believe you should be the one asking the questions. You're definitely the most fearsome of the six of us by a landslide. What do you say?"

"I say no."

Twilight stopped in her tracks, "What? Why?"

Rainbow stopped too, "Because it's a bad idea, Twilight, that's why. Even I can see that for cryin' out loud! I'm not one to think about things this much, but this is Discord, he's dangerous! He's too smart for us to trick him, he'll just find one little mistake and 'BOOM' he's free. So he has to tell the truth, but what's to stop him from saying nothing instead? Technically he's not lying if he isn't speaking, is he?"

Twilight said nothing, 'Damn it! Of all the times she chooses to think things through she picks now!? Gah! Don't make things difficult, Rainbow Dash!'

Rainbow waved a hoof near Twilight's face at her lack of response, "That's exactly what I'm talking about, and that's just me thinking. Discord's way more devious. Imagine what he could do if he got free in Canterlot this time around? It's a bad idea, Twilight, and somepony could get hurt. After my time at the Wonderbolts Academy I learned enough to know that getting what you want isn't worth it if you're putting your friends at risk in the process."

Twilight feigned anger now, "This isn't about me just 'wanting' something, Rainbow Dash! I need this! I can't sleep at night not knowing why I lost Spike! Don't you see!? Don't you care!?"

Rainbow's own voice rose, "Of course I care! But it's not worth risking your life for! Or the lives of anypony else!" She sighed and looked away, "Look, Twilight, it's not that I think what you're doing is wrong, but you need more time to plan this out. If you discuss it with the princesses and can promise me that you've covered everything, THEN I'll help you, no problem. You saved me from myself, Twilight, this is me doing the same for you. Slow down, and do what you do best. Think." Rainbow turned and flared her wings.

'Discord needs her!' Twilight was becoming desperate, "Rainbow Dash!"

The pegasus had already took to the air, "My mind's made up, Twilight."

"But I-"

"You can't put answers before other ponies' lives. Think things through and maybe I'll change my mind." she flew off without another word.

Twilight watched her go, her jaw nearly hitting the floor as she did so, 'Did she actually just tell me to think things through!? Did she actually just do that!? Damn it, Rainbow Dash! Maybe she was right though, I probably could've come up with a better story if I'd spent more time thinking it through... But still!' Twilight vanished in a flash of light and reappeared in the library, "GAH! UNBELIEVABLE! ABSOLUTELY UNBELIEVABLE!"

A familiar 'who?' sounded from behind her. She took deep breaths to prevent herself from exploding at the owl before trotting into the kitchen to get him some food.

Once that was finished she stomped up to her room and slammed the door with her hooves, 'My mind's made up, Twilight.' The unicorn pounded her hooves against the floor, shouting aloud with each strike, "I'M! SO! USELESS!" She almost felt like crying from the pent up frustration as she drew a thin line through Rainbow Dash's name on the check-list, 'What will Discord say? Is it impossible now? Will he refuse to help me? Was it all for nothing? Damn it, Rainbow Dash!' She counted the ticks, 'Two out of five. That should've been four out of five! Only Applejack even has a legitimate excuse!' She dove onto her bed, thrashing around as she landed, "It's not fair!" She didn't leave the room for the rest of the day. She was far too preoccupied with thoughts of potential failure to care about much else.

Tomorrow was the day. The air in the library was thick with the anticipation exuded from those within. Twilight spoke first, "You both know why we're here. After today everything changes for us. Forever. If either of you want to opt out it's completely up to you. I could use your help, but I won't pressure you into it. This is a decision that will quite literally change your lives, it's certainly not one to be taken lightly. If you do decide against it then all I ask is that you keep quiet and let me do what I have to do, okay?"

Fluttershy gulped but stepped forwards, "I... I said it once, and I'll say it again." She looked at Twilight confidently, "I won't let you do this alone. My mind was made up the moment you told me you needed help, I'm not about to leave you now." Fierce determination burned in her eyes, even if she rest of her shied away from the sudden attention.

Twilight's heart was moved by the pegasus' simple display of courage, "Th-Thank you, Fluttershy. Thank you so much." After a moment she turned to Pinkie, "What about you, Pinkie? Are you in?"

Though she was obviously as anxious as the others, Pinkie seemed to shrug it off, "Discord says he knows how to help me. I might never get another chance like this." She paused for a second then tilted her head, smiled and hopped once on the spot, "I'm in!"

Twilight smiled too, "Thank you, Pinkie. I'm sure whatever it is, he'll be able to help you." She couldn't help but feel a tad confused, 'I can understand why he wanted Rainbow Dash, her loyalty would've proved valuable, he said as much. But what does Pinkie bring to the table that interests him so much?' She stopped her musings upon realising the two were waiting for her to say something, "Okay, we need to make our final preparations. You both need to tie up loose ends, if you haven't already. Bring anything you deem important in your saddlebags, but don't overdo it, it'll look suspicious... I take it he's coming too?" Twilight gestured to Angel, who had been sat on Fluttershy's back the whole time.

Fluttershy seemed as if she'd forgotten he was there, "Oh, yes, I mean, if that's alright with you? He wouldn't stay put, no matter what I told him." The pegasus seemed dismayed, "Even 'the stare' didn't work."

Twilight sighed, but forced a smile, her friend was going to give up so much just to help her, she could at least let this slide, "It's fine, Fluttershy. But he'll have to stay in your saddlebags until we get there, if the others see Angel questions are definitely going to be asked." The pegasus nodded in response, and surprisingly Angel didn't seem to mind, instead he simply hugged Fluttershy's neck. Twilight turned to Pinkie, "What about Gummy?"

"Oh, the Cake's know more than enough to take care of him, he'll be fine. I know they'll take good care of him, so I'm not worried."

Fluttershy tilted her head slightly, "What about Owlowiscious?"

"Well it turns out Derpy's been searching for an owl for quite a while now. I talked with her over some muffins and she agreed to take him. Hopefully he'll keep her out of trouble for a while." The three giggled despite the tension. After a moment Twilight coughed and spoke up again, "Okay, I'll let you get to it then. We'll meet back here in two hours. Fluttershy, can you bring Applejack and Rainbow Dash?"

Fluttershy nodded, "Y-Yes."

"Pinkie, can you get Rarity?"

"Okie, dokie, lokie!"

Twilight trotted over to the door and opened it, nodding to each of her friends as they left. Once the door was closed she trotted to her room and found the last thing she hadn't taken care of. Spike's basket. The weight inside her returned, 'I can't bring it with me, it's too big.' She thought for several minutes before coming to the best conclusion. She put it back where Spike used to sleep then pointed her horn at it. A warm violet glow enveloped the basket, then shimmered away. Twilight couldn't tell if it had worked. She reached out a hoof to touch the basket, only to be met with an invisible barrier that shocked her hoof slightly as she was about to touch it, "Agh! Yeah, it works..." Contented that the protection spell would preserve the basket for as long as it took until she returned, she gave it a final glance then headed downstairs to prepare her story.

The five were assembled before her, three of whom seemed slightly confused. "I guess you're all wondering why I called you here out of the blue?" She gave Fluttershy and Pinkie a 'play along' look, and was met with five curious nods, "I've just received word from Princess Celestia via messenger pony, she says we need to be in Canterlot tomorrow."

Rainbow Dash took a step forwards, "Is something wrong?"

Twilight waved a hoof, "No, no. Don't worry, I asked the same thing. The message said everything's fine, but she did say we'll need our Elements."

Rarity spoke now, "Whatever for? Not that I doubt the Princess's judgement, but why would we need them if nothing's wrong?"

Twilight shrugged, "Who knows? Maybe she just wants to check there isn't anything wrong. Either way, the messenger told me she needs to speak with you, Applejack and Rainbow Dash when you arrive." She saw Applejack tilt her head, "And no, I don't know why. What I was told is that you'll have to make the visit during day court, her schedule's been pretty busy lately, apparently there was a disturbance at the castle a few weeks ago that really ruined her plans."

Rainbow Dash groaned, "Noooo... I don't wanna wait in line that long!"

Twilight smiled sweetly, "Sorry, Rainbow Dash, Princess's orders."

Applejack eyed her curiously, "Ah thought the Princess wanted to see all of us?"

"The messenger said that she's going to see us all at the end of the day, but that she has something to tell you three in private. I guess day court's the closest thing to privacy she can get while she's so busy." Twilight shrugged. "Oh, and she said we need to bring our saddlebags. Again, I don't know, sorry."

"So when do we set off, sugarcube? Ah'm more than a little curious about what the Princess has to say."

"We'll leave first thing in the morning, I'll make sure to bring the Elements. Meet me at the train station, okay?" She was met with a series of nods and affirmative grunts before the five departed. She shared a nervous glance with Fluttershy and Pinkie as they left, but said nothing.

They stood at the station, awaiting the Canterlot express in silence. Rainbow Dash couldn't stand it, "What's eatin' you guys anyways? You're all just stood there like the world's about to end or something!"

Rarity rolled her eyes, "Hardly, we're all just wondering why the Princess would make such an... odd request, aren't we?"

Applejack tapped Twilight gently, "Ya sure ya don't have any idea why the Princess only wants to speak to us? It almost sounds to me like she doesn't want you three to hear what she's gonna say."

Twilight fought like she'd never fought before to maintain her façade, forcing a smile that she felt sick to her stomach wearing as she spoke, "I trust the Princess's judgement, Applejack. The message said it was important that only you three see her in day court. I'm not worried, after all, she has no reason to lie to us, does she?"

Applejack smiled back, "No, Ah guess not. Thanks, Twi."

Twilight held the smile for a few more moments, "Don't mention it."

"The train's here!" Rainbow Dash stuck a hoof into the air triumphantly.

Rarity and Applejack stepped forwards as it pulled in, leaving Twilight to share a nervous glance with Fluttershy and Pinkie before they did the same. Twilight whispered to them as they came closer, "Play it cool, okay?" They said nothing but nodded and stepped onto the carriage as the doors opened. The butterflies in Twilight's stomach wouldn't settle down as she watched her friends climb aboard. One simple thought took precedence as she followed.

'It begins.'

Chapter XIII - A Weighty Choice

The six stood at the doors to the castle and stared at the towering spires in awe. Even if it could be seen from Ponyville every day, it was so much more imposing when one stood directly before it. The guard nearest them spoke up in a clipped tone, though his piercing stare was fixed solely upon Twilight, as was the gaze of every other guard in the area, "What business have you here?"

The others looked to Twilight, apparently confused as to why they were being questioned on this now, when they would previously have been allowed entrance at a moment's notice. Twilight noticed this and whispered quietly to them, "Don't worry, I'm sure it's just to be safe after that 'disturbance' the messenger talked about." She swallowed hard and forced down her nervousness as she approached the guard, "Princess Celestia summoned us, we're here on Elements business."

The guard squinted at her, "I haven't been informed of such."

Twilight clenched her teeth and decided to risk it. Putting as much false weariness into her voice as she could muster she hovered the lock box containing the Elements out from her saddlebag and opened it, presenting its contents. "See? Six Elements of Harmony."

The guard looked between her and the lock box multiple times before turning to his colleague, who shrugged back at him.

Twilight held the stare as confidently as she could manage, and eventually he relented, "Alright." He lowered the volume of his voice so that only Twilight could hear, "One whisper of trouble and I'll break your horn clean off. Understand?"

Twilight just ignored him and waved the others over before trotting past him through the now open doors. She began guiding the others to where the line should be for day court as Applejack spoke, "What's up with these guys?" she waved a hoof at another set of guards glaring daggers at them, or more specifically, Twilight.

Twilight shrugged, "Who knows? Maybe that incident we were told about was a changeling imposter? That would explain why they're all staring at us like this."

They rounded the next corner and Twilight allowed herself a small smile, the line was massive. 'Excellent, this should buy us plenty of time!'

Rainbow Dash sounded like she was going to burst into tears, "Twilight! You can't do this to us! Please, just tell the guards to let us in or something!"

Twilight shook her head and smiled as she levitated the Elements of Harmony from their case and placed them on their respective Bearers, "Sorry, Rainbow Dash. You have to line up, same as everypony else." The pegasus groaned and trotted over to the back of the line dejectedly, Applejack quickly following suit.

Rarity lingered a moment, "Where will you three go while you wait?"

"I think Fluttershy wanted to go visit Discord's statue while we're here. Isn't that right, Fluttershy?" Twilight raised an eyebrow at her.

"Y-Yes..." Was all the pegasus could manage before she hid behind her mane at the sudden attention.

Rarity fixed her eyes with Twilight's, "Be careful around that thing, dear, alright?"

"Of course, Rarity. Sorry about all that waiting anyway..."

Rarity just smirked, "Don't worry about it, darling. A lady doesn't complain about these things anyway." With that she turned and trotted over to the others.

Twilight turned to Fluttershy and Pinkie, drawing a deep breath, "Ready?"

"Y-Yes."

"Let's go."

Twilight eyed them warily and lowered her voice, "The guards are watching me, if you haven't already noticed. Let's try and stay out of their sight. If we can't avoid them then I'll teleport us past them, okay?"

Fluttershy nodded shyly, and Pinkie gave a quick, "Yep." She led them to one of the many side doors that lined the corridor. The others paused as she opened it, and each took one final look at those they would leave behind. Applejack and Rainbow Dash were smirking at each other, attempting some sort of mid-air hoof-wrestle, whilst Rarity levitated a hoof mirror and a brush as she 'fixed' her already flawless mane. For a moment each felt a huge compulsion to simply give up and leave this wretched business behind them. Then, for their own reasons, each hardened their heart.

'For vengeance. For Spike.'

'For friendship. For Twilight.'

'For a cure. For a life without you!'

Deep within the recesses of Pinkie's mind, a dark chuckle rang out, followed by an all-too-familiar voice, 'Oh, Pinkie. You'll never have a life without me. I am you...'

They stood by the statue as Twilight glanced around, "We should be okay, I doubt any guards will go out of their way to approach us this far outside the castle." She turned to her friends, both of whom had remained completely - and in one case, uncharacteristically - silent throughout the short journey, "Are you both ready?"

Fluttershy gave an 'eep' before speaking, "J-Just a moment, Twilight. I have an idea." They watched her as she rummaged around in her saddlebags, eventually withdrawing with Angel atop her head. She lowered her head to the statue's base, allowing the rabbit to hop onto it, "Keep watch, okay Angel? If you see anypony approaching make sure to let me know." The rabbit nodded and turned to face the other way.

Twilight rested a hoof on Fluttershy's shoulder, "Good thinking, Fluttershy. Are we ready?"

"R-Ready."

"Good to go."

"Okay, sit down first." They all did so, "Take a deep breath, and on the count of three, close your eyes."

Fluttershy glanced up at the sorrowful stone visage of her friend and whispered, "I'm here, Discord. I told you I wouldn't forget."

"One... Two... Three."

Darkness.

"Fluttershy!" was the first word the three heard as they glanced at each other in the mindscape. Moments later, Discord appeared before them, a huge grin on his face, "I've missed you so much!" Fluttershy felt tears form at the corners of her eyes as she galloped to embrace the draconequus, only to phase straight through him. Fluttershy wheeled around in confusion as he chuckled, "It seems you've missed me, too. Unfortunately, we're in a rather special mindscape at the moment, which means magic and physical contact are big no-no's I'm afraid."

The pegasus seemed a little downhearted but trotted back to her friends and faced him with a smile, "T-That's okay."

"Tell you what, first thing we'll do when I'm out of here is hook you up to a me-shaped hug-giving machine to compensate. Sound good?"

Fluttershy blushed and hid behind her mane, "I guess..."

Discord laughed heartily at her embarrassment, "Good, good. Thank you, by the way, Fluttershy. I knew you wouldn't forget." He grimaced and spoke quickly as he formed his words into a sentence that he'd never used before, "It, uhm... It means the world to me that you're here now." He looked away quickly, as if he hadn't said anything, though the pegasus positively beamed at him regardless.

Twilight actually allowed herself a small smile, 'All that time, he really was her friend... We were wrong about you, Discord.'

Discord looked to the other two for the first time, "And Pinkie Pie!" He levitated over to her, "I suppose you're here about my little offer, yes?"

Pinkie bounced on the spot, "Yep!"

"Well, then. Allow me to welcome you to the Discord program!" He extended his claw for her to shake, only to blow a raspberry at her as her hoof phased straight through, "Gotcha!" The two erupted into a small bout of laughter before Discord finally turned to Twilight and put on his 'serious face'. "And, of course, Twilight Sp-" He caught himself, remembering their last conversation exactly a month ago, "Twilight." He took another look around, "So, this is everypony you could convince?"

Twilight's face fell, "I tried, but in the end it's just us. Applejack is a no-go, Rarity convinced herself you can't be trusted, and Rainbow Dash flat-out refused." Fear found it's way into her voice, "W-We can still proceed, c-can't we?"

Discord stroked his beard, "Of course, it's just going to be a little harder with only two of you, not that it matters in the long run. In all honesty Pinkie here was the one I wanted you to bring along the most."

Twilight regarded him confusedly, "Two of us? But there's three of us here."

Discord's eyes widened slightly, "Wait... You convinced Fluttershy of all ponies to help you with this?" His tone suggested he wouldn't be too pleased if that were the case.

"No, she volunteered. I warned her it would be dangerous, but she insisted."

He turned to his only friend, "Is this true, Fluttershy?"

The pegasus nodded, "Yes. You and Twilight are my friends, and Princess Celestia has been horrible to both of you. I'm coming with you." she gave him a demure smile.

"Fluttershy, don't get me wrong, it's not like I don't want you with us or anything, but-"

"No, Discord, I've made up my mind." She gave him a gentle but firm look, then quietly added, "I hope that's okay..."

Discord stared at her for several moments, considering his options before waving an arm through the air, "No. It's not okay." He squinted at her for a moment before laughing, "It's fantastic! Oh, I can see it now, the times we'll have, the adventures we'll share!"

Twilight coughed to get his attention, "Not trying to be rude or anything, but we're on a deadline here. The others will only be queuing for court for so long before they finally see Celestia and figure out something's amiss."

Discord rolled his eyes and sighed, "Don't worry, the spell's going at the same pace as it would anyway. I can't just speed it up you know, otherwise I wouldn't have been sat here stoned for another miserable month." He grinned, then let his mouth droop in unison with the rest of him, "You brought the others here? To Celestia no less? What were you thinking!? That's the polar opposite of a good idea!"

Twilight sighed, "I didn't have a choice. I needed them here to pretend that we're here on 'Elements business'," she gestured to her tiara, "and even then the guards almost didn't let me in."

Discord groaned, "Oh I hope Celestia is having a bad day right now. Please! Please let some idiot be wasting her time!"

Celestia glanced down at her nephew irritably. He hadn't shut his mouth since he waltzed in little over ten minutes ago, "I am Prince Blueblood! Why should I have to pay taxes, from my own pocket no less, so that simpleton imbeciles can claim free healthcare whenever they injure themselves due to their own blatant stupidity!? Why do they not just simply contribute-"

Celestia tried her utmost to shut him out and think of what she would be saying to Shining Armor in the meeting later. Unfortunately for her, the infernal voice of her nephew was able to pierce its way through her thoughts with practised, patience-destroying ease, 'Maybe Luna was right... If we do release Discord we could ask him to make Blueblood's mouth disappear again at the very least.'

"-ctly like those peasants at the Gala that year!"

Celestia slumped ever-so-slightly on her throne, 'Oh no, not the damned Gala again!'

"Discy?"

Discord looked over at Pinkie as if she'd just murdered Fluttershy, "... Discy? Really?"

"Yeah, Discy."

"Don't call me that, and what?"

"What did you mean when you said I was the one you wanted Twilight to bring along the most?" her head flopped to one side as she asked the question.

Discord held up his claw for a moment and closed his eyes, "Yes, we probably have enough time." He opened his eyes again, "It ties in with the offer I have for you actually. Unfortunately, to get to that I'm going to have to lecture you on a few things. Namely, your brief family history and biology." He sighed, "Gather round, little fillies, it's story time..."

Pinkie jumped and landed on her haunches directly in front of him, "Yay! Story time! C'mon, Discy, I wanna hear a story!"

Discord rolled his eyes, but before he could speak another voice filled the air, "You're an idiot, Pinkie." All present froze and stared at Pinkie, it was undeniably her voice, only a note or two lower. Her friends recognised it as the one she had used at the funeral.

Pinkie just sat where she was and stared at the same place for several seconds before looking around and seeing the somewhat frightened expressions of her friends. Discord just regarded her passively, "I thought this might happen if you entered a mindscape..."

"What? What's happening?" Twilight enquired.

"All will be revealed shortly." He waved a dismissive paw at her and turned to Pinkie, "She's acting up, isn't she?" Pinkie just nodded sadly and looked at her friends. "Pinkie, even I can tell you're upset about this. I won't tell them if that's not what you want."

"No. No, it's alright. We're friends, and I trust them. Just..." Her mane deflated slightly and her eyes glimmered with rapidly welling tears as she turned to her friends, "Please don't laugh at me..." They both just nodded and sat beside her quietly.

There it was again, that little twinge in his chest. A memory resurfaced at her words, 'Oh, poor Pinkie Pie, and here I thought laughter made you happy?' He shook it off as best he could, 'Let's focus on the task at hand. The Pinkie Pie pity party can come later.'

Fluttershy reached out a foreleg to comfort her friend, only for it to pass through her, "Oh... Right."

Discord cleared his throat loudly, "It all started back during the days of my glorious rule, over a thousand years ago, a period of time now loosely referred to as the 'Chaos Wars' by some, courtesy of yours truly. Armies clashed on a day-to-day basis, the oceans would turn to custard - or worse - at will, and the cycle of day and night was all but non-existent. Oh, it was a wonderful time. So, there I was, spectating some excellent chaos, drifting along as happy as can be, when I notice something off in the distance, behind a large tree line. Upon my arrival I realised it was actually quite a large pony settlement, hidden almost flawlessly by the trees. What struck me as odd was that there was little-to-no chaos there, so naturally I got to work creating some. Trees upped sticks and joined their brethren out in the forest, a few loose pebbles rolled off and decided to form a band, all that good stuff.

Only, something was different there. The ponies weren't galloping away in fear, or screaming and crying and begging me to spare their loved ones, they just watched. Then, after a while, they started to laugh, and soon afterwards they were even applauding me! It was ridiculous! I was intentionally ruining their home and they didn't seem to have a care in the world! The showman inside me soon took over and I was performing all manner of quirky tricks. I remember now, it was the first time anypony had ever shown any appreciation of my abilities, I was actually genuinely enjoying entertaining them. I continued like this for several hours before I was visited by none other than the King himself. I believe his name was..." Discord stopped and looked at Pinkie, "King Reginald Pie."

Twilight suddenly vanished from the mindscape and reappeared a few moments later, spluttering incoherently for several seconds before speaking, "Pinkie's related to royalty!? No way. I refuse to believe it. You aren't serious!"

Discord shrugged and pointed at Pinkie, who had just tilted her head at the revelation, "She's taking it better than you are. Don't you think you're overreacting just a tad?"

The unicorn looked as if she were about to let loose the lecture of the century before she realised just what she had implied and turned to Pinkie quickly, "Oh, Pinkie, I didn't mean it like that. It just... caught me off guard."

She waved a hoof in response, her previous worries apparently forgotten at the news, "Don't worry, I wasn't expecting it either. This is the sort of twist you read about in story books!" She shook her head, "Anyways, carry on Discy, I wanna know how it ends!"

He rolled his eyes, "So, as I was saying, I was visited by the King himself, who asked that I join him for dinner as his honoured guest. It was a nice change of pace, so I just went with it, I mean, why not? Why avoid being treated like a hero for something everypony else hates you for?

Later that evening, after presenting some of my favourite tricks and devouring what was quite literally more than my fill, I found I still couldn't understand why the ponies there were different, so I asked the King himself. What he told me was more than a little disheartening. He had made his best efforts to defend his dwindling kingdom as the wars raged, but his army was in tatters after constant assaults from all sides. All that was left for him to do was watch and wait as the opposing armies closed in and finished them off, so he had issued a decree that his subjects celebrate the victories that the kingdom had won, to keep them in high spirits until the inevitable end came. He thanked me rather graciously for 'keeping the flame of hope alive' in his ponies, and informed me that the armies would be arriving within the week, and that they had nowhere to run, they were surrounded on all sides.

I was saddened to hear it, but I couldn't just directly interfere and prevent chaos by doing so. But I had an idea. I made him an offer that would allow his kingdom to once again rise up and thrive. I would imbue chaos magic into him and his subjects, granting them power and ferocity beyond what any mortal being at the time could have ever even hoped to achieve, but it would come at a price."

He began speaking as if he were conducting a 'Chaos Magic and You' lesson, "Chaos magic is dangerous you see. Volatile. It can cause... interesting side-effects, when mixed with one's genes. Even I couldn't be sure what would happen if he accepted, and I told him so. You can imagine my surprise when he accepted the moment I had finished speaking. He was a passionate leader, and volunteered himself to be the first to undergo the process to determine if it was 'safe'."

Fluttershy glanced up at him with wide eyes, "W-What happened next?"

He grinned, "It worked. Though we did agree that I would use 'slightly' less magic on his subjects. I say that because I'd never done this sort of thing with the intention of making a pony stronger before, and well..." he rubbed the back of his neck, "I... did come pretty close to accidentally killing him, once or twice."

He fought the urge to laugh at their expressions as he continued, "So anyway, I imbued my magic into everypony and bode him farewell, leaving him to prepare the final defences. In truth, I just went to find a decent spot to watch the coming battles from. Surely enough, three days later, it began." He gave Pinkie a nod, "This was where I saw the effects of my meddling for the first time. I'll spare you the grisly details." He paused and turned to Fluttershy, grinning, "Unless you want them, maybe?"

Fluttershy let out an 'eep' and shook her head, "N-No, thank you."

"Suit yourself. Really though, it truly was a sight to behold. Most of King Reginald's army had been decimated, so nearly all of the defending forces were simple militia, with maybe a few hours of basic training across the board. It looked hopeless for them, even with Reginald stirring the hearts of his followers with one of his oh-so-inspiring speeches. Then the invaders charged, followed by Reginald's army, and I saw my magic take effect. As they began to feel the fear that I'm told accompanies a battle charge, they physically began to change. Notably, their hair fell intimidatingly flat and their expressions turned from apprehensive to stoic almost immediately.

The closer the invaders came to them, the more intense the blood-lust in their eyes. It was tense. When they finally met, well," He gave Fluttershy a wink, "I promised I'd spare you the details, but let me tell you, the sudden expertise they showed with their weapons was almost unparalleled! It was incredible! These farmers and blacksmiths were putting sword masters to shame! And Reginald, wow, remind me never to use that amount of magic to augment anything ever again, the stallion was like a whirlwind of death! Needless to say I was more than pleased with myself, and it certainly wasn't boring to watch."

All three shifted uncomfortably at the thought of Discord enjoying anything so brutal, especially Fluttershy. Twilight picked up on it and spoke up, "Okay, I think we get the point. What happened afterwards?"

Discord smirked, "Why, they won, of course. With me in the mix, was there ever any doubt? As a matter of fact, they successfully drove back all the armies from the neighbouring territories. I never actually asked, but I don't think their losses went into the double-digits from that point onwards." He sighed, "That's when I started noticing the side-effects. A few of them were already finding it difficult to return to normal after the battles, and with each skirmish fought I could see that they were finding it harder. This personality they were switching to. It had a mind of it's own. Each time they used it the alter-ego was vying for dominance, and as I would eventually come to realise, control over the host's body."

Twilight leaned forwards, the whole idea fascinating her, "Then what? What happened to them?"

"In short, they rebuilt their empire, but the effects got worse and worse with each battle. It's a story for another time, and we need to keep to what relates to Pinkie here." He gestured to Pinkie, "What I can tell you is that this trait could be inherited by the foals if either parent was subject to my magic, but as the generations went on, and more ponies from outside began to seek refuge in Reginald's lands, therefore adding 'chaos free' genes to the mix, this became less and less of a problem. Believe it or not, the effect is still around today, though it is extremely diluted compared to what it was. I'm sorry to say that your pony medical knowledge leaves much to be desired, nowadays it's actually classed as a mental illness, not an inherited one. Mind you, I'm probably the only being on Equestria that actually knows any different."

"Mental illness? Which one?" Despite the fact that they were going to be escaping shortly, Twilight still wished she had a notebook to take all this down.

He stroked his beard for a moment, "I believe it's now known as bipolar disorder."

Pinkie looked up at him sadly, her mane drooping a little, "So... Is that what I have?"

Discord shook his head, "No. Yours is very different."

"How?"

"Remember I said that you were a descendant of King Reginald himself?" Pinkie nodded, "Turns out that the 'teensy' little bit of extra chaos magic he received changed him more than the others. The effect of the magic didn't weaken through multiple generations. You carry the exact same magic within you as Reginald did. Needless to say, that means that your condition is also a lot more serious." He looked down at Pinkie, apparently studying her, "There's something amiss though. If you inherited the condition then you should have succumbed to the other you's influence while you were still a foal. In effect, the Pinkie that we know would have been replaced long ago, while you were still too weak to stop it. Tell me, did something happen one day that you think might've changed your life?"

Pinkie mulled it over for a moment before realisation dawned upon her face, "The sonic rainboom!" She turned to her friends, "That has to be it!"

"Sonic rainboom? What the hell is that? It sounds like some sort of minotaur wrestling move."

Twilight shrugged, "It's a long story, we'll tell you later."

He shrugged slightly and looked at Pinkie, "So how did you feel on the day of this, 'sonic rainboom'?"

"Well, I just saw it and it was so beautiful, and it made me so happy! So I threw my first party, and then all my family was happy too! And then my cutie mark appeared! It was the happiest, most wonderful day of my life!"

"So you celebrated by locking me away in this pathetic excuse for a mind!" It was the 'other Pinkie' that had spoken, her voice seemingly coming from everywhere. Once again, Pinkie focused on nothing in particular and concentrated for a moment before looking back up at Discord.

"Well that just about sums it up then." He spoke flatly, "Pinkie, there's no sense in us skirting around the issue any longer, they've probably already more-or-less guessed it anyway." he waved a claw at the other two. "You carry another personality inside you that you've been suppressing, and it's trying to take over isn't it?"

Pinkie just stared at her hooves as she spoke, "Y-Yes... Her n-name is..." She paused and drew a sharp breath, "Pinkamena."

Pinkie was on the verge of tears as she looked at her friends ashamedly, "I'm s-sorry I never t-told you. I thought y-you'd laugh at m-me for being a f-freak."

Discord vowed to have a look inside his chest cavity first thing after being released, whatever was hurting him in there was getting worse, and the memories wouldn't stop either, 'Your friends laugh at you all the time!'

They both shook their heads and Twilight spoke gently, "Pinkie, we'd never laugh at our friend needing help."

The earth pony nodded, "I-I know, but I j-just thought it would b-be b-better not to t-tell anypony. I'm sorry."

Twilight opened her mouth to speak, but Discord beat her to it, "Pinkie." His voice was solemn, Twilight recognised the tone from her previous visits, "I'm... the one who... should be apologising." He spoke with his eyes closed, desperately trying to form an apology properly, it wasn't something he'd had much practice at. "This is all... my fault in the first place. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm... I'm..." He took a tremendous breath, "I'm... s-s-sorry." He cracked one eye open slightly to see Pinkie giving him a small but visible smile, as were the others.

Pinkie spoke up, "Th-Thank you, but it's okay. I mean, without your help all those ponies would've lost, right? Then I wouldn't even be here at all."

The draconequus was astounded by how philosophical the normally hyperactive pony could be, but a familiar sensation snapped him back to his senses, "Pinkie, I know this sounds rushed, but time is running out. I'll be free soon and we have yet to discuss my offer."

"Then let the delayed Discord discussion commence!"

Discord fought the urge to roll his eyes, 'At least she didn't use that horrible nickname.' He cleared his throat, "In short, I'll offer you as close to a 'cure' as I can manage, and help you cope with Pinkamena's influence, in return for your help in our quest to avenge Twilight's brother."

"Okie, dokie, lokie!" She chimed straight away.

"Wait, listen, there's more to it than just that. Unfortunately, I can't ever remove Pinkamena from you." Pinkie's face fell as he continued, "The magic is intertwined with your cells, there's little-to-nothing I can do that won't cause permanent damage. What I can do, however, is remove it from..." He coughed and looked away as he spoke in little more than a murmur, "Your... reproductive cells. They... work differently to the rest. You won't have to worry about your future foals inheriting it from you." He turned back to them awkwardly, "I know it's hardly what you were hoping for, but it's the best I can do."

Pinkie wore a slight blush but nodded slowly, "It's okay. I'll take whatever help I can get, you've got yourself a deal, Discy!"

Discord was about to protest the nickname when Twilight spoke, "There's something I just don't get. I understand what you're getting at when you're talking about genetics, but seriously, after the whole paper-eating scenario I can't imagine you sitting in a library and studying pony cell functions in your spare time, what gives?"

The draconequus put the back of his paw to his forehead dramatically, "Twilight, you wound me. Really, I've been around for millennia, I've picked up a thing or two... hundred... million, over the years. Oh, and Celestia used to read to me when we were courting, back in the day."

Twilight vanished from the mindscape once again, taking close to half a minute before re-appearing. Her expression was one of absolute horror as she stared at Discord. He lasted about two seconds before collapsing in a fit of unrestrained laughter, followed quickly by Pinkie. He could only speak after several seconds, "I'm kidding! I'm kidding!" She facehoofed and grumbled something about 'monsters' as he stood and made a show of brushing the imaginary dust from himself, "I mean seriously, Twilight, I do have standards!" He tried to steady his breathing but felt the final buzzing sensation wash over him, "What do you know? It's time. Wait for me outside, would you ladies? I'll just be a few minutes." He faded from view with a bow.

Twilight spoke to the others, "Okay, girls, just focus on opening your eyes and you should be back to normal straight away. Fluttershy, you first." She nodded then slowly faded away. "After you, Pinkie."

The earth pony gave a "Wheeeeeee!" as her image also vanished.

Twilight shook her head, 'Between her and Discord things are certainly going to be... interesting.' She opened her eyes.

"Finally!" Rainbow Dash shouted as the - noticeably new - doors to the throne chamber swung open. As they trotted down the centre of the room they noticed that the Princess was reading some sort of document. They came to a halt before her but waited in silence.

A few seconds later the chamber doors clanged shut, snapping Celestia from her wanderings, she looked up from the parchment she had been scanning and noticed three familiar faces staring up at her, "Applejack? Rarity? Rainbow Dash? What brings you here?"

The three shared a confused glance for a moment before Rarity looked back to the Princess and gave a bow, "A thousand pardons, your majesty, but we were under the impression that you had requested to see us?"

Celestia seemed bewildered, "I'm sorry, Rarity, I never made such a request. Who told you such?"

The jaws of the three mares before her dropped suddenly.

'That messenger lied to us!'

'I spent so long preparing myself!'

'I QUEUED FOR AGES!'

Rarity looked up and realised that the Princess was awaiting an answer, "Oh, Twilight did, your majesty. Apparently a messenger told her so."

Celestia fought to hide just how much the name still hurt her, "I never sent a messenger..." She looked at each in turn and noticed a striking similarity between them, "Why are you all wearing your Elements of Harmony?"

"Same reason, messenger told Twilight we needed them." A happy gleam appeared in Rainbow Dash's eyes as she recalled the reason they were here in the first place, "Apparently you have a secret to tell just the three of us! You do, right?"

Celestia shook her head slowly, "I think there's been a big misunderstanding here, girls."

Applejack nodded, "Ah'm sure you're right, Princess. Let's just go get the others and clear this whole thing up, they can't have gone far."

The Princess glanced around, scanning for anypony else she had missed, "Others?"

"Yeah, Twilight, Pinkie and Fluttershy, Prin-"

"Twilight is here!?" Celestia felt her emotions surge, everything from hurt to hope washed over her all at once.

Rarity almost took a nervous step back, "Y-yes, Princess. Is something wrong?"

Celestia noted their expressions and composed herself, "There might be. Tell me, did any of you actually see this messenger?"

The three shared a look, each shaking their heads as Applejack spoke, "Ya think he was lyin', Princess?"

Celestia cycled through the possibilities in her head, "Or perhaps, that there never was a messenger at all."

Applejack thought about it for a moment before realisation dawned in her eyes, "Wait, Princess, ya don't think Twilight lied to us do ya?"

Rainbow Dash turned to face the farmer, "No way, Twilight wouldn't do that! Why would she even bother anyway?"

Celestia watched them sadly, expecting the worst, "Girls, this might sound strange, but did Twilight tell any of you what happened in this very room a month ago?"

Again, they shared a glance and Applejack spoke up, "Yeah, actually. She said somepony came in and caused some big 'disturbance', but that she didn't know what happened. She told me she thought it was a changeling spy."

Celestia sighed and slumped on her throne slightly, "Listen, my little ponies... That 'disturbance' was actually an attempt on my life."

The three gasped collectively. Applejack wore an expression of disgust as she imagined the assailant, Rainbow Dash had leaned onto her forehooves, snarling at nothing as she thought up the same image. Rarity's eyes widened to ridiculous proportions, her shock evident as her words tumbled out at a ridiculous pace, "How terrible! Did you catch him!? Is everypony alright!? Were you-"

Celestia held up a hoof gently to stop her, though she didn't look at them, but at the floor beneath her throne. Her voice became much less powerful with each word, gradually degrading into a barely audible whisper as she spoke, "It gets worse. The one that barged in here, nearly killed two guards and made every effort in her power to end my life... was Twilight Sparkle."

Silence.

Author's Note

Hey all! Surprise! I'll spare you and keep this short. Found it easy to write this chapter and had lots of fun writing Discord, so I got it done in my spare hours. Don't know when the next update will be, but as mentioned previously, don't hold your breath until at least mid-way through next month (or you'll suffocate), hopefully this will keep you occupied for a while :D As always, please don't hesitate to comment your ideas/suggestions below (yes I do use some, my story plan is riddled with holes further down the line).

This has been Mikemarksman, bringing you the 'scope' of things to come.

Chapter XIV - Exodus

Shining Armor sighed pensively as he glanced over the stacks of reports and figures before him, but his mind was elsewhere, 'Twily...' He had been in the castle for almost a month now, working on the hundreds of issues that had been raised since the last time he and the Princesses of Equestria had met to do just the same, barely a year ago. As things stood, they would probably be finished by the end of the week, but he didn't feel grateful. After hearing the news from his parents, Shining hadn't been able to get his sister and her plight to leave his thoughts for long, 'I'm visiting her before I go back.'

Cadence was able to run the Crystal Empire just fine in his absence last time, he was confident she wouldn't have any problems with him taking an extra day or two to return this time around, and knew for certain that even if she did, she would forgive him quickly enough after he told her why, 'Spike's gone. She attacked Princess Celestia. She left just before I arrived.' He rested his forehead against the desk slowly, "Twilight... I'll be there soon, I promise. Just wait a little longer."

"Thank you, Angel, you did a great job." Fluttershy nuzzled the rabbit before he hopped up onto her head.

Twilight felt the air grow slightly denser as it slowly filled with excess magic, accompanied by the occasional sound of stone cracking ever-so-slightly, "Well, girls, looks like we're almost ready." She looked away from the statue and turned to face her friends, "I have to say thank you, to both of you. You've both left so much behind to be here now, I just want you to know much it means to me. I don't doubt either of you, not a single bit. I trusted you as my closest friends before, but now..." she held up a forehoof towards them, "I trust you even more. I literally trust you both with my life, too."

Fluttershy stepped forwards after a moment and held her hoof to Twilight's, "M-Me too. We'll get through anything together, I know it."

Pinkie followed suit and pressed her hoof atop the others, "And me! Nopony's going to separate us!"

Twilight smiled warmly as they lowered their hooves, 'I'm so lucky to have friends like these two...' A wave of guilt hit her as she recalled those she would be leaving behind, but it passed quickly enough, 'It's one of many sacrifices I'll have to make. Better that I just get over it. Still, the three of us just disappearing without a trace... I hope the others don't spend too long dwelling on what happened to us. Perhaps if I'd had more time I could've faked-'

Her thoughts were disrupted by a loud 'SNAP' piercing the air, causing the three of them to jump slightly. She quickly looked around for any guardsponies, and was relieved when none could be seen. Two large cracks coiled around the statue now, multiple smaller ones forming miniature webs across the surface. They jumped again as small streams of energy were sucked from their Elements. The unmistakable sound of laughter leaked through, though it was quiet, for which Twilight was grateful.

Only a few moments later the fissures in the stone snaked up to Discord's head, causing the laughter to increase in volume slightly. The sound of the cracks forming intensified as they stopped spreading and began widening instead, light leaking out from inside. Twilight wished there was a quieter way to go about things, 'It doesn't do us any good if we're caught before we've even began! Hurry!'

As if in response to her thoughts, the din stopped abruptly, the light within dimmed considerably and the energy streams from the Elements vanished. For a moment the three wondered if something had gone wrong, but then a familiar voice whispered faintly.

"Showtime."

The statue discharged a tremendous glow of light, causing the ponies - and rabbit - to shield their eyes, followed by a sound best described as somepony breaking a jar with a pickaxe.

Discord kept the light shining for just a moment, nopony else had to see this. Carefully he lifted his paw and balanced his lonely tear upon it after it had fallen from his face. He stared at it sadly for a second before snapping his fingers and whisking it off to somewhere he could retrieve it from later. He shook himself and plastered on his best 'I got stoned by the Elements of Harmony three times, and lived' smirk.

When the light finally faded they saw the towering form of Discord looming over them, a triumphant grin spreading further than his face would allow, "Yes! Hahaha! Finally!" His face fell flat suddenly, "Now, I believe I have important business to attend to." With a snap of his fingers he vanished before reappearing behind Fluttershy and embracing her in a crushing hug, causing her to 'eep' and blush slightly. Angel glared at him from atop her head, "Oh, Angel, I didn't see you there!" He smiled smugly, "Coming along for the ride, are we?" The rabbit made what the others guessed was some sort of rude gesture before retreating into Fluttershy's saddlebags with a huff. Discord looked up at them and shrugged amusedly.

Twilight shook her head, "Okay, that's enough fooling around for now. We need to get out of here before somepony sees us."

The draconequus sighed, "She really is a slave-driver, isn't she?" His tail turned into a whip and lashed at the air with another snap of his fingers. Then he noted her expression and waved his claw casually, "Give me a break, I've been channelling magic for months! I need a few minutes to recuperate enough to teleport the four - five - of us far enough to be out of the way by the time they realise we're missing."

Twilight remained silent, she knew how exhausting teleporting long distances could be, even for her. Teleporting oneself and another was even harder. Teleporting four others, plus oneself, any large distance would result in complete hospital-grade exhaustion for any normal pony, at best, "Fine... You can release Fluttershy any time now, you know."

Discord just stared at her blankly for a moment, as if he had misunderstood, then he grinned widely and putting on his best 'theatre-hero voice', "NEVER!"

The patrol of two stood by the large ornate windows overlooking the sculpture gardens, petrified, "Is that...?"

"I-I'll get the Princesses, you get the Captain! Hurry!" he was already moving before his sentence was finished.

The guard that had remained hastily glanced outside once more, noticing a few smaller figures surrounding the draconequus, 'Who the hell would release that... that thing!? Idiots!' He bolted to Shining Armor's temporary suite, repeatedly cursing the blatantly insane trespassers as he went.

Celestia hadn't raised her head for the full duration of the following three minutes of absolute silence. At first all three were absolutely gobsmacked, each turning to one another and the Princess without a word, their mouths hanging agape at the realisation that she was serious. Then, as Rainbow Dash spoke, the veil of shocked silence seemed to dissipate, and their reactions began to diversify.

"She WHAT!?" Rainbow barked, seething as she glanced around furiously, apparently scanning for Twilight as if she'd somehow made it inside the chamber with them.

Rarity stared up at the dejected alicorn, the object of so many of Twilight's aspirations and dreams, as well as her mentor and role-model, "N-No... She wouldn't... She couldn't..." The look on Celestia's face suggested otherwise.

Applejack pulled the brim of her hat down then began looking between the floor and the Princess, "No way. That can't be true. There has to be some kind of mistake! Why would Twilight ever do anythin' like that!?"

Celestia forced herself to look up slowly, meeting each of their gazes one-by-one. Rainbow Dash was furious, that much was obvious due to her shaking and grinding her teeth, Rarity seemed to be in denial, constantly shaking her head and muttering before staring up at her with wide eyes, Applejack just seemed perplexed. The Princess took a deep breath, preparing to tell them exactly why her most faithful student had turned on her, and hoped that they wouldn't do the same, 'No more lies.'

"It all started back when-"

A guard came barrelling through one of the doors off to the side, barely avoiding being impaled as the guards posted on either side of the doors withdrew their polearms at the last second upon identifying him, "Your majesty!" He paused and drew a ragged breath, "It's Discord!" He wheezed and inhaled sharply again, "He's escaping! Somepony released him!"

Celestia was on her hooves in an instant, gesturing to all the guards in the chamber, "Day court is cancelled, you there!" She pointed at one of the guards by the door, "Find my sister, tell her to meet us there!" Without another word the Princess vanished in a flash of light, accompanied by several smaller flashes as the unicorn guards followed suit, the rest darting past the guard who had delivered the message, who was leaning against the door frame and panting heavily.

The three Bearers just stood there in silence, still trying to take in what Celestia had said, and make sense of what had just conspired. Rarity gasped moments later as the realisation hit her, "The others are there! They could be in trouble!"

They gave each other horrified glances, but they quickly transformed into set ones as Applejack gave them a determined smile, "Ya'll thinkin' what Ah'm thinkin'?"

Rainbow Dash knocked a forehoof against her Element and nodded, "That it's time for victory number four?"

"Exactly."

They shot off in the direction the guards had gone.

The three ponies jumped back in alarm as flashes of light circled the area around the now vacant pedestal without warning. Discord simply folded his arms, watching dispassionately through his favourite shades as guards materialised all around them. Twilight turned to him reflexively, "How much longer!?"

He yawned, whispering in her direction without turning, "A few minutes, play it cool, we hold all the cards." A pack of cards appeared in his paw. He regarded them coolly then tossed them away, revealing fifty-two jokers which briefly disappeared with a resounding splash.

"Not a good time! Save your magic!"

Discord rolled his eyes at her as the last of the unicorns appeared. The sound of rapid hoofsteps reverberating through the castle was growing louder as a powerful voice boomed from behind them, "Discord!"

Twilight, Fluttershy and Pinkie whipped around in alarm, whilst Discord simply turned at a leisurely pace, twisting a talon into his ear and grimacing, "Celestia, please! Would it kill you to not bellow my name every time this happens!?"

Twilight glared up at the Princess with pure hellfire in her eyes, "YOU!" Already the air was crackling familiarly, and red was seeping into her eyes.

Discord smirked at the display, 'She certainly has the power, and the potential; she just lacks control.' With a snap of his fingers the changes reverted immediately. She glanced up at him in surprise, prompting him to make clear his intentions, "Keep a level head, or we fail." he stated simply.

Twilight took a deep breath and closed her eyes before staring balefully, but composedly, at Celestia. The Princess shifted her eyes from Discord to the ponies beside him, "Twilight! Fluttershy! Pinkamena! Get away from him quickly!" When the three in question just shared a determined glance her eyes widened, "Listen!" she focused specifically on Twilight, "Whatever we said and did doesn't matter here! You're in danger! Come to me quickly, all of you!" Again, none moved, Twilight and Fluttershy were now glaring at her, whilst Pinkie just regarded her passively. "What are you..." She seemed at a loss for words as she looked to Discord, "What did you do to them!?" The guards that had galloped through the castle now fanned out and filled the gaps in the wide circle as they arrived.

Discord's smirk widened, "Nothing, I just told them the truth." Celestia's scowl almost caused him to lose concentration on his teleportation spell as he laughed, "I told you, didn't I, Celestia?" He fell to his knees and clutched his arms to his chest, "Oh, stop before it's too late!" He chuckled before standing, "Well, guess what? It's too late now." He stepped towards her, but the guards drawing their weapons in response caused him to stop. He waved his talon casually, but didn't look anywhere else but Celestia, "Look, I'm sure plenty of you have adorable little families. If you don't relax, I'll force each individual here to fight themselves to the death. Which, when all is said and done, is a pretty pathetic way to go. Sure, it's interesting to watch, but it always ends in a draw; or a double-loss, depending on how you look at it."

The guards all looked to the Princess, who nodded to them to sheath their weapons. As they did so, Discord smiled, "Much better. Now th-"

A flash of light caused him to stop as Luna appeared beside her sister. Though she looked the same as usual, there were noticeable dark bags beneath her eyes, clearly on show even despite her naturally deep blue hue, "I came as soon as I heard." She turned to Discord and the ponies with him, "What's going on?"

Celestia sighed and shook her head, "I don't know. I thought he'd corrupted them, but now I'm not so sure."

Twilight squinted and spoke with a level tone, "Oh, look at 'Princess' Celestia talking about corrupt. How ironic."

Luna faced her, "Twilight, what is the meaning of this!?"

Discord smiled wryly, "I think I can expl-"

A commotion from somewhere behind the Princesses interrupted him abruptly.

"No civilians!"

"They're not civilians, you fool! Those are the Element Bearers!"

"Who?"

"Where?"

"Element Bearers?"

Discord looked to his companions, each of whom seemed apprehensive now. With a sigh and a snap of his fingers the three Bearers in question appeared by the Princesses, appearing slightly dazed. "There, now we have a reunion, happy?" he looked flatly at each of them before shrugging at their apparently doubled nervousness.

When they regained their bearings, each wheeled around to face their friends. Rainbow Dash was the first to react as she pieced the scene together, "Twilight, Fluttershy, Pinkie! What's going on!? What is he doing loose!?" She jumped up and began hovering, pointing a hoof at the draconequus in disgust, "Not that it matters! Come on, girls, we can take him!" She tapped her Element then bashed her forehooves together in anticipation. When the three closest to Discord didn't react she raised her voice further, "Hello!? Twilight? Pinkie? Fluttershy? Anypony home!? Situation here!"

Twilight sighed, "It's not happening, Rainbow Dash."

The pegasus just stared at her in bewilderment, "W-What? What're you talking about!?" She turned to Discord, "Whatever you did, stop it! Now!" she kicked her forehooves out towards him with each word.

Discord frowned at her and spoke tiredly, "Assumptions... So many assumptions."

The pegasus growled and lowered her head as if to charge, "I'll give you an assumption!"

Applejack stepped forwards too, kicking up a cloud of dirt as she did the same, "Ah've been lookin' for an excuse to give ya the hurtin' ya deserve, ya monster! Let 'em go, or else!"

Rarity just stood back, having noticed something the others had obviously missed, 'They're different to the last time he toyed with us. They look... normal.' She shivered at the many sinister implications of her thoughts.

"Listen carefully, Rainbow Dash." Discord's tone was low, and surprisingly serious to everypony except the three that visited him in the mindscape. "Come another inch closer and I'll take your wings, deep-fry them, and eat them with a side of gravy. You know I can, and will. Don't. Tempt. Me." Rainbow gritted her teeth and glanced to the Princesses for support, but they shook their heads to signal her to stay put.

Discord turned to Applejack, "And you, Applejack, don't threaten me. There's a fine line between bravery and stupidity, and you've just leapt across it and tumbled over the cliff on the other side. Oh, and for the Element of Honesty, you haven't really given me much of a chance to explain things truthfully, have you?"

The farmer stood firm, "Ah don't want nothin' to do with your explanations! Everythin' that comes outta' your mouth is vile!" she spat.

Discord just brushed it off and glanced at the final of the new arrivals, "And, of course, the beautiful Rarity." He bowed and smirked, "Thank you kindly for not jumping to any conclusions, my dear. Those ponies are so... uncivilised."

"W-What's going on? What are you d-doing free? Why are they with y-you?" she stammered in response, already fearing the answers.

"Ah, now those, my dear seamstress, are the right questions. Allow me to answer them in order. One, I'm escaping. Two, they freed me." He waved his arms at the ponies with him, who shrank away slightly at how he made it sound, "And three, they're coming with me. And before any of you ask - or rather, accuse - me again, all three are here of their own free will."

Twilight, Fluttershy and Pinkie could feel every set of eyes descend upon them, and Fluttershy looked around hastily before shuffling towards Discord embarrassedly as if trying to shelter herself, causing him to grin at the other Elements, and the Princesses behind. Celestia narrowed her eyes at him, "I don't believe a word of it."

Discord turned to those with him and shrugged. Twilight glowered at Celestia, "It's true. Are you really that surprised?"

Pinkie smiled and tilted her head as if she wasn't surrounded by dozens of armed guards, "Twilight's right, guys. And you aren't being very fair, are you?"

Fluttershy met Celestia's disbelieving gaze, causing her own timidness to fade momentarily as she stepped away from Discord and towards her, "Don't look at us like that! This is our choice, not yours! We're here because we chose to be!" She frowned at the Princess, and all that knew her well - on both sides - were slightly stunned when she held her ground and continued to glare at Celestia.

Rarity was trembling now, dreading the answers to the upcoming questions, "W-Why Fluttershy? All of you? I don't understand... Why?"

Discord glanced to those beside him, "Well, in short it's-"

Shining Armor flashed into existence beside the Princesses, "Twilight!"

Discord roared, shaking the foundations of the castle despite it actually being no louder than a regular shout of irritation, "For the love of- Anypony else!? Seriously! Is there anypony else waiting to interrupt me again out there!? Speak now or forever hold your damned peace! No? Good!" With a snap of his fingers a large dome of magic thumped onto the ground all around them and screwed tight, preventing anypony else from entering, or leaving.

Shining appeared not to notice, "Twilight, what are you doing? Get away from that... monster!"

Discord scowled, "I am right here, you know."

"Shining!" Twilight darted towards him instinctively, before halting herself after barely a few steps and slowly retreating with a dismayed expression.

Before her big brother could enquire further a suppressed sob emanated from Rarity, who was now visibly shaking and convulsing in time with her sobs, "Why? Tell me why you're leaving us, all of you! With him no less!"

Discord was about to respond, but Twilight cut him off, "Rarity, please..." Her voice sounded pained, mirroring her expression. Fluttershy and Pinkie weren't doing any better as they noticed Rarity's tears, "It's not as if we're leaving you all just like that. We don't want to leave the rest of you behind, but we have to, for our own reasons." She paused for a moment as an idea came to her, "But you're free to join us, all of you." she gestured to the other Elements, "And personally, I'd prefer if you did."

Shining was staring with his jaw agape, "You're what? You're leaving? With him!? Where? Why!?"

Applejack stomped a hoof, "Yeah, Twilight, why!? Seems to me that ya'll were plannin' this for a while. Seems to me that ya lied that day in the barn to try an' get me here!" Applejack squinted at her, "Say it ain't so."

Twilight shook her head in shame, "I'm sorry, Applejack. I didn't know about the reason you don't trust Discord before that day in the barn, otherwise I'd never have asked. Either way, I still lied to you." She looked apologetically to Rarity and Rainbow Dash, "And both of you, too. I'm sorry."

Rainbow Dash frowned at her, "We don't want apologies, Twilight, we want answers! Why are you doing this, all of you!?"

Twilight drew up her composure and spoke flatly, almost objectively, "Because he's the only one who can help me, and because he's still less evil than that bitch on a set of scales." She levelled a hoof at Celestia, and the guards who had heard reached for their weapons in disgust. As she saw Celestia's hurt show clearly on her face, Twilight noticed that Luna stood silently, just to the side, hidden slightly behind her sister. While she was frowning, like almost every other pony present, she didn't move, or speak, she just stood and watched in silence, as she had been doing since she arrived.

'What's she up to?'

"Twilight!" Her brother was shocked at the insult, but she ignored him.

Rarity pointed at Fluttershy, "I thought we were b-best friends? You're l-leaving and you didn't even t-tell me."

The pegasus smiled weakly, "We are best friends, Rarity, but my other friends need me more than you do right now, and they made me promise not to tell you. I can't just let them do everything alone." She paused then glanced at Princess Celestia, "Especially not if what I've heard about you is true, Princess! How could you!?" Tears were prickling her eyes as she shifted her gaze to the ground.

Pinkie put a comforting hoof on her friend's shoulder as Rainbow Dash spoke again, "Pinkie?"

She shrugged, "Discy can help me out a lot with something important. Can't say what, there's too many ponies here, sorry, Dashie."

"Twilight!" Shining was looking increasingly agitated as he tried to get his sister's attention.

"I'm not going to argue about this, Shining, especially not in front of all these ponies." She met Celestia's gaze, "And especially not with her here."

Rainbow Dash snarled at her, "What's gotten into all of you!? Why are you saying those horrible things about Princess Celestia!?" she remembered the brief discussion in the throne chamber only minutes ago, "And why the hell did you try and KILL her!?" she growled.

Twilight seemed taken aback for a moment, but quickly allowed a smile to creep up onto her face, "Oh, so she told you about that, did she? Looks like she didn't tell you everything." She grinned sadistically at the Princess, "Alright, Celestia, I'm feeling generous, I'll give you a choice. Either you tell them about that spell, or I will. Personally, I'd fess up if I were you, but don't leave out any details, I'll be listening closely." Her smile distended to almost grotesque proportions as the Princess in question recoiled, "You have three seconds, or I speak for you. Make your choice, monster."

The collective shuffle of the guards around them didn't go unnoticed by anypony. By now even the guards who had decided to give Twilight another chance after her previous visit were giving her death glares. Discord's smirk almost mirrored Twilight's, 'She's already playing games with her. This is excellent! Plus it buys us time. Never mind how entertaining all this is!' He snapped his fingers and conjured a bucket of popcorn promptly.

Celestia defended herself, "I was about to tell them before you released him!"

"So telling them now should be no different. Don't mind me, it's just, the clock is ticking. One..."

"Enough!" Celestia stomped a hoof and exhaled deeply. She composed herself sufficiently before lowering her voice and turning to the Elements that stood beside her, "The... The spell that I had Luna use on Spike, it was... a double-edged sword."

Rarity nodded, her tears threatening to return as she thought back, "I remember. He was... in agony because of it."

"I don't just mean that." She gulped and stared intensely at the grass beneath her, "If Spike had survived up to the point where the spell faded, the side-effects would have been disastrous."

"W-What do ya mean, Princess?" Applejack asked nervously, already considering the meaning behind her words.

Celestia drew her mouth into a thin line, but forced herself to meet the eyes of each of the three in turn, "When the spell eventually wore off." She drew a deep breath, "Spike would have died."

"Wrong!" Twilight barked. Several guards jumped slightly at the sudden exclamation, but Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie were now almost catatonic and failed to react as they tried to process what Celestia had just said, "He wouldn't just have died, he would've been crushed from the inside out first! Don't you dare try and make it sound any less worse than what it is! You KNEW what would happen. YOU MADE IT HAPPEN!"

Applejack looked between the Princess in question, and her friends who were planning to leave, their expressions confirming her fears, "You... knew?" When Celestia didn't respond, the farmer fell backwards onto her haunches.

Rarity was crying again, trying to speak between sobs, though only a few words were audible, "Spike... dead... trusted... why?"

Rainbow Dash took a step back, "No. No, there must be more to it than that. There has to be!" her voice shook uncertainly as she spoke.

Twilight stomped a hoof, "No, there isn't, don't be so naive! She condemned him to death! Regardless of how it happened..." She glared at the Princess with the scorching fires of hell building behind her eyes, "She was the one that MURDERED MY LITTLE BROTHER!"

Discord snapped his fingers pre-emptively, causing the growing red in Twilight's eyes to fade like before, just as the faint sound of crackling filled the air. He whispered to her, "You're not helping anypony out here. As fun as it is to watch you lose your temper, you need to calm down."

An 'eep' from Fluttershy caused them to whirl around. The pegasus was staring, wide-eyed, at Pinkie, who's mane was now rail-straight as she focused solely on Celestia. Twilight's eyes widened too, the sight terrified her, even if it was still her friend's body. Knowing the forces behind the change just served to make it all the more terrifying. Pinkie lowered her head, keeping her eyes locked on the Princess through her flat mane, before speaking in a low tone, "Remember that day, after the funeral? Remember when I called you a liar? I meant what I said, Celestia." She squinted and frowned, "I remember other things too, things from a long time ago, things I'm sure you haven't forgotten either." Now it was Celestia's turn to be shocked, her breath hitching in her throat as the memories of her past resurfaced. Pinkie advanced towards the Princess, "That's it, you do remember, don't you? Has it haunted you ever since? Oh, I hope it has. I so dearly hope i-"

Discord snapped his fingers, silencing Pinkie and causing her to groan and clutch at her head as her mane rapidly began inflating once again. Then he was by Twilight, "You didn't tell her about all that spell business beforehand!?"

"I didn't think it was important at the time! Speaking of important, how much longer!?"

He sighed, "A couple more minutes. Keep stalling."

Celestia caught wind of their conversation and shook herself, "Formation two, the same as last time!" Almost immediately a huge, shimmering cube of magic surrounded all present, almost touching the inside of the massive dome that Discord had already placed." Twilight grimaced up at Discord, but he simply winked back at her and grinned confidently.

Shining Armor shook his head, "What is actually going on with everypony!?" he glanced sideways to Celestia, "And is this true, Celestia? Are you really the one responsible for Spike's death?"

Celestia met Twilight's baleful gaze momentarily before facing her brother. She noted his disbelieving expression as she croaked out the simplest response, "Yes." Shining just allowed his head to droop as he attempted to gather his now shattered thoughts.

"Why!?" Rarity's voice was louder now, though it still shook as her sobs slowly receded, "Just tell me why! That's all I want to know!" Applejack and Rainbow Dash stepped up beside her, both attempting to comfort her whilst shooting the Princess a look that demanded her explanation.

Celestia's expression was filled with regret, as was her voice, "I didn't think I had a choice. That monster, it killed so many ponies all that time ago. Imagine, tens of thousands of innocents just trying to survive the anarchy that HE put them through, all dead within a day. An entire continent, all but obliterated." She was snapped from her memories by her rising anger, "All because HE wanted to prove a point!" she levelled a hoof at Discord.

Discord just examined the back of his paw and yawned. Though Pinkie was staring at the same spot she had been since she started returning back to normal, both Twilight and Fluttershy had unknowingly moved away from him slightly at the Princess's words. Celestia calmed herself quickly and continued, "I know what I did was terrible, I don't deny it; but it was necessary. Yes, I sealed Spike's awful fate, but by doing so, hundreds of thousands more survived. I know how cruel and heartless it sounds, but as a Princess it falls to me to ensure the safety of Equestria's inhabitants. If Spike had never entered the fray Calamity could have escaped and murdered countless thousands before we reached him! Ponyville, Canterlot, Manehatten, even Cloudsdale! Nowhere would have been safe! You have to understand, it was the only way to prevent any further bloodshed!"

Rainbow Dash seemed convinced, turning to Twilight and those beside her, "See? It's not like she wanted to do it! Can't you just talk about things?"

Twilight shook her head, "No. I don't expect you to understand, Rainbow Dash, you're the Element of Loyalty, I get what that means now; you'll never see things our way. No matter what she does, no matter how monstrous her actions, you'll still follow her, because it's hard-wired into who you are. Just be ready for the day she casts you aside like she did to Spike." Rainbow Dash snarled in response at the suggestion, but Twilight paid her no heed and turned to Applejack, who was still seated with a distant look in her eyes, "What about you, Applejack? Can you really stay here, knowing that her lies cost Spike his life?"

The farmer looked up at her, "Ah... Ah don't know." She scrunched her eyes shut for a moment then scowled at Twilight, "But Ah do know that, no matter what happens, Ah'm not goin' anywhere with him, and neither should y'all!"

Twilight sighed, expecting as much, "That's fine, I understand, Applejack." she spoke sincerely, "And I'm sorry, but it's the only way things will ever work."

Applejack stared off into the middle-distance again, "Ah just... Ah can't... This ain't happenin'..." she trailed off.

Twilight looked towards the last of the trio, who was still struggling to bring her sobs under control, "Rarity?"

The unicorn in question didn't speak, but nodded slowly. Then, to the absolute horror of the others with her, she hung her head low and trotted slowly towards the group in the centre. Everypony behind her watched in shocked silence as she willingly joined the others. Rainbow Dash stomped a hoof when she was around half way, "Rarity! What do you think you're doing!?"

She didn't turn, but stopped as she spoke, "I'm sorry, I truly am sorry. But if the Princess hadn't gotten Spike involved, he would never have died saving us." Her tears flowed once again, "I should be dead! I deserve to be dead instead! He sacrificed his life to save mine, and that never would have happened if Princess Celestia hadn't done what she did. There hasn't been a single day that's gone by where I haven't thought about how weak I was! I thought it was all my fault!" She visibly shook as a mighty heave overcame her, "But sending him to help, at the cost of his life? Knowing now that he would have died, even if I had been stronger? It just makes me feel worse!" Her voice was quiet and laden with sorrow as she finished, "I don't know if I can ever truly forgive you, Princess Celestia. But I do know I'll never forgive myself if I abandon them when they need me. When I actually have another chance to protect the ponies that are precious to me." After a moment of silence, she began her slow trot once again.

Only to stop a mere few hoofsteps from Twilight. 'But I can't... I can't just leave them behind.' She met Twilight's genuinely sympathetic expression and fought off the urge to cry again, "T-Twilight... I can't do it. I-I'm sorry." She shook her head, "I can't leave my family behind. Sweetie Belle needs me, she wouldn't understand if I left."

Twilight gave her a weak smile and closed the gap between them, resting a hoof on her shoulder, "We understand, Rarity, it's fine."

Rarity hugged her friend tightly for several seconds, "Can't you just stay here with us? You wouldn't ever have to see her again, if that isn't what you want. We could move on, like you told me to at the memorial..." her voice was brimming with hope as she let go and stepped back.

Twilight shook her head, "I'm sorry, Rarity. I can't move on from something like this. I need justice, if not for myself then for him."

Rarity nodded solemnly in response, and gave Twilight a final glance before embracing her other two friends in turn. Although Pinkie seemed to remain unaffected either way, still trying to shake the after-effects of her 'transformation', Fluttershy was almost moved to tears as she squeezed her best friend into a crushing hug. After whispering something to Fluttershy, she turned and hesitantly retreated back to her original position with a heavy heart and a lump in her throat.

Discord lowered his head down to the three below him and whispered, "I'll be just about ready to blow this joint any second now, is everypony ready?"

Twilight shook her head and whispered back, "Not yet, I have a few more things to take care of." He raised an eyebrow incredulously, "Don't worry, it won't take long." she assured him.

"... Fine, but make it quick. This is probably my least favourite place in the world."

Twilight nodded in thanks and turned to face her brother, "Shining." Her tone was pleading as she spoke, "Please, I don't want to leave you like this. Is there any way I can convi-"

He scowled as he cut her off, "No! Don't you understand what you're doing here? This is insane! You've released one of the most dangerous monsters in history!"

Discord's expression literally fell flat as he muttered "Still here." to himself.

"I love you, Twilight, but I can't just stand by and allow you to do this, regardless of why you're doing it, it's wrong! And I'm certainly not going to help!" He softened his expression slightly, "Just stop this now, before it gets out of control. We can still fix this, I promise."

Twilight shook her head, "No, we can't. I'm sorry, Shining, but it looks like this is it." She felt a lump in her throat as she looked at her brother's fearful expression, "Tell mum and dad I'm sorry, and tell them it's not their fault, okay?"

"Twilight, you aren't going anywhere, there's a huge barrier surrounding us! Please just stop and think for a minute!"

She shook her head and swallowed her sadness, turning to Celestia as she did so, "And then there's you." she spat her words venomously, but her tone was threateningly level, "You sick, scheming, disgusting whore of a 'Princess'."

Celestia's expression was one of a pony resigned to her suffering as each of Twilight's words cut deep. Luna lurched several steps forward at Twilight's final insult, "ENOUGH!" She stomped a hoof, causing the earth beneath to tremor slightly, "You will NOT speak to my sister this way, Twilight! After everything you did, I gave you another chance. I trusted you! I suffered your nightmares for you, and gave you your magic back so that you could recover, not scheme and become worse! You betrayed my trust, Twilight. I had faith in you, I thought you were my friend! Then you stabbed me in the back. How is what you've done to me any different from what Celestia did to you?"

"I didn't murder any children doing it, did I? I didn't toy with a pony's emotions for YEARS, JUST so I could discard her feelings and lie to her face at a whim, did I? I didn't lie to my own sister, and have her bear the weight of killing her friend, did I!? That's three off the top of my head!"

Discord shook the now empty bucket of popcorn, before subconsciously snapping his fingers and refilling it from the top down, without looking away from the increasingly heated argument. He was surprised when Pinkie - now apparently back to normal - suddenly jumped up and jammed a hoof into the bucket, withdrawing a huge portion before moving back to her original position nonchalantly.

Luna was grinding her teeth together audibly, "After all we've done for you over the years, you'd treat us like this? You'd leave everything behind on a whim? You'd divide your friendships?"

Twilight hesitated then nodded curtly in response, prompting Celestia to speak up once more, "W-Why? What could you possibly want to achieve from all of this, Twilight?" She stared with tears brimming in her eyes, "Whatever punishment you see fit, I'll accept it, I deserve as much. Just stop this! Please!"

"No." She squinted at the Princess, "You won't have it that easy. I'm going to be there to watch as everything you've ever loved crumbles before your eyes. I'm going to make you suffer, the way you've made me suffer. I'm going to make you truly regret what you did, Celestia, and it's going to be far from painless."

Although Discord was smirking at Celestia's distraught expression as he finished his third bucket of popcorn and had it disappear, he still gave Twilight an impatient nudge, causing her to raise a hoof quickly at him. She turned to her friends, whom Twilight knew she would be leaving behind. Pinkie and Fluttershy followed suit and stepped up beside her, forming a row of forlorn figures. Twilight turned to those on either side of her, "Do either of you want to say anything before we go?" Fluttershy nodded in response, causing Discord to roll his eyes. From Fluttershy's saddlebags, Angel brought his head up slightly, lifting the top off just enough so that Discord could briefly see him stick his tongue out before he sank back into the depths of the bag again, trying the patience of the draconequus even further.

Fluttershy cleared her throat softly, "I'm r-really sorry about this, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity. I don't w-want us to be separated like this, b-but I can't stay here and do n-nothing when my friends need my help."

Rarity swallowed and nodded understandingly, wishing that she could go with them. Fluttershy met Rarity's gaze, "R-Rarity, we're still best friends, r-right?" Again, Rarity nodded, causing Fluttershy to smile slightly, "Thank you, Rarity. Applejack? Rainbow Dash?"

Rainbow Dash just stared at her in silence as Applejack lowered the brim of her hat to cast a shadow over her face, "Fluttershy... All three of ya, please don't do this. There has to be another way we can figure this out. Ya'll can't just leave us!" Her expression fell as she spoke, "Why would you choose him over us? We're your friends!"

Fluttershy felt tears brimming in her eyes as she saw her friend's defeated expression, "A-Applejack... I-I'm sorry..."

The farmer looked up at her pleadingly, "Please, ya can't go with him. He's evil! Ah'm beggin' ya, don't!" Fluttershy fought the tears back and shook her head slowly, averting her eyes as she did so. Twilight and Rarity were both regarding Applejack sadly as she hung her head low and remained silent.

Fluttershy's gaze slowly turned to Rainbow Dash, who frowned at her in response, "I won't let you do this, any of you! You don't just get to go away, leave your friends behind and scheme against Princess Celestia! It's wrong! Evil even! And I know it's not your fault, it's him!" She nodded towards Discord, "He's deceiving you!"

Fluttershy shook her head vigorously, "T-That's not true!"

Rainbow Dash bellowed across the space between them, "Listen to yourself! You're the only one who ever trusted him, and now he's manipulating you! I bet he really has messed with your heads and you don't even know it!"

"N-No!"

"Yes!" She scowled and stomped a hoof, "There's no way the Fluttershy I know would do something so cowardly! Sure, she's quiet, but she's brave and loyal when she needs to be. And you're not her! He's turned you all into scheming traitors with his magic! You have to fight it, it's all just a bunch of lies! I know the real Fluttershy is in there somewhere, behind that false, pathetic mask!"

Fluttershy couldn't hold her tears back any longer at her friend's accusations, instead she sobbed and turned to those beside her. Pinkie wrapped a hoof around her neck, allowing her to cry into her once-again bouncy mane.

Rainbow Dash scowled, not towards them, but the creature behind them. Miniature flames danced within the eyes of the draconequus as he glared at Rainbow after noticing Fluttershy's tears. Without any visible input from himself, a noose appeared around his neck, and proceeded to constrict until it was no wider than a pencil. He held his stare the entire time, apparently unaffected as he raised his paw and pointed once between the rope and Rainbow Dash before it disappeared, though the pegasus' expression didn't waver in the slightest at the display.

Twilight tenderly put a hoof on Fluttershy's shoulder, gently encouraging her to release Pinkie. Once she did, instead opting to nuzzle against Twilight, the unicorn turned her head to Pinkie, "Anything?"

Pinkie held a passive expression and shrugged, "We'll all see each other again." she stated matter-of-factly, "So there really isn't any need for any of this ultra-mega river-crying right now."

Twilight didn't enquire as to how Pinkie knew this, instead she simply shrugged and faced in the direction of those who would not be joining them, "Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Applejack." Her voice sounded much weaker than she would have liked, "It doesn't matter to me that you're staying here rather than coming with us. It's a difficult decision, and I don't consider any one of you any less of a friend for making that choice. But listen carefully." Even formulating the next words in her head was difficult enough as she continued, "I-If any of you get in our way, or try to s-stop us, I'll do whatever I have t-to." Twilight was appalled further by the words when she actually spoke them. She noted their expressions and looked pleadingly at them, "Please, j-just stay out of our w-way and everything will b-be alright." She looked to her brother, "That goes for you t-too, big b-brother."

Almighty silence reigned over the statue garden as Twilight's stammered demands slowly sank in. Twilight noted their expressions: Rainbow Dash was frowning at her in apparent disbelief, Applejack seemed to be crying, but it was impossible to tell beneath her heavily tilted stetson, and Rarity looked tearfully between her, Fluttershy and Pinkie every few seconds. Shining stared wide-eyed, shocked at what his little sister had just suggested, and the Princesses were both scowling at her, though Celestia's didn't seem to hold anywhere near as much malice as it did regret. Twilight stifled a sob and turned to Discord, her voice barely a whisper, "Let's go."

Pinkie turned to face Discord and jumped, "Alright! Let's get this party started!"

He chuckled, "I couldn't have said it better myself. Everypony gather rou-"

"Aren't you forgetting something, Discord?" Celestia cut him off, "There's a top level barrier spell keeping you here. Just like last time, there's no way any of you are getting out of here, no matter what you do. Even together Luna and I would struggle with so many unicorns sustaining it. Any magic that tries to leave, won't. Plain and simple." She frowned at him, "You lose. Give up."

Discord grinned maniacally, "Oh, Celestia, you really are adorable when you're angry. Not a patch on your sister though, she's adorable all the time." His grin intensified as both of the royal sisters' eyes widened in horror and embarrassment, as did the eyes of almost everypony else in the vicinity. He cleared his throat, "Seriously though, don't judge my power as if it's on a level playing field with yours, Celestia. How do you raise the sun again? You go to the highest point you can find, and focus intensely. What does Luna do to raise the moon? Same thing. What do I do?" He chuckled and snapped his fingers.

Nothing happened.

He stared in total shock at his paw for a moment before sighing amusedly, "Ahh, sorry about that everypony, buttery popcorn fingers." he chuckled as he vigorously scrubbed his paw against a towel that hadn't been there a moment earlier, and wasn't there a moment later. He grinned and snapped his fingers again.

The barrier smashed into shimmering smithereens, which quickly disintegrated before they fell to the ground. The noise of shattering was horrendous, not too dissimilar to being in a window factory during an earthquake. Discord just grinned smugly at the horrified expressions of the Princesses and the guards, especially those who had previously been outside the barrier, safely maintaining it.

"S-Stop them!" Celestia barked immediately.

A spell shot from Luna's horn the instant Celestia had began speaking. Though to the surprise of everypony present the spell rocketed towards Twilight, not the draconequus. Discord snapped his fingers one final time, a flash of white enveloping the area around him and his companions instantaneously.

Luna's spell disappeared into the blinding light, causing her to lose sight of it.

The familiar feeling of teleporting washed over Twilight. She braced herself slightly in response, but recoiled at the last second as a beam of deep blue collided with her head-on. Strangely, all that followed was a brief tingling sensation. Then the teleportation took effect.

Various spells from the surrounding guards flew towards the flickering light, and Rainbow Dash and Shining Armor had instinctively lunged forwards upon realising what was happening. With a final bright flash, the light dissipated, and their fears were confirmed.

Nopony, nor draconequus, stood in the centre.

Rainbow came to an abrupt stop, cursing loudly as she lowered herself to the ground and kicked at it repeatedly. Apart from her and Applejack - who still had her stetson pulled too far across her face for her eyes to be seen - everypony watched in sympathetic silence as Shining Armor bolted to his sister's previous position.

Shining slowed his gallop to a trot as he approached the epicentre, tears blurring his vision as he stared at the spot where Twilight had stood moments before, only to vanish in the company of a monster, "Twilight!" He fell to his knees, "This can't be happening... It just cant..."

Whether Discord had heard him or not was unclear, but as his sinister laugh rang through the statue garden it served as an adequate response to Shining's statement.

'It is.'

Author's Note

Hey all! I'm really, really sorry about the long wait. My exams start next week, and continue into next month, so I seriously need to keep hitting the books. Unfortunately - as you've probably noticed - this is slowing down my chapter production considerably, as I'm too tired to write afterwards. Sure, I could just write something easy for myself and post it to tide you all over, but it's my firm belief that you guys deserve the best I can offer, and I can't function at my very best as much when I'm stressing over exams, so hopefully that explains why in case you guys are wondering.

On a seperate note, I've checked this chapter like 9 times already, and I feel that I've missed some key detail out. I'd ask my pre-readers to check, but both go to my school and are revising too :( So please, if anyone spots a serious error that contradicts the plot in here, please let me know ASAP (It might just be that I'm acting paranoid though, so don't go out of your way to look for one, just in case there really isn't one).

As always, thank you for your continued patience and support with my various projects, moreso as my final exams approach - Mikemarksman (still bringing you the scope of what's going on. No, I won't drop that pun until I find something even cheesier.)

Chapter XV - The Road Less Travelled

A brilliant flash lit up the area for a split-second before dying away just as quickly.

They all stumbled slightly as the last of the light vanished, plunging them and their surroundings into total darkness. For a few tense seconds nopony even dared to breathe. Pinkie was the one to break the silence as she whispered loudly, "Twilight? Fluttershy? Discy? Angel? Pinkie? Oh, wait, that's me... Twili-"

Twilight rolled her eyes in the darkness and channelled a small measure of magic, "Yes, Pinkie, I'm here." Her horn glowed and illuminated her immediate surroundings, revealing Pinkie's muzzle to be only inches away from her own, "Gah!" She backpedalled before collecting herself whilst Pinkie just stared in confusion, "Pinkie, where's Fluttershy?"

Pinkie shrugged, "I dunno, she's probably here someplace."

A small voice from the darkness cut through the silence, but only just, "I-I'm over here..."

Unfortunately, with the light Twilight was currently producing, neither of the other two ponies could see more than a few feet in any direction, leaving where 'over here' was to be anypony's guess. Twilight lowered her head and focused slightly harder, causing the light emanating from her horn to intensify into a small beam. She slowly turned on the spot until she spotted a yellow object in the darkness, currently curled up defensively on the ground, "Fluttershy, we're here." Twilight called out.

The pegasus lifted her head, then stood and trotted nervously to Twilight's position. Upon reaching them she sat down once again, "Twilight, can you shine your light down here for a second, please?" She did so, allowing Fluttershy to perform the task at hoof.

The pegasus reached back and opened her saddlebags, "Angel? Are you alright?" Briefly, shuffling from inside the bags could be heard, then Angel clambered out onto his owner's back. Fluttershy gave an audible sigh of relief, "Thank goodness." She closed her saddlebags and stood once again, glancing around quickly as she did so.

"What's wrong, Fluttershy?" Twilight enquired.

She gave a few more searching glances out into the darkness before turning to Twilight, "W-Where's Discord?"

Everything went silent once again. Twilight's expression began to mirror Fluttershy's, which, in turn, grew more and more worried with every passing second. Just as the mares began to show signs of panic, one about losing a close friend, the other about being left alone in a dark, unknown location, a single word was uttered from the blackness, "Here."

The three mares looked between one another nervously. There was something about that tone that sounded... wrong. It belonged to Discord, obviously, but he almost sounded weak, as if he'd been injured, and even Pinkie had picked up on it, "Discy? Are you alright? Where's 'here'?"

A small groan was all that Discord gave in response, but it was enough for Twilight to pinpoint his general direction. She turned, intensifying the beam of light so that it would stretch further as she did so, and finally stopped as she located what she was searching for. Discord was slumped against what Twilight presumed was a wall, though his neck was tilted so far forward that his head was touching the ground. Fluttershy gasped and darted over to him, skidding to a halt just beside his head and prodding him gently, "D-Discord! Are you okay?"

He drew a shallow breath and lifted his head, "Fine... just... tired..." From atop Fluttershy's back, Angel rolled his eyes at the theatrics. "Just give me... a minute..." Fluttershy nodded and waited patiently as the other two sat beside her.

A few minutes later he inhaled deeply, "Okay, ask away."

Twilight opened her mouth to speak, but Fluttershy spoke first, "Are you alright? What happened?"

Discord smiled, "I'll recover shortly. Seems like I used up more magic than I thought..."

"Oh, you poor thing..." she glanced up at him sympathetically.

Twilight couldn't help but interject, "Hold on... Not ten minutes ago you said that you can raise the sun and moon with a snap of your fingers, what gives?"

He sighed tiredly, "I knew you'd ask that. Think about it, I channelled chaos magic for a month just to escape, destroyed a top-tier barrier spell - and looked good doing it I might add - and teleported the five of us all the way here. All while running on next to empty on chaos. Good luck finding anypony else who can do that."

Twilight nodded but held her questioning gaze, "And where's here exactly?"

The draconequus waved his claw, and the area was instantly awash with bright light, revealing that they were in fact in a large cavern, with small piles of sand scattered across the floor, "My little ponies, I present to you our temporary luxury abode, situated in the beautiful, tranquil and certainly secluded San Palomino Desert!" From out of nowhere the sound of applause could be heard, which Pinkie quickly joined in with.

"I thought you said you were exhausted?" Twilight tilted her head accusingly in response to the applause.

He shrugged, "I'm just that good, I guess."

Fluttershy glanced around nervously, "We're in a desert?"

"Yes, but don't worry about the details. I'll ensure we're all well looked after, and I'll be sure to spruce this place up a bit once I feel better, plus we won't be here for long, a week at the most."

"You have a plan?" Twilight asked as if she was expecting as much.

"Of course! Devious mastermind over here, remember?"

She blew her mane upwards exasperatedly at his bravado, "Care to fill us in?"

He grimaced slightly, "It's... still a work in progress."

Twilight nodded her head deliberately slowly, "Uh...huh..."

"Oh for crying out loud! I'm pretty exhausted if you haven't already noticed! Just give me some time to recover and maybe I'll be able to think straight for long enough to get our affairs in order, alright? Unless you have a better plan?"

The unicorn shrugged, "As you said yourself, you're the 'devious mastermind', and you seem to be the expert on making Celestia's life difficult. I think I'll leave it to you for now, thanks."

Discord stretched out and fell backwards onto a cloud that had appeared beneath him, "Then step one is simple: One of you give me a nudge in about, say... ten minutes." Before anypony could ask what he meant he was already snoring obnoxiously loudly, miniature gusts of gale-force wind escaping every time he exhaled.

The three ponies, and rabbit, looked at each other briefly, then back at the draconequus. Angel rolled his eyes once again and pressed his paw into his forehead before wiping it down his face. "I-Is he really asleep, just like that?" Fluttershy asked, half-expecting him to jump up and startle them.

He rolled slightly on his cloud, and a trio of visible black-printed 'Z's escaped from his mouth, only to be retrieved by a greedy snore. Pinkie focused on him for a moment, "Looks like it. He's certainly giving an entirely new meaning to 'catching some 'Z's'... Look at him go! Yaaaay Discy! Round up ALL the 'Z's!" How he had managed not to even stir was a mystery to the others.

Twilight mimicked Angel's version of a facehoof, trotted over to one of the edges of the cave, and sat against it in silence. 'Something this serious, and I leave Discord in charge and bring Pinkie along for the long haul, maybe I'm the one who needs some sleep...'

After being vigorously shaken awake by Pinkie precisely ten minutes later, Discord had made several notable renovations to the cave. The fact that it wasn't really a cave by definition anymore was probably the most significant one. Plush carpeting covered the floor, the walls and roof were replaced by smooth wooden planks, and five comfortable looking armchairs plus a large sofa now occupied the floorspace. A door in the back wall of the 'cave' led into a small bathroom of sorts, which, by one of Discord's many mysterious magics, now had fresh water flowing through it. Another door stood opposite it, near the 'cave' mouth, though it seemed that the purpose of it was merely cosmetic, or at least to keep out the sand; the chances of anypony stumbling across them out in the middle of a desert were almost zero at best. Not even Pinkie could accurately speculate where the light was coming from. There were no lighting fixtures anywhere, yet the entire room was equally bathed in warm light, much to the confusion of the two ponies and one rabbit who didn't defy physics anywhere near as often as their companions did.

Discord stretched as he lay across the entirety of the sofa, folding his arms behind his head and smiling, "Thank heavens that's over with. You honestly have no idea how difficult it is to create chairs that don't walk away on their legs." Pinkie giggled slightly at the thought of it, but the others remained expectantly quiet, "Okay, fine." He donned a pair of spectacles, putting on his best 'accountant voice', "Let's talk business, shall we?"

Twilight glanced irritably from her seat over to her saddlebags, able to just make out the tops of the Elements they had brought, 'If we only have half a set, will they only half-turn him into stone? All we need is enough to cover his mouth and fingers...' She glared at him, "Yes already! Just get on with it and stop fooling around!"

The spectacles cracked as she finished, prompting him to scowl and discard them, watching with mild interest as they melded with the floor seamlessly, "Fine." He sat up and extended a single finger, "The first thing is pretty straightforward, we're going to move at the end of every week. I have a general route in mind, and it will help us avoid detection."

They nodded in response, though Fluttershy seemed puzzled, "But how will we go anywhere? We're in the middle of a desert now."

"Not to worry." he smiled, "I'll simply teleport us around. It's much faster and safer than trekking across the desert, or anywhere else for that matter. Discord travel really is the future of transport, ladies."

"But doesn't that make you like, really tired, Discy?" Pinkie tilted her head in confusion.

He gave a half-sigh half-groan at the nickname, "Yes, Pinkie, but only after I've used lots of magic." He spoke as if he was lecturing a foal, "As long as I don't use up nearly every ounce of my magic casting tedious spells again then no, it won't be a problem. And STOP calling me that!"

"Okie, dokie, lokie!"

He held up a second finger whilst pressing his claw against his head, "Two, I'll be leaving occasionally, probably twice a day, to cause chaos elsewhere." He glanced over to Fluttershy, "For your benefit, and Pinkie's, I'll give you both a quick, simple explanation. Discord no cause chaos for long time, Discord go 'BOOM', understood?" Fluttershy nodded timidly, whilst Pinkie just rubbed her chin thoughtfully, "Pinkie?" he deadpanned, "Please tell me you understand!" his expression at that moment was, as he would so aptly put it, priceless.

"Hm? Oh, yeah, no, yeah, I understand. I'm thinking about something else... But it's not important right now anyways. Carry on." she smiled up at him.

He gave up trying to understand, and waved his claw to make sure he had her attention before holding up a third finger, "Number three, we have a deal to discuss, Pinkie."

Her expression sobered for a moment, "Yep. What needs discussing?"

"Well... I can perform the spell here and now, if you give me a few minutes, but that's not the issue." He waited for his words to sink in, half-expecting the mare to bounce off all the walls and start showering him with praise, but all she did was sit there and listen attentively, her expression forced flat, as if she was awaiting something, but didn't want to get her hopes up. For reasons unknown, he found it quite unnerving, "Uhm, well the issue is that there's nothing to stop you running off at the first available opportunity." Still she sat, passively awaiting his verdict, "Now I know that doesn't sound very 'trusting' of me, but it's a precaution I'll have to take I'm afraid." Not even a twitch betrayed the mare's emotions as she sat perfectly still. "So... Pinkie, is there anything I can ask of you to ensure that you'll keep your end of the bargain? Perhaps a treasured possession? Or-"

"A Pinkie Promise." was her reply, her voice held an edge of seriousness that made all present shudder, Discord included.

"Come again? A... Pinkie Promise?" he looked at her sceptically, "Promises are all well and good, Pinkie, but they can still be broken."

Suddenly he found himself wrenched down to eye-level with the baker, her eyes burning with the intensity of the infernal bread stoves of hell, "This is a Pinkie Promise." He was sure her voice had dropped a few octaves, but he was too transfixed to be sure, "And nopony. Breaks. A. Pinkie. Promise..."

And there it was. For the first time in nearly a thousand years, Discord felt yet another emotion he had long since locked away. Pure, unadulterated fear. There was no rationality, no viable reason for it. But right then and there, Discord feared for his immortal life as he stared into the depths of the abyss, and the abyss, quite literally, stared back.

He hid it well, with only a few stray droplets of sweat trickling up his face and hitting the ceiling. Gently detaching her forelegs from himself, Discord coughed lightly and stepped back, looking over to the other two, who were staring at him wide-eyed and nodded slowly. Even Angel seemed awestruck by the visible fire in the mare's eyes. Fluttershy eventually found her voice and said all she could think to say, "I-I-It's t-true, Discord. Nop-pony can break a P-Pinkie promise, it's i-impossible..." He looked over to Twilight, who simply nodded her head in agreement with the pegasus.

He didn't need much more convincing, "... Alright, I'll make this 'Pinkie Promise'." Though the only thing to change on Pinkie's face was her smile as it turned up ever-so-slightly at the corners, the amount of sheer willpower it took for Discord to stand his ground without betraying his emotions was incredible; deals with the Pony Devil himself were less intimidating. A small cough escaped him - and dashed out the door - as he tried to clear his throat, "In return for sparing your future foals of the affliction, you are obliged to stay with us until either the job is done, or we no longer need your help. Are we in agreement?"

"Yep. Now, repeat after me." She held up her hoof, and Discord slowly did the same. "Cross my heart."

"Cross my heart."

She waved the hoof, "Hope to fly."

"Hope to fly."

She brought her hoof to her face deliberately slowly, "Stick a cupcake in my eye." With a 'squish' she poked herself in her right eye.

Discord just stared for a moment before tentatively drawing his paw towards his face; with every inch Pinkie's smile distended further. "Stick... a cupcake... in my... eye." He quickly jabbed himself in the eye, expecting all hell to break loose as he sealed the pact.

It didn't. Pinkie just smiled at him in her usual cute, not-at-all demonic fashion, "Okay, ready when you are!"

"Right... Everypony might want to take a step back though... just in case." The others looked at him to see if he was joking, but his face was unusually expressionless, so they simply complied and gave him a wary look. Discord rubbed his mismatched hands together absent-mindedly as he prepared to work his magic.

Though he couldn't help but wonder, 'What the hell have I just gotten myself into?'

Pinkie stood in the centre of the room, her friends standing against the wall behind Discord, who was currently sizing up the angles from which to cast the spell, "Pinkie, you have to hold perfectly still, understood?"

"Can do!"

He gave the mare another look before shuffling to the right a few inches, "You do understand that there's no guarantee this will work, right?"

Pinkie drew her lips in tight, "I know, but I've got to take that chance."

Fluttershy nudged Discord gently, "I-It's not going to h-hurt her, is it?" the pegasus looked terrified on behalf of her friend.

He closed his eyes for a moment, "I don't know. There's no way to be sure beforehand." He looked back to Pinkie as Fluttershy's expression became even more frightened, "But once I begin, I cannot stop until the spell is finished, no matter what happens, understood?"

Pinkie nodded, "Whatever it takes."

Twilight shook her head, "I've seen this before. This is too much like... what happened to Spike. Pinkie, are you absolutely, one-hundred percent sure you want to go through with this?"

The mare in question nodded, "I need this, Twilight. I'd never forgive myself if I put my foals through this too."

Biting her lip in response, Twilight gave a single nod, 'This is not your decision to make, Twilight!' She scrunched her eyes shut tightly and tried to block out the all-too-appropriate memories of Spike's transformation.

Discord hummed to himself momentarily, "Alright, I think I'm just about ready. Ladies, and rabbit, I need absolute silence whilst I do this, one mistake could spell disaster here." They backed away apprehensively, save Pinkie who remained in the centre of the room, "Pinkie, I know this must be grating on the old nerves a little, it's starting to annoy even me, but I have to warn you. This is the last chance to opt out now, are you completely sure you want this?"

She gulped, "Yep. Let's get it over with."

"Very well." Silence filled the area, even the breaths of the room's occupants were shallow enough to go unheard. Discord slowly closed his eyes, raised his paw slightly.

And snapped his fingers.

So many individual components. Millions upon millions of microscopic building blocks making up the anomaly that was Pinkie Pie. And, in a similar fashion to building blocks, Discord knew that removing a single wrong one would cause the entire structure to collapse violently. 'No pressure.' he thought sarcastically. 'Location, location, location... Meiosis, meiosis, mei- oh, there it is.' He found what he was looking for and gritted his teeth as he began the tedious process of individually rewiring each affected cell; knowing that his margin of error was exactly zero didn't make things any easier.

The silence was deafening, the only sound to be heard was the far off rustle of sandy winds blowing across the dunes outside. Several minutes passed, and no notable changes had overtook Pinkie, she just stood perfectly still in the centre of the room facing Discord, who still had his eyes closed and paw held in the same position at his side. Despite the severity of the situation, her friends were becoming increasingly unnerved by something other than the spell: Pinkie's unmoving, unblinking stare. Were it not for Discord's warning, the three would have already dashed behind the furniture around the room just to break line of sight with her. The stare seemed to permeate everything. The ponies themselves, time, space, her blank expression gave the impression she saw through them all.

So after nearly another half hour of wilting under her unforgiving gaze, the three almost had a collective heart attack when Discord shot up into the air and span wildly, "Finished! Finally!" He turned to Pinkie, "How do you feel?"

Pinkie shook her head and blinked rapidly before resorting to rub her eyelids upon the realisation that they wouldn't close of their own accord any more, "I... don't feel any different, actually."

Discord released a mighty sigh, "That's a relief, it means I'm much less likely to have pulled out anything that I shouldn't have. It's pretty difficult after over a thousand years, you know?"

Pinkie stopped rubbing her eyes and looked up at him hesitantly, "Does this mean that... I won't... I mean, my foals won't... They'll never..." her tone was almost one of disbelief.

Discord took it upon himself to finish her sentence, "Your foals will never have to deal with the hardships you have faced."

He was astounded when he saw tears form in her eyes, but didn't have time to ask what was wrong before she pounced on him, "Thank you! Thank you so much! I'm sorry for ever doubting you and turning you into stone! I'm really, really sorry! You have no idea how much this means to me! I promise, I won't ever, EVER leave you guys! Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!"

The other two mares looked on and smiled warmly at Pinkie's display of gratitude, truly glad for her; even Angel didn't give the usual roll of his eyes at the heart-warming scene before them.

But Discord wasn't having any of it.

"Ugh!" he stuck out his tongue, "Way too much mush here!" With a flash he vanished and reappeared on the other side of the room, only to find himself enveloped by her again a split-second later. The following minute consisted of nothing but this process repeating over and over again, as if time itself had finally given up on trying to function properly when it concerned the two, instead opting to set everything on 'loop' whilst it went to clear its head.

"Enough already!" he bellowed across the room, creating a pool of quicksand beneath his pursuer before she could dash to him again, and smiling smugly as she sank into it and pouted at him. He span in the air to meet two sets of amused smiles and sighed, "Alright, who else likes quicksand?" The two mares giggled regardless of his obvious irritation as he dropped himself down onto the sofa, "Fine... Laugh it up, I'll repay you in kind later. When you're both finished, take a seat." They continued for several seconds before settling down. With a snap of his fingers, Pinkie found herself clean and standing on the floor once again, though she just stared at Discord intensely. The draconequus rolled his eyes, "Pinkie, don't try it. I'm warning you!" She didn't move from her position, even as the others all took their seats around her. Discord let his shoulders droop, "Just take a seat already, Pinkie..." he blinked at her disapprovingly.

Only to find her a few inches from his face a moment later, causing him to recoil wildly in his seat, "If that's how it has to be, fine!"

The mare suddenly found herself chained to one of the chairs without an inch of give on her restraints, "You're no fun today..."

Twilight raised an eyebrow, "So what is it anyway?"

He coughed slightly, "Believe it or not, I think I may have something valuable to teach you, and Pinkie too, provided she behaves herself." He smirked over at her slightly as she wrestled with her chains.

"Something to teach us? What does that mean?" Twilight asked warily, "And why only me and Pinkie?"

Discord rubbed his hands together and lent forwards slightly, "Because one of you can use it to an extraordinary standard, and it's quite literally a part of who the other is." He paused for a moment and allowed realisation to dawn on each of their faces before continuing, "That's right, my little ponies! I'm going to mentor you in the magic of chaos!"

The six still stood in the Sculpture Gardens, even after all the guards had scrambled at the Prince and Princesses' commands. Celestia stood beside Luna, with Shining Armor standing just off to the side of them. Facing them were the three Bearers that had remained. Each and every one wore a different expression. "What now, sister?" Luna asked.

Celestia wore a look of absolute determination, "We wait and let the guards search. There will be no stone in Equestria left unturned if needs be. We will find them, I promise." The last sentence was directed more towards the other four than Luna.

Shining stomped a hoof, "That's not good enough! There must be something we can do other than stand around idly and wait for reports!"

Rainbow Dash jumped forwards, "I'm with him! Let's get off our flanks and find them ourselves! I'll knock some sense into Discord for what he's done!"

Celestia turned to Shining, "I'm afraid it wouldn't do anything to keep the peace if you were seen searching high and low all across Equestria. Ponies would make assumptions of your intentions as a Prince of another nation, after all." At that moment in time, Shining couldn't have cared less about the assumptions any ponies would have made, but he held his tongue regardless, years of conditioning as Guard Captain beneath her subconsciously influencing him to obey. "But... as for you three." She turned to the Bearers, "I'm sure you could significantly improve our chances of finding them. That is... if you'll actually listen to anything I ask of you now..." Though her determined expression never wavered, her voice was laden with guilt.

"Of course we will!" Rainbow Dash nodded before turning to those beside her, "Right?"

For a moment there was silence, but Applejack quickly adjusted her hat and nodded, "Whatever might've happened, our friends are in danger every moment they spend with that snake. Their safety comes before anythin' else right now."

A much longer length of time elapsed before Rarity finally spoke, her voice an unpleasant monotone, "I'll go, just to make sure they're alright. That's all."

A light flashed on Celestia's horn, and a similar light appeared on the heads of each of the Bearers just as briefly. "You may begin the search whenever you're ready, but should you find them you are not to reveal yourselves. You will inform me of your whereabouts and do as I say, it's for your own safety as well as theirs."

"Is there anything else we can use to find them?" Shining asked.

Celestia sighed, "With Discord involved, probably not, but I'll see what I can do in the way of magically scanning for them."

Luna remained silent, it would be better not to get their hopes up too early; she would know whether or not she had succeeded soon enough.

"Then if they find them, I'm going." Shining's tone left no room for argument.

Nor did Celestia's, "Shining, I know that Twilight is your sister, and you're probably worried sick, but I don't expect Discord to come quietly, and allowing you to lead a regiment of crystal guards to their location would almost certainly cause panic; never mind the consequences for your empire if you were injured, or worse. I can't allow you to get too involved in Equestria's affairs for exactly these reasons."

Shining gave no ground, "With all due respect, Princess Celestia, I believe that I have legal immunity as the Prince of a neighbouring country, do I not? Furthermore, the Crystal Empire is unquestionably at peace with Equestria, so I see no reason why our presence would cause any unrest. And I'll have you know that Princess Cadence - my wife - is more than capable of managing our Empire alone!" He reigned in his self-control before he said anything he'd regret, "I'll respect your wishes in the best interests of Equestria, Princess, but as soon as we find them, I'm going, and that's final. I won't let anything, or anypony, stand between me and my sister when she needs me, Princess Celestia.

Celestia regarded him critically for a moment, mulling over what he had said, "I... I'll allow it, Shining. I know you're more than capable of handling yourself when things get tough, and you probably have the best chance of getting through to her out of any of us. But you will wait until we have an exact fix on their location. I'm not prepared to risk any shots in the dark here, understood?"

Shining bowed his head in gratitude, "Of course. Thank you, Princess. I won't fail you, or her."

Celestia smiled slightly, "I know you won't. After all, you weren't the best of the best for no reason, were you?" She turned to the Bearers, "Did they mention where they might be heading to any of you beforehand?" They shook their heads, "Then search wherever you deem likely, but remember," she looked sternly between each one in turn, "No matter what, do NOT approach them if you find them. We have no idea what Discord might do to them should he find himself cornered. This is absolutely imperative." They nodded in response, "Remember, if you do find anything, all you need to do is think of telling me," she raised a hoof and tapped her head, "and we'll be in touch."

Luna turned to her sister, "Shall we go? We need to divide the guards into search parties capable of scouring the area beyond Canterlot as soon as possible."

Celestia nodded, "Yes." she turned along with her sister, but cast a glance back to the ponies behind her, "Good luck, all of you." The sisters left the garden, leaving the four remaining ponies to ponder over their predicament.

After several seconds of silently staring in the direction the two had trotted, Rainbow approached Shining, "We'll find your sister and the others, I promise."

He nodded, though his expression was unreadable as he spoke, "Thank you, it means a lot. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a squad to assemble," He turned and began trotting away with his head hung low, "and two soon-to-be heartbroken parents to inform..."

They watched him go sadly, remaining where they stood even as he vanished back into the castle. No further words were spoken, even as they collectively shuffled towards the castle, their many troubled thoughts, distant optimistic hopes, and all-too-real fears stealing away their ability to speak.

But, in the end, there really was no need for talk. There was one crucial thought that all three shared as one, albeit for their own unique agendas: "We WILL find our friends!"

"The magic... of chaos?" Twilight stared at him incredulously as he cautiously removed Pinkie's restraints, breaking the silence that had swept over the room.

He nodded.

"You can teach us to control it?"

He nodded.

She raised an eyebrow, "Despite Pinkie being an earth pony?" Pinkie just shrugged in carefree acceptance.

He nodded.

"How is that even possible?"

He nodded.

Then came to the realisation that he wasn't answering a yes/no question, "Oh... Sorry about that. Must have zoned out during the questioning, interrogator." Twilight scowled at him, causing him to raise his arms in a semi-defensive shrug, "Well, for Pinkie it's going to be quite different from conventional unicorn magic, to put it lightly."

"How so?"

He briefly considered nodding just to see her reaction but decided against it. There would be plenty of less-serious issues to make light of in the future. Instead he sighed and waved to the vacant chairs, "You'll probably want to sit down again for this..." After they had done so Discord addressed Fluttershy, "I'm sorry, Fluttershy, a lot of what I'm about to explain won't apply to you, or Angel." He smirked at the rabbit, who glared back.

"I-It's fine."

"Of course, I could just give you a good zap of chaos magic to include you in the 'fun'," He grinned as Angel snarled at him defensively, "But in all honesty I'd prefer not to do that to my only friend. I'm sure you'll agree you don't need changing anyway, you're fine the way you are."

She blushed and hid behind her mane slightly, "If you say so..."

He clasped his hands together, "Alright, I'll explain things to you first, Twilight; it'll be easier to explain things further down the line that way."

"Okay."

"First off, let me go over the basics. Chaos magic is influenced by two main principals: Chaos within, and chaos without." Twilight was already leaning forwards in her seat, eager to learn more on one of the few subjects that even the royal archives held little information on. "Chaos without is simple enough to explain. Any chaos magic will always be amplified by the presence of more chaos in the immediate area, provided the caster wants to amplify it, of course. This makes chaos magic an excellent tool to use when - excuse my Griffonian - shit hits the fan, or you're in a tight spot."

Fluttershy was blushing deeply now, and Pinkie desperately trying not to laugh as she envisaged exactly that happening wasn't helping. Twilight didn't even seem to notice, her attention focused solely on Discord.

"Chaos within is more difficult to explain, never mind achieve. In short, chaos within is found through inner turmoil. By this I mean something really out of place, such as total emotional detachment, or, as you're probably aware of by now, Twilight, extremely potent emotions." She nodded slowly, recalling both Spike's death and the encounters with Celestia, "In this case, the most turbulent emotions always seem to produce the best results: Rage, fear, envy and despair being the most prominent of the bunch. Casting with a complete lack of emotion is obviously difficult to do - especially in a combat scenario - and is generally less powerful than drawing upon these emotions, but it's a lot safer than relying on impulse and losing all self-control each time you need to use it. I'm sure I haven't lost you yet, have I?"

Twilight shook her head attentively, "Sounds simple enough so far."

"Good. There is much more to it than just that brief overview, but it starts us off nicely. I'll explain more to you once we begin training, that is, if you actually want to learn how."

She almost jumped out of her seat, "Of course I want to learn!" She noticed everyone staring at her and sank backwards a little with a nervous laugh, "I mean, this could prove valuable in the future."

"Alright then, though it would probably be best if we start tomorrow rather than right now. I'm still pretty exhausted, and I'm sure the three of you have a lot on your minds." Each gave a nod to confirm such, "But Twilight, I must warn you, chaos magic is VERY dangerous. If I agree to teach you how to control it - as opposed to it controlling you, like it has in the past - then you must NEVER, EVER practice without my supervision." She gulped at the severity in his voice, "Especially not around your friends. Remember what happened when Calamity interrupted your spell? Imagine that happening with your friends in the room." Her eyes widened in panic as she envisaged such devastation being visited upon her closest friends, "Don't worry. As long as you follow my instructions, and never practice without my supervision, there's no risk of that ever happening; and you can do so somewhere safe if you wish."

Twilight stared at the floor between them, "And there's absolutely no risk to my friends if I do?"

"None."

She voiced her concerns rapidly, "B-But what if I use it one day a-and I can't control it and I end up hurting m-my friends and-"

"Twilight?" Discord seemed surprised by the ramblings of the usually collected pony.

"-What if something goes wrong and I use it where it could hurt lots of ponies and I give us all away and-"

Discord sighed and snapped his fingers, causing a zipper to seal her mouth shut, "Enough already, sheesh! You worry far too much. You've already summoned up chaos magic before, and proven skilful enough not to blow yourself up with zero training, that has to count for something at least."

Pinkie leaned towards her, "He's right, y'know. If anypony can do this right, it's you! You're awesome at magic and stuff!"

"A-And magic is your t-talent... And your cutie m-mark... And your Element..."

Seeing her relax considerably, Discord dissipated the zipper and shrugged, "See?"

Twilight looked between each one in turn, smiling weakly as she did, "Thanks... But I'm still unsure."

Discord rolled his eyes, "Fine, if you're so unsure, sleep on it. There's no need to be making these decisions so quickly anyway."

She nodded in agreement, and Discord clapped his hands happily, "And so ends 'conventional chaos 101'! Next up," he looked pointedly at Pinkie, "'unconventional chaos 101'!"

Cheers and thunderous applause erupted from nowhere at his behest, and Pinkie erupted from her chair in turn, "Yippee! So, what can I do!? Can I move mountains!? Or make things disappear!? Or raze barns with mega laser vision!? Or can I-"

Discord held up his fingers threateningly, though he smirked at her antics as he did so, "Pinkie, zip it would you? Or else I'll have to do it for you."

She just giggled and relaxed in her seat, "Okie dokie!"

"I hate to disappoint you, Pinkie, but there won't really be any magic as in casting spells, or any of the stuff you just mentioned for that matter."

"Aww..."

"Exactly. No, this has more to do with making use of your... 'gift', and learning to wield it properly."

At the mention of using the 'gift' she became very on-edge, and it showed, "What do you mean?"

"Think of it this way, the likelihood is that Pinkamena has fighting abilities close to those of Reginald himself. If you could utilise that power on the battlefield there would be very few opponents indeed who would be able to best you in single combat.

She spoke seriously now, "And how would I tap into that power safely?"

"Well, I'm willing to bet that you've got Pinkamena locked away securely somewhere in your mind, don't you?"

"Correct."

"Then you let her out."

"..."

"..."

"... You're actually serious?"

"Absolutely."

"That's the single most fucking terrible idea I've ever heard in my entire life." All the others in the room reeled at both her tone and suddenly colourful choice of language.

Discord half-coughed, half-choked, "Hey! Hear me out at least!"

Pinkie sighed heavily, "I'm hearing. Speak away."

"Look, Pinkie, whether you like it or not, the fact of the matter is that Pinkamena is a separate being to you. She thinks in the same way any other pony does. Only, she doesn't have a body of her own, and the owner of the body she's in has imprisoned her."

"..."

"How would that make you feel?"

"... Bad."

"Understatement of the century, but yes, it would make you feel bad. Very bad. Tell me, when was the last time you let her take control completely, instead of suppressing her?"

"When I was still a little filly, working day-in day-out on a rock farm."

"So that's several years now. You've imprisoned and suppressed her for years."

"Where exactly are you going with this?"

"You need to make amends with her, apologise, and agree to let her free; from time to time, at least."

"Are you absolutely BATSHIT CRAZY!? She's INSANE! She DESPISES ME! She constantly tries to make my life a misery! She's been trying ever since I was small, attacking me when I was at my weakest! After Spike died she almost succeeded!"

"What would you do if you were in her situation?"

"What?"

"What would you do if somepony locked you away and pretended like you didn't exist? Be nice to them on a daily basis? Sit happily in the back of their mind and never try to escape?"

"No..." Pinkie lowered her eyes and stared at the carpet, her eyes glazing over slightly as she thought about things from Pinkamena's perspective.

"Tell me, did Pinkamena start making things difficult for you right from the day you regained control?"

There was a long pause before Pinkie finally spoke, "N-No... She started off by asking when I would let her out for a while, but I was having too much fun to find the time... Then she started begging, and she... She kept telling me it was getting dark, and she was scared. I thought she was just trying to scare me into letting her out... Then she gradually got how she is now... Full of sadness, and hate towards me... So I shut her in completely..." Tears started to brim in her eyes as she looked up at Discord, "Was that... Was that all my fault?"

He kept his expression and tone as neutral as possible, "There's a strong possibility it was, unfortunately."

"B-But I never... I didn't mean... I'm... I..."

Just as she looked on the verge of breaking down into tears Discord intervened, "That's why we're having this conversation, Pinkie. If you want to, you can begin setting things right, starting tomorrow."

She just nodded pensively, mulling over the mistreatment of her alter-ego over the years, "O-Okay..."

"Excellent. If you two make amends we can move on to the more complicated stuff." He stood up quickly, "So ends 'unconventional chaos 101'!"

An awkward silence filled the room as all present looked at Pinkie, who had yet to shift her gaze from the floor. Eventually Fluttershy moved over to Pinkie quietly and gently wrapped a wing around her, "It'll be okay, Pinkie. You'll be able to put things right somehow, I know it."

Pinkie scrunched her eyes shut before looking away from the floor and to her friend, all indications of sadness and guilt gone from her features as she smiled slightly, "Thanks, Fluttershy."

Discord stretched and yawned loudly, "I think it's about time we all got some much needed rest, don't you think?" After a murmur of agreement from the others he snapped his fingers, conjuring three beds, a cloud, and a small pile of straw for Angel to sleep on. Once they were all comfortable, Discord grinned and whispered, "Lights out." He clapped his hands, causing the mysterious light source to disappear, plunging the room into total darkness.

For about three seconds until somepony clapped, turning the lights back on. Everypony looked at each other in confusion before collectively shifting their gaze to Discord, "Hey, don't look at me, that was one of you!" He huffed before clapping his hands again, shutting off the lights.

Only for somepony to clap again, flooding the room with light. Discord stood upright and glared down at them intimidatingly, "Okay, I'm usually all for a good practical joke, but if you can't tell, I'm really damn tired! Who keeps doing that!?"

"It wasn't me."

"N-Not me..."

"Doing what now?"

Angel shrugged.

He slumped, "Alright, if that's how it is, fine. Just stop already!" He clapped his hands, "GOODNIGHT!" The light faded out of existence.

*Clap*

The light faded back into existence. Discord roared and jumped into the air, his landing causing lightning to jump from the floor to the roof, where it liquefied and dripped back down, "PINKIE!"

"Yeah?"

"THAT WAS YOU! I SAW YOU DO IT!"

"Oh, that? Yeah, I've never lost a last-clap contest in my life, and I don't intend to start now."

"Oh for the love of..." He stopped abruptly as an idea struck him, "Never mind. Seriously though, go to sleep." He raised his paw and made a show of snapping his fingers before them, snuffing out the light.

Pinkie cried out in the darkness, "Hey! No fair! I can't do that!"

Discord's laugh reverberated all around them, "Exactly. I win."

"But you can't win if I never said I was playing!"

"You never said you weren't playing either."

"Well it's pretty self-explanatory, seen as though I don't even have fingers!"

"Excuses, excuses. A little creativity would get you much farther than-"

Twilight screamed and the sound of a pillow being punched repeatedly was heard, "JUST SHUT UP AND GO TO SLEEP ALREADY! BOTH OF YOU!"

Quiet mercifully descended on the room, the only sound was that of steady breathing as everyone finally settled down to sleep.

Though Twilight could have sworn she heard the words 'slave driver' uttered in the darkness.

Celestia smiled down at her. Twilight glanced around and saw Spike, similarly smiling at her. He was speaking, but she couldn't hear him. As the confusion passed, Twilight came to her senses and struggled as hard as she could to do anything that could prevent what came next. She failed. Celestia sauntered slowly towards Spike from behind, smiling all the while.

'Oh no! Please no! Don't make me watch this again! Please no! Stop! Stop! Please!' She could feel the waves of fear washing over her with every step Celestia took towards her brother.

She was close now, very close. A few more steps and she would reach him, 'PLEASE! I'LL DO ANYTHING! JUST STOP! STOP! I'M BEGGING YOU! STOP! STOP! STOP! STOP! STOP!'

She didn't.

Celestia loomed behind Spike now, her grin distending grotesquely as her horn began to glow, 'Oh no! No! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!' Whirring saw blades materialised on either side of an oblivious Spike, slowly inching closer and closer. All semblances of hope had left her as she gave one final futile attempt, 'Please... Just stop...' Celestia winked at her playfully, a final glow enveloping her horn as the blades jumped across the last few inches and began to draw blood.

Twilight knew she was crying. She couldn't feel the tears, or the racking sobs, but somehow she knew she was crying. Although she couldn't hear his voice, Spike's now panicked expression, and his rapid mouthing of the same words allowed her to figure out exactly what he was saying.

'Help me!'

She couldn't.

Everything froze.

Twilight looked on in disbelief, expecting some sort of horrifying trick, but everything remained still. The saw blades no longer rotated, Spike was stuck in mid-speech, and the few stray drops of blood that had been flung through the air were now suspended in place by some unseen force, 'W-What?'

Then everything faded, Spike, the blood, Celestia and her instruments of torture. All that remained was Twilight and the throne room itself.

"Twilight Sparkle!"

She whirled around, and was immediately shocked to find that she could actually move, and that Princess Luna was staring down at her condescendingly, "P-Princess Luna?"

The Princess frowned at her, "You overstepped your bounds greatly today, Twilight."

She shrunk back at the severity in her voice, "Princess... How?" It clicked, "That spell earlier? That's how, isn't it?"

"Where are you?"

"W-What?"

"WHERE. ARE. YOU!?"

Twilight shook her head rapidly, trying to fight off the re-emerging fear, "I c-can't t-tell you th-that, P-Princess."

Luna snarled at her, "I'm not going to play games with you, Twilight! What you did today rolls treason, terrorism and conspiring against the nation as a whole all into one! Besides, I'm not about to let you become one of the pieces in one of Discord's games, or allow you to lead your friends into something so terrible! You WILL tell me where you are, or I'll MAKE YOU!"

Although she was constantly retreating to counter Luna's advance, Twilight still held her defiance, "No! You'll n-never understand what I'm g-going through! There's n-no way I'll t-tell you where we are!"

"Then you leave me no choice."

Twilight jolted as she bumped into something behind her. She turned to find a wall towering over her that hadn't been there seconds ago, "What!?" She glanced around and darted to the left quickly to avoid Luna, only for the wall to bend before her, closing her in, "What's going on!?" She backed up against the wall as Luna drew closer, and shrieked as she was pulled against it by some unseen force, metal clasps materialising around her legs, securing her in place.

Luna trotted towards her calmly. Though her voice was full of anger, Twilight was sure it held undertones of sadness as she spoke, "I won't hurt you, Twilight, I'm not so cruel as to do something like that to a friend. But if you won't give me your location willingly then I'll have to extract it from your mind directly." Luna's horn glowed deep blue as she tipped her head so that her horn would touch Twilight's when she was close enough.

Twilight began struggling frantically against her restraints, but they didn't give an inch, "I thought you were my friend, Luna! You can't do this to me! You can't just steal my thoughts from me! It's horrible and cruel!"

"So is what you're planning to do in the not-too-distant future if you're left unchecked."

"This goes against everything Luna! This breaks our trust! Our friendship! Even the basic rules of magic! This is unfair and wrong! She shrieked and thrashed with all her might against the restraints. They didn't budge.

Luna was only metres away now, "I'm sorry, Twilight, this is for the best, even if you don't see it. If I let you go, you'll ruin your life, as well as the lives of two of your closest friends and countless others through your actions." She stopped before Twilight, who had ceased struggling, instead tilting her head as far from Luna's as possible, "And despite what you might say about this being wrong, this is the dreamscape. The dreamscape I roam every single night. The dreamscape that bends to my will. I, and I alone, make the rules here.

A third voice boomed over the area, "Too bad I'm really terrible at following the rules."

The wall and restraints holding Twilight cracked and shattered, dropping her to the floor messily. She seized her opportunity, quickly righting herself and scampering away from Luna's still glowing horn.

Luna whirled around quickly, seething with rage at the new arrival's presence, "Discord! Where are you!?"

His mocking laugh spiralled around them, "Right under your nose!"

She looked down to see Discord's two-dimensional form wiggling around on the floor, and tried to stomp on him promptly, causing him to disappear and reappear before her in his full three-dimensional glory before bopping her on the nose playfully. She growled at him threateningly, "Stop this now! You will bring these mares home at once!"

Discord shrugged, "I was going to ask them out to dinner first, but if you're that enthusiastic I'm sure I can move things along a bit. Though I would've thought you'd seen enough of those kinds of dreams by now." He gave Luna a sly wink, though Twilight shuddered uncomfortably at the thought as she trotted around to Discord, staying well clear of Luna's immediate area.

Luna wasn't amused in the slightest, "If you don't stop this now I swear I'll make you suffer the consequences!"

Discord slumped slightly and sighed, "You're usually up for a good joke, this is disappointing... Really though, Luna, let's not make enemies of each other again; we're kindred spirits, you and I. After all, it's the very reason you were so much faster than Celestia to forgive me for what I did all that time ago. You've been there. You've been rejected and shunned by ponies to whom you did no wrong, as I was. You've been in the villain's horseshoes and done terrible things that you regret, as I have. We understand each other."

"I'm not here to talk about us. I'm here to find your location and stop you before you drag these mares down a dark path."

"Oh, Luna, you offend me. Each and every one of these mares is here of their own volition. Yes, I'll be providing quite a large helping hand, but their motives and intentions are solely their own."

Luna scowled at him, "Then why even bother!? It's not like you to go around offering genuine help to those in need, even on a 'good' day."

He smiled, "Because there's going to be one metric tonne of chaos along the way! Oh, and because I miss being able to actually create real chaos, instead of playing 'chaos vegetable' with Celestia. And because I don't miss being sealed in stone for something that WASN'T MY FAULT!"

A flash of pity appeared on her face. Though it faded quickly, her tone was notably softer when she next spoke, even if it did still hold an edge of firmness, "Listen, Discord, I heard about what happened, and I'd convinced Celestia to release you right after we'd solved the issue with Twilight after their fight so that we could hear your side of things. If you stop this now I promise we can come to a better compromise."

He shook his head, "No thanks, Luna. I prefer total freedom over limited freedom any day."

"If you're so hell-bent on becoming the villain here then at least send the others back to us. Fluttershy is your friend! Why would you intentionally put her through something like this!?"

Discord's tone and expression became deadly serious, "Do not make such accusations of me again, Luna!" She recoiled slightly at his sudden outburst, "That pony means more to me than all the chaos in Equestria and all the gold beneath it! I TRIED to dissuade her from this, and made all three well aware of the risks involved, but each insisted upon their involvement. I forced none of them, nor would I ever consider manipulating my only friend into partaking in something so grim!" Twilight stepped up to Discord's side and gave him an approving nod.

Luna just stared at Discord as she took in everything he had just said, "She really did change you, didn't she? Fluttershy, I mean."

Discord nodded slowly, "More than you will ever realise."

"... There's still hope for you yet, Discord. It's never too late to do the right thing. Fluttershy would have a much better life if she left all this business behind her and came home."

He sighed, "I know, Luna, I know, but that's not my decision to make, it's hers."

Luna sighed too as she turned her attention to Twilight, "You're really going to do this, aren't you?"

"Yes. I'm sorry, Princess, but it's the only way Celestia can truly pay for what she's done."

"You're going to throw everything away: All but a hooffull of your friends, your family, your home, your hopes and dreams, everything you've ever loved and even your future, just so you can lose so much more of yourself in this pursuit of self-righteous justice!?"

Twilight took a heavy breath that shook with sadness, "Princess, in the past few months I've lost almost everything I've ever loved. Spike was my brother in all but blood, and Celestia wrenched him from me. The library isn't my home without Spike, it's empty now. A hollow tree, nothing more. My hopes and dreams? My future? Do you know what I always wanted? Do you know what my hopes were? Did you ever observe my dreams before they turned into these FUCKING DREADFUL NIGHTMARES!?"

She shook as she suppressed her sobs and stared at Luna through watery eyes, "I wanted to please my mentor. I wanted to make Celestia proud of me. I wanted to prove to her that I was worthy of her tutelage! I wanted to be like her in every single way I could! I thought she was perfect!" She hung her head as the tears streaked down her face, "Every single time she praised me, every single time she told me she was proud, those were the happiest moments of my life." She choked on her sobs and coughed wearily before continuing, "And then I found out that it was all a lie, a game for her own amusement! I found out that she was responsible for Spike's death, and she never even cared enough to tell me! She murdered him, and she didn't even care! Do you have any idea how that felt when I found out!? My hopes!? My dreams!? My future!? THEY DIED!"

She choked again, but her reflexive coughs were weaker this time, as if she was losing her will to live, "All I want now is justice, Luna, I just want her to pay... After that, I don't even care what happens, you can execute me for all I care."

Luna stared at her in disbelief, "Twilight..."

"I'm tired, Luna. Once I've accomplished that, once I have justice, I'll have nothing left. All this sadness, and hurt, and deceit... That's all I'll be left with, and I don't want it any more."

"And your friends? Your family? What about them? Surely you realise how much it would hurt them if you died?"

Twilight shook her head and heaved as more tears fought their way forwards, "I abandoned all but two of my friends, and left my family behind... By the end, they won't even love me any more..." She looked down at the floor beneath her in acceptance of the future she had just described.

"Twilight, no matter what happens your family will alwa-"

"Just stop Luna, please..."

"Twilight..."

Twilight shook her head solemnly, signalling Luna to stop trying. Luna bit her lip to hold back the rapidly welling sadness that was threatening to overflow within her, "It seems you've both made your decision, and I can't force any information from you whilst Discord is nearby to stop me, so continuing this conversation is pointless." The other two nodded to confirm such, "Twilight, no matter what happens, I'll always be here to listen if you ever need to talk to somepony, I promise. Even if we're enemies by day, we can at least dream of things being better between us, can't we?" Twilight understood what Luna was implying and nodded again, "And listen, Twilight, no matter what happens, there is never a reason terrible enough to justify somepony taking their own life."

"And that's where we have a difference of opinion." Twilight retorted pensively.

Luna shook her head slowly, "I'm leaving now. If you ever do change your minds you know where to find me. Goodbye."

"Goodbye, Princess. I wish things could have been different, I really do."

"Good hunting, Luna. We're going to be far from easy to catch."

The Princess faded from view, accompanied by the echoing sound of a stifled sob. Twilight turned to Discord and bowed her head slightly in gratitude, "Thanks for saving me back there."

He waved his claw casually, "It's easy when you know how. Chaos really is a wonderful thing."

Twilight nodded in agreement, "You're right. I think I've made up my mind now."

He turned away from her, hiding his victorious smirk, "Let's get out of here, frankly you look quite a mess right now." She frowned slightly as he snapped his fingers and the dreamscape faded away into nothingness.

Twilight awoke to find her face moist with tears. Gently illuminating the area with her horn, she wiped herself off and looked around to see Discord standing beside his cloud, looking between the others. She trotted quietly over to him and followed his gaze. Pinkie was sleeping perfectly still - which amazed Twilight somewhere in the back of her mind - but a few stray tears were streaking down her face slowly. It felt wrong to look at, the Pinkie she was seeing was the complete opposite of the Pinkie she knew: Stillness, calmness, and sadness. Twilight felt a lump form in her throat at the sight and quickly averted her eyes to Fluttershy instead.

And felt her heart break. The pegasus' face was positively drenched with tears, and every few seconds or so she would convulse and whimper ever-so-softly, sending more tears trickling down into the small pool beside her muzzle.

Twilight couldn't take it any more and looked over at Discord, who glanced back at her sadly but said nothing. She moved up beside him and followed his gaze back to the others, whispering the only words that came to mind, "It's all my fault... I never should have brought them into this. I've taken them away from everything that's important to them..." She looked up at Discord, who was staring forlornly at Fluttershy, "Send them back."

He turned to her, "What?"

"Send them back. I've seen enough, they don't need any more to do with this. If they go back now they probably won't even be punished."

"That's not our decision to make, Twilight. You didn't force them to come along, they chose to stay with you, remember that. They knew what they were getting into, and they accepted it so that they could stay by your side."

"But they're suffering! Look at them!" she whispered as loudly as she dared.

Discord nodded, "Even in their dreams they miss everything they've left behind. Remember, they haven't experienced loss on the same level you have, leaving is harder for them, even if they don't show it when you're around."

"Is this going to keep happening?"

"Probably not, but it will take a while for them to get used to things. Try not to dwell on it... Get some sleep, you'll feel better in the morning."

She trotted over and climbed into bed without a word, and, once she was sure Discord wasn't watching, bit down on her hoof and wept for her friends, and the sacrifices they had made.

The sacrifices she knew they had ultimately made for her.

Author's Note

Hey all! That's right, I'm still doing this, I haven't disappeared or anything! :D Thanks so much for your continued patience everyone, I really appreciate it. Unfortunately I still have three more exams to go, but it's plain sailing from that point onwards!

[Old, irrelevant information deleted upon revising this chapter.]

Thank you very much for waiting whilst I've been doing my exams, and I promise you more frequent updates in the not-too-distant future.

Mikemarksman, STILL bringing you guys the 'scope' of things to come, no matter how much worse that joke gets every time.

Chapter XVI - Of Sound Mind

Princess Cadence jumped reflexively as a letter appeared before her with an audible pop. Setting down her breakfast, she unfurled the scroll with her magic and began reading.

Cadence,
I'm sorry about being so late back, but something of grave importance has come up involving my sister and her friends, as well as the safety of Equestria itself; it might be a while before I can come home. I'm in a serious hurry, so I don't have long to write what's happened. I promise you I'll fill you in on the details when I return.
- With love, Shining

'Twilight and her friends? Aunt Celestia really ought to give them a break after everything they've been through. Surely somepony else can save Equestria for once?' She sighed and set the letter down on the table gently. She couldn't shake the feeling something more was going on as she looked out the window at the steadily rising sun, 'Hurry home, Shining, I miss you already...'

"Focus, Twilight. Remember everything Celestia did to you, everything she took away, everything she made you leave behind."

Twilight's eyes blazed blood red almost instantaneously and a low crackling sound began to fill the air.

"That's it. Now concentrate. Don't let your emotions control you. Control them. Guide them. Use their power for your own intentions."

She scrunched her eyes closed for several seconds in intense effort, before opening them and roaring in pain and anger, plates of armour beginning to appear on her form.

"Twilight, focus! You're losing control again!"

Sparks of magic began shooting around in her immediate area dangerously, many ricocheting off the magical shield that Discord had placed around her beforehand. Twilight ducked her head, "I... I can't do it!" She shrieked and discharged a powerful beam of magic from her horn. It collided with the barrier mightily, almost exploding before Discord even had the chance to suck the spell into the barrier itself.

He snapped his fingers, and the aura around Twilight dissipated, the glow in her eyes slowly receding. Once the last of the volatile magic was drained Discord removed the barrier. Twilight stood shakily and looked at him with a defeated expression, "I just can't! Every time I remember I just get so filled with hate. I get so sad and angry and I just can't control it!"

Discord evaluated her passively, "You're improving. You can manage a few seconds, compared to nothing when you tried earlier, which is definitely more progress than is to be expected of somepony who's never done this before. However, I fear you're pushing yourself too hard."

Twilight looked around in shock, "You are talking to me, right? I need to push myself harder, this is pathetic!"

Discord rolled his eyes and conjured a mirror before her, "Unless you want to melt your horn, I don't advise it."

"Wha-" She looked at her reflection, and saw the dark charred streak that trailed all the way from the base to the tip. She raised a hoof and poked it tentatively, "Gahh!" She gritted her teeth against the pain and tried to stop herself from swaying as her vision swam from side to side.

"That's proof of magical over-exertion right there. I get how desperate you are to learn all this, but if I ask you if you feel well enough to try again, don't lie to try and speed up the process, you'll just injure yourself... Here."

A bucket of water appeared beside Twilight, which she hesitantly dipped her horn into, hissing as the cool liquid enveloped her injury. After almost a minute the pain subsided, and Twilight brought her head back up, "... Thanks. And I know, but I'm not going to make enough progress if I don't keep trying."

"Well after that you'll have to go easy on your magic for a day or two, at least." She stared down at the ground sadly as she realised that her drive to improve had inadvertently resulted in her shooting herself in the hoof, so to speak. "As you said, I don't think the problem is your magical capabilities, it's your emotions getting the better of you. Maybe we can figure out a solution later on... Let's head back. You can recover whilst I deal with Pinkie."

"Okay..." She trotted closer to him, giving the 'training cave' one last glance before they were whisked away back to their temporary residence.

Pinkie turned and trotted to the centre of the room, looking towards one of the corners expectantly. Fluttershy glanced around at her, "Umm, Pinkie? What's wrong?"

"Aaany second now..."

"What do you mean-"

A flash heralded the arrival of Discord and his 'student in chaos'. Pinkie was inches before them when they appeared, spewing out words before they could even get their bearings, "How did it go!? Did Twilight learn some awesome spells that'll totally kick flank!? Did you blow up a mountain!? Did you blow down a mountain!?" Twilight shook her head in amusement at her friend's antics, even if they did highlight her lack of progress, "Did you attack an enemy stronghold!? Start a war!? Raise the dead!?"

Discord raised an eyebrow, "Pinkie?"

"Yep?"

"I think you're going off on a tangent here."

"You think?"

He smirked at her, "Just a little. No glorious battles to report today, I'm afraid."

"But Twilight learned some killer moves, right?" She leaned towards the unicorn expectantly, "Ooh! Your horn's all black! Is all the dark magic seeping into you and permanently changing your appearance? Because that would look amazing!

Twilight just stared at Pinkie, dumbfounded, "... It's a burn, Pinkie..."

"Oh, you mean like some sort of dark brand from the deepest depths of hell?"

"... No, I mean like a burn, from accidentally burning myself."

"Oh... So no awesome powers then?"

Twilight shook her head. Fluttershy stepped forwards nervously, "A-Are you alright?"

"I'll not be casting any spells for a few days, but other than that I should be fine."

"Does it hurt?"

She nodded, "I only touched it gently and the pain was incredible. I don't even want to think about what would happen if I tried to cast any spells right now. This really is dangerous magic."

"I think I might have something that could help. Sit down please, Twilight." Fluttershy trotted over to her saddlebags and rummaged around inside them alongside Angel as Twilight took a seat. She returned with several cotton pads, bandages, and a small bottle of ointment.

"What's that, Fluttershy?" Twilight tried to read the label obscured by the pegasus' mouth.

"Oh, it's lotion for your burn. Don't worry, it shouldn't hurt." She said after removing the lid from the bottle and pouring some of the contents onto one of the pads.

"Are you sure it'll work? I mean, it is a magical burn after all..."

Fluttershy nodded as she took the pad in her hoof, "It's specifically for treating those. Hold still please, Twilight..."

Twilight did as she was told and squinted as Fluttershy's hoof drew in close, "Be careful..." She gritted her teeth in anticipation of the pain, but it never came. Instead, she felt a pleasantly soothing, tingling sensation begin to spread up her horn, surprising her, "A-Ah!"

Fluttershy whipped back her hoof immediately, "I-I'm sorry! D-Did I hurt y-you?"

"No, that just wasn't what I was expecting is all. It actually felt quite... nice."

"Shall I finish applying it?"

"If you don't mind."

Fluttershy shook her head, "Of course not, please hold still though."

Twilight almost nodded before heeding Fluttershy's words and keeping her head still. A few seconds later she felt her horn tingling lightly again and sighed happily, she could practically feel it mending, "Mmm... That actually feels so much better already. Fluttershy, how did you know to bring this?"

Fluttershy pulled the pad away carefully and discarded it before proceeding to wrap the bandage around Twilight's horn carefully, "I-I actually brought a lot of medicines with me. I guess we're just l-lucky I have this."

"Not that I'm ungrateful or anything, but why did you bring a bunch of medicines along?"

"Oh, I h-had them just sitting around a-and I thought it would b-be a good idea to bring them along since I didn't bring much else..."

"Fluttershy, I don't mean to pry but... What were you doing with magical burn ointment if you're a pegasus?"

Fluttershy abruptly stopped wrapping the bandage and sighed as she failed to come up with a believable cover story, "... A l-long time ago I-I wanted t-to b-be a d-doctor and help p-ponies..." She shook her head and continued wrapping the final section of the bandage, "I-It was a stupid idea... I already knew m-my talent, and I couldn't do both at once. I would've n-needed training, and experience, and way m-more time than I had on my hooves... Eventually I j-just accepted it and gave up." She tied the bandage into place and stepped back, "All done. Just tell me if it gets uncomfortable and I'll re-wrap it for you."

Twilight found herself unable to say anything in response, instead just giving her an appreciative grunt as she thought over her friend's denied hopes and dreams once again.

Pinkie looked away from them and up at Discord, "Well, that story was... interesting."

Discord scanned her for any trace of sarcasm, and shrugged when he found none, "Quite. Now then, I think it's about time we paid Pinkamena a visit, don't you?"

"Y-Yep... Wait, what do you mean we? How are you going to see her?"

He waved a paw in front of her face, "Hello? Discord? Chaos? What fun is there in making sense? Any of this ringing any bells?" An obnoxiously loud bell toll startled the other occupants of the room, save Pinkie, "Besides, I did effectively create her."

"Oh yeah... So you'll be inside my head with me?"

"Pretty much."

"Then hold on a second, I have some cleaning up to do..." She stared blankly at the floor for a few seconds before looking back to him, "All done!"

"What did you mean... cleaning up?" He seemed almost hesitant to ask.

"It's always a mess in there if I don't! It's party planning central in there!"

"Well that mercifully prevents what could've turned out to be a very awkward conversation."

"Huh?"

He pinched the bridge of his nose, "Never mind. Are you ready?"

"Yep!"

"Then sit down, unless you want to collapse."

She did so, and cheered as Discord made himself comfortable on his cloud, "Ready!"

Discord smirked over at her, "Set, GO!" He snapped his fingers, and the room around them disappeared into darkness.

To say the inside of Pinkie's mind was colourful would be a gross understatement. Streamers lined what Discord imagined were once plain white walls, the floor was a constantly shifting kaleidoscope of colour, and balloons of every shape and size floated around everywhere. "Pinkie?"

"Yeah?"

"I thought you said you'd cleaned up in here?"

"I did, silly! Can't you tell?"

Discord shuddered at the thought of how things must have looked before; all the colours were making him feel ill as it was, "Never mind. Lead the way."

"Sure thing!" She approached one of the walls and brushed the streamers aside, revealing a door, "This way!" She flung the door open, causing Discord to shield his eyes and ears at the overwhelming bright light and cacophony of sound that flew out at him.

"... If I were locked in here for any length of time I'd probably become mentally unstable too." He stepped through the threshold, and the door slammed shut behind him.

Then shrugged and laughed at its own perception of itself, and disappeared completely.

'Too many Pinkie Pies!' was his only thought as his eyes adjusted to the room around him. Dozens of perfectly symmetrical Pinkie Pies were crowded around desks full of abstract parts and blueprints, each distinguishable from the next only by the uniforms they wore, and the number tags pinned to said uniforms.

Discord had never seen anything like it, "Pinkie..." He whispered to her, "What is this?"

She slowly waved her hoof across the entire room, "Welcome to the 'Party Perfection Room'! This is where I come up with new ideas for parties, and invent and re-invent new party machines. Pretty neat, huh?"

His gaze followed her hoof across the room as he listened in on the conversations they were having.

"... And it's official, it's not a party if you're the only attendee. We need to go back to the drawing board and completely rethink the party planning system. Taking into account the number of guests is top priority after that incident..."

"... If we overclocked the party cannon's reloading matrix to offset the relatively low chamber capacity we could lower net confetti consumption by 15.6 percent whilst still maintaining a constant stream..."

"... Preliminary testing on the PC Mark Two has been postponed indefinitely, the boss is preoccupied with something 'too important' to give the project the green light..."

Discord turned to the only Pinkie that wasn't in uniform, who had steam blowing out of her ears, "Umm, Pinkie?"

"I'll give her 'too important'! She stomped a hoof, causing the entire room to shake, "Number 4638, over here, NOW!"

A Pinkie in a white lab coat trotted over nervously, whilst the others in the room just shrugged and got back to work, "Y-Yes, boss?"

"It's up to me to decide which projects are the most important, is that clear?"

She trembled slightly and lowered her head, "Yes, boss. Sorry, boss."

'Real' Pinkie sighed and motioned for 4638 to come closer, whispering to her as she did so, "Look, your project is on the top of my list at the moment, but there's a genuine reason why I can't give it the go-ahead."

She raised her head slightly, "Why's that, boss?"

"You mustn't tell any of the others, but there's a real risk that we could be on our last legs here."

"Wait, you mean-"

"We're on the verge of shutting down. The number of parties I'm expecting to hold in the near future is, for the first time in years, back at rock farm level."

Lab coat Pinkie gasped and placed a hoof on 'real' Pinkie's shoulder, "You'll find a solution boss, I know it."

"I hope so, 4638, I hope so... Now, back to work with you, and not a word to the others!" She cantered back without a word.

'Real' Pinkie watched her go, "I can't get a read on her. She's brilliant, and kind most of the time, but if she doesn't have things her way she becomes a real pain."

Discord shook his head in disbelief as he eyed the room once again, "You cannot be serious..."

"She's definitely one of the prettier employees though. The way she flicks her hair when she's stressed is just mesmerising."

Discord slapped himself around the face to stop himself trying to delve too deeply into the working's of Pinkie's mind, "PINKIE! We have a job to do! Remember!?"

She shook her head rapidly, "Oh, yeah, it's just over here." She fished through the confetti on one of the walls and pulled open a door similar to the one from earlier, except no light or sound escaped from this one. Pinkie gulped and trotted through, and Discord followed.

The door closed itself fearfully and shivered.

The lighting here was dim, the air was cool, and the colour scheme consisted entirely of a single boring whitewash.

Discord welcomed the change of scenery, though some of the colours from earlier still swam around his peripheral vision for several seconds, disorientating him. Pinkie stepped towards the only edge of the room with anything of note at all. A huge metal door dominated the majority of the wall, and four Pinkie's with blank expressions, and dressed in guard outfits stood to the left of it, another four to the right. One stepped forwards to greet the 'real' Pinkie as she approached, "Boss?"

"Anything to report, 1041?"

"Actually, no. That's why we're worried, boss. She hasn't moved an inch since last night, and she's been unusually quiet. Except for one thing..."

Pinkie's eyes widened slightly, "And what would that be?"

Fear began seeping into 1041's stoic expression, "She's been laughing intermittently out of nowhere, and saying your name, over and over."

Pinkie scowled for a moment in thought, "Me and Discord are going in, alone. Wait here until we leave."

The guard Pinkie opened her mouth to protest, but relented and gave an affirmative grunt at the 'real' Pinkie's fearsome expression. 'Real' Pinkie trotted to the door and pressed a hoof against it, causing some out-of-sight machinery to sputter into life, the sound of groaning metal echoing around the room as the door was slowly raised to allow entry. Discord stepped up beside her, and the two shared a short, apprehensive glance before stepping into the hallway beyond. The door thundered back into place behind them as Pinkie stomped a hoof. They pressed on into the gradually darkening hallway.

A chilling laugh stopped them dead in their tracks, "Pinkie... You're finally here! And look who you brought along! How entertaining... Come, now, don't be frightened! Just a little more trotting and we'll be able to see each other face-to-face after such a long, long time. I can hardly wait..." Another, longer laugh reverberated from the end of the corridor, fading slowly.

Discord turned to his companion, "Your choice."

Pinkie nodded and gulped, "I need to put things right."

"Very well."

They kept moving, ignoring the laughs - which were slowly increasing in volume - as best they could. A set of metal bars came into focus at the end of the corridor, and Pinkie tried her best to keep her nerve as they drew ever-closer to the doorway.

After what felt like an eternity, Pinkie stopped before the bars with her eyes closed, gathering her resolve. When no voice addressed her from within, she slowly opened her eyes and took a deep breath as she saw the figure sat in the centre of the room, staring blankly at her. She had a rail-straight mane, dark, empty eyes, and a cold, calculating expression.

"P-Pinkamena..."

Pinkamena looked up at her and curled down one corner of her mouth in apparent disappointment, "It's been a long time, Pinkie." She turned her head to the side a fraction, "And from what I've heard, and remember, I owe just as much of this to you as her, Discord."

Pinkie gulped again, "P-Pinkamena, me and D-Discord are here bec-"

"I KNOW WHY YOU'RE HERE!" She screeched at the top of her lungs, causing the cell bars to rattle, "... Don't treat me like a fool, Pinkie. I see everything you see, hear everything you hear, feel everything you feel. For instance, you're pretty scared right now, aren't you?" Pinkie nodded quickly, eliciting a grin from Pinkamena, "Good girl. Now, you're here to make everything between us alright again, aren't you?" Pinkie nodded again, fighting back tears as she did so, "Well then, I think the most important aspect is trust, right? Of course it is! So, if you really want to fix things you'll trust me enough to step into my... lovely cell, won't you? Oh, and you too, Discord."

Pinkie glanced at Discord, Pinkamena, and the cell door in turn, before making up her mind and tapping the door gently, causing a complicated system of inner locks, years in the making, to open with several dozen audible clicks. The last lock unlatched with a gentle sonorous ring, and the door slowly opened inwards of its own accord. Pinkie fully expected Pinkamena to seize the opportunity and escape, but she didn't. She just sat there, beckoning her in. Smiling.

Pinkie stepped inside, Discord close behind. Pinkamena waved a hoof at the floor before her, "Please, do make yourselves comfortable." Pinkie glanced rapidly between Pinkamena and the door, eventually pushing it shut behind her, the locks falling back into place quickly.

Pinkamena smiled up at her sweetly, "Excellent. Now, do take a seat."

Discord sat before Pinkamena, and Pinkie followed suit. Pinkamena levelled her jailer with a cold stare, though her smile remained unchanged, "Before we begin, I have to ask, Pinkie, why the theatrics? We both know you can instantaneously come and go as you please." Pinkie shifted uncomfortably, causing Pinkamena's grin to stretch even wider, "Oh, don't be like that, Pinkie! We can trust each other, right?"

Pinkie's mane deflated slightly, "I d-didn't want t-to get here quickly... I w-was scared..."

Pinkamena slowly reached out and brushed her hoof against Pinkie's mane, "Ah, I see... Though I can't possibly imagine why..." Pinkie's eyes widened further, and her pupils constricted into pinpricks. "Oh, you poor thing... Don't be shy. Come on, where would you like to start?" Pinkie scrunched her eyes shut and shivered. Pinkamena stopped smiling, "I don't understand, Pinkie. How come you'll talk to your several thousand imaginary friends, but you won't talk to me? I'm real, Pinkie..." She moved her hoof down to Pinkie's face and began stroking her cheek, eliciting a whimper from her, "See? I get sad, and lonely, just like anypony else does. I have wants, and needs, just like anypony else does." She stopped rubbing her cheek abruptly, "And you know what else?"

After several seconds of silence Pinkie whimpered, "W-W-What?"

She was met with a viciously sharp slap to the face, "I get ANGRY when somepony locks me away for no reason, just like anypony else would!"

Pinkie was already crying by the time she slapped her other cheek, "I get ANGRY when somepony steals my life, just like anypony else would!"

The third slap came swiftly, "I get ANGRY when the only pony I thought I could trust BETRAYS ME, and then punishes ME for hating her!"

Pinkie still made no attempt to defend herself as the fourth slap came, "I HATE YOU!"

Or the fifth, "I HATE YOU!"

Or the sixth, "I HATE YOU!"

Or the seventh, "I HATE YOU!"

By the eighth Discord had seen enough and intervened, snapping his fingers and creating a barrier between the two, "Enough. We get the point, Pinkamena."

She just laughed in response, breaking the barrier with ease and striking Pinkie again, "I'm more powerful than you here! Your magic has no influence over this place unless I say so!"

Discord snapped his fingers again, this time causing Pinkamena to freeze in place, "I might not have any influence over the surroundings, but I still have complete influence over my own magic; or have you forgotten what you are?"

She shot a blazing glare at him, "How could I forget!? I was so close back in the sculpture gardens! I could've been free! And you forced me all the way back in here!"

Pinkie raised her head from her hooves and faced the glare of her other self, "Pinkamena... I'm so, so, so sorry!"

"SORRY DOESN'T FIX ANYTHING YOU STUPID BITCH!"

"I know..." She took a deep, ragged breath, "Discord, let her go." He glanced over at her momentarily but complied with a sigh and a shake of his head.

Pinkamena just laughed in disbelief, "What do you expect? A hug? Some of that 'magic of friendship' crap?"

Pinkie shook her head, sending several stray tears flying, "No, I just want to try and make things better for you. If hurting me makes you feel better, I won't stop you, I deserve it for what I've done to you..."

Pinkamena smirked, "Well... It's certainly a START!" She delivered a merciless punch down onto Pinkie's nose, blood spurting from it as it broke. A swift uppercut to her throat followed, causing Pinkie to gasp and stagger back, dazed, though her strangled cry just spurred Pinkamena on further. Grabbing her by the mane she dragged Pinkie to the barred section of the cell, delivering several blows to her ribs as she did so, before gradually slowing to a halt, pausing, and lifting Pinkie's face gently with a hoof.

And head-butting her, sending her sprawling backwards against the bars. Then she span and delivered a powerful buck to Pinkie's exposed stomach, causing her to collapse and vomit onto the floor beneath her head, choking on multiple occasions as she wept whilst doing so.

Pinkamena backed away in disgust, "You're so fucking pathetic! You couldn't even show some dignity and stop crying - even if it did hurt - could you?"

Pinkie spat out a mixture of blood and bile, still weeping, "I'm not just crying... because you hurt me..."

"Of course you aren't, you're crying because you're a scared little filly who doesn't understand how things actually work in the real world."

Pinkie shook her head, "I'm crying because... I hurt you, too, and you'll... probably never forgive me... for that..."

"No. No I won't." She continued to watch as Pinkie struggled to stand.

Discord shook his head sadly at the display, "There's nothing more you can do here, Pinkie, let's go."

Pinkie grunted in pain, "Okay..." She turned to Pinkamena, an apologetic look could be made out where her face wasn't swollen, "Don't worry... I'll be back, so you can... continue..."

"I look forward to it. I'll be sure to prepare something a little more painful next time."

Discord walked over to Pinkie and helped her up, but she stepped away from him unsteadily afterwards, "I know it's not... much but..." She tapped her hoof against the floor weakly, materialising a few basic items of furniture out of nowhere, and a small brown package in the centre of the room. Pinkie nodded to Discord, and the two disappeared.

Pinkamena looked around her cell, noting the sudden absence of any of Pinkie's bodily fluids, and the plain wooden bed, table and chair than now stood against the far wall, "I'm not accepting your charity, what a joke... What's this?" She trotted over to the package and picked it up. It was no bigger than her hoof, but it felt quite heavy. She unwrapped it slowly, and was hit by an emotion she hadn't felt in over a decade as she beheld the contents. Anypony else would've seen a small, insignificant rock, and interpreted it as a cruel joke, but she knew better. She examined it in detail, and found not a single error in its design. It was a perfect replica of the final rock she had been turning before Pinkie took control all those years ago, down to the last minute detail, 'She remembered that? Why?' As if in response to her question, a small label fluttered out from beneath the rock and landed face-down on the floor beneath. Hesitantly, she reached down and turned it over in her hoof:

I've never forgotten. I betrayed my best friend that day. I can never atone for that. Pinkamena, if you're reading this, I just want you to know that I don't expect you to forgive me. I don't deserve it.

But I'm truly, genuinely sorry regardless.

-Your betrayer, and jailer, and monster, Pinkie Pie

The emotion resurfaced again, even if it was only brief.

A sharp, stinging surge of guilt.

She stayed like that, re-reading the note over and over again, for a long time. Each time, a memory of the relationship between them would crop up, and the guilt would stab at her heart relentlessly. "Pinkie..." She caught herself, looked at her trembling hooves, and spat on the floor in disgust at her own weakness, "Unbelievable!" She grasped the rock, drew back her hoof, and prepared to hurl it as far across the room as possible.

But she couldn't.

Pinkie jolted awake, raising a hoof to her nose slowly, confirming it was, in reality, undamaged. Though this applied to the rest of her too, she swore she still ached from the blows she had received. She glanced around to find Discord looking over at her quizzically, "Pinkie, what exactly were you trying to achieve by letting her do that to you?"

Pinkie wiped a residual tear from her eye and steadied her breathing slowly, "Nothing. I deserved it for everything I've put her through, that's all. It doesn't matter if she won't forgive me afterwards."

Discord shook his head at her misplaced sense of justice, "Well, I think it's safe to say we won't be making progress any time soon in that department."

Pinkie shrugged, "I dunno. I'm going back in a few hours anyways, so I guess I'll find out."

Discord let his mouth hang open, "You're doing that again!? Today!?"

"Yeah, and I think it's best if I go alone this time."

Discord slumped back in resignation, "Fine, but why?"

She averted her gaze, "I'd rather not say. There's a lot of things I expect her to say when I go back."

He shrugged in defeat and sank his face into his claw, "Fine..."

Twilight trotted over, Fluttershy beside her, with Angel atop her head. The unicorn raised an eyebrow at him, "What's wrong with you all of a sudden? What happened?"

Discord threw his arms up into the air - and caught them a few seconds later - with a weary sigh, rolling his eyes all the way around as he did so, "Oh, not much really. Pinkie just decided to become Pinkamena's personal punching bag for the duration of the visit."

Fluttershy gasped, and Twilight frowned at him, "And you just watched!?"

He spread his arms quickly, "I STOPPED her, and Pinkie told me to let her continue!" He sighed, "I'm far too old for this... Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to blow off some steam." Steam shot out of his ears promptly, "This entire day has been pretty mentally taxing so far." He shuddered and pointed at Pinkie, "Especially after seeing how the inside of her mind works..." A snap of his fingers caused him to vanish with a flash, leaving the others to question Pinkie.

Fluttershy examined Pinkie quickly, "You're not hurt, are you?"

Pinkie shook her head, "She hurt 'inner me', but 'real me' is fine, I think."

"Why did you let her do that to you, Pinkie!?" Twilight put her forehooves on Pinkie's and stared her straight in the eyes.

Pinkie stared back, "I already told Discord like ten seconds ago! I deserved it! I've done horrible things to her! She has every right to do what she did!"

"And what about your rights, Pinkie? You can't honestly expect me to believe that you did those things just to be horrible to her on purpose. You'd never do something like that intentionally!"

Pinkie looked away, "That doesn't matter. I still did all those awful things to her, even if I didn't fully understand what I was doing, I'm still responsible for what I did."

Twilight released Pinkie's hooves and stepped back, "Yes, you're right, and you should try to set things right. But letting her hurt you isn't going to solve anything!"

Pinkie rose and trotted over to her saddlebags, withdrawing a canteen of water and taking several gulps from it. She wiped her mouth and spoke, "Even if it doesn't, it still makes her feel better, that's all that matters to me."

Twilight shook her head, "Pinkie..."

Pinkie put a hoof over the unicorn's lips, "Twilight, let's not talk about it right now, okay? It's depressing and we all have other things to worry about. Serious things."

Twilight eventually relented, "Okay Pinkie, have it your way. But just so you know, I consider the well being of my friends to be the most serious thing on my mind; that comes before anything else."

They sat in silence for almost half an hour before Discord flashed back into existence. The next few hours were spent drawing up their plans for the immediate future, much to Twilight's relief.

"... So basically we need to keep moving east from here?"

Discord snapped his fingers, causing a dotted line to appear on the map that was laid out between them, starting at the San Palomino Desert and finishing just off to the east of Appleloosa, "Correct. I'll reveal more as we go, I'm still putting the final details together in my head, but we definitely need to head east."

Twilight prodded a hoof down onto the new destination on the map, then raised it and jabbed it towards Discord, "I'm not sure I like the fact that you have a destination in mind but won't tell us where, or why we're going there. Don't get me wrong, we're both on the same page here, but I hate not knowing."

He shrugged, "It's because where we go beyond there depends on several variables. Namely, how close Celestia's little toy soldiers will be behind us."

Fluttershy looked at Discord nervously, "S-Soldiers? You think she'll send the m-military after us?"

He nodded, "We're technically plotting to overthrow her here, so yes, I wouldn't be too surprised. That being said, they'll have to find us first." He winked slyly, "And I don't think we're in any danger of being caught just yet, are we? Unless her guards really, really like sand."

Twilight eyed him warily, "Alright, but you'd better fill us in on this plan of yours pretty soon. It's starting to look a little suspicious."

Discord just smiled and held out his arms to either side, "Would I ever lie to you?"

Twilight smirked slightly, but her tone remained serious, "Only if I ever gave you the chance." She yawned loudly, "I think I'll hit the hay soon. That training took a lot out of me earlier."

Pinkie sighed and trotted over to her bed, "I'd better do this before anypony tries to sleep then..."

Fluttershy sat in the chair closest to her, "I know you'll figure something out, Pinkie."

"Thanks, I sure hope so." She closed her eyes and exhaled slowly.

The ambient sounds of the desert wind outside, and the quiet breathing of her friends stopped. She knew she was inside the cell, she wasn't going to waste time any more. In the back of her mind she was grateful that her previous injuries had disappeared as she opened her eyes, bracing herself as she did so in expectation of a flurry of blows. They never came. Pinkamena was sitting in the same position as she had been during their previous visit, staring up at her blankly once again. Pinkie took a step forwards and spoke quietly, "I-I'm ready when y-you are..."

Pinkamena didn't respond, instead holding up the rock she had been gifted and gently tossing it to land by Pinkie's hooves. Once the clattering of stone on stone faded, Pinkamena finally spoke, though her tone seemed devoid of much of the malice it had held during their previous encounter, replaced by what sounded like confusion, "Why do you remember that moment so well, Pinkie?"

"... What?"

"Tell me! Why is it that you remember that moment so well? I've replayed that scene over and over in my head for years, and that," She gestured to the rock, "Is an exact replica. Flawless. Obviously, you've thought back almost as much as I have. Why?"

Pinkie's expression switched from fearful to pensive in a heartbeat, "... Because it was, until a few months ago at least, the worst day of my entire life."

Pinkamena frowned, "The worst day!? How!? After you locked me away in here you found your talent and passion, left the rock farm, and lived the life you've always wanted!"

Pinkie nodded solemnly, "All of those things are true, but in the process I lost - imprisoned - my only foalhood friend." She sniffed back the sadness as best she could, "And the only pony who will now never befriend me after what I've done to her, and rightly so..."

Pinkamena didn't visibly respond and kept her tone level, "So, you said something bumped it down the list of worst days of your life?"

"Y-Yes, only one other thing has ever happened that was worse than that day for me..." She looked at the floor as she remembered, "It was when Spike, and all those other ponies died... And the weeks afterwards..."

"I remember. I was close to escaping, the loss and anguish had weakened your resolve." She spoke objectively, "Then Twilight offered you a 'cure', as if I was some sort of disease. Tell me, Pinkie..." She stood up but remained in place, "What did you think I was, until Discord cleared things up?" Pinkie started and stopped several times before Pinkamena fixed her with a cold, judgemental stare, "I want the truth, Pinkie!"

"I-I... When I w-was still small, after the rock farm I mean, I thought y-you were j-just an imaginary friend. When I got older, and you started..." She looked at Pinkamena, but she didn't show any indication of her feelings, "... Trying to break me down so you could escape, I realised that you weren't imaginary..."

Pinkie seemed fearful about continuing. Pinkamena didn't seem to notice, tilting her head slightly, "And?"

"..." She shuffled around on the spot ashamedly, "I thought I-I was delusional. Or m-mentally ill... Or even that I w-was g-going... insane..." She trembled as she tried to calm herself, "I know h-how i-it s-sounds, b-but I honestly had n-no idea you were r-real. That you c-could think, and feel." Tears fell down her muzzle, but she made no attempt to stem them now, instead focusing on saying what she had to say, "I w-would never, ever have d-done this to y-you if I'd known. It's wrong! I'd never do that to anypony on purpose!"

Pinkamena's stony expression softened ever-so-slightly at the revelation, but she quickly reigned in her cold composure and trotted up to Pinkie, "One more question, Pinkie."

Pinkie fought the urge to retreat as Pinkamena drew closer, but still lowered her head reflexively, "Y-Yes?"

Pinkamena placed a hoof beneath her jailer's chin and lifted her head so their eyes met, noting the intense fear in her eyes, "Is what you told your friends earlier true? Are you really willing to let me hurt you as recompense for your actions, and not just for your own personal gain in the long run?"

Pinkie shook as her legs almost gave beneath her, and scrunched her eyes shut in preparation for the inevitable beating she was about to receive, causing more tears to roll down her face, "Yes."

The air was thick with tension, the pregnant silence only broken by an occasional quiet whimper from Pinkie as her alter-ego scrutinised her.

"Open your eyes." She was too scared to even think twice and complied immediately. Pinkamena gazed deeply into Pinkie's terrified eyes, searching for a single hint of dishonesty, but all she found was raw fear, and absolute sincerity. She released Pinkie's chin, causing her to collapse onto her haunches as her shaking legs finally gave out. Pinkamena's voice held hints of confusion and sadness, "Just go, Pinkie."

Pinkie watched as Pinkamena turned and trotted back to her original position before sitting down facing away from her, "O-Okay..." She shakily climbed to her hooves, "D-Do you need anything before I go?"

Unbeknownst to Pinkie, Pinkamena's eyes widened just a fraction before she spoke, "I... just need time to think..." She turned her head just enough to fix Pinkie with a menacing one-eyed death stare, "So get. OUT."

Pinkie vanished without another word.

Following Pinkie's return to consciousness everyone had climbed into their respective beds. After a deliberate snap of his fingers, Discord had plunged the room into darkness, and everything was still, and silent, save for the sound of gentle breathing in the dark.

Everything remained still and silent for quite some time before Twilight sat up slowly and trotted as quietly as she could to the bathroom. After shutting the door with great care so as to make no sound, she trotted over to the small stream that ran alongside one wall and dipped a hoof into it, 'Freezing!' The sensation snapped her back to full alertness momentarily, but she soon felt the drowsiness closing back in again. She was tired, and she knew it, but she didn't care, 'If I stay awake the nightmares can't reach me... I can't go to sleep if the others... need to sleep, and I... don't want to... see those... things... again...' She felt the heaviness of her eyelids, the day's exhaustion taking it's toll on her as they closed slowly and her head tilted forwards, "... No..."

She splashed her hoof into the stream sluggishly, causing the ice-cold torrent to spray up into her face momentarily. She yelped slightly and backpedalled into the opposite wall, shivering as the droplets slowly slid along her form. In her moment of clarity Twilight reached up with a dry hoof to check that her bandage hadn't been soaked. Upon confirming that it wasn't she gave a relieved sigh and rubbed her eyelids vigorously, "They deserve to sleep. They've given up so much. The least I can do is give up a few hours sleep so I don't wake them..." Her eyelids began drooping once more, "Stay awake!..." Everything within the mare told her not to. She found herself giving in, and made a last-ditch attempt to remain fully conscious, lifting a foreleg to her muzzle and biting down upon it as hard as she dared. She gave a whimper, but didn't release the pressure. Pain was good - even if it didn't feel so - it meant she was still awake.

"I'm sure I read somewhere that ponies are herbivores, you know."

Discord's voice startled her into rolling across the floor, and almost into the stream, before she finally righted herself. She looked up and noticed him sitting on the roof with a curious expression, "Look, Discord, I'm tired and I can't..." She stopped abruptly, being snapped back to her senses once again as her voice adopted an accusatory tone, "Discord... What are you doing watching me in the bathroom?"

He looked confused for a moment, then deadpanned as he realised what she was insinuating, "Don't flatter yourself, Twilight. I came to investigate why our resident unicorn was talking to herself and whimpering in apparent pain, thank you very much."

She frowned at him, raising her whisper as loud as she dared, "So what? For all you know I could've been-" She paused, realising what she was about to say, "..."

Discord's expression fell into one of absolute dismay, "Thank you, Twilight, for successfully turning this brief exchange into the most awkward conversation of the week." He rolled his eyes as blood visibly rushed up to her face, "Let's steer this back on track, shall we? Care to tell me why you were trying to..." He intentionally avoided using the phrase 'eat yourself', given how it could be interpreted, "Bite a chunk out of your own leg?"

She turned away from him, trying to hide her blush, "I-It's nothing, really."

He was obviously unconvinced, "Uh-huh... I'm pretty sure I heard the words 'stay awake' whilst I was out there."

Twilight looked over her shoulder back at him worriedly, "I didn't wake the others, did I?"

"No, I don't think so." Seconds ticked by in silence, "Well?"

Twilight looked away, "'Well' what?"

He dropped down from the roof and levitated before her, "Don't play stupid, Twilight, you know exactly what I mean."

She shifted on her hooves uncomfortably before electing to trot over to the stream, staring into it and keeping her back to him as her blush subsided, "I've... been having nightmares ever since the fight with Celestia... Horrible nightmares." She sighed, "Luna took care of them before I left, but she can't now. I was having one last night before either of you arrived, and I can't just fall asleep now; there's no way I'm risking waking the others after all they're going through for my sake." Gently, she dipped the tip of a hoof just into the water, swirling it around and allowing the water to flow around it in turn, "Besides, I don't want to fall asleep anyway, all I see is my little brother being tortured by that bitch Celestia, over and over, and there's no way I'm going to willingly put myself through that."

Discord stroked his beard sagely, "Why didn't you just say so?"

Twilight removed her hoof and span around to look at him with wide, hopeful eyes, "Y-You can fix it!?"

He smirked, "Of course I can! 'I'm really terrible at following the rules', remember?"

The joy in Twilight's expression began to fade like a deflating balloon, "But... if you use your magic on me couldn't that cause me problems later, like what Pinkie has?"

He shook his head, "No, it shouldn't do. I'm not changing anything within you if I block your nightmares out with magic. It's more of a barrier against the nightmares, rather than a mind-altering magical procedure. Of course, it won't be permanent, I'll have to keep re-casting the spell every so often, but it's better than having me meddle with your brain, I'm sure you'll agree."

She bit her lip, considering her options, "So it's safe?"

"One hundred percent Discord approved, I assure you."

It didn't take her long to decide, "Alright then, can you do it now?"

"Certainly." He leaned through the air towards her and extended his claw, pointing at her horn, "Hold still though." She did so, and felt it connect with the end of her horn. A jolt of pain shot down it and caused her to jump back, though it was notably less painful than touching it had been earlier, "Done, I think."

Twilight seemed shocked by the apparent simplicity of it, "Really? Just like that?"

"Yes. As I've said, this is infinitely easier than tinkering with individual cells and the like." He yawned loudly, "Guess there's only one way you'll find out if it worked though, eh? Goodnight, Twilight." He disappeared with a snap of his fingers, leaving Twilight to roll her eyes as she exited the bathroom to see him appear on his cloud not ten metres away from his original position. Quietly, she made her way over to her bed and shuffled into a comfortable position beneath the sheets, though her worries remained prevalent in her thoughts as she felt sleep try to take her, 'I hope it worked... Please let it have worked... I don't want to see... those things anymore... I don't want to... have to watch... those things... happen... Spike... Celes...' She was swept into the welcoming embrace of a tranquil, dreamless sleep before she could even finish.

Discord watched her drift off. The slight sheen of his teeth could just be made out as he grinned manically in the darkness. For the first time since his before original imprisonment, everything was playing out perfectly.

A small whimper drew his attention to Fluttershy. She was curled into a ball with tears leaving dark streaks across her face at semi-regular intervals, in time with her gentle sobs. He gazed upon her and felt that oh-so-irritating pain beginning to flare in his chest at the sight of his only true friend suffering. He drew his lips in tight, and his smile disappeared.

Almost everything was playing out perfectly.

The following morning had passed tediously. Other than Twilight thanking Discord for staving off her nightmares, nothing of any real note had happened. With Twilight's horn only just on the verge of being usable again, the unicorn found herself unable to do much except go through the plans they had discussed and reflect on her current situation. Fluttershy had kept herself occupied by sorting through the medicines in her saddlebags and re-arranging them into a logical order, but after doing so she found herself without anything productive to do either, and was currently laid by Angel's bed, petting him gently. Pinkie had been unusually quiet for the most part, only speaking up occasionally to break the extended periods of silence, and Discord was currently out creating chaos elsewhere.

They all jolted when Pinkie clapped her hooves out of nowhere and jumped up onto her bed, "Alrighty, I think it's about time I made another visit to Pinkamena."

Twilight looked up at her sternly, "I meant what I said yesterday. Don't put yourself in harm's way like that again! Your safety is important to us, Pinkie..." She glanced at Fluttershy for support, who nodded in agreement.

Pinkie relaxed onto the bed with a sigh, "I know, and I'm grateful for that... But it's her call, not mine." She focused and quickly slipped away into her mindscape before the conversation could continue further.

Twilight scowled and blew her mane upwards in exasperation at Pinkie's departure. She turned her gaze to Fluttershy, who looked back at her glumly, "She's j-just doing what she thinks is right, Twilight... I d-don't agree with it either, but we really shouldn't interfere; we've never g-gone through what she's going through right now, it must be very hard for her..."

Twilight's sour expression faded gradually, "I know, I just don't want to see her suffering. It's really been affecting her as it is, but she's trying not to show it."

Fluttershy glanced at the floor dismally, "I've noticed... All we can do is be there for her right now."

"But it's almost as if she wants to be hurt! Surely there's another way!?"

Fluttershy rose from Angel's side and gently placed a hoof on Twilight's shoulder, "If there is, it's up to her to find it..."

Pinkamena sat in her usual position in the centre of the cell. However, two things immediately struck Pinkie as different. The first being that Pinkamena was now sat in the chair she had been given during the first visit, though the table and bed remained against the back wall, apparently undisturbed. The second was that Pinkamena was still facing away from the cell entrance, just as she had been at the end of the previous visit, leaving Pinkie to stare at the back of her head, and her long, straight mane. Despite Pinkie being unable to see her counterpart's face, the image seemed strangely serene to her.

Pinkie shook her head and focused. She lifted a hoof and moved a step closer, the sound created by its gentle collision with the floor giving the impression that it was actually made of lead as the silence of the cell was shattered. She lifted the next, but paused mid-step as Pinkamena let out a melancholic sigh and spoke without moving an inch, "Don't speak, Pinkie. I'm still thinking. Just leave. Now." Pinkie hesitated, very nearly giving in to the temptation to ask questions before releasing a conflicted sigh of her own and vanishing.

Pinkamena looked down at her hooves. Unbeknownst to Pinkie, the replica rock had been nestled in them throughout the brief encounter, and indeed, ever since she had left the previous day. She turned it over in her hooves, and an abstract thought occurred to her, prompting her to raise an eyebrow at her own sudden unpredictability, 'It's so strange... Even something so cold can become warm to the touch, given time and something to spread warmth to it...' She smiled just a fraction before considering what she was thinking and letting her expression fall into a frown, 'But it will always turn cold again, just as soon as it is released and cast aside...'

Nevertheless, her hooves remained firmly around the rock as she adopted a passive expression and looked back at the wall, continuing her colossal internal debate.

Twilight looked up from the map to see Pinkie looking around in apparent confusion, "That was fast. What happened?"

Pinkie seemed perplexed, "I... I don't know. She just said she's still thinking and told me to leave."

Twilight rolled up the map and trotted over to her, "Thinking about what?"

Pinkie shrugged half-heartedly, "I dunno. It must be important though, she told me to get out straight away..."

Twilight's expression became one of deep thought, "Be careful around her, Pinkie. We don't have any idea what she might be planning."

"I don't think she's planning anything. She sounded almost sad and confused at the same time."

Fluttershy took a small sip from her canteen before joining them by Pinkie's bedside, "I-It sounds to me like she's making a decision..."

Twilight locked eyes with Pinkie, "Even if it doesn't seem malicious to you, you'd still better be careful, you never know."

Pinkie trotted over to the sofa and slumped onto it, still deep in thought, "I guess so..."

Twilight opened her mouth to speak, but barely formed the first syllable before Discord appeared with a flash, "Did I miss anything exiting?"

Twilight's voice dripped with sarcasm, "Oh, absolutely. While you were gone we had a physics-defying extravaganza of a party; zero-gravity and everything. Shame you missed it. Perhaps if you give us any indication other than a brief 'bye' that you're leaving we can arrange the next one to be held whilst you're still here."

Discord tipped his head back and gave a drawn-out sigh, "No need to be snide, Twilight. Besides, I thought students were supposed to respect their mentors?"

She smiled slightly, "That'll certainly be the day. Besides, I've already done that before, it didn't end well, remember?"

Discord capitalised on the opportunity to utilise some sarcasm of his own, "Really? Oh, yes, I'd totally forgotten up until this point! I thought we were all in the middle of the desert for a laugh!"

Twilight shook her head amusedly, "Okay, okay, let's not make a cycle of this. Things will be difficult enough without..." She trailed off as she caught a glance of Pinkie frowning at her, "... Pinkie? Are you alright?"

"You had a party? Like, just now? While I was out?"

Twilight noted the sinister undertones in her friend's voice and spoke quickly, "You were out for around a minute, Pinkie. How could we eve-"

"So you couldn't just wait a minute, huh?" Her eyes were darting between Twilight, Fluttershy and Angel rapidly, "You set up the best party ever, partied, and packed everything away after a single minute!? Did you just do this to make me and Discord jelly!?"

Discord, who didn't quite understand what Pinkie had meant, chuckled at the image of Pinkie being turned into a wobbling cube of jelly, and resolved to add it to his 'To Do' list.

"I thought we were friends, you guys... You don't just do this kind of thing without even telling everypony... Why did you even bring me along if you're just going to exclude me from all the fun?"

Twilight rolled her eyes, but started to panic as Pinkie's mane began deflating, "Pinkie, it-"

"Do you even want me here at all?"

"Pinkie-"

"Is that all I am to you, a joke?"

"Pin-"

"I bet you were all laughing at me, weren't you? That's just mean, you guys. Why would you even-" She was silenced as Fluttershy - who had trotted around to her unnoticed - gently pressed a hoof to her chin, closing her mouth, and used another to gesture at Twilight.

Pinkie's eyes met Fluttershy's, before following the direction of her hoof and looking at Twilight, who spoke exhaustedly, "There was no party, Pinkie. I was being sarcastic."

Pinkie's sad expression was replaced by confusion momentarily before realisation dawned upon her. Fluttershy removed her hoof, causing Pinkie to look up at her, "... No party?"

Fluttershy smiled demurely, "No party."

Pinkie's mane re-inflated quickly, "Oh... Sorry about that then. But seriously, don't scare me like that." She hopped off the sofa and bounced across to Twilight, "Really though, Twi, everypony says sarcasm's the lowest form of wit."

"But the highest form of intelligence." Twilight quipped with a smile.

Pinkie frowned slightly, "I'd be careful if I were you. You get any smarter and we're gonna have problems soon enough."

"What?"

Pinkie shrugged, "Knowledge is power, and power corrupts. Any more intelligence and you'll turn evil on us any day now."

Fluttershy and Discord chuckled in unison as Twilight and Angel buried their heads in their hooves and paws respectively at Pinkie's convoluted train of thought.

Upon the removal of her bandage the following day, Twilight was deemed healthy and had returned to her training with Discord, although she was now noticeably more careful about over-exerting herself than she had been previously. She currently stood in the centre of the nullification barrier she had been practising in, panting heavily.

"Do you need to rest?"

Twilight nodded, "Just... for a few... moments..."

She dropped to her haunches as Discord released the barrier and stroked his beard, "I think I'll let you try your hoof at manipulating external chaos soon; you might find it easier. It will probably have to wait until we're out of this desert though. There's a significant lack of everything - including chaos - here. Well, apart from sand, of course, there's plenty of sand."

Twilight grunted her approval as she attempted to catch her breath. After several seconds she stood back up, "Okay, I think I'm good to go."

The barrier re-materialised around her at Discord's command, "Alright. I want you to think of your little brother for a moment." She glanced at him questioningly and noticed his serious expression. With some effort she recalled Spike's face without letting her sadness show through, "How do you feel right now, Twilight?"

She closed her eyes, "Sad... And hurt... And weak..."

He hummed, "Now imagine Celestia. Imagine what she did to him. Imagine what she intends to do to your friends if she finds us, when their only crime was supporting their friend in her hour of need."

The seconds ticked by in silence before Twilight drew a sharp breath and opened her eyes, revealing her now glowing, dark red irises, "She. Will not. Harm them!"

Discord smirked to himself whilst she wasn't looking, 'So much potential. No wonder you wanted her so badly, Celestia.' His smirk widened as the air around her sparked slightly with raw chaos energy, 'But she's mine now... My very own student in chaos.'

He dropped his grin as she looked up at him, "Good. Now focus, Twilight. It's no good saying that if you could end up hurting them in the process. Control your emotions. Bend their influence over you..."

A wise pony once said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. As such, after her fourth failed attempt to try and get Pinkamena to say anything other than 'Leave!', Pinkie had started doubt her own mental stability all over again. A fifth visit had earned her the marginally different response of 'Leave, and don't come back until I'm finished.' After pondering over it for some time - and coming up with nothing - she resolved to ask Fluttershy's opinion, "I just don't get it... What could be taking her so long to think about?"

Fluttershy hummed thoughtfully, "She's certainly giving it a lot of thought. Whatever it is, it's probably important."

"But should I be worried? Or happy? Or something else? What could it be? What should I do, Fluttershy?"

The pegasus rested a hoof on Pinkie's shoulder, "I think you should do as she says. It sounds like she needs time to think without any distractions. I-If it's a decision, like I think it is, it would probably be better if you just waited for her to make her choice. Even if I'm wrong, she obviously wants to b-be left alone, for now at least."

Pinkie thought it over for a moment, "I guess you're right. It's just... if it really is super important, what could it be?"

Fluttershy shrugged slightly, "I'm sure you'll find out eventually."

Pinkie smiled but stopped as she twitched slightly, and smiled giddily, "Three, two, one!"

A pair of silhouettes appeared behind her right on cue, the taller of the two placing his mismatched hands over both Fluttershy's and Pinkie's eyes, "Guess who?"

Pinkie hopped up and down slightly, "Oh, oh, oh! I know! It's Discord! It's Discord!"

Fluttershy shrank back a little, a mild blush on her cheeks, "D-Discord?"

He laughed, "Sorry, Fluttershy, but Pinkie was just a tad faster I'm afraid." He removed his hands and waved his arms in a wide arc, conjuring a multicoloured pinstriped suit and top-hat, "Which means that you, Pinkie Pie, have earned..." A drum roll sounded loudly, "Five hundred Discord points!" Thunderous applause - supplemented by the cheers of Pinkie herself - filled the room. Discord turned his head to the side and spoke quickly, and in a low tone, "A reminder that Discord points are completely non-redeemable and exist only as an intangible reward for the completion of childish games. Discord points should not be mistaken for any form of currency, possession, or indication of actual accomplishment beyond what a highly intelligent rock could hope to achieve." Pinkie had spent the duration of the disclaimer bouncing around obliviously. Twilight rolled her eyes but smiled as she met Fluttershy's gaze. Angel had seen enough and elected to hop purposefully over to Fluttershy's saddlebags before jumping inside and closing the top with the same fervour as one slamming a door.

After everyone else had calmed down, each took a seat and allowed themselves a moment to relax. Twilight tipped her head back and stared at the roof for a few moments before speaking, "Discord, there's something I've been meaning to ask you..."

He raised an eyebrow, "Ask away."

She lowered her head to look at him, "It's just, well, I've thought over what got us here in the first place quite a lot now, and I have a hunch already, but I need you to clarify something."

Discord furrowed his brow in thought, "Okay, go on."

"Back when we escaped, you broke that barrier spell with relative ease before we left, right?"

He nodded, "Right, but I thought we'd already discussed how that was possible?"

"No, no, no, I'm not asking about that. I want to ask about the last time you were sealed. The exact same barrier spell was used to trap and seal you back then, yet you've proven that you could've broken it whenever you wanted..." She voiced her conclusion confidently, "It was never the case that you couldn't break it. No, the fact of the matter is that you yourself decided not to." Discord's expression became less intrigued and more defensive as he realised what Twilight was about to ask, "Why?"

After several seconds of tense silence he held up his hands in defeat, "Okay, you got me, Twilight. In all honesty I was hoping you'd have overlooked this..." A hefty sigh escaped him, "Let's drop another drama-bomb then..." He leaned back in his chair, avoiding the gazes of the other three, "You're right, I could've broken that barrier, and I fully intended to perform a daring last-minute escape." His voice lowered as he spoke dejectedly, "Then Celestia delivered her ultimatum to Fluttershy, and I changed my mind."

Fluttershy's eyes widened in response, "Y-You... All that t-time you c-could have escaped?"

He sat up and forced himself to meet Fluttershy's gaze, noticing the slight sheen to her eyes, "Yes."

She looked away, "Then why? Why d-did you m-make me do that to you?"

"Have you forgotten what Celestia threatened you with?"

Fluttershy whipped her head back up, glaring at him through her mane, "I don't care what she said! I'd rather have suffered at her hooves than made you suffer at mine! Why!?" She took a deep, calming breath and shrank backwards into her seat, speaking softly once again, "Why did you put yourself through that again?"

Discord was well aware of all four sets of eyes staring up at him - Angel having poked his head out upon hearing Fluttershy's distress - and cleared his throat awkwardly. Twilight thought she saw a slight tinge of redness rise to his face, but she couldn't be sure, "Because, Fluttershy, regardless of what you say about suffering in my place... You're..." He stood and quickly turned his back to them, "You're my friend... and the only one in this entire world that I care about more than myself. I did what I did because, no matter what, your safety is... important to me... You are important to me..." He coughed and tried to hide his embarrassment at his own words, waving his claw dismissively, "Besides, I probably had an extended sentence coming to me anyway after all I've done."

Silence fell, broken promptly by the sound of hoofsteps approaching him from behind. Discord sighed inwardly, 'That didn't go as planned, did it?' The hoofsteps stopped, and stillness dominated the room for just a moment. He prepared himself for the unexpected, but froze nonetheless as he looked down at the pair of yellow forelegs locked around his waist.

"You're my friend too." Fluttershy audibly sniffed back her tears, "And all my friends are important to me. Please..." She released him, allowing him to turn and face her as she looked at him with genuine concern, "Tell me you won't ever do anything like that ever again."

Discord stared down at her for several seconds, but she didn't shy away or hide behind her mane as she usually did. After coming to the realisation that she wasn't going to stop until she got an answer he let his expression soften, "You want me to promise?"

Fluttershy nodded fervently.

"Fine. I promise I'll never to do 'anything like that' ever again."

She hugged him once again before he had the chance to evade her, "Thank you, Discord, for everything..."

Discord stood still and nodded as he stared blankly at the mare that held nothing but kindness in her heart, and felt his own twinge slightly. He had lied to her, of course he had. There would never come a day where he would consider abandoning her to suffer, of that he was absolutely certain. If it meant breaking a simple promise to keep her safe, so be it.

'Besides, promises are a ridiculous concept anyway...' He snapped back to reality as an inexplicable chill ran up his spine. He glanced around and met Pinkie's now glacial stare. Watching as she squinted her eyes further, another trickle of ice slid up his spine, and he remembered their bargain, 'Nopony breaks a Pinkie Promise...' He shivered and forced a weak smile, 'Except those ones...' Pinkie returned a sweet smile of her own, apparently satisfied that he got the message.

Discord forced himself to look away, noticing that Fluttershy was still adhered to his waist, and that Twilight was grinning at him with a raised eyebrow, "Alright, Fluttershy, don't push your luck. I don't really do the hugs thing all that well."

She looked up at him and squeaked before backpedalling, her voice falling from alarmed to barely a whisper as she spoke, "I'm s-sorry! I d-didn't mean to, I was j-just thinking..."

"If it was about taking this relationship to a new level, I think I'd rather we just stay friends." He grinned manically as she registered what he meant and blushed from ear to ear.

Fluttershy swayed slightly at the sudden influx of blood to her face, "N-No! I-It's not like that at all! I m-mean it's n-not... I don't... We aren't..." Her mane promptly hid her face as she fell silent.

Twilight rolled her eyes, "He's teasing you, Fluttershy, just ignore him." The pegasus retreated over to her seat, trying to suppress her blush and regain her ability to speak; Angel hopped up alongside her and glared daggers at the draconequus. Twilight shook her head, "You won't be keeping your friend for long if you keep teasing her like that you know."

He held up his arms innocently, "Relax! It's totally harmless, right Fluttershy?" Fluttershy didn't move from her position on the chair, her face still completely obscured by her mane as she mumbled something that the others couldn't quite make out.

Twilight lowered her voice to a whisper, "With anypony else, you'd probably be right. But this is Fluttershy, she's timid at the best of times! As her friend, you should know! She certainly doesn't need this from you right now, buster!" She prodded a hoof at him.

Discord deadpanned, "You're seriously taking that approach? I'm your teacher, your magical superior, an immortal incarnation of chaos itself, and I'm at least a thousand years older than you. Don't try to mother me, Twilight." He frowned as she rolled her eyes and pointed a hoof at Fluttershy - who now had Pinkie prodding her at regular intervals, with little overall effect on the near-catatonic pegasus - before looking expectantly at Discord.

After noting the state of the pegasus, Discord whispered back worriedly, "But between you and me, you might be right... just this once." She smiled smugly at him, causing him to glare at her menacingly, "I will quite literally wipe that smirk off your face, unless you do so first."

Her expression fell flat, eliciting a satisfied grunt and a victorious smile from Discord as he turned and walked to the sofa. Twilight stuck her tongue out at him behind his back, 'I am so going to enjoy using his own magic to piss him off on a day-to-day basis. Then we'll see who's smiling.'

Pinkie shot into a bolt-upright position in her chair, startling the others as she cried out, "I've got it!"

Fluttershy unfurled herself from her instinctual defensive curl on the chair, "Uhm... Got what exactly?"

The party pony looked between each of the room's inhabitants before settling on Discord, "Remember how you told me not to call you 'Discy' anymore?"

Discord already had a good idea where this was going, "Yes. And no, you may not call me that again."

Pinkie clapped her hooves, "I have something better! How about... 'Disco'!?"

Dread began seeping into Discord's voice, "No! You will neve-"

"No, wait! Hear me out! If I call you Disco, and Twilight's your student, then we can shorten her name too!"

Twilight scrunched her eyes in confusion, "... What?"

"Duh! If Discord is your teacher, and his name is Disco, then we can shorten yours to 'Light'!" She thrust a hoof into the air, "Then, whenever anypony talks about you two, they can call you the Disco-Light Duo! Get it? As in like, lights at a disco? Isn't it just great!?"

Absolute silence descended upon the occupants of the room, at least until Angel decided to make the first move. Showing absolutely no expression on his face whatsoever, he hopped from Fluttershy's lap, traversed the floor as quickly as is possible whilst walking with two paws folded, and dove into Fluttershy's saddlebags without a sound; once again making sure to 'slam' the top shut.

Discord stood abruptly, his face as blank as Angel's, "For the first time in my life, I think I actually have to agree with Angel on this one." He snapped his fingers, conjuring a comically large set of saddlebags in the corner of the room. Wasting no time, he marched over to them and jumped inside, vanishing from sight completely with a whoosh of air.

Pinkie shot across the room and peered over the edge of the bags, revealing the tunnelling abyss within, and the draconequus hastily falling through it, "Oh no you don't!" She took a step back and vaulted over the edge into the bottomless sack of vortex after him, "Wheeeee!"

Fluttershy and Twilight shared a bemused expression as Pinkie's voice faded from hearing range. The pegasus flapped her wings uncomfortably, "T-Twilight... What just happened?"

Twilight didn't even bother to respond. She rose just as silently as Angel had, and trotted absent-mindedly to the bathroom door. She stopped before it for a brief moment before making up her mind and bashing her forehead against the wood at semi-regular intervals, "Years, Fluttershy... years of exactly... I don't even know what that was!" Twilight gave the door a final, exceptionally hard headbutt before stopping and rubbing her forehead gently in an attempt to stave off an oncoming headache, "This is week one, and I think my IQ has already been slashed in half... I don't even know anymore Flut-" She winced and grasped her head as a migraine from hell - courtesy of Pinkie, Discord, and the bathroom door - hit her full-force.

Fluttershy approached her from the side, "Headache?"

Twilight groaned and sank to her haunches, nodding slowly so as not to make herself feel nauseous, "Headache..."

Fluttershy sighed and trotted over to her saddlebags, "Painkiller?"

"Painkillers. Plural."

Author's Note

Hey all, just a quick note to say that I've now finished school, so I should be able to work on the story a little more now :D

Because the contest is almost over, I'm gonna shamelessly copy/paste this A/N from last chapter to try and get any last-minute joins:

If you've been looking for more good Twilight stories, and a group that uploads them consistently, then may I ask that you visit the group via this link: Private Mikemarksman's Recruitment Roster , and quote something along the lines of 'Mikemarksman sent me here' on that thread after joining.

As always, feel free to leave comments/suggestions below, as well as any criticisms you can provide.

Mikemarksman, still 'scoping out' potential recruits :)

EDIT: This is the map they were examining. I have marked their current location in red.

Chapter XVII - To Drown One's Sorrows

"Is everypony ready?" Discord scanned the room for anything they might have neglected to retrieve before their departure.

"Ready."

"I'm r-ready when you are."

"Good to go!"

Angel gave him a curt nod.

"Then let us travel to the marvellous Dodge City!" He struck a dramatic pose with his paw held high, his fingers ready to snap. He abruptly lowered his paw and smiled sheepishly, "Just on the off-chance that this doesn't go as planned and one of you ends up left in the middle of the desert along the way, or only part of one of you gets teleported to our destination, I'd like to pre-emptively state that it's not my fault." He burst into a fit of laughter at their horrified expressions, "I'm kidding, I'm kidding! Though in all seriousness this will be quite taxing for me, what with running on only the chaos I make and all." He hummed in thought, "Anypony mind if I burn down Dodge when we next teleport? It would make the following journey a breeze!" Four disapproving scowls told him all he needed to know, "... Fine." He sagged slightly, "I swear, none of you appreciate how difficult this really is."

Discord snapped his fingers, and the five vanished with a bright flash. After a second or two a similar flash filled the area as the cave reverted back to its natural form.

Rainbow Dash shook her head in mid-flight, 'Nothing here either... Just have to keep searching.' She glanced downwards and saw the Neighagra Falls in the distance, quickly electing to search there before moving on to Manehatten. Whilst Applejack and Rarity had chosen to perform scrupulous searches of each individual area, Rainbow had instead chosen to play on her strengths and use what the others didn't have; wings, and speed. In only a week she had already performed a sweep-search over the majority of North-Western Equestria, and would have been proud of herself, if not for the dire circumstances. She felt the familiar burn in her wing joints as she pushed for another burst of speed, but ignored it, 'My friends are counting on me. Time is of the essence here.' Another furious push caused the sound barrier to shimmer around her, 'I won't give up! I'm Rainbow Dash! I'm a winner!' A multi-hued burst signalled the completion of the rainboom as Dash rocketed forwards towards her next target. She squinted against the rush of air with a look of determination, 'Because my friends turned me into one, and I'll be damned if I leave them when they need me the most!' She sped on.

Rarity inched the door open before entering quietly, as if worried about disturbing the silence of the lifeless building. It was dark inside, and it took her a moment to find the lights. Once the library was properly illuminated she couldn't help but sigh disappointedly despite herself, dust had accumulated on almost every surface. Even if it was only trace amounts in some cases, it was still enough to spot with her keen eyes, and definitely enough to make her shudder as she scanned the areas of highest concentration. "Focus, Rarity. There's a job to be done..." She began her task, trotting through the library and keeping an eye out for anything of note regarding her friends' current whereabouts. After five minutes of continuous searching she shook her head, "Nothing... Upstairs, perhaps?" The nigh-inaudible creak of each step filled her with inexplicable fear as she neared the top of the staircase. The library was usually a quiet place beforehand, but now it was an enclave of absolute silence.

Eerie silence... Tense silence... Dead silence.

The unicorn drew a deep breath, stoking up the courage to even make a sound, "R-Relax, Rarity... It's all in your head." Though she tried to clear her mind as she proceeded towards the door to Twilight's bedroom, she couldn't eradicate the incessant chant of her thoughts, 'I shouldn't be here.'

The door opened smoothly on its hinges, inviting Rarity to take a tentative step through the threshold. She stopped just inside the doorway, half-expecting the door to swing shut behind her. When it didn't she cast her eyes around the room and immediately noticed something out of place. Unlike the surroundings, the small object beside Twilight's bed was in completely pristine condition, with not a single speck of dust or grime upon it. She was so focused on examining it in detail that she only realised what it was as a whole after a few seconds. She felt tears sting at her eyes, "Spike..." As if entranced by the simple object, the seamstress trotted slowly towards it, outstretching a forehoof as she came closer.

Her scream echoed through the ghastly silence of the library as a bolt of lavender-hued electricity shot up her leg, making her recoil and tumble backwards in shock and pain.

She remained as still as possible for a couple of minutes as she composed herself, though the occasional involuntary twitch of her muscles made it difficult. When the convulsions finally stopped, she righted herself and examined the basket warily. Noticing nothing out if the ordinary other than what she had already observed, Rarity looked around, levitated a pencil from Twilight's desk and watched as it neared the basket. As it came close to the edge a spark shot out and repelled it, just like before. The - now slightly charred - pencil rolled across the floor by Rarity's hooves, but she paid it no heed, instead staring intently at the basket, 'Why, Twilight? Why trap something that means so much to all of us? What could this mean?' She remained there for quite some time as she tried to figure out the answer.

"A whole lotta' nothin'... Again!" Applejack stomped her hoof in frustration at the realisation that Appleloosa, like everywhere before it, held no information on the whereabouts of her friends.

Braeburn placed a hoof on her shoulder sympathetically, "What'll ya do now?"

She sighed and brought out the 'missing' poster - adorned with the faces of three of her best friends - from her saddlebags, "Ah'll keep searching. It's all Ah can do." She hung her head tiredly, "Ah guess Dodge City is next then..."

"Then let me come with ya. Ah'm not sayin' the folks in Dodge aren't good ponies, but there's one or two shady characters up around them parts."

Applejack smiled slightly at him, "Thanks for the thought, Ah appreciate it. But you've got things to get on with back here, an' Ah can handle myself pretty well in a fight if push comes to shove, ya know."

Braeburn shook his head, "APPLELOOSA tours can wait a day or two, easily. Besides, even if ya can keep yourself safe, helping ya's the least Ah can do if your friends are missin'. Family helps family."

She couldn't argue with his reasoning, and his final statement sealed the deal, "Alright, Ah'd appreciate all the help Ah can get then, thanks." She glanced up at the clocktower, "We'd best get goin'. Ah'll probably need to find somewhere to stay overnight again if we don't hurry and search it all today."

Braeburn nodded and ran off towards town, causing Applejack's eyes to widen in surprise. He called back over his shoulder, "Ah'm just gonna tell the sheriff where Ah'm goin' to! Meet me at the train station if ya like!"

Applejack watched him round the corner before smiling to herself as she set off for the train station, "Ah swear that stallion's got more energy than he knows what to do with..." Her smile disappeared as she regarded the poster in her hoof once again, a shadow falling over her face as she tipped the brim of her hat, "Ah don't care if y'all made a bad choice, Ah just want to know that y'all're safe." She placed the poster back into her saddlebags and continued trotting almost mechanically, "Please be safe..."

Discord watched with slightly widened eyes as Twilight fought the influence of her rampant emotions, as she had been doing for the past few hours. His reaction would have been more profound were it not for the fact that he was still getting over the last of the exertion their earlier teleportation had demanded, sitting comfortably against one of the walls, a cloud cushioning his head. The sparks in the air around her stopped ricocheting haphazardly, instead coming to a halt in mid-air and gravitating around her. Though her eyes still glowed crimson, her expression was one of calm and absolute concentration. It didn't last long. A shrill cry of anguish only a second later punctuated the explosion of her magic, and Discord found himself snapping his fingers to bring her untamed powers back under control whilst simultaneously draining the dangerous excess energies. 'Remarkable...'

Twilight hung her head and took deep breaths, wiping the sweat from her brow wearily, "I need... to rest..."

Discord dissipated the barrier around her and snapped his fingers, "You're not the only one." They were quickly whisked back to their underground hideout to the north-west of Dodge.

Indeed, the layout of the hideout was strikingly similar in design to the last one, save the fact that Discord had implemented a slope leading outside this time, as opposed to a door, for obvious reasons regarding using doors in a subterranean environment. Upon realising that the entrance would be blatantly obvious to anypony who happened to be nearby, Twilight had questioned Discord frantically on what he had done to prevent said ponies from noticing it. He was taking great pleasure in irritating her each time by simply responding, 'Magic.'

The two appeared before Pinkie, who was - unsurprisingly - directly in front of their new position. "Discy!"

Discord groaned. He was already tired beforehand, never mind having to teleport Twilight to and from their most recent training area, "I already told you-" He paused and put a claw to his head, "If I let you call me that, will you forget about the other nickname that you gave the two of us?"

Pinkie rubbed her chin with a hoof, "It's better than nothing, I guess... For now..."

"Close enough. You may refer to me as that occasionally, and only in private, provided you drop the other idea. If I so much as imagine you using that other nickname you'd better pray I feel merciful." He gave her a piercing squint, "Understood?"

"Okie dokie lokie!"

The others watched as the draconequus walked over to the sofa and fell onto it face-first, remaining still for several seconds before rolling onto his back and staring up at the little patch of sky that had previously been occupied by the roof. The other three all settled down, Twilight and Fluttershy finding their chairs. Pinkie bounced over to hers, but at the realisation that Angel was asleep in it, she simply shrugged and hopped onto Discord's currently vacant cloud.

And fell through it.

Pinkie stood and stared at it in silence before somehow grasping it with her hooves and pulling it to ground level; turning and sinking into it in the same fashion as one would sink into a particularly large cushion.

Discord appeared not to have noticed as he stared up at the artificial clouds and made them swirl and twist into shapes with his paw, "Any luck with Pinkamena yet, Pinkie?"

She shook her head, "She still hasn't said anything."

Discord recalled what Twilight had told him about it before they had begun training that morning and shrugged slightly, not taking his eyes off the clouds that had now taken the shape of a dragon, "Better than being given the punching-bag treatment, at least."

"Yeah, I guess... I just feel really bad about everything though. She didn't really deserve any of that." Pinkie's voice held a notable undertone of regret.

He turned his head slightly to look at her, "Well, I won't claim to be the expert on paying recompense for my sins, we all know how that usually turns out, and I'd prefer not to have a permanently stony expression, if at all pos-"

A sudden choking sound caused Pinkie and Discord to redirect their attention to the other two. Twilight was biting her bottom lip, and her top one was quivering noticeably despite her best efforts. Her chest convulsed at random intervals as she stared down at the floor with empty eyes. Fluttershy was beside her with a hoof draped over her shoulders, though her gaze was set on Discord as she stared at him with wide eyes, shaking her head and mouthing the same word repeatedly.

It took him a few moments to snap out of his confusion and realise what she was saying.

'Stop!'

Discord almost held his arms out wide in a 'what have I done!?' pose, but stopped himself as he glanced back up at his previous source of entertainment.

And the little dragon-shaped cloud that now had a hole in the centre where parts had drifted off.

Discord stared in absolute dismay at his own misfortune, 'Oh, you have got to be kidding me!' He quickly snapped his fingers, reverting the ceiling back to its usual, solid self, but the damage had already been done.

They watched for nearly three whole minutes as Twilight fought to maintain her composure before she finally stood, albeit shakily, "... I-I'm going out f-for a while..." She turned, grabbed her saddlebags and trotted to the exit without waiting for a response.

Discord flipped himself off the sofa, "That's not a good idea, Twilight!"

He prepared to swoop into her path as she began trotting up the tunnel that led outside, but Fluttershy interposed herself between them and shook her head at him disapprovingly, speaking quietly but firmly, "Let her go."

The draconequus took a deep breath, but released it slowly as he ground his teeth, "Fine, but I'm not taking any chances on being discovered." A snap of his fingers later he was gone.

Pinkie stared downcast at the floor, just as Twilight had, minus the potential tears, "We really should do something nice for her... She's still getting over it, isn't she?"

Fluttershy nodded, "Yes, she is, and we should. But it's hard right now. Maybe we'll be able to once things settle down?" Her voice held a hopeful tone.

"Maybe." Pinkie sighed pensively.

Twilight trotted away from the hideout towards Dodge in the distance with her head hung low. Discord appeared beside her with a flash, but held his tongue for a moment as a blade of guilt embedded itself into his chest. They had been in this position before, only this time there was no chocolate rain-cloud. He frowned and shook it off, "Twilight." She raised her head and gave him a sideways glance, but her pace didn't falter. He hovered alongside her, realising she wasn't going to respond, "I'm... I'm sorry, Twilight. That was... careless of me."

For a good few seconds she said nothing, but eventually gave a huff, "It's fine... I just need to go clear my head."

Discord glanced over at her apparent destination, "Well if you're making a return to civilisation so soon you're going to need a disguise."

She glared at him icily, "If it's going to piss me off, don't you dare!"

It took an unimaginable amount of self-restraint for Discord not to capitalise on the perfect opportunity to send her into meltdown. Once he had fought off the offending chaotic urges he snapped his fingers, materialising a hooded black cloak on the unicorn's form, "Make sure to keep your face hidden, who knows who's watching. You can thank me later." With that he disappeared.

Twilight waited a few seconds before turning to see if Discord was actually gone. Upon confirming such she looked back at where she had come from, only now noticing what Discord had meant when he had kept saying he had hidden their location with 'magic'. The entire area around the entrance had a slightly shimmering look to it, not too dissimilar from heat haze, and easily overlooked if one was not specifically looking for something. 'Illusion magic... Discord, if you weren't such an idiot all the time I might actually be capable of respecting your abilities...' She quickly examined herself and, satisfied her disguise wasn't some repugnant prank attempt, continued her slow trot towards Dodge City, once again recalling the image of her little brother, dying, with a gaping hole in his chest.

And experiencing a familiar wrenching pain in her own.

Twilight arrived on the dusty road just outside Dodge, and promptly folded the hood over her head. She conjured her hoof-mirror to ensure that it sufficiently hid her features and almost took a step back at how intimidating the pony staring back at her looked. Whether the cloak had magical properties, or whether it was just her angle in relation to the sun, she didn't know. But regardless of how, the shadow created by the hood masked her face perfectly. Her entire face above her mouth was completely obscured by the darkness, and the light that reached below that point was just enough to see her mouth moving as she spoke without revealing any defining features, "Well, I don't think anypony's in danger of recognising me any time soon, at least." She dispelled the mirror and smiled, "Even I wouldn't recognise me." The lapse in her depression was short-lived, and her mouth was drawn into a thin line almost immediately afterwards. With no real destination in mind, Twilight simply followed the road into Dodge with her head hung low, resolving to explore wherever she ended up.

A few polite greetings, or respectful tips of hats from the inhabitants were all Twilight received as she trotted along, to which she replied with a single nod each time, hesitant to speak for fear of somepony recognising her voice, despite how astronomical the odds were. Even if she weren't afraid of such, her current mood would most likely have kept her interactions to a bare minimum anyway. She passed several shop windows and salesponies, paying little attention to either as her memories continued to haunt her.

The unicorn-in-disguise came to an abrupt stop as she realised that the road now turned off to the left and right. Looking up, Twilight took in the name of the building that stood tall before her, 'The Weeping Alicorn'. She raised an eyebrow, and scanned until she saw the letters right above the door, clarifying the nature of the establishment, 'Saloon'. She considered her options for a moment. She'd never been one to drink much, not even socially, but right now it felt so tempting to find something, anything to take her mind off things, if only for a while. '... Just a few. I don't want to end up like Rainbow Dash did...' The added weight of remembering her friend gave her the final push she needed. She approached the doors resolutely, took a deep breath, and gave a push of her own as she entered.

Given that there were still a few hours left before sundown Twilight wasn't exceptionally surprised that the bar didn't have many patrons. The atmosphere was generally quiet, the low murmur of conversation from the tables where small groups of ponies were gambling, and the occasional sound of glasses clinking together both around Twilight and behind the bar the only sounds preventing the room from lapsing into silence. Twilight made sure to pull the brim of her hood as far down as it would go before trotting unsteadily to the bar. She could feel the stares of the odd pony or two that glanced at her from where they were sitting, but was grateful that the majority seemed not to have noticed her, or simply didn't care; she had half-expected the room to fall silent as soon as she entered and kicked herself for reading too many 'Western' novels.

Locating a stool with no customers occupying the space on either side of it was relatively easy, considering there was only one other pony sat on one, the rest of the customers had all opted to sit at tables and gamble. Twilight was grateful, she wasn't exactly in the mood to socialise.

She slumped into her stool, only to see the back of the barkeep as he trotted through the doorway at the rear of the bar into the storage area, most likely taking inventory for the night ahead. A weary sigh escaped her as she lowered her head, staring blankly at the polished wooden surface, her haunted thoughts and memories returning, '... The longer they stay with me, the worse things will get... How long until it happens all over again and I lose somepony else? I don't want any more of them to die... They're all precious to me... I just want them to go home and be safe! I don't want either of them to risk their-'

"Well, hello there..."

Twilight jolted, the voice having originated from directly behind her. It was definitely masculine, and it sounded... amused? The voice was filled with confidence, and character, and rumbled ever-so-slightly. Twilight felt her face heat up as she heard the voice again from directly beside her ear, "Ah couldn't help but notice ya sat here all on your lonesome... How about ya come along with me so Ah can... keep ya company, for a while, hmm?"

Twilight turned stiffly on her stool to face the earth pony that had previously been sitting further down the bar and felt herself blush a little more. His coat was hazel, with his mane a lighter shade, and his eyes a deep green. His lips were drawn into a self-assured smile, his eyebrows were raised a fraction, and his eyes held a distinct playful spark, giving Twilight a clear picture of what he meant by 'company'. She drew her head back, hoping he hadn't seen her face as she cleared her throat, "N-No thanks, I'm not inter-"

He chuckled, "Shy, Ah like that!" He tilted his head slightly, "Ah'm sure some of my confidence'll... rub off on ya. O'course, Ah'm gonna have to get a good look at ya, this cloak of yours doesn't really reveal much. Heck, Ah can't even see your face too well under that hood..."

Twilight didn't know whether to be grateful that the cloak concealed her identity properly, or disgusted at what this pony was suggesting. She quickly made up her mind as she saw him reach out for her cloak with a hoof, slapping it away with a frown he couldn't see, "No means no!" Twilight noticed the abrupt silence and scanned her peripheral vision. All eyes in the bar were currently on the two, and, from the looks of it, the owners of said eyes seemed very displeased about something.

The pony spoke up again, apparently undeterred, "See? There's that confidence Ah'm lookin' for! An hour with me an' Ah promise you'll be able to do much more... interesting things with it, hmm?"

Twilight was about to express her 'interesting confidence' and give the stallion the verbal beat-down of a lifetime, but a deep voice from behind her beat her to it, "Peace, what have Ah told ya about harassing my customers!?" Twilight turned to see the barkeep - a gray-toned earth pony - looking sternly at the pony, "The mare's obviously not interested! Now get!" He waved a hoof in a shooing motion.

Peace shook his head in amusement, not budging, "Of course she is! She just needs a little incentive is all..."

Twilight scowled and turned to face Peace, noticing his hoof reaching out to her once again. The barkeep brought a hoof down onto the bar, "Don't ya dare! You'll show some common decency whilst you're in my building or Ah'll ban ya! Ah'm sick of ya doin' this!"

Peace shrugged and made sure Twilight caught him raising his eyebrow as he turned to her, "Worth it."

Twilight's eyes widened in disgust and rage as he extended his hoof towards where she estimated her cutie mark was beneath her cloak.

The bartender began making his way around to deal with Peace, but never even got halfway before a flash of lavender light filled the room. One moment Peace was stood beside the bar, the next he was slumped against the wall by the doors, unconscious, head hung forwards, and a trickle of blood running from his nose.

Twilight huffed and prepared to leave before things got any worse, but stopped as something unexpected happened.

Somepony cheered. And another. And another. Soon enough, the entire room was filled with the applause and cheers of the twenty-or-so ponies who had bore witness to the event, the bartender included. Twilight glanced around in confusion before turning back to the barkeep, "Are... Are they cheering for me?"

He nodded, "Yup! It was about time a mare put him in his place! His name's Peace Maker, but don't let the name fool ya, he's a nasty piece of work. Not a respectable pony by any stretch." He glanced over at the fallen pony and sighed, "Anypony mind dragging him home? Don't wanna have to look at his mug any longer than necessary." He looked at Twilight and tipped his head slightly, "Speaking of, that's my name by the way, Frothy Mug." He extended a hoof, which Twilight shook bashfully.

Nopony else moved.

Mug rubbed his forehead with a hoof, "Whoever takes out the 'trash' gets a free drink."

Nopony moved.

Mug sighed in defeat, "Fine... Whoever takes out the 'trash' gets a free round for their table..."

A collective murmur arose between the room's occupants for a few seconds, followed by each group of friends prodding one specific member from their group. Eventually, a 'By Luna's Moon...' was heard as a blue pegasus dejectedly made his way over to Peace and threw him over his back before trotting outside, eliciting cheers from his friends.

Everything calmed down pretty quickly, though Twilight did gasp slightly as she remembered she had just used her normal voice before shrugging it off, nopony could recognise her anyway. She shook away her thoughts as the bartender trotted back to his position behind the bar, "S-Sorry about all that... It's just... he..."

Mug chuckled warmly, "Don't worry about it miss. If anything, you've done a lot of ponies a favour. Perhaps he'll think twice before he tries that on anypony else again." He brought out a glass and began cleaning it with a cloth, "So anyways, what can Ah get for ya? First one's on the house!"

Twilight gave a confused 'huh?' before recalling why she was there in the first place, "Oh, um... I'm not too sure, actually. I don't drink often, but I've got a lot on my mind... Anything you'd suggest?"

Mug smiled, "Certainly. Cider sound good?" Twilight nodded, "Best to start you off on something simple if ya don't drink often. Don't want you trottin' out of here sloshed with ponies like Peace about."

She nodded again, and watched as he poured the liquid with practised ease before gently sliding it to her with a hoof, "Thanks."

"That's quite alright, Miss... "

Twilight whipped her head up from her drink, "... Glow! N-Night Glow!"

"Then it's quite alright, Miss Glow." Mug tipped his head before reaching beneath the counter, "Just let me know if ya need anythin'."

Twilight smiled, though she was sure Mug couldn't see it, "Will do."

He trotted down the bar, leaving Twilight alone with her drink and her thoughts, which quickly reverted back to the dark state they had been in previously, '... I wasn't strong enough to save Spike... Even now, with all this new magic, I'm still too weak! I'm not learning fast enough! How can I hope to protect them if I can't even get the basics right? And that's in a safe place! Never mind if I have to use it in a fight! Am I not taking this seriously!? They could... They could die...' She lifted her drink with her magic and took a large sip, swallowing it quickly.

The results quickly became apparent as she almost choked. Her eyes watered slightly as she fought to clear her airways without drawing unwanted, embarrassing attention towards herself. She levitated the glass again, this time taking a smaller sip, with drastically improved results.

But it wasn't enough to distract her as her slightly warped, hooded reflection appeared in the glass, '... This is me now... I can't even show my face... What did I do wrong?'

Another sip, 'I lied to some of my best friends is what I did... I tried to deceive them... That was wrong... But I didn't have a choice! Celestia, she's worse! Much worse than me! I'm doing this for justice! She's just! She's just...'

Another sip, 'A monster... Spike... Mum, dad, Shining... I never wanted this... I never wanted to leave you behind... And my friends!' Her stomach lurched as the sleeping, tearful faces of Pinkie and Fluttershy worked their way to the forefront of her thoughts, 'I... They... I... What should I do!?' Another sip, 'And the others... We - no, I - just left them behind like dead weight! Am I really that cruel? To forget about my very best friends as soon as they don't agree with me? To just discard them without a second thought? Is what I've done any different to what she did?'

Another sip, 'Am I a monster too?' She dipped her head in melancholic thought, '... No, surely I'm not that bad? I mean, I know I've said and done some terrible things, but she... She's just evil! I'd sooner die myself than sacrifice somepony I love, the way she did!'

Another sip, 'I'd sooner die... I'd rather die... I'd rather have died... I might as well have, there won't be anything else left for me after she pays; just a lifetime of loneliness and anguish, and I don't want that... I don't want that... I don't want tears anymore, I just want things to go back to how they were... I just want him back, so much...'

Twilight lifted the glass to take another sip, only to realise that it was now empty. She waited patiently until Mug was trotting back her way before asking, "M-May I have another, please?"

Mug smiled sadly, "Of course. Though ya know miss, if ya don't mind me sayin', whatever your problem is, drinkin' ain't gonna make things any better." He slid the glass to her waiting hooves, "Trust me. Ya sound like a good pony, but Ah've seen a lotta good ponies do themselves in with drink over the years. It'd be a darn shame if ya went the same route. Whatever you're hidin' from, don't let it keep chasin' ya into places like this, or else you'll never want to leave eventually."

Twilight looked up at him, "Hiding?"

He nodded, "Not difficult to see. Ya know, the cloak, the hood, the way ya keep staring at the bar like it's your sole purpose. Ah won't pry, t'aint none of my business, but whatever it is Ah hope you'll find another source of strength, 'cause drink ain't your ally in times like these. Trust me, Ah know." He took out another glass and began wiping it, "Been workin' in bars ever since Ah was old enough to get into 'em - maybe even a little younger, but let's keep that between you an' me, eh?" Twilight managed to smile just a tad as he whispered that part, hiding his face behind his hoof in mock confidentially. "But after Ah've seen what drink does to some ponies, an' experienced how bad it can get myself, Ah swore Ah'd never taste a drop again. Been eleven years on the wagon next month."

Twilight felt a small flare of respect for Mug at his ability to resist the temptation to consume the substances he handled on a day-to-day basis; his willpower alone astounded her, and his sage-like advice seemed to have sunk in. She was about to ask how he had managed such a feat for so long when she heard hoofsteps, and a strangely familiar voice behind her.

"It's as good a place as any, Ah guess. Let's get askin'."

"Can do."

She couldn't place the second voice, but she was definitely familiar with the first, and it turned her blood to ice.

'No... No way! You have got to be fucking kidding me!' Twilight sat still and stared at the drink in her hooves, not daring to move an inch for fear of being discovered, even as the voice drew closer.

Applejack gave the room a cursory glance before settling on the bar and trotting to it, fishing the poster out of her saddlebags as she did so.

Mug looked up and smiled, "Afternoon, what can Ah get for the two of ya?"

Applejack rubbed a foreleg against the other, placing the poster onto the bar with her mouth, "Sorry, Ah know you're probably busy and all, but would ya mind takin' a look at this for us?"

Mug twisted the poster to face him, scanning over the faces of the three mares, "If ya don't mind me askin', what is it Ah'm lookin' at?"

Twilight almost released an audible gasp as she glanced across and saw her own face, as well as Fluttershy's and Pinkie's on the poster.

Applejack sighed dejectedly, "They're my friends, they went..." She pulled a sour expression, "... missin', a week ago. Me and my friends have been searchin' high and low for 'em, but we ain't found nothin' yet..."

Twilight cringed at the revelation, her heart pounding through her chest as Applejack stood right beside her.

Mug rubbed his chin in thought as he scanned the trio, "Ah can't say that Ah have, sorry..." He noticed Applejack's strange expression and looked her dead in the eye, "Ah don't mean to offend, miss, but it seems a bit strange that it's only the two of ya out here on this search. Wouldn't happen to have any proof on ya, would ya? Not like Ah'm accusin' ya of nothin, but there's always some less-than-pleasant ponies with less-than-pleasant intentions around Dodge, much as Ah hate to admit it."

Applejack looked up at the bartender and nodded, "This ain't just me and my cousin on our own, we got asked to do this by the Princesses, they've got guards searchin' high and low for 'em." Mug's eyes widened in scepticism, and Twilight had to resist the urge to scream in frustration and fire her glass at the nearest wall. Applejack deadpanned, "Ya don't believe me, do ya?"

Mug shook his head slowly, "Not in the slightest... Ah mean, ya don't look official or nothin', no offense."

Applejack went back into her saddlebags and brought out her Element necklace, setting it down gently on the bar, "Do ya know what that is?"

"Ah believe that is called a necklace, but Ah'm guessin' that ain't the answer you're lookin' for."

"It's an Element of Harmony. My Element of Harmony."

Mug leaned in and examined it scrupulously, "Wait... Seriously? So ya mean that you're?"

"Yup, its Bearer. And it's the Element of Honesty, so ya can rest assured Ah ain't gonna lie to ya."

Mug squinted at her slightly, trying to fathom why one of the Bearers would be all the way out in Dodge, in his bar, no less.

Braeburn nodded, "It's true! Cousin Applejack's helped defeat more monsters than Ah can even count on my hooves!" He looked down at his grand total of four hooves, then back up at Mug's questioning expression, "... Ya get what Ah mean."

Mug looked between the two of them for a few seconds longer before shaking his head in resignation, "Fine, Ah believe ya. Ah mean, nopony can just make that sort of thing up on the spot and keep a straight face." He scanned the poster again, "But either way, Ah ain't seen any of these three, sorry folks."

Applejack hung her head sadly, prompting Braeburn to drape a hoof over her shoulder. Mug turned the poster so it faced the ponies before him, and tapped it gently, "If ya don't mind me askin', why are the Princesses so interested in findin' these three?"

Applejack didn't respond, instead staring pensively at the floor. Braeburn took it upon himself to give an explanation, "Well, ya see, these three are all Bearers too."

"Really?"

"Yup. If Ah remember correctly, names are... Fluttershy, Pinkie, Twilight." He said, tapping a hoof on each face in turn.

Applejack sniffed slightly, nodding with each name, "Kindness, laughter, and magic..."

Twilight felt like she was having a heart-attack. Between the furious pace it had been beating at throughout the encounter, and the worsening emotional torment stabbing at her chest, it felt as though years were being deducted from her potential lifespan.

Mug rubbed the back of his neck apologetically, realising that he had inadvertently brought the farm pony close to tears through his questioning, "Ah'm sorry to hear that... It must be tough for ya, losing three friends in one week."

Applejack nodded fervently, pre-emptively stemming the flow of tears by scrunching her eyes shut, "It's just... Ah didn't just lose 'em, Ah let 'em go... If Ah would've tried harder to stop 'em from leavin', none of this would've happened. It's all my fault..." She reached over and placed the poster back into her saddlebags after taking a mournful look at it, "If Ah hadn't been so stubborn, and listened to what they said, maybe things would've turned out different... Though even now, Ah don't agree with what they did." She shook her head and looked up at Mug with anguish in her eyes, "But that don't even matter. They're all my friends, and Ah just wanna help 'em, and tell 'em Ah'm sorry for not being there when they needed me, and try and make things better again..." Her voice wavered slightly, and she took a second to compose herself before releasing a deep, calming breath, "Sorry ya had to hear that, it's just real hard to deal with, ya know?"

Mug waved a hoof, "Don't worry about it miss, Ah get it all the time from ponies less polite and more drunk, comes with the job."

Twilight had heard enough, her heart was aching to an unbelievable degree and she knew it wouldn't be long before her urge to comfort the farmer won her over. She fumbled around inside her cloak for a moment and dropped a hooffull of bits onto the counter, which had the unfortunate effect of drawing the attention of the other three. Unwilling to make eye-contact with her friend, Twilight quickly span from her stool and hastily made for the exit. As soon as she pushed through the doors her trot escalated into a full gallop back in the direction of the hideout.

Applejack stared at the spot where the mysterious patron had just been sat, her mouth slightly agape as her brain processed the information it had just been given. It had only been brief, but she was sure she hadn't imagined it. The spin. The flutter of the cloak. A glimpse of purple fur. A six-pronged star cutie mark...

She darted towards the doors without warning, bursting through them and leaving Braeburn follow suit after offering a hasty, "Thanks!" to the perplexed bartender.

Applejack glanced around, pulling the brim of her stetson down so as to shield her eyes from the intense sunlight. She spotted her target fleeing towards the plains to the north, and prepared to give chase right as Braeburn skidded to a halt beside her, "Applejack, what's goin' on!?"

She was already moving by the time he had finished speaking, "Ah've got everythin' under control, just go back to Appleloosa! Ah'll fill ya in later!"

Braeburn didn't know what to make of it, but accepted that he wouldn't be able to catch up to her even if he tried. With a bemused shrug he made his way towards the train station, but not without grumbling to himself in the process, "So much for takin' all the help you could get, eh cousin?"

Twilight tried to look back, but with every step she took another cloud of dust flew up behind her. So she kept running instead. Her lungs screamed for oxygen, her body for rest, her mind for time to stop and think; but she could indulge none of these requests, she needed to be as far away as possible from her friend, and she knew it. She kept running, fixing her eyes on the patch of earth in the distance that shimmered ever-so-slightly.

Despite the severity of the situation, Applejack gave a predatory smile as she chased her target. Years of tirelessly working on the farm had honed her muscular strength to a level most mares could only wish to achieve, and the results spoke for themselves. Twilight had been a fading silhouette when Applejack had seen her, but now she was quickly coming into focus through the intermittent dust clouds as the distance between them became less and less. She squinted her eyes and quickened her pace, 'This 'aint no Runnin' of the Leaves this time, Twilight!'

Twilight held her breath and put every last ounce of energy into a final burst of speed. The shimmering could be seen much more clearly as she approached and skidded into the centre of the area, hoping to find the entrance before she fell down it. It quickly became apparent that she had failed as she saw one of her forelegs pass through the floor beneath it, the rest of her following suit as her body toppled forwards, sending her tumbling halfway down the tunnel. She remained on the floor, panting heavily for nearly half a minute before shakily righting herself and brushing off the larger patches of dust with a hoof. She cursed to herself as she noticed a few cuts and scrapes, but she didn't give them much inspection, they were the least of her worries at the moment. Still catching her breath, she trotted unsteadily to the room where the others would be waiting.

Applejack didn't know what to make of it. One moment Twilight was stopping, the next she was falling through the ground. She currently stood beside the large, strange looking patch of earth, eyeing it curiously but not willing to take any chances with whatever was actually beneath, if anything at all. She stood, unsure of what to do, before taking a calming breath and thinking back. After a few seconds, she remembered what she had been told to do should she find any of her friends, and quickly did so, 'Princess, it's me! Ah think Ah've found 'em!'

The only sound Applejack heard was the whistling of the wind across the plains. Just as she was about to repeat herself, the hurried voice of Princess Celestia rang through her thoughts, 'You've found them!?'

'Yeah, Ah just saw Twilight! But then she went over and vanished into the floor right in front of me!'

Celestia's tone became all-business, 'Where are you?'

Applejack looked up at the setting sun, then back towards the city, 'Just to the north of Dodge, Princess.'

Celestia focused, her horn emitting a golden glow as she envisaged the location. A moment later, an image of the area appeared in the air before her. She scanned around before pinpointing Applejack's location and moving the viewing spell towards her. The ground beside the farmer was shimmering lightly in the sunlight, causing Celestia to nod to herself, 'That's an illusion. I think you've found the place, Applejack. Well done.'

Although Applejack was unaware that the Princess could see her she nodded anyway, 'What should Ah do, Princess?'

'Just wait where you are. Remember what I said when you and the others were here, we don't know what Discord might do if he knows we've found them.'

She kicked at the dirt softly, obviously anxious about the fates of her friends, 'Alright.'

'I won't be long. Stay put until I can tell Shining and the others.'

With that, Celestia's voice faded into nothingness, leaving Applejack to sit on her haunches and wait. She dug the poster and a flask of water from her saddlebags, taking deep gulps as she fixed the faces with a determined gaze, "Soon..."

Twilight staggered into the room where the others were all playing cards - despite the obvious difficulties Fluttershy and Angel were having holding them - and placed a hoof against one of the walls to steady herself.

Fluttershy and Pinkie both gasped and ran across to support her, Fluttershy speaking first as she brushed away some of Twilight's mane that was clinging to her face with sweat, "Twilight, what happened!?"

The unicorn made for one of the chairs, her friends helping her along until she dropped into it, "Applejack... was in Dodge..."

Pinkie and Fluttershy shared a troubled look, and even Discord and Angel - who had been taking advantage of the situation to look at the cards of the absent ponies - snapped their attention over to her. Discord was beside Twilight before she even saw him move, "Did she see you!?"

Twilight shook her head, "No, I don't think so... I saw her and ran all the way... back here. I don't think she would've... recognised me anyway..."

Discord put his paw to his forehead, "Of all the... There's the entirety of Equestria to search, and she nearly finds you in a week! Why am I not surprised? Chance hasn't really been our ally thus far, has it?"

Twilight shrugged, "No, but at least she didn't see my face, so that has to count for something, right?"

Discord frowned, "That wasn't chance, that was careful planning, several thousand years of villainous experience, and three stone imprisonments due to 'fair play' crying out at me to not take any risks."

Pinkie nudged him, "I wouldn't really call it 'fair play'. From what Fluttershy told us you cheated back in the maze that time!"

He shrugged, "What can I say? Fluttershy isn't as easily corrupted as the rest of you. Perhaps you should try and learn a thing or two from her shining example?"

Fluttershy backed away and blushed as Pinkie proceeded to debate the specifics of cheating with the draconequus. Twilight rolled her eyes and looked across to Angel, who held up his paws in a shrug that said 'I can't believe these two', which she promptly returned before heading to the bathroom to clean herself up.

"Applejack has found them. They're just to the north of Dodge City. Gather up your squad and make your way there, I'll guide you to the exact location."

Shining gave an affirmative grunt and teleported away without hesitation.

Celestia trotted away from Shining's suite, Luna stepping up beside her as she did so, "What about the others?"

"We'll make our way down to one of the empty ballrooms. I trust you still remember how to use a summoning circle?"

Luna furrowed her brow in thought for a moment then nodded, "I think so. But why should I need to?"

Celestia smiled as they descended a flight of stairs, "It's much easier than finding all three of them and teleporting them back here individually. We have the time to set one up, so I don't see why we shouldn't."

Luna shrugged, "I suppose you're right. What do you plan on doing when they get here? We can't honestly expect them to just go home after they've searched high and low for their friends, can we?"

The elder sister shook her head, "There shouldn't any need for that. I know Applejack's location, and she's very close to them right now, so I'll just set up a spell to view the area. She and the other two can stay and watch with us, if they want."

Luna nodded, and pushed the door before them open with her magic, revealing the grand interior of one of the ballrooms on the other side, "Sounds fair enough. When do you plan on doing it?"

"Right now. It'll take us a while to set this up, and every moment we waste is another that Applejack has the potential to take matters into her own hooves. It's not as if I don't trust her, but as I've already said, she's very close to her friends, I doubt it's easy for her to cope with knowing that she has to sit and wait when she's so close."

Celestia's horn glowed brightly, followed by Luna's, "Ready?"

"Ready."

They focused, watching the painstakingly slow process of the ancient runes inscribing themselves in a circular pattern on the floor between them.

Nearly an hour and a half later, it was finished. The runes pulsated with magical energy that moved from the edges of the circle and converged in the centre. Luna scowled at it as if it had tried to bite her, "In the time that took I could probably have searched the entirety of Equestria anyway!"

Celestia chuckled at her sister's impatience, but quickly refocused on her other spell, reaching out to the minds of the Bearers, 'Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack has found your friends.'

Rainbow Dash stopped in mid-air, 'She has!?'

Rarity looked away from the grave, 'Really?'

'Yes. All three of you need to hold still for a moment, understood?'

They did so, though similar states of confusion and worry became apparent despite their separate locations as Celestia heard them react to the white glow enveloping them.

"What the heck is this thing around me!?"

"W-What is this?"

"What in tarnation is goin' on!?"

Barely a split-second later, the three appeared on the circle with a flash, dizzy and slightly nauseous. Applejack fanned her face with her hat, "That certainly ain't a nice way to travel. At least warn us next time, Princess!"

They each got their bearings, realising they were in the castle. Rainbow looked around for the other three, then at Applejack when they were nowhere to be found, "I thought you'd found them!?"

Celestia took a step forward, getting their attention before Applejack could retort, "She did. Step over here, all of you, we'll see for ourselves soon enough. Shining and the others should be there soon, so we shouldn't have to wait much longer." She trotted towards the back of the room and pointed her horn at the wall. After a few seconds a distorted image - much like a reflection upon rippling water - appeared, and hovered in the air just before the wall.

The others all lined up beside Celestia to watch as the image slowly came into focus, though said Princess couldn't help but notice how Rarity had deliberately put as much distance between them as possible, waiting for the others to step forward before taking her own place at the very opposite end of the line; and how Applejack was repeatedly giving her wary sideways glances. She considered attempting to resolve the obvious trust issue whilst they had some time on their hooves, but quickly decided against it, 'If I'm to come anywhere near reconciling myself with them after what I've done, I'll need a lot more time...' She glanced over at them, taking particular note of how Rarity hadn't moved a fraction, keeping her eyes locked firmly on the image despite nothing being easily visible yet, 'That is, if they even forgive me at all...'

They waited, tensions slowly rising as the image of the area finally became clear, and Celestia and Luna began remotely talking through the specifics of the upcoming encounter with Shining and his guards.

Rainbow looked left to see the grim expressions of her friends. She wasn't faring much better herself, knowing full well that anything could happen to their friends if things took a turn for the worse. Regardless, she forced a neutral expression and a simple show of confidence that her friends could lean upon for emotional support, should they need it, "Don't worry guys, I'm sure Shining's got this down. There's no way he'd let that creep take Twilight and the others again, and he knows what to expect this time around!"

Applejack turned to her, fiddling with the brim of her hat nervously, "Ah hope you're right, Rainbow, Ah really do..."

Rainbow pulled a false grin, hoping being her usual self would be enough to calm them down a little, "Am I ever wrong?"

Applejack turned away, apparently not in any mood for her bravado. Rainbow leaned her head so she could see the unicorn on the other side of Applejack, "Rarity, Shining's got this, right?"

Rarity didn't move an inch.

Rainbow tapped her hoof on the floor twice, "Hello, Rarity? Thoughts? Anypony in there?"

The unicorn sighed to herself, but didn't so much as turn her gaze to her friend, "You want to know what I think?"

"Uh, yeah, that's sort of what I was asking, wasn't it?"

"I think you need to get a firm grasp on just how dire a situation our friends are about to be in. I think you need to stop trying to make us feel better because it blatantly isn't working. And I think you need to shut up. That's what I think." She still hadn't let her attentive stare drift from the image before her, but her words carried a hollowness, a coldness that told the other occupants of the room that she held no desire to speak further.

The others all regarded Rarity with differing levels of shock at her blunt tone, though Rainbow's was the most profound, her jaw hanging open slightly as she tried to retort defensively. Her words ultimately failing her, she kicked at the floor and lapsed into silence, the rest of the room following suit. Occasionally the odd set of important information would be shared between the Princesses and Shining, but as he and his guards drew closer and closer to their target the periods of silence gradually became longer, apprehension taking the place of conversation.

They watched, and waited.

Author's Note

Heh, weird, I actually don't have much to say this time around :D As always, you can see the latest chapter progress on my profile page if you're wondering, and here's their current location on the map:
I am not a link, do not click me, nothing will happen.

Chapter XVIII - First Blood

Shining Armor looked to the sun, now ominously suspended on the horizon mid-way through setting. Celestia had told him it was to provide him and his guards with sufficient light to complete their mission, as it was of the utmost importance that all the Bearers were recovered if Discord was to be re-contained; and that doing so whilst said draconequus was present could prove dangerous under the best of conditions, never mind if they had to fight in the dark.

However, Shining figured it was equally likely that Celestia simply didn't want to distract herself by setting the sun whilst these events were playing out. As much as the Princess obviously tried to remain professionally neutral through their short telepathic exchanges, it was clear that she was anxious about what was about to happen, which, all in all, he was happy about. It showed she cared.

Shining stopped and turned on the spot, the guards trotting behind him coming to a halt immediately. He scanned over them briefly. Twenty four. Twenty five including himself. His own escort of eight crystal ponies that had accompanied him since he left the Crystal Empire stood directly before him. They wore little armour, having no real need for it, their crystalline epidermis able to deflect most small weapons with relative ease, especially those of the slicing variety. It would take a very sharp blade, or considerable crushing force to break through the toughest parts of their natural 'armour'.

He checked over the ponies behind them, members of the Solar Guard, or at least, the ones that were left to spare in Canterlot after a good amount had been sent away in search of the Bearers a week prior. Something about that struck Shining as strange. The guards had been searching ever since the incident, yet the closest backup unit was still over an hour's trot away, it unnerved him, and he resolved to bring it up with Celestia afterwards. Their armour held the standard gold finish of all Solar Guard gear, but differed slightly to the standard armour in that protective plating had been added over the legs, and the helmets did not have their usual decorative plume, instead having a sloping front; more overall protection to the face and torso in the form of added plating had also been implemented - a small amount of mobility sacrificed to gain a much higher chance of survival should the draconequus try to attack them in any of the more 'conventional' ways.

As for armaments, each carried the weapon with which they were most proficient. The most common were swords of many sizes and designs, but Shining could also see a multitude of other weapons: Spears, halberds, bows, the newly introduced wingblades on one pegasus, or no weapons at all in the cases of the particularly magically adept unicorns.

Shining cleared his throat and regarded them expressionlessly, speaking in a commanding tone as he delegated Celestia's orders, "I'm going to say this one final time. If you screw up and end up catching my sister or her friends in a crossfire you'll be getting punishment far worse than a dishonourable discharge, though you'll get that afterwards, understood?"

A unified chorus of voices responded loudly, "Yes, sir!"

"Good. Now, Princess Celestia has made it very clear what needs to happen. This is a relatively simple retrieval mission. We are to recover all three mares as quickly as possible without harming them, and retreat just as quickly. Be mindful that any needless injury to them will not be tolerated. However, these three are, for the most part, non-combatants, so that shouldn't cause too many problems. The problem, as I'm sure you're all aware, is the draconequus."

He surveyed his troops carefully. Though none of them moved a muscle he could sense the apprehension building in the air, he'd be lying if he said he didn't feel it himself somewhat, "The Princess's orders are clear. We are to avoid direct combat with him if at all possible. The moment we have secured the objective, we run. Fast. Discord is a reality-warper with powers far greater than any of us here could hope to wield, myself included, and he's not likely to let us go easily. Once we have the package, we are to head to the river to the north, where our backup will be arriving from to provide relief support until we can put some distance on the monster. Once there we will rendezvous with the others, who are setting up a mass-teleport spell back to Canterlot as we speak. If you haven't already guessed, that's our extraction point."

Shining scanned the crowd before him for any confusion, and, satisfied that he found none, continued, "So, to break it into steps: We go in, secure the girls, run like hell, and go home." He eyed them seriously, "I said this plan was simple, and it is, but remember that simple and easy are two different things, it might save your lives out there." He pointed to their destination, far off behind him, before turning back to them, "Any questions?"

One hoof stuck out near the centre of the group, belonging to the pegasus with the wingblades. She spoke after Shining gave her permission, "Sir, I understand our mission, but what are we supposed to do about the draconequus afterwards? Surely he'll head to Canterlot if he wants these mares that badly?"

Shining nodded, "Likely, but the whole point of this mission is to get those three to Canterlot so that the six Elements of Harmony can be re-united again. Once that happens, it won't matter what Discord does, he'll be a garden ornament again by the end of the day."

The guard nodded in response, and no more hooves were raised. Shining called out confidently, "Alright, we're approximately three thousand meters from the mission zone. From here on out we're not stopping, so check your weapons and armour over before we go." He remembered a similar mission of his own when he was still a lowly ranked guard, and offered them some timeless advice, "And if you need to 'go', just 'go' somewhere. Find a bush or something. I mean it when I say we're not stopping, and dignity doesn't mean anything if you die because you were too stubborn to water some plants beforehoof." He smirked at the uncomfortable expressions of some of the guards, remembering being in their position long ago.

He turned about face and stared off into the distance, where Twilight was waiting for him. His horn glowed as he brought his sword up to eye-level, examining its flawless blade and jewel-encrusted hilt as he thought of his sister being held prisoner by the beast, her mind being controlled by him at his every whim, the things he might have done to her. He levelled his sword against the horizon and stared down the length of the blade with angry eyes, 'I don't know if a draconequus can bleed, but after what he's done to my family, I'll be more than pleased to perform a hooves-on experiment.' He focused and exhaled slowly through his nose in an attempt to calm himself and remain focused on the mission. Succeeding, he raised his voice without turning, "Okay, we've wasted enough time already! The Princess has a sun to set, and I have a sister to save! Let's get moving!" He marched purposefully towards the objective, and was followed promptly by twenty four determined guards.

Celestia's horn glowed, the spell's field of vision shifting slowly until several silhouetted figures could be made out in the distance. The guards. Another flare of her horn, and the perspective shifted so that it hovered in the air above the marching guards, moving with them as they neared their destination. The sounds of the area carried through the spell too, filling the ballroom with the sound of marching hoofsteps being muffled by grassy earth. Everypony watched with bated breath as they drew ever-closer to their destination.

Twilight winced as Fluttershy finished brushing one of her larger cuts with a strong-smelling alcohol-based substance. It stung, but avoiding infection was far more important to the unicorn. That, and the fact that falling seriously ill due to an act of downright clumsiness on her own part would, quite literally, add insult to injury. Fluttershy brought away the cotton pad and spoke soothingly, "I'm sorry, I know it hurts, but at least you shouldn't have to worry about infection now. Just make sure to wash them thoroughly and you'll be fine."

"Thank you, Fluttershy. I'll try to stop hurting myself in future, otherwise you'll probably run out of supplies at this rate."

Fluttershy finished discarding the used pads and began placing the others and the alcohol back into her saddlebags, "Don't worry about that, that's what they're here for. Besides, if I need more I'm sure I could make something if I had the right ingredients. At least, I-I think I could, it d-depends, I'm not that good..." She looked away briefly, but Twilight caught the sad look in her eye, even if it was only momentary. "Besides, if it was serious I'm sure Discord wouldn't mind helping me gather what I need... You w-wouldn't mind, would you?"

Discord turned his attention away from animating the contents of Pinkie's saddlebags; a rather messy procedure considering most of the items were confectionery, "I suppose not, but I guess it depends. I mean, if Twilight was being really nasty, and gravity just happened to de-stabilise around her for no apparent reason, and then it came back and she broke all her legs in the fall, I might not be inclined to get supplies to help her until she apologised... and ran a marathon." He chuckled to himself, but stopped when he realised that not even Pinkie was laughing with him, all four just stared at him disapprovingly, "Even you, Pinkie?"

Pinkie shook her head, "It just wasn't funny. It was pretty horrible in all honesty. I don't even know how you can laugh at things like that." Pinkie seemed more upset about his choice of humour than angry with him.

He turned to the pegasus in the room, "Et tu, Fluttershy?"

She turned her head to the right, but looked at him out of the corner of her eye, "Th-That was mean, Discord... There w-wasn't any n-need for that..."

The look on her face and her tone of voice told him all he needed to know. She wasn't upset, or angry. She was disappointed, and it actually hurt him slightly to know such. He let his shoulders droop as he met the condescending stares of the other two, "I don't even have to ask you two. Seriously though, what do you all expect? Yes, I've changed, but I think you'll find that it's hard to completely change sadist levels from 'I'm going to plunge Equestria into eternal war, because it's fun to watch', to 'I'm going to help three ponies who imprisoned me in stone - Twice! - on their quest for righteous justice'."

Twilight scowled. Her day had been ripe with magical failure, depression, and the very real fear of being discovered, and this was the final straw. Her patience snapped, "Don't bring up the sealing again! You know we were deceived, and Fluttershy didn't have a choice! Hell, you even said yourself that you forfeited your escape because you cared about her, so don't pull out the 'incurable psychopath' card on us!"

Discord growled at her, "You're right, you'd be a much better holder of that card right about now, wouldn't you Twilight? Let's see... You tried to murder your mentor; dragged your friends away from their homes, lives and loved ones; lied to the friends you couldn't convince; discarded them completely when you realised they weren't necessary; and watched the friends you have here suffer, yet never brought it up with them once! Truly the 'magic of friendship' must be a very dear value to you, mustn't it?" He was almost nose-to-nose with her by the time he had finished speaking.

Twilight ground her teeth and glared at him, "Like you'd know anything about friends! It took a thousand years, a metric tonne of sympathy, and the Element of fucking Kindness herself for you to make one!"

Discord deadpanned, snapped his fingers to summon Fluttershy's burn ointment into his grasp, and proceeded to apply it to himself deliberately slowly, all the while maintaining bored eye contact with Twilight to show how much he really didn't care, "Oh, making comparisons now, are we? Then, I'm sure since you're so much better than me it won't affect you if I let you deal with your nightmares again like a big filly instead of shielding you as if you're an infant. You're so much better you don't even need my help to learn chaos magic! I'm sure you could practice just fine and not kill yourself in the process, couldn't you? In fact, you're so much better than me that you don't even need my magic, do you? Obviously you can crush your enemies with the magic you already have..." His flat expression scrunched into a sinister scowl, "Oh wait! No. You. Can't! Not even close!"

Twilight snarled at him, feeling the overwhelming urge to blast him in the face at point-blank range, "Of course you'd know about crushing your enemies, wouldn't you? It's the only thing you're even good at! You've never used your magic to protect anypony else in your entire life! And on the rare occasion where you did try and help some ponies, what happened? You split their damned minds in half and let it carry down generations so that several thousand more could suffer! Nice one!"

Discord's frown deepened momentarily, but abruptly curled into a smile, "Yes, yes, you're right, Twilight Sparkle. But at least in my case I protected them sufficiently enough to ensure they survived. Remind me, what happened the last time you tried to pr-"

"STOP IT! STOP IT RIGHT NOW! BOTH OF YOU!"

Both Twilight and Discord jolted in surprise, swivelling their heads to see Fluttershy staring furiously at them. Though her eyes were watery and her top lip quivered slightly, the tone and sheer volume of her voice still left the two speechless. Even Angel had taken to cowering behind Pinkie's hind legs. Pinkie's expression was similar to Fluttershy's, though anger was substituted for sadness in her case as she looked at them with a pained expression and a slowly deflating mane.

The two felt their resolve crumble under Fluttershy's gaze, though it wasn't due to intimidation. It was the intense sorrow present in her eyes, and the hurt in her voice, "S-Stop saying those horrible th-things..."

The pair glanced at one another from the corners of their eyes before moving to sit on the chairs furthest apart from each other. Everything fell quiet as Twilight hung her head and Discord observed Fluttershy, who had sat down herself and was being comforted by Angel. The draconequus looked between the three depressed ponies and shook his head, 'First the cloud accident, then the 'Applejack encounter', plus one little joke and we end up with this.' He sighed, 'This has been a very bad day...'

As the guards approached their destination they broke their march and slowed their pace considerably. As per the plan they began treading carefully, surrounding the area before attempting to dispel the illusion. Shining watched and held up his hoof, ready to give the signal the instant his troops were in position. Once the area had been encircled, he waved his hoof to the side sharply, his horn glowing in conjunction with those of the other unicorns as they got to work burning away at the edges of the mirage. Surely enough, over the course of the next few minutes the image receded. All they had to do was wait just a little more.

Twilight shook her head, trying to rid herself of her pride. She owed an apology to Discord, more so to the others, for her outburst. Though she wasn't sure how much it had hurt the draconequus, it had clearly hurt her friends enough seeing them argue so bitterly, "Discord, I'm stressed, tired, and scared, as you're probably aware. But that was no reason for me to say the things I said just now. I overreacted and blew things way out of proportion... and I'm sorry." She didn't look up at the draconequus nor her friends, and her tone remained dejected as she continued, "Pinkie, Fluttershy, I'm sorry for losing my temper and making you see that..."

Fluttershy trotted to her side and placed a hoof on hers, "It's alright. I just don't want to see my friends arguing like that, we need to stay together, no matter what." Twilight nodded in response without looking up at her friend.

Pinkie smiled, "It's okay, Twilight, I forgive you. You're having a really bad day, we all have them, don't sweat it! And Fluttershy's right, we need to bring ourselves together, not push each other apart! We'd be like, the worst team in history if we did that, right Discy?"

Discord looked blankly at her, "... Right." He let out a deep sigh as he realised what was coming next, 'Three, two, one...'

Fluttershy glanced up at him, "Discord, don't you have something to say to Twilight?"

'Right on cue.' He kept a neutral expression as he regarded his friend before sparing the unicorn beside her a glance, noticing the depressed aura she was exuding, "I suppose so..." It wasn't that he really wanted to apologise, especially not twice in the same day to the same pony, but the alternative meant Fluttershy tracing his every move with her disapproving eyeballs, and the others having the personality of a wet mop for the remainder of the week. His tone was a little over-enthusiastic and he waved his arms occasionally as he spoke, "Twilight, as you know, I'm the spirit of chaos, and being such makes it difficult not to mess things up from time to time. Regardless, my joke was rather..." he fought not to grit his teeth, "tasteless, and I should have known better considering what has already happened today. So, from the deepest depths of my tainted, twisted heart, I offer you my most sincere apologies. I, Discord, am well and truly..."

He sensed it, "Wait!"

The other four regarded him with varying degrees of impatience. Fluttershy's expression fell from approving to angry, irritation filling her voice, "Discord!"

He waved his arms defensively, his expression and tone deadly serious, "No, listen! Everypony get your things! We have to leave, now!"

"W-What?" They looked at him with confusion and disbelief.

Realising they weren't going to move, Discord snapped his fingers, materialising the saddlebags and Elements on their respective owners, "I'm serious! There are ponies outside!" He closed his eyes for a second, "Guards. Your brother too."

Twilight's eyes widened, "B-But how? I thought we were safe here?"

Discord began channelling the energies needed to teleport the five of them away, "Either they're very lucky, very meticulous, or - most likely - you were seen and followed!"

Twilight's face fell in dismay, "I... No way! There's no way! She didn't see me... did she?"

"We can worry about it later! Just stay close to me until I-"

The room began shaking violently, cutting him off as he levitated to avoid toppling over. Angel promptly clambered into Fluttershy's saddlebags, even as she stumbled erratically and her friends were thrown from their seats. Just as suddenly as the tremors had started, they stopped, leaving the mares to shake away the dizziness, though their confusion was plain on their faces.

Discord's expression hadn't changed since the shaking began, a look of intense annoyance plastered into place. He spoke in a sarcastic monotone as he held up his paw, "Fantastic. Absolutely fantastic." With a snap of his fingers, the room around them disappeared, revealing them to now be above ground and surrounded by a multitude of guards.

The three younger mares in the ballroom released a collectively held breath. Their friends were fine, from what they could see, at least. Rainbow nudged Applejack on the shoulder lightly, "You really did find them! Good job, AJ!"

The farmer smiled but spoke seriously, "Thanks, but it ain't over just yet. Let's save the celebrations for when our friends come home."

Rainbow smiled back, "Sounds like a plan!"

For the first time since the viewing spell had been cast, Rarity looked away from the image and over towards the Princesses, and Celestia in particular. She decided to set her personal grudges aside, the well-being of her friends came first, and she had to know, "Are you absolutely certain they won't get hurt? Those guards are carrying weapons, Princess!"

Celestia turned to the unicorn and spoke confidently, "They're going to be fine. Shining has made it very clear that your friends aren't to be harmed. The weapons are purely for self defence should Discord attack them." Her features darkened, "Not that they'd be of much use if he were at full strength again. Fortunately, that doesn't seem to be the case."

Rarity nodded, turning her attention back to the image as Shining's voice transmitted over the spell too.

"Don't move Discord, you're surrounded!" Shining's face was calm, but just beneath the surface the fires of rage were burning away at his nerves, "Release those three to us at once, and we'll let you go."

Discord yawned and stretched his arms far above his head, "Now, now, 'released' implies that I'm holding them captive against their will, which I assure you I most certainly am not. Perhaps there's been a misunderstanding, officer?" He smirked as he saw the Captain's eye twitch ever-so-slightly.

The mares edged towards each other as quietly as possible as they looked around at the guards, though Twilight's eyes were fixed on her brother.

Shining looked to the mares in the centre of the ring and noticed the fearful expressions in their eyes, especially in Twilight's. His rage bubbled even further and his tone fell from commanding to dangerously cold, "I won't ask again. Step away from them. Now."

Discord chuckled darkly, "How very bold of you. You earn points for guts, I'll grant you that." Shining growled and drew his sword, taking a single step forwards, the surrounding guards brandishing their weapons in preparation to follow his lead. The draconequus became serious in an instant, his tone dropping to menacing levels, "Please, let's not resort to violence. We have three young mares here, remember? Why expose them to unnecessary bloodshed? Besides, I would not be pleased if you forced me to do something... drastic in front of Fluttershy here." He let his words sink in, noticing a few of the guards shivering slightly, causing him to grin sadistically, "And by drastic I mean killing half of you and forcing the other half to eat the bodies." His tone alone was enough to unsettle them, and the imagery he had used sent a wave of revulsion through the guards, and turned the stomachs of the three beside him.

Shining looked to his sister, "Twilight, I know things seem bad, but you have to trust me! You can't stay with that monster! You heard him just now! He's sick, and twisted!" His voice almost fell into pleading, "Please, you and your friends, just come back to us." The mares stood in silence, staring at him with regret plain on their faces. "Twilight, please! I'm your brother! You have to trust me! No matter what has happened, nothing is worth going anywhere with him!"

Twilight stared as if she were in a daze, her eyes filling with tears as she shook her head.

"Twilight..."

She shook her head again.

Shining felt his head droop as he blinked back tears of his own. His next words sounded almost choked to begin with, but quickly returned to his cold tone as his soldier's resolve took over, "You know your orders. Force is only to be used against the monster." He whipped his head up, his sword following suit, levelling at Discord, "Seize them."

The sounds of weapons being grabbed and rapidly advancing hoofsteps filled the area, and it served to snap the mares from their sadness. In mere seconds the guards would close the distance and apprehend them, and there wasn't enough time for the four to defend themselves or retreat.

But Discord had been preparing for such since the room had disappeared. With a snap of his fingers, a glowing white orb materialised around the four, briefly pulsating with energy before exploding outwards, sending the guards flying several dozen meters in all directions. He took advantage of the window of opportunity and addressed the others, "I'll need time to get us out of here. Stay close to me, and each other. Do not get separated, or they'll take you." He sighed as some of the hardier guards pushed themselves back to their hooves, "Fluttershy, I probably already know your answer, but would you terribly mind if I kill them? Or at least break them so they can't attack us? It would save us a lot of time."

Fluttershy looked up with frightened eyes, evidently terrified by either the advancing guards, Discord's proposal, or both, "Y-Yes! P-Please d-don't hurt th-them! They're j-just d-doing their j-job!"

He pinched the bridge of his nose, "Only for you, Fluttershy."

Some of the guards were climbing back to their hooves now, and the few that had already done so were advancing. Two earth ponies charged towards Pinkie, but changed their course to Discord and raised their weapons to strike him as he turned to face them. Discord vanished and appeared behind the two, grasping them both in his suddenly huge hands and hurling them in opposite directions. A pegasus swooped down and attempted to cleave at him from above, though her aim was well off, and he dodged by simply tilting his head.

He cursed as he realised his mistake.

She hadn't been aiming for him. The pegasus banked in the air and stopped expertly above where Twilight, Fluttershy and Pinkie stood, folding in her wings and dropping to the floor between the three of them. She spread her wings again, taking care to only catch them with the blunt wing-guards rather than the sharp blades, forcing each to stumble from their positions. Now effectively separated, the pegasus made a show of lunging her wingblades at each, forcing them further away from one another, and closer to the other guards.

Discord was upon her in seconds, furious that he had been outsmarted so quickly. The instant he appeared she lunged a blade at him, only for it to phase through him. The second the blade exited his side, Discord slammed his paw against her throat and brought her up to eye-level. He considered throttling her into unconsciousness before looking past her horrified face and seeing Fluttershy backing tearfully away from a trio of guards. He settled for slamming her into the ground at his feet before teleporting to his friend's aid.

Twilight teleported around the guard before her - a halberd-wielding crystal earth pony - searching for her friends frantically as she did so. She spotted them off to her right, and galloped towards them. She didn't take more than a few steps before a bolt of energy blasted a smouldering crater just in front of her. She yelped as the unicorn that had fired it appeared and blocked her path. Twilight shot a spell of her own at the unicorn, to no avail. The unicorn deflected it with relative ease before charging another spell. Twilight jumped to the side reflexively, narrowly avoiding the shimmering blue net-like construct that shot by her.

She span at the sound of approaching hoofsteps, glancing over her shoulder to see Halberd barrelling towards her. Again, Twilight fired another lavender missile, but it ricocheted harmlessly off the pony's crystalline coating. She cursed and turned to run, only to see another two earth ponies moving to cut off her avenue of escape should she head that way. With Halberd only a few seconds behind, and the unicorn charging another spell, Twilight entered full panic mode.

In one of those rare adrenaline-fuelled moments where time seems to slow down just for the individual, Twilight formulated a crude plan. She span, seeing the earth pony was now only a few meters away, and snatched his weapon from his grasp with her magic before sidestepping him and directing her attention to the unicorn. Before the guard could fire her spell, Twilight rotated the halberd in mid-air and smashed the blunt shaft hard against the knees of the mare's forelegs where the armour didn't overlap, eliciting a grunt of pain from her and disrupting her spell. Twilight wasted no time and ran past the unicorn back towards her friends, the earth pony still hot on her tail.

Pinkie glanced between the pair of guards advancing towards her, fearfully back-pedalling away from them, 'What do I do!? What do I do!?' She stopped in place and squinted her eyes in preparation as she came up with an answer.

The guards stopped and did a double-take before staring in abject terror. One second they were moving to apprehend a harmless non-combatant, the next they were staring down the barrel of a cannon that had appeared out of nowhere! They roared in horror as the pony smashed her hoof down onto the firing mechanism, desperately trying to dive out of the blast radius in time.

Their screams were drowned out by the thunderous eruption of the cannon.

*BANG!*

Everything stopped. All present, guard and fugitive alike, froze their current actions and wheeled around to face the source of the horrendous noise. Shining snapped out of it first and, fearing the worst, darted across to see two guards rolling around in agony with their hooves clasped over their now-bleeding ears and their bodies... half-buried beneath a pile of confetti?

Discord shook his head in disbelief, 'Pinkie Pie... How the f-' He barely avoided the swing of a sword as the pony beneath him took advantage of the situation and lunged forwards. As suddenly as everything had stopped, it began anew.

Shining stared at Pinkie in absolute bewilderment. The cannon was nowhere to be seen, and all the pony was doing was rubbing her ears against the apparent tinnitus the blast had caused. He waited for a few seconds until she looked back up and shrugged at him sheepishly before turning and running to her friends. He regained his senses and gave chase.

Discord snapped his fingers as a guard drew closer to Fluttershy. The guard's sword instantaneously morphed into a length of rope which coiled around his legs like a snake, causing him to tumble to the ground sharply. Discord appeared beside Fluttershy immediately afterwards, glaring as he watched the guard struggle with his binds, making little progress, 'I should hang you with that rope for trying to get to her!' He kept his anger to himself and focused on the spell. It would take several more minutes, at best. He noticed Twilight and Pinkie dashing towards his position from behind, and each had pursuers of their own. A snap of his fingers later they were dealt with, sinking into large pools of quicksand. He chuckled as he remembered using the same trick on Pinkie, but stopped when Fluttershy yelped in fright behind him.

Discord span, registering the guard approaching Fluttershy, and the two advancing upon himself in an attempt to delay him. He prepared to deal with Fluttershy's would-be captor first, but froze as the pegasus darted across to face the other two guards. She stood defensively, even though she was evidently terrified; backing away slowly as they approached despite Angel's best efforts at repelling them with every threatening gesture in his arsenal.

The meaning behind her actions wasn't lost on the draconequus though, and he felt something flare within him at the sight, 'She's deliberately putting herself in the way to shield me...' He stared in wonderment for a moment longer before dealing with the guards. The armour of the solo guard began constricting tightly, forcing the air from his lungs until he fell unconscious. The duo was even simpler to deal with, and Discord took great pleasure in utilising one of his favourite tricks for the first time in so long. A simple tap on the head of one resulted in the other defending himself from the onslaught of the - now grey - pony that was his ally only four seconds ago.

Pinkie skidded to a halt next to Discord, Twilight following suit; they all backed up close to him as more guards drew in close. Twilight glanced around frantically, "How much longer!?"

Discord sighed, "Calm down, panicking here won't help. About five to six minutes, depending on how much these insolent bastards decide to interfere."

Despite his advice, all three had to fight to avoid hyperventilating as the guards recovered from their various hindrances, formed back up, and began encircling them once more at Shining's command.

The draconequus surveyed the situation critically before making his move. The spines on his tail vanished, promptly replaced by huge, jagged shards of metal, glass, and various other sharp objects. He raised his voice just enough so that the surrounding guards would hear him, "I'm going to have to bend the rules a little here, Fluttershy. I won't kill them..." He lashed out behind himself with his newly-formed weapon, deliberately swinging it in an arc so as to drive all the guards in its path to one side, "PROVIDED THEY CAN RUN! FAST!" He made sure to put extra emphasis into the demonic laugh that followed, attempting to intimidate his targets as much as possible as they barrelled out of the way. True, he could've swung faster and gone for the kill, but the aim of the attack was to scare them; and he could definitely do scary.

He waved his claw at the now guard-free area behind him, making sure he had the attention of the Bearers, "We'll back up that way. Make sure you keep your eyes out for them trying to get smart with us. Let's go." The four backed away steadily, Discord remaining at the front of the group for defensive purposes, shooting bolts of lightning close to the ponies he had previously swung at to ensure safe passage by them.

The guards advanced in a 'V' shape towards the retreating group, trying - and failing - to surround them once more. Shining growled furiously, "This is ridiculous! We're having circles ran around us like it's some sort of joke!"

Discord flashed a delighted smile, "Well, it's certainly hilarious to watch, if that's what you were aiming for."

Shining seethed, the guard beside him shrinking back slightly even as he spoke, "With all due respect, sir, it's far too difficult when we're only permitted to use force on the draconequus."

The Prince nodded, "We'll lose them at this rate... Very well. Guards, you're permitted to use reasonable force to apprehend the targets." He almost blew a fuse as he glanced back to the draconequus to see him smiling even wider, 'Piece-of-shit monster! Of course he's smiling, this entire operation is failing...'

Discord chuckled, casually waving his claw at the guards to his left, causing the earth beneath them to erupt and send them sprawling in all directions, "It seems your brother is more than a little pissed with me right now, Twilight."

Twilight gave Discord a stern look, even though she was behind him, "Don't. This is hard enough for me as it is without you trying to start more drama. I don't want any part in it."

Discord shrugged but complied nevertheless, "Fair enough, I suppose." He looked back at Shining once again, desperately trying to hold back his laughter as the prince stomped past his guards and towards him, "Oh dear! Whatever will I do! Celestia! Save me from the dangerous pony with the love blast at his disposal! I don't want to be loved! Please! Anything but love!" He wiped a tear away amusedly, even as Shining broke away from the guards behind him and advanced further, oblivious to the potential dangers of doing so.

The draconequus let out a satisfied sigh and tipped his head slightly to look up at an apparently empty patch of sky to his left, "Really though, Celestia. Would it kill you to get off your flank and deal with your own problems for once? You ran out of all the mares that trust you, so you start throwing their relatives at me instead? How sad..."

Shining took advantage of Discord's momentary lapse in concentration. Grinding his teeth angrily as he did so, he summoned a powerful shielding spell around the draconequus, trapping him inside. Before Discord had the chance to break it, he summoned another one above it. And another. And another. Piling several layers of the same spell atop one another. Satisfied that he had gained precious seconds, Shining darted in close and conjured several magical shields between the three mares, separating them from each other. With a final glow of his horn he entrapped each of the mares in their own barrier and sent them hurtling back towards his waiting guards.

Discord smashed the last barrier and lashed out at Shining violently at the others being separated from him once again. The unicorn prepared to teleport away, but Discord was faster, wrapping his barbed tail around one of his hind legs and pulling it tight.

Shining cried out in pain as he felt the blades dig into his flesh and the muscle beneath, but finished his teleportation regardless and rejoined the ranks of his guards, not even bothering to inspect his injury as he hobbled over to Twilight's new position, barking commands as he went, "I want no less than ten of you keeping that bastard away from them! Now! The rest of you, get a move on!" The guards moved swiftly to comply, though some lingered for a split second at the sight of the blood that was flowing freely down their captain's right hind leg.

Fluttershy yelped as a pair of guards grabbed her firmly and began dragging her away from her friends, "Stop! Please! Stop it!" The pegasus struggled against their iron grip to no avail, frantically looking around for her friends, "Twilight!? Pinkie!? Discord!?" She could see none of them past the group of guards that had surrounded her. She heard a slight metallic ring from within her saddlebags, and turned her head to see Angel poking his head just out of the bags, the tip of a scalpel visible beside his head as he readied to pounce at the guard holding her right side, "Angel! No!" She glared threateningly at the rabbit, causing him to reluctantly shrink back into the saddlebags before the guards realised who she was talking to.

She gave up struggling, it was pointless and only served to tire her out. There was nothing she could do but trot in step with her captors dejectedly, "I'm sorry, everyone... At least you won't have to deal with my dead-weight any more." She stumbled sharply, squealing as the guards - mistaking the action for a desperate escape attempt - yanked her forwards harshly and tightened their grips.

Twilight backed away hastily, almost tripping over her own hooves as she blindly fired blast after blast of magic at the guards around her. It was useless. No matter which spell she used, each was blocked with relative ease by the unicorns around her, and she was losing hope, "Stay back! Stay away!" She lowered her head and fired a particularly powerful beam of magic, though the results were no different. She backed up further, only to collide with something behind her. She span, only to realise that she was now entrapped within another barrier. She glanced around desperately before finding the caster.

Shining trotted quickly - albeit unsteadily - to his sister's makeshift prison, "That's enough, Twilight. We're going home." He nodded at the unicorns beside him to help him maintain the spell. They did so, and the group began cantering in the same direction Fluttershy had been taken.

Twilight fired everything she could think of at the barrier, but it held firm, absorbing all her efforts. Just as she was about to give up, a last-ditch idea came into her mind, 'I could...' She shook her head to herself, 'I can't use that magic here. I could lose control again...' She swore loudly at her inability to utilise the magic she had worked so hard to learn, 'I just don't dare to use it. I could kill myself, or somepony else...' She looked into her brother's tired eyes, feeling her final option slipping away, 'I can't...' She slumped to the bottom of the orb dejectedly, looking up at her brother with sorrow in her eyes, "Shining?"

He acknowledged her with a nod, but his expression stayed neutral, and he said nothing.

Twilight panicked as she realised that he wasn't going to release her, "Shining, please! Don't take me back there! You know what she did!" She bashed her hooves against the edge in vain, "Don't take me back to her! Please, Shining! Please! She's using you like she used Spike! Please just let me go!"

Shining felt his heart ache at his sister's pleas, but on the outside he remained stoic. Regardless of what Celestia had done, it was better the devil she knew than staying with Discord and turning into just as much a monster as him.

"She'll hurt me, Shining! She tried to kill me! She's a murderer! If she-" She gasped as she saw the blood that now covered almost the entirety of his right hind leg, "Shining, you're bleeding..."

His expression softened slightly at her concerned tone, "Discord did this to me, Twilight. Don't you see how dangerous he is!? He could kill you if he felt like it!"

She shook her head, "He wouldn't! He won't!"

Shining's voice turned to ice, "Yes. He. Would. The minute you'd be of no more use to him, he'd kill you, just like that. I've seen enough monsters over the years to know what I'm talking about, Twilight, and I'd sooner die myself than let you stay with him and literally throw your life away!" Twilight moved her mouth to speak, but was caught off guard by the edge of malice in her brother's voice, one she'd never heard him use before, "No! You're coming home! Mum and dad are suffering all the time because of your selfishness! And enough is enough!" He stomped his hoof, his face contorted in anger as he stared down his little sister. He let out a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself, "All that matters to us is that you're safe; everything else is secondary!"

Twilight sat, unable to look her brother in the eye further. It wasn't because she was angry with him, or even because she was ashamed at leaving her parents distraught at home. No, it was because - for the first time in his life - her brother had directed pure, unrestrained anger at her.

And it scared her.

Discord's eyes shifted rapidly between the three he was supposed to be protecting. Each had been separated from one another, Fluttershy and Twilight already in the clutches of the guards and being dragged away, Pinkie running out of places to run as guards closed in all around her. 'Pinkie first, that'll save me the task of having to free her. Then Fluttershy, she's the farthest away. Then Twilight, I'll just have to break the holding spell she's stuck in.' Or at least, that was the plan.

Then Fluttershy screamed.

'Fuck the plan.'

He was before the guards holding her in an instant, drawn up to his full terrifying height, casting a sinister shadow across all beneath him. The ground trembled slightly; the air became dense, almost unbreathable; and the sky itself darkened several shades as his anger literally forced the sun further down, as if it were trying to cower from him behind the horizon.

The guards were terrified. A crystal pony reflexively reached for his sword in a desperate attempt to defend himself, but as Discord's demonic gaze fell upon him his hooves trembled uncontrollably and the weapon fell from his grasp.

Discord remained there for a moment longer, allowing his intimidating presence to fully sink in before speaking, "I will say this only once." His voice held the awe of a thunderclap, the ambience of a raging battlefield, and the chilling presence of a death rattle rolled into one, "You will drop your weapons, you will release her, and you will run away." He snapped his fingers, screams of agony from the depths of hell itself permeating the air, his entire face fading into complete darkness except his glowing, crimson pupils, "Or you will die."

Despite the fact that she knew Discord's intention was to save her, Fluttershy still shrank back in time with the guards at Discord's truly horrifying display of power. The guards looked between each other, their ears flat against their heads in fright, hoping that somepony else would make the decisive call. They didn't.

And time wasn't on Discord's side, "You have three seconds."

"Three."

The crystal pony from before scrambled to grab his sword, stepping between Discord and the others, holding it before himself defensively, "Take her to the Captain, now!"

Discord never even gave them the chance to process the pony's words, "Wrong choice."

The ponies surrounding Fluttershy screamed collectively, clutching their heads and collapsing to the ground in agony, most of them begging for mercy or death as each experienced not just their own darkest nightmares, but those of others too. The nightmares of murderers, of monsters, of demons. Fluttershy trembled at the sight of their suffering, looking up at her friend with pleading eyes and an exponentially greater pleading tone, "Discord, please stop!"

In an instant the draconequus had reverted back to his usual form, the changes to the environment gone, and the ponies no longer screaming, laying unconscious around the two, "But I was just getting to the good part! Now, where are the other two?"

Fluttershy intended to help him look for her friends, but her eyes settled on the nearest guard immediately, "W-What did you do to them?"

Discord waved his paw dismissively as he scanned for the others, "Oh, I didn't actually hurt them, just smoke and mirrors, mind tricks. They'll be fine once they wake up." Fluttershy sighed in apparent relief, making Discord glad he'd omitted 'Physically, at least.' from the end of his sentence.

Pinkie was out of places to run, and with the guards now forming a complete circle around her she realised as much. 'What do I do!? I can't run, I can't fight, the internal components of the party cannon are probably fried after the overcharge...' Her heart was pounding in her ears as she rethought her situation, she wasn't just out of places to run, she was out of options. She swivelled her head, frantically searching for anything, or anypony, that could help her. What she saw was less than encouraging.

Twilight, pounding against the inside of a bubble-like spell before slumping down and curling up into a ball.

'Twilight!' Darkness swept over the area as the sun fell on the horizon, causing the guards to halt their advance to look for the cause. 'I have to help her!' But as the guards turned back to their target, Pinkie realised that even if she reached her friend, there was nothing she could do. "Discord!? Fluttershy!?" She shrank to the ground as the guards approached, now barely a few meters away, "Somepony!?" She clenched her eyes shut, but she couldn't block out the sounds of approaching hoofsteps and the clinking of metal armour, "Anypony?"

'You called?'

She recognised that voice, 'Pinkamena?'

Darkness was replaced with a familiar cell, "Yes." Pinkamena was still sitting in the chair, but it had obviously been moved, for she now faced Pinkie directly, "We don't have much time."

Pinkie looked around in confusion, "Wh-What do you mean?"

"You're about to be captured, and your friend already has been. I can help you."

Pinkie almost leapt backwards in shock, "You want t-to... help me?"

Pinkamena flicked her hair from her eyes, "I... don't know." She turned her head to the side, "Regardless of whether I want to or not, you need help, and I can provide it."

Pinkie was utterly bewildered, "B-But after everything, why would y-you help me?"

"It's of mutual benefit to the both of us. I gain my freedom, you avoid being captured."

Pinkie's eyes widened, "F-Freedom?"

Pinkamena looked back at her jailer, "Correct. Freedom. You will swap places with me, become my prisoner, and I, in turn, will save your life. Our life."

Pinkie swallowed the lump in her throat, "P-Pinkamena, I know you w-want to escape, and I d-don't blame you, b-but now isn't a g-good time..."

Pinkamena tilted her head slightly, "You're scared, aren't you? Afraid that I won't let you back out? That I'll have you experience the years of loneliness that I did?"

Pinkie nodded.

"Maybe you're right. Maybe. I'm not a monster like you, but we'll see if I'm feeling monstrous when I have the power, won't we?"

Pinkie remained silent, shuddering at the thought of being locked in isolation for years on end.

Pinkamena flicked her hair again, "But for me to be free, you have to release me and take my place in this cage."

Pinkie still said nothing, staring at the floor, considering her options: Be captured by the guards and imprisoned in Canterlot, or escape from the guards and be imprisoned in her own mind.

Pinkamena kept her expression neutral, "You're considering your options, aren't you? Either way, it's a cell for you, isn't it?"

Pinkie have a single solemn nod.

Pinkamena stood up slowly, causing Pinkie to look up and into her eyes, "But consider this, what happens not just to you, but your friends if you refuse?"

Pinkie's eyes widened as she realised what her alter-ego was implying, "P-Prison... Or worse..."

"Precisely." She stepped forwards, now almost muzzle-to-muzzle with Pinkie, staring seriously into her eyes, "I can help them. Release me, and I promise you I'll save them. Even if I don't let you out."

Pinkie considered the new ultimatum for but the briefest of moments before nodding, tears welling in her eyes, "I-I'll let you g-go. But you have to save my friends."

Pinkamena nodded to the cage door, "Open that, then stay here whilst I walk out and lock the door. That's all you have to do, I'll take care of the rest."

Pinkie nodded, trotting to the door and tapping the lock, causing it to disengage. The door swung open, and she felt the overwhelming urge to bolt straight out of it, but she couldn't. If this was what it would take to save her friends, so be it. Pinkie was trembling, forcing herself not to cry as Pinkamena came face-to-face with her once more, "Anything you want to say before I go?"

Pinkie bit her lip before speaking, "I-If you d-don't let m-me out, tell my f-friends that I r-released you, and t-tell them why. Otherwise they'll think y-you stole c-control..."

Pinkamena nodded, "That's all?"

Pinkie closed her eyes in thought. No, it certainly wasn't all, but she had no idea how much time had passed since she entered the cell, or even if the guards had grabbed her yet or not. Time was of the essence. She took a deep, shaky breath, "Th-That's all..."

Pinkamena strode to the exit, smiling as she stepped over the threshold, a moment she'd dreamed of for years. She turned and placed her hoof on the door, ready to close it. Just as she was about to, Pinkie spoke up once more, "P-Pinkamena?"

"Yes?"

Pinkie looked up at her soon-to-be-jailer. She was obviously suppressing her tears as best she could, but even so, it was clear that her spirit was broken, "Wh-What... What were y-you thinking about, all th-that time?"

Pinkamena's smile disappeared, "I was considering whether or not to forgive you."

Pinkie gasped slightly at the revelation, "D-Did you?"

Pinkamena took a deep breath, about to reveal her verdict, but after a moment she let it back out again as a sigh. Instead, she slammed the door shut, staring Pinkie in the face as she did so, "Would you have forgiven me?"

Pinkamena disappeared, and Pinkie stood alone in the cell. Years of solitude? No parties? No laughter? Could Pinkie ever forgive somepony for putting her through that?

"No..."

The locks shunted into place.

Pinkamena took a deep breath, smiling as she did so. She was the one breathing. She was the one in control. She opened her eyes, almost lost in the simple pleasure of truly being alive, despite the guards around her. Then she laughed, feeling her mane droop over her face as she did so.

The guards were temporarily caught by surprise. They halted for a moment as the pony between them laughed quietly to herself. A deep laugh for a mare, certainly, but not an unpleasant one. Had the situation been different they might have confused her laughter to be in response to a whispered joke. In the situation they were in now, it left them unsure of themselves and the pony herself, but they shook it off quickly enough.

Pinkamena licked her lips, once again revelling in the simple bliss the action brought her. She didn't stop laughing, though. For she knew her current ecstasy was nothing compared to what would come next.

The nearest guard reached down to grab her, but just as he brushed the fur against her side with his hoof, she moved.

"It's time."

She jumped to her hooves, drawing the guard's sword from his scabbard with her mouth before anypony could react. Those around her drew their weapons defensively, but the guard to whom the weapon belonged had no such luck. He wheeled around to face her, only to be met by the blade of his own sword. He lurched away, quickly enough to avoid having his head sliced off, but not quickly enough to avoid the blade cutting a deep wound into the side of his face.

And straight across his eye.

The guard recoiled, shrieking in pain and clutching at the remnants of his perforated eyeball. The others wasted no time, drawing in on the mare with weapons drawn before she could do any more damage.

Pinkamena spat her weapon into her hooves and looked from the fallen stallion to her blade, the end of which was now dripping with a splotch of blood and the fluid from her target's destroyed eye. She watched as clear liquid mixed with crimson, causing the blood to trickle down the blade slightly, and let out a depraved moan to herself, "Oh, yes..."

Once the initial, incredible thrill had passed, she couldn't help but laugh at the sight. It all just felt so good, and laughing made it even better.

This was what it felt like to be alive.

Every occupant of the ballroom watched with their mouths agape. Discord's earlier display had been horrible to watch, yes, but this? Even Celestia and Luna were shocked out of their wits, though Celestia's shock was deeper than that of the others, 'I knew it... This is bad! This is extremely bad!'

Applejack stared in disbelief, "P-Pinkie?"

Rarity covered her mouth for fear of vomiting. The anguished cries of the injured stallion didn't make the prospect of doing so any easier to resist, "Pinkie Pie... How could you?"

Rainbow Dash shook her head assuredly, "That's not Pinkie Pie. At least, not the Pinkie Pie we know. Discord's done something to her, there's no way she'd ever do something like that to another pony. Ever."

Applejack nodded in agreement and began trembling with rage, "Ah knew he was evil... but this has crossed the line." Her tone didn't rise in anger. Rather, it fell to a fearsome level. The tone of somepony making the promise of a lifetime, "No matter what it takes, Ah'm gonna track him down. Ah'm gonna find him. And Ah'm gonna hurt him." Rarity and Rainbow Dash were startled by the chilling anger in their friend's voice, and the Princesses shared a solemn glance at her words.

"Ah told Twilight. Ah told her this would happen! Ah told her he'd do this to us all if he got free! And now look!" She ground her teeth as another bout of trembling took hold, "Ah hate him so much..."

Rainbow tentatively placed a hoof on Applejack's side, "I'll be there with you, every step of the way. He won't get away with this."

Rarity said nothing, for as she looked upon Pinkie's visage memories from many months ago flashed before her eyes.

Her tone, 'Spike, my friend... I'm very sorry that things had to end this way. I'll remember everything, I promise. I'll never forget you.'

Her attitude, 'There's something you're not telling us, Princess Celestia...'

Her demeanour, 'SHUT UP! MY NAME IS NOT PINKIE! AND YOUR SISTER IS A LIAR!'

And that hair...

They'd seen this before.

Rarity gave Celestia a sideways glance. Though all the room's inhabitants seemed to be displaying shock and worry to a certain extent, the look on the Princess' face seemed almost fearful.

Princess Celestia, who - despite what else Rarity thought of her as - was undoubtedly one of the most powerful beings in existence.

Rarity looked back to the image of her pink friend and shuddered. Whatever was going on here, it was far more sinister than she dared to imagine.

"Drop the weapon! Now!"

Pinkamena sighed, "I'd suggest you get out of my way, unless you're all sure you have enough eye patches?"

"Disarm her."

Pinkamena giggled playfully as an earth pony swung his sword ferociously at her own, intent on knocking it from her grasp. She raised her own casually and swung it back at his. Faster. The collision sent him stumbling backwards as he tried to bring his sword back up, but Pinkamena didn't stop her swing, allowing it to carry through and smash against his helmet, the sheer force of the impact sending him sprawling to the floor - and after a few seconds, vomiting on it from disorientation.

Pinkamena smiled innocently at the remaining guards, "Would you excuse me for a moment? There's just one little thing I have to take care of, then you boys can have as much of me as you want." She winked, and grinned to herself as she noted their varied reactions, from discomfort to disgust.

Before they could regain their senses, she twirled her sword, caught the hilt in her mouth, and darted off towards Twilight's location.

Twilight scanned the area for her friends, catching sight of Discord and Fluttershy stood side-by-side. She remained quiet, not wishing to alert the guards around her that the two had broken free. She checked around for Pinkie, but couldn't find any sign of her.

That was, until a half-gasp, half-scream and the sonorous ring of colliding metal from behind her made her jump and hit her head nastily against the spell imprisoning her. She span - as did the guards around her - and caught a glimpse of pink through her swimming vision, happy to see her friend was safe.

But as her vision cleared and her friend came into focus, her happiness quickly dissolved into confusion. Pinkie was smirking menacingly around the hilt of the sword she held in her mouth, and a splotch of blood was clearly visible around its tip. That, and her mane had lost its usual bounciness, instead hanging heavily over her features. Twilight recognised the signs and leant backwards slightly, "P-Pinkie?"

Pinkamena chuckled and shook her head, spitting her sword into her hooves and sidestepping a tackle from one of the earth pony guards, "Close, but no cigar. Guess again." She watched Twilight's jaw drop in her periphery, "There! You've got it! Now then..." She balanced on her left forehoof, delivering a harsh buck to the face of the guard she had previously dodged, "Will you piss off while I'm thinking? Thank you."

Shining drew his sword defensively, speaking as calmly as he could despite his injury, "Pinkie, put the sword down. Nopony needs to get hurt here."

She cocked her head, "It's a bit late for that now... One of your guards over the way suddenly seems to be lacking in the depth-perception department. But we're wasting time. Let her go, or I'll cut you. All of you."

Shining almost recoiled at the change in the bubbly pony, "Pinkie?"

She lowered her tone, sounding almost seductive rather than threatening, "Time's up, and it's Pinkamena to you, handsome."

She lurched for him, and Shining parried expertly, their blades held in deadlock for a moment before the stallion of the pair pushed back with force, leaving Pinkamena no choice but to disengage. She held her weapon at the ready, "Interesting..."

Twilight looked on with wide eyes, "Pinkie, STOP!"

Pinkamena waved a hoof, "I'm not answering you if you won't call me by my name, Twilight."

Shining turned his head slightly towards to the pair of unicorns on his left, but kept his gaze firmly on Pinkamena, "You two, take the spell, and go." He raised his voice, "The rest of you, focus on her. I don't know why, or how, but she's dangerous."

Pinkamena laughed, "You flatter me, really." She scanned around, the five guards before her, the two with Twilight, and Shining, that made eight. And the others closing in behind her. Thirteen, maybe fourteen? "This is going to feel so good."

She feigned a downwards sweep at Shining with her blade, but withdrew it before the moment he parried and span around him, hurtling towards the unicorns behind him, "But first..."

They turned to face her, one drawing a sword with his magic, the crystal unicorn beside him charging an orange aura around his horn. Pinkamena leapt into the air, catching them off-guard at the sheer height she reached. She somersaulted, then drew the blade above her head, preparing to strike. Before either of them could reposition their defences she landed, her sword swinging down onto the crystal guard's horn like a guillotine. Blood and crystalline shards erupted from the now shattered appendage as the unicorn moaned and stumbled away before collapsing in agony. Pinkamena almost squealed at the near-orgasmic sensation that flooded through her as she witnessed the display.

Twilight looked away. She had to escape somehow, but that still didn't make the events unfolding before her any less gruesome.

Pinkamena took a steadying breath, trying to slow the excited beating of her heart, "And now there's you..." She turned to the other guard who had rushed to the side of his injured comrade, "Drop the spell holding her, now. Otherwise," She flicked her sword outwards effortlessly, droplets of blood flying through the air as she did so, "you die." She cocked her head and smiled sweetly.

The guard looked between the mare and his friend beside him, assessing the situation. The captain would be here in a matter of seconds anyway. Better not to put any more lives in danger when he wasn't sure if he could even protect himself. He dropped the spell, in turn dropping Twilight unsteadily to her hooves a few meters behind him.

Discord and Fluttershy materialised out of thin air behind Twilight, the draconequus sighing exasperatedly, "I'm just about sick of this. Every time I'm about ready I have to waste more magic saving you three."

Twilight ignored him, pointing a hoof to the group of guards - her brother included - approaching the mare from behind, "Pinki-amena! Behind you!"

Discord and Fluttershy looked over at Pinkamena in alarm at mention of her name. Upon confirming their fears, Fluttershy hid behind her friends, and Discord looked around everywhere, throwing his arms up in surrender to the universe that so clearly hated him, "You have to be joking. NOW!? OF ALL TIMES, YOU CHOSE NOW!?" His expression became distraught as he rested his head in his paw, "Fuck my life..."

Pinkamena rolled her eyes, "Yes, yes. At least we're on a 'remembering my name basis' now." She strode towards Twilight, apparently unconcerned about the guards approaching from behind. Out of nowhere she changed course, swinging a foreleg around the neck of the unicorn guard she had conversed with and hurling him to the ground near the others.

The guard gasped from the pain in his side where he had landed and tried stand up following the unexpected assault, but was met with a hoof to the back of his helmet, smashing his face into the hard earth.

Pinkamena's voice turned to venom, "Stay down, or I'll break you until you can't get up."

The reactions of the others varied. Fluttershy yelped and cowered, Twilight visibly flinched, and Discord simply raised an eyebrow.

Pinkamena turned her attention to the wave of guards approaching and flicked her sword so that the blade stopped centimetres from the neck of the guard below her, "I'm sick of all this running around! Nopony comes any closer or you carry him home in pieces!"

The guards skidded to a halt immediately. After a few seconds Shining emerged from the ranks, "Alright, let's not-"

"Somepony's not a very good listener..." The guards could only look on in horror as Pinkamena twirled the blade around her hoof and slammed it downwards through the stallion's forelegs, pinning them to the floor with a sickening crunch as the armour around the knees crumpled and the bones within shattered. The guard writhed in agony beneath her, but all she did was close her eyes and take a deep, refreshing breath before continuing, "Consider that a warning. He'd be dead if I didn't need a hostage. But make no mistake, hostage or not, another step and his head comes off." She brushed her hair from her eyes serenely, "Now then, if you'd be so kind as to drop your weapons?"

Shining slowly lowered his sword to the ground with his magic before turning to those behind him, "Drop your weapons." Unbeknownst to Pinkamena or the others, Shining made several quick hoof signals to one of the unicorns nearer the back of the group. The unicorn nodded, and as Shining turned back around said unicorn's horn glowed briefly before he faded into the background, along with a quiver of arrows. The - now invisible - unicorn quietly stepped away, taking extreme care not to make a sound with each hoofstep as he gradually manoeuvred into position.

Pinkamena smiled as the guards all lowered their weapons to the ground, though she didn't look away from them as she spoke, "Twilight, you wouldn't mind fetching those weapons over here would you? And while you're at it, hover one above this one here." She gave the agonised stallion beneath her a gentle tap, making comforting shushing noises momentarily, "I don't like the look your brother's giving me. Likelihood is he's planning on blasting me as soon as I drop my guard. This way he won't dare."

Twilight looked at the stallion beneath Pinkamena, still writhing in agony from his injuries with a small pool of blood beginning to form beneath him. Her horn glowed as if she was in a trance, her eyes distant as she nodded. A few seconds later the weapons were in a heap beside her, save for the one sword that was now suspended above the stallion.

"How much-" Pinkamena paused, and spat on the - now crying - pony beneath her, "Will you shut up!?" She stomped her forehoof onto his head, finally silencing him as the impact knocked him out cold. She leant on the sword's hilt with her forehooves as she spoke, "How much longer, Discord?"

Discord spoke evenly, as if he hadn't just witnessed an outright display of cruelty, "Oh, about two minutes. Probably less."

"Good. Fighting is fun and all, but there's so much more I want to experience now that I'm in control."

Discord turned as he heard a sniffle behind him. Surely enough, Fluttershy was crying, curled up into a ball on the ground; it didn't take a genius to figure out why. He noticed something, however, that concerned him deeply. She was shaking. Violently.

"Fluttershy?" He coiled his form around her slightly in an attempt to steady her, "Are you alright?" No response. He frowned for a moment in thought, he wasn't an expert when it came to comforting distraught ponies, "Angel." The rabbit poked his head out of the saddlebags and immediately noticed the state of his owner, "Take care of her." For once, the rabbit didn't make any attempt to insult the draconequus, instead hopping to the floor before his owner and nudging her nose gently, attempting to get a response. Discord nodded his thanks and left the rabbit to his work.

Fluttershy raised her head, nuzzling Angel gently, though she didn't stop shaking. She couldn't. She looked around, purposefully avoiding the immediate vicinity of Pinkamena and the guard she had impaled. She didn't want to see that again. She felt sick to her stomach just thinking about it, and the noise it had made. She squinted as a sudden beam of light flashed past her eyes from somewhere off to her right. After blinking several times, she scanned the area for the cause, but found nothing.

She saw it again.

A brief flash of light. A slight shimmer that reflected the sunlight towards her like a piece of glass would on a bright day. She focused, despite her trembling.

Another flash. A little farther to the right this time.

Another, even farther to the right.

Whatever it was, it was moving.

Fluttershy didn't want to take any chances. She forced herself to stand, her legs threatening to give out beneath her at any moment. She trotted over to Twilight as quickly as she could manage without toppling over, watching the spot to her right from the corner of her eye for the slightest shimmer.

It moved again.

Discord levitated to Pinkamena's side and whispered to her, "Keep the threats and violence to a minimum." She looked up at him and cocked a disapproving eyebrow. Discord, however, returned a death glare back, "I won't ask twice. Any more and she might break. Do not make me lock you back in your cage, because you know I can."

Pinkamena glared back defiantly for a moment before blowing her mane out of her face, "Fine. But once you're done tending to your marefriend I'd like to get out of here."

"T-T-T-Twilight?"

Twilight almost let go of the sword in surprise, "Don't scare me like that, Fluttershy! What is it?"

"I-I-I think I s-saw something, over there." She pointed a trembling hoof at the apparently empty area to their right.

The unicorn guard stood stock still as the mare pointed in his general direction. He stopped and prayed that they couldn't see him in his current position. After several suffocating seconds, the purple mare turned to the yellow one and shook her head. The guard released a deep breath, waited a few seconds, and continued to move, now almost in position.

"There's nothing there, Fluttershy..."

"B-But I... I-I saw someth-thing..."

Twilight placed a hoof around her friend gently, "Another minute, and we'll be done with all this horrible stuff. Even if you did see something, it's obviously gone now." Twilight hid her concerns about Fluttershy seeing figments of her imagination. The pegasus was still trembling uncontrollably and was evidently extremely upset as it was; she didn't want to make things any worse. "Just another minute, okay?"

Fluttershy eyed the area where she had seen the light, but it was gone now. Perhaps Twilight was right, "O-Okay..." She gently shrugged off Twilight's hoof and gave her some room to concentrate on her spell, trotting a few paces and dropping to her haunches.

The orders were clear. 'Rescue. Non-lethal. Injury acceptable.' The unicorn's horn glowed, but he made sure to mask his presence as it did so. He drew three arrows from his quiver. They would have to be fired in sequence. The first, at the sword currently levitating above Pyre's head, to knock it from the unicorn's magical grasp. The second would be a crippling shot to the leg of the pink one, disabling her for long enough for the others to move in. The final one was for the unicorn, to prevent her recovering any of the weapons before Pyre could be saved; a simple grazing shot would do the trick. They were relatively simple shots, yes, but Pyre's life depended on the timing. He took a deep breath and dropped the cloaking spell.

Fluttershy glanced over at Discord, apparently he and Pinkamena were arguing about something, but she couldn't hear what. She inadvertently caught a glance at Pinkamena and averted her eyes reflexively. She sighed, but it came out as more of a rattle, her trembling still taking its time to subside. Angel clambered up and began patting her head gently, but she found herself incapable of any real response. Unwilling to look back towards the horrific scene before her, she scanned the area to her right one more time, and her breath caught in her throat.

By the time Fluttershy found her ability to speak the arrows were being drawn back, "TWILIGHT! DISCORD! PINKIE!"

One, two, three. The arrows shot across the area with little more than a whoosh of air.

The three in question whirled around, but by the time they had realised what was happening it was already too late. None could do anything but watch with wide eyes as time seemed to slow to a stop.

After several seconds, the arrows were still there, suspended in mid-air.

Enveloped by a yellow glow.

A glow Fluttershy's Element shared.

Twilight felt a cold trickle of sweat drip down from her forehead at how close she had been to being shot, and Pinkamena took several deep breaths before muttering, "Nice catch..."

Fluttershy turned to the stallion responsible, blazing fury evident in her eyes and voice, "What were you going to do?..."

A second glowing layer appeared over her Element as the arrows vanished and reappeared above Fluttershy, "You were going to kill them!"

She wasn't shaking in fear any more. Now she was shaking with pure, unbridled rage, "You were going to MURDER MY FRIENDS!"

A third overglow appeared, and the arrows drew back slightly. The stallion desperately tried to grasp at the arrows with his own magic, knowing what was coming, but every attempt to get past the yellow aura was met with failure. "You... You monster! YOU ANIMAL!"

Discord snapped his fingers to cancel out Fluttershy's magic before she did something she'd regret. It didn't work. "Fluttershy!"

She carried on, oblivious to the world beyond her and the stallion, "YOU DANGEROUS. RABID. ANIMAL!"

Discord appeared behind her, grabbing her and pulling her backwards. The arrows remained primed to fire, "Fluttershy, NO!"

Twilight regained her senses, "FLUTTERSHY! STOP!"

"I'LL PUT YOU DOWN!"

The three golden arrows exploded forwards. It took only a second for them to find their mark. His armour couldn't save him, all three punctured straight through, continuing their journey, rending flesh, tearing muscles, breaking bones, rupturing organs. A burst of blood shot from the other side of the stallion as the first arrow completely perforated him. The second followed instantly with a similar crimson spray. The third did not, the arrow remaining lodged somewhere deep within his body.

The guard said nothing. Did nothing. He simply stood, staring into the middle-distance with his mouth hanging open as if he couldn't comprehend what had happened. Not a single sound escaped him as he toppled forwards, and only when he collided with the earth, and the impact forced his breath from his lungs, did a ragged wheeze of pain escape his throat.

And at this very instant, unbeknownst to Fluttershy, the Element of Kindness cracked.

Fluttershy looked upon the guard for several seconds before realisation dawned in her eyes. At first, all she could do was blink in disbelief.

Then the full weight of her actions came down upon her. She took a tremendous breath, only to release it immediately and repeat the process again. She couldn't look away. The blood, his blood, it was on her hooves. She tried to scream, but all that escaped was a strangled cry.

So she wept in silence.

The spell was ready. Discord exhaled slowly, adopting a calm façade. He didn't release Fluttershy from his grasp as he teleported back to the other two.

Twilight understood the meaning behind the action and dispelled the shock of the moment for long enough to discard the sword she held above the guard.

Pinkamena stood from her leaning position against her own sword, but didn't remove it from the hostage.

Discord's face betrayed no emotion, but as he looked up to the same patch of sky he had addressed earlier, his voice clearly did, "You did this, Celestia. You sent them after us. You had them hunt us down..." His hold tightened around the pegasus protectively as his voice shook slightly, "You. Did. This."

A final snap of his fingers and they were gone. Discord left only one thing behind: A truly deafening, echoing roar; not of anger, but of pain.

"CELESTIA!"

It terrified all who heard it more than any cry of rage ever could.

Author's Note

So... things get pretty damn heavy...

Just want to say sorry about not getting this out to you guys earlier, something important came up that simply couldn't wait.

Also, despite this being the longest chapter so far, I actually had to CUT some of the ending and carry it over to the next chapter :D I got far too into writing this one, evidently.

I know the long chapters are a pain in the ass to read, but I really don't want to split every chapter into parts (I only do that with chapters that exceed 20k usually. If I started splitting chapters into like 6k sections I would effectively be getting my story bumped to the main page three times for something that I should have published in one chunk. I dunno, it feels like I'd be cheating somehow if I split them.

I need feedback from you guys on this, if you can spare a moment, of course. Are the chapters too long in your opinion? (Don't worry, I won't write shorter ones if you say that's the case, I'll just split them and publish them on consecutive days when they're ready).

Thanks very much for reading guys. This chapter was an absolute pleasure to write, and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

On a side note, the next chapter will probably be quite short, plus I already have about 2k words down so the deadline shouldn't be too far off. :)

Mikemarksman, bringing you guys the 'scope' of things to come.

Chapter XIX - Consequences and Contingencies

Shining ran forwards as quickly as his injury would allow. Despite his tinnitus he forced himself to concentrate. He compared the injuries of his fallen brethren in seconds, satisfied that the guard Pinkamena had held hostage - despite being impaled - wasn't in anywhere near as much danger as the one who had been shot. He forced the volume of his voice over the constant noise in his ears as he rolled the pony onto his side. He was barely breathing, "MEDIC!"

The guards glanced between one another, having barely heard him over the horrendous ringing that still filled their skulls.

Seconds were ticking by far too quickly, "WHERE'S THE FUCKING MEDIC!?"

A unicorn dashed out from the ranks, dropping and unrolling a pack filled with several surgical implements beside the pony.

Shining gave her room to work as several syringes were plunged into the guard in preparation. He saw the rest of the guards tending to the injured and the unconscious around him, took a deep breath, and adopted his commanding tone once more, "I want the injured over here in triage order! The rest of you..." He hissed as he put weight on his injured leg, adrenaline no longer effectively dulling the pain, "Retrieve your gear and take a headcount, now."

The guards moved immediately, leaving Shining to look back at the medic and the guard being treated. His punctured armour now lay discarded off to the side. The unicorn levitated a scalpel, holding the blade above a magical flame for a few seconds before making a small incision in the guard's chest.

Shining shook his head and crouched beside the medic, offering his assistance and levitating the required implements into her grasp as she requested them. There was little else he could do.

At Discord's cry Celestia's vision blurred, memories flashing before her eyes of the last time Discord had roared her name with such sheer hate, back on the day of his first imprisonment. They had destroyed the chaos he had sewn across Equestria, and when he had learned such, it was her name he bellowed.

Then he had made an example of their actions and summoned Calamity.

Fire.

Blood.

Death.

The screams of the innocent.

Countless lives-

"Celestia?"

The Princess in question resurfaced, meeting Luna's knowing gaze, "What do we do now, sister?"

Celestia glanced through one of the stained glass windows, "I'll... I'll scan for them myself. But not today, it's already far too late, the sun must set, and the moon rise."

Luna gestured to the other three, who were wincing from the constant buzzing in their ears, but looking between each other and the image of the guards constantly, as if they were stuck in a cycle, "What about them? I'd say it's unwise to leave them on their own after what we've just witnessed."

Celestia nodded in agreement, "We have plenty of spare suites, we'll keep them here until they're over the worst of it. What we certainly don't want is them running off to save their friends and coming back in a coffin." She raised her voice a little to get their attention, "Girls?"

One by one they turned to face her, the blank looks on their faces made it clear to Celestia that they were still processing everything that had happened. She didn't blame them. "It would be best if you stayed the night here in the castle. It might not look it right now, but it's already late, and after what's happened it would be wrong of me to send you all home."

"Thank you." There was no emotion evident in their voices, confirming Celestia's suspicions that they were running on autopilot.

"Alright then, I'm going to set the sun. Luna, could you show them to their suites before you raise the moon? I'd do it myself, but there's something I have to take care of. I'll join you later."

"Of course, but what is it you're going to do?"

"I need to contact the heads of the royal printing and courier offices." Luna squinted one eye in confusion, "I'll explain later."

Luna shrugged and gave the mares beside her a heartfelt, sympathetic glance, extending her left wing across their backs gently. Celestia turned for the door, only to be stopped by Luna, "Aren't you forgetting something, sister?"

Celestia gave a 'hm?' before following Luna's gaze to the viewing spell that was still active. She trotted to it and tapped it unceremoniously with her horn, causing it to gradually fizzle out of existence, the last remnants vanishing with a *pop* and a small rush of air. The spell now gone, Celestia bade everypony present goodnight and exited the room.

The sound of the doors clicking shut caused Rarity to jolt slightly. She shook her head and attempted to gather her thoughts. When she eventually gathered her wits and looked up at Luna her expression was absolutely dejected, "... Princess Luna?" Despite the state she was in, she spoke clearly, to Luna's surprise.

"Yes, Rarity?"

"Did what I think just happened really happen?"

Luna bit her lip, "It did."

She felt like crying, but no tears came, "Why is it always us, Princess? Why!?"

"Rarity-"

"We've suffered enough! None of us want this any more! We don't want any more fighting and tears! What did we do, Princess!? What did we do to deserve this!? Why can't things just go back to how they were!? Tell me, Luna! TELL ME!" After holding her stare for several seconds, realisation dawned in Rarity's eyes. She withdrew her hooves from the Princess' shoulders and stepped out of her face, "... Princess, forgive me."

Luna's painfully sympathetic expression hadn't wavered throughout the entire encounter, "You did nothing to deserve this, Rarity. None of you did." She sighed, "There's an old saying, back from before Discord was defeated the first time: 'Fate be thou gravest nemesis. For what puppet can refuse the will of its master? What piece can refuse the hoof that moves it? There has been none. Nor ever shall there be.'"

Rarity stared in confusion, "I... I don't understand... So we have no say over anything?"

Luna shook her head, "That quote was spoken as a warning on the futility of defying Discord's will. Barely anypony dared to speak his name, so 'Fate' was the preferred name ponies would use, in reference to the inevitability of him finding those who would dare speak out against him." She smiled slightly, "When me and my sister defeated Discord, that quote vanished from history. I made a point of remembering it though."

"W-Why? I don't follow."

"Because Celestia and I did the impossible. We challenged Discord. We challenged 'Fate'. And despite all the hardships we endured, we emerged victorious." She placed a wing around the unicorn, "Bad things happen to good ponies. But the ponies who push on when fate would like nothing better than to crush their spirits, they can do incredible things. Things that seemed impossible before they happened. You three can defy fate, just as we did. You can't change the past, but you can save your friends. It will take a long time, and a great deal of hardship, but if you fight hard enough, Rarity, nothing is beyond your reach."

Rarity forced a pained smile, "I'll try, but it hurts so much, Princess."

Luna moved over to the other two and gently nudged them until they began trotting with her towards the door, "I know, Rarity, I know. Being strong doesn't mean being emotionless, after all."

They trotted in silence until they neared their suites, "I think it best if these two spend a while with you, if that's alright? It wouldn't be a good idea to leave them alone in this state."

Rarity nodded and ushered the other two inside, "Thank you, Princess, for everything."

"Goodnight, Rarity."

The moment the door clicked shut the unicorn felt tears sting at her eyes. Once the Princess' hoofsteps could no longer be heard she let out a mournful whine and leant against the door for support. The Princess could try to inspire the three of them all she wanted, Rarity still felt anything but, "I should have gone with them... If I were there, maybe nopony would've been hurt... Maybe none of those horrible things would've happened..."

Twilight, firing spells that were clearly intended to maim their targets, "Twilight... What happened to you?"

A guard, his eye slashed from its socket, "Pinkie... How could you enjoy that?"

And Fluttershy staring, horrified, as the guard remained still on the ground, blood pooling beneath him, "Fluttershy... Oh, Fluttershy!" She let her head droop forwards until both her forehead and horn rested against the door.

"I just want to get you all out of this... I just want to help you... I just.. I just... I-I-I..."

She raised a hoof to her mouth in an attempt to calm and compose herself.

Rainbow Dash stirred behind her.

Darkness.

Having been in this situation before, Twilight instinctively flared her magic to her horn, illuminating the cave in time to see Discord stumble and lean against the far wall with as he panted slightly.

Pinkamena scanned around quickly, "This isn't the same cave as the first time." she stated assuredly, "Where are we?"

Discord waved his claw and shook his head in response as he tried to catch his breath.

Pinkamena rolled her eyes and elected to look at Twilight, who in turn, looked back. She pretended not to notice the unicorn's ears falling back as they examined one another, "It doesn't seem like introductions are in order, does it?"

Twilight blinked in surprise at how normal and non-threatening the other sounded, but a look of horror dawned on her face quickly enough as she realised what, or rather whom, she had forgotten, "Wait... Fluttershy!?"

She waved her horn to illuminate the darker areas until she spotted the pegasus. She was still standing, staring at nothing with tears streaking down her muzzle. Every few seconds or so a barely audible whimper would escape her throat, only to subside immediately. Angel was atop her head, watching for any response to his intermittent taps with wide eyes.

Twilight darted across to her, "Fluttershy?"

She didn't move a muscle.

Twilight nudged her side worriedly, "Fluttershy?"

Still nothing.

Twilight tried not to panic at her friend's state as she stepped in front of her and put a hoof on her shoulder, shaking her gently, "Fluttershy, talk to me... Fluttershy?"

The pegasus blinked, the distant look in her eyes fading slightly as she focused in on her friend's face. She gave the faintest of murmurs, inaudible to all around her.

Twilight put her head closer to Fluttershy's, "What?"

It was terribly quiet, but it was definitely there, "I... I..."

Twilight hid her concerns and spoke soothingly, "It's alright, take your time."

After several seconds, her whisper was heard again, "I... I... I k-k-"

Twilight waited patiently, but she grimaced as the horror on her friend's face increased twofold. Fluttershy spoke flatly, as if she didn't believe what she was saying, "I killed him... I killed that stallion... He's dead..." She met Twilight's concerned eyes with her own terrified ones, her breaths becoming short and dangerously shallow, "What have I done, Twilight?"

Twilight struggled to find words to console her friend, but fortunately - or rather, unfortunately - for her, Fluttershy continued before she even had the chance to speak, "What have I done? What have I done?" Her voice started rising, and the sheer agony present in it rose accordingly, "What have I done? What have I done? What have I done? What have I done!? What have I done!? WhathaveIdone!? WhathaveIdone!?" She stopped, taking a shaking gasp as she fully grasped her actions and the consequences.

She screamed.

Twilight tried to find the words to calm her friend, but nothing came to mind. Fluttershy's trembling was even worse than before, tears leaked freely down her face, and her eyes held a disturbing hollowness to them now. The unicorn desperately searched for something - anything - to say that would bring Fluttershy back around, and upon failing began to panic, 'She could end up traumatised if this goes on! I have to calm her down!' As hard as she tried, everything she thought up seemed pathetically inadequate, and her worry began showing through.

Pinkamena blew her mane out of her face as she saw Twilight's calmness slowly seeping away, and trotted purposefully over to the pair. She tapped Twilight to get her attention before nudging her away slightly and pointing to Fluttershy, making sure to remain quiet all the while.

The unicorn eyed her suspiciously but, having no ideas of her own, complied and stood back, giving Pinkamena enough room to speak to Fluttershy face-to-face.

Pinkamena lowered her head so she could meet Fluttershy's gaze head-on, "Fluttershy."

It took the pegasus a few seconds to register her presence, but once she did her reaction was clearly evident; she yelped and backed as far across the cave as she could, "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to do it! It was an accident! Please don't hurt me! Please!"

Pinkamena kept her expression level and her pace steady as she followed Fluttershy across the room. Twilight watched warily, tracking the two with her horn so as to keep them in the light. Fluttershy squeaked and cowered pitifully upon backing into the wall, "No! Stay away! Please! Twilight, help me!"

Pinkamena stopped a few paces from her, regarding her expressionlessly from above, ignoring the challenging gaze that the rabbit atop her head was shooting her, "Fluttershy." The pegasus shrank back against the wall as far as she could. Pinkamena sighed and laid on the floor before her, "Fluttershy, look at me." Her tone was calm and collected, yet strangely compelling.

Despite her better judgement, Fluttershy eventually raised her head and looked at her for a fraction of a second before whipping it back down again, "I'm sorry! Don't hurt me!"

"I'm not going to hurt you, Fluttershy. You need to calm down. Look at me."

It took a long time, but eventually the pegasus tentatively lifted her head, fully expecting Pinkamena to start beating the life out of her for her own amusement. When Pinkamena was sure she had Fluttershy's attention, she tilted her head a fraction spoke coolly, "You're not thinking things through. You're letting yourself panic over simple assumptions."

Fluttershy's eyes widened in confusion, "W-What?"

Her tone remained detached and analytical, "How do you know that guard is dead?"

Fluttershy flinched as she recalled what she had done, "I-I-I... I shot h-him..."

"But there was no clear indication that you killed him. Think about it, those guards were wearing heavy plate armour, it's more than likely that the majority of the force behind those arrows was absorbed by the armour before they perforated. Moreover, they didn't just stumble across us, they were specifically sent after us as a mission, meaning that the unit that came after us was evidently part of a military division. Due to this, they would undoubtedly have brought a team medic along to prevent casualties, meaning that the injured guards are probably receiving treatment as we speak."

Fluttershy remained silent for several seconds, contemplating what had been said, "Wait... S-So, you m-mean..."

"That there's a good likelihood that he's actually alive, yes."

Hope and relief gleamed from Fluttershy's expression, though the latter vanished in a heartbeat as she grimaced, "I'm... I'm a horrible pony."

"How so? There's still a chance he's alive."

"B-But I... I still shot h-him. I still tried to k-kill him..."

Pinkamena stood and backed away a step, speaking calmly as she removed the Element of Laughter from her neck and examined it, "Yes, you did, there's no debating that."

Fluttershy whimpered.

"But if you hadn't, Twilight and I would've been on the receiving end instead. You did the right thing."

The pegasus eyed Pinkamena from her position on the ground and shook her head, "N-No, I d-don't think I did. I could have just g-gotten rid of the arrows. N-Nopony needed to get hurt..."

Pinkamena still rolled the Element between her hooves curiously, "You saw him trying to snatch those arrows back from you. If you'd have dropped them he would've snatched them away, and the result would have been as he originally intended, only he would've shot you too."

"But I-I still shouldn't have hurt him... H-He was scared... He was j-just doing his job..."

Pinkamena clasped the Element back around her neck and shrugged, "Your morals are different to mine, I respect that. However, there's one detail I won't allow you to overlook. Regardless of whatever else happened, you saved us, Fluttershy, and despite what you yourself might think of it, Twilight and I are incredibly grateful that you did what you did." Pinkamena extended her hoof towards Fluttershy hesitantly, unfamiliar with the prospect of reaching out - both physically and emotionally - to another pony, "Thank you."

Fluttershy stared at the outstretched hoof blankly as she processed what Pinkamena had said. After several seconds, the distant look in her eyes faded somewhat, a small amount of comprehension showing on her face as she realised the significance of the other pony's gesture. She swallowed nervously, but reached out her own hoof nonetheless.

They held their forehooves together for a short moment until Pinkamena clasped hers firmly around Fluttershy's and pulled her up to stand. They met each other's eyes, and though Pinkamena's still held the same composed, near emotionless look as they had since her emergence, Fluttershy's were positively brimming with emotion.

Gratitude. Shock. Anxiousness. Disbelief. Sympathy. Regret. Fear. Self-loathing. The latter few were hidden well, but Pinkamena saw them all. She kept her observations to herself.

Pinkamena stepped back as it became apparent that emotions weren't the only thing brimming in Fluttershy's eyes as she gave a sniffle and looked to the ground. Pinkamena turned to Twilight and pointed at the pegasus.

The unicorn nodded in response and trotted over to Fluttershy, embracing her and allowing the pegasus to bury her head deep into her mane as the array of emotions overwhelmed her. Twilight stroked her hoof gently across Fluttershy's back as she cried. It hurt her to see her friend suffering, yet at the same time she felt incredibly relieved that Fluttershy was coming back around, as opposed to staring off into nothingness. She turned her head a fraction to look at Pinkamena and spoke quietly so as not to alarm her distressed friend, "Pinkamena... thank you."

The pony in question said nothing, not acknowledging the statement in any way, instead electing to trot over to Discord and leave Twilight to console the mare weeping into her mane.

Discord was almost too tired to be snide. Almost. "Thank you all for your limitless patience, I appreciate it to no end." He made a point of squinting at Pinkamena, who had questioned him relentlessly for the past twenty minutes whilst he recovered his strength and remodelled the cave into the layout they were familiar with. His glare faded, "But I think you'll all agree, we have much to discuss." he spoke gravely, eyeing each of the ponies in turn.

A series of silent nods prompted him to continue, "First off, let's get what I know for certain out of the way so you'll all stop irritating me. We're currently out to the west of Appleloosa." He summoned up the map they had been following, dotted lines trekking west from their previous location near Dodge. He noticed Twilight's face scrunch up in confusion, "Yes, before you ask, we've backtracked, and it's going to cost us time and effort to make up lost ground ." He clenched his teeth and spoke in a clipped tone, "Time and effort that could have been applied elsewhere if somepony had been more careful."

Twilight averted her eyes in shame, trying to think up another factor that may have led to their discovery, only to come up blank, "I didn't mean to... It was an accident!"

"Regardless, it was still a costly one. We can debate the specifics later, but right now we've more important things to discuss."

Twilight exhaled slowly to calm herself, "Yeah..."

"The problem we now have is that Celestia has a general idea of where we are. She knows I can't move us far when I'm tired, and will probably have guards sweep-searching everywhere for miles; meaning we need to get as far away from here as possible, as quickly as possible." He gave a half-sigh, half-groan, "But I can't teleport us far enough to evade them completely until I've recuperated sufficiently, and that'll take a couple of days, at least. Once I've rested enough I'll teleport us east to the Haysead Swamps. They won't be able to follow or track us into there, and our chances of being stumbled upon there are more or less zero." He dangled his legs over the edge of the cloud, resting his elbows atop his knees and interlocking his paw and claw in such a way that the bottom half of his face was hidden behind them, "Since I need to conserve my strength I'm afraid you'll have to resort to basic magical exercises, Twilight. I can't expend energy soaking up rampant chaos blasts every few minutes or so."

Twilight frowned slightly at the mention of the magic she had failed so miserably to harness, "I understand. I guess it can't be helped, given the circumstances."

Discord gave a thoughtful 'hmm' in response, shifting his gaze to Fluttershy who was staring at the floor with a despondent expression, "I know how this sounds, but we need to learn from what happened today. We can't let down our guard for even a moment until we're in guaranteed safety, and that in itself might take us a while to find. Moreover, I think you all have a better concept of what Celestia is wiling to do to retrieve you now, and as she becomes more desperate you can expect her attempts to become so, too. Things are going to start changing now, more than any of you can begin to imagine, mark my words..." He looked to the last mare of the three and brought his hands away from his face, instead folding his arms as he eyed her suspiciously, "Speaking of change, you have lots of explaining to do, Pinkamena."

Pinkamena reclined into her chair, "Considering it's as much your fault as Pinkie's - if not more - that I spent years locked in a cell, I don't really feel like explaining anything to you. However, since I can't kill you, and I know you'll just force me back in there if I don't, I don't have that many options, do I?"

Discord nodded then shook his head, "Nope."

She furrowed her brow for a moment before giving a huff and looking up at the ceiling, "Care to elaborate then?"

"First thing's first, what are you doing out in the first place?"

"I'm out because Pinkie let me out."

"Yes, I'm sure that's a precise description of what happened." Discord mocked.

Pinkamena rolled her eyes and snarled, "Go in and ask her yourself if you're going to insist on pissing me off instead of listening."

Discord narrowed his eyes, "I intended to, don't you worry."

"Worry was the furthest thing from my mind, I assure you."

They glared at each other for a few seconds before Discord cocked his head and spoke in a clipped tone, "Next question. Why did she let you out?"

Pinkamena let a smile pull at the corners of her mouth, "Because although she's weak, and naive, she's smart. Smarter than any of you give her credit for, actually. Even I respect her intelligence to some degree."

Discord had to resist the urge to alter his voice to match Pinkamena's as he mimicked her, "Care to elaborate then?"

"She saw that you were all segregated, and realised that relying on only you to defend everypony simply wouldn't work. She was cornered, and I made her an offer: She could let me out and take my place in the cell, allowing me to do what she couldn't and save her friends. Or she could stay in control and kick and scream as the guards dragged her back to Canterlot, most likely with these two in tow." She gestured to Twilight and Fluttershy, both of whom wore guilty expressions at the thought of Pinkie sacrificing her freedom to save them. "She did the maths and chose the former, obviously, and well, you know the rest."

"Well I suppose that explains why you emerged when you did, then."

Pinkamena gave a curt nod, "What else?"

"Why did you stick to your end of the bargain? Why not simply use your new found freedom to run, instead of saving them?"

"There's plenty of reasons. First off being that, despite what Pinkie did to me, she released me in good faith, and even if I owe her nothing, she was willing to put herself through misery to help you all. Personal sacrifice is something I admire, even in her case. Secondly, although she was the one that made it, that 'Pinkie Promise' of hers? It's not a joke. Even if I'm the one in control, we're still sharing a mind, and I'm not willing to take any chances with breaking it." She shuddered for a moment, causing even Discord some level of unease. "Third, even though she's in the cage now, she can still communicate with me unless I directly focus on shutting her up, and I think you all realise how much of an incredible effort it takes to make her do so. I'm not willing to have her nag me about lying to her for the rest of my days. And finally... I just like hurting ponies," she sighed contentedly, "it excites me. I haven't felt so good in a long time..." She shrugged and caught the sickened expressions of the two beside her, causing her to frown, "Oh, get over it. It doesn't take a genius to realise that you two are into some weird stuff."

Twilight hiked an eyebrow, "Excuse me?"

Fluttershy shrank back in her seat, "W-What?"

Pinkamena pointed at the unicorn's saddlebags, predominantly filled with maps, books and writing equipment, "Really, the whole 'student' thing? It practically screams 'roleplay' to me."

Twilight gasped and held up her hooves by her head at the statement, but Pinkamena was already speaking before she even had the opportunity to defend herself, "And you?" She pointed at Fluttershy, who shrank back further, "Well... How should I put this?" She pointed at Angel, who was currently in the process of holding up his paw in what was supposedly an offensive gesture, "Animals." She gestured towards Discord, "Funny how he's made up of lots of different animal parts, too, don't you think?"

Fluttershy slowly came to comprehend what Pinkamena was insinuating, her mouth dropping open and blood rushing to her face, which by now held a truly mortified expression, "N-No! That's j-just! I'd never-"

"Enough already!" Discord regarded Pinkamena with a look of grave disapproval, "When you're finished trying to establish their preferences, I'd like to get back to the important questions."

"Fine..." Her gaze remained on the blushing pegasus for a moment longer, smirking to herself as she hid behind her mane.

Discord stroked his beard absent-mindedly, "So you've established control over the mind the two of you share. What happens to Pinkie now? Surely you realise I'm not about to let you lock her away for the rest of her days?"

Pinkamena let her upper body droop, "I know. Strange how you'd do that for her, but not me, huh?"

"If you remember correctly, the last time we saw face-to-face you kicked the living hell out of Pinkie. That didn't exactly sway the odds of me doing so in your favour."

She sneered at him through her mane, "I would've thought you'd understand after a thousand years in stone."

Discord smirked, "I do. But I'm too much of a gentledraconequus - that doesn't roll off the tongue nicely - to do something so crude... Plus hate is much more useful when you bottle it up. Needless to say, I have a very, very big hate bottle... and it's overflowing." He dropped his smile, "Seriously though, what happens to her now?"

"That entirely depends on her answer to a very important question."

He leaned towards her slightly, "Which is?"

Pinkamena waved a hoof, "None of your business. If you're planning on comparing our accounts of how it happened you might as well come with me, but I'm not asking that question with you there."

Discord rubbed his forehead tiredly, "Alright, but if it turns out you've lied to me I'll throw you back in there at a moment's notice."

"Fine by me. Although I wouldn't put it past her to lie herself just to get out of there."

"We'll see, I suppose. When do you plan on seeing her?"

She sighed, "No time like the present, I guess... Just sitting here is the same as the cell, minus the bars. Boring."

Discord reclined on his cloud, "Very well then. Shall we?"

"I suppose." She turned to Fluttershy, a mischievous grin on her face, "Don't try anything naughty on me whilst I'm out, Fluttershy." She giggled at the mare's embarrassment and lowered her voice seductively, "I'd want to be awake to enjoy that..." As it turned out, Fluttershy's head could only manage a certain amount of blood being pumped to it before she passed out and slumped over, causing Pinkamena to erupt into a fit of laughter and Twilight to run over and check on her.

Upon affirming that Fluttershy was indeed fine, Twilight shot Pinkamena a glare, "That was too much! Stop making jokes like that around her! Especially after what she's just been through!" Twilight's expression fell from angry to stunned, a blush of her own appearing on her cheeks, "You... You were joking, r-right?"

Pinkamena snorted loudly at Twilight's reaction, "Of course! It's just funny to see her flustered is all. Plus she's out cold, so she doesn't need to worry about things for a while."

Discord couldn't help but chuckle lightly, "She does have a point."

Twilight deadpanned, "Go see Pinkie, or I'll knock you both out myself."

Discord shrugged and Pinkamena stifled one last laugh at the unicorn's expense before the two returned to their respective seats and slumped over a few seconds later, leaving Twilight and Angel the only conscious ones in the room. Twilight smiled weakly at the bunny who was pressing his paw deep into his face, "With friends like these, who needs enemies? Am I right?"

Angel made several confusing gestures that Twilight didn't understand. After facepawing once again he hopped over to her saddlebags, withdrew a dictionary, and cycled through it to the word 'friends', tapping it twice before pointing to the unconscious forms of Discord and Pinkamena and shaking his head. Twilight continued to watch as he proceeded to turn more pages, eventually stopping and repeatedly slamming his paw against another word.

'Morons'

"No argument here."

"Have you managed to alter the posters?" Celestia asked the pony beside her, casting her eyes over the noisy machinery.

"Yes, your majesty, the press is printing the newer versions as we speak. There should be sufficient copies for widespread distribution by morning, provided nothing goes wrong with the machine."

"Thank you, Ink Print." She sighed pensively, "I had hoped things would never have escalated to the point where I'd have to resort to this. But they're dangerous as they are now, I can't allow them to pose a threat to others." her voice wavered slightly, "No matter how much they mean to me..."

Ink caught her tone, and the uncharacteristic sadness present on her face, "Princess?"

Celestia shook her head and feigned a smile, "I'm sorry, Ink Print, I've a lot on my mind, that's all. Have these sent to the distribution office when you deem there to be enough copies."

"Of course, your majesty." Ink said, bowing his head as he did so. He watched her leave, noticing the way she dragged her hooves along the floor slightly on her way out. After waiting a few moments he shook away his concerns, it was none of his business to delve into the Princess's personal life. If she wanted to explain her worries to him, she would have done so. He trotted over to where the finished products were being stacked and loaded into boxes. As the next poster slid out, he intercepted it before it landed on the pile and examined it.

In truth, it wasn't that hard to realise why the Princess seemed so upset. The faces on the posters were familiar enough to many of Canterlot's citizens, for various reasons, and all - save one - were considered close friends of the Princesses. However, the face on the poster he currently held stood out in particular, and it quickly became apparent to him why she had seemed so defeated by the entire situation.

After all, it wasn't every day that a student of the Princess herself fell from being a beacon of hope for the entirety of Equestria to a lowlife criminal.

He scanned it over one last time before setting it down on top of the nearest pile and getting back to work. He shook his head, not knowing exactly what to think. The header was something he thought he'd never see, let alone print for Princess Celestia herself.

WANTED: Twilight Sparkle

Pinkie jolted her head upwards as the door to her cell swung open, "... Discord! I heard what's happening outside, things sound pretty tense..."

"That's one way of putting it." He chuckled and stepped through the threshold, moving aside to reveal Pinkamena trotting through behind him.

Pinkie froze on the spot at the sight of her, "W-What are you going to do with me?"

Pinkamena tilted her head in slight confusion, "Question you once he's gone, as you've already heard." She kicked the door shut behind her with a hind leg and looked expectantly at Discord.

The draconequus leaned against the wall beside him as he began, "I could go through and ask you everything Pinkamena told me, question by question, but I assume you heard everything we did?"

"Yep. It's really weird... Like hearing, but not with your own ears, if that makes sense?"

He gave a hollow chuckle, "What would the two of us be reduced to if we were bound to the rules of making sense? Anyway, if you heard everything, then a simple yes/no answer should suffice. Did Pinkamena tell the exact truth about everything?

Pinkie looked down at her hooves, "Yes."

"You're sure?"

"Mhmm," she nodded sadly, "I let her out to help them, and took her place in here by choice."

Discord gave Pinkamena a sideways glance and murmured, "Not much of a choice if you ask me." He pushed off the wall and stood upright, "Then I'd best let Pinkamena ask you whatever it is she wants to ask." Pinkie's face fell, "Look, Pinkie, I'm not going to leave you in here forever, I'm just giving Pinkamena a grace period until we figure out what the hell we're doing about this setback." He prepared to snap his fingers, but gave Pinkamena a harsh look, "You are here to ask her questions, not intimidate her into never coming out. If I find that this is the case the next time I'm here, well, let's just say you'll have earned yourself a dramatically extended sentence." He shrugged one shoulder nonchalantly and disappeared.

Pinkie audibly whined as Pinkamena turned to face her, taking mechanical, shaking steps away from her. Pinkamena swept her mane from her face and ground her teeth; already becoming irritated that the only ponies she could interact with had a tendency to retreat whenever they conversed, "What is it now?"

When Pinkie eventually spoke she sounded pitifully weak, "Please don't hurt me again!"

"What? I'm only standing here, what gave you the impression-"

"You said you like hurting p-ponies, and... and..." Pinkie trembled as she remembered the events following their previous exchange, "You did those awful things to those g-guards. I know what I s-said about hurting me a while back if it m-made you feel better, b-but please, p-please not like that!"

Pinkamena grunted in irritation, "I did those things because they were necessary to save both us and your friends. Not to say I didn't enjoy doing so, but I'm no psychopath, Pinkie, I'm not going to go looking for ponies to cut on a whim."

"But if I-I'd have known that y-you'd-"

"What, hurt them? If I hadn't your friends would've been hauled off to the hooves of Celestia. Answer me this, if you'd have known what I was going to do beforehand, would you still have kept me sealed away so that I couldn't hurt any complete strangers? Even though by doing so you'd allow your friends to be captured and locked away, or worse?"

Pinkie averted her eyes, looking downcast at the floor, "N-No, I couldn't let my friends suffer that." She took a deep breath before tentatively raising her head, "P-Pinkamena?"

"What?"

Pinkie shuffled her hooves nervously, "I wish you h-hadn't hurt those p-ponies back then, and it really does s-scare me that you liked it, b-but..." she forced a thin smile, "I want to say thank you anyway. You kept your p-promise and saved my friends, a-and you even helped Fluttershy after what happened, so thank you for that too."

Pinkamena flicked her mane from her face and approached Pinkie, "I'm not here to listen to you grovel. I'm here because I need you to answer me an important question, as you're well aware."

Pinkie gulped and nodded, "What- What is it?"

"I've already asked you before, I just need to hear your answer."

"Huh?"

"If our roles were reversed for all those years, and I was your jailor - as I am now - would you have forgiven me?"

Pinkie bit her lip and looked away, unwilling to give her answer.

Pinkamena stepped closer and grasped her muzzle with a hoof, "Look. At. Me."

Pinkie slowly opened her eyes, though only to the point where it seemed like she was flinching, preparing herself for a punch to the face should one come her way.

"Well?"

Pinkie gave in, shaking her head as much as she could whilst Pinkamena held her muzzle, "No..."

Pinkamena let her go, and Pinkie curled up into a defensive ball immediately in response. When no blows came, she hazarded a glance at the pony above her.

Pinkamena looked down upon her, her calm, judgemental expression the one of a pony who has succeeded in meting out righteous justice, "And that's why I'm the better pony."

Pinkie blinked in disbelief at the hoof that had been extended to her, shakily extending her own before being pulled to her hooves. Pinkamena trotted to the door and tapped the lock, causing it to swing open. She didn't linger by it for any longer than necessary, instead she moved over to her chair and sat facing the door, observing Pinkie all the while, "Go. Get out. He'd just let you out anyway, even if I didn't. At least this way it's done on my terms."

Pinkie was absolutely stunned, "Pinkamena..."

"Just get out, I don't want to hear it."

Pinkie stuttered several times as she tried to form coherent sentences, but eventually settled with displaying a thin, but warm smile as she looked upon her alter-ego.

She reached the doorway before Pinkamena spoke up, "Pinkie, I've started to forgive you for the most tormenting experience of my entire life, so listen carefully. You'd best prove to me that you're worthy of it. The least you can do is trust me now, seen as though I've just let you walk free. If I want to be released, you'll release me, you owe me that much after all the years I've spent in here."

Pinkie nodded wholeheartedly, "O-Of course! Anything else?"

"Not right now, I need to think. Get out, and don't you dare disturb me until I'm done. Don't confuse forgiveness with kindness, Pinkie."

Pinkie nodded again, speaking sincerely as she reached out and closed the door behind her, "Thank you so much, Pinkamena." She vanished.

Pinkamena reached beneath the seat and grasped the rock that had been resting by a chair leg, studying its intricacies, qualities, and flaws absent mindedly as she mulled over the events of the day, and just how much things were starting to change. A memory of her and Pinkie as foals, laughing and playing together, flashed before her eyes; which were becoming slightly misted over, accompanied by a wrenching feeling in her chest.

"One day, maybe..."

The rock clattered to the floor as she held her head in her hooves, "Maybe..."

She couldn't remember the last time she'd cried.

Rarity and Rainbow Dash didn't know how long they had been sat, clutching one another and weeping as the cumulative emotional payload of the day finally exploded. The only indication that time had passed at all was that the sun no longer shone outside, resulting in the room being illuminated only by the moonlight.

A rustling in the darkness gave them pause. They released each other and wiped away their tears so as to see if the cause was what, or rather whom, they expected. Surely enough, Applejack was coming out of her dazed state, shuffling about in a disoriented fashion as she tried to get her bearings.

"Wh-Where am Ah?"

Rarity's horn glowed as she lit several of the smaller torches around the room before she moved and placed a hoof on her shoulder, "It's alright, relax. Princess Luna brought the three of us up here. We all spaced out after... after that."

Applejack grimaced, "Ah, Ah don't..." She choked, "Ah know they were scared and not thinkin' straight, but... but even then, Fluttershy!? Ah don't believe it... Ah just don't. Ah can't."

Rarity moved to hug her friend, but Applejack backed away, her disbelief giving way to rage, "Ah won't!"

The unicorn stepped back, hoping giving her time to simmer would eventually lead to her calming down.

It didn't.

She swivelled her head frantically before settling on one of the dressers, swiping all the expensive perfumes away to shatter against the wall, "You manipulatin' BASTARD!"

Rainbow jumped up, "Applejack! What the hay are you doing!?"

She slammed her forehooves against the wood, cracking it and crying out in rage and pain each time, "YOU! DIS-GUSTIN'! LYIN'! SNAKE! BASTARD!"

Rarity stepped towards her cautiously, "Applejack stop!"

The farmer rounded on her friend, "FUCK OFF!" Without missing a beat she bucked the dresser full-force, shattering it and completely destroying the drawers she had hit, "AH'M GONNA KILL HIM!"

Rainbow heard muffled shouts from outside, no doubt the guards had picked up on the commotion. She bolted across the room to her friend, "Appleack! You need to stop this right now!" She reached out a hoof, only for it to be swatted away. Before she could react Applejack shoved her, sending her sprawling back into one of the bed posts.

Applejack glowered down at the remnants of the dresser and broke away a huge chunk with ease. Her cries had descended into incoherent roars, which she gave after every breath. She raised the splintered wood over her head and hurled it blindly across the room, sending it crashing through a tall glass window and tumbling to the courtyard below.

Rainbow shook the stars from her eyes and pounced at Applejack, knocking her onto her back and pinning her down. Even so, every kick Applejack made was nearly enough to throw her off, "Rarity, help me!" she cried as she forced her friend back down again.

A blue aura promptly enveloped Applejacks hooves, but even with the combined efforts of the other two they still moved several inches each time she tried to lash out. Rainbow leaned her head close to her friend's, "Applejack! You have to calm down! We're your friends! We just want to-"

"GET OFF'A ME!" Applejack gritted her teeth and delivered a powerful headbutt, catching Rainbow right above the eye and causing her to reel back and cry out in pain. Applejack wasted no time getting back to her hooves, and would've made a beeline straight for Dash were her hooves not weighted by Rarity's magical aura. Nevertheless she was still managing to close the distance slowly, still bellowing savagely after every breath.

Rarity put more energy into the spell, "Applejack stop! Stop it!"

The doors to the suite flung open, several guards darting inside and quickly evaluating the scene before tackling the earth pony to the floor and restraining her as she flailed and tried to lash at them.

One approached Rainbow Dash - currently keeled over and grasping at the area above her eye - to ensure she wasn't seriously injured, whilst another trotted over to Rarity, "Miss Rarity? What happened? What's wrong with Miss Applejack?"

Rarity looked past the guard at her friend, still writhing frantically, "She's... just received some news, terrible news. We all have. As you can see, she didn't take it very well."

The guard nodded, "Should we escort her elsewhere until she has calmed down?"

Rarity glanced back at Applejack, noting that her struggling was subsiding, and her shouts had been replaced with heavy, grunting breaths, "No, no thank you. Things are hard enough on her as it is."

"Very well. However, I'm afraid the Princesses must be informed of all disturbances within the castle, it's standard procedure." Rarity nodded, and the guard turned to two others by the door, "Drift, inform Princess Celestia. Bright, Princess Luna." The guards saluted and trotted outside.

Rarity turned her attention to Rainbow Dash, who was now standing, cradling her injury with a hoof and waving off the advice of the guard behind her. Blood was dripping from her hoof, "Rainbow Dash?" Rarity approached the pegasus, "Are you alright, dear?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"How bad is it?"

Rainbow winced as she released the pressure on her injury, revealing a nasty gash trailing from above her eye to the middle of her forehead, eliciting a gasp from Rarity, "Rainbow Dash, you need something on that right away."

Rainbow held up a hoof, "I said I'm fine, it can wait."

Applejack was still kicking out intermittently against the hold of the guards, to little effect. She glanced up as she heard hooves approaching from the side. When she registered it to be Rainbow Dash and Rarity, she snarled and lined up a barrage of terrible insults.

Then she saw the blood.

She stopped moving, her spiteful thoughts forgotten in an instant as she came to terms with harming her friend. She observed Rainbow with a blank expression for almost an entire minute before she spoke, "Rainbow Dash... Ah'm sorry... Ah'm so sorry..."

The guards shared a glance and cautiously released her, ready to pin her once again should she prove to be lying. She sat up and stared at the injury as Rainbow sat in front of her, "Ah didn't know what Ah was doin', Ah swear!" She sniffled loudly, "Ah'm so, so sorry."

Rainbow smiled slightly, "It's fine, it's fine, I'm alright."

Applejack drooped her head onto her Rainbow's shoulder, tears leaking down her face and onto her friend's mane.

Rainbow wrapped a foreleg around Applejack, pulling her in tight, her own mouth drawing into a thin line. She glanced past her, up at the smashed window, and the moon high in the sky beyond it.

The guards around the pair moved away, all collectively trotting to the door, with the exception of the stallion that stood beside Rarity. He glanced around briefly, "If I may, I'd respectfully recommend that the three of you move to an adjacent suite. It's bound to get cold in here after that, miss." He pointed up at the remnants of the window pane.

Rarity nodded, "Thank you for your help, I'll be sure to give my commendations of you and your guards to the Princesses. And yes, I think we will." She saw Applejack and Rainbow locked in a tight embrace, Applejack burying her muzzle deep into Rainbow's shoulder, "Soon, anyway. Best not to disturb her right now."

The guard gave a respectful tip of his head and stepped out, closing the doors behind him.

Rarity trotted to the space a window once occupied, feeling the cool night breeze ruffle through her fur. She looked out over Canterlot, down to Ponyville, and across the world beyond, and couldn't help but wonder if her friends were out there in the distance somewhere, looking back.

An icy chill ran up her spine, though be it from the cold, or her own thoughts, she didn't know.

After Pinkie had been welcomed back, hugged to near-asphyxiation and explained her dealings with Pinkamena the cave had lapsed into an odd silence. Of course, there had been other occasions where the five of them had spent time relaxing quietly - though these weren't all that common, due mainly to the involvement of Pinkie and Discord - but this time things felt different somehow.

Regardless of exactly why they were silent, it gave them all time to reflect on things. Time, Discord realised, that not everypony in the room should be spending alone with their thoughts. After persuading Twilight to resume her training as best she could under the circumstances he had intended to issue Pinkie and Fluttershy tasks of their own to keep them busy, but relented upon noticing that they were quite happy to watch Twilight practice instead.

With the others occupied, Discord turned to Angel, boredom already plastered across his face. The rabbit looked back warily, flinching as the draconequus snapped his fingers. Upon opening his eyes, however, the only change was that a table and chairs stood between them with a chessboard in the centre, the pieces already set up appropriately, "Care to pit your wits against the Master of Chaos and Paragon Puppeteer himself?"

Angel squinted and scrutinised the draconequus, hopping up onto the chair, then the table, deliberately slowly.

Discord grinned down at Angel, "Excellent! If you win I'll even throw in a carrot or two, sound like a deal?" He extended his paw to the bunny, a questioning look on his face.

Angel regarded the paw warily before fixing his eyes on Discord as he slowly extended his own and shook it carefully.

Discord laughed, the area by his head darkening as he leaned over Angel and bore into him with his demonic gaze, "Oh, I seem to have forgotten to mention that if you lose, I take your soul!"

Angel let his jaw drop in disbelief at both the monster above him and his own stupidity, at least until said monster slumped back into his seat, putting his face against his claw in apparent boredom, "Just kidding. Fluttershy would never forgive me." He cocked an eyebrow and the rabbit, who was furrowing his own, "White moves first."

Twilight cut off her magic, waited for the energies to disperse, then began channelling one more; giving her horn an appearance not too dissimilar to someone playing with a lighter. Whilst she couldn't push her limits and risk Discord having to intervene should she lose control, she could at least practice using small amounts of chaos magic. Nothing that could really prove useful or harmful at all, just a small exercise to allow her to become more accustomed to the feel and flow of chaos energies, as well as where to dissipate said energies before they became difficult to harness.

Fluttershy and Pinkie sat beside her, watching in fascination at how deep purple energies spiralled around her horn, and the way they vanished like a puff of lavender smoke whenever Twilight cut the spell. Twilight didn't understand why they seemed so entranced by the simple, repetitive, - and quite frankly - boring process, but after the events of the day she chalked it down to the two of them simply needing something else to focus on. Twilight knew she did, and she didn't mind anyway. The process was still monotonous, but at least having an audience made her focus a little harder on the task.

A chess piece shot over their heads, causing the three of them to jolt. It ricocheted off the wall and landed next to Pinkie, who scooped it up and examined it. Upon closer inspection they found it to be a black pawn, in the likeness of a pony. They all jumped again when it twitched and spoke wearily, "What a fool I was... to believe that there was glory to be found... on the battlefield."

The pawn looked up at Pinkie, who noticed that it was clutching at an area on its side, from which grey ooze was seeping out, "When you're actually there and... it's you or them, you realise something... They're just normal ponies like you and I... just fighting just to survive. Just pieces in a sick game played... by politicians and old stallions." Pinkie made some gentle hushing sounds as the miniature pony coughed, expelling some more of the grey ooze from its mouth.

Twilight deadpanned, "Oh for the love of-"

"Too late I realise... we're all the same... It doesn't matter if we're black, or white... we all bleed the same! We all bleed the same..." The pawn began shivering on Pinkie's hoof. It drew its sword and rested it beside itself, looking up at Pinkie, who's eyes were filling with tears, "G-Give this... to my son... Tell him... t-tell him that I... I..." The pawn went limp in Pinkie's hoof.

She keeled over, holding the piece tightly to her chest as she wept melodramatically, tears pouring from her eyes, "Y-You might have only been a pawn to them, but t-to me you were a brave, brave knight..."

Twilight had given up trying to focus on her magic completely as she grunted and tapped her friend, "Are you just about finished!?"

Pinkie looked up and shrugged, "Yeah, more or less." She dropped the piece to the floor and wiped the ooze off onto her coat, though both turned to dust a few seconds later.

"Thank you." Twilight began focusing the energies into her horn once again. A loud crunch resemblant of cracking glass filled the room, causing her to drop the spell, "What was that?"

All five of them scanned around in confusion until Fluttershy got up and trotted to her saddlebags, "I-It's probably just one of the vials cracking. They did get thrown about a little earlier." They nodded to her, though each wondered to themselves how such a small bottle could make such a loud sound. Fluttershy rummaged through her saddlebags, humming occasionally between the clinking of glass bottles. She stopped and gasped audibly.

Twilight glanced at her worriedly, "What is it? Is something wrong?"

Fluttershy pulled her saddlebags over to the pair and withdrew her Element, setting it down on the floor between them. Twilight and Pinkie gasped too at the sight. A large crack trailed diagonally all the way across the crystal butterfly from the top left to the bottom right, a web of smaller cracks stretching across the surface. Twilight went to pick it up, looking at Fluttershy for permission. She nodded, and Twilight brought it up to eye level, "I don't understand... The Elements don't just break, it's impossible! They're the most powerful items in Equestrian history." She passed the Element to Fluttershy, "What the heck is going on?" They all stared in bewilderment, not sure what to make of it.

Discord moved his piece absent-mindedly as he looked upon the tarnished Element of Kindness. A loud squeak from behind him drew his attention. Angel struck his chest victoriously and thrust his paw down at the board. Discord's King was now holding his hooves high in the air in surrender. Checkmate.

Discord didn't so much as blink, snapping his fingers and materialising three carrots beside Angel without a word before turning his attention back to the Element immediately, much to Angel's confusion.

His expression became grim as he slotted together the pieces of the puzzle and looked upon his only friend with pity in his eyes; hoping against hope that his assumptions were wrong.

'Fluttershy...'

Author's Note

So, there you have it. We have consequences, and we have contingencies, who'd have expected it? I know I said this chapter was going to be short, but hey, I managed to write more AND get it out on schedule this time around!

I'd like to see what you guys think has happened to the Element of Kindness, so please don't hesitate to post your speculations below! All will be revealed next chapter, but for now I'm going to leave you guessing >:D

Anyway, as always thanks for reading, leave your comments below and have a nice day!

Mikemarksman, bringing you guys the scope of things to come, and scoping out cover artists.

Chapter XX - Fugitives

The first rays of early morning sunlight shone across Shining's solemn countenance as he rounded off his after-action report. Releasing the quill from his magical hold he looked out through the window and over the peaceful meadows far below Canterlot. His expression remained neutral as he regarded the stunning landscape, far too much weighing on his mind for him to appreciate the scenery.

Try as he might to ignore it, his focus was drawn back to his report. Or rather, one specific line of it. He read and re-read it, the words blurring together as he recalled last night's disastrous rescue attempt.

[Seven hours earlier]
The sun had set at Celestia's belated behest, plunging the area into darkness. All the unicorn guards present were illuminating the area as best they could with their magic as they worked. The backup unit had arrived several minutes ago, and all the wounded were now receiving the appropriate treatment. Those who weren't severely injured were assisting the unicorns in any way possible as they channelled the teleportation spell that would send them back to Canterlot; the faster the better. A number of guards would require hospital-grade treatment, at least to some extent, and a hoof full would most likely need psychological help too, considering how they seemed incapable of doing anything other than cowering away from anypony that approached them.

For Shining, however, neither of these groups concerned him that much at the moment. Indeed, his own leg was still in a dreadful state, having only allowed a medic to wrap a simple bandage around it in an attempt to staunch the bleeding. No, his concerns were for the most gravely injured of his soldiers. Pyre, who had been impaled and held hostage; and Breeze, who had taken the volley of magical arrows.

Shining looked on with unease festering in his stomach. Both laid deathly still as they were operated on. Pyre was awake, though most likely not aware of his surroundings considering the potent painkillers he had been administered to numb his shattered legs. Breeze was still unconscious, with those around him working fervently to stabilise him.

After a few minutes the group around Breeze closed in and began speaking urgently, rolling the guard onto his back despite his exit wounds. Shining felt a sinking feeling in his gut as he assumed the worst, and upon seeing a pony smash their hooves against the Breeze's chest he realised he was right.

They struck his chest twice more before beginning compressions, those not currently occupied hastily rummaging through their packs for the required implements.

Shining trotted up, watching silently, not wanting to divert any attention away from the procedure. However, one of the guards preparing to take over compressing Breeze's chest glanced up at him and shook his head, "Things aren't looking good, sir. Even if we get him back he'll be hanging on by a thread at this rate."

The ponies around Breeze stood back as electricity arced from one of the medic's horns and into his chest. The unicorn lowered an ear to Breeze's chest, remaining there for a moment, "Pulse! It's weak, but he's got a pulse." Several syringes were plunged directly into the pony's heart by the medic as he spoke, and the pony beneath him drew a shallow, ragged breath.

A collective sense of relief washed over spectators and partakers alike, although the haste with which they worked didn't lessen in the slightest.

They proceeded to patch the guard up as best they could, but barely a minute later his heartbeat ceased once again. The mare who had been the first to tend to his injuries spoke quietly as more compressions were carried out, "Come on, Breeze, you're gonna' make it. You'll be okay. You're gonna' be okay..."

[Present day]
Thoughts of what would and could have been had things gone differently raced through Shining's mind; thoughts he quickly dispatched of. What was done, was done. Over-thinking things would only make them all the more difficult to deal with.

Nevertheless, when the words came back into focus he read them one final time - if only for a sense of finality - before rolling up and stamping the scroll.

'Guardspony Breeze Echo was killed in action.'

'Pinkie.'

"Don'twannafarmrocksyettooearly..."

'Pinkie, wake up.'

"Mughhummurgh..."

Pinkamena had hoped that she could have avoided shouting. Not that anypony else would hear her even if she did, but they might have heard Pinkie's startled cries should she awaken too suddenly. She sighed, resigning herself to the demand of the situation, 'Pinkie! Wake up already!'

Pinkie shot to her hooves with a gasp, glancing around frantically only to find all the other occupants of the room fast asleep. She rubbed her head tiredly, 'Was that a dream? Weird, but not as weird as some of them get, that's for sure...'

Pinkamena slumped her head against the bars of her cell, 'Pinkie, it was me. Get in here!'

Pinkie appeared in the cell behind her alter ego, though her voice was uncharacteristically lethargic, "What's up Pinka-" she yawned loudly, "-mena?"

Pinkamena shrugged off her own questions and got to the point, "I want letting out for a while. Nothing malicious, I just want to be in control again."

Pinkie seemed to think about it for a moment, but with her eyelids drooping every few seconds or so it was clear that she still wasn't fully awake. She nodded very slowly, and kept nodding as she spoke, "Okay... Just a second..." She dragged her hooves as she moved to the door of the cell and unlocked it.

Pinkamena promptly trotted out and shut it behind her, but she remained there instead of leaving as her curiosity got the better of her, "What's with the grogginess all of a sudden?"

Pinkie looked back blankly for a few seconds until her brain caught up, "I dunno... Something tells me I should just... stay in bed today."

Pinkamena cocked her head, expecting a more detailed explanation, but as she registered the pony swaying on her hooves and fighting not to fall asleep on the spot she just shook her head and vanished.

Pinkie looked around dazedly before settling her eyes on the thing she needed the most right now; a bed. Had she been paying more attention to her surroundings, she might have noticed that neither it, nor the desk she had gifted Pinkamena, had been moved or even touched at all. She might have even wondered why this was the case. Of course, in her current state observation was the least of her concerns. She slid in beneath the plain white sheets and clutched them tightly as if they were the most comfortable thing in the world before falling into the welcoming embrace of sleep.

Pinkamena took a deep breath as she made her way to the door, taking extreme care not to wake the others as she stuck a note to it and slipped outside. It had been far too long since she'd last had the freedom to do what she wanted, and it was time to cut loose a little. She stepped into the light of the early morning sun and giggled as she thoroughly looked herself over. She knew she'd grown a lot since she was a little filly, having witnessed everything through Pinkie's eyes, but now that she was fully in control with free reign over her own actions the changes became all the more apparent to her. She bit her lip and smiled as she watched her flank sway behind her while she moved. All the possibilities, all the worldly pleasures, all available to her now.

She had to suppress a squeal of delight as she trotted towards the town, "Finally, it's time to have some fun!"

Celestia finished raising the sun and turned to her sister, "Thank you for agreeing to let day intrude into your night yesterday, Luna. Even if things did go horribly wrong in every other respect, it still means a lot to me that you were so understanding."

Luna nuzzled Celestia gently, "The reasoning behind extending the day was sound, Celestia, I understand. I won't allow childish jealously to cloud my judgement as I once did, especially not now. Not while our friends are in danger."

Celestia felt pride welling within her at just how much her little sister had grown since her return. After nuzzling her back, she took a deep breath and focused on the tasks of the day, "I need to ensure that the last of the posters have left for widespread distribution."

Luna nodded but sighed.

"Luna?"

She gave Celestia a smile, though it held not a trace of humour, and her tone became very melancholic, "We're going to have to deal with three very upset mares later, aren't we?"

Celestia nodded, "Probably, but let's cross that bridge when we come to it. We have enough on our hooves already." She rested a hoof on Luna's shoulder as her horn glowed with a golden aura. A moment later she was gone.

Luna scowled the moment Celestia vanished, "Yet we're doing nowhere near enough..." She leapt from the balcony, swooping down to land gracefully in the statue garden below. She found what she was looking for and glared balefully at the empty pedestal for a time, as if expecting Discord to materialise back upon it once more. Her glare softened as frustration gradually gave way to deep thought, "But what else can we do?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. The last of the posters left over thirty minutes ago, modifications and all. I've received reports that several shipments have already reached their intended destinations. However it may take several hours for them to reach the more outlying areas."

Celestia nodded her thanks, "Thank you, Ink Print. You and your workers have been absolutely phenomenal, especially considering the urgency of the request."

Ink bowed reverently, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

"I feared I may well have put too much pressure on you and your staff when I requested they be edited again after last night's sudden... development."

Ink caught the hurt look in her eye and nodded solemnly, "Terrible business, Your Majesty. If I may ask, has his family been informed yet?"

Celestia shook her head, "Not yet, why?"

Ink sighed, "I've known Breeze and his family for years. They're going to be devastated."

"He had a wife?"

"Yes... and a young colt." He hung his head, "It may be best to ensure he is not within earshot when the news comes."

Celestia spoke pensively, "That would be wise, thank you for informing me, Ink. You've truly been most helpful. You will all be receiving a significant pay rise shortly for your outstanding work."

Ink nodded, his own thoughts also heavy with sympathy for Breeze and his family, "Just doing our job, Your Majesty."

Celestia teleported to her suite with a brilliant flash. She removed her crown, dropping it onto her bed unceremoniously before slumping down onto the mattress beside it. Thoughts of Fluttershy, the Element of Kindness herself, performing such a horrendous act still left her dumbfounded and generally upset. But the more she thought things over, the more the images of a terrified Fluttershy were replaced by those of Breeze, dead, his grieving family weeping over his coffin. Over the following few minutes, Celestia felt the sympathy within her being substituted with determination, the determination to prevent any more good ponies losing their lives for nothing.

She snatched up her crown and placed it atop her head. Her mind kicked into overdrive as she stepped outside, desperate to find some way to gain the upper hoof against Discord. In the end, she knew it would come down to a battle of wits, she just had to be smarter and beat him at his own game.

'Easier said than done...'

"Where's Pinkie?" Twilight, Fluttershy and Angel collectively groaned as they awakened and looked up at Discord with sleep-addled expressions. "Anypony?"

"Ugh, dunno."

"I don't-" Fluttershy yawned, "I don't know."

Angel shrugged.

Discord appeared beside the bathroom door and rapped his claw against it, "Pinkie? Are you in there?" Upon hearing nothing he knocked once again, "If you are, tell me now otherwise I'm coming in; and I sincerely doubt me walking in on you would bode well for either of us."

Nothing.

Discord frowned, a knot forming in his stomach, 'We've enough to deal with on Fluttershy's part if I'm right. We do not need this right now!' He grasped the wall firmly and opened it, "Pinkie?" He scanned the bathroom only to find no sign of her, "She's not here!" he called to the others.

The sound of Fluttershy's voice could be heard clearly, the pegasus apparently too tired or worried to care about being shy, "I think I've found something."

The other three bolted to her position by the door, following her gaze to a sticky note near the handle. Twilight took it and read the message aloud to the others, "Out for a little fun. Don't cry, I'll be back. - Pinkamena."

A stunned silence descended upon the four, broken promptly by a loud smack as Discord buried his face into his paw, "Oh, you'd best be joking!"

As it turned out, she wasn't. Three hours of anxious waiting and discussing the potential fates of Pinkie Pie should she be found passed before the door swung open, revealing the mare in question. Though, true to the note, the one in control was almost certainly Pinkamena as opposed to Pinkie, at least if the mane was any indication. She dropped her saddlebags the moment the door clicked shut behind her and began riffling through them, "Guys, you-"

Discord was before her in an instant, "Just what the hell were you thinking!?" Seeing the mare still rummaging through her saddlebags instead of paying him any attention he growled and snapped his fingers, freezing the bags and the forehooves within them.

Pinkamena hissed out in pain, but smirked regardless, "Mmm, that's refreshing. But you're hurting us both, you know."

Discord scowled and waited for a few seconds before summoning the ice away and into his grasp, rolling it into a ball and crushing it in his claw, "Start talking."

Pinkamena withdrew her hooves from the bag and rubbed them together vigorously, "I went to do exactly what I said on the note, assuming you've read it. Have fun. Unwind after nearly two decades in a cell." She grunted, "But guards were everywhere. The entire town's crawling with them. I-"

Discord ground his teeth, "I should've thought that was obvious! Did you happen to miss our conversation on that topic yesterday?"

Pinkamena shouted in frustration, digging her forehooves into the saddlebags once again, "Will you shut up already!?" She took a deep breath, "Lecture me later. Right now there's something very serious I have to show you all."

"What is it?" Twilight asked, concern evident in her voice at Pinkamena's sudden change in tone.

Pinkamena fumbled around fruitlessly, "It's hard to find what I'm after when I can't feel my hooves!" she shot Discord a hateful look. A few seconds later the sound of crumpling paper was heard. Pinkamena withdrew the items and dropped them onto the floor between everyone.

Twilight raised an eyebrow, "Wanted posters?" Pinkamena nodded as Twilight reached out and span the nearest one to face her. She felt her stomach tighten as she recognised the individual in the picture to be none other than the world's only draconequus. She turned her attention to the pictures on the other three posters, and her heart sank as she confirmed her suspicions, "They're our wanted posters, aren't they?"

Pinkamena nodded, "Yes. The guards were pinning them up left, right and centre."

Twilight gulped and levitated Discord's poster before her as she read the contents.

"Wanted: Discord
Species/race: Draconequus
Sex: Male
Eye colour: Red
Mane colour: N/A
Coat colour: N/A
Cutie mark: N/A
Defining traits: Magical influence tends to disrupt and warp surroundings, mismatched body composition (See image)

This individual is wanted by the Equestrian Crown Court for the following felonies:
- Acts of terrorism
- Assault and battery
- Conspiring against the Crown
- High treason
- Kidnapping
- Murder

The danger this individual presents has been deemed the following rank: S RANK - EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. DO NOT APPROACH THIS INDIVIDUAL UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.

All information pertaining to this individual should be reported to the local authorities as soon as possible. Do not attempt to apprehend this individual. Avoid any and all contact if possible.

A sum of 250,000 bits will be paid in exchange for credible information regarding this individual's whereabouts.

Signed, Princess Celestia: Diarch of Equestria and Head of the Equestrian Solar Guard."

Discord looked between Twilight and the poster repeatedly with a blank expression on his face. A moment later he snatched it from Twilight's magical grasp and tutted, "Great... I mean, have you seen my face on here!? I look fantastic. I wouldn't be surprised if the entire female population of Equestria began forming search parties just to find that handsome devil. We most certainly could do without all that attention right now."

Twilight felt her upper lip twitch in irritation, "What the hell is wrong with you!? This is serious! Everypony will be on the lookout for us now! Do you even care!?"

Discord shrugged, "Not especially, no. It was going to happen sooner or later. Celestia's getting desperate. She knows the longer this goes on, the less chance she has of finding us. She's stepping up her game. The best thing we can do in response is simply carry on as normal, with a few added precautions and a few less early-morning adventures." He glowered at Pinkamena, "Unlike Celestia, we don't need to step up to hold an advantage; we just need to stay a step ahead."

Twilight nodded, "So the plan stays the same?"

"The plan stays the same." Discord chuckled, "It changes next to nothing anyway. I planned for this when I chose our route."

Twilight frowned at him, "The route that you have yet to fully reveal to us."

Discord smiled and pointed at her as if she'd just made some sort of terrific discovery, "Yes, that's the one!"

Twilight seethed quietly while Discord tried his best to maintain a straight face. Pinkamena groaned in annoyance and grabbed her own poster, examining it curiously and noticing that, unlike Discord's poster, this one had a close-up of her cutie mark alongside her picture. She murmured as she read through it.

"Wanted: Pinkamena Diane Pie (Also known as 'Pinkie Pie')
Species/race: Pony - Earth pony
Sex: Female
Eye colour: Light blue
Mane colour: Rasberry pink
Coat colour: Pale pink
Cutie mark: Three balloons - Left blue, right blue, centre yellow (See right image)
Defining traits: Extremely talkative, large puffy mane and tail (See left image), Bearer of the Element of Laughter

This individual is wanted by the Equestrian Crown Court for the following felonies:
- Assault and Battery
- Attempted murder
- Conspiring against the Crown
- High treason

The danger this individual presents has been deemed the following rank: A RANK - DO NOT APPROACH. THIS INDIVIDUAL IS EXTREMELY VOLATILE & HIGHLY DANGEROUS.

All information pertaining to this individual should be reported to the local authorities as soon as possible. Do not attempt to apprehend this individual. Avoid any and all contact if possible.

A sum of 100,000 bits will be paid in exchange for credible information regarding this individual's whereabouts.

Signed, Princess Celestia: Diarch of Equestria and Head of the Equestrian Solar Guard."

Pinkamena growled loudly, "Stop shouting like that!"

The other four looked up at her in alarm, having said nothing whilst she had scanned her poster. Discord's eyes began to swirl as he spoke with amusement in his voice, "Not going off the deep end, are we, Pinkamena? I'm already the group's designated lunatic, we don't need another."

She shook her head and winced as she discarded the poster, "No, it's Pinkie. She won't stop screaming about being called 'extremely volatile', and it's giving me a headache." She winced again and stomped her hoof, "Pinkie, if you don't shut up I'm going to come in there and beat the living hell out of you, understood?"

'... Sorry.'

Twilight levitated the final two posters, grasping her own and bringing Fluttershy's up for her to take. She didn't, instead looking away from it and giving a little squeak. "What's wrong, Fluttershy?" Twilight asked as she lowered the poster away from her.

Fluttershy glanced at Twilight but kept her head down, "I d-don't think I want to r-read it..."

Twilight noted the shakiness in her friend's voice and spoke reassuringly, "That's fine, Fluttershy. Although I do think it would be for the best if we checked what they know about us."

Fluttershy nodded, "W-Well, if you wanted you c-could... I mean... Never mind, it d-doesn't matter."

Twilight thought on what she might have meant for a moment before speaking, "Would you like somepony else to read it for you instead?"

Fluttershy perked up and smiled demurely, "Y-Yes, please."

"Do you want me to read it?"

"If it isn't any trouble..."

Twilight levitated both posters before herself, "Of course not! I'll read mine first, then yours, okay? That way if you change your mind beforehoof you only have to say so."

"Th-Thank you, Twilight."

"No problem. Now then..." She brought her own poster to the front and began reading, as much to the others as to herself.

"Wanted: Twilight Sparkle
Species/race: Pony - Unicorn
Sex: Female
Eye colour: Violet
Mane colour: Sapphire blue with magenta streaks
Coat colour: Lavender
Cutie mark: Magenta six-pointed star, encircled by five smaller white stars (See right image)
Defining traits: Often attempts to demonstrate her intelligence and knowledge to those around her, Bearer of the Element of Magic

This individual is wanted by the Equestrian Crown Court for the following felonies:
- Attempted murder
- Attempted regicide
- Conspiring against the Crown
- High treason

The danger this individual presents has been deemed the following rank: A RANK - APPROACH WITH CAUTION. THIS INDIVIDUAL IS HIGHLY DANGEROUS.

All information pertaining to this individual should be reported to the local authorities as soon as possible. Capture of this individual is advised against unless her accomplices are not nearby.

A sum of 50,000 bits will be paid in exchange for credible information regarding this individual's whereabouts. A sum of 250,000 bits will be paid in exchange for the successful capture of this individual. Please note that due to this individual's status, she is not to be killed or seriously injured under any circumstances. Failure to comply with this condition will be punishable by lifelong banishment.

Signed, Princess Celestia: Diarch of Equestria and Head of the Equestrian Solar Guard."

Twilight had to resist the urge to spit as she read the name of her former mentor. Nevertheless, the moment she finished reading her horn sparked, a small beam shooting from the tip and through the Princess' signature, singing the paper around it.

Discord caught the stray beam between his fingers and shook his head at Twilight, "Temper, temper!" He regarded the now static spell closely before popping it into his mouth and smacking his lips loudly as he chewed, apparently savouring the flavour, "What do you know? Grapes!" He swallowed and belched loudly, wisps of purple smoke escaping from his ears, "There wouldn't happen to be any more where that came from, would there?"

It took Twilight a second to fully gather her wits. Despite becoming slowly accustomed to what Discord was capable of, watching him eat a spell intended to shoot through solid objects still caught her off-guard. She shook her head - causing Discord to groan disappointedly - and turned her attention to Fluttershy, "Still want me to read it, Fluttershy?"

"Y-Yes please." she whispered, an uneasy look on her face as she watched Twilight examine her poster.

Twilight cleared her throat and spoke as calmly as she could, attempting to put her friend's mind at ease despite the nature of the document.

"Wanted: Fluttershy
Species/race: Pony - Pegasus
Sex: Female
Eye colour: Cyan
Mane colour: Pale pink
Coat colour: Pale yellow
Cutie mark: Three butterflies, cyan bodies, pink wings (See right image)
Defining traits: Generally timid and will often shy away from conversation, often seen tending to animals, Bearer of the Element of Kindness

This individual is wanted by the Equestrian Crown Court for the following felonies:
- Conspiring against the Crown
- High treason
- Murder

The danger this individual presents has been deemed the following rank: A RANK - APPROACH ONLY WHEN ALONE. ACCOMPLICES ARE HIGHLY DANGEROUS.

All information pertaining to this individual should be reported to the local authorities as soon as possible. Capture of this individual is encouraged, provided her accomplices are not within the vicinity.

A sum of 50,000 bits will be paid in exchange for credible information regarding this individual's whereabouts. A sum of 250,000 bits will be paid in exchange for the successful capture of this individual. Please note that due to this individual's status, she is not to be killed or seriously injured under any circumstances. Failure to comply with this condition will be punishable by lifelong banishment.

Signed, Princess Celestia: Diarch of Equestria and Head of the Equestrian Solar Guard."

Twilight dropped the poster beside the others, "That's all there is, Fluttershy. At least they can't hurt us if they come after us again, so I guess we should make the best of it and count ourselves lucky, huh?" Her statement was met with only the absence of sound, "Fluttershy?" She glanced at the pegasus, who stood facing Discord and Pinkamena, her mane hiding her features. Twilight swivelled her head to the others, only to see them staring back at Fluttershy with uneasy expressions. She hid the panic in her voice as best she could, "Wh-What's wrong?"

No one cared to answer, though Angel broke the silence by padding across to his owner and tentatively resting a paw against her foreleg. Twilight observed carefully. Angel seemed genuinely reluctant to disturb Fluttershy, sitting perfectly still, save for his extended paw, which moved only fractions of an inch either way. His ears were pressed flat against his head. Twilight sidestepped slowly until she was beside Pinkamena and Discord. She looked at Fluttershy from the front, but couldn't for the life of her understand what was wrong.

Then she saw her eyes.

Twilight froze, her breath hitching in her throat.

Fluttershy stared forwards, unmoving, unblinking. Her pupils, dilated. Her eyes, veritable pools of black. There was no direction to her gaze. No focus. No life in her eyes. She held no expression on her face whatsoever. Just a vacant stare. A cold, lifeless, empty stare.

Twilight felt wave after wave of dread take hold as she came to a chilling revelation. Fluttershy wasn't staring at her. She was staring through her.

She tried to speak. To ask her what was wrong. To beg her to snap out of it. But in the end, upon her fourth try, all she could manage was a hoarse, terrified whisper, "Fluttershy?"

Discord drew a breath loudly, drawing the attention of the two beside him by doing so. Twilight flicked her gaze between him and her friend, no longer trying to keep the panic out of her voice, "Discord, what's wrong with her!? What did you do!?" Without waiting for a response she made to dart to her friend, only for Discord to grip her tightly, pinning her in place.

"I did NOTHING!" Twilight felt a sliver of ice trickle down her spine at Discord's tone. It was clipped, and harsh, but it wavered heavily, as if he was trying to reign in his control. He was furious. "Don't... Do not. Move her."

Twilight felt her eyes tearing up, Discord's grip was hurting her enough as it was, and the situation was beginning to make her feel sick from anxiety, "W-What's wrong with her then!?"

Discord held out his free paw before Twilight's face, the poster bearing Fluttershy's visage appearing in it promptly, "This." A trail of blood red ink slithered across the parchment, encircling a single word.

'Murder'.

Twilight's eyes widened in horror, "So that means... H-He's dead!?"

Discord released her, "Yes. She's just come to the realisation that she's taken a life." his voice was growing louder and less composed with each word he spoke, and he realised it. He gave Twilight and Pinkamena a deathly glare, "Don't startle her. Don't question her. Don't mention anything that's just happened. Understood?"

The two nodded, Twilight rapidly, Pinkamena collectedly.

"I'll be back." He raised his paw, and his voice softened for a moment as he looked upon his friend, "Look after her." He vanished in a flash before either of them could ask where he was going.

Twilight turned to Pinkamena, "What do we do!?"

Pinkamena gestured at Fluttershy, "We do what he told us. We look after her. Or rather, you do."

"W-What?"

"Pinkie is constantly screaming instructions at me. I'm not putting up with it for however long it takes before he decides to come back. The two of you can deal with it."

Twilight watched as Pinkamena spaced out for a moment, followed by her hair slowly inflating, though notably not to its usual degree. Pinkie gave Twilight a nod but said nothing, quickly taking the cushions from the nearest seat and placing them beneath the pegasus. Without missing a beat, she addressed Twilight, "Twilight, summon my bed."

Twilight was beside herself with shock and confusion, "What?"

"Just do it." Twilight focused, and with some effort managed to materialise the bed Pinkie had been occupying. Pinkie immediately drew the quilt from the bed, trotting over to Fluttershy and draping it over her with extreme care. Twilight got the message and assisted where she could with her magic.

Still, Fluttershy didn't move. Angel nestled himself against her foreleg and clutched onto it desperately, to no noticeable effect on the pegasus. Pinkie and Twilight shared a quick glance, and both frowned in sadness, each trying their hardest to put aside their own hurt to help their friend.

Or at least prevent her from getting any worse.

Discord looked around. Sand, lots of it, stretching to the horizon in every direction. There weren't any ponies for miles, reducing the risk of being seen to zero. He was fortunate in that regard, for even if there had been, he couldn't have cared any less.

He wasted no time, sharply digging his paw into the sand beneath him, withdrawing a large heap. Grains streamed through his fingers as he held out his claw and waved it in an arc before him. He cast the sand forwards and snapped his fingers. The cloud he had sent forth dispersed and resettled, though only for a moment. Where the handful of sand had fallen, small shapes began to form. They grew, twisting and writhing, the material from which they were made changing, gradually becoming more solid and less resemblant of sand.

Discord watched, grinding his teeth impatiently as the figures took shape. The entire process took little over forty seconds.

Before him stood five living ponies. They appeared normal in every aspect but one, in that they had no cutie mark. They wouldn't need one for what Discord had planned for them. The process finished, and they collectively drew a sharp breath; their very first.

And for the one unfortunate individual that Discord singled out, her very last. He snapped his claw tightly around her neck, throttling her with pure murder in his eyes. She looked up in absolute terror, opening and closing her mouth rapidly as if to speak. Discord paid it no mind, they couldn't talk anyway. They might have seemed fine on the outside, but on the inside they possessed only the basic functions that were required for them to live.

And a few others of his choosing. Namely, the ability to scream.

"IT'S ALL. YOUR. FAULT!" he snarled as he closed his grip tighter, the mare's eyeballs swelling outwards as he squeezed, tiny droplets of blood leaking out from the edges. A gargled choke escaped her as he roared, "WHY HER!? WHY DID YOU TARGET HER!?" He slammed his grip shut around her throat, crushing it. A torrent of blood shot forth from her mouth, coating the majority of his claw and arm, but he wasn't phased in the slightest. He discarded her, her life ebbing away as she desperately tried, and failed, to breathe through her crushed windpipe. He looked down at her without trace of mercy and, without a second thought, smashed his hoof down onto her head, caving it in with a sickeningly wet crunch. Blood, brains, and pieces of her skull surrounded his hoof, and slid off it when he withdrew it. He didn't care, he was already moving towards his next victim.

The other ponies - two stallions and two mares - had been watching in horrified disbelief, but as the draconequus rounded on them, each cried out and turned to run. He didn't even allow them the hope of escaping. He snapped his fingers immediately, barbed chains bursting from the sand beneath each one, entangling and yanking them down, immobilising them. He didn't want to waste any time chasing them down; after all, they were for killing, not torturing. Torture was too slow. And he was too angry to waste his time with it.

The closest pony, a stallion, cried out in terror as Discord approached. A moment later, he found himself suspended between two obelisks by the barbed chains. They cut into him deeply, but he was too terrified to do much more than wince and hyperventilate with Discord looming over him. Discord glared at the captive pony and threw his arms out to either side, sending the obelisks in opposite directions, tightening the chains. The pony's breathing became even faster, but each exhalation was accompanied by an agonised whine as the chains sank through his flesh. With a final, blood-curdling screech from the stallion, the chains pulled completely taught, eviscerating him, the multiple sections of his bloody corpse now falling haphazardly to the sand beneath, the accompanying torrents of blood spraying everywhere before being greedily guzzled up by the thirsty desert sand.

The death of the second stallion followed promptly. Discord levitated him into the air, glowering at him as he kicked and screamed in a futile attempt to break free. With a savage growl, Discord plunged his claw into the pony's stomach, shoving it further and further with jerky movements until he wrapped his grasp around his spinal cord. The pony jerked spasmodically around his claw, his ruptured stomach convulsing in an attempt to expel the foreign object. Needless to say, it didn't. But without any food whatsoever within his stomach, and Discord's bloody claw blocking the path any drawn-up bile might take, the stallion couldn't stop retching. Discord yanked his claw outwards, a huge section the pony's spine tearing away and widening the hole his claw had created. He tossed the segment of spine from claw to paw to gain a firmer grip, levelled it with the stallions face, and thrust it forwards through his gaping mouth. It pierced through the back of his neck, dislodging what remained of the top-half of the stallion's spine with a resounding snap. He was dead before he hit the sand.

The remaining two mares were trembling wrecks by the time he had reached them. Even through his blinding anger, Discord could feel the lack of chaos energies at his disposal, having almost expended what little he had to spare. Still, this didn't deter his rage, it just left him to take a more simplistic approach. The first mare struggled fruitlessly against her chains as she felt a gash being carved into her neck by some unseen force, guided remotely by Discord's finger. With a flick of his wrist, her throat was slit open, and torrents of previously pressurised blood spurted forth with a horrendous spraying sound.

Discord turned to the final mare, dissipating the chains restraining her. She wouldn't run, she couldn't. She was bordering on hysteria, if not insanity; her mind was broken.

Just like Fluttershy's was.

Discord felt his rage soar beyond what he had felt to begin with. He snapped his fingers, the body of the survivor contorting and shifting, changing proportions rapidly; wasted chaos energies be damned. By the time the spell was finished, the mare before him bore an exact likeness to Princess Celestia herself, minus the royal attire and cutie mark. Discord didn't hesitate for a second. He threw himself at her, grasping her and slamming her face first into a newly-materialised concrete slab, breaking her nose and bending the top of her muzzle at an obscene angle. He raised her head, only to swing it down into the slab twice more before shifting his grip and hurling her several dozen meters across the dunes. "DO YOU KNOW WHAT I'M GOING TO DO TO YOU FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE!?" He teleported to her in an instant, kicking her in the side before forcing her to stand with his magic, "I'M GOING TO TORTURE YOU TO DEATH! OVER AND OVER AGAIN FOR A THOUSAND YEARS!" His paw shot out, shattering her horn before he even managed to get a full grip on it, "YOU AND YOUR SISTER! I'LL FORCE YOU TO WATCH AS I GUT HER!" He drew back the horn and punctuated his statement by ramming it into the pseudo-alicorn's gut, twisting and jerking it as violently as he could manage.

The mare's expression was one of constant agony, but no sound escaped her lips, her shattered mind not extending the capability of screaming to her any longer. Discord left the horn lodged in her gut and got to work on her wings, slashing at them with paw and claw, tearing them to bloody strips, "I'LL TAKE YOUR WINGS! YOUR HORN! YOUR LOVED ONES! YOUR KINGDOM! YOUR SUBJECTS! YOUR SUN! I'LL TAKE EVERYTHING FROM YOU, CELESTIA! EVERYTHING EXCEPT YOUR IMMORTALITY BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING TO SUFFER WITH ME UNTIL THE END OF TIME!" As he concluded his sentence he poured all his excess energies through his hands and into the broken mare. The sound of sizzling was heard for the briefest of moments, then her torso exploded, showering both Discord and the surrounding area with entrails.

The few structurally stable remnants of the body toppled over, and Discord fell onto his back in turn, panting heavily, still hissing with rage. He thought for not a moment on the acts he had just committed, only on the state of his friend. He intended to return as soon as possible, but doing so would've currently proven impossible considering the amount of magic he had wasted with the final blow, in combination with the other methods of magical execution he had utilised. He contemplated it for a moment, this would definitely mean more rest and recuperation for him, delaying their movement east, 'Not good...'

He cast his eyes over the gore-spattered sand as his rage gradually receded, and subsequently looked himself over. He was just as filthy, if not more. He gave a hefty sigh, figuring that it wouldn't be the brightest idea to offer help to his traumatised friend whilst covered in the blood and organs of five different ponies.

Although he managed to summon up enough magic to clean himself up, he grumbled and cursed loudly at Celestia's hell-spawned sun as it beat down upon him mercilessly, "You're a real monster, Celestia, you know that?"

Using his claw he carefully pinched a nearby set of ropey intestines and threw them a good distance away, "Here I am, out in the desert heat, knee-deep in clotting blood and baking entrails." He sighed, "If there's a punch-line to this one, I don't even want to hear it..." He glanced up, watching with mild interest as a solitary vulture swooped down and began picking at some of the more distant body parts, "I'll be back soon, Fluttershy..."

Author's Note

Sorry for the delay guys, I do plan on picking the pace back up again when I can. On a positive note, the next chapter is actually a part of this that got carried over, I'm just adding a few parts to it, so it should be done pretty soon. Now then, three announcements:

1) I've updated the map to show where Twilight and the others currently are (I should've done this last chapter, but sorta forgot :| Here's the link.

2) Last A/N I said 'all would be revealed' about Fluttershy's Element in this chapter. As I've stated above, I carried some of this chapter over to the next one, that's why it wasn't in here. It should definitely be in the next one.

3) At the time I'm writing this the story has 199 favs :D Once it gets one more favourite I'll be doing a little celebratory thing on my Twitch live stream, and upload it to my channel a little later on in case anyone that wants to see it misses it. I plan on playing the new Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs. Should be terrifyingly hilarious :P

I'll have more details on that in the A/N of the next chapter (I'm hoping by then I'll have earned +1 favs :P).

Until then, thanks for reading, and I'll see you guys later.

Mike, bringing everyone the 'scope' of things to come.

Chapter XXI - Memories

Twilight, Pinkie and Angel had been tending to Fluttershy as best they could for the past forty minutes, but their capacity to do so had been severely limited by her non-responsiveness. They had tried gently coaxing her into speaking several times, but all attempts had been met with failure.

When Discord finally popped back into existence behind them with the gall to look exhausted, Twilight felt her blood boil, "Just where the hell have you been!?"

Discord briefly considered telling - or even showing - her exactly what he had been doing just to see the look on her face, but decided against it, "Blowing off some steam in the way only I can." He dropped all traces of smugness from his voice, "How is she?"

Twilight had already prepared her answer in advance, and a remarkably snide one at that. However, Discord's tone and expression suggested that he was genuinely concerned for the well being of the pegasus, despite his hasty exit earlier. She resolved to save it for later and sighed, "Not good. She hasn't moved a muscle, and we can't get any response out of her whatsoever, no matter what we try." She took a deep breath, "I'm really worried about her, Discord. What if she's stuck like this? We can't even tell what's wrong with her because she won't communicate with us."

Discord scanned over the pegasus, "Correction, you can't tell what's wrong with her. I've seen this before, several times actually."

"You have?" Twilight felt a small flicker of hope spark up within her chest.

"Yes, although usually it was my fault in the first place." He stepped towards Fluttershy, "The pony mind is a very complicated, intricate thing, as I'm sure you're aware. However, there are certain things that the mind simply cannot, or will not, process; resulting in what we're seeing now." He stopped before Fluttershy, staring closely into her unmoving eyes, "Though the specific causes can differ from pony to pony, as well as their circumstances, we're generally talking about mentally scarring events. For instance, the massacre survivors during the 'Chaos Wars' tended to end up the same way."

He caught Twilight's disgusted expression but ignored it, "We shouldn't really be surprised that Fluttershy ended up like this after such a revelation. She's the Bearer of Kindness, after all. She killed in anger - using the Element itself as a weapon, no less - going against everything she stands for, and there's no way she can undo it now that he's dead." He sat down before Fluttershy, giving a dry, humourless chuckle, "Gives an entirely new meaning to the phrase, 'Killing them with kindness', doesn't it?"

Pinkie frowned momentarily at Discord's choice of humour, preparing to speak her mind on just how inappropriate such jokes were given the circumstances, but his hollow laugh gave her pause, 'He's hurting. A lot more than he's letting on.' A pang of sympathy shot through Pinkie, adding to her already heavy emotional load, "S-So what can we do to help her?"

Discord tapped his head without looking at her, still examining Fluttershy's eyes closely, "I'll be going on another mind stroll, like I did with you, only this time I won't be looking for alternate personalities, I'll be looking for Fluttershy herself. She's in there somewhere, I just have to find her and bring her back out." He turned his head all the way around to look at them, "One thing though, and this is important."

"What?" Pinkie asked.

"I know this sounds odd, but do not fall asleep under any circumstances. I don't know how long this will take, and I'm tired. There's no way I can watch over your dreams and do this at the same time."

"Watch over our dreams?" the thought made Twilight feel uneasy.

"Ever since the incident with Luna and you, Twilight, I've been watching out for her trying to pull the same trick again. My presence alone is enough to ward her off, but I can't stop her from watching and waiting from afar. Think of it this way, every time one of you falls asleep, doorways appear that Luna can use to get into your heads. Ever since the incident where she invaded Twilight's dreamscape, my magic has been blocking those doorways, preventing Luna from meddling with our heads and gleaning any information from us. However, when I'm tired blocking these doorways becomes much harder. Blocking them whilst tired, and exploring Fluttershy's mind simultaneously is too much for me in my current state. So don't fall asleep, got it?"

The ponies gulped and nodded.

Discord span his head back around the right way and met the eyes of Angel, who had climbed up onto Fluttershy's head so as to meet him at eye level. The rabbit scowled at him and gave several threatening squeaks, though he would occasionally look down at Fluttershy with a worried expression.

Discord rolled his eyes, "You don't need to threaten me, Angel, nor would I consider it wise if I were you. Besides, I won't do anything to make things worse, she's my friend; I want to help her as much as you do." He hummed for a moment, "And I will, under one condition..."

Angel frowned and shot the draconequus a death glare.

Discord smiled devilishly, "Chess. Rematch. My rules."

Angel's scowl turned into a look of confusion and exasperation. He gave the draconequus a curt nod after realising that he was awaiting an answer.

"It's settled then!" Discord snatched the paw of the bunny and shook it wildly, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have an important visit to make." He placed a finger gently against Fluttershy's forehead, "Knock, knock..."

Staring helplessly at her friend, knowing full well now that this was something only Discord could fix, and that it may have been beyond even him, Pinkie's outlook on the situation became darker and more grim by the second. With nothing else to do that might have staved off the crushing, fenced-off emotions within her, her mind quickly wound back to the previous day, and the numerous terrible events that had taken place. Namely, that Fluttershy had inadvertently taken a life.

But as she reflected on it, the more unsettled she became, not by the actions of her friends, but by her own, 'Fluttershy would never have killed a pony on purpose...' She grimaced, 'But would I have?'

A familiar voice echoed from within her mind, 'Evidently not, otherwise you wouldn't have relied on me to quite literally fight your battles. You don't have the nerve.'

Pinkie didn't respond, 'I hurt them, those guards. Blew out their eardrums without a second thought. I knew what overcharging the cannon would do to them, but... but I... did it anyway.'

'In self defence, you know you didn't charge it to anywhere near lethal levels.'

Pinkie sighed inwardly, 'That doesn't make me feel any better.'

Pinkamena replied flatly, 'Good. That wasn't my intention, I'm just stating the facts so you'll shut up. You and I both know you don't have the steel to take a life. Contemplating whether or not you would've when it's obvious that you never could is both pointless and irritating.'

'But I released you, knowing what you might do to them.' She paused, 'You could have killed them, but I let you out anyway. Does that... Does that make me just as responsible? What if you had killed that guard?' Pinkie trembled slightly, 'What if he's dying now? What if he's dead? Am I as guilty as you, even if I wasn't the one in control? Would it be my fault if he died?'

Pinkamena grunted, 'I don't know. I don't care.' A spitting noise could be heard before she spoke again, 'Suck it up. You needed my help, and I gave it. If he's dead, it's his fault, not mine or yours, and it's the same for the one Fluttershy shot. They came after us, not the other way around. If you want to be sorry for yourself until someone reassures you, ask somepony else. Any more of this to me and I'll drag you back in here and kick your teeth out.'

Silence prevailed as Pinkie's glazed-over eyes regained their focus, the pegasus before her hadn't moved an inch, and from the looks of it, neither had Twilight or Angel.

When she spoke, her voice came out only as a dejected whisper, her gaze never leaving Fluttershy, "Twilight? I-I know it's not a good time, b-but can I ask you a question?"

There was a brief silence, "What is it?"

"Do you blame me for attacking those guards, even if P-Pinkamena was the one hurting them?"

Twilight turned her head to face her, "What?"

"I-I mean, I let her out in the first place." She lowered her voice even further, as if to avoid Fluttershy hearing, "I know what Fluttershy d-did, but that was an accident. Pinkamena... she could have killed somepony on purpose, but I still let her out. Is it my fault, too?"

Twilight sighed, glancing at Angel for his input only to see that their conversation hadn't merited any response from him, his fearful eyes still locked firmly on his owner, "Pinkie, I don't blame you or Fluttershy for anything that happened. It was my fault in the first place, I was the one that decided to walk off on my own. If I hadn't, this entire situation could have been avoided." Again, she sighed and took a deep breath, fixing her eyes back on Pinkie's, "But it did. We all had to do things we didn't want to in order to escape, but out of necessity, not because we felt like it." Her voice softened, "You freed Pinkamena, despite the risk to yourself, to save us; not because you wanted to hurt those ponies. It's your intention that matters, Pinkie. How can we blame you for putting your life on the line for us?"

Pinkie almost smiled, but the weight of her thoughts tugged her mouth downwards at the corners, "But even then... The guards that got stabbed." She flinched at the gruesome memories, "It was technically still me that did those things. The poster said so! I'm guilty!"

The next sound that filled the air was that of a resounding slap as Angel hopped up and swiped his paw across Pinkie's muzzle. The ponies stared at his deadpan expression for a couple of seconds until he raised his paw and jabbed it towards Fluttershy before frowning at Pinkie.

Twilight did her best to interpret his actions as he span on the spot and faced his owner once again, "I think he wants you to keep it down, Pinkie. And perhaps this conversation should wait, at least until Fluttershy is okay."

Pinkie hung her head and rubbed her cheek, "Yeah, I'm being pretty selfish, aren't I?"

Twilight rested a hoof on her back, "You're scared, Pinkie, we all are, it's fine. And for the record, those posters are full of crap. Just Celestia doing as she always does, twisting the facts to portray herself in a better light. How can you be guilty of what Pinkamena did? She's another pony, at least in terms of conscience. She did those things, not you." Pinkie lifted her head, but Twilight spoke before she could talk, "Did Pinkamena throw parties out of the goodness of her heart every single time somepony back home was sad, or lonely?" She paused for a moment as her message sank in, "No. You did."

With that, the room lapsed into silence for the final time, both ponies turning back to their pegasus friend as Twilight's words echoed through Pinkie's mind. A fraction of a smile forced its way onto her face, though the direness of the situation quickly erased it. Even so, there was still a small measure of comfort to be found in what Twilight had said.

At least until Pinkamena made her distaste quite obvious with a threatening snarl, 'Of course I didn't throw any parties. I spent my foalhood in a prison cell.'

Pinkie fixed her eyes on the floor and staved away the guilt as best she could.

A contented sigh signalled Discord's arrival within Fluttershy's mindscape, "Ah... So nice to be in a normal mind for once." He surveyed his surroundings with interest. What immediately struck him was just how well organised her mind was. Everything around him was impeccably tidy and uniformly arranged, an exceptionally rare trait indeed.

He currently stood in the centre of a perfectly square room, the walls were a clean white, the floors beneath a polished marble. Many doors lined each wall at perfectly regular intervals, and each had a golden plaque above it, detailing exactly where one would end up after stepping through the threshold. Although it was infinitely less chaotic than Pinkie's method of pulling doors from nowhere, Discord couldn't help but appreciate it, given the circumstances; it made his job far easier.

His gaze flicked between the plaques, "Ideas, Dreams, Fears, Desires, Memories, Emotio- wait a second..." He glanced back to the door beneath 'Memories'. "Bingo." The door was ever-so-slightly ajar, as opposed to fully closed like the rest. It was the sort of thing he wouldn't have given a second thought to were he anywhere else, but here in 'Order Central' it was the only - and therefore a glaringly obvious - flaw.

Discord stepped towards it, and noticed that despite the lack of objects in the large room, his footsteps didn't echo at all. If the atmosphere of Pinkie's mind - with her thousands of imaginary clones - could be likened to a factory, then Fluttershy's was easily comparable to a library.

Or a cemetery.

He reached the door and stepped through, taking care not to shut it behind him for fear that the noise might scare away the pony he was searching for. A wide hallway materialised before him, stretching into the distance, doors lining either wall, and other hallways connecting to it on either side every so often. He made his way along it, checking for anything out of place as he went. Unlike the doors from before which were made from solid wood, these possessed glass panes, allowing Discord to peek at the memory within. He stopped by one, his curiosity getting the better of him. It was a short memory, relatively speaking. Though he couldn't hear anything through the door, Discord remembered this occasion himself and smiled. It was one of their earlier meetings after his reformation.

The focus was on Discord, holding a steaming tea of cup and laughing. The perspective shook slightly, presumably as Fluttershy laughed herself. This continued for a few seconds before Discord sipped at his cup and smiled down at her.

The memory stopped there, and promptly began replaying itself from the beginning.

Discord chuckled to himself, glancing up at the sign above the door, 'Tea (?) with a New Friend'.

A smile worked its way onto his face, though he dropped it quickly enough as he reminded himself of his purpose there. He continued down the hall, noting that the further he progressed, the older the memories became.

He stopped.

It was quite a distance away, but even so it would have been impossible to miss the monstrous metal door that materialised and blocked the hallway. He remained where he was and squinted, not out of difficulty seeing, but from confusion. The door resembled the one that Pinkie had used to keep Pinkamena's containment cell secure, but this one had a distinct difference. Several dozen sharp metal spikes protruding outwards, preventing further passage beyond that point. The gears in Discord's mind began whirring, yet he found himself unable to comprehend exactly why Fluttershy would have any need for such precautions.

It actually unnerved him somewhat as he thought about it. Whereas the door within Pinkie's mind was intended to keep a pony sealed in, this one was specifically designed to keep ponies out.

Including Fluttershy herself.

"Whatever's behind that door, it's bad news..." He resumed his search, trying his best to pinpoint any out-of-place details other than the gargantuan death trap in the distance; he figured if she'd actually managed to find a way through that, things were going to become very problematic, very quickly.

Fortunately, as he continued onwards the faint sound of voices could be heard from up ahead. He picked up his pace, coming to a halt just outside the corresponding door after a half-minute's brisk walk. As he'd expected, this door had been left ajar too. The plaque above simply stated, 'The Best Night Ever!', a phrase which was promptly chorused from the voices within. Discord peered through the glass and observed as the six Bearers, Spike and Celestia would discuss the events of the gala, explain what they had learned about friendship, coin it 'the best night ever', and laugh. Then the memory would reset.

Discord found himself cringing through the majority of the memory, but he kept his complaints to himself. After his third observation, he was sure of it. Each time the memory replayed itself, every action and word spoken would be repeated perfectly, save for those involving Fluttershy. Though the variations were minute at best, they were there. Fluttershy was re-living this specific memory on a loop.

He waited for the memory to reset and pushed the door fully open, stepping inside and feeling the room shift around him as he was plunged into the memory himself.

"That sounds like the worst night ever." Spike raised his arms in bewilderment.

A unified chorus of, "It was!" followed by a wave of joyous laughter did little to clear up any confusion the dragon may have had.

Discord watched as Celestia announced her arrival and conversed with the others. He stood back, out of their line of sight, but it wouldn't have mattered anyway. They were nothing but a memory, they couldn't see or hear him, as he wasn't part of the original event. Nevertheless, Discord's close proximity to the memory Celestia was enough to prompt him to stop observing and act. He'd already killed a Celestia today, and that was messy enough; he didn't want to kill another inside Fluttershy's mind.

"Yeah, hanging out with friends!" Rainbow gestured to the others and smiled.

"T-Talking!" Fluttershy stammered slightly.

"Laughing!" Pinkie raised her hooves merrily.

Discord stepped into Fluttershy's field of view. As if a steel girder had been jammed into the workings of a great machine, everything jarred to a halt, the ponies involved frozen in their respective poses, "Fluttershy?"

Fluttershy looked up in alarm, "D-Discord? What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you." Discord paused for a moment, a grim expression on his face as he searched for a way to broach the subject, "Fluttershy, what... How long have you been here?"

She seemed perplexed by his question, glancing around at her currently frozen friends, "I-I don't know. A few minutes, maybe? W-Why?"

Discord sat on an empty section of the table, keeping his eyes locked onto the pegasus, "It's been nearly an hour, Fluttershy. Maybe even more, I don't know how long I've been in here looking for you."

The look on Fluttershy's face was one of immediate acceptance as she stared down at the table, her words tumbling out just a little too quickly, "Oh, has it? I must have lost track of time, sorry..."

Discord's voice fell flat, "You're lying. To me or yourself, I don't know, but you're lying."

Fluttershy appeared not to have heard, glancing around at the room's other occupants, though clearly avoiding looking directly at Discord, "They've stopped... Why aren't they moving any m-more?"

"Because this conversation isn't part of the original memory, and it's stopping you fulfilling your role in it."

Fluttershy remained still for a second before facing him, "W-Why are you here? What do you want?"

Discord extended his paw to her, "To help you and be there for you when you need me. Take my paw, Fluttershy."

Fluttershy raised her hoof reflexively before realisation sparked in her eyes, causing her to yank it back, "You want me to leave, don't you?"

"Yes."

Her ears fell back and hurt filled her voice, "Why? Can't you see that I-I'm upset enough?"

Discord shook his head morosely, "This isn't the right way to deal with it, Fluttershy."

Fluttershy hung her head over the table and said nothing, "Fluttershy look, I understand how you must feel after... what happened, but you can't just stay here forever; it's dangerous!"

She shook her head fervently but didn't look away from the table beneath her, "No it's not! I-I'm safe here..."

Discord slammed his paw against the table, although Fluttershy didn't seem to register it, not flinching an inch, "No, you aren't! You'll go mad, Fluttershy! All you're doing is living the same memory through on a loop! None of this is real!"

Fluttershy brought her own hoof down onto the table - albeit with much less force than Discord had - and glowered up at him with gritted teeth and wide eyes, "I don't care! It's better here!" She pointed at Spike, Celestia and herself in turn, "Nobody is dead! Or a monster! Or a murderer!" Fluttershy gagged, revolted by her new title, before looking back at Discord with as much determination as she could muster, "Everyone here is happy! This is better than reality!" After allowing herself a moment to simmer down, she glanced at the smiling figures around the table and forced a forlorn smile of her own, shaking her head slowly at Discord, "This is the way things used to be. The way they should be. I just want to stay here and be happy..."

Discord scanned around the room and gave a tired sigh, "Yes, you're right, Fluttershy. Everyone here is happy, there's no use debating that. But..." he allowed more concern to flow into his voice, "What about those that aren't here? They aren't happy."

"Wh-What do you mean?"

"Your friends - your friends in reality, I mean - they're worried sick. Twilight, Pinkie, Angel, they're scared, Fluttershy. Scared for you."

"But why? I'm happy here, they d-don't need to worry about me any m-more."

"But they will, because they're your friends. They don't know what's happening in your head. They just see you, staring off into the middle-distance, all but dead to the world. They're terrified for you, Fluttershy, and every moment you spend here scares them a little more. They think they've lost you, forever."

Hope flooded into Fluttershy's voice, "B-But you can tell them I'm fine! Everything can b-be alright!"

Discord shook his head, "No, it can't. At least not like that." He stood from the table, walked around to Fluttershy's side, and stared deep into her eyes as she looked at him, "You can't actually expect me to leave you here!? You're my only friend! I won't leave you here just to go insane!"

"B-But I can't! Out there I-I'm a m-murderer, Discord! I killed a pony! I don't want to hurt anypony else! P-Please just leave me here! I can't go back out there!"

"You must."

"N-No! Discord please liste-"

Discord dropped to one knee, leaning on the other and levelling his head with her own, "No, Fluttershy, you listen. Your friends need you. I know what you're going through, I know how much it hurts." Discord's eyes widened a fraction, "But listen to me!" He backed away and stood tall, "You have friends who'd put everything on the line for you. Good friends. All they want is to be with you, and help you when you need it the most." Discord's features darkened somewhat, "As I've said, I was in your position once, a long, long time ago; but I had no friends to look out for me. To care for me..."

Fluttershy felt a knot in her stomach at the pain evident in his voice, "Discord, what-"

He cut her off, "You have to go back to them, or it'll take its toll, trust me. You'll start to lose parts of yourself. You'll become a monster, like me."

"Stop it!" Fluttershy stood from her chair and shook her head at him, "You're not a monster!"

Discord's voice fell to little more than a deep murmur, "Thousands upon thousands of dead ponies beg to differ."

Fluttershy flinched but shook her head again, "I... I know... But y-you've changed! You've t-tried to b-better yourself! You have bettered yourself!"

Discord sighed, "We're straying off-topic here. This isn't about me, this is about you." He leaned against an empty table, "Fluttershy, I'm your friend. Please, do as I say. You have to trust me! Insanity isn't half as fun as I make it out to be."

The remaining traces of hurt in Discord's voice didn't go unnoticed by Fluttershy as she slumped back into her seat and chewed her lip desperately. Try as she might, she simply couldn't refuse him in his current state, the only other time she'd ever heard him sound so dejected was right before she and the others had turned him to stone for a third time. That chain of thought only served to make her choice all the more difficult.

The months he'd spent in freezing cold stone all because of her inability to say 'No!'

The intense sorrow that radiated from his statue after being petrified by his only real friend.

The fact that, despite what she did to him, he'd brushed it off and done nothing but try to protect her ever since.

She kept her lips sealed and chewed them ferociously as her conflicting thoughts addled her judgement.
'I owe him so much...'
'I can't leave!'
'My friends need me!'
'They're better off without me...'
'I'm the only friend he has...'
'Everything is alright here...'

"Fluttershy, please..."

The weight of the sorrow in his voice shattered what remained of her resolve. She hung her head, closed her eyes and sniffled slightly, "Okay..."

Discord stooped his head down beside hers once again, "You'll go?"

Fluttershy lifted her head just enough to see him from the corners of her eyes, and nodded, "I-I will. Y-You said it y-yourself, my friends n-n-need me." She tried to force a smile, but the constant quivering of her lip made it impossible, "What ch-choice do I h-have?..." She sighed and scrunched her eyes shut again, the memory around them fading. A moment later, she and Discord were outside the - still open - door, watching as the memory restarted itself.

Discord looked down at her and tipped his head slightly, "Fluttershy... Thank you."

She nodded once to indicate she had heard.

Discord held out his paw, a small, strained smile on his face, "Shall we? It's far too orderly in here for my liking anyway."

Fluttershy stared sullenly at the paw until the sound of joyous laughter rang out from the room they had vacated. She slowly turned her head to the door, then back at Discord. Her eyes widened as she forced herself not to cry and simultaneously suppressed the urge to dart back into the room once again, "D-Discord?" she stared up at him pitifully, "C-Can I ask a f-favour first?"

His smile vanished, replaced by an expression of utmost seriousness, "Anything, so long as you come back. Name it."

Fluttershy gulped down the lump in her throat and spoke hoarsely, "Stay and watch with m-me. J-Just... Just a few more times..."

Discord prepared to argue the detriments of doing so, but with each second her sorrow grew more and more profound, and the crushing despair in her eyes overwhelmed him. He sighed and looked away, "Alright. Just a few."

Fluttershy nodded and turned to the doorway, watching the memory play out before her as Discord stepped up beside her. They watched the memory from beginning to end one, two, three times. With each repetition, Fluttershy's sorrowful expression would alleviate slightly; though upon each reset, she would hesitantly glance up at Discord.

As the fourth cycle began to draw to a close, Discord spoke up quietly, "Fluttershy, it's time."

The pegasus whimpered but said nothing as Discord held out his paw to her, his claw slowly pulling the door shut as he did so.

The door obstructed much of her view now, but those happy words and warm laughter filled the air.

"The best night ever!"

The door clicked shut. Fluttershy scrunched her eyes closed, tears brimming at their corners as she took Discord's paw.

The corridor faded into nothingness, and they vanished.

Fluttershy's eyes fluttered open as she came to, noticing the sheets that had been draped over her, and how she had presumably remained standing the entire time. "W-Where did these come from?" She attempted to shrug the sheets off, but promptly found herself pinned by the weight of two ponies and a rabbit atop her, squeezing her tightly.

"Fluttershy! Fluttershy you're awake! Or at least not... whatever that was. Welcome back!"

"We were really worried about you!"

Angel jumped down to the side of Fluttershy's muzzle and curled up next to her cheek, gently pressing against her and nodding in agreement.

The pegasus at the bottom of the heap made no attempt to reply, which - given the tightness of Pinkie's grip, and her need to preserve oxygen - was probably a good idea. Once Pinkie eventually released her and the others stepped back, she scanned around gloomily for the only one who hadn't leapt across the room to greet her.

Discord's expression was as unreadable as a blank mask.

Fluttershy addressed him, her voice flat and monotonous, "What now?"

Discord responded in kind, ignoring the concerned expressions of the other three, "Now? That entirely depends on your answer to my next question."

Fluttershy lowered her gaze to the floor before resting her forehead against it, "Which is?"

"Do you really want to see this through?"

She didn't raise her head, "What do you mean?"

"You can be done with this. You've seen enough. Suffered enough. More than enough." He furrowed his brow in pity, "You can go home, if you wish."

Twilight and Pinkie shared a hurt look at the thought of their friend leaving, but all it took was a momentary glance in her direction to remind them of the ordeal she was going through. They remained quiet, though both looked up at Discord pleadingly, as if to ask him not to take her away.

Discord caught their expressions in his periphery, but pointedly ignored them.

Fluttershy lifted her head a fraction and glanced at him questioningly, "How?"

"I could send you back right now, really. It wouldn't be difficult to make it seem like you were brainwashed the entire time. Sure, they'd ask questions when they found you, lots of questions. But with a few precautions I can't foresee that becoming too much of a problem."

Fluttershy didn't move, "Th-That's not what I meant. What I m-meant was, how do you e-expect me to leave all this behind me? T-To leave you all a-and pretend I n-never had anything to do with it? Not five minutes ago you told me my friends needed me, D-Discord..." She glanced at everyone around her with sullen eyes, "I n-need them, too. I'm s-staying with you, all of you. I've said it b-before, and I'll say it again, I won't ever abandon you. You're my friends, no matter what."

Discord slumped down onto the sofa sounding relatively relieved, "I was hoping you'd say something along those lines. Regardless, the offer is always there should you change your mind."

Fluttershy nodded in acknowledgement, and the room fell quiet.

All eyes were on the pegasus - still prone on the floor - as Twilight spoke gently, "Fluttershy, I'm so, so sorry." She sat beside her friend and draped a hoof around her neck, "I-I didn't know, didn't realise... I never would've read that out if I had." She grimaced and looked at Fluttershy, but the pegasus was still staring blankly at the floor beneath her. "I can't even begin imagine how you're feeling right now. I-Is there anything you need? Anything at all?"

Fluttershy blinked and gave Twilight a sideways glance, her voice still a flat, soulless monotone, "I need to be alone."

Without skipping a beat, Discord snapped his fingers, causing himself and Fluttershy to vanish from sight.

Pinkie lowered herself onto her haunches, "Twilight?"

"Yes, Pinkie?"

Pinkie's voice was laden with worry and concern, "Will she be okay?"

Twilight sighed and sank into a nearby chair, lowering her head into her forehooves, the image of Fluttershy's empty gaze still pinned firmly at the forefront of her mind, "I don't know, Pinkie. I just don't know."

Fluttershy sat beside Discord atop a high-up hilltop, the vast expanse of the Appleloosan apple orchards beneath them, stretching off into the distance with the town lingering on the horizon. The wind whistled quietly by them, causing Fluttershy's mane to wave in the breeze, though Discord's beard remained blatantly unaffected.

Discord mimicked Fluttershy and stared at the town in the distance as he spoke, "I'll leave you to your thoughts. Call for me whenever you're ready and I'll bring you back." He raised his paw, but it froze in mid-air, "Oh, and please don't wander. I'll know, and you could probably do without a safety lecture at the moment."

Fluttershy nodded and turned to him, "Thank you for everything, Discord."

Discord nodded back, and stretched in preparation.

"Despite what you might think, you're not a monster, not really."

He hesitated for a second, then vanished with a flash of light and a resounding snap.

Fluttershy turned back to the orchards without a word, her eyes fixated on the barely visible town of Appleloosa in the distance. The town in which guards were putting up posters of her labelled 'murderer'.

She thought back to it for the hundredth time. The anger. The arrows. The agony on his face as he fell. The absolute certainty that this was, in fact, reality, and that she had killed a pony just for trying to save his friend.

Fluttershy keeled over and vomited.

Her stomach now emptied, she coughed weakly and blinked the reflexive tears from her eyes. She tried to collect her thoughts, to compose herself and think things through properly, but couldn't, no matter how hard she tried. Thousands of questions, uncertainties, apologies, facts and fears raced through her mind and left before she even fully registered them.

Of all those multitudes of thoughts, only one was constant. One word repeated over and over, as if chanted by a choir of vindictive voices.

'Murderer!'

A gust of wind blew her mane across her face, hiding her features for but a few seconds. By the time it died down, and her mane fell back to its natural position, her face was already streaked with miniature streams of tears.

"I'm sorry..."

Author's Note

So, it's been over a month, I know, I apologise once again. I won't bore you with excuses or anecdotes, if you're interested in specifically why this is so late out there's a post on my blog explaining it.

Key information for you:
This chapter is part of a bigger one that I wrote, which has been split into many other chapters now, as I wrote quite a lot and had to arrange it all logically etc. The details on Fluttershy's Element breakage will almost certainly be in the next chapter. I tried to get it in here, as per my promise in the last A/N, but nope.

In case any of you were wondering about that Amnesia livestream I promised, I've resolved to get around to it during the Christmas holidays, when I'll have enough free time.

Anyways, I apologise once again for not keeping to my personal deadline of one chapter every two weeks. I know you probably expected more than 6.5k words considering this took me over a month, but I simply cannot find the time to write at the moment.

Ending on a positive note, at the time of writing this, As Twilight Falls has 171 likes... That's just absolutely crazy, I swear it had only 130 something last month. :D

Mike, bringing you the 'scope' of things to come (and taking his bloody sweet time whilst he's at it, too).

Chapter XXII - Itineraries

The door to the room in which the princesses were sitting was shoved open with little ceremony, and through it stepped the the castle's three temporary residents.

Rarity slammed the door behind her just a little harder than she had intended, but made no apologies, only wincing slightly and taking a seat at the circular table in the centre along with Applejack and Rainbow. Across from them sat Celestia, Luna and Shining Armor.

Celestia was the first to speak, "Thank you for being here promptly, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity. I apologise that we couldn't begin sooner, but as you know, there are a great many issues to deal with, some of which simply could not wait." She raised an eyebrow at them, "It seems I'll also have to add replacing a window and refurbishing a suite to the list, doesn't it?"

Applejack lowered her eyes and squirmed uncomfortably in her seat, "Ah'm sorry, Princess, Ah really am. Ah just... after everything he's done to them..." Images of her friends - rage burning behind their eyes as they lashed out at the guards before them - flashed before her, "Ah just lost it. Ah couldn't control myself. A-Ah'll pay for the damages, if needs be."

Celestia waved a hoof dismissively, "There won't be any need for that, Applejack, don't worry; the treasury will provide. I understand how you all must be feeling, and honestly I'd be more worried if you didn't react so strongly. Besides, money is the least of my worries right now. That, however," she gestured to the large gauze pad above Rainbow's eye, "concerns me. How is it?"

Rainbow shrugged, "It's no big deal. They said I shouldn't need any stitches as long as I don't mess around with it."

Luna scanned the faces of the three, "I trust that the issue has been resolved properly, as opposed to through violence?"

Rainbow and Applejack shared a glance and nodded.

Celestia placed her hooves on the table, "Good. However, we didn't bring you down here to discuss last night's... incident. Luna, Shining and I need any information you might be able to provide on the location of Twilight and the others."

Shining rose from his seat with a slight grunt and a grimace as he put weight on his injured leg. He levitated a scroll from a pile on his left and unrolled it so that the Bearers could see the image upright. It was a map of Equestria, labelled with numerous lines, arrows and shapes. He gestured down at a circled area close to Dodge City, "This is where we encountered my sister and the others. Take a look."

The three registered the location, and Applejack gave an affirmative nod, "Ah remember, yeah."

"Good. Okay, I'll get to the point." He withdrew his hoof and waved it around the general area, "We need to know where they're likely to have fled to. It seems unlikely that they moved north, considering how many guards were posted along that route in preparation for our retreat; somepony would have noticed them." He pushed the map closer to the three, "Do you have any idea of where they might have gone to afterwards? Have the six of you visited any of these locations before? Is there anywhere they could hide that isn't on the map? Anything would help us right now, even if a detail seems trivial and benign to the three of you, it might just be what we're looking for."

The three shared a glance, and Rarity pointed a hoof at a marked railway line leading away from Dodge, "Yes, we've been in Dodge before, though it was a while ago now." She shuddered at the memory of the arduous, dirty, and profoundly noisy ride home, all thanks to a certain pink friend of hers.

Shining circled the town in red ink, "Right, though I doubt we'll turn up much there. It was amongst the first places my guards searched afterwards, given its proximity to the battle."

After a moment's pause, Applejack tapped her hoof against the map, "We've been to Appleloosa before, too. Doubt any of the folks there'd hide a group on the run from the guards, but Ah reckon if they wanted to hide in plain sight they wouldn't have too many problems, they managed it well enough the last time."

Shining circled the town accordingly, "We've got guards there, too, but perhaps you're right. Anywhere else?"

Rainbow pointed to the left of Appleloosa, "Just about the only other place we've been around there is Ghastly Gorge. I mean, I was the only one that actually flew in, but they were all there. I don't think they'd ever dare to hide somewhere as dangerous as that, but as much as I hate to admit it, Discord could probably walk through with his eyes closed."

Shining circled the corresponding area and hummed thoughtfully to himself, "It would make sense, definitely. Not many ponies would willingly explore somewhere so dangerous, it would certainly keep them from being stumbled upon." He gave the map a cursory glance, "Anywhere else around that area?"

The three looked between one another thoughtfully before shaking their heads, "Ah don't think we've ever been any further south than Appleloosa. The only other place the six of us have been is the Everfree Forest, but they'd have to be mighty desperate to be hidin' there, considerin' how close it is to home and all, never mind how dangerous it is."

Shining drew a small question mark beside the Forest and closed his eyes in thought, "It's not much, but it's better than nothing. At least we have a general idea of where they might be." He rolled the scroll back up and placed it to one side, "Thank you all for your help. Without your assistance we might never have found them at all. I can continue the search for my sister, thanks to you; it means a lot to me that you've gone this far for her, and the others of course."

Rarity shared a small smile with the two beside her, "Even if they've made the wrong choices of late, they will always be our friends, that much will never change. If we have to search the entirety of Equestria to find them, so be it." Shining returned their smiles and gave a grateful tip of his head.

Rainbow stood from her seat and turned to the princesses, "Speaking of the search, are we good to go? There's no use in us just sitting here planning if we aren't going to act."

Applejack followed suit, "She's right. Every minute we spend sittin' here is another the three of them have to spend with that monster. We need to get back out there and find them!"

Luna shook her head, "No, you don't. Not yet, at least."

Rainbow almost nodded in agreement before registering what the Princess had said and pausing,"Yeah, let's-What?"

Luna rose from her seat calmly, "I'm sorry, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, but I'm afraid we simply can't let you go if that's your intention."

Rainbow looked around the room in apparent frantic bewilderment before setting her eyes on Luna and bringing a hoof down hard against the table, "Wait, what!? What do you mean we can't look for them!?"

Celestia spoke sympathetically, "Luna speaks the truth, I'm afraid. After a recent... development, Luna and I have agreed that it's far too dangerous to send you after them again."

Rarity, previously silent, lurched up from her seat and all but threw herself across the table, her muzzle stopping a few inches from Celestia's, "Too dangerous!? Correct me if I'm wrong, Princess, but you seemed more than happy to send us out against the demon that butchered Spike not six months ago!"

Celestia kept her tone calm, and her face expressionless, "Because there was no good alternative, that event was the very definition of emergency. I trusted the six of you to handle a hopeless situation, as you have in the past, and you did. This is not an emergency. It is urgent, yes, and of the utmost importance. But we have the time to plan, to think things through and retrieve them at the most opportune moment. Most importantly, we can do so without having to risk lives, as I had to when Calamity returned, and sending the three of you after them puts your lives at risk, so you are not going."

Rainbow mimicked Rarity, leaning across the table to face Celestia, "Our lives at risk? Last time I checked, those three are the ones that need saving, not us! And down to some 'development'? What was it? Don't tell me you're keeping us here because AJ broke your damn window!"

Luna stepped up beside Celestia, "Watch your tone, both of you!"

Applejack lowered the brim of her hat, her words filling with venom, "Well excuse us for not bein' all that trustin' of her after all the lyin' she's been doin' since Spike died!"

Celestia frowned, struggling to keep her voice level at the accusation, "I lied because the truth would have crushed you!"

"And look where that got us!" Rarity effectively spat, "This is so much better than if you had simply told us the truth from the beginning! Perhaps that way they might not have chosen a psychopathic monster over you! Oh, wait! Perhaps they just had trouble telling the difference!"

"How DARE you!?" Luna snarled at her.

"ENOUGH!"

A blinding flash of light filled the room, accompanied by Shining's voice, "Simmer down, all of you. We're here to discuss a plan of action, not argue amongst ourselves."

As the temporary blindness faded from the Bearers' eyes, each begrudgingly took a seat, noticing that Celestia and Luna were already seated, and seemed to have gone unaffected by the blast.

Shining gave them a few seconds to regain their composures before breaking the silence, "My apologies for the spell, but not for my words. The longer you spend bickering, the less time we have to deal with the issue at hoof."

Luna glanced at Celestia questioningly, and she nodded in response. The younger Princess cleared her throat, "Thank you, Shining." She turned her attention to the Bearers and drew a deep breath, "If you must know, the 'development' that Celestia spoke of had nothing to do with what conspired here in the castle last night, but the confrontation between Shining and Discord."

Rainbow tilted her head and gave a huff to prevent the remnants of anger rising into her voice, "What about it? We saw the whole thing."

Luna shook her head, "This happened after the three of you left." Again, she looked to Celestia for approval before speaking, "The guard that Pinkie impaled is seriously injured, but in a stable condition. However, the one that Fluttershy attacked wasn't so fortunate."

Their eyes widened slightly at the many insinuations of the Princess's words, "W-What do you mean?" Applejack stammered.

Luna stared into each of their eyes in turn, "He passed away in the early hours of this morning. Fluttershy of all ponies is now, by definition, a murderer."

The three stared at the table before them, dumbfounded.

"Y-You're kidding, right?" Rarity whispered, barely able to force out the words.

Luna shook her head, "I wish I was."

Nopony moved for a long time.

Celestia took it upon herself to break the silence, doing so in as quiet and calm a manner as possible, "Indeed. That is why we can't allow you to go chasing after them haphazardly any more. Discord is manipulating them, trying his best to ensure that the six of you will never reunite and use your Elements against him. If you found them, and Discord, in turn, found you, there'd be nothing to stop him warping your minds in the same way, or even just killing you outright should that fail."

Rarity opted to rest her forehead against the edge of the table, leaving Applejack and Rainbow to share a forlorn stare.

Rainbow shook her head, her voice pitifully hollow, "We can't give up on them." She spoke again, her voice retrieving but a fraction of its usual vigour, "We won't give up on them. Not when they need us."

Applejack pulled the brim of her hat down even further than earlier to shadow her features, but nodded, "You're right. N-No matter who says what, we can't abandon our friends. There's no way in hell we're leavin' them to be that monster's puppets!"

Rarity lifted her head, anxiety clear on her face, "Fluttershy needs us. They all need us."

Celestia sighed, "Girls, please, listen to us. Now is not the time to go chasing after them, you could die. What about your families? How would they cope if you were killed in the process?"

"What about their families?" Rainbow countered, albeit with little spirit in her voice, "How is it fair that we get to sit here, safe, whilst Twilight, Pinkie and Fluttershy's families are probably worried to death?"

The attention of every pony in the room switched to Shining, but he radiated only a professional calmness and allowed his face to betray no emotion, "I'd certainly be less worried if you all stopped arguing and focused on the task at hoof." He scrutinised the expressions of the three Bearers in turn, then looked up at the roof in apparent exasperation, "No matter what you tell them, Princesses, I give them two days maximum before they give chase regardless." He turned his attention back to the three, "Am I right?"

They eyed him warily, but after a moment Rainbow summoned up the courage to reveal her intentions, and the others promptly followed, each giving a quick, emphatic nod.

Shining directed his gaze to the princesses, "They're not going to stay here and do nothing, surely you realise that?"

Celestia raised an eyebrow at him in curiosity, "Well, it wouldn't prove difficult to hold them here against their will if push came to shove, but I have neither the desire nor the inclination to do so, and it sounds like you have a viable alternative."

He nodded, "The issue here is the danger that going after their friends could pose to them. Evidently, keeping them here for no good purpose will achieve nothing but agitate them further and make them more likely to charge off into potential danger."

Luna tilted her head, "And what do you propose we do?"

Shining winced briefly and shifted his weight off his injured leg, "What I suggest is that, since they fully intend to go regardless of what we say, we eliminate the potential danger by adequately preparing them for it."

A moment passed before the meaning behind his words sank in, "Combat training?" Luna asked in apparent befuddlement as she looked over the three.

"Wait, wait, wait." Rainbow interjected, "Combat training? I'm a black-belt already! What's the point?"

Shining rolled his eyes, "Ever tried kicking an opponent in a full suit of armour? Or shielding yourself from a hail of arrows? I can guarantee you that conventional martial arts won't do you much good in a situation like that, and that's fighting a normal opponent. If you're planning on going after Discord, you're going to need a few more tricks up your sleeves, all of you."

Celestia mulled it over in her head, questioning Shining's judgement for only a moment before the pieces clicked together, 'Very clever, Shining.' She hummed thoughtfully and turned her attention to the Bearers, "Perhaps Shining is right. Girls, do you fully intend to go after them, despite our warnings?"

They didn't miss a beat this time around.

"Yeah."

"Yep."

"Yes."

Celestia exhaled slowly, "Very well then, let's make a deal. Over the coming weeks we will train you adequately enough to defend yourselves and each other in preparation for the next time you meet your friends. However, you will not go after them until we deem that you are ready and fully capable of doing so with minimal risk."

Rarity opened her mouth to speak, but Celestia cut her off, "In return, when the time comes that we affirm such, you may search whenever and wherever you please without restriction. If their location is found, you will each have full access to whatever resources you require, be it guards, weaponry, armour, money, anything - within reason - so long as it used to help you achieve your goal of retrieving your friends. Do we have an agreement?"

The three shared uncertain glances, each hoping another would make the decisive call; the same worries on each of their minds. All three knew what was being offered would prove infinitely beneficial in their hunt for Twilight, Pinkie and Fluttershy, but it came at the cost of precious time.

Celestia's tone changed from business-like to nigh despondent, "Listen, girls... I know we haven't exactly been on the same page ever since the truth about the... incident, was revealed. I know you don't trust me any more." She glanced at Rarity in particular, "Hate me, even. But I speak from the bottom of my heart when I say that I want the three of them back home, safe, just as much as you do. I'm giving you this offer because Shining is right, you won't listen to me if I simply tell you to stay put, but I care about your well-being, regardless of what you might think of me. Please think this decision through carefully."

Applejack sighed and turned to Rainbow and Rarity, "What do you two think?"

"I..." Rainbow closed her eyes in thought for several seconds, "I think we should take it. I swore I wouldn't put my friends in danger by being reckless ever again. I don't like it much, but it's better than knowing that one of us might end up dead, or worse, if we went after them now."

Rarity shook her head, "The benefits seem to far outweigh the detriments on the surface, but we're forgetting that every day we don't spend searching is another that the trail is left to go cold. I'd rather put myself at risk and make sure that they're okay, than train myself only to lose trace of them completely in the process." She drew her mouth into a thin line, "Whatever we do, we do it together. The deciding vote is yours, Applejack. What do we do?"

Applejack felt all eyes in the room fixate upon her, doing little to ease her nerves as she struggled to give an answer. A bead of sweat formed on her forehead as she internally debated the offer. It was only after she questioned her morals that she finally came to a decision, "A-Ah... Rainbow's right, we can't risk their safety, or each other's, no matter how desperate we are. It ain't right. Ah don't like it... Ah hate it, even. But Ah think the Princess is tellin' the truth, we ain't ready. Sorry, Rarity, Ah say we play it safe, at least for now."

Rarity closed her eyes and nodded absent-mindedly, "It's fine, dear. I understand."

Applejack's features darkened slightly as she tilted her head forwards an inch and stared hatefully at the table before her, "Besides, Ah was tellin' the truth last night. When I find Discord, Ah want to be prepared, because Ah'm gonna kill him." The severity of her tone caught her friends off-guard, even after last night's outburst. This sounded colder, edgier. "There's gonna be hell to pay when Ah get my hooves on him. Livin' hell, Ah promise ya, he's never gonna try anythin' like this ever again."

Rarity gave her a nudge, trying to snap her from her borderline distressing ramblings, "Applejack?"

"Ah'm gonna wring his fuckin' neck 'till he chokes on his own lies and-"

"Applejack!"

The mare in question looked up in surprise, all eyes in the room once again focused solely on her. She could feel the blush burning at her cheeks as she avoided their gazes ashamedly, "Y-Yeah, w-w-we stay here, like Rainbow said..."

Silence prevailed over the room, none present knowing exactly what to say in response.

Shining took it upon himself to get things moving once again and sat back down carefully, the strain of simply standing whilst injured beginning to cause him serious discomfort, "Well, despite the... intermittent disruptions, it seems that we've reached a consensus, though I think it would be best if we discussed the specifics at a later date; we still have a lot to deal with before nightfall, and I fear the stress of it all might be getting to a few of us, if said disruptions are any indication."

"I think that would be best." Celestia scanned the three on the other side of the table, "I suggest that the three of you head back to Ponyville in the mean time. We'll send a messenger with information on when you should return here and what you should bring. We will most likely begin by the end of the week, at the latest, that should give you enough time to deal with any outstanding issues." She caught the edge of worry that seeped onto their faces, "Your families will receive financial support for your absences, so there should be no risks to anypony's livelihood." She glanced at Rainbow, "And I'll inform the Ponyville weather team that their replacement captain is strictly temporary until you return."

Luna turned between Shining and Celestia, "Is that everything?"

"I believe so." Celestia turned her attention from her sister to the Bearers, "You may leave the premises whenever you're ready. You'll hear from us as soon as we've dealt with the emergencies on our hooves, I promise."

Shining tipped his head to them, "Thank you again, Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash. I appreciate your help, and good luck."

Without a word, the three nodded and shuffled out of the room, Rarity taking care to close the door quietly behind her this time.

Each of the royals took a moment to gather their thoughts before Celestia cocked an eyebrow at Shining, "Combat training? On one hoof, that was exceptionally clever of you. On the other, we now have to follow up on that promise, which, considering their temperaments at the moment, might not be the best idea."

Shining sighed and reclined in his chair, "It should keep them out of trouble for a couple of months, at least. And I meant it when I said it will minimise the risk, should they run off, which I have no doubt they will sooner or later."

Luna let her posture sag slightly, "Most likely..."

"How long until they're here?" Shining asked nopony in particular.

Luna shrugged, "A few minutes, at most. What will you tell them?"

Shining still kept his eyes on the door, awaiting the entrance of the ones he spoke of, "The truth, even if it does make things worse."

"Would you like us to leave the three of you alone?" Luna asked, "I can only see this ending in tears, and neither of us want to intrude."

Shining shook his head, "If you don't mind, princesses, I'd rather you stay. You're probably right, Luna, there'll be tears, but there'll be questions too, and I'd be grateful if you could help me fill in the blanks."

"Of course." both sisters spoke simultaneously, a combination of pity and understanding evident in their voices.

"Speaking of 'filling in the blanks'," Shining unfurled another scroll with hastily scrawled notes upon it, "There's something rather disconcerting that I noticed before our encounter with Discord that I need to bring up."

"Yes?" Celesta asked, puzzled.

"I know that you ordered a full sweep search to find them, Celestia, but for one reason or another our nearest backup was an hour away."

Celestia nodded grimly, "I remember. I haven't gotten around to questioning the patrols about that yet."

"Well, I spoke with a few members of the backup team on our way back, and there seemed to be a consistent reason why they weren't nearby at the time." He rolled the scroll back up and rubbed his eyelids with a hoof, tiredness continuously making itself more apparent to him, "According to them, despite your orders for each unit to search specific areas, they didn't patrol that location because 'there couldn't have been anything there, so they avoided wasting time'."

Luna rubbed her chin, "You sound sceptical."

Shining nodded, "The more I think about it, the more suspicious it seems. Solar Guards just don't make such errors, especially not when they've been specifically ordered on the contrary. It seems to me like there are only three viable explanations as to why this might have happened: Plain stupidity, insubordination, or mind-control on Discord's part; and I'm sure you'll agree that each possibility is equally disturbing."

Celestia frowned, "This... could be very problematic. I'll see to it that they are questioned properly as soon as I can. Thank you for bringing this to our attention, Shining."

The Prince opened his mouth to speak, but the abrupt rattle of the door handle gave him pause, and he drew a deep breath in preparation.

The door was tentatively pushed open, and through it stepped a pair of tired, dishevelled, evidently anxious unicorns.

Twilight Velvet and Night Light.

Upon the sight of their son the two shot across the room, desperation and hope in their voices as they assaulted him with a veritable barrage of questions.

"Shining, what happened!?"

"Are you alright?"

"Where's Twilight?"

"Did you find her?"

"Is she safe?"

"Is she hurt?"

Shining endured their continued interrogation for the next few seconds, remaining silent until they released him, took a step back, and fell quiet themselves. Once they had, he glanced at the roof for a brief moment, trying to maintain his mask of professional detachment, for their sake as well as his own, "Mum, dad."

He shook his head solemnly, "It's not good news..."

The seconds ticked by in silence. All eyes in the room were on Fluttershy, but for once the pegasus simply didn't care; instead opting to gaze lifelessly at the Element she held in her hooves. It had been only twenty minutes since she had returned from her several hours of solitude, but ever since she had, not a single word had been spoken.

Discord coughed awkwardly, "Well... this has certainly been an utterly soul-rending experience for one or two of us. At least we've learned something, though I know it's not much of a consolation." When no one responded he glanced around, everyone's eyes were still fixed firmly upon Fluttershy. He snapped his fingers, ensuring that the sound created by doing so was just enough to catch their attention, "In case you haven't gathered, those posters should have made one thing clear; showing our faces in public - even under the most dire of circumstances - is now an absolute no, no."

Twilight glowered at him, "We know. So what?"

Discord snapped his fingers, causing Twilight to lurch out a foreleg before herself. Her protests died in her throat as she took notice of the dial that had appeared near her hoof labelled 'attitude'.

With practised nonchalance, Discord reached over and pinched it carefully, turning it counter-clockwise all the way down to 'simmer', accompanied by an emphatic hissing sound.

Twilight deadpanned and flicked her gaze between him and the dial, "Take it off. Now."

Discord rolled his eyes and complied, removing the dial and returning the control of the leg to its rightful owner, "You don't appreciate my attempts to lighten the mood at all, do you?"

"No, I don't." she examined her foreleg carefully before lowering it and cocking her head impatiently, "My question still stands. We can't be seen in public, so what?"

Discord gritted his teeth and slowly curled his paw into a fist, "I'm starting to think it might be more beneficial if I just catapult you all the way back to Canterlot. At least it would rid us all of your constant whining."

Twilight shook her head, smirking to herself confidently as she did so, "You wouldn't dare. You need me for your plans to work, otherwise I wouldn't be here, would I? I'm not an idiot, Discord."

Discord's expression became passive as he regarded her carefully for several seconds. Once he had finished his examination, he collapsed, laughing hysterically, clutching his sides and writhing around on the floor uncontrollably.

It took him all of three minutes before he was finally able to stand again, "Oh, Twilight! And here I am saying you don't appreciate a good laugh!" He sighed contentedly and allowed his guffaws to lower into intermittent chuckles, "No, no, no. I don't need you! You need me! The only extra benefit I'm gaining by helping you is that I get to hurt Celestia just that little bit more by taking away her precious little student." He chuckled deeply, "Oh, and the extra chaos; can't forget about that now, can we?"

Twilight stared at him with a furrowed brow, quite obviously not impressed by the bout of laughter he'd had at her expense.

Discord cleared his throat loudly, "Anyway, getting back to the issue at hand before Twilight delivers another solid brick of comedy gold." He ignored her growl of irritation, "Well... in short, we now not only have to avoid the guards, but the prying eyes of the general populace, too. That in itself is going to cause problems with my plan further down the line." He glanced between them, and noticed that all - bar Fluttershy - held varying levels of curiosity on their faces, "Speaking of which, I think it's about time I filled the four of you in on the basics."

"You mean you're actually going to tell us what you've got planned?" Despite her sullenness over recent events, Pinkie's voice held an unmistakable tinge of excitement, "For real?"

Discord raised an eyebrow, "I didn't know you had such an appreciation for my fantastic planning abilities, Pinkie."

"Well, yeah! Considering you'd already beaten us hooves-down before we even met for the first time! Evil genius if I ever saw one!" Her voice was much heartier than it had been previously, and she was smiling up at him. Not in a disturbing fashion, but more along the lines of how a friend would smile when encouraging the talents of another.

Discord took a greatly exaggerated bow, "I'll take credit where it's due. I do try my very best when I'm scheming, you know."

Pinkie continued on cheerfully, "You probably would have won too, but a certain draconequus got a little bit cocky and tried to play one too many games, didn't he?"

Discord stumbled slightly before standing back upright, all traces of pride gone from his face, "I believe I was about to reveal my plan?"

"Looks like someone's changing the subject." Twilight jabbed with a smirk of her own in retaliation to his earlier laughing fit.

"Looks like somepony wants to lose their speaking privileges." He conjured a huge needle and thread into his paw and thrust it towards Twilight, causing her to instinctively jump back before it vanished with a harmless pop, "That's what I thought." His expression quickly switched from amused to serious as he glanced around, "Now then, if we can get back on topic, here's where we stand. Celestia, Luna, and that Shining brother of yours, Twilight, are all after us now. As they get more and more desperate, we can expect their efforts to become so. It won't be long before full-scale searches will be on the agenda. That, in conjunction with the public eye now looking out for us, is going to make sneaking around a lot more difficult. Sooner or later - though preferably later - they'll find us. We have to prepare."

"Prepare? For what?" Pinkie asked with a tilt of her head.

"To fend them off. I don't know if Twilight has shared this with the two of you, but when she and I first discussed our plans back when I was still a statue, we agreed that one of the best ways to exact vengeance upon Celestia would be to destroy everything she holds dear. We'll probably have to face off against the brunt of their joint forces too. For both of these undertakings, we're going to need sufficient preparation, and an army of our very own."

"A-An army?"

All turned to Fluttershy as she spoke, and Discord nodded slowly in response, "Yes."

Though the curiosity on her face did little to override her sorrow, it was a welcome change for the others, "H-How?"

Discord sighed and scratched his cheek absent-mindedly, "Sorry, but this is another one of those times where I have to be rather vague, but with good reason." His gaze lingered on Pinkie for a moment, "Rest assured that I have a few specific groups in mind. What I can tell you is where we're going."

"And where would that be?" Twilight asked, clearly suspicious of Discord's avoidance of the previous question.

A map popped into the air between them, "North, to a lovely little town by the name of Hollow Shades." A dotted line appeared near their current location, trailing eastwards as he spoke, "We'll head east to the Haysead Swamps first, though. It should give us ample time to rest and recuperate after everything that's happened so far. Plus," he gave Twilight a small grin, "we should finally be able to get back to your training!" He rubbed his hands together rapidly, causing them to spark and catch fire before he blew them out, "I can hardly wait!"

"Sounds good to me." Twilight said - albeit cautiously - still unsure as to his true intentions.

Fluttershy slowly raised her hoof and pointed at the aforementioned town, "W-Why Hollow Sh-Shades, exactly?"

"That's where we'll be finding the first of our new-found allies, if all goes as planned. Again, I can't say much right now... Well, other than the fact that 'new-found' might be a little bit of a stretch."

Fluttershy nodded in apparent understanding, but Twilight blew her mane exasperatedly, "You have a real talent for answering questions without answering them, you know that?"

Discord chuckled and spoke mysteriously, "Don't you worry, all will be revealed in time... Though I'll leave you guessing up until that point." Smirking at her irritated frown, Discord gave a wave of his paw, the map disappearing from view once more, "Anyway, that's the plan at its most basic. Provided we aren't discovered this time around, I can't foresee many issues arising."

Pinkie slumped forward out of nowhere, only to raise her head with her mane flat and her voice lower, "Good, considering how many we have to deal with already."

"Pinkamena?" Twilight raised an eyebrow, "That was... sudden."

Pinkamena spoke tiredly, "Before any of you ask, your precious Pinkie is fine, so relax." She turned her attention to Discord, "Am I the only one concerned about that?" she pointed to the cracked Element in Fluttershy's hooves.

Discord sank his face into his paw purposefully slowly, "Just as the mood was starting to lighten up a bit..." He made his way over to Fluttershy, standing by her side and examining her Element curiously, "But I suppose you're right."

Fluttershy turned to him as he leaned down to her and spoke quietly, "Are you okay with us talking about it? It can wait, if not."

She nodded hesitantly after a moment of deliberation, "We're going to h-have to find out what h-happened eventually. We might as w-well get it over with."

Discord affixed his attention to the Element once again with a brief nod, "I'd be lying if I said I knew everything about your magical little fashion accessories. If I did, I probably would've been able to avoid a good stoning once or twice. However, I'll go over what I do know..."

He took a step back as Fluttershy held her Element out for him to take, causing her to glance up at him in confusion, "W-What's wrong? Is it dangerous?" a sliver of worry worked its way into her expression.

Discord waved his hands before her, "No, no, well... not to you, at least. Just me. Remember the spell that Celestia put on them a while back?"

The realisation dawned upon them, and Fluttershy hastily pulled her Element away from him with a yelp, "Sorry!"

He chuckled to himself, "It's fine. So long as I don't touch them physically or magically I should be fine. I don't know exactly what would happen if I did, but it's probably some sort of stunning or trapping spell mixed with a tracker so that she could find me should I 'misbehave'. Whatever it is, I'm not taking any chances. Anyway, as we know the Element of Kindness is broken due to its Bearer displaying the..." he cringed, "exact opposite of kindness; using the Element itself as a tool to do so."

Twilight enveloped Fluttershy's Element in her magic, "May I?" The pegasus nodded, and Twilight levitated it between them, spinning it gradually and closely examining the cracks that ran across the gemstone, "I don't understand it, though... The Elements have never worked on their own. I didn't even know they could until... that happened."

Discord hummed, "If I had to take a guess, I'd put it down to the Element reacting to Fluttershy's distress at the situation." He turned to the pegasus, "As you know, the lot of you share a connection with your Elements. It wouldn't surprise me if it's not just your personalities. It might be something deeper..."

Fluttershy glanced at her Element uncertainly, "Y-You mean like... our souls?"

He nodded and stroked his beard simultaneously, "Could be..."

"Souls?" Pinkamena asked sceptically, "Really?"

Discord shrugged, "I've heard of stranger concepts that have turned out to be true. That being said, Fluttershy's distress might not be the only explanation. What if the Elements themselves hold a certain level of awareness? The more I think about it, it's almost as if the Element didn't want or expect to be used in such a way, considering how it seemingly smashed itself afterwards. What if Fluttershy's rage forced it to function, even against its will and intended use?" The quietness of the room didn't go unnoticed by anyone, "Of course, these are just ideas. As I've said, I'm more or less as in the dark as the rest of you." He brought his eyes up right beside the Element, resisting the urge to tap it, "What powerful secrets do you hold inside that gemstone?..."

Pinkamena narrowed her eyes slightly at the insinuations of the statement, but voiced her question regardless, "Will it still work? At all, I mean? I suppose we don't want it backfiring and blowing her head off or something."

Fluttershy yelped quietly and sank to the ground, hiding behind her mane.

Discord frowned and shook his head, "That's not going to happen, and you know it; I'd appreciate it if you could utilise a just little tact from time to time, Pinkamena." He shot her a blazing glare, reminding her exactly of the influence he held over her should she choose to ignore his warning in future, "But something is... off, about all this, definitely. The Elements have this... presence, that they constantly emit. Despite being cracked, nothing else seems to have changed at all, at least not from what I can sense. That's not to say it's safe to use it though, who knows what could happen if it's used again in this state?"

Twilight squinted at the Element as she scrutinised it carefully, "There has to be a way to fix it, right?"

The draconequus furrowed his eyebrows in thought and turned to Fluttershy when he spoke, "This is only an assumption, but if a deed of severe cruelty was enough to break the Element, then perhaps one of outstanding kindness can mend it."

Fluttershy and Pinkamena nodded, the latter speaking up, "Makes sense. Whatever the case, let's be careful until we've got everything figured out." Pinkamena stretched and gave a weary sigh, "Well, that's one of the more pressing issues dealt with, sort of. I'm going back." she reclined back into her seat and closed her eyes.

"Pinkamena?" Twilight asked, causing the pony in question to open her eyes and glance back, "I never did thank you for saving me." The unicorn pulled a small smile, though Pinkamena's icy expression didn't shift a muscle, "So tha-" Twilight stopped mid-way through speaking as Pinkamena slumped forwards, her hair slowly returning to its normal state, "Pinkie?"

"Yep?"

"Can Pinkamena still hear me in there?"

Pinkie hummed the affirmative, "Yeah, I think so. Everything that happens to me basically happens to her, it's the same when she's in charge too."

"Good, because this is for her." Twilight smiled, "Thank you, Pinkamena."

Two figures of royalty trotted side by side through the halls of Canterlot castle, though one pointedly lagged a step or two behind the other.

"That's quite the request, Celestia." Blueblood remarked as the door ahead of them was held open by the guards.

"I know, but it's of the utmost importance to me."

They passed through the threshold. Blueblood waited for the doors to close behind them before continuing, "I see, although quite frankly just the thought of having to be anywhere near one of those... peasants again makes me nauseous."

Celestia gave a small sigh, "I won't force you to do it, Blueblood, but I can't think of anypony anywhere near as suited to the task as yourself."

"I suppose that much is true..." He grimaced briefly, "She has a penchant for working with gems and crystals, yes?"

"That's correct, though nowhere near what you can do."

"Naturally. It's more than a little ironic, don't you agree? The means to attain wealth and status are literally affixed to her forehead, yet she remains in that disgusting backwater of a town. Then again, I suppose she's not entirely to blame. One can't really blame a pig for wallowing in filth, after all; it's part of the loathsome creature's very nature."

"Blueblood," Celestia allowed a warning tone to creep into her voice, "please, you know I don't share your disdain for the lower classes; and especially not for them."

The Prince bowed his head slightly, "Of course, Auntie, my apologies."

"Thank you. So, will you do this for me? If not, I understand, but she could learn from you, I'm sure of it. Your magic is unique and unquestionably powerful, Blueblood, there's not a pony alive that could equal you in that regard, you know that. She's one of the lucky few that actually has the potential to learn it, if only you'll teach her."

They rounded a corner, Blueblood ensuring that Celestia remained a step ahead of him. He glanced through the large stained glass windows to his left as they walked, one of which depicted the very unicorn they were talking about, plus her five friends, "I won't pretend to like it, Celestia. Especially not after all the grief that she and the rest of that band of misfits have caused you." He paused, recalling Celestia's earlier warning and shaking his head, "However, I understand that you wouldn't have brought this to me unless you truly did require my assistance..."

The conversation briefly lapsed into silence as they proceeded down the hallway.

As they exited through a door at the end of the hall, he spoke once again, "You already know what my answer is. Of course I'll do as you ask, Celestia." He turned his head to the side, "But I'm only undertaking such a task because it's you requesting that I do so."

Celestia stopped trotting, and Blueblood swiftly did the same so as to avoid stepping past her, "Thank you, Blueblood. It means more to me than you realise, especially with so much falling apart at the moment."

He looked back at her briefly, "Anything for you, Auntie."

The two did not share any more kind words, nor consolations, nor comforting gestures. They simply held a momentary but meaningful glance. It was all it took to convey their emotions to one another, words were superfluous to them in situations like this.

Celestia turned away and continued trotting, followed promptly by Blueblood. The Prince spoke once more, "I'll need the specifics of exactly what I'll be doing in the way of tutoring her, as well as when and where."

"Of course. I'll have them to you as swiftly as possible once we're certain of the details." They ascended a nearby spiralling staircase, Celestia stepping out onto the floor above when they reached it, "Until then, Blueblood."

The Prince tipped his head respectfully, "Until then, Celestia." He waited until she had rounded the corner before making his way further up the staircase. Though his countenance did little to betray such, his mind was abuzz with frustration and disbelief at his situation, 'Well, this is certainly going in the diary.'

He departed from the staircase as he reached one of the upper levels, glancing up at the stained glass windows on the path to his chambers only to see yet another depiction of the Bearers and their Elements, "Rarity?" He grunted in irritation, "Common as dirt if you ask me." Without a moment's hesitation he trotted away, not gracing the image of his soon-to-be pupil with a second glance.

Upon reaching his chambers, he immediately made his way over to his desk, withdrew a bottle of well-aged whiskey, and took a sharp swig; etiquette disregarded in favour of obliterating any thoughts regarding the horrors he had agreed to subject himself to for Celestia's sake. He wiped his mouth and exhaled deeply, as if expecting - and certainly hoping - that his soul would escape the confines of his body.

When it didn't, he rested his head against his hoof and grumbled darkly under his breath.

'Filthy peasants...'

Twilight cast her eyes across the others gloomily. Discord and Angel were currently locked in their promised game of chess, but both were uncharacteristically quiet given their proximity to one another. Though the board was alive with all manner of chaos, the atmosphere between the two was all but dead. Their movements, whilst obviously well-calculated, were slow and sluggish, and although it was clear that neither of them had any intention of losing to the other, their glaring lack of competitive flair made it apparent that both had more pressing matters nagging at them.

Still, neither would forfeit or throw the match; to do so would mean to admit defeat at the paw of the other. Pride pushed them on. Their battle of wits continued.

Twilight watched with mild interest as Discord's remaining knight charged through the lashing rain, leaping over friend and foe alike and descending onto one of Angel's bishops, delivering the finishing blow with one swift swing of its miniature sword as the startled piece attempted to regain its footing. Stillness descended over the battlefield as Angel contemplated his next move.

Given the lull in the action, Twilight turned to the others. Pinkie and Fluttershy were side-by-side, each staring at their hooves - or in Fluttershy's case, the Element she held in them - pensively.

Pinkie's expression was, for the most part, passive. Whether she was conversing with Pinkamena within her mind, or simply mulling over recent events, Twilight couldn't tell. Whatever the case, the sight of her once-so hyperactive, carefree friend quietly reflecting to herself still hurt Twilight deeply as she remembered the way things once were.

Fluttershy fared no better than the mare beside her, if not worse. She would intermittently clutch her Element tightly, dipping her head and closing her eyes as she did so, accompanied by the occasional subdued sniffle or two before she went back to staring at her damaged necklace. It was clear that the pegasus was trying to remain quiet, most likely to avoid attracting attention from those around her, but Twilight had taken notice regardless. Were it not for Pinkie being so lost in her thoughts, and the other two too busy trying to outsmart one another, they would undoubtedly have picked up on it too.

Twilight shook her head to herself, 'Hurting. We're all hurting. All because of you.' Memories of the past she and Celestia had shared plagued her thoughts.

Smiling, laughing, learning, loving. Being consoled in times of distress, praised in times of triumph, encouraged in times of defeat. Promises of future responsibility, of respect and renown, that greatness was her destiny.

All lies. Sweet, poisonous, blinding lies.

'I hate you...' Twilight grimaced. Despite everything, the memories still held a small amount of sweetness, and only served to make the bitter reality all the more difficult to swallow, 'How? How can I make you hurt the way we are? How can I make you suffer?' She pondered over the question for several minutes before resigning with a defeated sigh. She reached for her saddlebags, intending to examine their intended route on the map for the hundredth time.

As she rummaged through her saddlebags, her eyes fixed upon her assortment of writing supplies, and her actions gradually ground to a halt, 'How can I do it? How can I get to her on a personal level? How can I hurt her in a way nobody else ever could?' she examined the objects within.

Ever so slowly, a correlation between all her memories made itself apparent to her. No matter the situation, or the circumstances, one specific action had always remained a fixed constant between her and Celestia.

Twilight focused on the utensils within her saddlebags once more, and it clicked.

Wasting little time, she levitated her weapons of choice - some parchment, a quill, and an inkwell - from their container, and laid them out on the floor before her, "Discord?"

The draconequus kept his gaze set firmly upon the board, "Yes?"

"Can I ask a favour?"

He briefly turned to her, absent-mindedly setting down the piece he held in his paw, "Give me a minute." He span back to the game, only to see his king impaled upon the sceptre of Angel's remaining bishop. He glanced at the piece he had involuntarily placed down beforehand - leaving the opening Angel had exploited - then up at the rabbit, and drew a deep breath.

He held it in for several seconds, and after giving Pinkie and Fluttershy a sideways glance, exhaled slowly so as to avoid startling them, instead lowering his voice so that the others couldn't hear, "You're a cheating sack of crap, Angel Bunny." With a snap of his fingers, the board, table, and chair upon which Angel was sitting vanished, leaving the bunny to fall helplessly to the floor. Another snap accompanied the sudden appearance of a carrot in Discord's claw, which he tossed at the rabbit with significantly more force than necessary, "Choke on it." With that, he held his paw to his forehead, released a hefty sigh and turned to Twilight, "What is it?"

Twilight gestured to the equipment she had prepared, "I have an idea, something I think you might be interested in, but I need your help to pull it off."

He glanced at her over his paw, "Trying out for the vagueness championships, are we?"

Twilight frowned slightly, "Do you want to take a stab at Celestia or not?"

The draconequus chuckled, "Literally, yes, but I don't think that's quite what you have in mind. Either way, I'm listening."

Twilight's frown disappeared, but the seriousness in her expression remained, "Good... Give me a minute, I think you'll get the idea when I'm done."

"By all means, take your time. I'll need a moment to relax anyway since you've just cost me the match." he folded his arms and glared expectantly at her.

Twilight took little notice of his tantrum and promptly sat by her equipment, quill suspended by her magic, ready to get to work. As she dipped the utensil into the inkwell, however, she found herself unable to properly articulate her thoughts, managing to write only three words before coming to an addled pause, "I might need more than a moment at this rate. This is more difficult than I thought..."

Discord leaned his head to one side in an attempt to view what Twilight was writing, "Care to clue me in?"

The unicorn moved to intentionally block his view, "Not yet. You're keeping us in the dark about a lot of things, Discord. Let's see how you like not knowing!" she smirked to herself.

Discord furrowed his brow, "I could quite easily move you, you know? But fine, keep your little secret for however long it takes you to finish, see if I care; I'll find out once you're done anyway." with a disinterested shrug, Discord made his way over to his cloud, keeping his gaze on Fluttershy the entire time once he sank into it.

Twilight gave a slight grunt of annoyance at his passiveness, having hoped to have irked him a little more, but the feeling quickly slipped away as she regarded the rest of the miserable group once more. The solemn looks on their faces, and the silence broken only by the occasional sniffle from Fluttershy did more than sap her frustration, they inspired her, filled her with retaliatory hatred towards their tormentor and added kindling to the fires of spite deep within her.

A grim, chilling anger governed her actions as she began to write, pouring her heart into breaking Celestia's through words alone.

The scratching of quill on paper - lapsing only when the unicorn would glance up at her friends - filled the air for another twenty minutes before she finally released her quill. Her tone was cold and malignant as she rose to her hooves, "That should just about do it."

Discord tore his attention from Fluttershy, wiping any traces of pity from his face as he hopped from his cloud and approached Twilight, "Finished?"

"Yes." Twilight flicked the lid back down onto her inkwell before levitating the equipment back into her saddlebags.

"What do you want me to do, then?"

"I want you to send this," she passed him the document, "to Celestia."

Discord opened his mouth to protest, but as he read on his mouth instead distended into an enormous, sinister grin, "Genius... Genius!" he cackled to himself as he imagined Celestia's face upon receiving such information, "I'd say that doing something like this isn't worth running the risk of being traced, but I'll be honest, Twilight, you've impressed me, so I'll make an exception; I'll just have to be careful, I suppose."

Discord rolled the message up into a scroll and licked it, a large wax seal appearing beneath his tongue as he did so, "We're sending it now, yes?"

Twilight nodded, "The sooner, the better."

"Excellent!" With a smile, he tossed the scroll into the air and pointed his finger at it, a small burst of yellow magic jumping from his fingertip to it, sending it spiralling even higher, "And just to be safe..." he snapped his fingers, causing the air around the scroll to shimmer before he caught it. He turned it over in his paw as he examined it, "Looks like we're good to go."

With a casual wave of his paw, Discord released the scroll. It shone brightly as it descended before colliding with the floor beneath, disappearing with a small pulse of energy.

Twilight gave Discord a small smile, "Thanks for the help."

The draconequus smirked back, "How could I refuse? I only wish I could see her face when she reads it."

Twilight sighed, "Me too. Hopefully she'll choke on her own tears and die, but even then she'd just come back..."

"We can dream, can't we? Well, at least when Luna's not stalking us. I would've thought she'd have wandered into too many... awkward dreams to even consider doing that any more, but perhaps the Princess of the Night has a hidden... darker side? If you know what I mean." Discord laughed briefly before sighing and reclining into his cloud once more.

To her surprise, Twilight found herself laughing too, despite burying her face in her hoof at his terrible attempt at comedy. She shook her head and turned to sit down, only to find Pinkie and Angel glancing at them bewilderedly, though Fluttershy remained staring at her Element, "What was that all about?" Pinkie tilted her head curiously.

Twilight made her way over to her seat, "Nothing to worry about, don't worry. Let's just say that Celestia is in for a nasty surprise."

Pinkie looked between Discord and Twilight, nodding in apparent acceptance. However, the moment they looked away her gaze fell solemnly to the floor as she contemplated their situation, 'This isn't going to end well... The angrier and more upset we make them, the harder they'll try to hunt us down.'

Another familiar voice spoke from the back of her mind, 'For once, I agree... Though that wouldn't entirely be a bad thing, I suppose; at least I'd have somepony to cut a little.'

Pinkie pretended not to hear, but shivered slightly regardless, 'This... is the start of a bad cycle, I just know it...' She noticed the contented smile that Twilight wore, despite her tired eyes and the stress that had made itself clear on the unicorn's face; it unsettled Pinkie deeply, 'How far are we willing to go before we'll stop being so cruel?'

What worried her the most was that, even after half an hour of contemplation, she still couldn't determine the answer.

Celestia and Luna trotted side by side through the halls of Canterlot Castle as they made their way towards the tower from which they would lower the sun and raise the moon respectively.

Celestia glanced through a window at the sun on the horizon, "I'm going to try again tomorrow."

Luna sighed but spoke sympathetically, "I don't think you'll have much luck, Celestia. I know you think it's our best chance, but Discord is blocking every attempt to locate any of them. Perhaps it would be bet-"

A sickly yellow aura flashed before them, almost blinding them from its proximity.

Within an instant the two had leapt backwards, suspending themselves in mid-air and levelling their horns defensively at the spell.

The bright light vanished, revealing a scroll that hovered in the air for a few seconds, then fell of its own accord. It remained still on the floor, but thrummed with an off-key rhythm, and glowed a distinct shade of yellow, leaving little doubt as to its sender.

Neither Celestia nor Luna moved for several seconds, both keeping their horns trained carefully on the object. As the seconds ticked by, both alicorns lowered themselves to the ground. Celestia drew a deep breath and reached out with her magic, "At the first sign of danger, destroy it." she said, her voice tight as she held her breath, her eyes never leaving the scroll.

Luna grunted the affirmative, "Understood. Caution, sister."

Celestia nodded, taking the scroll within her magical grasp and raising it slowly. Once the sound of Luna summoning up her magic was heard, Celestia levitated the scroll a good distance away and yanked it open.

Nothing happened.

Celestia held it away from her for nearly half a minute before speaking, "Keep your focus on it, I'm going to bring it closer." With that, she brought the scroll barely within reading distance, squinting as she attempted to make out the words. Once she did, however, all regards for safety were forgotten. Her eyes widened, and her horn shone as she yanked the scroll in close to her, despite Luna's cry of protest.

Celestia read it again, and shook her head in disbelief, "She didn't..." Her magic sputtered and died, leaving the parchment to glide quietly back down to the floor.

Luna darted to Celestia's side, "Are you crazy!? That thing could have killed you!"

Celestia, apparently oblivious to Luna's concerns, pointed a single hoof at the parchment beneath her, "L-Luna... She..."

Tentatively, Luna enveloped the document in her magic and levitated it closer. As she examined the contents, however, she too had to fight not to lose control of her magic. Her eyes widened and she ground her teeth furiously, her voice seething with barely contained rage, "Twilight. Sparkle..."

Though she had only read the first line, the motives behind the seemingly random appearance of the scroll became all too clear.

Spite.

Hurt.

Revenge.

"Dear Princess Celestia,"

Author's Note

Yep, slower-paced chapter this time. In all honesty, other than the near-fight scene at the beginning, the scene with Blueblood, and the ending, I didn't really enjoy writing the rest of this chapter. However, it's necessary that I add these details into the story if I'm to write some stuff that I'll really enjoy writing later down the line.

So yeah, hopefully this chapter wasn't too dry for you guys.

Oh, and an important notice for you all: I'll try not to, but I may take a break from writing over the Christmas holidays. I've got a lot on my plate at the moment, and I don't want to start writing as if it's some kind of chore. So maybe, maybe not, depending on my circumstances; that'll be in my blog anyways.

On a final note, I've done my usual in this chapter and left some subtle foreshadowing in there for you. I'll give you guys a hint if you're looking for it: It has to do with Discord's mention of their 'newfound' allies... Leave your guesses below if you like, and I'll give you a couple of nudges; I feel like we could have an interesting guessing game here >:D

Anyway, as always, thanks for reading, please feel free to leave feedback, and I'll see you guys next time!

Mike, bringing you the 'scope' of things to come

Chapter XXIII - Subtlety and Subterfuge

Dear Princess Celestia,

Well, it's been a long time since my last report, hasn't it? Then again, I'm sure you'll understand; what with all your consideration for others and truly endless benevolence. Regardless, for one reason or another I get the feeling that even if I did have the inclination to write you one over these past few months, I'd have found it a tad difficult to send it via dragonfire. I can't quite put my hoof on why that might be though. Can you?

It makes me quite upset really. Almost feels like I've had someone irreplaceable ripped from my life forever by some manipulative, deceitful bitch.

Strange, don't you think?

But I'm sure you're wondering about all the wonderful lessons I've learned since last time, aren't you?... Where do I begin? Over the past few months I've learned more than I could ever imagine, it hardly seems right for me to condense it all into one little letter. I suppose I'll just have to send several in that case, that'll be fun, won't it? Just like old times! For this one though, I think I'll start out with my most substantial lesson.

Everypony has the capability to do terrible, unthinkable things to others, and in the end it all comes down to a pony's character to determine the circumstances under which they'll do those things.

I'll use Fluttershy as the first example here, since her pain is so clear to us - what with her crying, looking as if she'd rather be dead right now; congratulations if that was what you were aiming for. The kindest, most caring mare I've ever met in my life killed one of your guards because you had them attack us, back us into a corner, and attempt to take our lives as soon as it became apparent that they couldn't capture us. You forced her to do that, she had no choice but to do what she did. She didn't even attempt to protect herself, either, it was only when the rest of us were in danger that she even reacted.

Some ponies do terrible, unthinkable things only when no other options are available, and even then, only to protect those they love; sacrificing a part of who they are in the process. Fluttershy is now one of those ponies, thanks to you.

Then there's your guards. Truly good ponies with truly bad leadership, unfortunately. Ask yourself, Celestia, what do their lives mean to you? I'd say somewhere in the realms of very little, considering that you'd so haphazardly throw together a group of whoever you could find - my brother included - and send them at us without a second thought as to the dangers of doing so. What about the one that didn't go home? What about his loved ones? Did you even ask if he had a family? Did you even care? Somehow, I think I know the answers to those questions already.

Ponies like them do such things out of a sense of duty and righteousness; that, despite the nature of their task, or how harrowing and daunting it may be, they're ultimately doing the right thing. They blindly follow the commands of the princess they so foolishly adore and revere, happy to dedicate their lives to her. I can relate to them in that regard, and they have my every sympathy.

Finally, there's the ponies that do such things on a whim, with no rhyme or reason to their games other than the pleasure they derive from seeing others suffering. Needless to say, you fall into this category, right at the very bottom of the heap, beneath all the rapists and psychopaths and monsters in the world. In terms of your sick, disgusting games, you and Discord aren't all that different, not really. The only differences between the two of you are your methods of causing anguish and your outward appearances, but I've seen through that shroud now, and all it will take is time until everything you've built up to play with comes tumbling down around your ears.

But here I am, going off on a tangent and running out of space to write. Let me sum this up in as few words as possible, since you're probably itching to masturbate to the tears of your subjects as you're reading this.

By learning the true extent of your evil, you're teaching me to hate you that little bit more every single day, and that's something I can make use of in my new studies; an ongoing lesson that you'll see the results of, sooner or later.

So thank you for your continued tutelage, my vengeance wouldn't be possible without it.

- Your Ever-Faithful Student, Twilight Sparkle

Luna looked between her sister and the letter with growing unease, though it was difficult for concern to take priority in her voice when her entire being encouraged her to cry out in anger, "Celestia?"

Celestia blinked, fixing her gaze back upon the letter and trying to collect herself as best she could, "L-Luna, we need to track it." Celestia's horn flared into life before Luna could voice her concerns, a golden glow enveloping the letter for only a moment before fizzling out as it was sucked into the parchment itself. With no magic suspending it, the letter glided from side-to-side until it met the floor.

Both sisters took a startled step back when the letter spontaneously caught fire, emanating a loud, high-pitched whine. Luna, having came to her senses faster, hastily erected a shield around herself and Celestia a mere second before the letter exploded with incredible force. They could only watch as their only solid lead vanished into an all-consuming ball of fire.

A huge section of the corridor wall was outright destroyed by the blast, several huge chunks of marble and stone sent barrelling outwards and onto the grounds below; the shattered glass from the nearby windows following in the same manner as the shock wave flung them from their frames in shards. A number of dislodged chunks of stone collided with - and were easily deflected by - Luna's barrier, before vision of the blast site was obscured by a veritable wall of fire washing over them, sweeping down both ends of the corridor until Celestia extinguished the flames with her own magic.

Everything stopped as quickly as it had started.

The following few seconds were relatively quiet, save for the sound of crumbling rubble falling from the newly-formed hole in the wall. A cool breeze swept down the corridor, the quiet yet unmistakable sound of laughter drifting along with it. Neither Celestia nor Luna paid it much heed as they looked over one another worriedly. Upon the realisation that the barrier had not been penetrated, and that they were fine, the two gave a sigh of relief. The shouts of the guards as they approached their position could be heard throughout the castle.

Luna took a deep breath, exhaling slowly as she fixed her older sister with a disapproving stare, "Regardless of the contents of that letter, that was a stupid mistake to make, Celestia. It could have been a costly one, too..." She flicked her gaze to the huge gap in the wall, and the sizeable crater burned into the floor, walls, and roof, "Well, costly in terms of life, in addition to the damages." Luna approached the hole in the wall, taking a deep breath of the smoke-free outside air and looking up at the moon briefly.

Celestia hung her head and gritted her teeth, infuriated by the loss of their only lead due to her own carelessness, "Luna." her voice rose threateningly. It took her a moment to compose herself sufficiently enough to continue, "Thank you for protecting me, but please, don't salt the wound..."

Their eyes met, and despite Celestia's recklessness, Luna couldn't help but soften her approach slightly, especially given the contents of the letter, "I understand, Celestia, but promise me that if the contents of that letter hold true, and she does indeed send more, you won't act so hastily next time."

Celestia nodded, "I won't fall for the same trick twice."

Several guards rounded the corner, spears at the ready. Upon recognising the sole two occupants of the hallway, all lowered their weapons and darted towards them.

Celestia sighed quietly, in no mood to explain what had just conspired, "It's almost sunset." Without another word Celestia trotted past the approaching guards, ignoring their bombardment of questions as they stopped before her.

Luna fell in beside Celestia and answered several questions on her behalf, only for more guards to round the corner and ask the same questions barely a few seconds later. Hardly in the mood to be repeating herself, Luna ordered that they be left alone. The two royal sisters made their way to their chambers in grim silence, leaving a number of concerned and confused guards behind them.

"Dawn, finally... Way to take your time, Celestia." Discord re-opened his eyes, closing off his remote view of the outside world and the sun steadily rising over it. He glanced between the other occupants of the room, each packing away the last of their belongings with varying degrees of sluggishness, "Alright, it's go time! Everybody ready?"

Twilight rubbed a bit of sleep from her eye tiredly, "I think so, but why're we..." She gave a loud yawn, "Leaving so early?"

Discord checked his periphery to ensure no one had left anything behind, stowing his sleeping cloud into his ear as he did so, "Well, after our little 'delay' that ended in tragedy, and subsequent backtracking in the opposite direction, we've fallen behind schedule; something I would've thought you'd be more concerned about, honestly."

Twilight shrugged, "I'm usually all for adhering to the schedule, but after everything that's happened, why the rush? So long as we keep moving out of Celestia's reach we should be able to take our time, shouldn't we? I mean, at least to a reasonable degree."

Discord nodded, "Yes, but the time we're to spend in the swamp is going to be used for recuperation, as planned, and we can't really skip that considering the state we're in already." he waved his paw across the room's inhabitants.

Twilight followed his gesture, paying close attention to her friends for the first time since she'd woken up ten minutes prior. Tiredness was apparent on their faces, clearly not caused solely by the early start. Pinkie's eyes seemed slightly sunken in comparison to their usual appearance, and Fluttershy's had sizeable bags beneath them, and were rimmed red.

"We'll need to recover the lost time wherever possible, even if that means only saving a couple of hours each morning. Winter is fast approaching, and believe me we do not want to be dealing with any excess cold where we're going. Unless we're going to wait it out until spring - something I really would like to avoid - then we need to get a move on."

"Winter?" Pinkie chimed in, stroking her chin thoughtfully, "Can't you control the weather though?"

Discord sighed, "Normally, yes. Under the circumstances to come, no." He held up his paw to prevent any questions, "I'm not going into the specifics yet, don't bother asking."

Twilight yawned again and stretched, arching her back until a quiet 'pop' was heard, "If we need to cut our time down, why not just travel at night instead of waiting until dawn?"

He hummed to himself briefly, "It might work, but I'd prefer not to risk it. One of my main concerns is Luna's Night Guard. I've done enough digging around to know that they can see a lot better in the dark than most ponies can; farther too. I'd prefer not risking us being caught by thinking the night is on our side, when in reality... Well actually, in reality neither the day or night are on our side, so I guess we're pretty much screwed either way in that regard." He shrugged casually, "Oh, and stereotypical villains slink about in the darkness, and I'd like to think of us as the heroes here if at all possible; haven't had much chance to play the hero's role in a long time."

Twilight deadpanned, "Chaos, death, destruction, war? A bastard of a pet named Calamity, arguably responsible for even more death and destruction? I wonder why you've never pinned down that role..."

Discord shrugged and sighed wistfully, "Me too, Twilight, me too..." A small smirk broke his mask of seriousness as he raised his paw, "Anyway, enough time wasted already. Ready to teleport?"

"Yep." Pinkie nodded.

"Yes." Fluttershy spoke, her voice as tired as the rest of her.

"Yeah." Twilight braced herself for the imminent teleportation.

Angel nodded, edging towards Fluttershy and nuzzling her foreleg gently.

Discord snapped his fingers loudly, "Haysead, here we come."

The five vanished, the room they were previously occupying following suit not long after.

It had taken them longer than usual to set up their next hideout within the swamps. The treacherous terrain, often waterlogged or completely submerged, had made it exceptionally difficult for them to find an area where they could situate underground without being at risk of flooding. Eventually, the five had stumbled across a patch of solid ground just large enough for them to situate beneath, and Discord had decided that it would have to do. The subterranean room they were now housed within was the same in layout as the previous hideouts, but was significantly smaller. Whilst it was by no means ideal, none of them had complained after trekking through the dank, murky depths of the swamp for over two hours.

After being given enough time to recover from their tedious search for a suitable location, as well as properly clean away the grime from their journey and dry themselves off, Twilight had promptly approached Discord with a matter of huge personal importance.

"We're safe here, right?"

Discord waved his paw from his reclining position on his cloud, "About as safe as we're going to get, yes."

"So can we get back to my training?"

Discord lazily lifted his head to look at her, "Well, I suppose so, but the entire point of us being here is to rest and recuperate, and we're not going to get another opportunity to do so in a while."

Twilight raised an eyebrow, "Rest? We've not had much of that since we got here..."

Discord shrugged, "Yes, it was tiring, but think about it this way; the terrain was nearly too difficult to navigate for just the five of us, and we're packing light. A group of guards clad in heavy armour wouldn't have a prayer of following us in here, even if they wanted to."

Twilight mulled it over for a moment, "I guess that makes sense... but you still haven't answered my question."

Discord sighed, "I was hoping that if I kept you talking you'd forget and I'd be able to get some much deserved down time..." He examined her for a moment and tilted his head back in resignation, "But very well then... If nothing else, it's good to see my student is eager to learn, even if her teacher is on the brink of exhaustion..."

Pinkie turned her attention from her saddlebags to the pair, "So are you two leaving right now?"

Discord stood up wearily, "It certainly seems that way." He saw Fluttershy in his periphery and leant in close to Pinkie, gesturing for her to step closer. When she did, he whispered quietly into her ear, "Keep an eye on her, alright? We don't want her doing anything drastic."

Pinkie nodded and whispered back, "Okay... but you don't think she might actually do that, do you?"

Discord's flat tone and expression didn't waver, "I don't know, but from what I've seen so far, I'd rather not take any chances."

The draconequus drew away and met Pinkie's eyes briefly, then snapped his fingers without ceremony, causing himself and Twilight to vanish.

Pinkie switched her attention back to Fluttershy, who had looked up in response to the flash of light, "Fluttershy?"

She dipped her head so as to cover her face with her mane, though Pinkie doubted it was due to embarrassment given her unchanged, pensive tone of voice, "Yes?"

Pinkie remained quiet for a moment before speaking, her voice lowered almost to the point of a whisper as she attempted to console her friend, "You've got a lot on your mind, haven't you?"

Fluttershy nodded from beneath her mane but did not respond otherwise, even as Angel snuggled up beside her.

Pinkie trotted over and sat down quietly in front of her, lowering her voice even further, "Do... Do you want to talk about it?"

Fluttershy remained still for a few seconds before shaking her head rapidly.

Pinkie briefly hung her head in a similar manner to Fluttershy, but raised it after little more than a few seconds, "Fluttershy... I just want you to know that, whatever happens, I'll always be here for you."

Fluttershy remained still, her mane still veiling her muzzle.

After gaining no response for several seconds, Pinkie gradually leaned forwards and gently hugged Fluttershy as she continued, though a hint of sadness was creeping into her voice at her friend's unresponsiveness, "I'll be here for all of you, right up until the very end." Her voice cracked slightly, and her forelegs tightened around the pegasus, "I Pinkie Promised, remember?"

It took several seconds before Fluttershy finally responded. She loosely wrapped her hooves around Pinkie and allowed her muzzle to rest on her shoulder, her face still completely obscured by her mane.

Pinkie heard no sobs, nor saw any heaves to indicate that her friend was indeed crying, but the moisture steadily accumulating around her shoulder left little doubt as to whether Fluttershy wept.

Pinkie bit back her own sadness and forced it from her voice as she spoke, gently rubbing her friend's back and making comforting noises as she did so, "I'll always be here for you, Fluttershy. Promise me you'll never forget that."

Fluttershy's grip tightened around her ever-so-slightly. For Pinkie, that was good enough.

Twilight stood atop a small patch of muddy ground, attuning herself to the chaos energies she would soon be using. Discord levitated nearby, setting up the last of the necessary countermeasures by surrounding Twilight with the usual barrier.

Twilight took a deep breath and focused on the energies once more, closing her eyes as she tried to slow the beating of her heart. The simple first-hoof knowledge of the destructive capabilities of chaos magic had instilled a certain level of apprehension within her that she couldn't shake off; it certainly didn't make focusing once channelling the energies any easier, 'Okay, Twilight, relax. Breathe. I can do th-'

"Waiting on you, Twilight!" Discord's voice derailed her train of thought and ensured that the entire locomotive would never be rail-worthy again.

Twilight snapped her eyes open and promptly frowned at the mud beneath her, "Yeah, yeah. I'm ready."

She gained as firm a hoof-hold as she could manage, closed her eyes once more, and focused.

A rising crackle filled the air, and when Twilight opened her eyes they blazed a familiar crimson. Her horn shone a deep hue of purple, almost indistinguishable from black, as she tried to maintain control of the growing energies, 'Focus...'

Discord watched closely, "Now, recall the pain of the past. Let your emotions fuel your magic, but do not let them control you." He watched as the sound of crackling intensified, and sparks of magic began to shoot around in her immediate area, "Think of all that Celestia has done to you, and to your friends. What she's doing now, and what she will do in future. Think of the loss, Twilight, and the hurt, the shame, the anger, everything!" He lowered his voice to a serious monotone, "What will you do, Twilight? If she finds you? Your friends? If she puts more innocent lives at risk in her bid to find you? Will you stand by, powerless to stop her?"

"No!" Twilight gritted her teeth tightly as she tried to establish control over the chaos energies building up within and around her, 'Keep it together, Twilight!'

Discord stroked his beard as Twilight's emotions began to fuel the energies building in her vicinity, "Good... Let your turmoil become one with the chaos within you." He watched as Twilight hissed through her teeth due to the strain, the sound of her doing so barely audible over the crackling of magical sparks, some of which lashed against the barrier violently, "Now, maintain control. The chaos is yours, you are its master, don't let it overwhelm you."

Twilight adjusted her stance slightly, wincing as she attempted to maintain control, visibly taking a deep breath as she steadied herself. Ever so slowly, her expression transitioned from strained to calm, her eyes closed in concentration as she focused on her emotions and the magic around her. Gradually, the sparks in the air around her slowed, no longer ricocheting off the barrier as they came to a stop in mid-air. Twilight focused solely on her task, tuning out even the horrendous crackling around her, 'Not this time... I will not fail this time.'

The sparks began moving once again, though this time they did not jump around erratically. They moved fluidly, steadily orbiting around the unicorn controlling their energies. Discord nodded to himself as he felt their energies stabilising, "That's it. Now maintain it."

Twilight was beginning to feel the strain upon both her magic and mind. Her emotions fought for dominance over the volatile chaos energies, whilst every ounce of her magic was focused into holding said energies stable. She felt her efforts beginning to slip.

Discord watched as Twilight grimaced, and plates of armour began to form around her legs. He kept his voice quiet, understanding the need for absolute concentration at this point, "Concentrate, Twilight..."

She felt the weight of the armour beginning to materialise on her legs, 'No... I can do this. I have to do this." She subconsciously thought back to being held within Shining's prison, unable to do anything as her friends were almost dragged away from her, all because she couldn't trust herself to use the very magic she was currently tempering, 'Because I didn't use it, Pinkie and Fluttershy had to do things they shouldn't have had to. They suffered because of my weakness...' She drew a deep breath, dug her hooves into the mud beneath her, and spoke out loud as she doubled her efforts, "Never again!"

The sparks around her thrummed with energy as they revolved around her, the sound of crackling magic slowly fading away as the energies were fully brought under control. The armour on her legs faded into nothingness as she continued to uphold control over both her magic and her emotions. Twilight realised that this was the farthest she had ever gotten in terms of her training, and the knowledge spurred her on further.

Even so, it wasn't long before the continuous strain began to take its toll. Her reserves of magic slowly depleting, Twilight's breaths became heavier, and with tiredness came lapses in concentration, each one almost costing her control over the chaos she had worked to hard to tame.

She swayed slightly on her hooves as the magical fatigue began taking its toll. That small error was all it took for the magic to break free of its restraints. She tried to salvage the situation as quickly as possible, but the sparks had already gone back to their mad dance, and the chaos energies rapidly began overwhelming her, "No! No, NO, NO-AAAAAAAAAAAGH!" A shrill shriek escaped her as a powerful pulse of chaos magic shot from her horn, only to be devoured by the barrier. Exhausted and slightly disoriented, Twilight toppled onto her side, fully expecting to land in a pool of stagnant swamp water and filthy mud.

Instead, she landed on a mattress.

She glanced up in confusion to see Discord smiling down at her, "Twilight, I'll admit it, I'm impressed! I dare say you're ready to move on to the next stage!"

Twilight laid her head flat on the mattress, her tone defeated, "Don't rub it in..."

Discord held up his hands calmly, "I assure you I'm doing nothing of the sort. I'm serious."

Twilight flicked her gaze up at him, though her head remained still, "What? But... I failed..."

Discord shook his head, "You stabilised your magic and held it for over forty seconds, Twilight. The progress you've made is nothing short of remarkable, I'd call that a success in my book... Before I ate half the bloody thing, at least."

Twilight snickered dejectedly, "Yeah, some success, I can't even get the basics right."

Discord shrugged, "You'll have time to work on maintaining stability as you go. The important thing is that you've achieved it for the first time, it'll get easier as you get used to doing it; faster too, hopefully. In the mean time, I think you're about ready to begin applying your knowledge."

Twilight groaned with effort as she sat up, "Wait, so you mean I'll actually be able to..." she paused, trying to think of an accurate description that encompassed the variety of functions chaos magic served, and falling cripplingly short.

Discord chuckled at her predicament, "Cause chaos, exactly! Of course, it'll only be the small stuff until we can build up your endurance, but still, practice in the field and all that. Anyway, we'll get started with the new stuff next time. I'm tired, and you look just about ready to drop any second now." A devilish smirk plastered itself across his face

Twilight didn't like it, "What? What is it?"

Without hesitation, Discord snapped his fingers, and the mattress beneath her vanished. She gave an audible gasp, the lurching feeling of falling seizing her momentarily before she plopped into the mud with a loud 'squelch'.

Discord clutched his sides as he laughed, her glaring only spurring him on. His laughter would subside, only to begin anew as he took a quick glance at her stony expression. After almost an entire minute of such, and Twilight visibly becoming flustered, he gave a loud sigh and snapped his fingers, removing the sticky mud from Twilight. A second snap and they were back in their hideout once again.

Twilight shot Discord a glare as she seethed, but his attention was directed elsewhere, and his demeanour had shifted instantly upon their return. She traced his gaze and felt some of her spite leave her, a small smile finding its way onto her face at the sight before her.

Fluttershy, her head on Pinkie's shoulder as they hugged each other tightly.

Pinkie looked up, immediately giving a small nod to Discord before she gave a sad smile of her own.

Twilight looked between Pinkie and Discord in confusion, but didn't press the matter further. She slumped onto her bed as quietly as possible and felt sleep begin to take her not half a minute afterwards.

Discord stared down at the back of his claw in deep thought, idly snapping the fingers on his paw every so often, producing a different anomalous effect each time. He briefly raised his head to catch a glimpse of Pinkie, but the sight of her only served to perplex him further. He went back to staring at his claw, snapping his fingers after a few seconds of doing so, causing his paw to spontaneously combust. The flame didn't burn him, and he paid no attention as it cycled through an assortment of colours; though Twilight and Pinkie watched curiously as it did so.

Yellow, orange, green, black, brown, violet, back to green.

Discord snapped his fingers again, and the flame sputtered out of existence. He glanced up at Pinkie once more, who tilted her head curiously in response, "Something on your mind, Discy?"

He hummed to himself for a moment, "Yes, actually. Could you do me a favour?"

Pinkie gave him a small smile, "Sure, what's up?"

"I need to take a look at your party cannon, as odd as that sounds." He caught her questioning expression, "I'll explain afterwards, just trust me, okay?"

"Okay..." Without a moment's hesitation she reached a forehoof behind her back and withdrew the object in question, setting it down on the floor before her with a dull thud, "There you go!"

Discord circled Pinkie before coming to a stop back in his original position and examining the cannon closely, "Interesting... That confirms a hunch, at least."

"What is it, Discy?"

Discord sat back down as he spoke, "I felt the chaos around you shift just now. It seems that Pinkamena wasn't the only thing to manifest from those chaotic genes of yours... At least, I hope this has originated from your genes, and not my recent meddling." He frowned to himself and rubbed his chin in thought, turning his attention to Twilight, "Has she always been capable of pulling things out of thin air like that?"

Twilight nodded, "Everyone just accepts it as the norm back in Ponyville, so I think so. Then again, I haven't known her and the others for as long as they've known each other, so I could be wrong."

Discord glanced at Pinkie questioningly.

"Yup," she nodded, "I've been able to do that for a long time now."

"That's quite a relief." he chuckled, "Thought I might have screwed things up big time for a moment there."

Twilight spoke up, "So why are you checking this now, anyway?"

Discord pointed at the cannon, "Ever since she pulled that from nowhere in the middle of that incident, it's been nagging at the back of my mind." He turned to Pinkie, "Is there anything else you can do that with?"

Pinkie hummed in thought, "One or two things, but other than that, not really. I usually just use it for my cannon."

He sighed, "And here I was hoping for a practical application... Still, maybe it's something we can look into in future if we get Twilight's training and your other chaos issues dealt with." He sank his face into his paw, "How are things between you and Pinkamena, anyway? I'm guessing she's still not warming up to the idea of sharing the 'magic of friendship' with you?"

Pinkie sighed, "I told her I wouldn't pressure her into being friends with me. If she hates me, so be it. Then again..." She spaced out for a moment, apparently gaining Pinkamena's insight from inside her mind. When she snapped back to reality she let out a long whistle, "Yeah... According to Pinkamena the only way I'll get to ride the 'friendship express' with her is if she gets to drive it over a cliff..."

Discord smirked to himself, "Charming. Although in all seriousness the two of you could do with finding some common ground, and soon." He chuckled humourlessly as he thought over his plan, "There's something coming up soon that's going to be quite taxing for the both of you, and probably you three as well." he spoke to Twilight, Angel, and Fluttershy. "Better that you're on good terms with her by then, or at least not in a position where she still resents you."

Pinkie stared at the floor, "Common ground, huh? I think we might be able to manage that..."

Discord nudged her with an elbow, "I should think so! The two of you are already much closer than the majority of ponies are with their other halves."

Pinkie glanced up at him blankly, then snorted as she tried to hold back her laughter, speaking quickly between bursts, "That- That was terrible!"

"After everything 'terrible' that's happened recently, we might as well just make it the in-thing this season." Discord shook his head with a smile, snapping his fingers and conjuring up a suit with multiple holes and torn sections, strips of fabric hanging from the tattered outfit in several places. He caught Pinkie's confusion and glanced down at himself before releasing a hefty sigh, "I said terrible, not tear-able! For the love of..."

Pinkie and Twilight - to her surprise - found themselves laughing at the display as he fought to rip the suit from his body, only to be met with fierce resistance as it clung to him tightly, "You're supposed to be tear-able! Get off me!"

"But I love you!" Suit replied. Even Fluttershy found herself smiling now.

"We're through!" Discord barked, "Now get off me before I send you to the launderette!"

Suit trembled, "B-But I'm dry clean only!"

Discord gave Suit a wicked smile, "I know."

Suit gave a loud sniffle, "Y-You really don't love me any more, d-do you?"

"Oh, come now..." He placed a comforting hand on Suit's shoulder - coincidentally placing it on his own, "We can still be friends."

"Friends? Friends!?" Suit took an audible gasp.

"Oh, boy..."

Suit wailed at the top of her lungs, causing Discord to clasp his hands over his ears. She tore away from him and ran across the room towards the bathroom, opening the bathroom door - with great difficulty - and darting in, leaving it wide open behind her as she approached the stream within.

Discord literally followed Suit and came to a stop as she turned to face him barely an inch away from the water's edge.

"One way or another, I'll teach you to love me! This isn't that last you'll see of me, Discord!"

Discord sighed, "I know, I'm not that lucky..."

"Always the joker. We'll see who has the last laugh, My Love." Suit took a step back

There was a loud splash, followed by silence.

Discord sank his face into his paw and shook his head before exiting the room, "The oceans have her now..." He looked almost sombre for a moment before giving a disinterested shrug, "She was getting far too clingy anyway..."

Pinkie wiped a hoof across her face, even as her guffaws reached a crescendo, "Terrible!"

"Terribly entertaining!" The four turned to see Fluttershy giving them a sincere smile the likes of which she hadn't shown since the incident, and all returned it with little conscious thought, each happy to simply see their friend smiling again.

Discord smiled back along with the others, but tuned out of the ensuing conversation relatively quickly, 'Mission accomplished, it seems. Provided we avoid any more tragedies, we might actually be able to keep spirits high this time around...' He thought over the upcoming stages of his plan and gave an inner sigh, 'Probably not. Then again, I could do with not being in a good mood for this next part anyway. Hopefully she doesn't try to gain access when those four are asleep, I've got enough on my plate dealing with Luna...'

"Could you make sure the guards know that I'm not to be disturbed?" Celestia asked as she made the final preparations to seek out Twilight in her own way.

"Of course." Luna briefly rested a hoof on Celestia's shoulder before making her way to the door, "Good luck, Celestia."

Once the click of the door was heard, Celestia closed her eyes, her horn shining briefly as she transferred her consciousness into the Mirror Hall that contained the defining moments of Twilight's life. It took only a moment before she felt everything around her shift, and when she opened her eyes she found herself at her intended destination. Two rows of floating magical mirrors stretched off into the distance before her, fading into a brilliant white light. The stars of the cosmos twinkled above, their shine reflected by the similarly luminescent path beneath her that led between the rows, forming a giant corridor of sorts for her to proceed down.

She trotted in silence, pointedly averting her eyes from the mirrors around her. Each contained a different memory of Twilight's, some displaying her greatest moments of triumph and crowning achievements, others the harder times that had shaped her into who she was, and several more showing the less significant but nonetheless influential moments of her life. Despite her best efforts to the contrary, Celestia found her gaze consistently drawn to them as she went. Each time she caught a glimpse of the images within, a sharp sting of sorrow would pierce her defences, chipping away at her focus before she could ward it off and focus back on the task at hoof.

Celestia drew in what she had let slip of her composure as she neared her destination. The mirrors around her began to lose their clarity as what seemed to be smoke began to shroud the view of the images within. The further forwards she went, the more clouded the mirrors became. Celestia took an intentional glance at the mirror beside her, a grim shadow passing over her face as the smoke cleared long enough for her to see the event within.

Twilight snarled, fury evident within her blazing irises as the chains pulled taught around Calamity's weakening form. With a flare of her magic the chains began to glow red, then white hot, slicing with ease into the monster as it writhed frantically beneath them. Twilight smiled for only the briefest of moments before opting to continue Calamity's bloody torture. Her horn shone with magic once more and a subsequent torrent of gore flowed from Calamity's eye sockets.

Celestia turned away, unwilling to watch any more. She pressed on, passing by the ever-darkening mirrors as calmly as she could. It wasn't long before they had became so clouded that she couldn't even guess at the events transpiring within; only the occasional image could be seen swimming through the pools of black.

Twilight's sleeping form, a sinister smile looming over her.

A chessboard.

The Element of Kindness, clutched tightly by its Bearer.

Celestia shook her head, still just as confused and no less upset than she had been the previous four times she had tried to track Twilight through use of the Mirror Hall. She hadn't dared to interfere with whatever was corrupting the mirrors beforehoof, for fear of the repercussions of doing so, but that was back when her options weren't running thin. The mirrors towards the end of the corridor curved inwards, forming an arch that blocked further passage. Celestia came to a stop before them and squinted. Behind the darkness that cloaked them were Twilight's most recent defining moments, 'Even if I can only clear one, it might be enough...'

She cautiously prepared her spell, unwilling to be caught in any of Discord's traps after falling for the last one so easily. A beam of bright light shone from her horn and onto the mirror just above her, causing the darkness within to gradually seep out. Celestia took a step back from the wisps of smoke that crept across the floor and made sure to keep an eye on them as she continued draining the remaining darkness.

Celestia caught a glimpse of something yellow in the mirror, but before she could discern exactly what it was the mirror began to fill with smoke once more, and at a faster rate than she was draining it. Celestia glanced around, watching as the darkness from adjacent mirrors seeped into the one she had targeted, preventing her from seeing anything within once again.

She ground her teeth briefly as she tried again, only to produce the same effect, 'I was hoping for something less noticeable, but I've not really got much to lose here anyway...' Her horn shone radiantly, and after a few moments of charging the energies that swirled around it Celestia released a great pulse of magic, obliterating several shadows. Her horn pulsed again and a second layer of darkness was stripped from the mirrors. After the third pulse, clarity slowly began to return to many of the mirrors around her.

To her confusion, each mirror seemed to contain the same object, and the realisation of what it was only dawned upon her once she had almost finished stripping away the layers of shadow.

A giant yellow eye with a familiar red iris, "Surprise!"

Celestia backed away from the mirrors, horn levelled to defend herself as Discord's eye was joined by the rest of him in several of the mirrors around her, "Discord..." The irritation in her voice vanished quickly enough as he smirked down at her, unwilling to give him the satisfaction of riling her, "What do you want?"

All the Discords vanished, save the one in the mirror directly before her. He examined the back of his paw and smirked to himself, "Oh, this and that, but it can wait for now. I mean, when was the last time we just talked, Celestia?"

Celestia kept her tone level, "I've got nothing to say to you."

Discord shrugged, "Pity. I've got plenty to say to you. Then again, I'm sure you'll find yourself more invested in our conversation once we get going..." He brought his paw away from his face and cocked an eyebrow at her, "It's odd, really. After what you did, I wasn't sure how I'd react to seeing you face-to-face again. Now that I'm here, I don't really feel the need to do anything out of the ordinary - relatively speaking, of course. You're in far worse a state that I am, that's for sure."

Celestia kept her jaw clenched firmly shut and her expression neutral as he spoke.

Discord smiled as she tried to retain her composure, "Aww, seems like somepony's a little upset over something. Did Twilight's mean little letter have some bite to its bark? It must have taken a great deal of carelessness for you to so easily lose it."

Celestia gritted her teeth, but did not allow her anger to show through.

Discord turned and walked through the right side of the mirror, vanishing for a moment before appearing in the mirror beside it. His tone turned from mocking to serious as he continued in this fashion, moving from mirror to mirror around her, "She's brilliant you know, Celestia. Such a fantastic student, you wouldn't believe the progress she's already made; I'm sure you'd be so proud of her."

Celestia's lip twitched slightly, and though her face remained otherwise passive, her eyes were full of hate as she tracked his movement through the mirrors.

"And there's the slip." He chuckled darkly as he stopped moving between the mirrors and faced her, "She was important to you, wasn't she, Celestia? Of course she was! Otherwise this wouldn't exist." He waved his arms outwards, pointing between the other mirrors before drumming his fingers against his chin thoughtfully, "I wonder what your intentions for her really were... Was she to be your champion, of sorts? A bastion of light to carry Equestria through dark times?"

One of the mirrors flickered to life as it depicted the image Discord had described. The light in the sky over Equestria faded as the sun itself burned away into nothingness. The moon, having no light source to reflect upon the planet below, faded from view in a similar fashion, plunging everything below into an abyss that spread across the planet as one wave of freezing darkness.

Just as the last vestiges of light vanished, a blinding flash shone from a distant hilltop, the silhouette of a familiar unicorn barely visible as an incredible burst of magic enveloped her. Behind her stepped five other figures, each glowing with similar light as they unified their power. With an almighty roar of pure magic, a colossal, rainbow-hued beam of magic forked to the heavens.

Celestia watched in well-masked awe as a new sun rose above Equestria, bringing a new dawn to banish the all-consuming darkness. It rose gloriously over the hilltop where the six were standing, and each took their position before it, standing proud as they surveyed the land beneath them and the thousands of ponies cheering their names.

The image unsettled Celestia slightly, though she couldn't decide whether it was due to her apparent absence in her subjects' hour of need, or the long shadows that the six cast onto those below as they stood regally, almost aloofly, above them.

Discord spoke again, and the scene that had been playing out it the mirror vanished, "Or perhaps your intentions were a little more intimate?"

Another mirror began illustrating exactly what he had meant. Despite her situation and strong resolve to betray as little emotion as possible, Celestia couldn't do anything but frown and let her jaw hang open in shock at the scene before her.

Twilight and Celestia passionately caressed one another, melting into one another's embrace as they kissed. Longing moans could be heard from both as they rolled over one another playfully, never breaking apart for any longer than necessary to catch their breath. Celestia ran her hooves over Twilight's form, eliciting a long, contented moan from the unicorn and causing her to reluctantly pull back for air after only a few seconds. They broke the kiss, and Celestia made sure to roll herself on top of her lover, watching with a playful smile as Twilight panted for breath beneath her. Once each had taken their fill of air, Celestia slowly lowered her mouth to meet Twilight's once again, gently raising Twilight's hoof with her own as she did so, encouraging the unicorn to explore her body.

Slowly, tenuously at first, Twilight took the hint and began running her hoof through Celestia's fur, rubbing gentle circles around her partner's stomach as she gathered her nerve. Celestia drew back once again, not saying a word to pressure the unicorn beneath her, but the longing in her eyes gave Twilight the final push she needed regardless.

"That's quite enough of that." Discord cleared his throat as the image disappeared, smirking gleefully at Celestia's horrified expression before she turned to face him and snarled, "Was she to be your successor? To take your position once the stress of it all became too much for you?"

This image was relatively calm in comparison with the others. It showed Twilight in royal attire similar to that of the other princesses as she smiled down at her subjects from her balcony in Canterlot Castle. The crowds below her cheered her name repeatedly, the brass band playing her fanfare barely audible over the incredible din.

Twilight turned to face her friends behind her, each of whom smiled back at her encouragingly. Beside them stood her parents, tears of pride in their eyes as they realised, for the second time in their lives, that their child had ascended to royalty. To one side stood Cadence and Shining; to the other, Celestia and Luna. Twilight turned her attention to Celestia, seeking approval from the mare who had been her mentor for almost the entirety of her life up until this point.

Celestia nodded once and gave her a gracious smile.

Twilight nodded back and turned to the balcony's edge once again, hesitating sightly as her nerves took hold. She took a deep breath, spread her newly acquired wings, and took flight towards the crowds below; the chanting of thousands filling her ears as she went.

"ALL HAIL PRINCESS TWILIGHT!"

Discord waved his claw, wiping the image from the mirror as he did so, the chants slowly echoing into nothingness around them, "So many outcomes, Celestia, so many possibilities that will never become a reality. Your original intentions? Whatever your little plan was for her? They don't matter any more! They never mattered!" He smirked manically as she bore her teeth at him, "And do you want to know why?"

Celestia drew a breath through her teeth with a hiss.

"Because everything that's happened so far: Calamity's return, Twilight's loss and subsequent betrayal, our little 'quest'," He chuckled and waved his arms in a wide circle around him as if delivering a long-awaited punchline, "It was all part of the plan from the start!"

Celestia's eyes widened slightly, even as she shook her head and fixed him with a blazing stare, "No... That's a lie!" She stopped, making sure to calm herself sufficiently before speaking again, "Even you couldn't have planned this from the start. There were too many variables, too many unknowns for you to have planned this far ahead."

Discord smiled and tutted to himself, "I'd have thought you of all ponies would have figured it out, Celestia. I didn't need a meticulous plan, all I needed was a framework, a framework that could be filled by anypony." He hummed thoughtfully, "Or, as it turned out, any dragon..."

Celestia stared into the middle distance for a moment as she came to comprehend it all. When she next looked at him her eyes were full of terrifying fury, "You BASTARD!"

Discord scratched the back of his neck in thought as if he hadn't heard, "Admittedly it did take a lot of work. I originally thought about just killing her parents, but that energy field you've got around Canterlot and the surrounding area didn't quite allow for that, soooo..." He dodged to the mirror beside him as Celestia fired a beam through the mirror he had occupied, shattering it, "I had to improvise a little. Told Calamity to simply come and get me from where he had appeared instead-" He dodged again, "I never imagined that you'd use that spell on anypony, even to stop Calamity!" He teleported to the mirrors opposite him as Celestia crushed several around him with her magic, "Never mind Spike! And really, you've never done me a greater favour, Celestia!" He cackled and appeared in a mirror behind Celestia as she shot again, "And having your own sister cast it, well, that's just the icing on the cake, wouldn't you agree?"

Celestia roared as volatile energies swirled around her horn, "You honestly think you'll get away with this, you MONSTER!? Sooner or later, they'll find out the truth!" She smirked grimly despite her rage, "Even if they don't, you've just told me everything! I'll tell them myself at the soonest given opportunity!"

Discord shrugged, dodging as Celestia continue firing at him, "Everything? Hardly... And what makes you think they'd even believe a word you say anyway? If anything, they'd just see it as you trying to pin the blame on someone else again. I'm no fool, Celestia, I've played to my advantage at every possible turn. Although, I'll be the first to admit that not everything played out in my favour either. I was almost certain that Twilight was going to give the game away at one point, and we ended up with Fluttershy as opposed to some of the more headstrong ones, so that made it a little difficult, especially to start with. Oh, and speaking of Fluttershy..."

Celestia took a step back as a paw emerged from the mirror Discord occupied, catching her next blazing blast before hurling it back at her. She barely dodged the inferno as Discord continued to speak, "Her ordeal wasn't part of the plan, and believe me, you are going to suffer for what you've done to her."

Celestia tried to relocate him as the smoke cleared, but couldn't see him in any of the mirrors around her as he spoke, "But not right now. First, I'll take everything from you. Your kingdom will be mine once again. You precious student is already just that, all mine, and there's nothing you can do to change that."

She shook her head, "Only you are beyond saving, Discord! I'll find a way to bring her back! The others too!"

"Oh, that reminds me of why I'm here, actually." A snap of his fingers could be heard, and one-by-one the mirrors began to fall, explode, and otherwise destroy themselves around her. She tried desperately to grasp for those that she could with her magic, but those that she got close to would simply erupt in a spray of mystical glass, "That's one less way for you to find her. Hope you've got another ace in the hole, Celestia."

Celestia winced as she felt several deep cuts along her body, no doubt peppered with shards of glass, but she kept face and stared him down nonetheless, "Harmony will prevail over chaos, as it always has! We'll find you, Discord, one way or another, and when we do you're going to regret everything you've done!"

A yawn could be heard from somewhere behind her, "I doubt it, though it doesn't really matter all that much in the end anyway. I've already won, Celestia, the rest is just a waiting game, and you tend to learn patience when you've spent as long in stone in I have. Even if, by some incredible turn of events, you defeat me again, the worst you can do is seal me away!" His laughter circled her as his voice began to fade away, "But as for you... Well, as you and I both know, the sun will eventually burn itself out; it's only a matter of time,"

The laughter ceased, and Discord's parting words were little more than a whisper by the time they reached Celestia's ears, "And I have an eternity to spare..."

Author's Note

Holy crap, it's 23:59 here, but I did it! Anniversary chapter!

Wow... I can't believe it's already been a year. I'd thank you guys for your support, but you're probably getting sick of me doing it every chapter, eh? :P

It's been a fantastic year guys, and I hope you're still enjoying reading this as much as I am writing it :)

In other news, I will be taking a 1 MONTH BREAK (in bold so the A/N skimmers can see :P) from writing, meaning that a new chapter will probably not be out until around March. I'm really tired at the moment, and have been staying up until 4AM some nights just to fit in writing time (I get up at 7:30 for college). It's really not that good when I'm revising for mock exams and the like, so yeah, short break. At least I've outright warned you guys this time, so I won't be missing any deadlines :D

In other, other news, I'm thinking about writing a couple of one-shots during my break. You know, something chilled out and laid back that I won't have to fit into my schedule as much as I do with this story. So look out for those if you're interested!

It's midnight, I have a Business Studies mock exam tomorrow, and I'm way tired. Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, feel free to comment and all that good stuff, and goodnight (from Britain, at least).

Mike, not in any state to be looking down a scope at the moment, especially when it's pointed at other people.

Chapter XXIV - The More Things Change

The train back to Ponyville neared its destination.

Contrary to what the three bearers had originally expected whilst boarding, the journey had passed them by relatively quickly. With Ponyville now clearly in sight, and the locomotive steadily drawing to a halt, the three found themselves unsure of exactly where to begin.

Rainbow stepped up to the window, scanning across what she could see of Ponyville as they approached the station, "Right, so..." She briefly glanced at Applejack and Rarity, "What's first?"

Rarity stood from her seat, but stammered as she struggled to find the answer herself, "I-I... We... We need to get things ready for when we leave, correct?"

Rainbow sighed and looked flatly at Rarity, "We know, that's more or less what the Princess already told us. But what do we actually do?"

Rarity shrugged, "I suppose it will vary for each of us, Darling."

An announcement of the train's imminent arrival in Ponyville filled the carriage, and the slight screeching of old brakes could be heard from the outside.

Applejack stood up beside her friends, gesturing towards the exit and trotting beside them as they went, "Well Ah don't know about you two, but Ah'm headin' straight home. If Ah'm gonna be leavin' for a good amount of time then my family needs to know why."

Rarity nodded as they disembarked, "Family is probably a good place to start, actually. I might need to send Sweetie back to stay with my parents if we're to be gone for even longer."

"Ah'm sure my family wouldn't mind lookin' after her for the duration, Rarity. Heck, Applebloom would probably be over the moon."

Rarity smiled, "Probably. Thank you, Applejack, I might take you up on that offer; provided your family agrees, of course."

Applejack and Rarity shared a smile as they made their way into Ponyville. They turned to Rainbow expectantly, but the pegasus spoke before they did, "Girls, anything seem... off, to you?"

Their collective pace slowed as they examined their surroundings, though it took them a moment to notice what Rainbow was talking about. Many of the ponies passing them by gave them strange glances as they went, often accompanied by low, conspiratorial whispers.

Rarity scanned around carefully, "You don't think they're talking about us, do you?"

Rainbow shot the nearest group of whisperers an icy stare as she spoke, causing them to quickly avert their gazes elsewhere. She gave a huff, "Sure seems like it to me."

Applejack adjusted her hat and began trotting as nonchalantly as possible, prompting the others to follow, "Wonder what they're talkin' about. You don't suppose they know about what happened up in Canterlot, do you?"

Rarity briefly hummed to herself, "Word travels fast from Canterlot, certainly, but I would've thought this sort of thing would be kept under wraps... Either way, it's exceptionally rude of them, gossiping like that!"

Rainbow gave a huff and took to the air above her friends, "It could just be that something happened while we were gone." She pointedly raised her voice so that those around them could hear her, "But you'd think somepony would actually have the guts to tell us what's up, instead of standing there whispering like a bunch of creeps!" Although it earned her several glares, the majority of those she had addressed promptly dispersed. Rainbow scowled at those that remained until she, Applejack and Rarity rounded a corner. They made their way towards the Carousel Boutique at the far end of the street.

Rarity sighed and gave each of her friends a tired smile, "A mystery for later, perhaps? For now I just want to see Sweetie and relax until I can figure out how to get everything back in order before we leave."

Applejack smiled to herself, "Might wanna hold off on the relaxin; there, Rarity. We got a little trio of trouble headin' our way." She gestured to the three fillies dashing towards them from their right.

"Applejack!"

"Rarity!"

"Rainbow Dash!"

Within seconds each of said three found themselves to be the targets of crushing hugs delivered by the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Rarity and Applejack both returned the gesture, whereas Scootaloo jumped back - an embarrassed look on her face as she glanced over the nearby scenery as coolly as possible - preventing Rainbow from doing so.

Rainbow smiled down at the younger pegasus and ruffled her mane, "Hey, Squirt. You doing alright?"

Scootaloo nodded, still trying to maintain her distant composure but failing miserably, "Yeah, I've been good."

Rainbow gestured to the pack on Scootaloo's back, noticing that each Crusader had a similar one with their group's emblem sewn into it, "What's with the bags?"

"Me, Sweetie Belle and Applebloom have been doing some detective work while you were gone!" The other two Crusaders detached themselves from their sisters and stepped in line beside Scootaloo at the mention of their work.

Applejack chuckled, "Detective work huh? Hope the three of you have been respectin' other ponies' privacy then." They stared up at Applejack with seemingly innocent eyes, causing Applejack to roll hers, "Wouldn't mind havin' some detectives on hoof at the moment though, to be completely honest. Seems there's been a lot of whispers goin' around since the three of us left."

The fillies looked at each other with uncertain expressions but remained quiet, leaving Rarity to raise an eyebrow as she spoke, "You wouldn't happen to know what everypony is talking about, would you, girls?"

Again, they shared an apprehensive glance and shuffled slightly closer together. Sweetie cleared her throat awkwardly after several seconds of silence, "Well... It might sort of be related to our investigating..."

Rarity sighed and hung her head, "Please tell me the three of you haven't done anything that reflects poorly on Rainbow, Applejack and I. We really could do without it right now."

Applebloom shook her head frantically, "No! We weren't doin' nothin' like that, Ah promise!" She looked away from the questioning eyes of the older mares, "B-But it kinda has somethin' to do with you three, too..." When Applebloom looked back up at them, her expression had changed completely, now sad and almost ashamed, as opposed to defensive, "That's why we were investigatin'..."

Applejack leant down beside her sister and stroked her mane gently, "Listen, Applebloom, you and your friends ain't in no trouble; we just want to know what's been said, that's all."

Applebloom looked nervously between her friends before turning back to Applejack, remaining silent all the while.

Applejack lowered her voice and spoke gently so that only Applebloom could hear her, "Is it that bad?"

Applebloom paused for a moment then spoke quietly, "Yeah, I guess it is..."

"It's okay, Applebloom. Go on."

Despite her sister's reassurances, Applebloom averted her eyes and shook her head, instead opting to look at her friends pleadingly. Scootaloo stepped forwards and looked Applejack in the eye, though she spoke in a far more subdued manner than she usually did, "It started about a week ago. Some of the Royal Guard came into town and started putting up these posters everywhere."

Applejack's tone reflected her confusion, "Posters?"

Scootaloo nodded, "Everypony thought it was some sort of joke at first. I mean... It was just silly! B-But when the Guards told us they were for real, well..."

Sweetie's meek voice was barely audible as she dragged a hoof through the earth beneath her, "Some ponies started saying some really nasty things about you and your friends..."

Rainbow looked between the saddened faces of the fillies before her and spoke with concern clear in her voice, "Wait, just what the hay was on those posters?"

Scootaloo and Applebloom looked at Sweetie, who blushed a deep red but dipped her head into her bag, withdrawing a rolled up piece of paper. Without a word she trotted to Rarity and dropped it at her hooves before hurriedly retreating back to her friends.

Rarity hesitantly levitated the poster and unravelled it before herself and her friends. She took an audible gasp as she realised what it contained.

A picture of Fluttershy, accompanied by a list of crimes and a reward for capture.

Rainbow and Applejack reacted similarly, but Rarity spoke before either of them could voice their reactions in front of the fillies, "Girls, you said posters, as in 'more than one', right?"

The crusaders nodded timidly.

"Am I correct in assuming that there are posters for Twilight and Pinkie too?"

They nodded again. "And Discord." Scootaloo added with a perplexed shrug.

"So that's what everyone's talking about." Rarity reached up and tapped the poster as she turned to her friends, "Everypony knows..."

A squeak could be heard from one of the fillies, "S-So it's true that th-they really did those things?" Sweetie asked in disbelief.

A heartbeat of silence passed before Applejack took the burden of bluntness upon herself, "It's true."

"But... Ah don't get it. Why?" Applebloom asked, seeming more perplexed than upset by the revelation, "Ah thought they were good ponies, like you?"

"It ain't as simple as good or bad, Applebloom-"

"But how can they not be bad if they're criminals now?" Sweetie looked between the ground and Applejack as she mulled it over, "I thought you had to be bad to do those things on the posters?"

Applejack took a deep breath and closed her eyes, "Listen, girls." She opened her eyes after a moment to compose her thoughts and made sure the fillies were paying due attention, "Nopony is perfect, and everypony makes mistakes from time to time. Sometimes those mistakes are an accident, other times it's down to a poor choice; like with Twilight, Pinkie and Fluttershy."

Scootaloo tilted her head, "A poor choice?"

Applejack chuckled sadly, "Well, several poor choices actually. The thing is, they were put in a situation where they would've felt like they'd be doin' wrong regardless of what they did; all six of us were. It doesn't make 'em bad just for doin' what they thought was more right, does it?"

The Crusaders shook their heads after a moment's pause.

"Now Ah'm not sayin' they ain't done nothin' wrong, but they've only done those things because they got tricked into makin' those poor choices."

Applebloom scrunched her brow in confusion, "Wait, tricked? Who tricked 'em?"

Applejack took a deep breath but kept her features and tone steady, "That's not somethin' Ah'm gonna go into right now, Applebloom. You don't need - or want - to know everythin' that's happened, trust me. All you need to know is that Twilight, Pinkie and Fluttershy aren't bad, or evil, or anythin' like that. Ah can guarantee they're havin' a real hard time right now, and a lot of it ain't even directly their fault; they're just caught in the middle of somethin' that never should have happened."

"So... you're saying that they're not trying to be bad on purpose, but they sort of don't have a choice because they're confused about what's right or wrong?" Scootaloo asked in a tone that suggested new found comprehension.

'That's about as good an understandin' as Ah could hope for 'em to have at their age.' Applejack gave Scootaloo an approving nod and a smile, "Yup, that's more or less what Ah was gettin' at. Do you two get what Ah meant too?"

Sweetie and Applebloom nodded, "Yeah."

"Ah think so."

Rainbow wore a smirk as she nudged Applejack from behind, "Wow, I honestly never pegged you as the teaching type, Applejack."

Applejack deadpanned and spoke in a threatening tone as she turned to face Rainbow, "You tryin' to say somethin'?" A smirk of her own quickly emerged as Rainbow took a reflexive step back, "Just messin' with ya."

Rainbow shook her head, though she smiled back nonetheless, "Good to hear, I don't wanna be the next thing you toss through a window."

Applejack raised an eyebrow, "Sugarcube, you're certainly goin' the right way about it."

Rarity caught the Crusaders whispering amongst themselves at the display and cleared her throat loudly, "I think it's about time we headed home, right girls?" Applejack and Rainbow caught the warning look in Rarity's eye and promptly stepped away from one another.

Rainbow gave a brief wave to Rarity and Applejack before turning on the spot and trotting away, "You coming, Squirt?" she asked without looking back. Scootaloo darted to her idol's side without a moment's hesitation.

Applejack rolled her eyes and turned to Rarity, "I'll see you around, Rares. You'll let me know if you get any word about 'you know what' from Canterlot, right?"

"Of course. I'll see you later."

"C'mon, Applebloom." Applejack waved her sister over, and the two began making their way towards Sweet Apple Acres.

Rarity trotted towards her boutique after watching her friends go, beckoning her sister to follow. The two moves towards it in comfortable silence, but as Rarity neared the door her curiosity got the better of her, "Sweetie Belle?"

"Yeah?"

"What were you and the others whispering about just now?"

"Uhm..." A visible blush began to spread across her cheeks, "We were trying to figure something out."

"Oh? And what would that be?"

"Well... being detectives and all we've got to look for clues about everything, right?"

"And?"

Sweetie spoke quickly, her embarrassment getting the better of her and causing her words to trail into a meek whisper, "We were deciding on investigating whether or not Applejack and Rainbow Dash secretly love each other."

Rarity paused with her hoof on the door handle. She stared passively at it for what felt like a long time as she tried to piece together Sweetie's assumptions and the exchange that had taken place only a minute before. Then she laughed, wrapping a foreleg around her sister's neck to steady herself, for fear of falling whilst in the throes of her hysteric guffawing. For that brief half minute of gleeful bliss, Rarity felt more carefree than she had done in months. Even when she finally calmed herself, and the pressures and uncertainties that had previously plagued her returned once again, Rarity wore a genuine smile.

She found untold comfort in the fact that, despite all that had happened, she could always find respite from her troubles in the form of her little sister.

Discord cracked his knuckles as he stretched out his arms, producing a cacophony of xylophone notes, "Daylight's burning, everypony ready?" He was met with four consecutive nods, "We're up at dawn every day for the next few weeks, at least. Unfortunately, we're probably not going to get much rest between teleporting to each hideout, either."

"What?" Twilight's voice dripped with disappointment and irritation, "Why not!? You know how much the training takes out of me."

Discord held up his claw and shook his head, "We need to determine whether or not the guards are still on our backs first. I don't fancy having another 'incident', seen as though it didn't end so well the last time around."

Twilight nodded in reluctant agreement, "Right..."

"I have an idea of how to lead them astray if needs be, but the best case scenario is that they've lost our trail completely."

Pinkie rubbed her chin thoughtfully, "It would be nice not to feel like we're being hunted down for a while. I'm getting pretty tired of hiding in a hole in the ground everywhere we go." She turned to Discord and gave him a pleasant smile, "So, where to next, Discy?"

"North," he conjured up their map and traced a finger over their intended route, a dotted line trailing behind it, "to Baltimare."

Angel pointed at Baltimare and rapidly tapped his owner, gesturing between the map and Discord.

Fluttershy lifted her gaze from the map as she came to understand what Angel meant, "I-Isn't Baltimare a little too busy for us to hide there?"

Discord nodded, his finger swerving to the left just before reaching Baltimare itself, "Correct, we'll be staying somewhere a little more... remote." His finger came to rest on one of the mountains near the city.

Twilight glanced at him curiously, "Are you sure that's safe?"

Discord shrugged, "Safe enough, so long as nopony decides to go for a little stroll." He squinted at Twilight and Pinkie in turn, but relented after a few seconds, "Then again, I think we've learned our lesson about that by now." He was met with four pensive nods, and shook his head briefly, "Regardless, the four of you had best get your adorable little mortal heads out of Bluesville, it's time to go. Brace yourselves."

Without giving them ample time to do so, Discord snapped his fingers.

The biting cold came as a shock to Twilight's system, causing her to take a reflexive gasp of air that strung her lungs as she inhaled. Wind and snow swirled around her, buffeting her from all directions and effectively blinding her as she attempted to shield her eyes, "Discord!?" She could barely hear her own voice over the shrill whistling of the wind, "What is this!? What did you do!?" She already found herself shivering uncontrollably as the heat from her body was stripped away in layers, "DISCORD!?" She wheeled around, attempting to find any trace of her friends through the blinding blizzard, but stopped sharply at the sight of a blade not an inch from her face.

"If this were a real ambush, you'd be dead right now." Discord's voice - and subsequent chuckle - cut clearly through the howling wind.

Twilight allowed herself a moment for her heartbeat to slow before frowning up at the glowing red eyes before her. She muttered a string of obscenities under her breath, but shook her head in annoyance as they were drowned out completely by the whistling wind.

Discord stepped into full view, Fluttershy and Pinkie by his side. Though he himself didn't seem to be affected in the slightest by the cold, the other two were clearly freezing, trembling in the same way Twilight was. The sword in Discord's paw fell blade-first into the snow beneath them, where it shook for a moment before leaning over to Discord's left, apparently of its own accord.

With a wave of his claw, it melted into the snow beneath it. Discord motioned for the three to follow him with his paw, already moving in the direction the sword had leant, "This way!"

Twilight, Pinkie and Fluttershy shared an uncertain glance as he waded off through the snow, his silhouette fading rapidly as he did so. Twilight squinted and called after him, but her words barely carried to the two right beside her that had huddled against her for warmth.

"Or you could just stay where you are and freeze! Your choice, ladies! Really!"

The three shared a final glance before begrudgingly trudging after Discord. After sufficiently gathering her wits and energy, Twilight raised a shield around the three of them, warding them from the worst effects of the blizzard as they trailed behind Discord.

It wasn't long before Discord halted, turning to face them once again. They stopped before him, confused, until he snapped his fingers, parting the winds for long enough to reveal a massive rock face towering above them just behind him, "Well, here we are!"

The wind resumed its course as Discord's magic faded, lashing at the four of them once again. Though Discord himself showed no signs of discomfort, the others were still huddled closely together and visibly shivering, even despite Twilight's spell keeping out the worst of the cold. Through her saddlebags, Fluttershy could feel Angel trembling against the cold. It was more than enough to prompt her to speak on his behalf, "DISCORD, PLEASE, WE'RE FREEZING! WHAT ARE WE DOING HERE!?"

Discord cracked his fingers on both hands in turn before casually pointing one in the direction of the cliff face he had previously revealed, smiling at Fluttershy as he did so, "Oh, we're just making an entrance, my dear!" A bolt of yellow light shot from his finger, disappearing into the blizzard momentarily. The Bearers watched as the direction of the wind - and the snow churning within it - began to change, slowly beginning to spiral into the cliff face itself in the same fashion as water down a plughole. The spiralling intensified rapidly, growing faster and faster. Discord snapped his fingers again, watching along with the others as the cliff face began peeling as if made of paper, allowing the tamed winds to carve a cave into the mountainside. Barely twenty seconds later, Discord snapped his fingers again, dismissing the winds he had manipulated and returning the texture of the rock face to normal. He waved the others forwards hurriedly yet nonchalantly as he approached their new hideout, "In we go!"

Far too cold to even comment on Discord's antics by this point, the three headed directly into the relative shelter of the cave without a second thought. Once all stood inside, Discord turned to the entrance, held out his arms, then drew them together before him; the cave mouth following the motion and sealing itself shut as he did so. Though the cave now provided almost complete shelter from the wind, it also left them without any trace of light, and the cold stone all around them did little to alleviate the freezing cold.

Discord grunted as he heard the shaking breaths of the ponies in the darkness, snapping his fingers and filling the cave with light, "I suppose I'd better do the usual decorating, right? Perhaps warm the place up a little?"

Pinkie spoke to the best of her ability, given her juddering voice and chattering teeth, "Y-Y-Y-Yes!"

Another snap, and the cave transformed into the hideout they were accustomed to, save for one new aspect; a small fire pit in the centre of the room, the smoke from which seemed to disappear upon touching the roof. Twilight, Pinkie, Fluttershy, and Angel - once he had sprung from Fluttershy's saddlebags - immediately took positions around it, grateful for the warmth it provided. Discord, however, simply opted to lean against the nearest wall.

Once she found herself confident enough in her ability to speak coherently, Twilight turned her attention from the fire to Discord, "Why a fire? Can't you just heat the place up anyway?"

Discord shrugged, "I can, but I think you'll find that fire will heat you up far faster than keeping the room at a comfortable temperature via magic would. Besides, if I'm to waste magic on amenities every time we teleport, I might as well introduce a little variation into the mix. At the very least it gives us all something comforting to look at..." He glanced at the fire as he spoke. For a brief moment, the others saw the ghostly silhouettes of flames dancing in his eyes before he turned his attention back to them, "Or not. Of course, if you'd rather I get rid of it then I'd be happy to-"

"Don't." Twilight shot him a warning glare,"Just don't."

Discord held out his arms and smirked, "Suit yourself."

No more words were spoken between them for quite some time as four of the five attempted to gain precious heat from the fire, and all five stared into it, deep in thought.

"So you're leaving again?"

Rarity reached down and stroked her sister's mane comfortingly, "I am, along with Rainbow Dash and Applejack. We're still waiting for a messenger to give us the specifics though."

Sweetie hung her head disappointedly, "How long will you be gone?"

"I don't know, Sweetie. If I had to take I guess I'd say several weeks, at the very least."

Sweetie kept her eyes on the ground, "Why do you have to go, Rarity? Can't you just stay here with me?"

Rarity sighed and continued to stroke her sister's mane as she spoke, "I truly wish I could, Sweetie, but you know I can't. I need to know that my friends are alright. You'd do the same for your friends, wouldn't you?""

Sweetie nodded after a moment's pause, "Yeah. It's just..."

Rarity initially waited for her to continue, but prompted her after an elongated pause, "Just what?"

Sweetie closed her eyes momentarily as she pieced together her words, "Ever since this," Sweetie raised her head so as to face Rarity and pointed at the statue of Spike before them, and the now barely noticeable mound of earth at its feet. Her voice gradually became quieter as she stared up at the imposing statue with a small tinge of sadness and her reverence of the monument visible on her face, "We've hardly spent any time together. You were always here, or busy catching up on late work, and then away in Canterlot..."

Rarity looked up at the statue's face and swallowed the lump that appeared in her throat, "I know. Even given what happened, I spent far too much time dwelling on the past, didn't I?" She rested a hoof against her sister's back, "I promise you, Sweetie, once this is all over, you and I will spend as much time together as we want, okay?"

Sweetie twisted a forehoof against the earth and faced away from Rarity in order to hide her disappointment, "Okay..." As quiet fell upon them, the filly desperately searched for anything to change the subject for fear of her irritation festering and verbally making itself known to Rarity. She didn't have to look far, her gaze settling on the statue after only a moment's survey of the area, "That gem really is beautiful, isn't it?"

Rarity smiled as she joined her sister in staring up at the fire ruby, still emanating the vast array of colours from the unicorns that had attended the memorial service so many months ago, "It is." Her gaze wandered to the face above the gem, then down to the barely-existent mound of earth at the base of the statue. In an instant her smile vanished, her voice taking on a wistful tone, "It still means a lot to me..."

Discord slumped in his seat and rubbed his chin for the third time that minute as he flicked his gaze between the other four. Though they remained seated around the fire, they no longer huddled closely to it as they had upon their arrival almost an hour prior.

Resigning himself to the inevitability of the coming conversation happening sooner or later, Discord spoke up, "Twilight?"

Twilight shifted her attention from her friends to Discord, giving him a questioning look.

Discord gestured to the seat nearest him, "There's something I think we need to talk about."

Slightly perplexed, Twilight trotted over and took a seat opposite Discord, "What's up?"

"Well," he grimaced, drawing a short hiss of breath through his teeth, "There are a few little things regarding you and I that I feel I'd better address whilst our little... 'adventure' is still relatively young."

Already cautious, Twilight glanced at him suspiciously, "What? What 'things', exactly?"

Discord hummed to himself, "Well, two things in particular. Issues that could come back to bite us later down the line if left to fester."

Twilight sighed and rubbed her temples exasperatedly, "You're not helping."

He smirked but quickly reverted to a neutral expression, "Well... Let's just say that Celestia and I had something of a 'run in' recently."

Twilight's head shot upwards immediately, "You what? When? What happened?"

Discord raised his paw and kept his calm exterior, "That's the second issue, and I'll get around to it soon enough, don't worry." He rolled his eyes at the frustration showing through her features, "Trust me, you won't understand what I'm getting at if I don't clear up the first issue beforehand."

Twilight, clearly not satisfied with his response, blew upwards into her mane, "Fine. Just spare me the theatrics and make it quick, will you?"

Discord tilted his head and scowled, taking on a mocking tone, "Fine." He sighed and reclined in his chair, "As difficult as it might be to believe, I'm not the most honest of individuals."

Twilight's expression of mild irritation didn't shift an inch, "Really? Who would've thought it?"

Discord allowed for a moment's silence before continuing, "There have been a few occasions where I've had to... shall we say, slightly manipulate the truth to move things along."

Twilight still displayed no visible response, "You mean lie through your teeth, right?"

Rolling his eyes, Discord sighed, "If you must put it so crassly."

Twilight leant forwards slightly, staring unblinkingly at him as she spoke, "So, what have you lied to us about?"

Discord held his paw over his heart and jolted backwards in his seat, "I'm stunned Twilight, really I am. I never said I'd lied to you."

A moment of silence passed. Twilight's stare remained firmly affixed to Discord throughout.

The draconequus registered her expectant glare, holding up his paw and examining it sadly as he spoke, "I must really be losing my touch."

Twilight grunted and spoke in a harsh tone, "Theatrics." She reclined in her seat and allowed a degree of curiosity to grace her features, "But you don't honestly think I've believed everything you've told me since day one, do you?"

"You believed enough to follow me out into the wilderness with minimal concrete evidence and earn yourself a reputation as a national criminal in the process, if that counts for anything." He gave a chuckle at the warning glare she gave him, "But no, I imagine you've had your doubts for quite some time. Honestly, I'd expect no less; I'd be wary too, were I in your position. I'd also be shorter, less powerful, more irritable, generally bori-"

He came to an abrupt stop as a spark of purple narrowly missed his face. Reacting quickly before it had the chance to ricochet in the confines of their hideout, Discord swiped out his claw and firmly grasped the magic in mid-air, stopping it dead before holding his paw out at her in mock disbelief, "Testy!"

The rising glow of Twilight's horn, accompanied by the rising glow of the blush on her face, acted as something as a warning to the draconequus, "Alright, alright! Too much, I get it." He popped the magic into his mouth and munched it absent-mindedly as he continued, "Yes, Twilight, I 'lied through my teeth' on the odd occasion. It's not something I particularly enjoy doing - what with it taking all the fun out of deception and all - but given my circumstances and my options I don't believe you would have done any different."

The glow surrounding Twilight's horn dimmed slowly, "Explain."

"Well, remember our little heartfelt conversations back when I was a glorified garden ornament?" Twilight nodded, frowning as she attempted to determine where the truth had ended and the lies began during said exchanges. "Whilst the majority of what I told you was indeed the truth, in one or two cases I lied in order to gain your trust enough to escape."

Twilight reclined in her seat - much to Discord's surprise - and spoke more calmly, almost resignedly, after a brief pause. She didn't look him in the eye now, instead gazing vacantly at the wall behind him, "I figured as much..." She reached up with a hoof and rested it against her forehead, her voice quavering slightly as she spoke, "C-Care to elaborate on exactly what you lied about?"

Discord caught Fluttershy stirring from her musings and gestured for her to stay put, doing the same to Pinkie as Fluttershy nudged her. Turning his attention back to Twilight, Discord gave a slight cough, "For the most part, only the minor details I could spin to shed me in a more positive light: Celestia wasn't quite as coarse in her dealings with me after the 'summit incident' as I told you; my speculations that the pain caused by the pent up chaos energies was being caused by her may have been true, but I haven't a clue myself; and from what you know of my past you've probably already deduced that Celestia had reason enough to lock me away anyway, so claiming 'I never did nothing wrong' was a lie, and one could say an affront to all reasonable morality."

Twilight flicked her gaze to him for a split second before settling once again on the wall, "Right. You said 'for the most part'?"

Discord hummed the affirmative, though his usual teasing tone was absent from his speech, "Ever the observant one. Yes, there's one thing in particular that I lied about that needs addressing."

"And that is?"

"I originally told you that I never summoned Calamity to Equestria. That he only came here of his own volition in an attempt to free me." He sighed and prepared for a spectrum of reactions from the unicorn before him, "I lied."

Twilight blinked rapidly before slowly raising her head so as to face Discord, revealing now tired looking and almost tearful eyes, "You called him here, didn't you?"

He stared into her eyes and gave a single nod, "Yes."

Deathly quiet, permeated only by the faint crackling of the fire, followed.

It took Twilight almost an entire minute of stuttering and starting before she was finally able to find her voice, hanging her head as she asked the gnawing question, "W-Why?"

"To free me, of course. For all I knew, I could have been sealed in that rock for another millennium, so I called him to my aid." After a moment's hesitation, Discord reached across with his paw, placing it under her chin and bringing up her head so as to allow him to look her straight in the eye once more, "Listen to me, Twilight." She didn't speak, but the questioning look she gave him prompted him to continue, "I promise you, I had no idea that he would appear where he did. It was never my plan to have him cause so much destruction."

Twilight mulled it over for a moment before responding with a glare, "I-I... believe you. I shouldn't, after all you've done, but I do."

"Then why the glare?"

Twilight inched her muzzle a little closer to his, staring threateningly into his eyes as she did so, "I have family in Canterlot, too. Seems to me like they wouldn't be here any more instead of Spike if your pet demon had succeeded."

Discord shook his head and leant back slightly, "No. Had he appeared in the caves beneath Canterlot it would have been a simple task to break through the surface, grab my statue from beneath, and escape through the tunnels. His mission was simply to rescue me, and - despite being the embodiment of disaster itself - that would have been his only priority, had things gone to plan."

Twilight allowed her glare to lessen slightly, rubbing her watery eyes before speaking, "I'm not sure whether I believe that. Then again, we'll never know now anyway, so I don't suppose it matters."

Discord scratched his chin for a moment before speaking cautiously, "If you don't mind me saying so, you're taking all of this far too well for my liking. I'd have expected more spells, or at least a few verbal barrages here and there. What gives?"

Twilight shrugged half-heartedly, "I suppose it's just the fact that I've been preparing for you saying something along those lines ever since we left. That one day you'd just turn around and... do something, I don't know. I had all these scenarios in my head. You'd tell us it was all a lie, that you've brought us willingly away from all we've loved for nothing and then just laugh at our stupidity for trusting you." She sighed, "I guess after considering the worst case scenario for so long, I was half expecting it to become a reality myself."

Discord dangled his arms over either side of his chair, "Well, nothing quite like being trusted, eh?" He caught Twilight frowning to herself and chuckled, "Don't worry about it, I wouldn't trust me either."

Twilight reclined back into her seat and rubbed her eyes once again, "Why admit to lying now, anyway?" She pondered over it for but a moment before groaning to herself, "Celestia, right?"

"Five hundred Discord points to team Sparkle." Standing from his seat, Discord stretched and chuckled to himself as Pinkie shot Twilight a competitive glare, "But yes, Celestia. As I said, I had a run in with her recently, and it culminated in us playing mind games with one another." He brushed himself down casually, "Needless to say, I won by a landslide."

Pinkie and Fluttershy - with Angel atop her back - hesitantly approached until Discord waved them over. Each took a seat beside Twilight whilst the draconequus remained standing.

Twilight voiced her curiosity immediately, "What happened, exactly? I didn't even realise you were gone."

Discord scratched his chin in thought, "I suppose that's because, in a sense, I wasn't." He caught her confused look, "Remember visiting me at my statue? How your body existed in one place whilst your consciousness was elsewhere?"

Twilight and the others nodded as they recalled the somewhat strange experience.

"Same principle, really. I was here physically, but not here." he tapped his head a few times.

Pinkie tilted her head curiously, "So what actually happened?"

Discord took a great pause for thought, pacing, humming and stroking his beard almost constantly as he attempted to come up with an adequate response. When he did, he stopped and turned to Twilight, "You're probably going to find this hard to believe."

Twilight shrugged, "If it's about Celestia, I'll take all the knowledge I can get."

Discord fought the urge to smirk at the statement, "Oh the irony of it all." He took note of their questioning expressions, "Celestia seems to have had the same approach to you, Twilight. Ever since you first set hoof in Ponyville, actually."

"What do you mean?"

Discord leant against the far wall and crossed his arms, "She had set up a rather complex and intricate viewing spell, very difficult to pull off in the first place; even harder to tamper with. Ever since you first arrived in Ponyville, Celestia was able to see what you were doing; every second, of every minute, of every hour, of every day." He saw the mix of emotions seeping onto her face, "And yes, that includes up until right now. Or at least, it would have done."

Given that Twilight seemed to still be processing the implications of being the subject of 24 hour surveillance by Celestia, Fluttershy spoke up on the group's behalf, "Y-You stopped it?"

Discord smiled and donned a pair of shades, "Of course. Smashed the place to smithereens whilst Celestia watched, as a matter of fact. Fortunately, I was aware of the spell for quite some time, and managed to set up some countermeasures before Celestia could track us through Twilight's memories."

The unicorn scoffed loudly, "Without telling me exactly what she'd done, or that you'd used another spell on me."

Discord coolly pushed the sunglasses slightly closer to his eyes, "Unavoidable, I'm afraid. If I'd have told you I have little doubt that you would've found the spell and gone messing around in there at the first given opportunity, drawing Celestia's attention in the process." He caught Twilight preparing to retort and sighed loudly, "Unwanted countermeasure spell, or unwanted failure before we even truly began, those were your options." He removed his glasses and raised an eyebrow, "Although, if you'd rather go back?"

Twilight bit her tongue and shook her head in frustration after several seconds. Fluttershy glanced up at him, "I don't understand. What does your lying have to do with this?"

Discord hummed to himself, "Good question. The answer is relatively simple, and should be common sense to all of us by now, but it's a point I'll reiterate until it sticks." He snapped his fingers, transforming the shades in his paw into a short stick.

Twilight rolled her eyes, "What?"

Aiming the stick like a dart, Discord launched it across the room at great speed, allowing it to sail through the air into a picture of a familiar princess that hadn't existed only moments beforehand, "Don't trust Princess Celestia."

Pinkie waved a hoof in the air so as to garner Discord's attention, "Discy?"

Discord grimaced momentarily, "Yes, Pinkie?"

"Do we earn points for stating the obvious? Because if we do, I think you're winning now."

Discord scrutinised her expression carefully, scanning for any trace of snideness behind her inquisitive glance. As usual he found none and sank his head into his claw dejectedly, "No, Pinkie, we do not." Keeping his head planted in his hand, he continued, "In all seriousness though, at some time in the future we're bound to have another run in with Celestia. When we do, you can be sure that she'll say anything she can to convince you that I'm the greater of two evils; something she's fooled even herself into believing. That much, you're all probably aware of." He straightened out and scanned across each of those before him, "However, we're all also aware that - despite how much it pains me to admit such - she's no pushover, in terms of both power and intelligence."

Twilight nodded begrudgingly, "And?"

"And, once she's simmered down, it won't take her long to realise that she can use what I said to her advantage. She'd steeled herself against the taunting she thought was coming, so I had to take the deception up a notch." He snapped his fingers, materialising his cloud beneath him as he slumped onto it lazily, "I'm not going to repeat everything that was said, but it generally revolved around me stating that I'd planned everything to happen the way it has from the very start, which - as I'm sure the four of you already know - is not the case. We wouldn't be hiding in a cave in sub-zero temperatures whilst being hunted down by approximately half of Equestria if I'd have planned our 'adventure' from the moment the six of you decided I hadn't had my bi-annual taste of the rainbow. Honestly, after all that business the only plans I had for the six of you were some rather nasty revenge plots." He paused and smirked at the pegasus in the room, "Except for you of course, Fluttershy."

Fluttershy shook her head disapprovingly, but couldn't help but give a small, involuntary smile. Twilight, on the other hand, simply deadpanned and spoke in a flat tone, "Charming. Thanks, Discord."

The draconequus flopped down onto his back and gave a light laugh, "Hey, at least I'm being honest, right?"

Pinkie looked between Discord and Twilight's flat, unimpressed expression a few times before giggling herself, "He has a point, Twilight!"

Twilight, wholly unamused, remained stationary for a sum total of four seconds before turning and trotting to her bed in silence. Upon reaching it, she allowed herself to fall forwards onto it and released a hefty sigh, "Strange how it makes me trust you even less when you tell the truth, isn't it?" With that, she rolled to face the wall, putting her back to Discord and the others.

Discord shared a mischievous smile with Pinkie before calling out to Twilight in mock anger, shaking his fist as he did so, "One day, Twilight Sparkle! One day you'll learn to appreciate and trust me for who I am! Maybe not today, or tomorrow, but one day!"

Twilight responded by grunting and holding her pillow around her ears, "I doubt it."

Discord frowned at her lack of enthusiasm, allowing his arms to droop over the edge of his cloud, "You're still as boring as when we first left." He glanced at Pinkie and Fluttershy, who smiled back amusedly at his defeated expression, before rolling from his cloud and floating in mid-air, "Well, it's a shame for me to go whilst we're having such great fun - thank you, Twilight - but I'm afraid I'm getting that familiar... itch, to cause some more entertaining chaos. That being said..." He snapped his fingers, causing a small opening to form in the wall through which they had originally entered, exposing all within to the chilling winds once again. Stepping up to the exit, he glanced back over his shoulder at them with what had quickly become a serious expression, "I might be gone for quite a while longer than usual this time around. Just remember, you'll be safe here as long as you don't leave and keep the fire stoked. Don't sleep until I return."

Fluttershy stood up as he turned to leave, holding up a hoof to shield her face from the harsh chill the wind carried, "Where are you going that's going to take you so long?"

Without looking back, Discord spoke, his tone now flat and calculating, "Somewhere distant enough to be adequate, but near enough to be believable. Somewhere I can draw a great deal of attention to myself without being seen by anyone."

Twilight scrunched her brow in confusion, "What does that even mean?"

They watched as Discord's figure faded into obscurity through the whirling snow outside, his silhouette quickly fading from view as the hole through which he had exited sealed itself shut. Discord's voice reverberated through the room before any of the four within could react to his absence, "It means I have some complicated work to do in the next few hours and could do without the distraction of having to save any of you from a perfectly avoidable incident. Sit tight."

Twilight glanced around the room, taking note of the significant lack of exits, "Like we have much of a choice..."

Applejack gazed absent-mindedly over Sweet Apple Acres from her position beneath a particularly shady apple tree, pondering over the events of the previous day and her upcoming return to Canterlot, as she had been since the crack of dawn. The sun was high in the sky now, and in the distance the inhabitants of Ponyville could be seen going about their daily routines.

She remained there, motionless, until a familiar multicoloured object shot up from Ponyville and sped in her general direction, snapping her from her musings. Adjusting the brim of her hat, Applejack stepped forwards and waved a hoof so as to signal her location to her friend.

Surely enough, only a few seconds later, Rainbow landed before her with a dull thud as her hooves hit the earth, "Hey, Applejack."

Applejack stepped backwards and leant back against the tree trunk once again, "Hey, what's up?"

Rainbow rummaged beneath her right wing for a moment before withdrawing the remains of a gilded envelope.

Applejack raised an eyebrow as she examined it, "That what Ah think it is?"

Rainbow nodded, withdrawing the letter within and unfolding it, "Yeah, summons to Canterlot. The messenger dropped it off at my place about half an hour ago, and Rarity had hers when I spoke to her just now. I'm guessing you're still waiting on yours?"

"Yup." Applejack replied in a somewhat level tone, "What's it say?"

Rainbow scanned the letter briefly before glancing at Applejack and passing it over, "We're supposed to be in Canterlot by the start of next week from the looks of it."

Applejack confirmed such and nodded, passing the letter back to Rainbow without taking the time to do much more than skim over the remainder of its contents, "Seems that way, yeah."

A brief moment of uncomfortable silence followed.

Rainbow shifted awkwardly on her hooves, gauging her friend's reaction as she spoke, "What's up, Applejack?"

Applejack slid down against the tree until she slumped into a sitting position, "Ah've... just got a lot on my mind is all. Not like that's any excuse for bein' sat here doin' nothin', mind."

Rainbow shrugged and made her way around to sit against the opposite side of the tree trunk, "Say what you like, you're still better at coping with everything than most of us are."

Applejack gave a single involuntary, humourless chuckle before she could stop herself, "Yeah, when Ah'm not trashin' castle suites worth more than the whole of Ponyville."

"Well yeah, but that was a one off so it really doesn't count. You've never just hidden away from everything like Twilight and Fluttershy did, or shut everyone out like Rarity had, or... drank yourself stupid, like I did. Even after they left with that prick Discord, and everything he's made them do, you've kept a level head and focused on getting them back instead of being too worried to think straight. I think you've probably earned a morning's rest, to be fair."

A brief pause followed.

When Applejack spoke again, her voice held an unfamiliarly pensive, almost haunted tone, "Ah've lost a lot since I was small, Dash: Family, property, integrity." Though Rainbow couldn't see Applejack from her position on the other side of the tree, she definitely heard the series of shaky breaths the farmer took before continuing, and the slightly higher pitch of her voice, "You... You can only lose so much, you know? Ah don't think Ah could handle it if we lost those three to that monster. Ah can't let myself get distracted, or take a day off 'cause I know that they need me, but honestly, after everything we've tried, and everything that's happened..." She gave a defeated sigh, "Ah'm startin' to get the feelin' that no matter what we do, and no matter how hard we try, we won't be able to change how this is gonna play out."

Rainbow took a long pause for thought before responding, "Maybe you're right. I hope you aren't, but even if we don't end up changing anything anyway at least we can say we did everything we could instead of just taking it lying down, especially you."

Applejack gave a slight grunt to indicate she had heard. Another lengthy period of silence elapsed before she spoke in a quiet, contemplative voice, "They didn't take it well... My family, Ah mean."

"About going away again?"

"Yeah... Ah mean, they understand why Ah've gotta go, but they just don't want me to. As soon as Ah told 'em Ah'd be leaving again they made that pretty clear." She puffed out her cheeks and blew a steady stream of air from her mouth before continuing, "Don't get me wrong, family comes first and all, but they just ain't in any danger right now, and our friends are."

Rainbow glanced over to her left as she spoke, "I wouldn't worry about it too much. You said they understand, right? Honestly, they're probably just upset that you're not going to be there, not that you've chosen to help your friends when they need you. By the way, I think that's your letter over there. Right side."

Applejack cocked her head to the right and saw a pegasus messenger flying towards the barn, "Probably. That the guy that brought yours?"

Rainbow squinted as she focused on her target, "Yep, that's him."

"That's one little mystery solved then." The farmer redirected her gaze towards Ponyville, "Speaking of mysteries, any word on those rumours being spread about us?"

Rainbow grunted in frustration, "Not much, other than that they're spreading like a damn wildfire. Honestly, I think I'll be glad to get out of here for a while, at least until they forget about it."

Applejack cast her mind back to the posters the Crusaders had shown them, and over the trials and tragedies of the past few months. She turned to face the general direction of Spike's final resting place, looking out over the vast fields that still held slight scars from the cataclysmic battle between Spike and Calamity, "Somehow, Ah don't think this is somethin' anypony's gonna forget for a long time, Sugarcube."

Author's Note

Well, finally got it done, and it only took six months!

...

:|

Yeah. I'm actually sort of worried about that. After around a month with no updates I start forgetting things about the fics I read, even my favourite ones, so after 6 months without updating I think I've more or less disappeared from the minds of a fair few readers.

Come to think of it, I never got around to writing those one-shots I mentioned in the last A/N either. Oh well, the time I invested into studying should pay off, even if it managed to damage both my soul and creativity somewhat.

Anyways, just in case you guys are wondering where the hell I've actually been and haven't seen my blog posts of late, here's the super condensed version: I was busy from January to around mid-June with exam preparation, and have been busy from then up until now applying for part-time jobs and deciding upon which university I will be attending.

The next chapter should be up by mid-August, if all goes as planned. I'm hesitant to give a set deadline yet - since I keep missing those of late - so I'll only put that on my user page once I've written a little, therefore allowing me to get a feel of how long the rest of the chapter should take. That being said, this next chapter is really short in my plan, so it might only total up to around 2-3k words if I don't flesh it out, in which case I might get the update out sooner.

Anyway, enough about me. If you're still along for the ride even after these long six months, thank you! :D Hopefully I can make it up to you guys over the coming weeks and months.

Mike, getting back to work.

Chapter XXV - Monsters and Misdirection

The first light of dawn slowly crept its way towards the peak of Smokey Mountain, revealing a tall, lonely figure standing atop a small outcrop not far from the base, surveying the land around him as he breathed the cool morning air.

Discord frowned and grunted irritably at the sunrise, painfully aware of the lengthy amount of time he had spent preparing his latest decoy. The ever-present threat of one of the group falling asleep without being under his watch perturbed him far more than he cared to admit, even to himself, and with each passing minute the risk of such happening inevitably grew. Had his ruse not required such a great deal of precision he could have hurried his work and returned hours ago, yet he had sacrificed the extra time in order to achieve a level of quality that could potentially buy himself and the others a great deal of time in the future.

Still, even when adding the finishing touches to his masterpiece, the ticking of the proverbial clock irked him to no end.

Shaking his head, Discord turned his attention to the skies, catching sight of Cloudsdale in the distance. Fragments of old memories briefly began intruding into his thoughts as he watched the city float lazily on the horizon, a far cry from the feared fortress city it had once been during the Chaos Wars. He gave the weather factory a quick glance, taking particular interest in the dark, ever-looming thunderhead that shrouded the highest spires.

Though his gaze remained upon it for a few moments at best before turning his attention away from the city and back to the task at hand, he had seen all he had needed to, "It might have lost its reputation, but it's just as dangerous as it ever was... if not more so." He smirked to himself and rubbed his hands together, "I suppose we'll just have to wait and see."

He crouched down, snapping his fingers and conjuring a small piece of paper into his grip. He placed it carefully on the ground beneath him, reaching out and grabbing a nearby rock to act as a makeshift paperweight. He snapped his fingers once more, causing the note to shimmer for a brief moment. Again, he grabbed another rock, a small pebble this time, and attempted to drop it onto the parchment. Before the pebble could connect an unseen force caused it to roll aside, leaving the paper beneath completely untouched, eliciting an approving smile from Discord as he stood once again.

The last of his checks complete, Discord took a moment to admire his handiwork. At the base of the mountain lay no less than ten corpses, all clad in the armour of Luna's own Night Guard and possessing the physical characteristics to match. Each guard's armour was scuffed and dented, and each body damaged and broken so as to indicate a short but fierce battle. Debris was strewn around the site in the form of body parts, broken equipment, and weapons; a few of which Discord had made certain to lightly smear blood upon.

Clues had been left upon a few of the guards themselves, from a small tuft of streaked purple mane caught in the visor of one, to a half-finished, hastily scribbled message to Princess Luna stating that 'the fugitives' had been found gripped tightly in the clutches of another. The earth upon which the supposed battle had taken place was twisted and warped into various obscure shapes in places, and morphed into different materials in others, as evidenced most prominently by the iron stalagmites suspending one body a few inches above the ground, the pony upon them seemingly impaled mid-sprint as they jutted up from beneath her, leaving her to die in agony that could be determined by the grimace still upon her face.

Discord nodded in approval of his own work, "A pretty convincing piece, if I do say so myself. Now all we need is somepony to appreciate it." He teleported down into the midst of the corpses, carefully stepping over one as he looked towards the mountainside upon which he had stood, and the great pile of conjured explosives heaped upon it, gauging the distance required for the final step before retreating to a safe distance. Once had had done so, Discord raised his paw, glanced between the mountain and Cloudsdale a few times and, satisfied with the chances of his spectacle being spotted and heard, snapped his fingers.

A thunderous explosion rocked the mountainside, a towering inferno simultaneously blasting into the air, briefly illuminating the mountainside more effectively than the light of dawn. Colossal slabs of stone dislodged and tumbled, creating an almighty cacophony as they collided with one another and the face of the mountain itself, nearly reaching the same volume as the initial blast.

Discord watched with a slight smile at first, but quickly made his preparations to leave as he was jolted to his senses by a small chunk of stone whistling just past his right ear. Taking one final glance at his objective, Discord saw Cloudsdale quickly becoming awash with artificial light as the inhabitants within were jolted awake, quelling any doubts he had possessed that his spectacle would go unnoticed by the majority.

He breathed the heavy scent of acrid smoke in the air and sighed happily, as if drawing chaos energy through the smell of destruction as opposed to his proximity to it, "I'd say things are moving along just fine..."

With that, and a whimsical whistle, he vanished.

Twilight Sparkle was very, very tired.

That wasn't to say that her companions were any less tired, however, and a bleary cursory glance from the unicorn confirmed such; her friends still doing their utmost to remain awake. Angel continuously clambered over Fluttershy, albeit sluggishly and unsteadily, gently digging in his claws or nibbling at her whenever she seemed to be dozing off, and Fluttershy in turn made sure to move around slightly so as to keep Angel from settling too comfortably. Fluttershy herself had wondered aloud whether Discord's instructions applied to Angel too, but it didn't seem to matter to him either way, and the bunny had constantly tasked himself with keeping Fluttershy awake once she had began to show signs of tiredness hours before.

Pinkamena sat closest to Twilight, glancing between her and Fluttershy regularly. Pinkie and her alter-ego had swapped places once tiredness had started to take its toll upon even the most hyperactive member of the group, leaving Pinkamena temporarily in control of both Pinkie's body and the situation as a whole. Strangely enough, though evidently tired, she seemed to be handling herself far better than the others, keeping her composure and ensuring that she spoke loudly every few minutes or so in order to keep the others from drifting off, though Twilight couldn't honestly say that she appreciated the mare's alternative methods of keeping her awake when such failed.

Pinkamena turned her attention to Fluttershy and her pet once again, "Good job Angel, keep at it. Fluttershy?"

The pegasus raised her head painfully slowly, "Yeah?"

Pinkamena kept her expression relatively neutral despite the somewhat humorous disoriented look Fluttershy currently bore, trotting over to her and nudging her awake with a hoof, "Stay with us, Fluttershy. Discord isn't back yet."

Fluttershy nodded after processing her words for several seconds, forcing herself to her hooves and trotting back and forth in an attempt to wake herself up somewhat.

Whilst Pinkamena had briefly turned her attention to Fluttershy, however, Twilight had allowed her head to hang, and her eyes to close, welcoming the comforting embrace of the sleep she so desperately needed. She vaguely made out her name being called by somepony in the distance, but didn't make any effort to respond as she felt sleep finally closing in on her.

Pinkamena sighed irritably as Twilight slumped forwards, "Twilight!"

The unicorn murmured incoherently under her breath before falling silent.

"Twilight! Wake up!" For the fourth time since Discord's departure, Pinkamena prepared herself for another verbal onslaught, raised a hoof, and delivered a swift slap to Twilight's face.

Twilight jolted violently, sprawling herself out across the floor, spinning on the spot, and turning to face Pinkamena in under a second, rubbing her now rather tender cheek as she came around, "Gah! I- Who- H- You- Wh-" Realisation sparked in the unicorn's eyes as she regained her composure, all traces of tiredness temporarily dispelled as she stepped forwards to stand face-to-face with Pinkamena.

The earth pony didn't need to be as close as she currently was to determine exactly how Twilight was feeling at that moment in time. The baleful glare, bared teeth, and an ever-so-brief tinge of glowing red behind her bloodshot eyes made such abundantly clear.

Twilight Sparkle was very, very pissed off.

"What the fuck is wrong with you!?"

"Calm dow-"

"That's five times! You've hit me five times!" She grasped Pinkamena by the shoulders and shook her violently, "Just stop it!" Twilight pushed the mare back, trotting in a circle around the fire a few times as she seethed.

Pinkamena's expression remained passive, as it had throughout Twilight's display of aggression, "You were falling asleep again, Twilight. You know Luna could find us if I let you."

Twilight glared up at Pinkamena once again, but maintained a few hoof's distance and lowered her voice somewhat, "So why slap me awake instead of just, I don't know, shaking me a little like a normal, reasonable pony would!?"

Pinkamena shrugged, "This is much more effective. You won't sleep while you're angry."

Twilight continued on as if she hadn't heard, "Oh, that's right, I almost forgot, I'm not dealing with a normal, reasonable pony, am I? I bet you're just doing it for the fun of it, aren't you!?" Twilight advanced, a look of disgust upon her face.

Pinkamena remained still as Twilight stepped almost muzzle-to-muzzle with her once again, "I wasn't at first, but the prospect is becoming more appealing somehow, now that you mention it." She watched Twilight raise a shaking forehoof slightly off the floor and grunted disapprovingly, "I wouldn't, if I were you. If not for your own good, then for your friend's. You hit me, you hit Pinkie too."

The two stared at one another in prolonged, tense silence until Twilight span away, shaking her head and grunting loudly, "I hate this!" She whimpered, her anger quickly dissolving into what sounded to the others like forlorn longing as she dropped onto her haunches, "I just need to sleep..."

Pinkamena glanced over at Fluttershy, and was glad to see that the pegasus had remained too fixated on the events unfolding between the two of them to fall asleep. Turning her attention back to Twilight, Pinkamena spoke evenly, "We all do. Discord can't be much longer now."

Twilight didn't look up from the floor as she spoke dejectedly, "I'm going to kill him for this..."

Pinkamena smirked and shook her head, "He's put us through worse."

"I'll kill him for that, too."

Surprisingly, Pinkamena actually found herself giggling along with Fluttershy at Twilight's ramblings, even despite their combined tiredness.

Twilight fell silent for several seconds. Had she not been sat upright, the others might have mistaken her for actually falling asleep. When she did speak, her voice was quiet in comparison to what it had been, "Pinkamena..."

"Yeah?"

Twilight turned to face her, "I didn't mean what I said about you just now. You know that, right?"

Pinkamena flicked a stray strand of her mane from her face and cocked her head slightly, "Sure you didn't." She shrugged and turned her attention to the fire, "Not that it matters either way. You're Pinkie's friend, not mine."

Twilight scowled at the floor beneath her, but spoke before an awkward silence could ensue, "Then why look out for us the way you have been? This isn't the first time you've saved us when you could've left us be."

Pinkamena rolled her eyes at the unicorn, "Because if one of you gets caught, so do I, thanks to Pinkie's ridiculous promise, and I don't fancy being locked in another cell for the remainder of my life. That, and the fact that Pinkie seems to only let me out when the going gets tough, or when I ask, which I haven't done for a while since we've effectively spent the last few weeks in a well-furnished cage. Besides, even if I was here more often, what good would it do? I've seen the way the two of you react while I'm around; I can see it now. You're unnerved, on edge. Even after I've put myself on the line for the two of you, you still don't trust me because you think I'm some kind of monster."

Her tone didn't change from the same flat, calculating once she had been using since she had started speaking, "I don't blame you, honestly. I'm only here because a thousand years ago one of the most dangerous beings on the planet decided to give an entire kingdom of ponies a sadistic half for the express purpose of war." Again, Pinkamena turned to the fire. Although her expression remained passive, Twilight was sure she saw... something in her eyes. Not quite sadness, but more along the lines of deep reflection, "That's who I am. What I am. Sadistic. Dangerous. A weap-"

"That's not true." Twilight said with a shake of her head, momentarily rubbing her eyes as they itched from tiredness and the heat from the fire, "You're right, that's what Discord made you for, and I won't pretend to know exactly how you feel knowing that." She stood unsteadily and made her way to Pinkamena's side, "But that doesn't mean that's all you'll ever be. You can think, and feel, you're not just some..." Twilight grimaced in disgust, "weapon, or tool to be used and discarded and forgotten when you're no longer needed, like Discord intended. You have a consciousness of your own. A life of your own. You have the right to decide what you do for yourself, to choose who and what you fight for, and to have friends who can be there for you when you need them."

Pinkamena blinked, reaching up and removing the hoof that Twilight placed upon her, but the unicorn continued before she could voice her reply, "I'll admit it, Pinkamena, I do get scared around you, but that's only because I don't know you as a pony. It's true, all I've seen from you so far is the violence and callousness that you were made for, but every single time you've shown those traits, you've used them to help and protect us. You might believe that all you are is a monster, but you're only convincing yourself. I just wish you'd actually let us get to know you instead of staying inside Pinkie's head all day. After looking out for us all this time, I think we owe you that much."

Pinkamena's expression still remained stoic as she made her way over to Fluttershy and prodded her awake once again, "That was quite the speech, Twilight. Certainly the opposite to 'What the fuck is wrong with you!?' and telling me how I'm not a 'normal, reasonable pony' like you were just five minutes ago. Riddled with issues too, namely considering how hard it is to make your own decisions when you're sharing a body with somepony that locked you away for the majority of your life."

Twilight frowned but averted her gaze, embarrassment and irritation simultaneously washing over her.

"But at least, if nothing else, you're sorry, and seem to care to some extent, which is more than can be said for Pinkie here." She tapped her head multiple times, "So I suppose that counts for something. That being said, the day I consider her to be my friend again is the day hell freezes over."

Twilight nodded absent-mindedly, once again feeling the clutches of impending rest sink themselves into her, "Okay..."

Pinkamena quickly made her way over to the unicorn, "Twilight?"

She jolted awake slightly but slumped forwards again almost instantaneously.

Pinkamena hesitated for a moment before placing her forehooves on Twilight's shoulders and shaking her until she looked back up at her, "There, shaken and stirred. Happy?"

Twilight seemed on the verge of tears as she tilted her head back so as to stare at the roof, "Bloody hell no... Discord, where the hell are you!? I swear if he d-"

A burst of light heralded said draconequus' arrival, "Right behind you." He was met only with four blank stares, and promptly raised his pocket watch to eye level, "My timing was off, wasn't it?"

Twilight fought the urge to hurl a spell in his general direction, "Yeah, you could have done with being here about four hours ago."

He held up his hands defensively, "Hey now, it takes a great deal of time to-"

"We don't care!" Twilight barked.

Fluttershy nodded from behind her, "Discord, please, we're so tired. Can't you tell us later?"

Discord folded his arms, but gave a defeated sigh after seeing the state Fluttershy was in, "Fine. Ladies and rabbit, you may now sleep!" He waved his paw across the room, materialising the beds that each slept upon. Twilight, Fluttershy, and Angel made their way to their beds immediately, not so much settling onto them as collapsing. Pinkamena remained where she was, watching as the others fell into a deep sleep within the space of two minutes.

Satisfied that the others were soundly asleep, Discord turned to the only pony that remained awake, "Well, we haven't seen much of you recently, Pinkamena. I thought you and Pinkie were on better terms now?"

Pinkamena frowned and spat into the fire, "Implying being on 'better terms' amounts to much when I'd have slit her throat at a moment's notice had I been given the chance."

"Touché."

Pinkamena turned to Discord, shaking her head and speaking in a hushed tone, "You cut it dangerously close there, you know. I had to take charge and handle everything half way through, and it's a good thing too, or the entire mountain would be surrounded by soldiers by now. Just what the fuck were you actually doing!?"

Discord grunted in begrudging agreement, "I was gone for far too long, I know. If we're lucky, the time invested into my diversion should pay off nicely when we need it." He noticed the curiosity on her face and shrugged, "I'm sure you can wait until later to find out. Aren't you even tired?"

Pinkamena nodded, but kept her stance and composure the same as it had been beforehoof, "Possibly the most tired I've ever been. Honestly, since you're back there's little point of me being out here any more." She sighed to herself and glanced around the room, "Freed, after nearly two decades in a cell, and this is about as exciting as things get unless things go terribly wrong, and when they do everyone cries for a week."

Discord smiled, "Not to worry, my Marvellous Assistant. Another few days and we'll be done with this teleporting business. We're moving things along soon, very soon, just have a little more patience." He reached his paw into the fire, withdrawing a small, bright pink, burn-free flower from within. He reached down past her scowling face, sliding the flower through her mane just above her left ear, "A reward for your efforts, to tide you over until then. It contrasts beautifully with the rest of you, I must say."

Pinkamena gave him a blank look, plucking the flower out of her hair and tossing it back into the fire without breaking eye contact, "So, which was it? Were you out drinking, or did you hit your head on the way back?"

Discord fell to his knees and watched helplessly as the flower burst into flames and squealed in a quiet, comically high-pitched voice. After witnessing the entirety of his beloved flower's demise, Discord stood once again, brushing himself off and scowling at her complete lack of amusement, "Just trying to get you to lighten up. Have you always been in a perpetually bad mood, or is Twilight rubbing off on you?"

Pinkamena gave the sleeping unicorn a sideways glance, shrugging at the draconequus beside her, "Doubt it. I'd start spouting crap about friendship every five minutes if that were the case."

Discord chuckled and patted her on the back, "You'd be surprised how much of that 'crap' is actually worth listening to."

She carried on as though she hadn't heard, though made a point of stepping out of his reach before turning to face him, "You can't honestly say you're getting a great deal of enjoyment out of being stuck in this room most of the time, can you?"

"No, but as I've alr-"

"There's your answer then. It's boring here. No fights, no action, no fun."

Discord folded his arms, but a wicked smirk crossed his features as he did so, "That's about to change, I assure you."

Pinkamena returned a smirk of her own, "They'd best do. Hell knows I won't survive another week of being... sat here... doing... nothing." She gave a slight yawn, and for a moment her tiredness could be seen before she reined in her composure.

"Somepony is more tired than she's letting on." He held up his paw as she scowled up at him, "Get some rest, you both need it, whether you'll admit it or not."

Pinkamena held her position for a few seconds before turning and trotting to her bed without a word. After climbing atop it, she made herself comfortable and closed her eyes. A moment later, her hair seemed to inflate, and the expression she bore provided clear evidence of extreme fatigue.

"Pinkie?" Discord asked, slightly concerned by the sheer lethargy that emanated from the mare.

"Nighty night, Discy..." Without giving him a second glance, Pinkie fell face-first onto her bed, asleep before she'd even hit it.

Discord sighed, hopping into the air and conjuring his favourite cloud to sit on as he waited. He listened to the sound of quiet breathing in the darkness for a moment, looking over each member of the group as he did so, taking note of their strengths and flaws, becoming inwardly fascinated by the cohesion that had formed between them despite their obvious and not-so-obvious differences. He stroked his beard and smiled, murmuring under his breath so as not to wake those around him, "We haven't done bad for a group of social misfits and a rabbit." He conjured one of Twilight's maps into his clutches, following the route they had taken with a finger before regarding Equestria as a whole, eventually stopping upon Canterlot, "Not bad at all."

Between the daily hassles of managing the nation, co-ordinating increasingly difficult efforts to track down Discord and company, and arranging for the training of Rarity, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash, Luna and Celestia had found little time for the luxury of sleep over the past few days. Whilst this didn't present an immediate problem in itself, given their longevity, it did mean that any setbacks on their schedules would only add to their seemingly ever-growing workload.

As a result, when one of Luna’s Night Guard flung the doors to the study wide open, both princesses felt their hearts sink, and their levels of irritation rise.

“Princess Luna!” The guard hurriedly closed the doors and bowed before her.

Luna released the spell she had been holding a hefty set of confidential documents within, allowing them to smack down upon the table with the same severity and authority of a judge’s gavel, ushering in deafening silence as she forced a frown from her face and regarded the pony neutrally, “Speak, Sergeant.”

The guard dipped his head reverently, “Urgent news from Cloudsdale, Your Majesty. Reportedly, two of our patrols have been found dead at the foot of Smokey Mountain. We have reason to believe Discord and the other fugitives are responsible.”

Luna stood and promptly made her way around the table so as to stand directly before the guard, “Rise.” He did so, standing upright and staring straight ahead. “What details do we have?”

“Multiple sources have confirmed that a huge explosion went off near the site just after dawn, Your Majesty. Cloudsdale police cordoned off the area, and reported that a small, violent skirmish also took place nearby.”

“I trust the situation has been taken out of their hooves?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. Taskforce Umbra was alerted to the situation and took control of the investigation upon arrival.”

“Were the bodies of any enemy combatants recovered?”

“No, Your Majesty. All the corpses we've found are clad in Night Guard armour.

“I see. Have the patrols been identified yet?”

“Not as far as I'm aware, Your Majesty.”

Luna nodded with a grim expression on her face, “Most likely burned beyond recognition, then…” She ran a hoof through her mane, parting the flowing stream of stars momentarily as she pondered the best course of action and quelled her anger at the lack of solid information, “Sergeant Leaf, have this order relayed. All patrols that have crossed the area within a mile radius are to report to their nearest barracks immediately. We need to determine which patrols were caught up in this and be ready to mobilise those closest as quickly as possible, should we obtain any leads.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Luna glanced from the guard to the paperwork on the desk behind her, making her decision with little deliberation, “And ensure Umbra knows that I’ll be there within the hour. You are dismissed.”

“As you order, Princess.” The guard bowed and vanished in a cloud of black, wispy fog.

Celestia sighed and sank back into her chair, garnering Luna’s attention as she placed her hooves back down onto the table with slightly more force than necessary, denting the polished surface, “Thanks for leaving me alone with the paperwork, Luna.”

Luna shook her head, an amused smile on her face, “It will be far easier for me to coordinate the taskforce and keep the affair under wraps until we know what happened. You and I both know your presence tends to garner far more attention than my own, even now.”

Celestia nodded slowly, detecting no trace of spite behind Luna’s words, “Fine, but seriously, be careful, Luna. I don’t like the sound of this as it is. Up until this point they've done their utmost to remain hidden. If Discord and the others have resorted to attacking our forces so openly, they were either very desperate, or very angry.”

“Indeed. Even so…” She made her way to Celestia’s side, tapping the surface of the table for a moment as she recalled the last time she had seen the group, “The last time our forces confronted them, they seemed to show genuine aversion to killing our soldiers outright, especially Fluttershy.” She frowned and moved away from the desk, turning her back to Celestia, “At least, at first she did.”

Celestia hummed in agreement, “You think their change in approach is too sudden?”

“Yes. Given what we saw of Fluttershy’s reaction afterwards, I would have thought they would have gone out of their way to avoid any further direct conflict, not walk right into it.”

Celestia scrunched her brow in thought, “A third party, perhaps? Somepony trying to get a message across?”

Luna shrugged and made her way back over to Celestia, “Honestly, I don’t know. I suppose its best not to speculate too much before seeing exactly what happened there. Still, I don’t honestly suspect anyone else.”

Celestia gave her a curious look, “Why not?”

Luna gestured to a nearby map, her horn glowing as two deep blue dots appeared above it, denoting the location of Cloudsdale and Smokey Mountain, “That explosion was seen all the way from Cloudsdale. I know of only a select few who could create such destruction in the midst of combat, and you and I are on that list.” Her expression fell from extremely contemplative to moderately concerned, “Our nephew hasn't been in the vicinity recently, has he?”

Celestia seemed slightly taken aback by the question, giving Luna a curious look as she spoke, “Blueblood hasn't been to Cloudsdale in months, no. What makes you ask?” She caught Luna’s pointedly passive stare, “Luna?”

Luna shrugged, speaking with overly exaggerated nonchalance, her horn glowing all the while, “Oh, no reason, Celestia. No reason at all.”

A moving image appeared between the two, depicting Canterlot Castle in all its glory, flags waving from the spires, and ponies milling around both outside and within as they did from day to day. The serenity of the scene was promptly broken by a hefty amount of debris and masonry erupting from one of the upper spires, some of it shooting completely clear of Canterlot due to the sheer force behind it, leaving it to tumble over the edge of the mountain.

The ponies in the streets below seemed more perplexed than scared, given the suddenness of it all, simply standing and staring as a large section of stone wall sailed through the air before vanishing over the horizon. Their confusion didn't last long, however, given that the remaining debris had flown as high as it possibly could, and now had only one direction in which to fall; straight down. Pandemonium followed as said ponies ran for their lives for fear of being struck down by the veritable shower of brickwork tumbling towards them. Had a brilliant, golden yellow shield – courtesy of Celestia herself – not materialised between the debris and Canterlot’s inhabitants, such fears might have become a reality.

Celestia cringed at the memory, giving her sister a disapproving look as the image faded, “He wasn’t exactly sober when that happened, Luna, and that Gala was particularly bad for him. You know how he gets.” She caught Luna’s deadpan expression and sighed in defeat, “Besides, he hasn't had the time to leave anyway. Between managing the castle’s repairs and preparing to train Rarity he’s had his work cut out for him.”

Luna opened her mouth and raised a hoof slightly, but whatever words she intended to speak were lost as she processed Celestia’s own. She lowered her hoof slowly, giving Celestia a disapproving glance of her own as she found her voice, “You’re serious? You’re having Blueblood train Rarity?”

Celestia nodded, trying to keep her expression as neutral as possible at Luna’s now somewhat mocking tone, “Yes. He thinks she might have the capacity to learn from him.”

Luna snorted, gathering the pile of confidential documents she had been reading and teleporting them to a secure location as she prepared to leave, “And you think he has the capacity to teach ‘the likes of her’?” she turned up her muzzle for emphasis.

Celestia couldn't help but smirk at Luna’s poor impression of their nephew, “I've persuaded him to try, Luna. Give him a chance.”

Luna hung her head before nuzzling her sister briefly, “Fine, for your sake. Anyway, I’d best be heading off.” She stepped back, but stopped casting her teleportation spell before she had finished, giving her sister a concerned look, “Celestia?”

“Yes?”

“You have told Rarity who will be teaching her, haven’t you?”

Celestia bit her lip, pausing briefly before responding with a guilty look upon her face, “I thought it would be best if she were to find out once she was already here, for fear of her refusing otherwise.”

Luna stared at her sister as if she had just set fire to an orphanage. After nearly half a minute she shook her head and spoke in a soullessly sarcastic monotone, “Brilliant.”

Before Celestia could respond, Luna’s horn shone blue, and a veil of black mist enveloped her. When it dissipated, she was gone.

Celestia sat alone with only her paperwork to keep her company, giving a slight cough as she breathed in one of the remaining black vapours, “Thanks a lot, Luna…”

“Twilight?” Fluttershy and the others watched as the unicorn writhed around in her sleep, murmuring and whimpering almost constantly. From her position beside Twilight, Fluttershy could see tears streaking across her face, prompting her to turn to Discord worriedly, “She’s crying… Should we wake her up?”

Discord nodded, stepping closer to Fluttershy as she attempted to rouse the mare from her restless slumber, “Twilight? Twilight, wake up!” She reached out, taking one of Twilight’s hooves and shaking it until it was wrenched away, nearly pulling Fluttershy over Twilight as she rolled over.

“Spike, no…”

Fluttershy looked to Discord for help, but promptly returned to trying to wake the mare herself as she saw the large pair of cymbals he held in his hands, “Twilight!”

“Somepony help… us…”

Discord cocked an eyebrow at Fluttershy, holding his cymbals at the ready, apparently giving her one last chance to spare Twilight from a miniature heart attack, “Twilight…” She placed her hooves on her friend so as to hold her still, “Twilight!”

Still, she didn't respond, another sob escaping her as she continued her ramblings, “Why, Celes…”

Fluttershy couldn't stand it any more, “Twilight, wake up!” She shook the mare vigorously for emphasis.

Twilight’s eyes snapped open, confusion evident on her face for a moment as she took in her surroundings. For some reason, Fluttershy had expected her to scream, or continue crying, but once she had gathered her wits and gained her bearings, all Twilight did was groan and sit up, “What?”

Discord sighed, turning the cymbals in his hands into cones of cotton candy. He began munching on one, handing the other over to Pinkie without turning his attention away from Twilight, “The nightmares are back again, I presume?”

Twilight nodded without looking up from the bed she sat on, “Yeah… Did I wake anypony?”

Pinkie spoke through a mouthful of cotton candy, giving her voice a temporarily muffled effect, “Nope! You woke up everypony! Angel too!”

“Damn it.” Twilight raised her head wearily, wiping away the tears she had shed whilst sleeping, “Sorry, everyone…”

“I wouldn't worry about it, I was planning on waking you soon anyway.” He snapped his fingers, appearing beside Twilight in doctor’s attire, “If you would lend me your horn for a moment, Miss Sparkle.”

Twilight complied, leaning her head towards him without complaint, save for rolling her eyes.

Discord extended a single talon to her horn, chuckling devilishly as he did so, “Now then, Miss Sparkle, do brace yourself. I'm told this tends to sting a little.”

She did so, gritting her teeth and scrunching her eyes shut in preparation. A sharp jolt of pain shot through her horn, causing her to hiss through her teeth and flinch away. The instant she did so, the pain subsided. She sat back up and rubbed her horn idly, “Did it work?”

Discord extended his paw for Twilight to take, “Although it’s difficult to determine such until the patient actually sleeps, I've performed this operation before and have reason to believe the procedure should be a complete success.”

Twilight turned away, leaving him to lower his arm with a scowl and a murmur about ungrateful patients receiving free healthcare on the DHS.

Fluttershy looked between Twilight and her horn in quick succession, a somewhat worried expression on her face, “Twilight, w-what was that all about?”

Twilight placed a reassuring hoof on her friend’s shoulder, “Nothing to worry about, Fluttershy. Ever since we set out, I’ve been having nightmares every night. As you've just seen, they can be quite a pain when others are trying to sleep.” She hung her head apologetically, but Fluttershy simply gave a small, encouraging smile, “Discord’s been helping me out, using his magic to block out the nightmares. Unfortunately, it’s not permanent, so he has to re-cast the spell every so often. Thanks, by the way, Discord.”

Discord – now free of his outfit – waved back half-heartedly, and Fluttershy nodded in response, “And that was what happened just now?”

“Yeah.” Twilight gestured to her horn, allowing it to glow for a moment for emphasis, “It’s not entirely painless, though. Not that I mind, it only lasts a second. It’s just a pain that it has to go through my horn. After treating my magic burn, I'm sure you remember how sensitive horns can be.” She fell silent, a contemplative look on her face as she turned to Discord, “It does have to go through my horn, right?”

Discord held out his claw, waving it around for a second before wiggling each individual talon and fixing Twilight with a perfectly flat stare, “Well, I'm certainly not sticking these anywhere else if that’s what you’re after.” After seeing a deep blush rise to Fluttershy’s cheeks, and earning threatening glares from Twilight and Angel, Discord marked his mission as accomplished, cracking a smile and giving Pinkie’s waiting hoof a high five before the two of them burst out in hysterical laughter, hanging on to one another for stability as they did so, “The looks on their faces!”

It took the remainder of two minutes for the two to calm down, giving Twilight ample time to take a seat, gesturing for Fluttershy to do the same as the pair transitioned from laughing to rating Discord’s execution out of ten.

When they had finished, Discord forced himself into an upright position, trying to maintain his seriousness despite the wide grin still plastered on his face, “In all seriousness, yes, it does have to go through your horn. Fastest means of access with least chance of complications.”

She slumped her head against her forehoof, “And you couldn't have said that earlier because?”

Discord gave Pinkie a sideways glance and chuckled, “Not as fun.”

“Whatever.” Twilight groaned, holding a hoof out at him expectantly, “If anypony else had to put up with you after depriving them of sleep you’d probably be all out of friends by now.”

Discord’s smile grew wider, “Friends? Really, Twilight, I’m touched!” He snapped his fingers, a pen and notebook appearing in-hand. Without hesitation, he ticked a box next to a poorly drawn Twilight Sparkle that – for reasons Discord couldn't fathom – seemed to have stink lines radiating from it.

“Friends, allies, confederates, take your pick; I just meant that we have to put up with you. Either way, you still have some explaining to do.”

His expression turned sour as he tossed the notebook over his shoulder, surprising none when it slipped through the wall behind him, “I suppose, though your assault on my oh-so sensitive emotions might have damaged my recollection to the point where it’s no longer accurate.”

Twilight’s dispassionate expression didn't shift in the slightest, “Pity. I suppose we’ll just have to make do with what you have then. Go on.”

With a defeated sigh, Discord held out his paw, prompting his notebook to jump back through the wall and into his grasp. The instant he had hold of it, he tightened his grasp, causing it to disappear with a sound not too dissimilar from a balloon deflating. He waited for it to finishing before flicking his gaze between those around him, "Alright. Seen as though Twilight is out of sympathy and gratitude for the day, I'll try and keep this short. As you all know, the Royal Guard have been searching for us since the moment we left Canterlot, and ever since our last run-in with them they've stepped up patrols and area searches considerably, at least from what I've seen. The Solar Guard search by day, the Night Guard by... well, night." He glanced at Pinkie, taking note of her raised hoof, "No, Pinkie, no Discord Points are awarded for coming to that conclusion."

He smirked, but otherwise ignored the somewhat disgusted look that she gave him, "This heightened security is the reason we're still in hiding, but we can't hide forever. We've been playing the role of the hunted for far too long, and whilst we’re nowhere near being in any position to become the hunters, it’s about time we got them off our backs for good; and we’re nearly there, provided I’ve done my job well enough."

He gained unanimous nods of agreement from the group. Twilight scrunched her brow in thought for a moment before speaking on behalf of her friends, “So that’s where you were… What did you do, exactly?”

Discord stroked his beard for a moment, “I created a… diversion, of sorts. A big one. Big enough to grab the attention of Celestia and Luna themselves, if we're lucky.”

Fluttershy found herself slightly unnerved by the mischief she saw in his eyes, “B-Big? Wh-What do you mean, Discord?”

He glanced at her and made certain to reset his expression to neutral before continuing, “An explosion, to be specific.” He caught the worried looks exchanged between the three, “A controlled explosion in a non-populated but highly visible area. I’m not daft, ladies, I know I’d never hear the end of it if I blew up even the tiniest little village.”

Twilight gave a quiet sigh of relief, “At least we’re safe in the knowledge that you have at least some form of a conscience. Where’d you set it off?”

“Smokey Mountain. In full view of Cloudsdale and the nearby towns.”

Twilight mulled it over in her head for a few moments, staring down at the floor in deep thought as she spoke, “Are you sure that’ll be enough? For them to identify us by, I mean. An explosion in the middle of nowhere doesn't definitively point to us being there, does it?”

Discord nodded in agreement, “That’s right. Fortunately, I took the liberty of scattering a few items around the site that point to each of us personally. Nothing irreplaceable, I assure you.” He rolled his eyes exasperatedly at Twilight’s continued contemplation, “And yes, I made sure to set up a believable reason for the blast. I threw a few weapons around, burned a little land, splashed around some fake blood. To the outside observer, it should seem as if a battle between us and a group of guards took place.” He decidedly removed the use of corpses from his recall, for fear of having to explain the far more grim nature of having to manually disfigure and maim the corpses whilst in Fluttershy’s presence.

Twilight gave him a sceptical glance, “And that took you nearly eight hours?”

“The devil is in the details, Twilight. The last thing we want is for Celestia or Luna to figure out that we’re trying to throw them off. I had to make every possible effort to make everything seem genuine.” He snapped his fingers, causing all unoccupied beds and chairs to disappear.

“Seems like a tedious way to spend eight hours, especially for someone like you.” Twilight paused as he snapped his fingers again, causing each pony’s saddlebags to appear beside them, “What are you doing?”

He turned and shrugged at her, “Getting us ready to go. We've already missed dawn, and if I weren't so soft I would've teleported us there the moment I returned. And if you must know, it wasn't too bad; I take pride in all my work, Twilight.”

Ignoring him, Twilight blew her mane out of her face, “Where’s ‘there’?”

“Foal Mountain. We’re certainly not visiting Fillydelphia any time soon.”

Twilight gave him a quizzical glance, “What’s the fascination with hiding in mountains all of a sudden?”

“Other than the fact that we’re extremely unlikely to be found whilst within them?” He waved his arms out in front of him as he stated the obvious, “Not much. The only reason we’re really heading there is because it’s on our route and puts us closer to our next objective than anywhere else that could be considered 'safe'.”

Twilight held her head in her hoof, not in the mood to be dealing with Discord’s intentional ambiguity regarding their plan of action, “And what’s our next objective?”

Discord glanced around, snapping his fingers so as to tip Fluttershy and Twilight from their seats before they disappeared. Another snap preceded each pony’s saddlebags landing upon their owner’s backs, “That, my Dear Student, would be telling. I’ll let you think it over on the journey!”

With a final snap, and a bright flash, the entire group were gone.

“How many?” Luna surveyed the area, and the corpses strewn about it, with a hardened, calculating gaze.

The masked guard beside her gestured towards the nearest corpse as they approached it, “These are all of them, Your Majesty. We've not been able to move the bodies yet.”

She counted ten corpses in total, albeit with a small amount of difficulty due to the number of guards now milling around. She took particular notice of the small groups of two to three guards that had formed around each body, seemingly debating a plan of action, “Are the corpses booby trapped?”

“No, Your Majesty, but between us we've found a number of anomalies that may require more magical expertise than we have with us.”

Luna found herself mildly surprised by the statement. Though the guard she was conversing with was clearly an earth pony, all members of Taskforce Umbra were highly skilled in their field, and it struck her as odd that none of the unicorns present had the knowledge to deal with magical interference, “Explain.”

“Well, the first issue we've had is that we can’t remove their armour. It just won’t budge an inch, even the helmets. We've tried forcing them off, teleporting them elsewhere, even teleporting the whole body out, but the armour just sticks. We can’t identify any of the bodies as a direct result.”

They stopped by the corpse they had been approaching, prompting the guards congregated around it to salute as Luna knelt down beside the corpse, grasping the helmet in her own magic and attempting to remove it. True to the guard’s testimony, it wouldn't move without pulling the head of the guard within along with it, “I see...” She rose, turning to the guard she had conversed with, “Bring me the evidence you've collected on the assailants.”

“At once, Your Majesty.” He saluted before making his way towards the largest group of guards.

Luna scanned the corpse once more. The pony beneath her was a unicorn, though his horn was broken nearest the tip. His armour was scraped and charred, with a large smear of blackened blood running along one side, a large puncture in the armour – and the flesh beneath – being the obvious source. She crouched, scrutinising the armour more carefully, and frowned, “What details do we have on the explosion?” She looked up at the guard nearest her.

“The origin of the blast appears to have been that outcrop, Your Majesty.” She gestured towards it with a hoof, “We’re still trying to figure out the cause. Our saboteur took a look earlier and he suspects a physical charge was used. That confused us somewhat, Your Majesty. We’d have thought the blast would've been caused by a spell in mid-fight, given its location. It’s definitely not where we’d set a charge if we were conducting an ambush on a larger force. Too risky if you've got guys of your own nearby.”

Luna nodded and stood once again, “It’s certainly odd. Out of place, even.” She turned towards the largest congregation of guards, “And I have a sneaking suspicion as to why…”

As she approached, the guard from before – accompanied by a unicorn – emerged from the group. Within the unicorn’s grasp floated a small number of miscellaneous items that had been collected from the site. Both guards stopped and saluted before her, “The evidence we've gathered thus far, Your Majesty.”

Luna took each item in turn, examining it carefully. From a lock of what was undoubtedly Twilight’s mane, to a message addressed specifically to her, and even what appeared to be the remnants of a half-eaten cupcake. She took a deep breath of the cool morning air as she cycled through the evidence, “There seems to be little doubt as to the culprits, then.” She squinted and separated one item from the rest – a small note – extending it towards the unicorn who had handed it to her, “Where was this found?”

“Pinned beneath a rock just over there, Your Majesty.” He pointed towards a rather plain-looking piece of land, save for the earthen debris scattered around it.

Luna made her way towards it, gesturing for the guards to follow as she examined the patch of land carefully. As she suspected, she found a small, rectangular patch of land that was completely free of the pebbles and dirt that had been scattered elsewhere. She brought the note before her, glancing over both sides of it before giving it back to the unicorn, “Does anything seem off about that note to you?”

The guard glanced over it but promptly shook his head, “Other than the message, Your Majesty?”

Luna nodded.

He checked again, mimicking Luna’s previous actions and glancing over both sides of the parchment before shaking his head once again, “Nothing, Your Majesty. Is there something I should be specifically looking for?”

Luna turned to the earth pony beside him, “What about you?”

He scanned over the note for several seconds, looking between it and the patch of earth Luna had examined before replying, “It’s not what we can see, it’s what we can’t…”

Luna hummed approvingly, “Correct. Not a speck of dirt on it. Somepony wanted us to find that message intact, but obviously put it there before the explosion.” Once again, she gestured for them to follow her as she made her way towards another corpse, “If they had time to protect it from the blast, it either has far more meaning than I believe it does, or they had far more time than we assume they did if they were in the middle of a fight.”

They approached the corpse of a pegasus who had almost been cleaved in half, the contents of her stomach – and a large portion of the digestive system attached to it – protruding obscenely from the wound that spanned the entirety of her midsection. The earth pony spoke as Luna enveloped the corpse with her magic, “If I may ask, what do you suspect, Your Majesty?”

Luna levitated the corpse from the ground, trotting around it in a circular motion as she confirmed her suspicions, “Only the upside has debris upon it, and it appears to have been undisturbed until now.” She turned to the guards, carefully lowering the corpse back into its original position as she did so, “If my suspicions are correct, something is terribly amiss here; beyond what we've already seen.” She began trotting towards the nearest corpse, an earth pony suspended above the ground by large iron spikes.

“What makes you say that, Your Majesty?” The unicorn asked, wondering what the Princess was looking for.

Luna repeated the same procedure as before, save for levitating the corpse due to its already elevated position. She circled slowly, meticulously looking over every inch of the body before gesturing towards the origin point of the blast, “Because, for whatever reason, that explosion was detonated after our guards were already dead.” She turned her head towards Cloudsdale, then back towards the blast zone, "They were trying to grab our attention..." She promptly raised the note the guard had given her back to head height, reading it once again before speaking quietly to herself, "To send a message..."

The guards' eyes widened visibly, and the unicorn spoke up at the revelation, "So that means the explosion, all of this was just-"

Luna held up her hoof sharply, silencing him immediately as she attempted to clear her thoughts, the many ghastly implications of her discovery rattling around in her mind. It took her some time before she finally brought it down. When she had, she closed her eyes, and a look of terrible sadness crossed her features as she spoke in a tone so hollow that it sent shivers down the spines of the guards behind her, "The opening move of an entirely different game."

Author's Note

Well guys, I finally stuck to my schedule on this one (hurrah!). If you'd like to thank anyone in particular, thank Dextroscity, to whom I promised this chapter would be up for their birthday by - and wish him/her a happy birthday whilst you're at it! To that end, happy birthday, Dextroscity! :)

On another note, I think I'm getting back into the writing of this fic quite nicely. That being said, I did quite poorly on my exams this year, so I'll probably go missing for a sizeable period again some time next year (sorry), since I'll need to study even harder in order to pull up my grades to the minimum I need for a decent university. But that's several months in the future, and I'll be sure to give you all a heads up beforehand, don't worry.

The next update should be out some time next month, as per standard schedule. I might be a little late due to several events (e.g. A2 enrolment and my cousin's wedding) but I'll keep you guys posted in my blog, as always.

Until then, thanks for reading, and I'll see you in the next chapter!

Mike, adopting the Gendo Pose whilst thinking of the events in coming chapters.

P.S. Here's the link to the updated ATF map, if you're interested in seeing where the group is right now: LINK

Chapter XXVI - A Dangerous Game

Celestia stood atop the highest balcony of Canterlot Castle, watching as the city's weather pegasi went about their business patching together a multitude of murky grey rain clouds into one seemingly solid sheet above her. The few rays of sunlight that managed to pierce the veil rapidly faded from view as more layers were added to the cloudy covering, casting a dreary shadow over the city below.

"You aren't particularly fond of the rain, are you?"

Celestia glanced towards the source of the familiar voice and gave a small, sad smile before turning her attention back to the skies, "No, not really. It brings back the sadder memories." She closed her eyes momentarily as one of said memories made its way to the forefront of her thoughts, "If memory serves... The first time we brought you to the castle, it was like this, wasn't it?"

Blueblood trotted to her side, leaning forwards against the railing and taking a long pause for thought before speaking, "It was. Though in a way, I'm grateful for it."

Celestia diverted her attention from the heavens to him once again, "What do you mean?"

He didn't take his eyes off the clouds above, though his voice fell noticeably more flat as he continued, "Just given what happened that day... Even if I didn't understand what was happening at the time, I don't think I'd have been able to tolerate the light ever again had the sun been shining as if everything was fine." Slowly, he lowered his head so as to stare vacantly at the grounds below, "I'm sorry for interrupting whilst you were thinking, Auntie. Should I leave you to your thoughts?"

Celestia shook her head, "No, it's quite alright, Blueblood. In truth, I was just waiting for Luna's return. She's gone to investigate a possible lead on Twilight and the others." She joined Blueblood in staring down over the railing, "Two of her patrols have been found dead, apparently."

Blueblood gave Celestia a sideways glance, "Are you really all that surprised? The more you chase after those fools, the higher the body count will climb, Celestia. Surely you and Luna both know that."

Celestia frowned and sighed, "Perhaps, but we can't just allow them to walk free, either. Our hooves are tied until we can get a fix on their location."

A short period of silence elapsed, only to be broken by Blueblood stepping back from the railing with a huff, "My preparations are nigh complete, at least. The commoners will be here any day now, correct?"

Celestia felt her jaw clench tightly for a brief moment, and responded without moving from her position by the railing, "Bearers. And yes, they will. I'm not planning on keeping all three on the castle grounds for the whole period though-"

"Well, at least there's that small mercy."

She glared down at the city below, leaning her weight against the railing and grasping it tightly, causing the metal to give a quiet groan under the forces exerted upon it, "I've talked it over with Shining, and he's willing to share his expertise when he returns to the Crystal Empire."

"Commendable of him, certainly. It's liable to shave years off his lifespan. One would think-" He stopped as a droplet of moisture splashed onto his muzzle, prompting him to turn his head skywards. Surely enough, the rain had begun to fall, and was picking up its pace already, "Shall we continue this discussion inside, Auntie?"

Celestia was glad of the light rain that fell onto her coat, allowing her anger to cool off somewhat as she glanced back at her nephew and nodded. The two made their way inside just before the heaviest of the rain caught them. Celestia closed the doors to the balcony behind them with her magic and levelled Blueblood with a passive stare, "You were saying?"

Despite her calm expression, Blueblood caught the masked annoyance in Celestia's voice and relented immediately, "I... seem to have forgotten, Auntie."

"Oh?" she raised an eyebrow, but didn't push the matter further.

Quiet descended upon the room, save for the patter of rain on glass. After several moments of extended silence, Celestia made her way over to a small table, taking one of the four seats and gesturing for Blueblood to do the same. Once he had done so, Celestia took a deep, calming breath, focused her gaze upon him, and spoke, "When was the last time we just talked, Blueblood? Not about politics or responsibilities, just talked, like a family?"

Celestia knew she'd inadvertently struck a nerve as Blueblood briefly averted his gaze to the table, "A while, Celestia... A long while."

The Princess sighed, leaning back in her chair and tapping her hoof on the table as she thought. With little warning, a playful smile appeared on her face, "Well, I think it's about time we caught up, then. Any mares on the horizon yet?"

Despite her best attempts, her smile faltered and faded as he fixed her with the same flat, disapproving stare he always gave her in response to that particular question, "No."

Again, quiet tightened its firm grasp around the room's occupants. Celestia flicked her gaze between their surroundings and Blueblood awkwardly, whereas Blueblood simply focused his stare upon the table.

A loud sigh pierced the air, "I-I'm sorry, Blueblood. I didn't mean for..." she trailed off as wisps of smoke seeped from the corners of the room and congregated in the centre, taking the form of Luna within seconds.

Blueblood stood and bowed his head in Luna's direction as she manifested before him, "Auntie."

Luna did the same in response, though her own gesture was little more than a slight tip of the head in comparison as she curiously examined the somewhat pensive look on his face, "Blueblood."

He turned his head just enough to catch sight of Celestia, "I suppose I'd best be going. I imagine the two of you will want some time alone to discuss your findings."

Celestia stood from her seat and opened her mouth to speak, but Luna cut in first, "I believe you're right, Blueblood. Thank you for your understanding."

He nodded wordlessly and, without missing a beat, made his way towards the door, stopping before it for a moment as he reached out with his magic and opened it.

Luna called after him as he stepped towards the threshold, "Oh, and would you inform the guards that we aren't to be disturbed? We might be here a while."

Again, he nodded, stepping outside and turning to close the door behind him. He looked between each princess, giving a short goodbye before pulling the door shut with a click.

Promptly, he turned and strode away from the guards stationed by the doors, stopping only to speak with one of the higher ranking officers in order to have Luna's message relayed throughout the castle. His task complete, he made his way towards the staircase that would take him down to the lower levels. Before reaching it, however, he found himself staring out through one of the larger, clear glass windows. Despite the entirety of Canterlot being laid out before him - or at least what he could see of it through the now lashing rain - he looked at nothing in particular, more absorbed in his own buzzing thoughts than the scenery as he eventually came to a decision.

He took a deep breath as he regained his clarity of thought and slowly descended the staircases of the castle, purposefully making his way through the deepest levels, and towards the entrance to the crystal caverns beneath.

As the door clicked shut, Luna turned her attention to Celestia and watched as she sank back into the seat she had been previously occupying, slumped forwards slightly, and hid her head behind a hoof, "Trouble with Blueblood?"

Celestia gave an exasperated sigh without moving her hoof, "Yes and no. He said some stupid things-"

"No surprise there." Luna took the seat opposite Celestia as she continued, "The usual, I imagine?"

Celestia finally moved her hoof away, looking her sister in the eye as she spoke, "Yes, but that's not the issue." She cast her eyes towards the door, as if expecting Blueblood to return, "I mentioned it again..."

Luna groaned and fixed Celestia with a slight frown, "I thought as much, he had that miserable look about him when I arrived. Honestly, I feel it's an area you should stop pursuing, Celestia. If he's content to wallow in self-pity, leave him to it for now; we have more important things to worry about."

Celestia said nothing for a moment, then nodded, her expression becoming all business, "You're right. What's the situation?"

"Bad. Very bad."

Celestia's eyes widened a fraction at Luna's slightly fearful tone, "What do you mean?"

Luna chewed her lip momentarily, mulling over her thoughts for a moment before looking Celestia dead in the eye, "I think he wants war, Celestia..."

"I see." Celestia's tone had swapped almost instantaneously from inquisitive to measured and carefully controlled, "Tell me everything you know, Luna."

For nearly twenty minutes, Luna meticulously recounted all the findings of her guards, as well as her own discoveries at the site. As she finished, Celestia shook her head in bewilderment, "None of it adds up, though... Why stick the armour to them? Why draw us to him when he knows he's at a disadvantage if we surround him?"

Luna's horn shone, causing several pieces of paper to pop into existence upon the table between them. Celestia regarded the top one - a roster of active guards - as Luna spoke, "He's up to something, Celestia." She waited until Celestia put down the document, "See what I mean?"

Celestia nodded, the authority in her voice once again lost to confusion, "All present and accounted for? The dead weren't any of ours?"

Luna mimicked Celestia, "Exactly, and nopony has been reported missing recently, either." She stood from her seat and began pacing, "They're probably his work. He wanted our attention, wanted us to see the bodies and panic..."

"He's getting more aggressive, and confident. Still, do you honestly think he's ready for a war? Surely he couldn't have rallied enough followers to his cause, especially not in Equestria?"

Luna scowled and kicked at the floor in frustration, "I don't know, but even alone he's dangerous enough. And then there's this..." She trotted over to the pile of papers she had summoned, withdrawing one in particular and passing it to Celestia, "This is the note I was talking about, I get the feeling it's aimed at you."

Celestia held up the note in question, reading it aloud with deepening confusion evident on her face, "To this very day, not even the dead, despite their shady abodes, are removed from the flames and the sins of the blazing sun.”

No sooner had she finished reading the note than it disappeared in a bright flash of flame. Celestia and Luna glanced at each other, having both erected defensive shields instantaneously, and slowly lowered their guard as the ashes of the note drifted to the floor.

Luna gave a grunt of mild surprise, "It certainly seems it was intended for you. What do you think it meant?"

Celestia stared intensely at the small pile of ash as she willed herself to find the answer, repeating the words constantly in her head as she did so. After several repetitions, she shook her head frustratedly, summoning a blank piece of paper and hastily scrawling down the words before responding, "I don't know... It has to mean something, doesn't it?"

"I imagine so. I doubt he'd go to the effort of preserving it if it didn't. Then again, he might be counting on us thinking just that, in which case we're wasting our time trying to find out."

With a groan of defeat, Celestia turned towards the window, placing a forehoof against it and looking at her own reflection for a moment before shifting her focus to the world beyond the pane, "Even so, we don't exactly have that many options. Even if we're walking into a trap, Discord's little spectacle is more or less our only decent lead on their whereabouts now."

Luna stepped up beside Celestia, mirroring her as she too stared out into the pouring rain, "I thought you might say something like that. I've already organised for my guards to increase search and patrol operations around the area; I did the same with any solar guards I came across, I hope you don't mind. Time was of the essence."

"Not at all." Celestia took a step back and stretched her wings as she hummed to herself in thought, "I'll deploy the remainder of mine as soon as I can."

Luna nodded in agreement but frowned momentarily, "We should seriously consider diverting more patrols to the North West. It seems pointless spreading our forces thin elsewhere when we know they're still in the general area."

Celestia closed her eyes in thought, "You're right. We should divert some, especially from the areas furthest away from Smokey Mountain, but I don't think it's a good idea to leave any other areas unguarded. We can't rule out the possibility that this is some sort of trick; moving our troops might be exactly what he wants us to do."

Luna gave her a slight frown, "I've already considered that, Celestia, but we're running out of options!" She paused to take a breath, lowering her voice somewhat as she continued, "We've been far too cautious so far, and Discord has capitalised on it at every given opportunity. We can't allow them to keep running circles around us like this, especially not after what's just happened. What if I'm right, Celestia? What if Discord wants another war? If he slips away again, how long will it take for him to raise an army? To turn nations against one another? To turn us against ourselves?"

Celestia opened her mouth to speak, but Luna stomped a hoof, cracking the tiles beneath her hooves and silencing her before she even began, "Look at what he's done already, Celestia. Between Calamity's return and Discord's crusade, our citizens can't feel safe within our own borders! Twilight, Pinkie, and Fluttershy went with him of their own volition! The Elements have been scattered, Fluttershy murdered one your guards, and Spike is dead! If we let them get away this time, who knows what will happen? Caution isn't a luxury we can afford any more, Celestia. We can't let them escape again!"

To Celestia's great surprise, tears were beginning to well in her sister's eyes, "Luna..."

Luna shook her head vigorously, her ethereal mane swaying in all directions as conviction entered her voice, "There won't be another war, Celestia. I won't allow it. Discord - and anyone working with him - has to be stopped, now. Not 'when the time is right', not 'when they'll be at their most vulnerable', now!" She turned away from Celestia, staring out of the window with a hollow look in her eye, allowing silence to reign supreme.

"Y-You're right, Luna... You're right." Celestia watched as Luna hung her head and visibly tried to calm herself. Without a word, she trotted to her side and draped a wing over her back, waiting patiently as her younger sister dispelled the haunting memories of a war that ended dozens of lifetimes ago.

When Luna finally raised her head, she fixed her sister with an apologetic glance that occasionally shifted to the smashed tiles, "I'm sorry, Celestia, it's just... Even now..."

Celestia shook her head, an understanding look on her face, "Don't apologise, Luna. I don't wish to see history repeated, either, and I think you might be right."

"About diverting the patrols?"

"Yes." Celestia pondered over the issue for a moment before moving away from her sister, taking the note she had scrawled down from the table she had left it on, "So far, my judgement has been poor at every turn. Every little success we have had has been mostly down to luck, and we're in agreement that we're running out of options. Even if we end up walking into some kind of trap, I suppose we'll still stand a better chance of finding them than we've had so far." She gave a tired sigh as her horn began to glow.

Luna raised an eyebrow, "Where are you going?"

She gave Luna a small smile, "To start redeploying our troops. Hopefully we'll have better luck doing things your way, though I'd suggest drawing up some plans for exactly where you'll have them stationed once I've got an idea of how many we'll be moving. In the mean time..." A sizeable stack of documents appeared on the table beside Celestia, and her small smile grew into a somewhat cheeky grin, "That's your half of the work you left me with, have fun."

She disappeared before Luna could protest, leaving her to stare at the mountain of documents with hatred in her eyes, “Thanks a lot, Celestia..."

Rarity and Applejack waited beside the fountain near the centre of Ponyville, shivering in the cold autumn wind and watching as the weather team brought in the last of the rain clouds from Canterlot. From somewhere within the murky sky, a multicoloured flash heralded Rainbow's approach, and in little under three seconds the mare in question stood before them, though she lacked the usual cocky grin she might otherwise have worn, "That's about everything." She turned to admire her work and gave a sigh, "I think I'm gonna miss it though."

Applejack grabbed the saddlebags that Rainbow had left on the ground before she had taken flight a few minutes beforehand, tossing them to the mare as she turned around, "You don't seem to be packin' much there, Sugarcube."

Rainbow shrugged as she secured the bags to her back, "The message said to pack only what we'll need. We're going to train, not on holiday."

They both turned to Rarity at the statement, inspecting her saddlebags expectantly before realising that she herself was facing in another direction, prompting Applejack to speak up, "Rarity?" She followed Rarity's line of sight to a small group of ponies, "Somethin' caught your eye?"

Rarity shook her head and turned to face her friend, a look of mild irritation souring her expression, "Not my so much eye as my ears, Darling. They're at it again."

All three turned their attention back to the group in unison, remaining quiet so as to catch what they were saying.

"-urely the guards realise they could be dangerous?"

"Well I certainly don't feel safe with-"

"-tial accessories to murder?"

"Well they have been acting suspiciously since-"

Applejack and Rarity turned to the sound of heavy breathing beside them, and didn't hesitate to extend their forelegs in order to block the mare from attempting a high-velocity tackle. Applejack spoke slowly and evenly, though her eyes turned back to the group, "Easy there, Dash. Last thing we want to be doin' here is makin' a scene. I don't like it either, but there's no need to prove 'em right. They don't know nothin' anyway."

After a few more tense seconds, Rainbow relented, turning on the spot and stomping her way towards the train station, leaving the others to catch up. As they did, the mare growled under her breath, "Unbelievable! After everything we've done for them, all the times we've put ourselves in harm's way for them, this is what we get!? We get the blame pinned on us for something that wasn't even our fault!? Are you fucking kidding me!?"

Applejack promptly clamped a hoof over Rainbow's mouth, wary of the glares the mare had earned from passers-by and somewhat relieved that no foals seemed to be in the vicinity, "Watch it. You're not exactly doin' us any favours here, Dash."

Rainbow pushed the hoof away, giving a single powerful flap of her wings so as to propel herself upwards before landing with a scowl, "Yeah, yeah. Let's just keep moving, I'm just about sick of this place right now." Despite being somewhat justified in saying such, the statement still prompted Applejack and Rarity to share a brief but nonetheless concerned look.

The rest of the trip proceeded in silence. Upon their arrival at the nearly empty station, each purchased a ticket and took a seat, grateful for the lack of suspicious glances and conspiratorial whispers that had trailed behind them thus far. "Ah wonder what's gonna happen when we get there."

Rarity hummed distantly as she examined the countryside around them, "So do I..."

"We'll be fine." Rainbow stated confidently, leaning forwards on her seat so as to glance between the two, "I mean, it's probably going to be tough, but after everything we've had to deal with I think we're more than cut out for it." She met each of their eyes in turn and smirked assuredly, "Besides, even if we're up against the whole world, we'll always have each other's backs when things get dangerous, right?"

Applejack returned the smile and nodded, "Right."

Rarity didn't respond with the same enthusiasm as the other two, but gave a small smile nonetheless, "Always."

"Then we've got nothing to worry about!" Rainbow chuckled to herself giddily, "It might actually be pretty awesome!"

The air promptly became filled with the patter of rain upon earth. The three immediately glanced upwards, relieved to find that the seats they were currently occupying were sheltered by the overhanging station roof. Rarity gave a brief laugh of her own before gazing back out at the scenery, "Well, that certainly seems to have killed the mood."

Rainbow stood and gave Rarity a nudge, maintaining her grin as she did so, "Hey, I worked hard hauling that over here!"

"Leave it to you to brew up the perfect storm, alright." Applejack adjusted the brim of her hat whilst giving Rainbow a mischievous look, "Got any more ideas on how to make this trip more miserable?"

Without pause or change in expression, Rainbow responded casually, "Yeah, we're bringing you." Her grin grew slightly wider at Applejack's resultant frown before the mare hung her head in defeat, "Dash one, Applejack zero."

Rarity shook her head, speaking amusedly whilst examining the back of her hoof, "Alright, Dear, we get it. I would suggest that you sit down though; we don't want her flattening you again."

The shocked look Rainbow shot back at her didn't go unnoticed by the others, and Applejack promptly capitalised on the opportunity for retribution, "Dash, take a seat. Rarity's taken the lead."

Rainbow turned back to Rarity - who continued examining her hoof nonchalantly - before dejectedly returning to her seat, "Way to knock me off my pedestal, Rarity."

Rarity winked back, "Any time, Dear."

Despite Applejack's best attempts to suppress it, a bout of uproarious laughter on her part drew the attention of the few other ponies in the station, and eventually elicited laughter from Rainbow too. Upon calming down, the farmer gave Rarity a proud pat on the back, "All Ah can say is Ah'm glad to have you on our side, Rares. That precision verbal strike of yours is pretty lethal."

Rainbow leaned her head back and spoke flatly, "I'll say. Just when did you develop a sense of humour, anyways?"

Rarity smiled and rubbed the back of her neck, "Well, since I'm going to be around the two of you for a good while, I might as well try to fit in. Besides, it's far better than being perpetually miserable."

An unmistakable whistle from somewhere in the distance briefly cut through the constant sound of the rain, signalling the gradual approach of the train that would take them to Canterlot.

Despite the amount of train journeys that the three had made between Ponyville and Canterlot in the past few months, they had never heard the whistle of the Canterlot Express sound as forlorn as it did at that very moment. Perhaps it was purely a psychological product of their imaginations, or perhaps the sound was simply distorted somewhat as it travelled through the now pouring rain, but the noise that reached their ears was hardly what any would have considered to be a whistle; to each of them, it more closely resembled a cut-off, mournful wail.

All three sat stock still as a collective, inexplicable chill ran down their spines, leaving Applejack to twiddle with her hat nervously as she stared in the direction the sound had originated from, "Well ain't that just forebodin'? Anyone else hear that?"

"Yeah, creepy..."

"Y-Yes..."

"Great." She sighed, replacing her hat and electing to stand as the train came into view, "Why do Ah get the feelin' this trip ain't gonna go so well any more?"

"Okay, Rarity, now's when you say the mood's been killed."

Applejack rolled her eyes without turning around, "Shut up, Dash."

"What's up, Discy?"

Discord fought the urge to groan at the nickname as Pinkie addressed him, "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, Pinkie, but we have something of dire importance to discuss."

The ears of everyone in the vicinity pricked up at Discord's tone and choice of words, and Twilight dropped her magical focus almost instantaneously as she turned to face him, "Dire importance? What's happened, exactly?"

Discord snapped his fingers, and promptly held in his grasp an odd-looking lavender object that Twilight realised was her nose as she nearly choked when trying to breathe through an airway that was no longer open, "Nosey, aren't we? I believe I was talking to Pinkie."

Fluttershy gave him a disapproving glance, "Discord, give Twilight her nose back."

He sighed, returning the appendage without incident, "A world of nose-related puns, wasted!" He folded his arms and frowned, "Well this stinks..."

Whilst Twilight said nothing in response - being too busy checking that her face was still proportioned the way she was used to - Pinkie reached up and gave Discord a playful bump with a hoof, "Oh, you."

Discord chuckled, but lowered his arms and stood with a strangely disconcerting neutralness on his face as he regarded her once again, "Really, though, what I'm about to tell you is no joke." Again, all eyes in the room were on him, and even the collective breathing of the room's occupants seemed somewhat subdued by the sudden change in atmosphere. After waiting for Twilight to send some complaints in his direction, only to be disappointed, Discord pinched the bridge of his nose and spoke, "It involves your family, Pinkie. If it wasn't already obvious, I was hoping to keep this conversation a little more private."

Pinkie's eyes widened noticeably, the small, cheerful smile she'd had on her face beforehand quickly disappearing, "M-My family? What's happened to them?"

Discord caught her worry and waved his hands with an emphatic shake of his head, "Not your living relatives, don't worry. I'm talking about your distant ancestors."

"Oh, that's a relief."

"I trust you remember my gripping recollection of King Reginald's rule? How I had to cut the tale short due to the circumstances?"

Pinkie nodded, "Yeah, you said it was a story for another time, right?"

"Indeed, and it's about time I picked up where I left off." He glanced around at the others, noticing that Twilight and Fluttershy were still staring at him silently, and that Twilight in particular was paying rapt attention, unconsciously leaning towards him. He turned back to Pinkie, an expression of utmost seriousness upon his face, "I've never been one for overt sensitivity, Pinkie, but what I'm about to tell you isn't nice; at all. It might be best if we discuss it somewhere a little more private." He flicked his gaze towards the others for emphasis.

Pinkie held her expression passive, but looked him in the eye in order to signal that she had understood, "It's fine, Discord. I trust everyone here no matter what. Whatever it is you've got to tell me, we'll hear it together." She turned and gave each of the others a smile that was promptly returned.

Discord stared at her for a moment longer before nodding contentedly, "Alright then, that's good enough for me." He snapped his fingers and hopped onto his cloud, "You're all going to want to take a seat for this..."

Blueblood trotted wordlessly through the heart of the mountain, his way illuminated by the crystals that lined the walls around him, lighting up one by one as he moved towards his destination. His hooffalls echoed continuously through the cavernous depths, and every so often a loose chunk of rock could be heard clacking against both crystal and stone as it dislodged and tumbled down into the unseen depths below; the result of mining attempts that had been abandoned long ago, with good reason.

Despite the many hazards that the caverns posed, Blueblood marched on purposefully, undeterred. He came to a stop at a small opening in the wall ahead, ducking so as to make his way inside and trotting to the centre of the crystalline rotunda within. Though visitors were few and far between in recent years - a given, considering that the caverns were strictly off-limits to the majority of the population - those that had entered had a nasty habit of ruining the natural beauty of the place. Blueblood reached out to touch a nearby crystal that protruded high from the floor, closing his eyes as he made contact with it. After a few moments, he grimaced, scanning around the room and noticing an assortment of what appeared to be cutlery scattered against one wall, "What even?"

He pondered over the sight for almost a minute before shaking his head and gathering together the items. As he quickly came to realise, some of the cutlery appeared charred, as did some of the surrounding walls and floor, "A fire too?" He stopped his hoof from reaching towards the nearest item as he raised his head just in time to realise that it was, in fact, a small bundle of dynamite, "Explosives." The remark came out not as a question, nor a startled yelp, but a simple disapproving acknowledgement.

After eyeing the charge in order to affirm that it wasn't about to exclude him from the rather sizeable segment of the population that still had their heads attached to their necks, Blueblood withdrew his hoof. Carefully, he placed what cutlery he had already gathered together down onto the floor, unwilling to run the risk of creating a spark by dropping any. Once he had done so, he looked around at his surroundings in bewilderment once again before giving up on trying to understand, resolving to mention the issue to Celestia when he returned to the surface.

He gave the crystal he had previously touched what could only be described as a reassuring pat before heading through an opening opposite the one he had entered through. Following the familiar soothing light of the crystals, Blueblood slowly descended further into the depths of the mountain, re-treading a path he had taken countless times before. As he went, he felt a small measure of his sadness and frustration leave him, though a great deal still remained, the memory of his short exchange with Celestia constantly replaying in his mind.

A rare, sincere smile found its way onto his face as he heard the sounds of a nigh-inaudible melody drift up to meet him from the caverns below. Regardless of his eagerness to complete his journey he did not speed up, rather, he slowed down, taking his time and allowing the gentle songs to soothe him as he continued his descent.

Many of those who were often around Blueblood knew of his semi-regular trips to the caverns, and - despite speculative rumours from palace staff on the whole - they considered them to be simply habitual, some sort of personal ritual that, although odd, seemed both perfectly benign and adequately fitting for the rather eccentric Prince. Most of the very select few that had heard him recount songs in the depths had written them off as echoes in the dark, of both the caverns and Blueblood's own mind.

But Blueblood knew better.

He had questioned himself in the past, of course, even doubting his sanity at times, given that no one other than he seemed to hear the otherworldly voices, no matter how far down they ventured, even when he himself could clearly hear them.

But the gifts he had received from them always served to remind him that their existence was indeed a reality, not simply a figment of his imagination, or the perpetuated hallucinations of a distraught young prince, as others would have had him believe.

Besides, even if those he trusted the most were to eventually turn their backs on his evidence, Blueblood knew in his heart that he would never abandon his faith in what he had found buried deep beneath the mountainside city. Or perhaps, more appropriately, what had found him.

They had protected him. Guided him.

When he was most alone, they were with him.

When he was most vulnerable, they lent him their strength.

They had saved him from himself.

And they sung to him. For him.

They called his name.

As he always had, and always would, he answered the call.

He descended further.

Author's Note

Apologies for the lateness of this chapter. A relative of mine passed away recently, and I've been thrown off a little. I've tried to keep this chapter up to par with the others, but I honestly don't know whether I've managed. Even despite how long this chapter has taken me, the scenes almost feel rushed to read...

Any feedback from you guys would be much appreciated.

Chapter XXVIII - A Single Step

Shining looked out through the window of his suite, staring blankly at the landscape beyond Canterlot for what felt like the millionth time. The rain had slowed to a drizzle now, and the sheen of persistent sunlight was slowly but surely perforating the cloud layer above, casting the odd ray or two across the land below. He remained still for quite some time, until another fissure opened above, allowing an errant beam of light to shine directly onto him.

Grimacing, and raising a hoof to cover his eyes, Shining waited, hoping that the light would soon fade or move elsewhere. He had no such luck, and after a few seconds of standing his ground, came to the realisation that this was not a battle he could win. Sighing, he turned and lowered his hoof, examining the nearly bare suite around him. Bare was relative, of course, considering the vast array of items that were provided within each of the castle's luxurious suites, but all the possessions that Shining had brought with him - save for a select few - were already packed in preparation for tomorrow's journey.

His horn shone as he pulled the curtains shut, denying the offending beam of light the right to irritate him further, though doing so only caused the room to take on to take on a more dingy atmosphere. He shortly contemplated simply sitting in the relative darkness of the room as he pondered over his predicament, but decided against it, his horn glowing briefly as he switched on the lights.

Satisfied that he would no longer appear to be sulking to anyone that might enter, Shining allowed himself to slump into a plush chair, closing his eyes and tilting his head backwards as he attempted to collect his thoughts.

'What else would staying achieve? The trail's just about gone cold, and we've yet to hear anything useful regarding the Smokey Mountain incident...'

An image of his sister made its way to the forefront of his thoughts.

'But I could lose everything if I'm wrong...'

He opened his eyes, staring up at the ceiling without so much as a twitch in his tired expression.

'I can't stay here forever though. The Empire needs me, Cadence needs me.'

He remained there, lost in his thoughts for what felt like hours before tilting his head to the side, catching sight of the single framed photograph that remained standing on his work desk. He levitated it with his magic, smiling to himself as he glanced over each mare in the picture. His mother, his sister, and his wife; the three most important mares in his life. All beautiful, all smiling, all happy.

He remembered the photograph being taken during his wedding reception, and lost himself to the memory for a moment before snapping back to his senses. He scanned over it again, but felt his attention drawn to Twilight and Cadence in particular, his gaze flickering between the two constantly.

Pursing his lips and frowning, he shook his head to himself, 'Why does it feel like I have to choose between them?' He glanced around the room, noticing how much more spacious it seemed now that it was mostly bare of his personal belongings, 'We're prepared to go, and there's work to be done. There's no element of choice involved.' He focused on his sister's face, shaking his head in disapproval this time, 'After everything that's happened, I don't know whether I should leave your safety in Celestia's hooves, but you've left me no choice, Twilight.'

He frowned, placing a hoof against his forehead as he continued to stare at his sister's smiling face, 'Nopony expected this, Twilight. Nopony expected you to betray us and slink away into hiding with that monster and your friends. I didn't expect to have to pursue you myself. I certainly didn't expect that you'd be willing to kill good ponies in order to escape.' He scrunched his eyes shut as he felt them watering, hardening his heart as he glared back at an innocent Twilight from a more innocent time. He spoke aloud now, if for nothing else than to make certain of his own line of thought, "Things can never go back to how they were, Twilight, not now; not after what you've done."

Smiling and unblinking, a carefree look on her face, Twilight stared back as if to say, 'So what?'

Shining furrowed his brow further, "Even if we found you, what's waiting for you here? A dungeon? A prison? Even after all the good you've done, the public won't just overlook everything you've been a part of; the princesses certainly won't. Maybe it would be better if you didn't come back at all..."

He ground his teeth in anger, at his own failures as much as Twilight's wrongdoings, "But still, a prison's better than a graveyard, which is where you'll end up as soon as he doesn't need you any more."

The image of his sister before him quickly morphed, aided by his mind's eye, into one of a corpse bearing her resemblance. Pale, unblinking, unmoving. Cold. Twisted in several places. Discarded like dead weight in the middle of nowhere. Thoughts of how she had died, and whether or not it was quick, raced forth. Had she even been killed directly, or was she simply left to die of exposure, her broken body denying her any means of escape? In her final moments did she think of him? Of her family? Or was she simply snuffed out, like the flame of a candle? Quickly, without remorse or pity or warning, not a single thought given to her passing by her killer after the deed was done?

Shining shook his head, forcing his eyes shut as they glistened with tears. He growled, grasping the picture tightly and hurling it across the room with a wounded roar, "NO!"

He briefly remained where he was as he collected himself, breathing deeply for a few seconds before standing and making his way over to the remnants of the frame by the far wall. He sighed, holding his frown for a moment until his features softened. He levitated the object towards himself, paying little mind to the tinkle of broken glass and dented frame, though he did feel slightly grateful that the wall appeared to have been undamaged. The picture itself seemed to have been completely unaffected, save for a few shards of glass sitting atop it.

Voices and hoofsteps could be heard from the hall outside of Shining's suite, causing him to briefly hang his head in an attempt to calm himself before the guards inevitably entered. Tentatively, he reached out, placing a hoof against the shattered glass surface, closing his eyes as he did so. Exhaling slowly, he murmured under his breath, "I'll be with you all soon enough, I promise."

There was a hesitant knock at the door.

"Prince Shining!? Are you alright!?"

"I'm fine. You may enter."

The door swung open, and a single crystal guard stepped into the room, though Shining took note of at least another four standing outside. He watched the guard surveying the room for any disturbance before noticing the shattered frame, giving the Prince a confused look for a moment before becoming expressionless, "Sir, if I may, what happened? Was there an intruder?"

Shining smirked and shook his head, "No, Gleam, nothing of the sort. I just dropped this." He shook the frame.

Despite the lack of expression on the guard's face, Shining watched as Gleam glanced at the smashed glass, and then at the soft, plush carpet beneath. If he noticed the discrepancy, he didn't show it, "I see. My apologies for the disturbance, Sir, we heard the noise and assumed the worst; the castle's not as safe as we'd like it to be, if the last few weeks are anything to go by."

Shining nodded, "I understand. Really, I'm the one at fault here, it's only a picture, after all. That being said..." He set about cleaning up the mess he had made, but gave the picture one last look, "It's very precious to me."

The guard nodded and saluted, waiting for Shining to dismiss him before leaving without a word.

Twilight and Fluttershy murmured to one another, as they had for the past half hour or so. Every so often, one of them - usually Twilight - would glance in Discord's direction before quickly turning back to the other, whispering in hushed tones.

Discord had noticed, of course, and was eyeing them warily, though he found it difficult to decipher exactly what they were talking about. Throughout their ongoing exchange, Discord had watched as Fluttershy remained calm with Twilight, whereas Twilight seemed to have struggled to keep her voice at a low whisper on multiple occasions, often scowling or shaking her head as she did so.

Discord folded his arms, drumming the fingers of his right hand against his left arm as he observed them for a few more minutes, making no comment at their constant glances in his direction, despite meeting them dead on.

After five more minutes of such, Twilight span for a final time before turning back to Fluttershy with apparent resignation on her face. Fluttershy placed a reassuring hoof on her shoulder and gave her a somewhat pleading look, causing Twilight to nod before hanging her head.

Fluttershy looked up at Discord now, though Twilight spoke before doing the same, "Discord?"

Discord kept his expression passive as he glanced at her, continuing to drum his fingers as he did so, "Yes?"

Twilight looked to Fluttershy momentarily, who nodded back at her encouragingly, "We... We need to talk."

Discord furrowed his brow, but pointedly let the silence hang in the air for a few moments before focusing on her, "Is that so? Might that be down to the two of you sharing your secret little conversation without including us?" He gestured to himself and Pinkie, who was sitting with her eyes closed, presumably speaking with Pinkamena.

Twilight glanced at Fluttershy once more before answering him, "Yeah, something like that."

Discord caught the nervous glances that Fluttershy shot in both his and Twilight's direction, and found himself drumming his fingers faster in mild anticipation, "Alright then, spill the beans, what is it?"

Twilight fought the urge to grimace, "It... might be better if we discuss it in private."

Discord examined Twilight closely before regarding his surroundings, "Whatever it is, Twilight, I'm sure it'd be easier just to discuss it here." He gestured towards Pinkie, "Besides, after all the times Pinkie's allowed you to be privy to some of her rather personal information, I doubt she'd be impressed to learn that you don't trust her with your own."

Twilight shook her head and frowned, "It's not like that!"

Fluttershy cut in, surprising Discord somewhat, "Discord, please." She gave him the same pleading look she had given Twilight, "It's just... Y-You and Twilight really need to figure this out between yourselves."

A moment of silence passed before Discord gave a resigned groan, "Fine, since the two of you seem to want to hold me in suspense." He gestured for Twilight to come closer and turned to Fluttershy as she did so, "We'll be close by."

Fluttershy nodded, and the pair disappeared in a flash of light.

"So, what was all that about?"

Fluttershy took a startled gasp at the voice of Pinkamena, and promptly span to see the mare sitting with what seemed to be a curious expression on her face, or at least she thought it was; it was difficult to tell the mare's expression due to her mane hanging over her face, "O-Oh, uhm-"

"Oh wait a second..." Pinkamena elongated the word into something of a purr, brushing her mane from her face as she did so, "Why am I wasting our time asking something like that?" She stood from her seat and stretched, arching her back but keeping her eyes locked on Fluttershy the entire time without so much as blinking.

"W-What do you mean, P-Pinkamena?" She asked, attempting to return a smile but failing miserably as she began trotting towards her. It took all the willpower she had to not step backwards in turn.

"What I mean is..." She licked her lips and smiled an almost predatory smile, "Wouldn't it be much better if we used our time alone together more... productively?"

Fluttershy barely muffled a squeak as she imagined what Pinkamena was alluding to, causing a deep blush to creep onto her face. Despite her best efforts to the contrary, she took a reflexive step back and averted her eyes from the unnerving smile that Pinkamena still held.

Pinkamena couldn't help but giggle to herself at Fluttershy's reaction. She had almost reached the mare now, but stopped as she heard a loud clinking sound from the side. Turning towards it, she met the gaze of an apparently disgusted Angel Bunny, who had slowly raised his head from Fluttershy's saddlebags, followed promptly by the scalpel he now brandished. She held her questioning stare upon him, but the rabbit simply squinted back, narrowing his eyelids and pointing at her with his free paw before drawing the scalpel through the air near his throat and shaking his head disapprovingly.

Pinkamena raised an eyebrow at him in amusement, "Is there a problem, Angel?"

The rabbit quickly dropped the scalpel as Fluttershy turned to face him, but gave Pinkamena a wary look, as if to say 'we'll see' before ever-so-gradually sinking back into the depths of the bag.

Fluttershy turned back to Pinkamena with a hint of confusion on her face, and despite her current predicament, found herself apologising, "S-Sorry, Pinkamena. He gets l-like that sometimes..." She trailed off as the mare in question began smiling as she had beforehand.

"Oh, no need to apologise, Fluttershy. He's just trying to protect you is all." She stopped before her and glanced up and down the pegasus' body, causing her to hide behind her mane, feeling as if she were being judged like fruit on a market stall. Pinkamena lowered her voice somewhat in response, tilting her head so as to meet Fluttershy's eyes through her mane, "I can see why. I'd certainly do everything I could to take care of a body like yours, if you'd let me..."

By this point, the entirety of Fluttershy's face had turned beet red, and she seemed completely incapable of coherent speech, "I-I-I... t-ta-... y-y?" Despite Pinkamena's ongoing attempts to meet her gaze, the pegasus found herself unable to glance at the mare for any more than a few seconds at a time, and as such quickly elected to hang her head instead, her speech trailing into a nigh-inaudible murmur.

Pinkamena's grin widened immensely at the sight, even as she attempted to force it flat. It took her nearly half a minute before she was able to regard Fluttershy with anything less than a small smirk, "Fluttershy?" The mare seemed unresponsive at this point. "Fluttershy? Look at me."

After a few moments, Pinkamena watched her hesitantly raise her head. After waiting a moment to ascertain that she wouldn't lower it again, Pinkamena reached out, brushing Fluttershy's mane to the side, eliciting little more than a sharp gasp from her this time as she stared back in the same fashion as the startled animals she had so often treated in the past, "You really shouldn't hide that pretty face of your-"

The only warning Fluttershy gave was a slight sway on her hooves before she toppled over, unconscious, with what seemed to be her entire body's worth of blood rushing to her face.

Pinkamena lunged and caught her before she hit the floor, giving a slight grunt due to the awkward angle before gently setting her down. Once she had done so, she found herself torn, shaking her head and chuckling to herself slightly, yet somehow not finding the sight as amusing as she had anticipated. After ensuring that the mare was still, in fact, breathing, Pinkamena stood, staring down at what she could see of Fluttershy's face through her mane. Now apparently dreaming, Fluttershy whispered something under her breath before curling into a ball and rolling over, smiling to herself as she huddled against the floor.

A moment's deliberation passed before Pinkamena reached down to brush Fluttershy's mane from her face, but she hesitated at the sound of the same clinking from before. She turned to see Angel, once again brandishing the scalpel and fixing her with a look that could have killed. Although she didn't know exactly what the rabbit was trying to convey, she caught the general gist of it.

'Don't even think about it.'

Rolling her eyes, she withdrew her hoof from the sleeping pony's face and began making her way back to her seat. As she reached it, however, a slight sense of dread began to creep up on her as she paused. In her head, she began to piece together their situation, aided in part by Pinkie, who had up until this point been berating her.

Discord was absent.

Fluttershy was asleep.

Dreaming.

Luna.

"Oh, shit! Fluttershy!"

The pair flashed into existence upon an outcrop overlooking the land far beneath the mountain. Their destination was now within sight, though difficult to see due to being partially hidden within the trees below. Twilight assumed that the large body of water she could just make out in the distance was the Neighagra Falls. A harsh, cool wind intermittently stripped her warmth away from her as it swept across the face of the mountain, but it was relatively infrequent and certainly not unbearable, just uncomfortably cold.

"Alright then, what exactly is it that we need to 'figure out'?" Twilight switched her attention from the scenery to him as he continued, "And why just the two of us? I hope you're not planning on confessing any intimate feelings, Twilight; they certainly aren't mutual." He stared blankly at her, but his eyebrows were raised ever so slightly.

Despite Discord's expectations, Twilight didn't retort immediately. Instead, she simply shook her head and looked up at him with an expression he couldn't quite read as she spoke, "No, Discord. It's not that." Her voice held hints of tiredness, resignation, and confusion, though none of them seemed to take precedence over the seriousness she was evidently trying to maintain.

Her behaviour served to dissuade Discord from pushing her further, instead piquing his interest as his own voice took on an equally serious tone, "What then?"

Twilight scanned over the landscape for a second, taking a deep breath before speaking, "We... We need to stop."

Discord furrowed his brow and pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation, "Twilight, we've already decided on our plan of action. Regardless of whether or not you want those ponies brought back to life, it's happening."

She shook her head, her tone remaining the same as beforehand, "That's not what I meant."

He raised his claw to his chin, scratching his beard, perplexed, "Care to explain, then?"

She swallowed, clearing her throat loudly before finally speaking, "Us. Me and you. We need to stop constantly fighting."

Discord hummed in surprise, "What's with the sudden shift in perspective?"

For a split second, Discord caught her clenching her jaw, but she regarded him neutrally once she began, "Fluttershy. She's growing worried, Discord, and after talking it over with her, she's probably right." She caught his questioning expression, "Our cohesion's going to slip. We can't ever properly work together if all we do is snipe at each other at every given opportunity."

He lowered his voice somewhat as he began stroking his beard, "I see..."

She scowled to herself as she looked down at the stone beneath her hooves, then off out into the distance. She didn't turn back to face him as she next spoke, though she had to wait for a moment as a particularly strong gust of wind sapped more heat from her body, "I mean, I understand, Discord. You're the 'Master of Chaos', or whatever you want to call yourself. You've explained it to me before, I know you have to cause chaos somehow, and I can handle a passing comment, or a small jab, but you consistently take everything too far; on purpose. I need you to be honest with me." She turned back to him, "Of all the stupid little arguments we've had, how many did you start with the intention of collecting the chaos into your... store?" She grimaced, unable to find a correct term for the ball of chaos energy that Discord had earlier presented.

A moment of relative quiet passed, disturbed only by the wind, "Very few, admittedly."

Twilight clamped her eyes shut, giving an irritated growl, "I knew it."

Discord felt his lips curling down at the corners, but kept his tone flat, unwilling to begin another of the arguments that Twilight spoke of, "You have a point, Twilight, I'll admit it. Most of the time it was just a game, to see how far I could push you before you snapped." He glanced at her, taking note of her significant lack of anger at the revelation, "But I'm not the only one to blame, Twilight; it takes two to tango. You've brought it upon yourself, on occasion."

He watched as she took a visibly deep breath, "I know."

Discord waited for her to continue, but she simply turned back out to the view below once again, standing in silence.

His gaze followed hers towards the town that they would soon be visiting, "So what do you suggest?"

She sat on her haunches, but glanced at him from over her shoulder, "We just... need to try. If not for the two of us, then for Fluttershy and Pinkie." She sighed, hanging her head so as to look down towards the base of the mountain, "After everything they've given up, they can do without it, you know? Pinkie's still trying to figure things out with Pinkamena, and Fluttershy... Well, you know..."

"She still hasn't forgiven herself." He nodded despite her being unable to see it, his voice becoming somewhat pensive as he recalled the event, "Still cries in her sleep on most nights... It's always quiet when she does, but... still there."

Twilight shook her head to herself, "She never deserved any of that..."

Discord made his way to the edge of the outcrop, electing to stand beside her, as opposed to sitting. He joined her in staring out over the landscape, "No, she didn't..."

Twilight glanced up at him, though his gaze remained on the scenery as she addressed him, "What about Pinkie? How's she?"

Discord gave a single, humourless chuckle, "I honestly don't know. She's hard to read, that one. I don't think she's as happy as she makes out to be, though."

"Why's that?"

"Guilt over locking Pinkamena away, leaving everything she loved behind, knowing that she might be responsible for the leadership of thousands of ponies in the near future, to name a few."

Twilight frowned, scalding herself for asking such a stupid question, "Oh, right..."

"She makes light of most of it. It almost makes you forget that she has anything to worry about, but we've both seen that she takes it seriously underneath."

"Yeah, she does." She shivered as another breeze rolled by, though the partial cover that Discord provided did help slightly, "I wouldn't trade them for the world, especially after everything they've stuck by me through."

Discord actually laughed this time, "Well I should bloody well hope not! That'd be wrong even in my eyes."

Twilight smirked, despite her best efforts to remain sombre. She allowed a moment of comfortable silence to pass before sighing to herself, "It's trust that's gotten us this far, you know."

He glanced down at her, "Hmm?"

She met his gaze, "All of us. Despite everything that's happened, we've made it this far by trusting one another. Especially by trusting you."

Discord stayed silent but remained facing her.

Twilight shook her head, "I don't know if I'll ever be able to call you a friend, not after knowing the part you played in Spike's death, but it'd be stupid of me to say that I don't trust you. I do. Not completely though, never completely, I know there are things you haven't told me, but you haven't stabbed me in the back, either. And you've looked out for us, especially Fluttershy, and the others trust you too." She managed a small smile, "Even Angel."

Discord turned away, shaking his head and chuckling to himself, "Even Angel, eh? You could've fooled me."

Twilight smiled, "It wouldn't be that hard, honestly." She couldn't help but giggle as he gave her a nudge with his leg.

"You instigated that one."

Almost immediately, Twilight wiped the smirk from her face, "Right, sorry."

Discord chuckled in response, "Don't be. Moderation seems to be what we're after here. As long as we don't take our... banter too far, or too seriously, we should be just fine."

Twilight nodded, "Moderation. That sounds... reasonable."

They remained where they were, one sitting, one standing, for a few minutes, before Discord broke the silence, "Well, at least we'll have some good news to bring back with us."

Twilight raised an eyebrow incredulously, "You're not really going to tell them everything we've just said?"

"No. Look over there." He pointed towards Hollow Shades, waiting for Twilight to follow his gaze, "You probably can't see it, actually."

"See what?"

Discord snapped his fingers, materialising a small telescope for Twilight to look through. As she did so, she took note of the few ponies she could see milling around the town, "I can't see anything out of the ordinary."

He snapped his fingers again, causing the telescope to disappear as she withdrew from it, "I've been observing the town and the surrounding area remotely ever since we arrived. There haven't been any guard patrols in quite some time. I think my diversion's managed to spread their forces thin."

A look of mild relief spread across her features, "Good. Facing up against the guards again is the last thing any of us want."

Discord nodded, "Indeed. Still, they have our wanted posters down there, we're going to have to enter in disguise, for a while, at least. Remember this?" He snapped his fingers, holding up the hooded cloak that Twilight recalled wearing back in Dodge City that had shadowed her face regardless of the surrounding light.

She nodded back but gave him a perplexed look, "Yeah, but how do you intend to disguise yourself? I don't think one of those is going to cut it."

Discord winked at her mischievously, "I have an idea, don't worry. I believe you and the others will be pleasantly surprised with the results."

Twilight rolled her eyes, smiling and speaking with mock enthusiasm, "Oh boy, more vagueness. Just what I wanted from you."

Discord gave an exaggerated sigh, "Oh boy, more sarcasm. I honestly never expected it from you." He cracked a smile at her before glancing out over the horizon, "We've got maybe another hour before sunset, we should head back soon."

Twilight followed his gaze, noting the sun's position in the sky, "Yeah..." Though she didn't dare to stare at it for any length of time, she frowned in the sun's general direction regardless, "We're going to make her pay, aren't we?"

Discord's voice took on a flat, grim undertone, "Celestia? That was always the plan, yes. But after what she's done to us, to Fluttershy?" He turned to Twilight, and the unicorn couldn't help but shiver at the thrashing, barely constrained malice in his eyes, "She'll pay interest. I'll make sure of it."

He looked away, and it took Twilight a moment to collect herself, blinking away the white hot flashes of madness that Discord's eyes had branded into her retinas. When she had, she hesitantly moved closer to him and gave him a nod, though her voice trembled slightly as the flashes took their merry time to dissipate, "L-Let's go."

Without a word, Discord balled the fist of one hand and snapped the fingers of the other, whisking them back into the mountain itself.

The two returned to see Fluttershy sitting with her back leaning against the far wall, twiddling her forehooves and hiding her face behind her mane. Angel was crouched in front of her defensively, facing them with a baleful expression. However, before either of the pair could enquire as to what was wrong, the familiar voice of Pinkamena sounded up from behind them, "Discord, we have a problem."

Twilight and Discord span simultaneously to see Pinkamena with a displeased look on her face. Without pause, the mare raised her hoof so as to point at Fluttershy, "Fluttershy... passed out, whilst you were gone. I think she was dreaming."

Discord, still seemingly piecing the situation together, raised a quizzical eyebrow, "Eh?"

Pinkamena scowled at him, "You weren't here to ward against Luna. What if she found her dreaming?"

Discord sighed and rolled his eyes, "It's fine. We were only on the mountainside, and after all the spacing out you and Pinkie do whenever you talk at length, I thought it best if I kept the spell running constantly. As long as I'm nearby, you shouldn't need to worry about Luna."

"It might have been nice to know that beforehoof." Pinkamena flicked at her mane irritably, glowering at her hooves as she did so, "So we're safe?"

Discord shrugged, "Relatively speaking, we're safe, yes." He turned his attention to Fluttershy, who was clearly conscious but had yet to raise her head or cease twiddling her forehooves, "Passed out, you say? What brought that about?" Discord watched keenly as Angel effectively threw himself in Pinkamena's direction, owing to the fervour with which he repeatedly pointed at the mare, "Pinkamena?"

Pinkamena growled under her breath, fixing Angel with a sharp look, "I may or may not have said one or two things that had her heart racing a fair bit."

"Not helpful." Discord murmured, flashing over to Fluttershy's side in an instant, kneeling down beside her and speaking quietly, "Fluttershy?"

The pegasus lifted her head to meet his gaze, "Y-Yes?"

"Could you tell m-"

He stopped abruptly, causing Fluttershy to tilt her head slightly in confusion.

Discord was fixated on her face, or, more precisely, her cheek, which was now slightly swelled and bright red in colour, in contrast with the deeper shade of red the rest of her face had taken. It took him a moment to break his gaze from her, instead shifting it to Angel, then to Pinkamena, before he came to fully comprehend the situation.

Fluttershy watched as the look in his eye changed from concerned to cold at a moment's notice, "D-Discord?"

When he spoke, he didn't move, and his voice escaped as barely a whisper. Despite the laws and conventions of acoustics, the whisper rumbled and reverberated throughout the room, sounding loudly in the ears of all listeners, "Pinkamena."

The mare in question closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, 'Shit...'

Discord didn't wait for a response, "Did you hit her?"

Twilight span to examine Fluttershy before fixing Pinkamena with a suspicious look, though she still glanced uneasily at Discord from the corner of her eye.

Pinkamena shook her head, speaking quickly and with a surprising sense of urgency, "I slapped her. I didn't have a choice, I thought I had to wake her up!"

Discord rubbed the fingers on his right hand together, discharging a few sparks with a loud series of cracks, "Indeed?" He turned and gave Fluttershy a questioning look, "Is that really what happened?"

Fluttershy, having raised her head during the commotion, nodded back, "Y-Yes." She rubbed her cheek absent-mindedly, "It's my fault, Discord, I-I overreacted."

He sounded unconvinced, regarding Pinkamena with a disapproving squint as he drawled his words, "If you say so." He gestured to Fluttershy, "I believe you owe her an apology regardless, Pinkamena."

The mare scowled, but Discord's repeated near-snapping of his fingers in conjunction with his stern glare served to coerce her relatively quickly, though she spoke quickly and flatly, putting little to no effort into making her apology believable, "... Sorry, Fluttershy."

Fluttershy gave a single nod, "It's okay."

"But don't do it again." Discord added, turning to Fluttershy and inspecting her cheek once more.

Pinkamena smirked, glancing at Fluttershy before murmuring under her breath, "Well, I can't make any promises."

Discord span, fixing her with a piercing gaze similar to the one that Angel had worn since Fluttershy had first fainted. He waited for a moment to ensure that the message sank in before standing at full height and stretching his arms outwards with a groan, his popping joints giving birth to a symphony that would have moved even the hardiest of hearts for generations to come, were the notes not a dissonant mess, "Well, my little quadrupeds, I'd say that it's nearly time. The moment the sun goes down, we're off!"

He was met only with quiet, save for the expected shuffling of three ponies and a rabbit as each moved to collect their things or, in Angel's case, climb into Fluttershy's saddlebags. Each remained quiet, holding varying degrees of worry or contemplation on their faces as they lined up before Discord, evidently preparing themselves for what was to come.

The draconequus shook his head to himself, offering an amused smile as he prepared the teleportation spell, "Liven up a little, will you? You all look like death warmed up; it's quite uncanny, given the circumstances."

The mares shared a brief look, though Pinkamena gave the slightest hint of a smirk, "Cheeky b-"

They vanished with a flash.

In an instant, all found themselves upon the mountainside, and Twilight noted that they seemed to be upon the same outcrop as before. All promptly looked down at their destination as Twilight pointed it out to the others, though after a few seconds Discord shook his head, tuning out and instead directing his gaze towards the distant horizon, watching as the sun made its gradual descent and taking note of the orange hues that it painted across the landscape below. As the remaining light of day stretched across the forest housing Hollow Shades, flashes of distant memories promptly returned to him, the orange lights of sunset substituting themselves for towering flames, the forest - and the city within - burning to ash and billowing choking, acrid smoke into the heavens. Screams could be heard in the distance, and if he looked carefully, he could just make out the tiny outlines of fleeing refugees, scurrying away from the forest like ants from a burning anthill.

"Discord?"

He blinked, looking down at the pegasus to his right as the memories vanished, returning the landscape below to its normal state, "Yes, Fluttershy?"

She gave him a concerned look, "A-Are you alright?"

Discord felt the corner of his mouth tug upwards into a small smile, and patted her mane briefly as he also took note of Twilight's curious expression from behind her, "Never better, My Dear. Just reminiscing, is all."

He watched as Fluttershy gave him a small smile before turning to speak with Twilight, though the unicorn held her gaze upon him for a second longer before turning to her friend. Pinkamena appeared completely disinterested, having seemingly paid no attention to the exchange whatsoever, instead electing to stare down at Hollow Shades from her position on the edge of a protruding rock.

Discord hummed briefly to himself, turning back to the horizon as his old memories slowly returned to the forefront of his mind. He found it ironic that, when they were on the verge of waking the long dead, he unconsciously envisaged the very event that took their lives in the first place. He looked towards Hollow Shades, and once again, the forest was ablaze.

Despite his best attempts to remain aware of his surroundings for fear of being caught off-guard by the others once more, his mind began to drift back to the memories. It wasn't long before the vivid images had returned in full, and the reality he saw before him gradually melded with his memories until the two were indiscernible from one another.

He heard the screams, witnessed the brutality and the suffering. Saw the wounded, the maimed, the dying. The dead, and the soon to be so. And Celestia, and all the terrible fury she brought with her.

But most of all? He remembered the flames.

Towering, engulfing, mesmerising.

Unquenchable.

Unstoppable.

Vividly, he remembered the day when everything burned.

Author's Note

I missed the deadline, again. I know. This time, however, there was little I could do to avoid it; I've had to knuckle down and study hard, and will be doing so until June/July, otherwise I run the very real risk of not getting into university. Still, my apologies for making you guys wait.

I'm also going to take take this opportunity to ask something of you guys. As you might have seen in the description, ATF has a TVTropes page, but it's been a while since any new entries have been added. Call it vanity (because it is), but I really enjoy seeing what tropes people attribute to this fic, be they good or bad. As such, if any of you know the intricacies of that site, I'd be exceptionally grateful if you could any additions to it; it would certainly help to alleviate my boredom between soul-crushing psychology study sessions. :twilightblush: (Link here)

Other than that, I just want to thank you all for your patience with me, I know missing my deadlines is probably irritating. Hell, it annoys me and I'm the one who sets them. :facehoof:

Anyhow, have a good day, folks.

Mike, studying hard.

Chapter XXIX - Ashes to Ashes

[Approximately 1016 years ago]
The constant thudding and occasional metallic clinking of armoured hoofsteps filled the air as a contingent of soldiers marched towards the forest housing Hollow Shades.

At the forefront of the group stood Celestia, clad from horn to hoof in heavy steel armour. Though similar in appearance to the armour that those who followed her wore, Celestia's armour bore a distinct golden trim and was evidently custom made so as to account for her comparatively large frame. A sun motif that matched her cutie mark adorned both flanks of the armour, though both were scratched and heavily worn, as was the rest of her armour set. Although still in one piece and no doubt functional, the armour bore a great many dents and scratches, and the polish and shine that the plating had once gleamed with was now long gone, having faded over the course of countless skirmishes.

The sets of armour worn by the contingent of soldiers following her were in similar states, for the most part. Though there were a few exceptions, the majority of Celestia's elite had fought alongside her in numerous battles, following her from fight to fight without question despite possessing nowhere near the stamina or longevity that Celestia herself did. Given how often Celestia moved from one battlefield to another, little free time was wasted on luxuries such as polishing armour; repairing plating and sharpening blades was far more important. As was eating, and sleeping in short shifts, time permitting.

Celestia stopped, signalling for those following to do the same. Before her lay the entrance to the forest the group would have to pass through in order to reach Hollow Shades, some of which she could see over the tree line, owing to a few tall buildings towering over the canopy. She furrowed her brow at the sight, Reginald's recent actions still fresh in her mind as she attempted to collect her thoughts.

From behind her, an earth pony stepped forth and raised his visor, revealing an unkempt beard and a pair of steely eyes as he spoke, "Commander Celestia?"

Celestia grunted, shaking herself from her thoughts as she turned to face her troops, giving a nod to the one that had roused her from her musings, "Thank you, Tychus." He bowed his head slightly and silently stepped back into rank, lowering his visor as Celestia projected her voice to all assembled, "I know not whether King Reginald's temperament towards us has changed, but we cannot rely on being welcomed peacefully into his lands after his recent transgressions against our allies." She gestured towards the forest behind her, "Be on your guard as we approach, and remain so until I ascertain Reginald's intentions, provided we be allowed to enter without bloodshed. That said, do not instigate hostilities unless absolutely necessary. Hollow Shades is still presumably an ally of ours, at least until Reginald's motives for the attacks are established, understood?"

A singular chorus rose up in response, "AYE!"

At Celestia's behest, the congregation organised itself into a column formation before filing into the woods in rows of four. Though no longer at the forefront of her forces for fear of an ambush, she remained only a few rows behind the leaders of the procession, allowing her to issue orders effectively whilst somewhat reducing her vulnerability, should her forces come under attack.

The following thirty minutes consisted of a tense, eerie march through the seemingly deserted woodland. Though mostly untouched by the influence of Fate, the entire forest had played host to many battles over the past few weeks, and what little wildlife had thrived there had quickly fled at the start of the hostilities, leaving behind a deathly, haunting quiet, broken only by the sound of the soldiers' marching and the occasional relaying of orders through Celestia's ranks.

Celestia frowned as they continued along the worn dirt path to Hollow Shades, scanning intently for any signs of life or movement between the trees. Broken weapons and equipment littered the forest floor in some areas, the still functional items presumably claimed by Reginald, or whoever else happened across them. The occasional rotting corpse could be seen - and often, smelled - though these were far less common; the lack of any conspicuous graves or pyres did cause Celestia to question where the bodies were, if only for a moment.

A call sounded from the front, directing Celestia's attention to a large symbol scrawled upon one tree in what could only be blood. Her mouth turned down at the corners, "Necromancers..." Though the significant lack of animated corpses made it clear that the culprits were no longer in the vicinity, having likely pilfered the bodies to practice their craft elsewhere, Celestia still had warnings relayed throughout her unit. Any and all bodies that were stumbled across thereafter were promptly and systematically incinerated.

They pressed on, and for the third time since they embarked into the forest, the group marched past an empty guard post, seemingly abandoned by Reginald's forces with no indication of a struggle. With no sign of a single city guard, and with Hollow Shades only another fifteen minutes' march away, Celestia struggled to resist the temptation to quicken her pace, and may well have done if not for the very real possibility of Reginald's forces waiting in ambush.

The remainder of the march went without incident, save for one instance of an inanimate corpse falling from a tree branch, alarming all those in the vicinity before being unceremoniously set alight.

Before her, Celestia could see the entrance to the clearing that housed the city, and the towering walls that had been erected around it since her last visit. A small degree of relief washed over her as she spotted numerous groups of sentries atop the wall, at least evidencing that the city had not been abandoned. The sudden shouting of orders and subsequent rush of activity atop the ramparts indicated that they had spotted her, too.

Issuing the order for her troops to remain still, Celestia advanced alone into the clearing and towards the huge iron gates, stopping after only a few seconds as one of the guards above barked down to her, "Halt! Who dares to bring his soldiers into the lands of His Highness King Reginald!?"

Celestia moved to unclasp her helmet with a hoof, but the guard shouted down once again before she had finished doing so, "State your business, or you will all be assumed as hostile and killed where you stand!"

In one smooth motion, Celestia removed her helmet with her magic, her unmistakable - if somewhat matted - mane freed to flow in the air behind her, "You speak with Celestia, Commander of the Equestrian Coalition, here to speak immediately with King Reginald regarding the reported violation of the non-aggression pact by forces at his at his disposal!" Her voice projected to those above with ease, "Open your gates at once, lest the Kingdom of Hollow Shades be immediately considered in willing violation of the treaty!"

A response came almost immediately "Our apologies, Commander Celestia! We were told to expect you, but that you would come alone! We were not informed of any armed forces accompanying you. We respectfully request that you identify those you presently command, and their purpose within our borders!"

Celestia scanned the ramparts and surrounding area for any sign of an ambush before continuing, "Under my immediate command are eighty soldiers, selected by my own hoof from the Solar Cohort, here to ensure safe passage to and from your king's lands in light of ongoing enemy activity along the route here, and for fear of open hostilities from Hollow Shades, given the reports of recent events."

There was a brief lapse of quiet as a few figures atop the wall congregated to speak, a single pony disengaged promptly, darting along the wall and disappearing into a guard station a moment later.

Several seconds ticked by before the guard that had spoken before approached the wall's edge once again, "Our apologies, Commander Celestia! You are permitted entry, but we cannot allow other armed forces to enter the city without King Reginald's permission! We await his response as we speak!"

"Very well, though I would ask that you relay his decision quickly." Gaining no response, Celestia turned to her troops and lowered her voice to its normal level, allowing her orders to be relayed throughout the ranks without the risk of being overheard from above, "Remain on your guard and stay aware of your surroundings. This may well be an ambush."

A few tense minutes passed by before a pony appeared atop the wall once more. Again, a small group congregated above before the speaker from before approached the edge, "King Reginald wishes me to extend my apologies on his behalf for any misunderstandings thus far, Commander!"

Suspicious, Celestia lowered her head slightly, preparing to replace her helmet at a moment's notice.

"Our King also wishes that we extend a warm welcome to all Coalition forces in the future, and especially so towards you, Commander! You are to be allowed entry without question, though His Majesty asks that you and your soldiers sheath your weapons upon entry out of concern for the civilian populace!"

Celestia furrowed her brow, "We are to remain in possession of our weapons at all times, correct?"

"Of course, Commander, so long as they are not drawn with ill intent!"

A few moments of deliberation passed before Celestia came to her decision, turning once again to her forces, "Sheath your weapons. We will enter peacefully, but be prepared for anything. Defend yourselves if necessary." A chorus of clinking and sonorous rings filled the air as dozens of weapons were sheathed and otherwise stored. Celestia affixed her helmet to a small latch on the right side of her armour and ensured that the sword on her left was still fixed securely as she addressed those above once more, "Our weapons are lowered and in scabbards. Will you allow us entry?"

"Yes, Commander Celestia! His Majesty bids you welcome to Hollow Shades!"

A series of commands were momentarily barked from above before being drowned out by the clicking and clinking of gears and chains, followed by a thunderous, elongated metallic groan as the towering iron gates slowly forced their way outwards, dragging a small sheet of cumulative dirt beneath them as they went. It took nearly half a minute before the gates ceased moving with a final resounding clang, and the noisy mechanisms within abruptly gave way to silence.

For a moment, Celestia was slightly taken aback by what she could see from her position outside the gateway. Within the city stood a few familiar towering buildings that had somehow survived Hollow Shades' previous sieges, but they were surrounded by dozens of pristine new buildings, both commercial and residential, and all were seemingly unscathed. The cobble road leading into the city was evidently recently lain, and much of the central castle had clearly been reconstructed since her last visit. Hundreds of ponies could be seen milling around just inside the entrance alone, though a path had been cleared through the centre for Celestia and her forces. Life within appeared orderly, with no signs of abnormal weather or obscure magically animated objects in sight, and the towering walls and gates no doubt provided a sense of permanence and security to those that resided within.

At a glance it seemed that, somehow, Reginald had restored Hollow Shades to its former glory.

A glance was all she allowed herself. Forcing herself forward, Celestia motioned for her troops to follow her as they crossed the threshold into Hollow Shades, though from what she could gather from the faces of those not wearing helmets, their reactions seemingly mirrored her own.

Bewilderment, amazement, and wonderment.

A figure in the centre of the path before them drew her attention, and Celestia stopped.

"King Reginald."

The earth pony before her, clad in crown and cape, smiled as he always did, even as she narrowed her eyes at him. For a moment, his grey mane seemed to thrash in the wind before coming to rest flatly across his face, though he quickly brushed it aside and adjusted his crown correspondingly, smiling all the while, "Commander Celestia! So good to see you!" He took a few steps towards her before halting, a confused look on his face, "Is something the matter, Commander? You seem... upset? Angry?"

Celestia focused on him intently, doing her utmost to read his reactions as she spoke, "We have much to discuss, King Reginald."

His face quickly fell, his expression switching to one of sadness before looking sorrowfully back up at her, "This is about Impetua's fall, is it not?"

Celestia's tone remained level, and her expression betrayed no emotion as she continued to scrutinise him, "Yes."

Reginald closed his eyes and sighed, "In my heart I knew that Messenger Argus must have died before he reached you. Not once has he returned late from a mission, until now..."

Celestia raised an eyebrow, "A messenger?"

Reginald looked back at Celestia and shook his head solemnly, "Walk with me, if you will, Celestia. We do indeed have much to discuss, and I feel this would be a matter best discussed in private." He gestured to a place by his side, but she remained still, gauging him.

A few quiet moments of such caused a small smile to creep across his saddened features, and he eventually began chuckling to himself slightly, "You have nothing to fear from me, Commander, I assure you; despite your concerns to the contrary." He waved a hoof in the direction of Celestia's soldiers, then down across himself, "I might have a fearsome reputation, but I doubt I could stand against the likes of you, even if I wanted to. Besides..." He held out a hoof towards her, "We are friends, are we not?"

Celestia remained still for a moment longer before finally moving, taking the previously offered place beside him but declining his hoof, "Perhaps, but my trust is not easily earned, nor kept. You have much explaining to do, King Reginald."

"Indeed." Reginald nodded, lowering his hoof and turning so as to face towards his castle in the centre of the city, "Let us go, I am sure you have many questions in mind."

With Reginald's guards leading the way, and Celestia's troops trailing behind, the procession began to make their way through the streets of Hollow Shades, their path clear of obstructions but lined on either side with hundreds if not thousands of earth ponies and unicorns.

Though Celestia remained silent and alert, her gaze still shifted curiously around the city that had, for all intents and purposes, risen from its own ashes.

"You are wondering how all of this is possible, are you not?" Reginald asked, a knowing look in his eye.

Celestia contemplated denying the remark, but it was indeed the question on her mind. Her curiosity quickly won out over her stoic façade, "Yes. Forgive me, but upon my previous visit Hollow Shades was barely standing, let alone thriving. How did you accomplish... this?" She waved a forehoof, stopping at the nearby Smiths' District, from which a cacophony of hammering could still be heard even over the raised voices of the assembled crowd.

Reginald hummed to himself, seemingly in amusement, before responding, "Purpose, Celestia. We found our purpose. On the day we were attacked, we decided that we would not simply roll over and die, as was our fate, and that of so many others. We decided to forge our own destiny through our blood, sweat, and resolve." He met her eye with a smile, but something in his proud gaze unnerved her as he continued and steadily raised his voice, "It was our purpose to live. No, not just to live, to prosper! To live free of the terrors that plague this world!" Momentarily, Reginald stood upon his hind legs. Now addressing the crowds on either side of him, he cried out, "To a glorious free Kingdom!"

A roaring cry rose up all around him in response, "TO HOLLOW SHADES!"

The sounds of cheering and chanting filled the air around them as Reginald returned to his original posture and spoke to Celestia once more, albeit with his voice raised somewhat so as to be heard, "My subjects need not live in fear, Celestia, for they know what freedom is, and at what cost it is attained. Each understands that there can be no freedom without sacrifice, and with their new found purpose they strive ever harder each day to ensure that we remain safe. Tirelessly, we built walls, and houses, and infrastructure." His features darkened momentarily, "We took in the refugees from villages forsaken by the pegasi who had sworn to protect them, and many others besides." He shook his head, "We drove the bandits and rogues and necromancers from our Kingdom, one rat at a time."

He caught her wary expression and laughed heartily, "Forgive me, Commander Celestia, I may be a little... over-enthusiastic, but with good cause, I am sure you will agree."

Celestia examined the crowds of cheering ponies, nodding in agreement, "This... is what I hope can be achieved for all of Equestria, one day."

Reginald said nothing, instead opting to smile to himself as Celestia continued to examine the crowds, "Perhaps I should warn you that there were signs of recent necromancer activity within the forest, King Reginald."

Reginald sighed, "Yes. They keep returning to pillage the bodies of the dead from the forest. Skirmishes happen often outside, even now. I have withdrawn patrols from outside of the walls until we are ready to face the undead as well as the living, though such does make the journey more dangerous for any refugees that may seek us out, unfortunately."

Celestia hummed to herself, mulling over what she had seen on her journey through the forest, at least until something caught her eye. Behind the cheering crowds, a few ponies could be seen darting around at speed, though she couldn't see why. She looked elsewhere, only to see more figures quickly darting behind the crowds.

Scanning around, she could see them. Small pockets of ponies moving swiftly past the congregation of spectators, all heading in the direction from which she had came; the city's entrance.

Or perhaps, more worryingly, the city's only exit.

As she traced the movements of one mare carrying a foal, a figure stepped into her line of sight. Though she could not make out any defining features, owing to the long mane obstructing her face, she definitely got the impression that the stranger knew something she did not. Celestia's sense of unease only grew as the mare began to smile at her, her mouth widening to its absolute limit whilst the rest of her face remained hidden, almost giving the impression that her grin was floating alone amongst the crowd.

Or perhaps not alone. One by one, Celestia began noticing them, ponies with the same expression, some of whom she swore had seemed normal enough only moments ago. She promptly but subtly checked herself for any outside magics, but found evidence of none. The strange phenomenon was no illusion, yet seemed to be spreading through the crowd. As she scanned across the city's inhabitants once more, Celestia found herself only more puzzled. The menacing grins were gone, the ponies that had borne them now smiling normally and cheering as if nothing had happened, their faces in full view.

Before she could enquire into the issue, however, she was snapped from her thoughts by the unmistakable sound of the city gates grinding shut behind them, "The gates are closing?"

Reginald waved a hoof dismissively, "Nothing to worry about, Commander, I am sure your troops are all safely within our walls."

Celestia regarded him seriously, her sense of unease slowly beginning to eat at her, "Is it truly wise to shut the gates when my troops are both unsure of your allegiances and armed? The last thing either of us want is another incident."

Reginald shot back a cold stare through his mane, which briefly dropped across his face until he swept it back, "I assume your forces are trained well enough to show... discretion, Celestia. An incident is indeed the last thing I wish to occur in the middle of my streets."

Celestia's expression and tone returned to neutral, "I did not mean to imply any threat, King Reginald, only concern."

Reginald sighed exasperatedly, "I know. The gates are closed to maintain security, nothing more. Some trust, if not between leaders, then between friends, would not go amiss, Celestia."

Celestia stopped, and did not speak until Reginald had done the same, "Regardless of what we are, or were, our duties to our followers come first, King Reginald. Trusting without reasonable grounds to do so has had me betrayed too many times, and cost too many lives for me to do so again."

Reginald bowed his head for a moment before glaring at her from the corner of his eye, "How the Wars have changed you, Celestia."

"How they have changed us both, Reginald."

He huffed to himself and turned around, trotting towards the castle once more.

After a heartbeat, she followed, her expression blank as she caught up and examined him.

Though she could not hear such over the clamouring of the crowds, Celestia was sure that Reginald was grinding his teeth.

She said nothing more as they continued on their journey towards the castle. Although she kept a keen eye out for the emergence of any other strange figures, no more seemed to appear.

She couldn't decide whether such was actually good news.

Upon arrival at the foot of the castle Reginald addressed Celestia, giving her giving her an almost disappointed look, "You may bring a few of your soldiers for protection, if you so desire, though I would ask that the rest remain outside."

Celestia nodded and turned to her troops, picking out two unicorns in particular from near the front, "Gravus, Liandra, come with me."

Both stepped forward from the ranks and spoke in unison, "Yes, Commander."

"Until my return, Tychus will assume the position of Commander."

All assembled troops saluted in response, and Celestia approached the pony in question, leaning down somewhat so as to whisper into his ear, "I have seen... suspicious behaviour from some of the inhabitants. Ensure that our forces remain focused and alert, and be ready to fight at a moment's notice."

Tychus nodded, adjusting his helmet around his beard, "Of course, Commander. I will relocate our forces to a more defensible location nearby. We will await your return." He saluted once more before facing the ranks and ordering them to file out of the courtyard.

Reginald nodded as Celestia turned back to him, "Excellent. Let us go." He gestured for her to follow as he led the way through the castle's foyer and up the central staircase. From thereon they wound their way through a few smaller corridors and up a multitude of spiralling staircases until they had reached their destination. Reginald's guards took their position by one side of the large gilded door, and the King indicated that Celestia's should do the same, though they only moved at a confirmatory nod from her.

With little ceremony, Reginald shoved open the door with a hoof, though he stayed to hold the door for Celestia as she entered herself. Once she had, he pushed it shut and made his way over to one of the lavish chairs set at a large round table, offering the one opposite himself to Celestia.

Celestia took it immediately, wasting no time skirting the issue, "Impetua lies in ruins, reportedly at the hoof of your forces."

Reginald said nothing for a moment, electing to raise both forehooves to cover the lower half of his face and leaning forwards onto the table so as to look Celestia dead in the eye. When he did speak, he did so coldly, "That is correct."

Celestia gradually rested her forehooves atop the table, meeting his gaze calmly, "In clear violation of the non-aggression treaty, you ordered your forces to attack your neighbour?"

"There was no messenger, Celestia."

A moment of silence ticked by as Celestia furrowed her brow in bewilderment, "Pardon?"

Reginald shook his head, "I did not dispatch any messengers to inform the Coalition of our motives. Such was a lie." He gauged Celestia's reaction, and continued when she proceeded to stare expectantly at him, "I wished to speak with you on this most... delicate issue, without causing a scene in view of my subjects. What I am to tell you could not be discussed outside of these walls." He briefly gestured to the room around them.

Celestia leaned an inch towards him, "Explain. Immediately." If not for his hooves obscuring his expression, Celestia would have sworn he was smirking at her.

Reginald cleared his throat, "As you know, since we reclaimed the surrounding territories thousands of refugees have thrown themselves upon my doorstep. Trying to distribute these refugees around to neighbouring lands has been met with almost universal resistance." He chuckled humourlessly to himself, "'Hollow Shades is the safest city in the world for the earthbound', they say, and they come in droves." He lowered his hooves, revealing a grim, hateful expression that caught Celestia somewhat by surprise, "I cannot turn them away. To do so is to doom them. Where else will they go? While the pegasi hide safely in their flying fortress cities, these ponies throw themselves at my mercy, knowing that I am the only chance they have!"

Celestia said nothing as Reginald's head slowly sank. He stared at the table, breathing noticeably more heavily than before as strands of his mane gradually began to fall across his face, "Impetua had refused to take refugees, but had been sending some supplies to help us cope. Though we had an abundance of nothing, we were able to feed, clothe, and provide enough shelter to accommodate them, with Impetua's and our other neighbours' support."

He snapped his head back up, staring into Celestia's eyes with the same baleful expression as before, and noticeably grasping at the edge of the table for a moment before relaxing his hooves, "Five days ago, Impetua withdrew the entirety of their support, stating that any further aid would have to be purchased in order to help fund the fortification of their capital." He spat the word with a look of disgust on his face.

Celestia's eyes widened just a fraction as she considered the implications of his words, "Reginald... Surely you did not-"

"My subjects would have starved within weeks, Celestia! Perhaps not even that! Exposure would have claimed those unclothed and without shelter! How long until the next blizzard, Celestia!? Without water, how many days would they last if another fortnight's drought set in!?" His nostrils flared slightly as he huffed loudly, allowing himself a moment to cool off before reclining into his seat a little, "I was not going to stand by and watch my ponies die. Would you?"

Celestia fought the urge to avert her eyes away from the piercing stare he had fixed her with through the strands of his grey mane, "What did you do, Reginald?"

To her horror, Reginald grinned at her, though his expression still betrayed nigh pathological anger, "What was necessary. I had not long to decide. I gave the order that night." Celestia hung her head as he continued, "Our forces were deployed in the dead of night. I was told that the Impetuans were caught by surprise; the gate facing Hollow Shades was the least defended. By morning, few defenders remained, and months, if not years worth of supplies were already being transported here."

Celestia said nothing, seemingly contemplating what he had told her. Reginald's tone switched to a more comforting one as he continued, "We spared who we could, Celestia. The civilians fled, and many of their troops routed in the final hour. With the supplies we recovered, we will be able to-"

"The treaty is broken." Celestia raised her head, anger in her eyes as she fixed Reginald with a furious stare, "To think you of all ponies would stab your closest ally in the back!"

Reginald slammed a hoof atop the table, "We were the ones who were betrayed, Celestia! And for what? Profit! Impetua's leaders would have forsaken the lives of thousands for the sake of expansion!"

"And you killed thousands to do the same." Celestia seemed almost distraught, tears seemingly welling up in her eyes as she continued, "Your allies. Your friends who had helped you so many times when no one else would! I thought you better than this, Reginald..." She paused for a moment and took a deep breath, momentarily closing her eyes before fixing them back on him, "You have breached the terms of the treaty, Reginald. Hollow Shades is hereby removed from the Coalition, and we may be forced to consider Hollow Shades an en-"

"They were not our allies Celestia! Do you not understand!?" Reginald stood now, leaning over the table towards her, "And that treaty was always ultimately worthless! Where were Impetua when we were surrounded by legions of mercenaries and bandits!? Where were they in our hour of need!? Nowhere!"

A second of silence passed. Reginald's mane positively cascaded down his face, forcing him to sweep it aside with a hoof as he scowled at Celestia from behind it. Now, he rose up to full height, his forehooves planted on the table before him for stability as he glowered down at the alicorn seated across from him, "For that matter, Celestia, where were you?"

Celestia frowned, "We were cut off! My forces and I fought relentlessly to reach you, and we suffered many losses trying to carve a path to this city!" A haunted look mingled with the anger in Celestia's eyes as she recalled the gruelling days of fighting against the seemingly unending tide of soldiers surrounding Hollow Shades, several months ago.

"Strange. My own subjects, many of them untrained militia, were able to completely annihilate all attackers with barely any losses on our part whatsoever." He raised an eyebrow at her, adjusting his crown as if he were already bored of her upcoming reply, "Perhaps your soldiers are not all they are said to be, Celestia."

Celestia rose, slamming her forehoof into the table before her, leaving a very distinct dent in the solid woodwork, "How dare you!? We were outnumbered, fatigued, hungry and thirsty, fighting in the same sweltering armour that we had marched in for so long simply to reach you! We risked and lost many lives, determined not to simply leave you to your fate, and you have the impudence to insult me!? To insult the memory of those who were butchered in order to save your subjects!?"

Reginald made as if to speak, but Celestia cut him off, "Pay heed, Reginald. Your kingdom is no longer a member of this coalition. My coalition. Continue to disregard the sacrifices we have made for you in such a fashion and the ramifications will be severe."

Reginald tilted his head slightly so as to see past his mane, "Indeed?" He removed his crown, spinning it around his free hoof for a moment before replacing it atop his head, "A pity, I suppose. You would side with strangers and savages before old friends?" He asked the question half-heartedly, a look of apparent amusement on his face.

Celestia stared him down from across the table, "No friend of mine would do what you have done."

Reginald cocked an eyebrow, "Yes, then?" He began to chuckle to himself, leaning onto the table as his laughter progressively intensified. When he had finished, he snapped his head upwards, a manic look in his eye, "Not to worry! The tides of fate have been turning in my favour for quite some time! We have contingency plans in place for such an eventuality, regardless!" He threw his head back, tossing his mane from his face whilst laughing to himself once more.

Throughout his laughing fit, Celestia examined him carefully, his rapid and erratic changes in mood and mannerisms quickly beginning to unnerve her as she began to draw one stark conclusion within her mind. "Reginald!"

Once again, he whipped his head upwards to face her, and Celestia took note of his twitching upper lip as he spoke, "Yes, Commander Celestia?" He chuckled to himself again, but began wheezing somewhat as he quickly found himself out of breath from his repeated guffawing.

Celestia narrowed her eyes, scrutinising him carefully and frowning to herself slightly at the evidence before her, 'Has... Has he gone mad?'

Abruptly, his laughter ceased, and for a moment he fixed her with a terrified look, opening his mouth as if to shout something before snapping it shut quickly, giving sound to the collision of teeth. He cleared his throat and backed a step away from the table, wiping the tears that had accumulated from his eyes with a foreleg, "Do forgive me, Commander, it has been difficult to find a good source of humour over recent days. I truly have not felt much like myself as of late."

He began to walk from the table towards the doors to the balcony, but stopped in transit as Celestia called after him.

"Reginald?"

Her voice was quiet now, carrying tones of affection and concern, but wavering ever so slightly from the small measure of fear that had seeped into it on his behalf.

He stood still, his back to her.

Quickly and quietly, she raised a forehoof, ready to draw her sword from her side at a moment's notice,"Reginald... Look at me."

A moment passed, then the King began trotting towards the balcony doors once again.

Celestia lowered her hoof, stepping around the table so as to be directly behind him and calling after him in the same tone as before, "Reginald, please..."

He kept moving.

"King Reginald?"

Again, he ignored her, throwing open the balcony doors and stepping outside without a word.

Celestia's eyes widened as he approached the railings, and she dashed to the balcony doors immediately. Despite her concerns, however, Reginald simply leaned against the railing, staring out across the city with his back still turned to her.

Sparks of anger flared within her as he once again failed to respond, "King Reginald." Her tone made it clear that she was losing her patience.

From across the city, the sound of the gargantuan gate mechanism in operation could be heard, but Celestia paid it little heed, focusing on Reginald, a scowl painted across her features.

Reginald jerked his head to the left somewhat, and Celestia promptly followed his gaze to the city wall. For a moment, she could have sworn she saw a flash of magic denoting teleportation, but could see no signs of the caster. Her gaze snapped back to Reginald once again as he shook his head and chuckled to himself simultaneously, "Nor ever shall there be..."

A few more seconds passed, the sounds of the gates being opened and the voices of the masses below the castle filling the air. Celestia broke the relative silence between them by stamping a hoof, cracking the floor beneath her hooves, "Reginald!"

Reginald whirled around, roaring at the top of his voice as his mane cascaded across his features, "THAT IS NOT MY NAME!"

Startled at the sheer volume of the response, Celestia took a quick step back into the room, her posture defensive and her hoof reflexively hovering over the hilt of her sword.

Reginald smirked and turned halfway away from her, fixing her with a sideways glare, "My name... is Rex."

Celestia's eyes widened as his expression changed, becoming altogether more threatening; sinister, despite the fact he was smiling at her.

"I am the only one capable of leading Hollow Shades into an unending age of prosperity! I command the most fearsome forces in Equestria, if not the world, and I alone have the leadership and the judgement required to ensure that my subjects survive the hell that is this unending state of war!" Despite the bitterness and ferocity behind his speech, he never stopped grinning at her.

Celestia steadied her breathing as her worst fears were realised, "You have lost your mind, Reginald..."

He raised an eyebrow, "Is that so? In this hopeless world of loss and death, I have built a utopia for those shackled to the earth! We cannot simply fly from our problems and hope to hide away from them as the cowards do! To survive here below, we must take what we need, by force if necessary! Despite your power, you, Commander, preach union, and collectively your Coalition starves in squalor whilst my subjects prosper! Is it I that has lost my mind, Celestia, or that I am the only one who is truly sane!?"

Celestia shook her head, scowling at him all the while, "If force and power were the key to securing a sustainable, peaceful future, my sister and I would already rule with an iron hoof, you fool! We must lean on one other, not be at each other's throats like the bandits that lurk beyond your walls!"

Reginald sighed, still smirking, and turned away from her so as to face out across his city once again, "You are the fool, Celestia..." He straightened out his posture and cleared his throat, unclasping his cape and allowing the wind to sweep it away over the balcony's edge. Celestia realised he was about to address those below, "Loyal subjects! Let us show our traitorous guests the hospitality that they so thoroughly deserve!"

A deafening cheer arose from below, and Celestia's jaw dropped at the implications of his speech.

She stood motionless for a second as Reginald turned to face her with madness in his eyes, but the sound of a loud scuffle in the hall through which she had entered the room drew her attention, as did a familiar masculine voice, "Comm-ARGH!"

The sound of interlocking blades and a shriek of agony echoed through the halls of the castle.

"Gravus! Liandra!" Before she had finished speaking, Celestia had donned her helmet, drawn her sword with her magic, and dashed halfway across the room towards the doorway her soldiers had been guarding.

She barely had time to respond when several slats opened in the walls, followed immediately by the sound of rapid clicking.

Celestia ducked and shielded herself just as dozens of crossbow bolts shot across the room, many ricocheting or breaking against her protective spell.

Reaching out with her magic, Celestia caught several in mid-air and launched them back through the small gaps in quick succession. Wounded cries, gurgling, and the sound of ponies collapsing escaped the walls as Celestia stood back up, turning towards the door once more.

It burst open, and several of Reginald's elite guards, clad head to hoof in heavy, blood spattered armour, rushed in, surrounding her. Fresh blood dripped from a few of their drawn weapons, and a thick pool of it trickled in through the doorway.

From outside the castle, terrified screams, cries of pain, roars of anger, and the sound of steel upon steel could be heard, sounding almost distant to Celestia as she prepared herself.

She caught sight of Reginald trotting into the room from the balcony, and fixed him with a frightening stare through the visor of her helmet, "You bastard..."

The guards encircling her levelled their weapons at her, though they seemingly waited for Reginald's word as they stood ready to attack. Celestia scanned around her quickly, noting the weapons and their relative positions. Despite being more concerned by the weapons, she could not help but take due notice of her would-be killers themselves. Whilst some did not smile as Reginald did, all bore the same sinister expression and drooping mane as the king.

'Not simply madness, then...'

Two guards before her parted from the ring, allowing Celestia to see Reginald clearly. One guard passed the King a sceptre of sorts, silver in colour and relatively plain, save for a blue gem inlaid near the top, where Reginald grasped it, "My apologies, Celestia."

Celestia glanced around at the guards once more, "All of them... What have you done, Reginald!?"

Reginald's seemingly perpetual smirk vanished, "Rex." He scowled at her, "I did what was necessary for the salvation of my subjects. I enlisted the aid of Fate itself, and we emerged victorious."

A moment of relative quiet passed before Celestia solemnly murmured to herself, "Of course..." She span her blade within her magic so as to level it at him, "Yet he has warped their minds into insanity. You have played into his hands, Rex. Little can be done now..."

Rex shrugged, "Little could be done regardless. You are a fool for trying to defy Fate, Celestia, all for your selfish interests."

Celestia said nothing, remaining painfully aware of the weapons poised to strike around her, and the continuous sounds of combat from outside. Unbeknownst to those around her, she began preparing her magic.

Rex squinted at her, "Do not assume I have not seen it, Celestia, that ambition in your eyes. You seek what every other warlord across the nation does; dominion over Equestria."

Celestia shook her head, "No."

Rex smirked, "No? You have gathered supporters far and wide. Your enemies have converted to your cause or been exterminated by your own hoof, and those who will not join you are promptly snuffed out."

Again, Celestia shook her head, "No. Only those who would stand against us in our efforts to restore peace."

Rex laughed loudly, "Decided at your discretion, Celestia!" He wiped a tear from his eye, "You would destroy all who would oppose you and see yourself Queen of Equestria, would you not, Celestia?."

Celestia remained silent, but shook her head just enough for him to see.

This time, Rex chuckled darkly, fixing her once again with his sick, confident smile, "I promise you this, Celestia. The day that you become queen will be the day Equestria falls into total, irreparable ruin. Believe me."

Despite her situation, Celestia looked into his eyes and, on some strange level, couldn't muster an adequate denial. Something about his expression, about that smug little smirk, suggested a knowing of future events far beyond what he should have possessed. She briefly wondered if Fate had imparted such insight to him during their dark dealings, and the thought that his prophecy may indeed be the truth unsettled her deeply.

"Or at least, it would have been." Rex adjusted the crown atop his head and took a couple of steps back from the group.

Celestia lowered her head a few degrees in preparation, "This is your last chance, Rex. Call off your attack or your city will burn." Her voice reverberated through the entire castle for several seconds.

Rex closed his eyes, and time seemed to slow to a halt as he came to his decision.

"Kill her."

Everything exploded into action all at once.

Several weapons sailed towards Celestia at speed, but a strong pulse of magic from her horn knocked back her assailants before their weapons could connect, sending many sprawling over furniture or into the walls.

Wasting no time, Celestia growled and attempted to dispatch those closest to her before they could regain their footing, forcing her sword through the neck of one guard and eliciting a weak yelp as she withdrew it.

She attempted to do so again as another guard regained her footing, but the glow of a unicorn's magic quickly manifested around her own neck, followed by two other hues of magical energy.

Together, three unicorn guards suspended her in the air, her gorget groaning under the pressure as it was forced gradually tighter around her windpipe.

The rest of the guards scrambled to their hooves, grasping their weapons and preparing to run Celestia through.

Celestia simply grimaced and held her breath as her horn shone brightly.

There was a blinding flash.

Flames wreathed everything in Celestia's immediate vicinity as she was unceremoniously dropped to her hooves, coughing as she attempted to refill her lungs with air.

Though four or five of the guards seemed to have shielded themselves from the worst of the back draught she had created, the rest were not so lucky. They screamed, writhing around on the floor as they were cooked within their armour.

The castle rumbled beneath them as the wave of flames made its way through the corridors and halls, consuming any oxygen the rooms had to offer and substituting it for choking, black smoke.

One guard removed his helmet from his head, revealing his badly burned face as he roared, charging her with his sword held high.

Celestia swung her sword about, parrying the blow. She raised a forehoof, attempting to slam it against his exposed head, only to have it grasped firmly by the guard before it could connect.

They struggled for a moment, but she slowly forced his hooves back.

With a loud grunt, Celestia shifted her weight onto the smaller pony, slamming him to the ground and pinning him there by her hoof. He cried out as her sheer weight strained his ribs to breaking point and forced the air from his lungs.

Her sword fell like a guillotine, nearly decapitating him fully in a single swing. Blood sprayed from the wound.

Another guard charged Celestia from behind, this one still fully armoured. Feigning his first blow, Celestia attempted to parry his attack too early, only for the direction of the swing to be changed at the last moment. It ricocheted off the armour covering her left foreleg, leaving a deep dent.

Celestia cried out, recoiling back in pain and blasting the pony at point-blank with a burst of magic before he could swing again.

He sailed through the air, armour glowing red hot at the point of impact, and crumpled against the wall head first, accompanied by a horrendous crunching sound.

Celestia scanned around. The screaming of the burning guards had stopped. Dead.

One of the three that had not perished was still struggling to her hooves, whilst the other two were curled up in pain, nursing terrible burns and whimpering in agony. Rex was nowhere to be seen.

Quickly, Celestia made her way over to the guard that attempted to stand. The mare made a desperate grab for her weapon as she rose, but a flash of Celestia's magic sent it spinning through the air.

Fixing Celestia with a fearful yet furious expression through her singed mane, the mare lunged herself forwards, attempting to swipe at Celestia's helmet with her bare hooves.

Celestia ducked her head to the side, allowing the mare's hoof to connect with the solid steel of her shoulder pad before whirling around and delivering a crushing blow to the side of the guard's head. She hit the floor, and her head split open with nary a whimper from the mare.

The final two guards remained stationary on the floor. One looked up at her, fury evident behind the pain in his eyes, but he did not move, his injuries preventing him from doing so.

Celestia stopped beside him for a moment, and he went still, glaring at her as he awaited death.

A second passed, and a flash of pity crossed her face beneath her helmet before she moved on, leaving the guard to nurture his wounds.

The smoke began to obscure her vision. Blinking it from her eyes as best she could, Celestia quickly made her way to the balcony, towards the sounds of combat still raging from outside.

She took a step back in surprise as Rex stepped into her path from the balcony, but quickly set herself in a defensive stance, "Coward. You would hide from me whilst your guards fight your battles?"

He flashed her a grin through his ashen mane, "More from the flames than you. I would not want to tarnish my good looks." His smile promptly vanished, replaced by something of a snarl as he raised his sceptre, "But let us waste words no longer, Queen Celestia."

Celestia stared him down, adjusting her magical grip on her sword, preparing to strike him down, "I am sorry, Reginald."

Without warning, the king charged, "Reginald is GONE!"

Celestia's eyes widened as the sceptre appeared to warp in his hooves, forming into a sword-like blade as he swung it.

Assisted by her wings, she leapt back into the room, barely dodging the unexpected strike, but Rex carried his momentum through, chasing her into the sweltering, smoke filled hell within.

Author's Note

Not exactly my best attempt at meeting a deadline, I think you'd agree. [tardy.jpg] :twilightoops:

Nevertheless, it's here, and there's another chapter coming tomorrow since I feel that if I left a cliffhanger here I'd probably get the internet equivalent of a lynching. (Please spare me).

Enjoy (or not, your call).

Mike

Chapter XXX - A Throne of Soot and Cinders

Rex swung at her twice in quick succession, his strikes swift and deadly, catching Celestia off guard with his unrelenting ferocity.

Backpedalling from his next outward swing, Celestia seized her window of opportunity and lunged forth, aiming directly for his exposed face.

Rex lurched sideways, barely avoiding the attack and growling as he once again swung his sword with deadly precision, this time towards the gap between Celestia's helmet and body armour.

Celestia registered the attempt and drew back her sword, whirling around with the assistance of her wings and intercepting his swing with an upwards slash of her own, causing a shower of sparks to fly from the point of collision as Rex's blade recoiled from the impact, along with its wielder.

Celestia cried out as she leapt forth and swung all her weight into a cleaving strike on her temporarily unbalanced opponent, "Monster!"

Rex roared like a wounded animal as he jumped away, rolling backwards through the air only a split second before the strike would have cleaved him in two. Landing on his hooves, he fixed her with a glare that almost fixed her to the spot, "You march forces into my city! You threaten the survival of my subjects; my loved ones! Your coalition abandons us to die in the dirt, like dogs, and I am the monster!?" With a burst of inequine speed, Rex was upon her, his weapon almost a blur as he swung ferociously, leaving no openings for a counterattack and forcing Celestia onto the defensive as each baleful, brutal strike almost buckled her guard.

Never before had Celestia been subjected to such brute force from a single pony alone. Even the strongest of earth ponies lacked the capacity to push her anywhere near as far as Rex had. Whatever curse had been placed upon him had truly transformed him into something else, something far more dangerous than almost any other evil she had faced, fuelled by hatred and spurred on and strengthened by rage and blood lust; for all intents and purposes a demon, wearing a pony's skin.

For the first time in many, many months, Celestia's confidence began to waver. Some of Rex's flurried blows were barely deflected, and began to scratch and dent her armour, causing her to cry out in pain and desperation as she gave more ground and came to a stark revelation.

In Rex's frenzied state, there would be no opening for her to exploit. Unless she took the initiative, she was as good as dead.

Panic set in. Celestia thought of everything she stood to lose. Her alliance, her forces, her friends, her life.

Luna.

'Luna.'

As quickly as her doubts arose, they disappeared. Her expression set, her sword ready, Celestia dug in her hooves and lurched towards Rex with a cry that shook the castle itself.

"LUNA!"

With a single, breakneck swing, enhanced by both alicorn strength and unmatched magical prowess, Celestia's blade collided with Rex's, sending the king spiralling back through the air as he attempted to maintain his grip. She advanced immediately, but Rex was on his hooves almost as soon as he landed. At the very least, the impact appeared to have knocked some of the fight out of him, the frenzied look in his eyes somewhat diminished as he set himself in an aggressive stance and grinned widely at her, "Better! I was beginning to lose trust in your abilities, Celestia!"

Though not surprised that Rex had blocked the attack, Celestia did wonder how his weapon had remained intact after being subjected to forces that would snap any normal blade in two.

She didn't have long to ponder as Rex charged her once more, "Let us make things interesting, then!" Though less frenzied and powerful than before, each strike was noticeably more precise and expertly delivered. She thought better of responding as she ducked a horizontal swing, for fear of enraging him once more.

She blocked his next swing as he attempted to sweep at her head from the side, and began charging a spell, aimed directly at him.

He smirked at her, and her attention was drawn by a strange clinking sound coming from her side.

White hot pain shot through her semi-armoured horn as it was caught by the swing of a chain, causing the spell's beam to fire through a nearby wall. Her sword clattered to the floor as she lost her magical grip on it.

Shocked, she forced the pain from her mind and backed away, only to see a short chain hanging from what had previously been the sword's hilt.

There could be no room for doubt now. Rex's weapon was changing of its own accord, somehow reforming itself to suit his needs.

He swung again, and this time she had no weapon with which to defend herself.

Unable to use her magic, Celestia ducked the swing, closing the distance between them quickly and slamming the inside of Rex's foreleg with a hoof, forcing the weapon away from her as she prepared to follow up.

A crushing blow to the side of her helmet staggered her, nearly throwing her off balance as the excruciating pain in her horn flared up once again. Her helmet somewhat lopsided from the force of the hit, and pain clouding her vision, Celestia knew she could not dodge another attack.

Instead, she threw herself forwards, crying out and bowling Rex over as she staggered past him.

She couldn't remove her helmet. Whatever had struck her had done so with such force that she could not dislodge it.

She heard Rex growl, presumably as he clambered to his hooves.

Every second counted.

Grimacing, Celestia forced her magic through the pain, channelling it into her helmet where the impact had dented it. With a cry of pain and effort, she split her helmet into two and quickly removed it.

Just in time to see Rex swinging his weapon - now in a sickle shape - towards her.

She threw herself backwards onto the ground, hurling the pieces of her helmet at him at speed. One caught his weapon and was deflected in a shower of sparks, the other skimmed his head, sending his crown sailing outside and over the balcony as he ducked reflexively and cried out in pain.

Frantically scanning her surroundings, Celestia caught sight of the large table they had earlier sat at - now on fire.

As Rex advanced, and his weapon formed into a spear, she grimaced once again, magically propelling the table into his side before he had time to react beyond shielding himself with a hoof. Its weakened state caused it to break around him, but it staggered him nonetheless.

Wasting no time, Celestia jumped to her hooves, span, reared up her hind legs, and delivered a brutal kick that sent him sprawling across the room.

By the time he had stopped skidding across the floor, he already began standing once again, seemingly laughing to himself as he did so, despite Celestia being sure she had broken his ribs.

She briefly took account of her own injuries, lifting her hoof to her head she found that it was bleeding from the earlier blow she had sustained, though not terribly. Her horn, while still aching, did not hurt to the extent that it had done previously, and she reached out to recover her weapon with her magic upon the realisation of such, though she winced slightly at the effort.

Rex, on the other hand, was in a considerably worse state. He was sweating and panting, no doubt from the heat and exertion that had little effect on Celestia herself. Blood seeped from the wound on his head, and his lopsided posture denoted that she had indeed inflicted a serious injury with her last attack.

Blood also poured from his split left forehoof, and Celestia's mouth nearly dropped open in shock as she realised that the instrument that had nearly caved in her helmet - and her head, for that matter - had been Rex's own bare hoof.

"Come, Celestia!" He called from across the room, "Your heart will be my greatest conquest; I shall mount it atop the ramparts for all to see!" He laughed maniacally for a brief moment before coughing and clutching his chest.

Celestia remained silent and took a step towards him.

Rex, in turn, began moving towards her, quickly picking up speed.

Something caught Celestia's hoof.

Snapping her head downwards, she saw one of the guards she had left alive grasping her foreleg, snarling at her as he attempted to drag her down.

Like lightning, she forced her sword through his eye socket, dispatching him and turning back to Rex instantly.

The king's weapon - now held in his mouth - sported a scythe-like blade, which he swung up from beneath him in a cleaving motion.

Celestia couldn't block the attack in time. Instead, she forced her wings to lift her in her heavy armour, just avoiding the blade and forcing smoke to billow across the room, obscuring Rex from her sight.

Something lashed at the unarmoured underside of her right wing, and she screamed as it was pierced and split around the injury. Her sword fell from her grip into the smoke below.

She tumbled to the ground, landing heavily and having the wind knocked out of her by the impact. She rolled onto her hooves and cried out as she sharply pulled the foreign object from her wing, her cry accompanied by a reverberating snap. Rex had thrown his weapon - now a spear with a chain attached, resembling a harpoon - at her. The barbed spear scraped along the floor he yanked the chain towards himself, and Celestia felt a small measure of relief that she had retracted the spear herself, before Rex had the opportunity to do so with her still attached.

Despite her breathlessness, Celestia cried out in anger, "ENOUGH!" She reached out with her magic, attempting to pick up Rex's entire body with it, only for the magic to be sucked into the gem inlaid into his weapon instantaneously.

Celestia growled under her breath, glaring at the weapon, 'Enchanted and anti-magic?'

Rex chuckled aloud, "Quite something, isn't it? Gifted to me by a stranger from a faraway land."

Without hesitation, Celestia instead blasted the floor beneath Rex's hooves, forcing him to somersault to the side as the section on which he had stood fell far to the floor beneath him. She traced him and fired again, only for him to leap almost impossibly high into the air, latching onto the chandelier above with a newly formed hook before releasing and landing before her. He cocked an eyebrow at her, then advanced.

Celestia did the same, moving towards him before abruptly stopping to swing her hoof as hard as she possibly could, despite not being in range.

Rex scowled, raising his weapon to attack, but his eyes widened as he realised her ploy.

She disappeared in a flash, only to re-materialise directly beside him.

Already in mid-swing, Rex could not hit her. He attempted to dive away from her, but her strike - also in mid-swing - caught him firmly in his side, audibly forcing the air from his lungs and causing several more bones to crack.

He slid some distance across the floor before coming to a halt next to the balcony doors.

For a moment, he remained still, and Celestia took a deep breath.

He rose again, and Celestia found herself almost nauseated by the sight of two ribs sticking out through his skin, and the fact that Rex seemed not to have noticed them. She took the opportunity to scan for her weapon, and retrieved it quickly upon finding it embedded in the remnants of a burning chair.

Rex smirked and taunted her once more, but as he did so, he lapsed into coughing fit, and blood trickled down his exposed ribs with each exhalation, leaving trails through the soot that had quickly greyed them, "So - pathetic, Celestia. - You cannot - even - defeat me. - What chance - do you have ag- ainst Fate?"

Unable to bear the sight of it any more, Celestia advanced, weapon ready, her resolve hardened. The pony before her was not her friend. As Rex had made clear, Reginald was gone. She would end his life here and now.

Rex backed out onto the balcony, gasping in gulps of fresh air as Celestia made her way towards him.

They stopped just beyond striking distance from one another, and Rex grasped his sceptre-turned-sword once more.

They began circling, but only for a second, as Rex took the opportunity to strike, lashing out and wheezing somewhat with effort as he swung for her.

Celestia parried the blow, ducked forwards, and barged against him with her shoulder, sending him sprawling back.

Rex attempted to use the momentum to swing again as he whirled around, but Celestia's subsequent swing greatly overpowered him as their blades clashed, nearly causing Rex's blade to become embedded in the floor beneath as it was deflected.

Rex scrambled backwards, barely avoiding a lunge made towards his throat.

He fell back against the balcony railings with his weapon still in-hoof, panting and audibly grunting in anger and pain with each breath.

Celestia fixed him with a cold stare, though she winced somewhat at the beginnings of a powerful spell forming around the tip of her horn, biting down upon the hilt of her sword as she placed it within her mouth, allowing her to concentrate fully on the spell.

As she levelled her horn at him, Rex cried out, charging at Celestia in an attempt to cancel her spell.

Anticipating this, Celestia weaved around his strike, her blade grazing his side as she span and took to the air just beyond the balcony.

Incredible pain shot through her injured wing as she remained aloft, just beyond Rex's reach from the balcony below. She fought the urge to scream and focused on her target. The spell was nearly finished.

One of Rex's forelegs buckled from the pain that seared through his side, and he stared up at her in an apparent state of awe. The setting sun on the horizon behind her, Rex saw her silhouette casting its shadow down upon him.

As visible light indicative of an imminent blast began to gather upon the tip of Celestia's horn, Rex forced himself up. With a defiant roar, he took off at speed towards Celestia.

He gathered incredible speed in the short distance he went, and Celestia felt a wave of panic overcome her as he reached the balcony's edge, 'Just a few more seconds!'

He launched himself from the railings, sword held in both hooves high above his head. He closed the distance between himself and Celestia rapidly as he sailed out across the open air to deliver what would almost certainly be his final attack.

He entered striking range, and swung with all his might, crying out at the top of his voice despite extreme protests from his lungs, "CELESTIA!"

He fixed her with a furious glare as his weapon sailed directly for her head.

And just inches from striking her, Celestia vanished in a flash of light.

Rex swung at nothing.

Celestia appeared on the balcony's edge and watched as Rex began to fall. As his swing failed to connect, he span in mid-air, and she saw the mixture of horror and rage upon his face.

For just a moment, she was reminded of the young stallion she had met many years ago. Reginald, not Rex.

Grimacing, she reminded herself of what he had become and steeled herself, fixing him with a hollow but firm stare as she trained her horn on him. In the back of her mind, Celestia knew that failure to do her duty would have severe repercussions for the future she wished to create. It would not be enough to simply execute him cleanly; he had already pushed her to her limit in single combat and shaken her confidence when even dragons had failed to faze her. If he were to somehow survive the fall and drag himself away to some isolated corner of the world, she had no doubt in her mind that he would return with an army, more powerful than ever.

He was far too dangerous to leave him any margin for survival, however slim. She had to erase him.

A small semblance of sadness crossed her face, "Farewell, Reginald."

She unleashed the spell.

With a flash of blinding light, a wave of incinerating heat exploded outwards from her horn in a beam focused on Rex.

A deafening roar followed it, drowning out all sound within Hollow Shades - and indeed, for many miles in any direction - in a manner akin to an elongated, continuous lightning strike.

From within the beam, a blue glow emitted, and for a moment the spell faltered, the beam becoming narrow. Then, with another pulse of effort from Celestia, the glow faded, and Rex's sceptre shot out into the air, glowing white hot, before tumbling to the city below.

The heat was beyond belief. The surrounding castle towers, and many buildings beneath the spell were instantly set ablaze, as was a long swathe of the forest beyond Hollow Shades' walls, stretching off into the distance. The city walls themselves had instantaneously melted into slag within the vicinity of the beam.

Those unfortunate enough to be standing in its blast radius were instantly vaporised.

Celestia cut off her spell, and nearly slumped forwards onto the railings before realising that they were glowing white hot.

Instead, she fell back onto her haunches, scrunching her eyes closed as her horn throbbed in time with her torn wing. Both were extremely painful alone, and agonising together.

Cheers could be heard from below, though only briefly. The sounds of combat - which had, for a second, abated as those below were almost deafened - quickly returned.

She took a deep, hissing breath and opened her eyes, scanning across the city. Apart from the swathe that she had incinerated, several smaller fires had broken out. The huge iron gates stood open now, and she saw huge masses of screaming ponies fleeing through them.

Throughout the city, sounds of combat could be heard, which served to provide both relief and cause for concern.

"At least they are still alive..." She turned her head towards the room in which she and Rex had fought, though it was now almost completely shrouded in smoke. Somewhere, in the hallway just beyond it, laid the bodies of Gravus and Liandra, two of the most dependable soldiers at her command. The least she could do was recover their corpses.

Celestia solemnly shook her head and turned away, facing towards the city below, "The living, first. The dead are in no hurry." She stood, and took a deep breath.

Suddenly, the castle heaved beneath her, and the sound of a huge explosion could be heard, though it was a whisper in comparison to Celestia's previous spell.

Still, she was thrown onto her side, barely avoiding putting her weight onto her wounded wing by rolling onto her back, then her hooves, quickly.

Chunks of stone and masonry flew out from the lowest levels of the castle, and Celestia promptly forced herself upright.

Quickly, she scanned across the city, settling on the largest group of combatants, protecting themselves with numerous magical shields, though these were crumbling almost as quickly as they were erected under the ceaseless barrage of magic, projectiles, and steel colliding against them, as were the soldiers unfortunate enough to be caught by multiple attacks during the intermittent windows of vulnerability this allowed for.

Gritting her teeth around her weapon once more, Celestia spread her wings and prepared to enter the fray, a smaller - but nonetheless deadly - version of her earlier spell already forming on her horn.

She leapt from the balcony, gliding directly towards her target area as steadily as she could manage.

And once she had differentiated her allies from her enemies?

Hollow Shades, and those who still dared to defend it, burned.

What followed was a blur. Every moment somehow elongated by rage and adrenaline, yet irrevocably snatched away before full comprehension was possible.

A split-second rendezvous with Tychus.

A cheer of hope and victory from those behind him.

Relief at the knowledge that a good number of her forces - her friends - were still alive.

A hail of arrows, blades, and magic from the enemy.

An inferno, conjured by herself.

The screams of a thousand ponies set alight.

A battlecry. Her battlecry, amplified so that all could hear.

All could fear.

The charge.

The pounding of her heart.

The breaking of enemy ranks.

Death after death as her sword whirled at full strength.

Blast after blast of powerful magic from her horn.

The confusion and disorientation the combination of these sewed.

The scrambling of the enemy; some towards her, some away. Both equally desperate.

The complete collapse of the enemy's confidence in spite of superior numbers.

The rout of a defeated foe.

They had fought soldiers, mercenaries, madmen, and everything in between.

But they had never fought anything like her.

She knew.

They knew it too, too late.

"PUSH ON! FOR THE FALLEN!"

The cheers of her troops.

The inevitable massacre of retreating foes.

And the bitter, metallic taste of victory...

It always made her sick to her stomach.

Celestia trotted warily down an empty street, burning buildings all around. Her mane and armour splotched with congealed blood, she moved alone, eyes peeled for any potential attackers or allies.

She stepped past the corpses of several locals, many still clutching the everyday tools of their trade. The vast majority of those Tychus had fought against wielded such tools as opposed to suitable weapons, contributing at least in part to the survival of her troops, along with the individual prowess her cohort displayed, and Tychus' decision to hold off against the masses in a bottle-necked area within the outer market district, close to the castle.

She spotted the prone, motionless, armour-clad figure of one of her soldiers in the middle of the street, and made a beeline towards it.

Tychus hadn't been able to save everyone, of course. Not that she could have reasonably expected such, given the circumstances. Some were simply cut down too quickly in the chaos, others were cut off from the rest and forced to seek defensive positions elsewhere.

This one hadn't made it. Celestia steeled herself and removed the pony's helmet, revealing the unmistakably scarred, deep blue muzzle beneath, "Plias..."

Yet another friend claimed by the torments of war. His blank stare gazed off into the smoky heavens, where dark storm clouds were now beginning to form.

She remained there for a second, then reached out with her magic, closing the pony's eyes gently before moving on.

Though Celestia had managed to save most of those who had held out against the odds and the masses until her arrival, many of the smaller pockets of resistance were slaughtered before she could reach them.

After rallying her forces, she had again placed Tychus in command, leaving him in charge of evacuating the wounded to the agreed point by the city gates, where they could be treated without the interference of the choking black smoke that intermittently swept through the streets, or the risk of further ambushes. She had, however, ordered those seemingly in the best shape to group up and begin searching for survivors, be they friendly or not, and deal with them appropriately.

Celestia wandered alone, not out of confidence, but out of the fear of catching her troops in a crossfire. Disposing of a force consisting almost exclusively of earth ponies and unicorns was most easily done with a few powerful spells, removing the need to get too close.

Hollow Shades held an eeriness to it now. A sense of quiet, despite that fact that the air was filled with the crackling and hissing of fires in every direction.

A loud groan of collapsing masonry could be heard over the inferno as what was once a tavern completely collapsed under its own weight on her right side, sending thousands of embers soaring into the hot air, drifting across the street.

Her ears pricked up.

Another sound.

Rapid hoofsteps, from behind.

She span, catching sight of a young mare charging at her with a pitchfork held in her mouth; her mane the same as the rest.

Immediately, Celestia enveloped the mare in her magic, holding her aloft and removing the pitchfork from her mouth as she trotted towards her.

The earth pony struggled and swore, but could not escape Celestia's magical grip.

The moment the young mare stopped writhing, Celestia twisted her head upwards and backwards at speed, audibly breaking her neck.

'Painless.'

She levitated the corpse back down and left it by the roadside, a solemn look on her face as she continued on, moving back towards the remnants of the castle.

The next ten minutes were relatively uneventful, save for a brief skirmish where a pair of city militia had attempted to plunge upon her from a nearby rooftop, only to end up skewered by her magic and immediately decapitated.

As she approached the outer edge of what remained of the castle courtyard, a haunting sound intermingled itself with the roaring of flames and the anguished groans of failing masonry.

The wailing of a foal.

She turned towards the sound, and her heart sank at the sight before her.

A young earth pony, cowering behind a smouldering merchant's wagon, tears streaking his face.

She scanned her surroundings carefully before placing her sword into its scabbard, satisfied that she would not be ambushed as she made her approach. She attempted to wipe away some of the blood that had spattered her face, but her armoured forehooves proved prohibitive.

As the foal realised Celestia had seen him, and was approaching him specifically, his cries grew louder and more hysterical with every passing step.

Celestia stopped a few steps from the wagon and spoke in as soothing a tone as she could muster, "Little One?"

The foal clung tightly to the wheel he had scrambled behind, but said nothing. As Celestia crouched down towards him, his wails were replaced by deep, laboured breathing, terror evident in his wide eyes as she closed the last of the distance between them.

After a moment's deliberation, Celestia reached out and gently laid a hoof upon the colt's shoulder, again speaking in a motherly tone, "It is not safe for you out here, Young One... Are you alone?"

The foal, seemingly beside himself with fear and confusion, stared at her in awe for several seconds before her question fully sank in. When it did, his eyes welled up with tears once again, and he nodded his head, though he cried quietly this time, sobbing to himself and grasping his head with his hooves.

Celestia looked away briefly, steeling herself and offering him a hoof before turning back to him with her best attempt at a smile, "Come with me, Little One. I will protect you." She caught his frightened eyes darting around the burning streets that surrounded them, and he jumped reflexively when one building's second floor gave way to the flames, the resulting cacophony of noise clearly startling him. Celestia tenderly took his hoof and caught his attention, looking him in the eye once more, "It is going to be alright. You will be safe with me."

Slowly, the colt grasped her armoured hoof, nodding his head slowly and giving her a strained smile as he allowed himself to be pulled from his hiding spot. Before she could stand, however, the colt jerked his head towards the opposite end of the street, a hollow look in his eye as he spoke quietly, "What... is that?"

Celestia followed his gaze, but couldn't see anything of any real concern, "Wh-"

Blazing pain shot through Celestia's muzzle as she was struck by some sort of blunt object. She flinched and cried out, and was rewarded with another strike directly to the end of her nose, causing it to bleed. She immediately rolled onto her hooves, but not before sustaining another painful blow to the side of her muzzle, causing her to stagger as she rose.

She whirled around, pain and fury evident on her face as she turned to her assailant, though her anger quickly gave way to anguish. The foal stood, a large, bloody rock in his hoof, and a look of pure hatred on his face. What truly caused Celestia distress, however, was his mane, and the way that it hung just low enough to obscure his eyes from her, and remained there, despite being neatly swept to the side beforehand.

Celestia felt tears welling in her already watery eyes as her situation dawned upon her, "No... Even the foals?"

The foal before her charged, flailing the rock madly in the air before him, screaming all the while with a murderous look in his eyes. Though Celestia was easily able to keep him in place with her magic, the fervour with which he swung and shrieked did not deteriorate at all.

She shook her head in disbelief, "Please, stop this..."

The foal only doubled his efforts, and after another whole minute of nothing but tireless, insanity-induced violence from the foal, Celestia had seen enough, "Forgive m-me."

Swallowing the lump in her throat, she lowered the foal to his hooves but kept him immobilised in her magic as she trotted behind him, out of his line of sight.

For a moment, she trembled at the thought of what she was about to do. What she had to do. She overcame it quickly; every passing moment only added to the foal's torment.

As quietly as she could, Commander Celestia drew her sword up high...

Celestia approached the rapidly decaying structure of the castle with a hollow look in her eyes. She had slain more foes than she could count in the past hour alone, but was certain that none of those she had fought and killed were foals, with one evident exception.

Then again, the rush of close combat made it difficult to discern small details at the best of times.

She shook her head and trudged into the castle courtyard, now strewn with stone and masonry from the prior series of explosions, and the collapsing structure above, making navigation difficult in places. She cautiously approached the remains of the castle entrance, weapon raised, and scanned around the courtyard and behind her before calling out, "Is anyone here!?"

Movement within.

A single figure stepped out from behind a large chunk of stone, approaching the gaping hole that was once the threshold, staring at Celestia with a baleful glare. An earth pony. Her coat was a bright shade of pink, her mane a somewhat darker shade, though both were marred by ash and soot. The clean streaks that cut through the greyness clinging to her face made it clear that she had been crying, and she held an object in her hoof that Celestia couldn't quite make out.

Most alarmingly, her mane clung to her face in a telltale fashion that Celestia had become all too familiar with, and she promptly raised her sword, poising defensively, waiting for the mare's first move.

It never came. Unlike the others she had encountered, the pink mare simply stood, staring her down with hatred in her eyes. Just as Celestia was about to challenge her intentions, however, the mare spoke, barely audible over the crackling of flames, "So this is it..." Her voice shook with malice, but despair was plainly evident in both her tone and upon her face, "This is what becomes of my sanctuary. My city. My subjects..."

Celestia's mouth parted slightly as she realised just whom the mare standing within the burning, crumbling ruins really was, and slowly lowered her weapon.

"My husband!" The mare shrieked and tossed the object in her hoof towards Celestia. It bounced against the fallen chunks of stone a few times before coming to a stop a few steps away from Celestia with a metallic clunk.

Curious, but wary, Celestia picked up the object to find a warped, half-melted piece of circular metal that had once been a crown. Reginald's.

The mare was crying quietly to herself, but even so, her murderous glare never faltered, "Everything... Everyone... It all burns..."

Pity once again graced Celestia's features, though she now knew better than to let down her guard, "I had heard Reginald had married shortly after my last visit. I am truly, truly sorry."

She bared her teeth at Celestia, "Are you!?"

Celestia let out a sigh, "Reginald was a dear friend of mine, and had been for many years, but the pony that I killed, the pony that attacked his allies and lured me and my soldiers here to be ambushed and killed, he was a shell of his former self, not the pony I had befriended all those years ago."

The mare said nothing.

Celestia stepped forwards, carefully advancing into the crumbling structure, though the mare matched her and took equal steps back, retreating further into the heat and smoke within. Realising such, Celestia stopped, "Please! Queen..."

"Rosea, Queen of Ashes." She spat the last part mockingly, but promptly choked on a passing cloud of smoke, coughing and spluttering for breath until it passed.

"Queen Rosea, we can still fix this. We can put a stop to this madness together!"

"After everything you have done today!?" She roared as loud as her shortness of breath would allow.

Celestia slammed a hoof into the slab of stone before her, splitting it in two,"I was given no choice!"

The vibrations caused a large piece of lumber to crash to the ground on Celestia's right, and for a moment the structure shuddered before going still once more.

A brief second of relative silence lapsed, then Rosea spoke once again, "Every fibre of my being is telling me that I must kill you."

Celestia assumed a defensive stance.

"And I wish to. I wish to kill you so desperately. I wish to tear you to bloody shreds, Celestia, for what you have done." The perpetual glare she had given Celestia since her arrival finally vanished, replaced by a forlorn look of loss, pain, and grieving acceptance, "But I cannot. I have seen what became of those that had tried. My subjects, my finest warriors... My husband. It would be foolish of me to think I could stand against you in combat when even they could not, even with Fate's gift."

Celestia's eyes widened, and she growled under her breath at the suggestion that anything about Discord's intervention was 'helpful', "He warped your minds and twisted your subjects to insanity, Queen Rosea! What was bestowed upon you was no gift, it was a curse!"

Rosea looked down at her hooves and gave a dry, elongated chuckle, "Perhaps it is wiser to be mad in a world that has gone insane..."

Celestia took a step forwards, but once again Rosea mirrored it and retreated a step. The display simultaneously concerned and confused Celestia, "How, Queen Rosea? How is it that you seem capable of caution, dare I say restraint, when all others afflicted by his despicable curse would attack me at the first given opportunity?"

The queen stared her down for several seconds, "I long to. Oh how I long to... But there is something besides Fate's gift that grows within me. Something that makes me... more; stronger, more powerful than any magic even Fate could weave." She smiled sadly to herself.

Celestia ground her teeth at the suggestion, her magical grip on her weapon tightening reflexively, "What!?"

Slowly, Rosea lowered a hoof to her stomach, resting it against a barely noticeable, rounded bump, "My foal, and my desire to protect it from you."

Celestia hesitated as the reasoning behind Rosea's actions became clear, dropping her weapon after a moment's hesitation. It bounced once then became embedded in a pile of ash and burning timber. She advanced towards the mare, who retreated further in turn. An inexplicable chill ran up her spine as she called after her."Queen Rosea, please!"

As Rosea's figure faded into the smoke within, an unholy tremble shook the castle, and Celestia was barely able to dodge in time as tonnes of rubble crashed down onto the area in which the two of them had stood only moments ago.

Celestia cried out as her only means of negotiating a peaceful end to the day's bloodshed - and a mother to be - vanished beneath a veritable wall of rubble and debris, "Rosea!"

Her horn shone immediately as she began tearing through the rubble. Tossing huge sections of stone aside as she dug through the blockage in search of the mare. Cursing her injured wing for her inability to fly, Celestia forced her way through the last of the rubble and dashed on, seeing no signs of her target until she unexpectedly emerged through a hole in the wall, previously obscured by smoke. Now outside the castle, Celestia could see a lone figure charging away into the distance, already beyond the city walls after traversing through one of the gaps Celestia had melted into it.

Celestia shot after her, but was ultimately unable to gain ground. By the time she had approached the ruins of the wall, Rosea already stood at the edge of the clearing, "Queen Rosea, please!"

The Queen span, and fixed Celestia with a look that pinned her to the spot. The pain, the rage, the hatred. It mirrored the exact look that Reginald had worn moments before his demise. She held it for a brief moment, then bolted, darting into the forest behind her, and out of Celestia's sight in seconds.

Exhausted, injured, and unsettled, Celestia did not give further chase. Shaking her head to herself, Celestia trudged back to retrieve her weapon before venturing into the city for the final time.

Though the dancing flames all around her occasionally cast darting silhouettes of other ponies onto the buildings that remained intact, no more combatants made any attempts to sneak up on her. After finding nothing but the scattered corpses of more of her soldiers, and unceremoniously dispatching numerous groups of enemies that were unfortunate enough to back themselves into inescapable dead ends, Celestia resigned herself to the truth of her situation.

Hollow Shades was little more than a glorified crematorium. If any more of her troops had survived, they would undoubtedly have sought shelter outside the city's walls, away from the blistering heat and toxic fumes.

She briefly considered flying towards the rally point she had set, but decided against it upon flexing her injured wing, the pain having risen to such excruciating levels as to preclude flight entirely. In the apparent absence of any more enemies, the adrenaline that had intermittently coursed through her veins for the best part of the last hour was now conspicuously ebbing away, giving even her most negligible injuries the freedom to distract her as her dented, charred armour rubbed against her skin.

A large cloud of black smoke swept over her from behind, causing her to stagger as she coughed and spluttered, her injuries protesting all the while, "Damn it all..." As her airways and vision became clear once again, Celestia noted the colour of the sky beyond the billowing plumes of smoke and the dark storm clouds gathering of their own accord above what remained of the city. She groaned to herself at the realisation that the sun now sat impatiently on the horizon.

She could have left it for Luna to handle, of course, but the fear of worrying her younger sister with the implications of the sun sitting idly couldn't be ignored.

Celestia took as deep a breath as she could manage, aimed her horn appropriately, and grimaced with effort as the sun slowly sank away, allowing the flames all around her to cast crisper, longer shadows that somehow seemed more haunting than before, though she noted that her path to the city's gates remained relatively well illuminated regardless.

A few droplets of rain dripped onto her muzzle as she set off towards the gates once more, though they were noticeably lukewarm, courtesy of the city-sized furnace she had helped create. More followed, and the drizzle quickly escalated into a cascade that pattered against her armour, but did little to quench the all-encompassing flames that surrounded her.

After a moment, she breathed a sigh of relief, "At least it is not raining acid again..."

"Commander!"

The comparatively clear air outside the city gates promptly filled with the sound of armoured ponies standing and saluting, though this only briefly masked the groaning and gasping of the injured. The lightly wounded and the exhausted were strewn around the clearing, whilst those with more grievous injuries were propped against the trees along the clearing's edge, sheltered somewhat from the heavy rainfall.

The surviving medics of the Solar Cohort were doing whatever they could, but it quickly became apparent to Celestia that their supplies were running thin, if the sparing use of resources on all but the gravest of injuries was any indication. Celestia glanced at one of the more seriously wounded, currently drinking deeply from a flask handed to her by a medic before nodding fearfully, prompting two grim-faced soldiers to restrain her. A blood-curdling scream rang out as the badly bleeding wound on her side was cauterised via a red hot metal rod by the unicorn medic. She passed out mid-scream, allowing the sickening sizzling of cooking flesh to be heard for a second before the medic withdrew the instrument. Satisfied that the wound was sealed, the medic nodded, prompting those holding her to release their grip and attempt to wake the mare as the medic applied what little salve he could spare and covered the wound.

Barely thirty able bodied soldiers stood before her, with nearly as many wounded strewn about the clearing. Tychus spoke again, drawing her attention, "I believe this may be all of us, Commander. We have not received any more of the dispatched patrols or friendly survivors for nearly half an hour."

Celestia nodded, "The city has fallen to flame. To send anypony else to search for survivors would be needlessly reckless, and I lack the stamina to search further myself at present. Best that we tend to the wounded and move on, lest we be mired down by the rain."

Tychus glanced up to the skies, squinting as rain splashed through his visor, "I would agree. It is unsafe here, and Perculum is not too great a march away, provided the roads and mountain pass may still be traversed."

Celestia hummed in agreement and scanned around once more, "None of those that fled came forth to seek treatment or refuge?"

Tychus shook his head, "No, Commander. Those with no intention of attacking us gave us a wide berth and escaped into the forest. A few asked for medical supplies, but would not remain here for treatment. It would seem they were eager to follow those who fled as the hostilities began."

"And?"

"We parted with what we could spare, Commander, but the resources we have to hoof are scarce at present. Many packs of supplies were abandoned or stolen in the initial ambush."

Celestia hummed in agreement, closing her eyes as she thought of the families of curse-free innocents that she had witnessed fleeing the city gates as the fighting raged, "It would be b-"

"Archer on the wall! Above! Archer on the wall!"

An arrow embedded itself into the mud just beside Celestia with a faint squelch.

All present, barring the injured, scrambled into defensive positions. A number of magical shields were immediately erected as a few retaliatory spells and arrows were fired up at the battlements in a blind attempt to dissuade the assailant from attacking again.

Another arrow sailed down, though it split against Tychus' raised shield and ricocheted away.

Try as they might, none of the Cohort were able to make out the archer through the lashing rain, Celestia included. She fired a powerful beam of magic, dragging it several meters along the battlements where she suspected the last arrow had been fired from, but could not ascertain whether she had hit her mark.

A few chunks of destroyed parapet thudded to earth, and everything went still. For a moment, only laboured breathing and the pattering of the rain could be heard, until the tension forced some to speak their concerns.

"Is he slain!?"

"Is that movement?"

"I cannot see anything up there!"

A third arrow sailed down, though Celestia saw this one and caught it in her magic before it could strike an unarmoured, unconscious soldier.

A unicorn cried out, "I see him!" A thick burst of purple magic rocketed up into the ramparts above, illuminating an earth pony archer as the blast dislodged him from his position and threw him from the battlements towards the earth below. He screamed aloud as he fell, but fell silent as he hit the mud with a dull thud.

Only a second passed before somepony spoke up, "The earth has gone soft. Make sure he is dead."

Immediately, one of the soldiers nearest Celestia approached the motionless archer, drew his mace, and proceeded to ensure the assailant's death by way of several hefty strikes to the head, caving in his helmet and the skull beneath within seconds. With a grunt, the soldier stood, wiping his weapon clean on a patch of wet grass as he returned to his position, "Most assuredly dead, Korthus."

One or two grim chuckles could be heard, but for the most part those present remained silent. Despite being largely desensitised to the horrors of war and no strangers to dark humour, the majority of the remaining Cohort soldiers appeared either too exhausted or too disheartened by the day's events to be in any mood for joviality, especially given the circumstances.

Celestia cleared her throat, "We must leave for Perculum as soon as possible if we are to recuperate and properly treat the wounded. Make your preparations quickly. Carry those unable to stand... Leave the dead, for now." She caught the dismayed expressions that crossed the faces of some before her and resisted the urge to mirror them, "We will return for them on the morrow, we are dangerously exposed the longer we remain here in the dark."

Those assembled chanted back, though the weariness in their voices was clear, "Aye."

Tychus spoke from beside her, "Commander?"

"Yes?"

"I understand the need for mobility, but what of the necromancers in the woods? They will surely come here seeking corpses upon learning of the battle." He seemed to struggle to find his words for a moment before continuing, "Perhaps if we cannot carry the dead we should... render their corpses unusable."

Celestia met his eyes with a sad look, "I have memorised the wishes of every member of this unit, should they perish. Those who wished to be cremated upon death have been set alight by my own horn. Those who wish to return to the earth with their bodies intact will be allowed to do so; they all knew the potential for necromancer involvement and accepted it. It is their right to rest in whatever state they see fit, regardless if such may prove tactically impractical."

Tychus' voice seemed flat as he responded, "Of course, Commander."

Celestia raised an eyebrow curiously, "Tychus, I was under the impression you yourself wished to be buried, should the worst occur?"

He nodded, but a scowl crossed his features as he did so, "That is correct, Commander, but I would rather be reduced to ash than be turned against my own brothers and sisters in death, if such were a real possibility."

Celestia closed her eyes and nodded once, "Noted." By the treeline, Celestia noticed a unicorn levitate the limp corpse of a soldier away from the medics and reverently lower it to the ground beside two others, "I will examine our dead. Speak with the medics. The moment the last soldier is patched together is the moment we must leave."

"Yes, Commander." Tychus saluted and made his way over to the nearest medic immediately.

Celestia simply pursed her lips as she prepared to put names to faces.

The trudge from Hollow Shades to Perculum was by no means easy with so many wounded in tow, the difficulties of such only exacerbated by the lashing rain that showed no signs of ceasing. Though this proved to be of little hindrance where the paths were protected by the canopy of the woods surrounding Hollow Shades, the roads just beyond the trees were waterlogged and barely navigable, making even a flat stretch exhausting to traverse, especially in the heavy armour that most present still wore. More than once, soldiers had to be pulled from the mud via magic, having become completely stuck. The entire trek was a logistical nightmare, and Celestia only found solace in the fact that the storm appeared to have dissuaded any would be attackers from venturing too far from their strongholds.

Their warm, dry strongholds.

As the Cohort made their way through a mountain pass, Celestia marched up and down her procession of warriors with all the confidence and poise she could muster, despite her body screaming protest upon protest at such. Her armour was battered and dented, her face bruised and bleeding, nose broken, and right wing visibly bent. Her mane, despite flowing as majestically as it always had, was filthy, sodden, and marred by blood, dirt, and ash; her coat had fared no better, appearing almost grey with white streaks, owing to the torrential rain.

And yet, despite all these injuries and blemishes providing all the confirmation her soldiers needed that she could be wounded and killed as easily as any other pony, her presence still inspired those around her. She carried herself with pride and grace, showing no pain on her face, or in her stride as she marched. She held her head high, allowing the icy rain to lash away at her features with nary a grimace, seemingly oblivious to the biting cold.

When fear and fatigue wormed its way into the hearts of the weary, she stood by, stalwart and immovable, inspiring courage and vigilance in even the most tired of souls.

When those who could no longer march collapsed into the mud, she was beside them, hoisting them to their hooves, carrying them on her shoulder if necessary.

When those too gravely wounded to go on passed the point of no return, she sheltered them from the rain and sat, and spoke, and smiled with them as the end came.

She was everything they aspired to be. Everything required to change the world, and bring Fate to its knees.

The perfect leader.

A shout rang out from the front of the procession and was relayed down the line by several others, snapping Celestia to full alertness, "Caution at the front!"

Celestia waved over a soldier to prop up the injured mare she had been supporting, then vanished in a flash, reappearing beside Tychus, who had been leading the procession in her stead, "What is it?"

Tychus pointed to a ledge above them, a good minute's march away and barely visible through the rain, "Movement ahead, Commander. I am unsure as to whether it was a pony or something else, but a silhouette certainly moved between those two rocks."

"Understood." Celestia held up her hoof, signalling those behind her to stop.

She advanced slowly with Tychus by her side, scoping out the immediate area before directing a pair of pegasi to investigate the elevated ridge, "Exercise caution, both of you."

The two nodded and took to the air, initially struggling somewhat against the weight of their wet wings before moving towards the outcrop. They flew high, giving the area as wide a berth as they could manage in the confines of the pass, fading into little more than silhouettes behind the curtain of the downpour.

Celestia regarded her surroundings carefully as she waved those behind her to move forwards, speaking to no one in particular, "We should hurry. Even in the fortunate absence of bandits, the cold and rain may prove just as deadly to the injured."

Before anyone could reply, a sparking, magical green glow was seen flying through the rain, followed by the sound of falling stones, and a cry that Celestia could not make out. Immediately, she drew her weapon and advanced quickly, now able to make out the figure of one of the pegasi she had sent forth, though the rain and noise drowned out her speech, "What is happening!?" She span and addressed her troops as she moved, "Ready for battle!"

Weapons were drawn by all able to wield them, and by a few who were too hopelessly injured to manage more than a few swings, at best.

"h! Th- -d us!"

Celestia took to a gallop, closing the distance between herself and the pegasus rapidly, "Where is B-"

An armoured pony stepped out directly into Celestia's path, bearing the crest of Hollow Shades, his mane indicative of Fate's curse. Already in mid-gallop, Celestia's eyes widened as she attempted to halt herself, reaching swiftly for her weapon and barking out to those behind her as she went, "Amb-".

She felt a great warmth spreading through her neck, along with a terrible stinging pain as she came to an abrupt halt. Glancing downwards, then back up at the pony before her with wide eyes, Celestia struggled to come to terms with the fact that the lower half of his sword now protruded from her throat.

The stallion seemed equally shocked for a moment before fixing her with a sickeningly wide smirk as he forced the blade another inch through her neck, causing her to choke and her knees to buckle beneath her. Her magic sputtered, then faltered completely. Her sword, held only an inch from his neck, fell harmlessly into the mud. Red flashed in the stallion's eyes at such, and for only a second, Celestia stared into the pitiless gaze of Fate as the stallion whispered into her ear, "For the King, you whore."

Mortally wounded as she was, Celestia felt a surge of rage and growled, though it escaped as little more than a gurgle. In an instant, her magic returned to her as she forced the sword from her throat, snapped it in two, and embedded the two halves into the stallion's own exposed face, repeatedly. She was sure he had screamed as he fell, but the noises around her were disconcertingly blending together.

She felt incredibly fatigued as she turned, only to see dozens of ponies plunging down onto her vulnerable forces from the ridge above, all bearing Fate's curse.

She saw Tychus parry and decapitate a foe before making a beeline towards her, only for him to be tackled from the side, sending him and his assailant sprawling into the mud, both scrambling madly to retrieve the nearest weapon.

Celestia took a deep breath, but only found herself coughing blood into her mouth. A sensation of incredible thirst washed over her, even as she staggered towards Tychus.

She was somewhat aware of the word 'ambush' being shouted by many above the noise, but it was dampened by the rising ringing in her ears.

A cursed unicorn caught sight of her and began charging a spell. Celestia attempted to do the same, only for her vision to blur and her sense of balance to give out, sending her half-finished spell tearing into the mountainside above, and her body reeling into the mud below. From her position on the ground, Celestia saw one of her soldiers drive a spear through the unicorn's chest before he could finish his spell.

She noted the horrified expressions of her soldiers whose gazes she met, most of whom dashed towards her recklessly, cleaving through those who stood in their way, or being cut down themselves in the commotion.

Beneath her, Celestia registered the copious amount of blood pooling and mixing with the mud and water she laid in. Her blood. The sight of it brought a sense of clarity to her, even as the world around her became an ever-foggier blur of errant sensations.

'I am dying...'

With a great effort that she barely even registered, Celestia rolled over and gazed up into the dark, leaden sky. The rain stung her eyes and her gaping wound, but she didn't mind. The pain seemed very far away indeed.

A wave of watery mud washed over her as a deceased warrior spiralled to the ground beside her.

Through the shroud of the rain, Celestia could just make out the moon, glowing serenely in the sky above, far away from all the suffering and death she had surrounded herself with. She thought of Luna, and of the better, unified world she would never see for herself, but smiled at the knowledge that her sister would continue to fight for what they believed in, as they had promised one another all those years ago.

Celestia assumed she was crying, but it was hard to tell for the rain. Her throat felt a little more dry, though.

Very dry, in fact.

'What I would not give for a drink of water with my baby sister...'

Everything went dark.

'My... baby sister...'

Everything went quiet.

'L-u-n-a...'

Everything went still.

Peace, at last.

From his vantage point atop a high outcrop, Discord watched, incredulous, as Celestia expired. As her eyes glossed over and her mane went still, Discord folded his arms and frowned, "That is all, 'Commander' Celestia? You raise an army the likes of which the world has never seen. You turn your foes into your allies. You not only survive, but obliterate Rex. Between you and your sister, you wrest control of the very heavens from me, only to be skewered like a kebab and die in the mud like a dog at the hands of some... nopony!? And after everything you have endured..." He drummed the fingers of one hand against his arm, producing quite the rhythm, if he did say so himself, "How disappointing. And to think I had expected so much more..."

He began swinging his legs back and forth over the edge as he watched the remainder of the battle, only half-interested, "I suppose your sister does show promise, but I was sure you were special somehow." He took a bite out of a five-sided apple as a pony below had his leg severed at the knee; it appeared as if the remnants of the Solar Cohort would win the battle, enraged as they were by Celestia's death. He scanned around the combatants for any potentially interesting players that might fill in for Celestia, but shook his head at their lack of character, "Even her next in command is as bland as blank parchment in comparison. Feh."

He held up his paw and cleared his throat, "Let us see if a game of chance can liven things up!" With a snap of his fingers, the mountainside trembled, sending a few sizeable chunks of rock plummeting down to the battlefield below, "A tad to the left, my dear. A little more. And... Pancake!" He smirked at his good fortune but found himself unable to laugh, instead preoccupied by thoughts of the loss of two so interesting players as Celestia and Reginald.

He shook his head to himself before placing his chin into his paw, "The game goes on. Many players still remain, it would be childish to sulk over something so small. I have not checked on Sombra for a while now, perhaps he has made progress?" He scowled as his attempts to lessen his irritation failed, "Gah! She was so close to finally winning! It is not FAIR!" He hurled the remainder of his apple into the adjacent mountainside, where it detonated into a shower of particularly salty confectionery that rained downwards.

He scowled down at Celestia's corpse as he steadied his erratic breathing, observing as a nearby pony attempted to surrender, only to be blasted apart by the magic of a furious Cohort unicorn. He grinned to himself, reminded of the reason he had set the stage for this conflict in the first place.

"But the game does go on, Discord. The game will go on, forever, until a winner emerges..."

He snapped his fingers, and the earth trembled in fear. The winds howled like wolves, the heavens wept aloud, and forks and knives and runcible spoons of lightning streaked across the screaming sky as he threw his head back and chuckled, then cackled, then laughed.

And laughed.

And LAUGHED.

He looked down at Celestia's misfortune mirthfully now, a sickening grin distending across his features as the glowing red in his eyes danced gleefully. Her death meant nothing. Another outstanding specimen would eventually emerge, even if it took a decade, or a century, or a millennium.

And when they did? When they rose up and seized their rightful crown as ruler of Equestria? When they finally won?

"To the victor go the spoils."

Laughter.

Author's Note

So ends the first of a few key flashbacks that should provide insight into the occurrences of the Chaos Wars, as well as over a year's worth of chapter drought.

Hopefully I can reacquire my old habits and get back to posting more regularly.

Reckon I'll add the main cast's route to those maps I made too, in which case I'll add them to a blog post later. You'll be glad to hear we'll getting back to where (when?) Twilight and co. left off shortly.

As always, feel free to leave your thoughts below, I always appreciate them. (Oh, and do cram some more - relevant - tropes onto that page if you're so inclined, I'm addicted to reading those bloody things). :P

Mike

Chapter VII - The Devil You Thought You Knew

Twilight approached the statue, a look of near-revulsion upon her face as she examined its twisted features. His head was drooped low, his face twisted into an expression of false despair, a stark comparison to the one of shock and surprise he had worn during his previous imprisonment.

"Woe is me, Master of Chaos and Deceit..." Twilight effectively spat at the statue. She despised everything about the loathsome creature that had almost fooled them all with crocodile tears and empty pleas. He was chaos incarnate. He was evil.

And yet, looking upon the despairing visage of the statue, she couldn't help but feel the tiniest bit sorry for him. This was the third time he had been sealed in stone over his lifetime, and if being turned to stone by a cockatrice was in any way similar, Twilight reasoned that even he wouldn't be enjoying it in the slightest.

She shook her head and regained what little she had let slip of her composure. He had made his choice, and she knew that although he was sealed, he could still see and hear the things that happened around him, "So, care to explain what that was all about last night?" Her tone was blunt and clipped as she continued, "After all that's happened recently, I think you of all... creatures, would be the least on my mind." She stared at the statue expectantly for several seconds, "What? No malicious laugh? No ridiculous monologue about chaos? Nothing!?" She kicked at the grass under her hooves for a moment, then strode around the statue, deliberately slowly, "Well, if you have nothing to say, I guess I'll just take a look around. If you don't mind, Discord." Venom effectively dripped from her voice.

She sauntered around the statue, scanning it meticulously until something caught her eye. A crack, small and unnoticeable to anypony not looking for anything suspicious, ran a few centimetres up his back. She approached slowly, then hovered a hoof over it, hesitant to touch it directly for fear of some sort of wicked trap. Magical energies were escaping from the crack, but they were weak.

"Nothing the Princess can't fix. Nice try though, I'm sure Celestia will find it just as amusing as I do!" She trotted back around to his front, cocked her head to the side and smiled sweetly. Nothing. He just stared back at her pathetically with those miserable eyes. A surging, inexplicable anger rose within her at the sight, "Why do you even look like that, huh!? It was your fault! You don't even have the right to look so sorry for yourself after what you tried!" she huffed. After a moment, she took a deep breath, willing her anger to leave her. Even if he could hear her, she was still shouting at a statue, and to anypony else it would probably look rather odd, to put it politely. She exhaled loudly and closed her eyes for a moment.

Then she went stock-still, almost paralysed, her blood running ice-cold as she heard it.

"Twilight Sparkle..."

The unicorn snapped her eyes open immediately and glared up at the statue, expecting an attack. Nothing came, 'W-Was that really him!?' she thought to herself hurriedly. Deciding to test her theory, she closed her eyes again.

After a few seconds, she heard him speak again, "Twilight Sparkle, I would prefer if you kept your eyes closed. This is tiring enough as it is..." he spoke wearily.

Twilight was taken aback by his tone, but quickly recovered, shouting out loudly into the darkness that seemed to somehow extend far beyond that of her closed eyelids, "What do you want with me!? What are you planning!?" In an instant he was before her, standing in his normal colours, no longer encased in grey stone, "How did you!?"

He turned towards her, but his face still wore a sad expression, similar to the one his statue bore, "To put it simply, I didn't." he spoke matter-of-factly. "If you were to open your eyes now, you would see me in all my stone-grey glory once again." She regarded him warily and he huffed, "Go on, open your eyes. But please make it the last time for a while. I can't keep this up for long." Twilight did so, and as promised was met with the sight of the draconequus' statue once again, nothing had changed. She was perplexed now, and after a moment hesitantly closed her eyes once again, "What do you want, Discord?"

He didn't smirk, or laugh, or proudly announce his plans as she had expected him to. His voice and expression remained unchanged as he spoke, "I want to tell you the truth, about everything."

"What, exactly? I'm in no mood for games, Discord."

He glanced sadly into her eyes for a moment before speaking, "About your dream. About Celestia. About what happened with Calamity." He paused and drew a sharp breath, "And why I'm really sealed in this infernal rock..."

Twilight didn't buy it, "We both know why you were sealed! You deceived us! You were never reformed! You tried to start an all-out war! And as if that wasn't bad enough, you even lied to the only one who trusted you! Your only friend!"

She spoke no further, Discord's expression had flipped from sadness to rage, and her ears began ringing slightly even before he bellowed at her, "I DID NOT LIE TO HER!"

Silence descended upon the pair before Discord eventually spoke up once again, his wrath apparently subdued, "Sorry. But it's the truth..." Twilight swore she could hear a sniffle or two coming from his direction, but she had seen his crocodile tears before, her resolve remained strong, "Even if you don't believe me, listen to what I have to say. I have the answers that Celestia wouldn't give you, and I have the reason why she wouldn't, too. If you'll only stay, and listen."

She knew she shouldn't trust him, that everything was all part of some elaborate scheme, but the emotion with which he had roared at her, the sadness in his voice, the promise of answers, they all felt very real.

She came to her decision a long time before she admitted it to him, "... Okay, I'll listen. That's it. No spells, no favours, nothing. Got it?"

Discord nodded gratefully and began, "Let's start with why I was actually sealed, that will set us off nicely. I trust you remember what happened when you arrived that day?" Twilight nodded, of course she remembered, how could she forget? Poor Fluttershy had been devastated.

She cast her mind back...

[Four months earlier]
"Thank you all for coming on such short notice, I trust that you have the Elements of Harmony?" Celestia spoke regally. Before her stood the Bearers of the magical artefacts of which she spoke.

"Right here, Princess!" Twilight nodded to her saddlebag. She sounded eager to please, but her expression was all business, "Why did you summon us, Princess? Did something happen?"

Celestia gave a slow nod, "Yes, and it is something only the six of you, as the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony, can put right."

Applejack spoke up, "It must be mighty serious then! Right, Princess?"

Celestia managed a small smile, "Absolutely, Applejack. Though I don't think anypony is in any danger at the moment."

The others seemed perplexed by this, and Rarity took it upon herself to clear up the confusion, "Whatever do you mean, Princess?"

Celestia seemed to be deep in thought for a moment, then she glanced up at them and spoke resignedly, apparently unable to find a better answer, "You should all see for yourselves..." She stepped down from her throne gracefully and motioned for the others to follow as she trotted past them.

A few minutes later they were in the statue garden, and all - save Celestia - were surprised to see a large, magical, rectangular mass standing upright in the centre, shimmering slightly under the sun's rays. As they closed the distance they realised that the construct was having energy channelled into it by no less than twelve unicorns at once, and that it had an inhabitant. Within the large cuboid stood Discord, frantically looking in every direction, flailing his arms in the little extra room he had, shouting manically, "I demand that you release me this instant! I've done nothing wrong! This is a mistake!"

Of all the mares present, only Fluttershy showed any real concern, letting out an "Eep!" before galloping the last few meters, resting her forehooves against the magical prison. The others simply shared a look of contempt, they had all known this would happen eventually.

Discord glanced down at the new arrival, his demeanour changing immediately, a smile gracing his features for a moment, "Fluttershy! It's good to see you! What are you doing here? Not to say you're unwelcome or anything, I'm just wondering what my favourite little pony is up to!"

Fluttershy blushed slightly at the endearment before speaking up, "I-I'm not too sure myself, to be honest. The Princess summoned us here on short notice. I-If you don't mind me asking, why are you inside this box?" she asked with a confused tilt of her head.

Discord pouted and folded his arms awkwardly; having not enough room to move them freely made it look rather ridiculous, "Oh this? It's all just a big misunderstanding!" He stopped, then bared his teeth at the nearest casting unicorn, "A VERY BIG misunderstanding, actually! At the Princess's word they just trapped me in here! Didn't even give me time to explain myself!" his words effectively tumbled over one another, and somehow everypony present imagined them literally doing so, forming a large alphabetical heap. As he stopped to take a breath a look of realisation snapped across his features, "Wait, you said 'us', does that mean the others are here too?" His eyes quickly grew wide with panic.

Fluttershy gave him a slightly concerned smile and nodded as he looked past her and pinpointed her friends. For a moment, he drew himself back against the other side of the shape, preparing to bellow out enquiring exactly why she was smiling. Then he put the pieces together. They were here on short-notice. She didn't know. He exhaled deeply and regained his original composure, his voice taking on a dejected tone, "And you brought the Elements of Harmony..." At this he tipped his head forwards momentarily until his lone antler clacked against the barrier.

Again Fluttershy nodded, though she looked thoroughly concerned now, "What's wrong, Discord? You said it yourself, this is all just a misunderstanding right? There's no need to get so upset." she soothed. Discord raised his head slowly, momentarily pausing to share a weak smile with his only friend, before raising it further and meeting the glares of the other Bearers and the Princess herself.

Fluttershy turned and noticed the looks her friends wore, "W-What's wrong, everypony?"

Celestia glanced sympathetically at the yellow pegasus, understanding just how difficult this would be for her, "I have summoned you here today because Discord has once again become a great threat to Equestria, and must be sealed in stone once more." Silence reigned for several seconds, before being punctuated by a loud click as the lock box containing the Elements snapped open.

Fluttershy's expression was one of absolute disbelief, "W-W-What!?" she squeaked as if physically injured by the words the Princess had spoken, "Why!?"

Celestia looked away from Fluttershy and resumed staring at Discord, "Because," She glared at the draconequus with a fire in her eyes that made the raging inferno of her own personal star seem like a cool breeze in comparison as she spoke, "Just this morning he almost succeeded in single-handedly instigating an all-out war with the Griffon Kingdom!"

The five that stood by Celestia inhaled a sharp collective breath that turned into a hiss after the original shock had worn off. Subtle changes could be noticed in all five as they affixed their collective gaze upon the draconequus. Twilight had taken to glaring at Discord with nothing but contempt, Applejack had pulled the brim of her hat down a few inches so as to hide her features, and Rainbow Dash was grinding a hoof deep into the earth beneath her. Rarity was giving him a glare that promised him the only 'generous' thing he would be receiving from her would be a generous beating, and Pinkie was twitching somewhat, throwing her head to the side at random intervals to keep her slightly less bouncy mane out of her face.

Fluttershy simply wheeled around and stared up at Discord, tears welling up in her eyes, "Y-You didn't, did you!? P-Please tell me that's not true!"

Discord's eyes went wide as he began waving his arms frantically in the little space he had, "It was an accident! I'm telling the truth! Nopony will even give me the chance to explain anything!"

Rainbow Dash leapt forwards, aided by a burst from her wings, landing directly beside Fluttershy as she barked at him, "What's there to explain!? You lied to Fluttershy and the rest of us so that you could get into the castle, and the first opportunity you get to try and kill everypony in Equestria, you take it!" Fuming, the pegasus stomped her forehooves into the ground furiously, one after the other.

Discord reared back, a look of shock on his face, "I did no such thing! How dare you even make such accusations!? You don't even have any idea of what actually happened!" Both were now pressing their faces against the spell, glaring at each other through a veil only centimetres thick.

Applejack was now by Rainbow's side, "Like it even matters! Ya can't worm your way outta this one! Tryn'a explain that ya almost started a war by accident!? Ah ain't buyin' it!" Twilight glanced up at the Princess, who nodded back at her. A purple aura surrounded the Elements, which then floated and attached themselves to their corresponding owners. Rainbow Dash and Applejack huffed, turned, and cantered back to fall in line with the others.

But only five stood by the Princess, and only then did the others realise that Fluttershy was missing. She had faded into the background during the exchange, as she so often had a tendency to do. Now she stood, her head hung low, her body heaving steadily in time with her quiet sobs. They couldn't see her face though, she had been facing Discord the entire time.

Discord's expression had turned to one of agony as he tried to summon up the right words to offer comfort to his only friend. He came up with nothing, the unfamiliar pain he was feeling in his chest interfered with his thoughts, and he instead resolved to shooting a threatening but defensive glare at the others, warning them to keep their distance. Had he not been sealed by one of the most advanced barrier spells in existence, it would have worked. At that moment, none of the Bearers felt comfortable with their odds of winning should the draconequus break free. Drawn up to near full height, even in the tight confines of the barrier, eyes piercing, fang bared, his mismatched features contorted into a stance that simply spoke, 'If you take one step closer I'll rearrange you to the point where you'll wish you looked like me!' It was by far the most intimidating thing they had ever seen.

Twilight, however, was quicker to respond to her friend's plight than her own fears and was by her side almost immediately, reaching out a hoof to comfort her, "Fluttershy?"

The pegasus span around so fast Rainbow could've sworn she saw the sound barrier ripple slightly, "Don't touch me!" she screamed, louder than the others had ever heard her before. Twilight reflexively jumped back a few feet, startled and taken aback by the spontaneous outburst that had caused even Discord to flinch, "Don't you dare say my name as if you're my friend! That goes for all of you!" Fluttershy snapped the Element from her neck and hurled it in their general direction, narrowly missing Twilight's head, "You won't even give him a chance to explain! You've never trusted him! Ever since the beginning each and every one of you has done nothing but try and get rid of him!" Tears of anger now streamed down her face, and with every few words she spoke she took another deliberate step towards the frozen Twilight, "What's worse is that you expect me to just break my promise to him as if it was nothing! You didn't even ask how I felt! I'm his only friend, the only one who'll even give him a chance! No! There's no way I'm going to put him through that again, just because the six of you are too arrogant to even listen!"

Said six were absolutely horrified. They wouldn't have expected such an outburst from anypony present, never mind Fluttershy. Between that and the fact that she had just plainly insulted the Princess and her friends without even a second thought, and that she was still stepping furiously towards Twilight, nopony knew how to appropriately react. Celestia was the first to snap from her daze as she realised what might happen should Fluttershy and her student meet. A glow of pure white promptly surrounded the pegasus, immobilising her where she stood.

A bestial roar from somewhere behind her was heard, "Celestia, if you dare lay a hoof on her I swear I'll kill every last pony in this damned castle!"

Celestia shot Discord another blazing glare before she slowly stepped towards the pegasus, "Fluttershy, you need to calm down. Look at what you're doing to your friends."

Fluttershy was preparing to let another verbal missile fly, but as she looked up into the horrified and hurt faces of her friends her stomach turned to ice. The realisation of what she had just said, and what she had done, hit her with force. As Celestia released the spell, Fluttershy collapsed onto her haunches, her face a mask of absolute horror as she tried to comprehend the situation she had gotten herself into. Then she wept quietly into her forehooves, curling herself up into a ball, trying to make herself as small as possible.

Celestia trotted slowly up to her, setting herself down beside her and speaking softly, "It's alright, Fluttershy, we know how hard this must be for you, and none of us blame you for it, do we?" The Princess turned to the others quickly and gave them a look that told them that they didn't, or else; Fluttershy was hurting herself enough right now, she didn't need it from those closest to her too, regardless of what she might have said.

The five nodded and slowly approached as the pegasus unfurled herself and stared up at the Princess, "Really?" The Princess smiled in response and nodded reassuringly, as did the others.

They stayed like that for a few moments before Celestia's face grew serious once again, "Fluttershy, I'm sorry, but the spell won't last forever, even the best magicians get tired eventually. I have to ask you this time, as I should have done in the first place, will you seal Discord for the sake of Equestria?" The Element of Kindness, now slightly stained from where it had embedded itself in the dirt, levitated beneath her face. Fluttershy looked at it, a few remaining tears falling onto it, washing the dirt away, as if her tears were paying her penance and washing away the terrible things she had said.

"P-Princess..." she didn't look up, "I w-want to help you, I r-really do, b-but I can't just break a promise to a friend, e-especially when I'm the only friend he has... Friendship is magic, remember? Besides, c-couldn't it have been an accident like he says?"

Fluttershy's voice contained more than a trace of hope, but it only served to make the next part even more difficult for the Princess, "I'm sorry, Fluttershy, I truly am. If there were any other way to go about doing this, I would, but the fact of the matter is that what Discord did was certainly no accident. And although I believe that the magic of friendship is one of the most important and powerful things in existence, I simply cannot allow your friendship to take precedence over hundreds of thousands of innocent lives being at risk if he goes free. Again, I'm sorry, and I know this is too much to ask of you, but for the sake of my subjects - your friends and family as well as that of everypony in Equestria - I command that you do this." Celestia's expression became pained and she bit her lip slightly before she spoke, "Or suffer the consequences of your negligence..."

Everypony was visibly shocked by this, even despite the necessity of Fluttershy's assistance, nopony could quite believe that the Princess would threaten Fluttershy with anything so harsh. But, as Celestia knew, the situation demanded it, 'I sincerely hope that she comes to her senses, if she won't help us now then all hope for a peaceful future is effectively lost...'

Everypony awaited the pegasus' response with bated breath.

After what seemed like an eternity, she spoke, quietly even by her standards, her eyes never leaving her Element, "I-I'm sorry, Princess, but I made a promise, and I have to keep it." She slowly pushed her Element towards the Princess in defeat, her hoof shaking, "I w-won't seal Discord again. I'll accept the punishm-"

"No! Fluttershy, no..." Discord's expression was heavy with sadness and shame, "It's... hurting me, seeing you go through all of this for my sake..." Fluttershy had stood up and was trotting towards him now. He kept opening and shutting his mouth rapidly, the words trying to rise from him felt alien somehow. Eventually he settled down and spoke with his usual composure, "Even though it was an accident, I don't want you to have to pay for my mistakes..." She had reached the magical cell now, and placed her forehooves onto it softly, "You have several friends who care about you, very much... Even if they could do with showing it far more often." Fluttershy was fighting to blink back her tears now, desperately trying to maintain eye contact with him. "I... I don't want you to leave all that behind, to be punished for being my friend..."

The others looked on sceptically, disbelief evident on their faces. Not shocked disbelief. No, it was much simpler than that. Discord was only doing what he did best, second only to causing chaos: lie, and the six of them didn't believe a word he spoke.

Fluttershy couldn't stand the burning in her eyes any longer, she scrunched them shut, forcing the stinging tears across her face. Discord was fighting a massive internal battle, trying not to lose out to an urge he had withstood for millennia. After several long moments, Discord sighed in resignation, opening his eyes and waiting for the pegasus to do the same. As she did so, he spoke with a surprising calmness, "Fluttershy, it's time..." More tears flowed, but she nodded slowly in agreement. Twilight, ever apprehensive, gently floated the Element of Kindness into place around Fluttershy's neck. Discord spoke again, "If this is it for me, if I remain here forever, then I have one favour to ask, Fluttershy..."

She lifted her head and suppressed another sob as she nodded, "Y-yes?"

"You're my only friend..." His voice nearly cracked at this point, and the struggle within him increased tenfold, "So please... don't forget me... I won't forget you, I promise I won't..."

Fluttershy nodded slowly, "O-Of course, Discord. I promise, I won't forget." both wore a sad smile now.

Discord relaxed himself as best as possible and spoke up, though his eyes never left his friend, "I'm ready whenever you are, Celestia..."

The Princess nodded to the others to begin and called to the unicorns channelling the spell, "Formation two. No matter what happens, nopony leaves until I say so." Within seconds a new barrier had formed, encompassing a rectangular area so that the Princess, Discord, and the Bearer's stood inside. The smaller barrier surrounding Discord then fell slowly, seeming to sink into the ground. During the several tense seconds following the removal of the inner barrier, nopony seemed to breathe, all expecting Chaos Incarnate to attempt some great escape. When he didn't, they shared a confused glance, then stepped forwards. Celestia couldn't help but enquire, "So... nothing? Really? No great escape? No taunts?"

Discord simply shook his head before finally breaking his gaze with Fluttershy and looking up, "No... But I will say this." He scowled at her now, his blood boiling, "One. You will pay for putting her through this, Celestia. I won't forgive you until she does." He glared at the Princess with obvious disdain, but then his tone turned almost melancholic, "Two. You and I both know what you've done, what you're still doing all the time, you're even doing it now... And in all honesty, it doesn't suit you. Stop, before it's too late." Everypony present looked between Discord and Celestia, utterly perplexed. "That is all." he finished.

Though she seemed slightly flustered, the Princess nodded and called out, "Positions everypony." All but one moved immediately, "Fluttershy?"

The yellow mare looked up at Discord quickly, who simply smiled weakly and whispered to her, "Go..." She tried to smile back before turning and trotting slowly towards her friends.

As she took her place and turned back to face Discord, more tears fell, "I-I'm sorry, Discord. I'm so sorry."

Discord tried his best to smile back, but the sorrow behind the words broke his heart, and he hung his head low before he spoke, "It's alright, Fluttershy. Do what you have to do..." A moment passed, then each of the Elements began to glow, getting brighter by the second. Discord subconsciously urged himself to get into a comfortable position at the very least, but found that he couldn't bring himself to move. His head simply hung low in sorrow and thought, 'I tried so hard, so that exactly this didn't happen. I've failed you Fluttershy. I couldn't even stop chaos from hurting my only friend. I'm... sorry.'

The intensity of the light was almost blinding now, reaching the final stages of the spell. With a flash, a glorious rainbow-hued beam shot towards the draconequus.

That was it, the realisation of what he had done broke him. The battle within himself was lost, and for the first time in over a thousand years, Discord cried. Only a single tear escaped, then the light hit him full-force, the familiar feeling of cold and dark enveloping him. Though he wasn't heard over the din of the spell taking effect, Discord spoke one final word before the stone made its way up to his face, solidifying his single tear as it went, "Fluttershy..."

The light faded slowly. As it did so, Celestia trotted slowly up to the 'new' statue before speaking to those outside the barrier, "It is safe. You may release the spell." Several weary sighs of relief were heard in response and the barrier sank into the ground in the same fashion as its smaller predecessor. Rainbow wore a triumphant expression, hovering a few feet above the ground, preparing to celebrate their hat-trick triumph over Discord, before a firm hoof was placed on hers and pulled her down to ground level. Rainbow turned to find Applejack wearing a solemn expression, though it wasn't aimed at her. Rainbow followed her gaze and felt the thrill of victory promptly vanish.

Fluttershy was splayed out on the floor messily, her two right hooves folded beneath her at angles that were uncomfortable to even look at, the rest of her drawn inwards slightly. Her pink mane - soaked through with tears - now clung to her face messily, and she was sobbing hysterically, taking huge gulps of air between each tremendous heave. Rarity was by her side but wasn't speaking, choosing instead to brush the hair from her friend's face gently.

After a few moments, Fluttershy gasped then sobbed into the unicorn's mane, "I broke my... promise Rarity. I'm... a bad friend... I should've... said no and..."

Rarity interrupted her gently, "You are not a 'bad friend'. You had no choice dear. Don't blame yourself."

The Princess stood by them now, gently setting herself down on the other side of the pegasus before speaking, "Fluttershy, I am so deeply sorry for what I have put you through. Can you find it in your heart to forgive me?" The sobs ceased momentarily and everything fell silent.

Eventually, she replied weakly, "Yes, but I don't know when. Not now."

The Princess nodded and offered one final apology before announcing that she was returning to her chambers. 'She does not want me here right now. It is understandable...' she mused sadly, then left.

The Bearers that had remained standing now trotted slowly over to the other two. Fluttershy was weeping into Rarity's mane once again, heaving violently as she tried to bring her sobs under control. Rarity's mane was as soaked as Fluttershy's now, but she didn't mind. Even though she considered her to be one of her closest friends, she had never seen the yellow pegasus so upset. They sat by her in silence, waiting for her to calm down.

Dozens of minutes passed before Fluttershy's tears began to stop. She raised her head slowly, her eyes, now red and puffy, met Rarity's, then the others'. She wore a pleading look, as if asking for forgiveness for what she had said, and done. She was met only with comforting smiles and expressions of acceptance from all present.

She took a calming breath and spoke, albeit shakily at first, "D-Discord was r-right... I really do have g-good friends..."

Rarity's smile widened slightly, and she hugged the pegasus before speaking, "Let's get you home, you've been through a lot today." Fluttershy nodded in response and slowly brought herself to stand, wobbling slightly on her two right legs, having laid on them for nearly half an hour in total, before Twilight reached out and steadied her. Fluttershy gave her a look of gratitude, then then turned towards the exit of the garden. Rainbow Dash led the way, Applejack following close behind. Pinkie hopped just in front of Twilight; and Fluttershy and Rarity brought up the rear.

As the last half of the miniature procession approached the exit, Fluttershy halted and glanced back at the statue of her friend sadly, whispering quietly to herself, "I won't forget, I promise..." She turned and followed the others.

Although he couldn't see much of the garden in his new position - given that his head hung almost to ground level - Discord had seen the yellow pegasus turn in his periphery, and a single thought occurred to him, 'Thank you, Fluttershy. I know you won't forget.'

Then all was still. All was quiet. And without Fluttershy there, Discord already found himself thinking,

'All is far too boring...'

[Present day]
"Yes, I remember. You kept lyi- insisting your innocence to Fluttershy."

She caught herself quickly, but not quickly enough. Discord drew a huge breath, then released it slowly, "No, no. I'm here to tell you the truth, not lose my temper. Though I do ask that you let me explain before you accuse me of lying again. Innocent until proven guilty and what have you..." Twilight remained silent, and Discord took it as his cue to continue, "Excellent. Now then, as you know, the day you were summoned to Canterlot was the day of the annual summit between Celestia and the Lord of the Griffon Kingdom... I forget his name, Giribon or Gladius or something. Griffon names all sound the same to me, no imagination put into them at all." He noticed Twilight's irritated expression and quickly got back to the topic, "Anyway, I digress. So the two of them were conversing in one of the royal suites when the trouble started." He sighed and rubbed his temples slightly, "And this is where things get complicated..."

"You see, when I first arrived here I told Celestia how things had to be if I were to remain in the castle safely. Just as Celestia and her sister move the Sun and Moon each day, so must I reach a certain quota of chaos caused per day, such is in my very nature. If I don't create any trouble for a long while, the chaos energy I don't use builds up inside me instead, eventually reaching dangerous levels and causing me what can only be described as excruciating pain; needless to say by that point holding it in is nearly impossible. The solution however, is relatively simple. If I cause a little benign chaos each day, it's usually enough to keep the amount of excess energy at a comfortable level. Chaos itself doesn't usually mind how it manifests, as long as it can cause trouble somehow it isn't very picky. Are you following this?"

The ever studious Twilight nodded slightly more enthusiastically than she had intended, but she couldn't help but be a little intrigued. She was being taught first-hoof how one of the most dangerous of magics in existence worked, and the knowledge could prove invaluable in stopping it, should it ever become a threat.

Discord pulled a small grin at her curious expression, "It certainly seems so, always eager to learn, aren't we?" Twilight immediately collected herself and replaced her emotional mask, but said nothing. Discord shook his head, "Back to business then. So I informed Celestia of this and we came to an agreement, after she had consulted her 'little ponies' of course." he cringed at the phrase, "She would allow me to cause the occasional bit of chaos around Canterlot, provided I kept said chaos within certain parameters. In short, I couldn't harm anypony or cause anything other than a slight inconvenience to those involved. I was also made to train with Celestia once a week, to try and diminish the minimum amount of chaos I had to cause, which for the record was certainly not painless, especially to start with." He flinched at the memory of the first time he had tried to suppress the urge for several hours at Celestia's command, it hadn't ended well, "Of course, this was outside of when I was being taught - lectured on - how to use my powers for good."

He shook his head again and smiled slightly, "At least only half of those lessons were boring, it seems Luna has the same penchant for mischief as I do, especially when it comes to irritating stuck-up nobleponies..." a hint of admiration had crept into his voice.

Twilight cocked an eyebrow at him impatiently, causing him to cough with mock-awkwardness in response, "Moving on... So, on that day Celestia and I were scheduled to have another training session, and I only received word a few hours prior that she would not be attending due to the summit. She had also advised that I only keep the training light to prevent any disturbances. This caused problems though. You see, Celestia would always be there to gauge when it was best for me to stop, to prevent any unnecessary damages, as I had a tendency to get carried away and push myself occasionally despite the pain, the 'fireworks' when I released it all were well worth it anyway. After storing up a few days worth of energy in preparation beforehand, it didn't take long for me to reach the threshold of what was comfortable.

Strangely enough though, it didn't seem to be anywhere near as painful as usual, a small twinge at worst, so I decided just to push it a little. I closed my eyes and focused for what must have been almost an hour, but the pain never increased. I suddenly found myself feeling... elated, as if it were some massive accomplishment. I was resisting the urge to cause chaos, and it didn't hurt. I was ecstatic, proud, and strangely enough, slightly grateful to Celestia." Discord gritted his teeth a little as he said this before continuing, "So I went to seek her out, to tell her of my accomplishments, to be proud of myself for once. That wasn't so wrong of me, was it?" He asked, turning to the unicorn before him.

When Twilight realised the question wasn't rhetorical she simply scowled and replied dryly, "That remains to be seen. I'm not going to sympathise with you until I've heard the full story. Carry on."

Discord's eye twitched slightly at the mare's bluntness before exhaling loudly, "Fine, have it your way. I came to the realisation that Celestia could have been in any of the royal suites, so I began searching at random before realising that the area would be crammed with guards, so I just looked for a cluster, it didn't take me long to find them. However, in my haste I'd completely forgotten why the guards were actually there, and why she wasn't spectating my training in the first place." He shook his head, scalding himself for his own stupidity, "As it turns out, they were in one of the uppermost suites, not too far from yours if memory serves, and the guards would have certainly caused problems had I tried to simply waltz in, especially the griffon escort." He rolled his eyes and made a gesture as if he was accentuating huge muscles, "Instead, I simply went outside and turned myself into a cloud." He stopped abruptly, considering how ridiculous that had just sounded before noticing the incredulous look Twilight was giving him, apparently considering whether or not he was, for want of a better phrase, taking the piss.

"Yes, you heard me... A cloud..." He coughed and continued, trying not to look at the grinning unicorn who was no doubt revelling in his embarrassment, "And before you make any snide remarks, yes, I did check for any pegasi in the vicinity!" Her grin simply grew wider at his irritation, "Enough! Anyway, I drifted up to the balcony without incident and saw Celestia inside. Without a second thought I warped onto it and walked straight in, jovially announcing my recent progress. I wasn't expecting to be met with a horrified stare from Celestia, and a booming, 'What is the meaning of this!?' from elsewhere. It was only when I turned and noticed the Griffon Lord that everything clicked into place. Needless to say, when I realised what I had done I was mortified, to the point where words failed me, in fact."

He seemed downcast now, his pride wounded, "I knew something was wrong immediately. As Celestia now tried to defend my presence the pain suddenly washed over me full force, and although I desperately tried to fight it, I keeled over in seconds." He stopped and took a calming breath before continuing, "I was desperate not to let the magic escape there, but I couldn't leave, I could hardly move, and was only barely able to suppress my screams of pain. By the time I could move again Celestia was beside me trying to suppress the rising energies, and through our combined efforts we succeeded."

He grimaced, "For about five seconds. Then the pain kicked in again, even worse. I couldn't hold it in any more, no matter how hard I tried, though I only attempted to release enough to allow me to stand. As luck would have it, no immediate danger presented itself, the small measure of magic I released simply made a mess of the room, gave a few stray books the ability to fly, and animated the griffon figurines on one of the tables that represented griffon forces." Twilight was beginning to lose patience with him, and it showed. Discord caught her expression, but his own remained passive as he spoke, "I know how tedious and time-consuming explaining all this is, but trust me, it's necessary if you're to believe what I have to tell you afterwards. Besides, if it's any consolation, I'm almost finished."

Twilight gave a single impatient nod for him to continue, "As I was saying, a couple of the griffon figurines had animated themselves, and that proved to be the problem. I was in no state to control them, I was hardly able to move, so when they started dancing around and singing offensive songs on the table I paid them no heed. Then Lord What'shisface decides to chime in."

Discord's face twisted with disgust as he mimicked said Lord, "'Celestia, what is the meaning of this? What is this monstrosity doing here? What even is it, some sort of twisted jester!? And what have you done to my heirlooms!?' Of course, as soon as I heard this I turned the ugly little things back to normal, but he didn't stop there. 'Do you mock me Celestia? Do you mock my subjects!? Is this some sort of JOKE!?' Oh, and how he went on. All the while I'm trying not to pass out from having to suppress the energies and de-animate his damned statuettes!

To cut a long story short, it escalated from being about his subjects to being about honour and respect, of which he was showing neither at the time I might add. Celestia must have seen where the conversation was going, because right as he was about to start talking of war she roared at him. Very, very loudly. Luckily for those outside the room had been magically soundproofed beforehand in preparation for the meeting. I don't remember exactly what she said, something about his family owing her a debt from long ago, and that he was bound by his code of honour to repay that debt by forgetting everything that had happened since I arrived. He begrudgingly agreed, and Celestia erased his short-term memory after a few minutes of his theatrics.

Whilst he was addled by the spell Celestia simply told me to 'expend all the energies immediately, then wait', and teleported me into the caves beneath Canterlot. Not a moment after I had turned several dozen crystals into a multitude of desserts, cutlery and explosives - and a combination of the three on more than one occasion - I found myself 'poofed' elsewhere. One moment, I'm sat in the caves, the next I'm sat in the statue garden, my most hated part of the castle! But, no, not bad enough yet! Nearly four hours later the elite magicians appear out of nowhere and throw up a top-level barrier spell, cramming me into a bloody box! After that, well... you know the rest..."

Twilight cocked her head to the side as if expecting more, "That's it? Nothing you've just told me has shocked me very much, and I don't think I've gained any answers I couldn't simply ask the Princess for."

Discord squinted a little as he spoke, "You're not reading between the lines, Twilight Sparkle. I would've thought someone as intelligent as yourself would have noticed a few things... off, about the situation I was in."

She raised an eyebrow sceptically, "Such as?"

"Such as the pain only kicking in when Celestia was around. I've told you, I'm not going to lie. I won't twist the story to make Celestia seem like some sort of monster, but I think it's more than a little convenient that only in Celestia's presence did I lose control."

Twilight simply regarded him dismissively, "You really expect me to believe that? Why am I even here any more? I should just get the Princess down here now to shut you up."

Discord drew himself up to his full height and bellowed in outrage, "Ever since I started speaking you've disregarded everything I've said as a lie! Yet I've told you nothing but the truth! WHY WON'T YOU EVEN GIVE ME A CHANCE!?" he sounded as much wounded as he did enraged.

Twilight found the mask of passiveness she had being trying to wear disappear. The question had struck a deep nerve. "Why? WHY!? Because you almost started a war! Because you sent your pet to destroy Ponyville! Because you killed over a hundred ponies in half an hour!" She seethed with rage as she prepared to deliver her final sentence, "BECAUSE YOU MURDERED MY BROTHER, YOU BASTARD!" Tears streamed down her face, and she glared intensely at the draconequus. Discord was stunned by the revelation, even doubted it, but the look on her face was one of pure sorrow and hatred. She was telling the truth. Silence reigned for several minutes, broken only by the occasional deep breath or hiss made by the unicorn as she tried her best to stem the flow of tears.

When Discord finally decided to speak, his voice was laden with pity, "Twilight Sparkle..." She didn't respond, but looked downwards instead, "I know you won't believe this, but I never intended to unleash Calamity again, at all. He followed me into this dimension after his banishment, I did not summon him, I promise you. I... I'm... sorry, for your loss. I truly am." Silence regained control of the mindscape for many more minutes as his words sank in. Twilight's broken features tightened when she looked up at him, gauging his expression.

When she was certain of the sincerity of his words, she let fresh tears flow and spoke, her voice cracked and weak, "I don't believe you... How? How else could it have happened? It had to be you..."

The darkness that surrounded the two rippled slightly, Discord's reply was heavy with sympathy, "I don't have enough energy to sustain the spell, Twilight Sparkle. Come back tomorrow and I will explain everything, I promise." Her expression was one of furious internal debate as she looked up at him. Discord continued pensively, "If you don't, I understand. But I wish to ask a favour if that's the case."

Despite herself, Twilight still managed to shoot him an inquisitive glance, "W-What?"

Discord hung his head dejectedly, mirroring his statue's pose almost perfectly, "Please, thank Fluttershy for me - for not forgetting me - when you next see her..." his voice reverberated as his form slowly faded from view. Then there was nothing, only silence, darkness and Twilight. She sighed and focused on opening her eyes. The first thing she saw was the statue, still miserably hanging its head, though she didn't feel any anger towards it now, nor any pity. She felt confused, empty even. Shaking her head, Twilight turned noiselessly and looked to the sky, it would be getting dark soon, and she had a visit she ought to make. 'Besides, the walk might help clear my head...' she thought to herself as she set off towards the exit.

Discord watched her leave his peripheral vision, then he was once again stuck staring at the same infernal patch of earth he had stared at for the past four months. He pondered what she had told him, 'Her brother? But he's the prince of the Crystal Empire, surely she can't mean him... She mentioned other ponies before her brother, though, as if he wasn't one... I wonder... The dragon? Was that Spike!? No, he's far too young. Unless...' A terrible realisation dawned upon him, 'No... Celestia, surely you didn't use that?' He was deep in thought now, 'Even by my standards, Celestia, that's just plain cruel. She considered him a brother, and you used that on him then didn't even tell her...' Discord inwardly released a mighty heave of a sigh, if she did return tomorrow, the revelation could prove disastrous, 'The one time I force myself to tell the truth, and Celestia still manages to complicate everything!'

Twilight took a deep breath and raised a hoof. It was dark now, and she knew she couldn't stall any longer, having already taken the longest practical route back to her old home. She couldn't help but feel nervous, 'How long has it been since I last saw them?' Not once since her brother's wedding was the answer. Of course, they had been in touch over the mail, but only until her self-imposed incarceration within the library that had lasted almost a month. She exhaled heavily and knocked three times, each knock quieter than the last. She waited for a long moment before hearing the sound of movement inside. After what seemed like several minutes to Twilight, the door swung open, painfully slowly. In the doorway stood a unicorn with a mane streaked white and purple, her eyes wide. Twilight looked up at her mother's expression, 'Did I make a mistake, showing up here without a single word for a month?'

After several long seconds Twilight Velvet came to her senses and stepped towards her daughter, "Twilight?"

"Mum?"

The older Twilight dashed towards her daughter and enveloped her in a crushing hug, which was promptly returned. When the two finally released each other, the older unicorn practically dragged her daughter inside, excited questions tumbling out of the mare at a breakneck pace. They entered the living room to see Night Light reclining happily on one of the sofas, until he caught sight of his daughter and effectively leaped across the room to embrace her, "Twilight! Where have you been all month!? We haven't heard anything from you in ages!" The youngest pony in the room couldn't help but smile. Despite everything that she'd been through, knowing that her parents were still here and willing to listen to her made things seem so much better.

As they settled onto one of the sofas she tried to keep her tone from becoming too sombre, "Well... A lot has happened over the last few weeks. I'm sure you heard what happened in Ponyville?"

They nodded and her mother spoke up, "Yes, but we never got the details. We were worried sick about you! Had the princesses not assured us that you were fine and needed some space we would have been there straight away!"

The daughter of the two took a deep breath before speaking, "I guess I should fill you in then... You might want to get comfortable, this might take a while. It's not going to be easy to talk about..." Both parents lovingly wrapped a hoof around their daughter in response. "It all started back when Princess Luna visited us a month back..."

An hour later, Twilight had rounded off her story at her arrival at the house. Of course, certain parts had been omitted: the way she tortured Calamity so horribly; her resentment for the Princess; the meeting with Discord... Nevertheless, she felt much better having being able to get it off her chest. Many tears had been shed during the hour by all three, especially over the death of the dragon she had raised from a hatchling, "Twilight, we had no idea you'd been through so much... You should have came here sooner." her father soothed.

She nodded in response, wiping the last few tears away, "I know... But I was so sad, and angry, I didn't know what to do... I'm sorry..."

Both hugged her once again as her mother spoke, "Hey, there's nothing to be sorry about. We're just glad you're here now, that's all that matters."

They beamed at their daughter, and she couldn't help but smile back. Several minutes of relative silence passed before Night Light broke the silence between them, shifting from position on the sofa and taking an exaggerated breath, "So, now that that's out of the way, let's try and lighten the mood a bit shall we? Twilight, what are you going to do now you're here in Canterlot? Your brother is visiting on royal business this week, you know..."

Twilight laid awake as she usually did, scanning around aimlessly. Even in the dark she could see that the room hadn't changed at all since she'd left, with the exception of the bed she now slept in, the old one being too small. She mulled over the events of the day tiredly. Although she tried to focus on the few pleasant hours she had spent chatting with her parents, her thoughts inevitably drifted back to her meeting with Chaos Incarnate... "I DID NOT LIE TO HER!"... "I've told you nothing but the truth!"... "I will explain everything, I promise."

Despite her better judgement, the nagging urge at the back of her mind simply wouldn't dissipate, and the more she thought about it, the more she couldn't help but think, 'What if he really wasn't lying?' She hated the situation she was in, Discord telling her the truth, and accusing the Princess of lying? She rolled over and sighed, exasperated at her own inability to stop thinking and sleep. 'He knows something, but can I trust him? Do I really want to know what he has to say?' The moment she asked herself that question, her insatiable thirst for knowledge made up her mind for her. She wouldn't admit it to herself yet, but she fully intended to visit the statue garden again the next day.

Nearly an hour later, she began to sink into the depths of sleep, her last conscious thought a silent 'Thank you' to Princess Luna, her spell still keeping Twilight's nightmares at bay.

Princess Luna smiled as she felt the familiar presence of Twilight's mind in the dreamscape, happy that her friend was sleeping undisturbed once again. At least, until the nightmares haunting the purple unicorn plagued her own mind instead - such was the drawback of the spell. She groaned, and after a few minutes of the horrific images passed by she left the dreamscape, she would deal with those when she slept herself. Celestia was by her side now, smiling sadly, "Twilight Sparkle?" she asked.

"Yes, sister. Though the nightmares are a little less graphic than yesterday, apparently the time with her parents was exactly what she needed..."

"She has been through so much... Are you sure you can keep dealing with those dreams? I would be more than happy to-"

"No sister, it's fine, really. They're unpleasant, but I've been through nightmares far worse..." She smiled sadly, "Though something troubles me." Luna's expression seemed both confused and concerned now, "The signs in the nightmares have changed slightly. It seems as if she has an important choice to make. It could be very serious, considering the month's events. I worry for her..."

Celestia simply placed a comforting wing around her sister and spoke, "Do not worry, Luna. She is my most precious student, and I have the utmost faith in her. She will make the right choice, whatever it may be, I know it." Despite her show of confidence in her student, Celestia couldn't help but feel worried for her.

'Twilight, whatever you have to do, be safe...'

Author's Note

Edited as of 1/6/14. Wording of a great amount of dialogue and narrative improved across the board. Addition and removal of certain phrases performed to properly describe how characters are feeling, especially during Discord's recollection of events.

Chapter XXVII - The Dead Tell No Tales

"Only a few months after I magically meddled with Reginald and his army, the Chaos Wars were slowly, but visibly, beginning to draw to a close." Discord's expression remained unreadable to those that sat before him as he began his tale, "Those that had surrounded Reginald's last remaining city-turned-stronghold had been swiftly wiped out, as I told you last time. However, the coming end of the wars wasn't down to Reginald and his army alone, not by any stretch of the imagination. Across Equestria, previously divided factions were uniting under a common banner, banding together in a coalition the likes of which had never been seen before. Word had spread of two sisters, powerful beyond mortal measure, leading this new order; I'm sure you're all aware of whom I speak?"

Pinkie nodded, "The Princesses."

"Correct. Well, they didn't possess the title at the time, but yes, Celestia and Luna. Reginald's faction was a part of this order, had been for quite some time, in fact. The problem was, one of the basic principles of the order was mutual defence, that if one of its members came under siege or attack, the other members were obligated to provide the necessary assistance. However, when the ragtag rogue armies that had desolated so much of Reginald's kingdom set their sights on his last remaining city, nopony came to his aid. Or, more accurately, nopony could."

"Why not?" Fluttershy asked with a curious tilt of her head.

"Celestia herself began leading a large contingent of soldiers towards the city as soon as she caught word of Reginald's predicament. But the promise of taking Reginald's capital city - Hollow Shades - proved quite the incentive for the wandering armies of the time; everypony wanted to claim it as their own. Although uncoordinated, these forces were intelligent enough to understand that help would promptly be on the way for Reginald, and that Celestia's armies would decimate theirs if they had their backs turned whilst they dealt with him."

He stroked his beard in thought as he recalled the events, "Some decided to attack regardless, pressing on towards Hollow Shades, confident that they could seize the city as their own before their competitors. Most, however, remained a good distance from the capital, waiting instead to intercept the reinforcements Celestia would inevitably bring." He shook his head in amusement, "The fools were slaughtered. They were too few in number, too uncoordinated, and too confident. Only a united force could have hoped to have stood against Celestia's charge. One by one, these small armies of rogues and mercenaries were cut down, but still, they caused Celestia's troops to tire, and slowed their progress towards Hollow Shades significantly between them. It took Celestia and her forces nearly six days to make a two day journey. Imagine her surprise when the forces she had set out to protect Reginald from were nothing more than piles of bodies and pools of gore by the time she finally arrived." He smiled at the memory and chuckled to himself, "She was certainly surprised, indeed."

The others shifted uncomfortably, though Fluttershy in particular seemed noticeably unsettled by Discord's recollection. Despite such, Twilight spoke up, "Wait a second, you keep saying Hollow Shades. As in, our destination?"

Discord nodded, "The very same, if I'm not mistaken." He held his paw to his mouth in a shushing motion as Twilight opened her mouth to speak, "Questions later, my inquisitive little student."

Begrudgingly, Twilight closed her mouth and set her expression to one of mild irritation without a word.

With another nod, this time of appreciation rather than confirmation, Discord continued, "But yes, by the time Celestia reached the city proper, Reginald had already taken care of business, so to speak. Celestia and her forces left for other battles once they had ascertained that there was no longer a significant danger posed to Hollow Shades. Once she had gone, however, Reginald took advantage of his newfound powers to the best of his ability - unaware of the consequences that would follow." He gave Pinkie a brief look, "And here's where things get darker..."

Pinkie noticed his pause and gave him a small but certain smile of encouragement, "It's fine, Discy, let's hear it."

"Alright..." He cracked his knuckles absent-mindedly as he spoke, "One by one, Reginald retook the cities that had been stolen from him. Fuelled by the magic I had gifted them, he and his soldiers were relentless, nigh-unstoppable even, but bloodthirsty; they left no survivors, even when the enemy would surrender or flee. It didn't take long at all for Reginald and his army to regain their territories and re-establish their borders once again, the fearsome reputation they had earned during their retaliatory campaign of vengeance acting as a deterrent against invasion. Not long after, refugees from all over Equestria began flocking to Reginald's lands, throwing themselves at his mercy and begging for shelter within his borders, certain that the kingdom of King Reginald was the closest thing to a safe haven that existed during the wars. Well, for those that were earthbound, at least; Cloudsdale was probably the most heavily fortified city in Equestria, if not the world, by that point."

Again, he shook his head, but he didn't laugh this time, "Reginald let them in, despite the struggles he was already having trying to keep his subjects content, and his battle against the magic within him. Several months passed before the next domino fell. Out of the blue, Reginald ordered his forces to attack a small neighbouring faction; his ally, and a member of Celestia's order just like him. The cities burned, the spoils were taken, and the citizens were massacred. It was as if he were assaulting the homeland of a bitter enemy, not a long-term ally."

The mares before him displayed various degrees of confusion, though Pinkie held a tinge of horror on her face as she stared at him with her mouth slightly agape, "But why? Why would he do something like that?"

Discord shrugged, "Pinkie, that's a question I asked myself many a time over my thousand year imprisonment, and I still don't have a definite answer. By that point, his alter ego obviously must have taken control, but even so, I don't understand the motive... Revenge, greed, or even just the bloodlust my magic gave him? All are possible, but I don't think I'll ever know for sure. Regardless of his motives, Celestia was pissed. Fast-forward a few days and I see Celestia herself marching into Hollow Shades with a personal escort of elite soldiers, demanding an immediate explanation for Reginald's actions." Again, he shook his head, "The King greeted her warmly and invited her inside."

Discord frowned as he thought back, "I don't know what was said inside that castle, but I certainly won't forget what happened whilst they were saying it. Just about all the refugees that had come to the city seeking sanctuary simply took their families and ran. Swarms of ponies just scrambling to get away. I didn't even realise what from until I noticed that the only ones that hadn't ran were those whose manes had fallen flat over their faces..."

Twilight gasped slightly, "Your magic-"

"Had taken its hold in all of them, yes. Stallions, mares, foals, anypony afflicted with my magic, and they were all converging on the location of Celestia's elite warriors. They attacked without hesitation, despite many of them only wielding the tools of their trade, or in some cases, no weapons or armour at all. Celestia's warriors, on the other hand, were fully equipped and battle-hardened. The fighting that broke out was fierce, though Celestia's troops didn't have much of a choice but to go on the defensive, given that they were promptly surrounded and heavily outnumbered as they tried to make their way towards the castle."

Discord snapped his fingers, a small flame appearing between them as he did so, "The next thing I saw was fire, and lots of it I might add, blasting through the castle windows, along with the occasional burning body."

Twilight felt herself frown as she recalled a similar sight, "Celestia?"

"Celestia indeed." The flame in his hand grew at the mention of her name, now stretching almost to his head in height, "I'd make a joke about heated negotiations, but this is one of the few times where it really isn't appropriate."

The others noted the flat tone to his voice, and shared a disbelieving look before turning back to him with apparent shock on their faces, though Pinkie reined herself in almost immediately, giving Discord a small smile and a nod, "Thanks, Discy. It means a lot."

Without a change in his flat expression, or a reaction to the looks Fluttershy, Twilight, and Angel were giving him, Discord returned the nod and continued, "After the fireball, Reginald and Celestia broke out onto one of the castle balconies, locked in combat. I don't know what weapon Reginald was fighting with, but it looked like some sort of spear; I didn't get close enough before the end came." He snapped his fingers a final time, causing the flame between them to burn brightly before it whirled violently upwards, roaring towards the roof and disappearing in a burst of light, "Celestia got the upper hoof, shot a wave of fire that I felt from the outskirts of the city, and vaporised him."

Silence followed as everyone slowly turned their heads from Discord to Pinkie, apparently stunned by the abruptness of it all. Pinkie seemed more confused than anything else, raising an eyebrow as she addressed him, "J-Just like that? Really?"

"Just like that." His voice held a slight tone of solemness to it, "Literally gone in a flash. No great sacrifice, no heroic final stand, nothing; that's war I'm afraid, ladies."

Pinkie shook herself from her thoughts and glanced back up at Discord, "It's... sad, really. He was only trying to do what was best for his subjects..."

Discord hummed in agreement, "He certainly was unique in that regard. I have to admit, I felt a twinge of... something, when it happened. Something I hadn't felt before..."

"Loss?" Fluttershy asked, sympathy for Pinkie, Discord, and the long-deceased King clear on her face as she placed a reassuring hoof on Pinkie's shoulder, "Like you'd lost a friend?"

Discord frowned in thought for a moment before shaking his head, "Loss? Probably, yes. Of a friend? No, I don't think so. Reginald was simply an... acquaintance that I'd decided was worth investing in. I meddled on his behalf and pulled some strings in his favour, but I don't think we knew each other well enough to regard one another as friends."

"I see..." Fluttershy averted her eyes and grimaced slightly at the implications of Discord's long-term loneliness.

Despite also having placed a reassuring hoof on Pinkie's back, Twilight couldn't help but ask the question gnawing at her,"What happened next?"

After waiting for a moment so as to ensure he had the attention of all in the room, Discord spoke up, "Everything burned. Celestia made sure of it. A good number of her soldiers had been cut down or overwhelmed by the citizens attacking them, and she made sure to repay them in kind. It took her about forty minutes to almost single-hoofedly purge an entire city."

"Wait a second." Twilight's voice held an edge of worry, "Earlier you said that everypony afflicted by your magic stayed in the city, including the foals..."

"I did." Discord caught the disgusted and somewhat furious expression that made its way onto Twilight's face, "I won't defend her actions, Twilight, but the foals were just as dangerous as the others."

Twilight shook her head, "Even so, this is just... unbelievable. Foals. She killed foals Discord. Nopony can justify that, no matter which way they spin it; not even you."

Discord shrugged passively, "And I'm not going to try. Although really, nopony was in the right in the end; Reginald's forces did the same to the settlement they raided shortly beforehand."

Twilight simply shook her head and glared at the floor as if to melt it under her furious gaze.

Discord turned his attention to Pinkie, who returned another encouraging smile after Twilight rose her head once again. He cleared his throat, "After... that, the majority of the survivors realised they didn't have a chance of standing against her, and abandoned what remained of the city, leaving Celestia to begin searching for something, I don't know what; she just trudged through the streets without any apparent direction until she wound up back at the castle." He scratched his nose absent-mindedly, wood shavings falling from it as he did so, "By this point, it was almost completely ablaze, and falling apart at the seams, just like the rest of the city. I was as surprised as her when Reginald's wife staggered out of the smoke."

"His wife?" Twilight's voice held a hesitant tone, "Did-" She gave Pinkie a sideways glance, to which the mare responded with a brief nod, despite the lack of emotion on her face, "Did Celestia... you know?"

Discord shook his head, "Kill her? No. Rosea was both distraught and furious, obviously, but like the few that had managed to flee, she had enough sense about her to know that attacking Celestia would likely result in a premature cremation. No, she just stood within the slowly collapsing castle, staring Celestia down as she tried to coax her out. Celestia wasn't making much progress, and promptly elected to approach her instead." Discord snapped his fingers once more, the sounds of roaring flames and groaning masonry filling the air, "In all fairness, I shouldn't have intervened; I'd already assisted Reginald with his kingdom's survival far too much as it stood, and that didn't exactly go to plan... I suppose I was just sore over losing such an interesting character so abruptly."

"W-What did you do?" Fluttershy asked.

A final snap of his fingers heralded a horrendous cacophony of crashing and smashing, though it quickly died down, the sound of crumbling rocks and raging fires once again taking precedence, "I brought down the structure between them, just to spite Celestia and foil her attempts from a distance. As it turned out, that was all the opportunity the Queen needed to escape. She ran for the woods and didn't look back until she reached them. Celestia, on the other hand, had to deal with the blockage first. By the time she broke through, Queen Rosea was gone."

Pinkie waved a hoof to catch his attention as she spoke, "Discy?"

Discord waved back in an exasperated fashion, "Pinkie?"

"It's not that I don't care, this is actually super interesting, even if it is sad..." She paused for a second as she pondered over it, "But why are you telling us all this?"

Discord hummed and gave her an approving smile, "That's certainly a good question, Pinkie. To sum it up, I'm telling you this because I'm going to ask you a question that - depending on your answer - could change the world as we know it." He watched as all eyes in the room slowly turned towards Pinkie, and suppressed the urge to chuckle at the expressions on Twilight and Fluttershy's faces, "As a result, I need to fill you in on your family history as much as possible."

Pinkie gave a somewhat hesitant nod, surprising those around her as apparent nervousness took hold in her voice, "O-Okay, so... What else do I need to know?"

"I didn't know it back then, but I now believe that Rosea was pregnant with her husband's foal when she fled Hollow Shades. I don't know if Reginald bore any foals to any other mares or not, but I doubt such was the case. Rosea is my safest guess on who carried the foal bearing Reginald's undiluted chaos magic, the magic that you, in turn, have inherited."

"Wait a second..." Pinkie scrutinised the floor beneath her as she scrunched her brow in thought, "So you're saying that I might not even be here today if you didn't collapse that castle?"

He shrugged, "Well, that wasn't what I was getting at, but yes, I suppose that's true too."

Pinkie grinned to herself and shook her head amusedly, though a slight sniffle could be heard as she smiled up at Discord, "This is the second time you've told us that I have you to thank for actually just being here today."

She attempted to stand, and promptly found herself clad in tight chains that bound her to her seat. Discord smiled back, but waved a finger disapprovingly at her as she pouted, "A 'thank you' will suffice, Pinkie. I'm not letting you squeeze the life out of me again."

After several seconds of struggling, Pinkie eventually resigned herself to her fate and gave an exaggerated sigh, "Fine. Thanks for saving my life a thousand years before I was born, Discy."

Discord caught Twilight and Angel rolling their eyes and lightly chuckled to himself, "You're very welcome, Pinkie. Now then, if that's taken care of..." He snapped his fingers, uncoiling the chains binding Pinkie and slithering them into his grasp. He went about rolling them into a solid ball as he glanced around at the others, though his focus remained on Pinkie for the vast majority of the process, "The reason I'm telling you all this is because, as you know, the magic that you possess within you is the very same that Reginald possessed before his demise; pure and undiluted across generations. If I'm right about what's to come, that magic is the key to the success of the next stage of my plan."

Twilight raised an eyebrow, "Which is?"

Discord fixed each of them with a deadly serious stare, meeting Pinkie's gaze last and holding it as he continued, "Something that none of you are going to like." He dropped the ball of iron from his grasp, allowing it to slam into the floor with a surprisingly loud thud that served to punctuate his sentence, "The magic that I imbued into Reginald's subjects was strong, and long-lasting. Very long lasting. So much so that, even through death, it persisted."

Twilight shook her head, an edge of worry seeping into her voice, "You're right, I don't like where this is going..."

"Somehow, the magic that I gifted those ponies has remained tethered to the land of the living. Even now, I can feel it calling out..." He closed his eyes for a short moment before turning to Fluttershy and Pinkie in turn, "This might require some explaining, ladies, bear with me." Both nodded as Discord gestured towards Twilight, "As our resident unicorn is probably aware, a pony's magic is an intrinsic part of his or her being, even in earth ponies and pegasi. Whilst a pony can live without it, it's extremely difficult."

Twilight nodded in agreement, "But even when a pony is drained of their magic, there's always some that can't be extracted. That's the innermost magic that keeps us alive, and it doesn't vanish until we die of another cause." She furrowed her brow in confusion, "But... when we do, that's it, the magic should be lost."

"And yet, for whatever reason, the magic I gifted them has remained after all these years." Discord raised an eyebrow and turned to Twilight, whose eyes had began to widen somewhat, "Do you see what I'm getting at?"

Twilight shook her head vigorously, "You can't be suggesting what I think you are?"

Discord stared at her, his face expressionless, "I'm afraid I am."

"S-Suggesting what?" Fluttershy stammered, glancing between the two with unease on her face.

Twilight turned to Fluttershy with a similar expression on her own, "I-If the magic that Discord gave those ponies is still here, then their beings m-might not have actually passed on." She shuddered and addressed Discord hesitantly, "That is what you're getting at, right?"

He nodded, "Right."

Pinkie squinted in confusion, "So... What does that mean, exactly?"

Twilight looked Pinkie straight in the eye, a great deal of worry now clearly evident on her face, "Pinkie... Discord wants to raise the dead."

The prolonged silence that followed was eventually broken by Pinkie, who spoke in a somewhat stunned tone, "Shit... You're not kidding, are you?"

Despite herself, Twilight managed to choke and cough in response to Pinkie's sudden choice of language, rendering her unable to give a proper response other than shaking her head as Pinkie reached over and absent-mindedly patted her on the back.

Discord folded his arms and shook his head in conjunction with Twilight, "I'm afraid she wasn't, no. If I'm right then there might be a chance we can bring them back."

Fluttershy brought a hoof to her mouth, "B-But that's..."

"Definitely not happening." Twilight chimed in, having swiftly dealt with her coughing fit. She stood up and moved a few steps towards Discord, a disgusted yet somewhat bewildered look on her face as she did so, "After everything that's happened, you've brought us half way across Equestria just on the assumption that you can bring those ponies back to life?"

"Well, I'd call it more of an educated guess-"

"Even worse, you're actually suggesting necromancy!? There's no way in hell that's happening!"

The repulsed look on her face lingered even as Discord shot her a stern glare, "I don't recall asking you, Twilight, nor will that decision fall to you regardless."

Fluttershy glanced between the two, "Twilight, Dis-"

"So, what? We're just going to piss around with the very worst of dark magic just so we can parade an army of corpses!? Are you insane!?"

Discord gave her a second's worth of incredulous staring before responding, "Yes. Yes I am." He matched her expression as she snarled at him in irritation, "Besides, what I have in mind is entirely different to necromancy."

Again, Fluttershy raised her voice somewhat, "Please! Can't we-"

Twilight snorted, "Oh, well that's just great! That makes everything fine then, doesn't it!? Grab a shovel, everypony, we're going grave robbing!"

Discord flared his nostrils, a short jet of flame shooting from each, "You're starting to try my patience, Tw-"

"Alright! That's enough!" Each of the room's occupants covered their ears and swivelled around to see Pinkie standing, her eyebrows furrowed in disapproval, "Settle down, both of you."

A brief glance was shared between Discord and Twilight before the latter returned to her seat with a huff. Discord promptly turned his attention to Pinkie, "Nicely done. I suppose an explanation is in order?"

"Yeah..." She paused for a moment as she scratched her head, "Let's start from the beginning. You actually think you can bring them back to life?"

"I do." Discord responded without hesitation, "I can't be one hundred percent certain, but I think we've got a good chance of success if I'm right."

Pinkie scrunched her brow, "And what happens if you're wrong?"

"Hmm..." He removed his antler and began twirling it between his fingers as he thought over the question, "Worst case scenario, nothing happens."

Twilight lowered an eyebrow, a sceptical tone seeping into her voice, "Really? You're talking about necromancy, and you're saying the only potential repercussion of failure is that you won't succeed?"

Without warning, Discord launched his antler at Twilight, only to yank it back towards him at the last moment with a string attached to his finger. A disgruntled look remained upon his face as he proceeded to yo-yo the detached appendage, "Yes. And again, it's not necromancy, not technically."

Pinkie tilted her head slightly after forcing herself to divert her attention from the display, "So it's safe? For us and them?"

Discord nodded, "Yes." He turned to Fluttershy, noticing the enquiring look in her eyes, "What is it, Fluttershy?"

She blushed slightly as she tried to find a way to voice her thoughts, "I- It's- If you do it, they aren't r-really going to be like Twilight said, are they?" She took a deep breath, "W-Walking corpses?"

Discord smiled amusedly for a moment before forcing himself into neutralness as she hung her head in embarrassment, "I shouldn't think so, no. It's been a thousand years since they died. Even if we were to use necromancy, we'd be far more likely to be raising bare skeletons, if anything at all." He noticed her lack of movement and allowed a small degree of warmth into his voice, "It was a valid question, Fluttershy, I'm just surprised that you were so quick to believe Twilight is all." She raised her head in confusion, at which he whispered loudly to her from behind his paw, "We all know she can go off on a tangent from time to time."

Fluttershy chuckled lightly to herself, even as Twilight lit her horn with a warning spell. After a moment or two, the unicorn caught him with his mouth hanging open and sighed, cancelling the spell, "You're just waiting to eat it, aren't you?"

He glanced from side to side before slowly pressing his jaw closed with a single talon and giving a long, drawn out, "No..."

Twilight rolled her eyes, "Very mature."

Discord stuck out his tongue in response, "More mature than pointing and shouting 'necromancer!' at every given opportunity."

Pinkie hummed thoughtfully to herself, glancing between Twilight and Discord as she did so, "Discy, why do you and Twilight keep arguing about 'necromancy' and... whatever it is you're planning on? What's the difference?"

Discord raised a questioning eyebrow at Twilight, "Would you like to do the honours?"

She shook her head with a snort, "You're the one that's complicating everything, and I haven't got a clue what you're planning on doing. You explain it."

"Better than you drawling on, I suppose." He muttered under his breath before turning to Pinkie, "To put it briefly, Pinkie, necromancy is one of the darkest magical arts in existence. It allows the user to raise the corpses of fallen beings, friend or foe alike, and regardless of the state of the body, to do their bidding, often to violent effect. The body of the target effectively becomes a hollow puppet to be controlled by the necromancer."

He caught the grim nod Twilight gave him, and the slight paleness on Fluttershy's face, "But I'll spare you the other needlessly grisly details. Suffice to say, it's unpleasant, at best, and its use was forbidden by Celestia herself soon after the end of the Chaos Wars. Almost every known text containing any information on the subject was confiscated by the Crown, or destroyed. Some remain scattered across Equestria, obviously, but they're few and far between, and necromancers themselves, even more so. Given the dangerous nature of the texts that were confiscated, some claim that the grimoires themselves might actually hold some sway over those that read them; those in the princesses' custody are kept under lock and key in a forbidden section of the Canterlot Archives, along with other forbidden magical arts, supposedly for that reason."

At that, he gave Twilight a brief glance, but promptly continued, "But I digress. The difference between necromancy and what I'm planning is that, for all intents and purposes, I should be able to bring them back exactly as they were before they died, free will and all."

"How?" Both Pinkie and Twilight asked simultaneously.

Discord gestured towards Pinkie, "The chaos magic that Pinkie possesses within her is a pure, stronger version of the magic that the rest of Hollow Shades' inhabitants received. As we all know, this magic is intertwined with Pinkie's genes, and the same goes for the others that received my magic. If their magic still remains here, it stands to reason that I could, with a little luck, reconstruct them through their lingering magic alone."

Twilight nodded slowly, totally focused on Discord's words, "So... you're effectively reconstructing them from the genetic material the magic is merged with, but because they'll be resurrected using the same magic that they possessed in life..."

He nodded back, "Their consciousness will be transferred into their 'new' bodies."

Twilight sat still, apparently stunned, "That... could actually work." Her tone sounded hollow as she considered it, "This is insane..."

Discord gave a smirk at her reaction, "This is exactly the reason why I refrained from revealing everything to you at the beginning of our journey. Would you honestly have believed me back then if I had told you my intention was to raise the dead from a millennia past?"

Twilight shook her head, clearing her throat as she did so, "No, but there's still something I don't understand."

"And that is?"

Twilight pointed at Pinkie, "What does Pinkie's magic have to do with it?"

Discord's smirk vanished, "Ah, as a matter of fact, everything. It's the key to the success - or indeed, the failure - of this entire endeavour."

Pinkie's voice held an edge of nervousness, "It is?"

"It is. Although, 'anchor' would be a more accurate way to describe your magic than a key."

She tilted her head, "What do you mean?"

"What I intend to do, should we go through with this, is to use your magic as the base for the spell. Think of it as..." He hummed for a moment before snapping his fingers, an antique radio appearing in his grasp, "Tuning in to the right wavelength. If I start with you, then branch outwards, I'll have a solid base to work from and pull our 'friends' to."

"It's not that simple at all, is it?" Twilight stated matter-of-factly, giving a defeated shake of her head as she did so.

Discord gave a chuckle that quickly progressed into full-blown laughter, the radio in his paw crackling into life with the sounds of a large audience doing the same, "No, Twilight! Not by a long shot!" He glanced at her and the others momentarily before clutching his stomach and doubling over in another bout of hysterical laughter, leaving the others to glance at one another uncertainly, and with no small amount of confusion.

Twilight furrowed her eyebrows, "What's so funny?"

He spent a moment calming himself before shaking his head, grasping his tail and using it to wipe the tears from his eyes as the radio disappeared, "The understatement! Twilight, this will quite possibly be one of the single most complicated magical feats ever performed in the history of magic. One does not 'simply' bring millennia old ponies back to life in the thousands!"

Twilight blew upwards into her mane in irritation, "Fine, whatever."

He clutched a hand over his chest, "Oh, Twilight, don't be like that! I'd explain it all to you if I had a few spare years lying around."

Twilight rolled her eyes and murmured under her breath, leaving Discord to turn his attention back to Pinkie, "My apologies, Pinkie, we're straying from the matter at hand somewhat, aren't we?"

Pinkie remained uncharacteristically quiet for a few moments, staring pensively at the floor as she spoke, "It's fine..."

Discord stroked his beard as he examined her, "It's a lot to take in, I understand, especially in your case. Even so, I imagine you've already gathered what I'm going to ask next."

Pinkie nodded, shaken from her thoughts as she glanced up at him, "Whether or not I want to go through with it, right?" She caught Discord's approving nod, "I... I really don't know."

Discord remained still and silent until he was sure she would say nothing else, at which point he spoke up, "If we're to go through with this, I'll need your full co-operation. It will definitely be difficult, so much so that - even if I wanted to - I wouldn't be able to force you to participate and cast the spell simultaneously anyway. You have to be absolutely certain that you want to go through with this if you say yes."

Pinkie hung her head in deep thought, speaking without looking up, "I've got so many questions... So does Pinkamena..."

Discord allowed himself to fall backwards, only to be caught by his favourite cloud at the last second, "I'd be curious if you didn't. After all, they are, by all rights, your subjects. Ask away."

She ran a hoof through her mane, catching a few knots as she did so, "What are you actually bringing them back for?"

"Several reasons," he began without hesitation. "Namely, the fact that they will almost undoubtedly follow you upon learning of your lineage; they were nothing if not loyal. Furthermore, each possessed my magic, so I assume that they'll still retain the ability to fight as they once did, which should prove invaluable." He began counting off the points on his claw, "There's also the benefit of having a large, skilled workforce, something we'll definitely need if we're to set up a real threat to Celestia." He glanced down at Pinkie, taking note of her attentive expression, "In addition, there's also the simple fact that, by bring those ponies back to life, we'll be offering them a second chance at a life they never had, as well as a shot at revenge for what Celestia did to them."

Pinkie rubbed her chin in thought, "Right..."

"And, well, I suppose there's always the fact that without this major stage of the plan taking place, we're probably pretty much fucked."

Twilight fixed him with a deadpan expression and gave a very blunt, "What?"

He held up his hands defensively, "We need followers to accomplish our goals, Twilight. There's only so far we can go with just the few of us, and things haven't exactly gone perfectly; my original plan was to have us gone from Canterlot and far, far away by the time anypony realised that the three you hadn't simply gone missing."

Twilight cocked an eyebrow, "So Pinkie doesn't have a choice at all, then?"

Discord shook his head disapprovingly, "We could gather followers over time if Pinkie refuses, but the process would be lengthy and dangerous if we were to be sold out. Even so, it's her choice, I won't force her." He turned to Pinkie before Twilight could continue, "Any other questions?"

Pinkie looked down at the floor in thought, "Will it hurt them?"

He didn't move a muscle, save for a slight shrug of his shoulder as he responded, "I honestly don't know. I wouldn't imagine so, but I've never undergone the procedure myself, being immortal and whatnot."

Pinkie nodded contemplatively before her voice noticeably lowered in pitch, accompanied by the telltale straightening of her mane, "Do me a favour and imagine that it will." She brushed her mane away from her face briefly, revealing a serious look in her eye, "Exactly how much would it hurt?"

Discord squinted in concentration as he thought over it, "Somewhere in the realms of a great deal, most likely. The procedure itself shouldn't take too long once I've got the framework set up; it can't, we'd draw too much attention if I took my time. But even if I hurry through it, I'm fairly certain it wouldn't exactly tickle to have their bodies reconstructed from nothingness. This is provided, of course, that they're even aware of it happening, which I doubt."

Pinkamena let out something of a hum as she casually stroked her own cheek with a hoof, "I see... You said that they'll follow me?" She paused for a moment before sighing and tapping her forehead, "Us, once they find out we're the rightful heirs, right?"

He nodded, smirking as a gaudy golden crown appeared atop the mare's head in a flash of light, "That's correct." He genuflected, making sure to over-exaggerate every movement he could, "I behold Queen Pinkamena Diane Pie, Sovereign of the Kingdom of Hollow Shades."

Pinkamena stared at him flatly until the wonky placement of the crown caused it to slide and fall from her head, "Done?" She waited for him to stand again, frowning as her patience thinned.

Discord tipped his head, though his grin could still be easily seen, "Yes, Your Majesty."

Pinkamena caught the disapproving look that Fluttershy was giving the draconequus, but waved it away with a hoof, "Seriously, how is it that me and Pinkie are going to be in charge?"

Discord tilted his head slightly, "I'm afraid I don't follow, Ma'am?"

With a huff, Pinkamena stomped on the crown's side, crumpling it with surprising force before kicking the crushed remains towards him, "Surely Reginald would be brought back along with the rest of them?"

Discord pouted as he picked up the destroyed crown, hanging it from his antler before continuing, "He would, were his magic still around to call upon. I don't know why, but I haven't sensed any trace of him since his death. Honestly, I wouldn't be so eager to bring them all back if they were under his leadership anyway, I doubt his interests would have coincided with our own."

Pinkamena raised an eyebrow sceptically, "So he's completely gone? Sounds convenient for you."

Discord rolled his eyes, replacing them in their sockets before responding with a sigh, "Maybe I should incinerate you with the heat of the sun and see if your magic survives the fire?"

She chuckled to herself, brushing a hoof through her mane and smiling an almost predatory smile as she did so, "You wouldn't dare, you'd miss me too dearly." She reached over and wrapped a hoof around Fluttershy's shoulders, pressing her face very close the the pegasus' as she looked back up at Discord, "Besides, Fluttershy here would never forgive you. Would you, Fluttershy?"

Fluttershy sat stock still, her eyes darting frantically between Pinkamena and Discord as a mixture of fear and embarrassment overtook her at the mare's proximity, "N-N-No."

Pinkamena cocked an eyebrow at the draconequus, "See?" She moved slightly closer, brushing her cheek against Fluttershy's for a moment and giggling to herself at the ever-so-quiet squeak that the mare failed to muffle, speaking in a low, nigh conspiratorial whisper, "Thanks, Fluttershy." She slowly released the mare and returned to her previous position, leaving Fluttershy to sit in silence with a puzzled expression on her now visibly red face. Pinkamena spoke to Discord again without hesitation, "There's something else. Even if Reginald can't be brought back, what about Pinkie's parents, or older siblings? Aren't they technically the rightful heirs?"

Discord, frowning at the mare following her previous display, nodded begrudgingly, "Yes, technically they are."

Pinkamena held out a hoof expectantly, "So?"

He sighed and folded his arms, "I should've thought you, of all ponies, would have gathered by now. We lie, Pinkamena. As far as they know, the two of you have no other living relatives, and we're going to keep it that way."

She nodded, "I guessed as much, but we'll all have to be quite careful about what we say, and who we say it to..."

Neither Twilight nor Fluttershy seemed too enthused with the idea, though both remained quiet as Pinkamena turned to glance pointedly at the two of them. Without turning to look back at Discord, Pinkamena closed her eyes and shuffled in her seat slightly, speaking slowly and in an almost husky tone as she did so, "Well, this should definitely be interesting. I say you do it, I wouldn't mind ruling a kingdom of my own; certainly beats a cell, eh, Pinkie?"

With that, she slumped slightly before her mane regained some of its usual bounce, the softened features of Pinkie once again visible to the room's occupants as she opened her eyes, though the mare remained quiet and stared pensively at the floor beneath her. It took a few moments before she raised her head and met the gazes of her friends, responding with a small smile despite the uncharacteristic sadness in her eyes, "I'm fine, don't worry about it."

Twilight and Fluttershy traded glances, but neither seemed able to find the words to comfort their friend. In the end, Fluttershy resolved to place a reassuring hoof on her back, whilst Twilight turned her attention to Discord, "What now?"

"Now we decide." He removed the broken crown from his antler and began twirling it around a talon, seemingly paying more attention to it than Twilight as he spoke with an evidently bored tone in his voice, "Do please tell me how the very idea of resurrecting the dead is abhorrent and magically deplorable, Twilight."

Twilight furrowed her brow and turned her head, glaring at him from the corner of her eye in indignation, "Grow up. That's not what I was going to say."

Discord briefly turned his attention from the crown to her, betraying no emotion as he fixed her with his disinterested gaze, "Really?" He made sure to drawl the word until he saw Twilight's upper lip twitch ever-so-slightly.

She squinted at him for a moment before continuing, "What I was going to say was that, from an objective standpoint, I'm still unsure whether or not we should be doing this, but personally I don't think it's right." She looked between the others, though mostly at Pinkie, as she went on, "Even if it isn't technically necromancy, what he's planning on doing is resurrecting the dead. It's forbidden for a reason, and even if he thinks he can pull it off safely, there's still the potential that something could go very, very wrong in the process." She turned back to Discord, noting his raised eyebrow, "As you said yourself, this could be one of the most complicated magical feats in history, and there's always the potential for error with magic, no matter how safe you think it is. It doesn't sit right with me, especially since Pinkie has to be nearby when it happens. I'd rather not take any chances with magic that's better left alone."

Discord folded his arms, allowing the crown he previously held to disappear in a flash of light, "Says the unicorn that utilised some of the most unstable magic in existence for the express purpose of torture." He caught the mixture of guilt and anger that flashed across Twilight's features, as well as the confusion and uncertainty that the other two shared, "It seems Twilight here didn't care to tell you the story of exactly what happened after you left on the day Calamity came, did she?"

Fluttershy glowered up at him, the severity in her voice and expression catching him somewhat off guard, "That's enough, Discord. Whatever happened, we're not talking about that day, not now." She held her glare for a few more moments before shaking her head and casting a sympathetic glance towards Twilight, who had averted her gaze.

Pinkie, for her part, remained relatively neutral, save for looking expectantly at the draconequus before her. After several seconds of such, Discord sighed and spoke again with resignation, "You'll need discuss that with them at some point anyway, Twilight, but I suppose that was somewhat uncalled for-"

"Get to the fucking point." Twilight spat, refusing to look in his direction.

"Fine. Obviously, I don't intend for anything to go wrong, and I don't suspect there will be any ramifications regardless. But if something does go awry, I suppose you might have a point. Even so, I doubt any harm would come to Pinkie here, and I should be able to put measures in place to protect her just in case."

"Always an answer for everything." Still, she didn't grace him with a glance in his direction, and her voice became laden with spite, "It must be great being you, mustn't it?"

Discord rubbed each individual digit on his paw together in quick succession, watching Twilight intently as he did so, seemingly contemplating whether magical reprisal was worth Fluttershy's disapproval. In the end, he instead turned his paw over, examining the back of it with mock fascination, "Yes, it is, Twilight. It really is... Immortality, mastery of chaos magic, devilishly good looks, and the very world at my fingertips, within reason." He quickly held up a finger, "Oh, and a friend in Fluttershy here, can't forget that." He chuckled light-heartedly to himself, even as Twilight finally shot him a baleful glare from her seat.

He paid it no heed, instead turning to Fluttershy, only to be disappointed at the realisation that the mare did not share his enthusiasm at his mention of their camaraderie. Instead, she looked him in the eye for a brief few seconds before allowing her gaze to trail away, first to Twilight, then to the floor, with what Discord could only guess was a bewildered look on her face as she sat and pondered, stroking Angel absent-mindedly as he jumped from the floor onto her lap. He let his smirk fall away, catching and replacing it with little vigour, allowing time to pass as Twilight seethed until Fluttershy looked back up at him, "Something on your mind?"

Fluttershy nodded, "I-It's not important right now, we've got other things to think about..."

He analysed her for a moment, eventually nodding himself and reaching up to rub his eyelids tiredly, "True, we'll talk later then. What do you think of the plan, anyway? I'm hoping you aren't as adamantly against it as she is." He gave Twilight a sideways glance.

"A-Actually..." She gave Twilight a sympathetic, almost pained look, ducking her head as if to hide behind her mane, "I'm not really against it at all..."

Discord had to fight to stop his eyebrows from utilising his forehead as a runway from which to take flight, but they still remained far above their usual position regardless, "Is that so?"

"Y-Yes... The idea of bringing them back to life does scare me, especially if it might be dangerous like Twilight said, but I think that if we can bring them back, we should. They deserve a chance to live their lives in a time of peace, or, well..." She paused for a moment, "A-A chance to have a life where they won't be forced to fight if they don't want to, at least. Y-You owe that much to them a-after everything you put everypony through back then, Discord." Though her voice wavered as she spoke, the conviction in her eyes did not, and for just a moment Discord thought he saw the flicker of a fiery, almost vindictive righteousness dancing within them.

He stood and took a step towards her, "Do you know what I think, Fluttershy?" He continued towards her, noticing no change in the intensity of her stare.

"W-What?"

He stopped before her, standing at almost full height and bending forwards slightly so as to properly see her. He paused for a moment before reaching out his paw to ruffle her mane with a smile and a brief chuckle, "I think you might just be right."

It was brief, nigh unnoticeable to those less perceptive, but Discord caught it all the same. For a split second, as he reached towards her head, Fluttershy had flinched, ducking back and wincing just a little before stopping.

He held face, outwardly appearing not to have noticed as he continued to smile and ruffle his paw through her mane, eliciting a slight squeak from her before drawing back himself. As the pegasus attempted to return her hair to its usual state, Discord span, quickly making his way back to his cloud and reclining onto it in a way so as to coil himself slightly, allowing him to hold an arm against his chest without it seeming out of place. He looked back at Fluttershy and fought the urge to grimace in discomfort as an unpleasant but not certainly not unfamiliar ache manifested within his chest. It was dull, but nagging and incessant, and he murmured to himself as he fruitlessly attempted to alleviate the pain by rubbing over the afflicted area with his claw, "I never did take a look in there..."

"Pardon?" Fluttershy asked, fixing him with a curious, somewhat bashful look, "I didn't catch that, sorry..."

The aching continued, as did Discord's façade of relative normalcy, "Oh, don't worry, Fluttershy, I was just talking to myself." He pointed to a standing mirror beside him, from which his reflection waved before vanishing, leaving Discord with an eerie lack of a reflection until the mirror vanished into thin air. If nothing else, the display served to distract the others from questioning him further.

With some considerable effort, he steeled himself, shunting his concerns to the back of his mind as best as he could. After taking a deep breath, he turned to the only mare he had yet to ask about his proposal, "Pinkie? What's the verdict?" He considered summoning a gavel and wig before quickly deciding against it, his lips turning down at the corners ever so slightly as he fully realised just how sour a mood his current predicament had left him in.

Pinkie scratched her head in thought, "I don't really think we should be doing it." Discord felt himself beginning to frown until Pinkie promptly held up a hoof, smiling a little as she spoke again, "But we shouldn't be running from the law or trying to dethrone Celestia either, so I guess it doesn't matter all that much."

Discord raised an eyebrow incredulously at her reasoning, as did Twilight, Fluttershy, and even Angel.

"Like Fluttershy said, it's for a good cause! They get their lives back, and we avoid a cell, or being banished, or maybe both?" She took in their expressions and exhaled loudly, turning to Twilight in particular, "I'm not worried about the procedure, Twilight. I trust Discy to protect me if anything goes wrong."

Twilight grumbled something under her breath, shooting Discord a sideways glance as Pinkie continued, "Sorry, Twilight, I know you don't want me to say yes, but I really think that Discord has the chance to do something super good here. I mean, I really don't know whether I want the responsibility of deciding on my shoulders but..." She paused, facing a wall and falling quiet in thought for a moment, "I have to look beyond myself, you know? I have to try and think of all the ponies that we could save if this goes right."

Despite being somewhat surprised by the level of responsibility Pinkie was currently displaying, Twilight still asked the question on her mind with relative bluntness, "And if it doesn't?"

Pinkie shrugged, replying immediately, "Then at least I'll know I tried. I wouldn't be able to live with myself knowing that I'd let thousands of ponies down when they needed me... Even one is too many." She stopped still for a moment, then turned to Discord with a determined expression upon her face, "My mind's made up, Discy. Hollow Shades is long overdue for an encore."

Discord had expected himself to smile, but he didn't. Instead, he simple gave a single nod of his head, "Excellent. We'll go tonight, I plan to be finished by sunrise."

Twilight shook her head, massaging her temples with her hooves even as she spoke, "And the Night Guard? They're still out there, aren't they?"

Again, he gave a single nod, "A necessary risk. I'll be on the lookout beforehand, I should be able to deal with them if they find us then. If they come across us whilst the spell is in progress, well..." He sighed, "Then we're in for a spot of bother, I suppose."

"And what exactly will we do if you succeed? We'll have several thousand ponies in the vicinity, it's not just like we can slip away into the night undetected."

Discord snapped his fingers, disappearing from sight and making no sound until he whispered from behind her, "Magic, Twilight."

She span, only to realise that she couldn't see where he was, "You're honestly going to try to conceal that many ponies? Are you cra-" She stopped herself as he re-appeared and pointedly tipped his head to the side with a flat expression, "How?"

"It definitely won't be easy. By the end of the spell I'll be somewhat drained, but that's just how it has to be if we're to escape afterwards." He held his hands before himself, just slightly apart, causing a small ball of yellow magic to appear between them along with a low thrumming sound that permeated the air, "Fortunately, I have chaos on my side, and there's been a good deal of it across Equestria of late."

Despite herself, Twilight gaped slightly in awe at the swirling ball of energy before forcing herself to stop. Pinkie caught her doing so and glanced between the magic and the draconequus holding it inquisitively, "What's that?"

Twilight cut in, not taking her eyes off the swirling orb, "If I'm not mistaken, that's-"

"Compressed chaos magic, ready for use whenever I require it." He nodded, "I've not just been acting as a glorified taxi service you know, ladies. I've been storing this up whenever I've been given the chance. All those times I left to cause chaos so that I wouldn't explode? All the little arguments and confrontations we've had between ourselves and with others? They weren't just petty distractions, I've been putting them to good use. Well, most of them at least... Hopefully, this should last for the spell and the following journey."

Twilight continued to watch the magic intently, apparently entranced by the simple looking ball, "There's so much magic compressed into that thing, but it's stable... How did you even manage that?"

Discord lowered his hands, allowing the ball to disappear into nothingness and smiling despite himself, "Chaos, my Dear Student. Chaos always finds a way."

A moment passed, "No, really, how did you do it?"

He sighed and sagged his shoulders as the atmosphere of the moment shattered, "Magic." He rolled his eyes at her scowl, "It's complicated. Suffice to say, chaos magic can bend the rules far beyond what conventional fields of magic do, but at far greater risk. One day, when you've learned the more advanced aspects of chaos magic, I'll teach you."

She opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again as he finished, instead opting to give him an appreciative nod, though her expression still remained rather dour.

He chuckled to himself, though he seemed to be devoid of any good humour or happiness as he stared at his paw, "One day..."

The journey from Canterlot's train station to the castle had been utterly miserable. Even with their scheduled escorts shielding each of them with an umbrella as they went, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity still found themselves absolutely drenched by the time they reached the castle due to the strong winds sweeping the rain beneath the umbrellas and into their faces.

To make matters worse, the posters that the three had become so familiar with since their return to Ponyville could be seen on many a wall and building around the city, and although the sodden streets were somewhat less busy than usual, a good deal of ponies still remained, going about their daily business, which wouldn't have been a problem in itself if not for the fact that a great many of those within the city recognised them. As such, the same pointing and whispering that had taken root in Ponyville quickly spread through the streets, and the three could have sworn that, towards the end of their trek, some small groups of ponies had turned up solely for the purpose of observing them being escorted into the castle by the Royal Guard. A very select few had attempted to approach, some even posing questions to them as they came, but the guards were quick to react, stopping them with a hoof and politely but firmly requesting that they step back, eliciting further murmurs and speculation from the crowds around the group.

After being allowed into the castle itself and shown to their suites, each had promptly unpacked the few belongings they had brought with them and dried themselves off sufficiently - or, in Rarity's case, taken a shower - in preparation for their meeting with Celestia scheduled for the following hour. Said hour had ticked by unbearably slowly, even when the three had all opted to stay within Rarity's suite whilst they waited, in the hopes of alleviating their collective boredom and anticipation. Each had simply sat quietly, and other than a few short exchanges, little had been said. When a guard eventually knocked to inform them that the Princess was ready to see them, Rainbow had jumped into the air and shot half way down the hallway before realising she didn't know which direction Celestia was actually in, and Applejack had to be roused by Rarity, having almost fallen into the welcoming embrace of sleep.

Following such, the guard had led the unicorn, mildly embarrassed pegasus, and still slightly drowsy earth pony to the room in which Celestia was supposedly waiting, standing aside and gesturing for them to make their way inside, "Princess Celestia is waiting inside for you." He gave a slight tip of his head, "Her Majesty has also requested that I ask you to 'keep an open mind on the situation'."

The three shared a bewildered glance before Rarity turned back to him, "Would you be able to elaborate?"

The guard shook his head and gave her an apologetic look, "I apologise, Miss, but I was not provided with the details."

Rarity bit her lip slightly and nodded her thanks, "Not to worry. Thank you, anyway." She glanced at the others before making her way to the door before her, waiting for them to line up beside her as she took a calming breath in preparation for whatever might lie within.

Despite her earlier enthusiasm, Rainbow glanced between the door and Rarity with a slight cringe on her face as she rubbed one forehoof against the other, "So... Should we knock, or-"

Applejack rolled her eyes and stepped towards the door, "Oh for cryin' out loud, we're meetin' Princess Celestia, not attentin' a royal summit." She rested a hoof against the handle, pushing the door open and stepping through into the rather plain room within, furnished with only a medium sized oblong table with ten chairs around it, seemingly made of mahogany, as well as a fireplace against the far wall.

Not that Applejack, or those that followed her, actually paid any of these items any great deal of attention, given the ponies that were waiting for them. To their right stood Princess Celestia, and Princess Luna just to the right of her, along with a mare that none of them were familiar with, presumably from the Night Guard, if her slitted pupils and bat-like wings were any indication.

To Celestia's left was Prince Shining Armor, who had stood from his seat upon their entry, returning the chair he had sat on to its rightful place beneath the table with his magic, which was several paces away from where he now stood. Though each tried not to stare, all three new arrivals found themselves drawn to the bandage still wrapped around his hind leg, though it seemed that the Prince was not having anywhere near as much difficulty standing on it as he had the last time they had seen him.

The only other occupant of the room had gone unnoticed for several seconds until Rarity had caught the figure of a pony in the corner of her eye, and subsequently took a half-startled but quiet gasp. The figure still sat at the table was none other than Prince Blueblood, and only when all three had noticed him did he rise without a word, making his way around the edge of the table to stand with the rest; nearest Shining, but still a good few steps away.

For all intents and purposes, save for the unidentified mare, the three had indeed walked into a veritable royal summit.

Not that such mattered to Rarity, and the advice of the guard they had spoken to barely twenty seconds ago seemed to slip completely from her mind as she fixed Blueblood with a look of pure indignation, hissing as the door clicked shut behind them, "You!"

Blueblood remained passive, glancing at Rarity only briefly, and doing the same to Rainbow and Applejack, before turning his attention to Celestia, who cleared her throat before speaking, "Girls?"

Rarity quickly snapped her gaze away from the Prince, attempting to wipe the scowl off her face as she realised that each of the room's occupants were staring at her, save for Applejack, who also held something of a frown.

After ascertaining that she had their attention, Celestia took a step forwards, ushering for them to step closer and gesturing to each of them as she spoke, "Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, thank you for turning up so early. I'm sorry for the wait you've endured, we've had a number of issues to deal with recently." She gave them a small smile, but took note of their anxious expressions, "I'll get right to the point. As we've already agreed, provisions have been made for each of you to be trained so that you might be able to adequately defend yourselves in future, should the need arise. Between us, we've come to an agreement as to who we believe would be most suitable to teach each of you, given our current circumstances."

Applejack adjusted the brim of her hat with just a touch of nervousness in her voice, "Alright. So who's gonna be doin' what, Princess?"

Celestia nodded to Shining, who took a step forwards, "Applejack, Shining has decided that he's willing to personally tutor you in the art of combat, his other duties permitting, of course."

Rarity and Rainbow seemed somewhat stunned by the statement, and Applejack seemed to freeze for a moment, her eyes jumping between the Princess and Prince before settling on him as she came to her senses, "Really? A-Ah wasn't quite expectin' to be taught by a prince, no offence."

Shining laughed at the statement, "None taken. I've talked this over extensively with Princess Celestia, and I feel that there's a great deal I could teach you specifically that you would miss out on elsewhere. Of course, that being said, there will be times where you'll be tutored by someone else, or have to train alone; I'll still have an empire to run, after all."

Applejack nodded, permitting herself a grateful smile, "That's fair. Honestly, that's still a heck of a lot more than Ah was hopin' for on the way here."

"There could be a slight problem though." Shining began, "I've been planning on returning to the Crystal Empire soon. I've already been absent for far too long, and it's unfair of me to ask Cadence to fulfil my half of the duties for any longer than absolutely necessary." He levitated a glass of water from the table, taking a sip before replacing it, "From what I've heard, you've got your hooves planted deeply when it comes to home and family; something I can honestly say I admire. But do you think you'll be able to leave Ponyville, and indeed, Equestria behind for however long it takes until your training is completed?"

To the surprise of those who knew her well, Applejack nodded almost immediately, "Ah've got a score to settle, and this is the only way it's gonna happen. Besides, Princess Celestia's arranged for my family to be compensated while Ah'm gone." She tipped the brim of her hat to the Princess in question, "And, well... They actually didn't very much approve of my leavin' again, but this is somethin' Ah just have to do; Ah don't expect them to understand."

Shining gave her a small, understanding smile, "Well, it seems you've got the drive and conviction you'll need, too. Just make sure you're absolutely certain before we leave."

"Ah will." Applejack stepped forwards and held out a hoof, which Shining promptly took and shook, "Thanks for this, Ah won't let you down."

He grinned and released her hoof, allowing her to take a step back. He did the same, albeit by shuffling slightly so as to avoid putting his weight onto his bandaged leg, "I'm glad to hear it."

After checking that the two had finished conversing, Luna spoke. Her voice seemed rather quiet in comparison to the two that had been speaking, yet it carried to the ears of those listening with no trouble whatsoever, "It was... rather difficult for us to select someone we deemed both suitable and up for the task of training you, Rainbow Dash, but I believe we've made a good choice. Allow me to introduce Nightshade." She gestured to the guard beside her with her wing, prompting her to give a quick bow in response, "A trusted Night Guard of mine. Despite her outstanding record, she has been on duty as an instructor for the new recruits over the past few months, for personal reasons; but that is a position easily delegated." She gave Rainbow a knowing look, a semblance of a smirk tugging at the corners of her mouth, "I believe she'll be much more... engaged with her duties, tutoring you in a one-to-one environment."

Rainbow gave Luna a slightly incredulous look before stepping towards the mare in question, taking the hoof she had extended without hesitation, "Nightshade, huh?" She looked closely as the mare grinned at her, consequentially revealing a pair of sharp fangs. Rainbow paid little notice to them, and briefly leaned to one side in order to check the mare's cutie mark, only to find that it was covered by her armour. Given such, Rainbow turned back to the - still smiling - guard, "Yeah... I'm not buying it."

Nightshade raised an eyebrow, but remained silent, her grin disappearing as she did so. Luna, on the other hand, spoke up in a tone that held a palpable degree of gravity, "I beg your pardon, Rainbow Dash?"

Rainbow's eyes widened as she realised what Luna must have assumed, shaking her head rapidly in response, "N-No! I don't mean it like that at all! I'm not a racist, Luna!" She hung her head for a moment as she collected her composure, though she gave the guard before her an apologetic look nonetheless as she raised her head, "I mean, just, 'Nightshade'. That's just too convenient to be true. That's not your real name, right?"

For a moment, there was silence, though it was promptly broken by the sound of a quiet giggle coming from the guard, one that quickly became a hearty laugh. Despite what the bearers had assumed, the mare's laughter did not sound guttural, gravelly or otherwise masculine in any way, but rather served to put them at ease as it chimed through the room. The same could be said for her voice as she spoke clearly and fluently, but with an accent that the three simply couldn't place, "You're correct, I haven't gone by my old name in years." She gave the mare a quick look, scanning over her with a slowly returning, cheeky smirk, "Though really, Rainbow Dash, you're going to lecture me on apt names?" She gave the mare an expectant glance.

Rainbow chuckled and rubbed the back of her neck, "Yeah, point taken, I guess."

From behind Nightshade, Luna cleared her throat, and Rainbow couldn't help but notice the speed at which the mare assumed her previous, motionless stance, not a hint of expression on her face as the Princess spoke, "You'll both have plenty of time for witticisms later." She turned to Rainbow in particular, "You'll be staying here in Canterlot, for convenience's sake more than anything else. As such, Celestia and I have agreed that your suite will remain yours for as long as you choose to keep residence within the castle, though we can't guarantee it will remain so if you choose to settle elsewhere in the city."

Rainbow thought it over for a moment, "Well, there's not really anywhere else I'm bothered about staying, especially not after the crowds we drew just by trotting here." She sighed, "That's not the kind of attention any of us want right now. And the rents here are probably crazy anyway." She shrugged to herself before giving Luna an inquisitive look, "You're sure it's cool for me to stay here? Our suites look real expensive."

Luna shrugged too, giving what sounded like a half-snort, half-laugh as she rolled her eyes, "Treasury."

Rainbow smiled at the brief looks of puzzlement and disapproval that crossed Shining and Blueblood's faces respectively, "Oh, yeah. Thanks a bunch, Princess, those rooms are awesome!"

Luna waved a hoof nonchalantly, "Oh, no need to thank me, Rainbow Dash. Just don't partake in any more brawls, will you? We have had enough repair work done on the castle over the course of this year."

Rainbow briefly debated pointing her hoof at Applejack, but decided against it, instead simply opting to nod her head and shoot the farmer a sideways glare as she raised a hoof to her mouth to hide her smirk, "Okay, Princess." She fought the urge to grit her teeth, "I'll try my best."

Luna nodded, following Rainbow's glances at Applejack and taking note of the farmer's poor attempts at concealing her expression, "That goes for you, too, Applejack. I haven't yet tested the integrity of the furniture or the windows in the Crystal Palace, and I imagine that Prince Shining would appreciate it if you didn't either."

Shining scrunched his muzzle slightly and turned to Applejack, not entirely sure what Luna was referring to but responding nonetheless, "That I would."

The mare simply responded by shielding her guilty expression with her hat.

Luna shook her head briefly, allowing the sternness she had previously bore to quickly return, "Anyway, moving along." She looked between Blueblood and Celestia.

After a moment of quiet, Celestia glanced over at Blueblood, realising that he hadn't moved a muscle. The Prince held a passive expression, but his eyes bored into Rarity's as she glared back.

Celestia, resisting the urge to pinch the bridge of her nose, moved around to Blueblood's side, "Rarity, this is Prince Blueblood. I believe the two of you are... already acquainted."

Blueblood maintained his fixation on Rarity, responding flatly, "Indeed."

Rarity's eyes narrowed further, but after a moment of contemplation they sprung wide, and Rarity fought to rein in her self control as she jerked her head so as to meet Celestia's eyes, "Oh, Princess, please no. Please, please no."

Celestia sighed, "Rarity..."

Rarity covered her face with a hoof, seemingly shielding herself from those around her, or perhaps the other way around, "Princess Celestia. I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but I wasn't in favour of this idea to begin with. Even so, I respected the decision of the group and stayed. Applejack is training with Prince Shining, Rainbow Dash has her own special forces instructor, and I'm stuck with... with him!" She lowered her hoof for a second, revealing her face, now the embodiment of all the scorn in Equestria, before sinking it into her hoof once again, "Forgive me for saying so, Princess, but it feels awfully like you've arranged for this simply to punish me."

Applejack moved a step closer to Rarity, whispering something to her and placing a hoof on her side before turning to Celestia, "No offence, Princess, but it does kinda look that way from where Ah'm standin'." She gestured at Blueblood, giving him a frown before turning back to the Princess, "From what we've seen of him in the past, he ain't exactly all that compatible with us small town folks."

Blueblood simply stood still, motionless and unspeaking as he glanced between the two.

Rarity raised her head, having sufficiently composed herself so as to be able to speak without being at risk of shouting. However, as she did, she was met with a stern look from the Princess. It remained fixed mainly on her, though it drifted to Applejack once or twice. Both found themselves lost for words at the utter contempt in her eyes, and each felt as though they were shrinking beneath it.

After only a couple of seconds, Celestia relented, her gaze softening as she hung her head, though her voice still carried a somewhat defensive edge to it, "Rarity, Applejack. I appreciate that your interactions with Blueblood have been less than stellar in the past, but if you'd allow me to speak before judging my decision, you might see things a little differently." She closed her eyes for a moment as she exhaled before fixing the two with a knowing and somewhat sympathetic smile, "Please just let me explain, and try to refrain from making comments about my nephew if you possibly can."

Rarity opened her mouth to speak, then allowed it to drop open a little more as she processed the Princess's words before remembering to close it, 'Nephew!?'

Applejack's eyes darted between the Princess and her supposed nephew at the statement. Despite the colour of their coats, the two didn't seem to share all that much in common. Even so, that didn't stop Applejack from pulling the brim of her stetson down slightly and pursing her lips as she realised why Celestia had reacted so strongly to their remarks, 'Oh boy...'

Celestia caught the mixture of puzzlement and awkwardness on their faces and resolved to explain her reasoning as quickly as possible, "Rarity, you've been able to use your magic to work with crystals and gems in the past, correct?"

Rarity gave her a sheepish look, "Yes, why?"

She gestured to her nephew, "Blueblood here has magic that functions uniquely, but in a vaguely similar way. We believe that, given the appropriate training, you might be able to utilise the same magic that he can."

Rarity turned from the Princess to the Prince and fought the urge not to scowl at him, for fear of Celestia's admonishment, though her voice took on an unpleasant tone regardless, "Unique magic? How so?"

Blueblood simply remained silent as Celestia spoke for him, "A number of my guards, and even Luna and I, have made many attempts to replicate it, with no success."

Rarity raised an eyebrow, now somewhat intrigued, "But if even you can't learn it, what makes you think I can? I'm not the most magically proficient unicorn in Equestria, Princess." Rarity grimaced slightly as she recalled exactly whom that title belonged to.

Celestia shook her head, "We don't think that the magic Blueblood wields operates depending on the ability of its user. There have been a few hypotheses surrounding the issue, but personally, I believe that the key might be using a pony of similar interests and mindset." She gave Rarity a knowing look.

Rarity's eyes widened, and she had to bite her lip so as to avoid retorting loudly. She took a moment to compose herself before forcing a small smile, "P-Princess, I don't mean to be rude, but I don't think that Prince Blueblood and I are really that much alike."

Celestia simply winked back, "You might be surprised, Rarity."

The unicorn felt a vein on her head throb, along with a pulse indicating the onset of a nasty headache, "B-But surely there's somepony more suited to the test than I?"

Celestia shrugged, "Perhaps, but even if there were, I wouldn't deny you the opportunity to learn magic so useful and so rare that it could potentially be limited to just the two of you, nor would I turn my nose up at the opportunity to learn such an art, if I were you."

Rarity scrunched her eyes shut as she pondered her situation and attempted to stave off the oncoming headache, "Fine, I do see your point, Princess, but..." She turned back to Blueblood, furrowing her brow in thought as she examined his cutie mark, attempting to gain some insight into his supposed talent, "What does your magic actually do? What's so special about it?"

To Rarity's surprise, Blueblood responded, though his features remained deliberately passive as he did so, "It's far too difficult to explain here and now. Suffice to say, it goes far beyond detecting gems and crystals." He turned his nose up at her ever so slightly, earning him another glare from Rarity.

Celestia nudged Blueblood slightly, giving him a disapproving look, "But that was where you began, was it not?"

To his embarrassment, and Rarity's infinite joy, Blueblood averted his gaze and spoke with resignation clear in his voice, "Yes, Auntie..." As he raised his head, he couldn't help but frown at the mocking smile that Rarity now wore, but he quickly calmed himself and stood neutral once again.

Celestia ignored the looks shared between them, focusing intently on Rarity as she spoke, "Rarity, I understand that this might be difficult for you, but please give this a chance. If you are indeed capable of learning Blueblood's magic you'll be wasting a great opportunity by declining, and I'm sure it would go a long way to support your cause if you were to learn even just the basics."

Rarity caught the pleading look in the Princess's eye and found herself rubbing her temples with her magic, willing away the dull throbbing now present behind her forehead, "I... Fine, I'll try." She turned to Blueblood, "Though I can't make any promises."

"A sentiment the two of us can finally share, it seems." He looked to Celestia for a moment, an almost pleading look growing on his face as the Princess raised her eyebrows expectantly and nodded in Rarity's direction. After a few seconds of such, Blueblood cast his eyes downwards to the floor, trailing them up to meet Rarity's in a dejected fashion before slowly, hesitantly extending a forehoof to her, "But I gave my word, and I intend to keep it, if at all possible."

Rarity slowly reached out, tenuously taking his hoof and participating in what could only be described as the least enthusiastic hoofshake in Equestrian history for little over two seconds before she released his hoof, promptly stepping back to her original position as Blueblood casually dragged his hoof through the carpet beneath him.

Celestia and Luna both fought the urge to roll their eyes. Having overseen many peace agreements between bitter enemies over their time, the two had borne witness to a large number of reluctant hoofshakes, and indeed, shakes of hands, talons, claws, and a host of other unfamiliar appendages. Though the two did not seem to display the sheer animosity that the princesses had observed during bitter negotiations in the past, their level of mutual distaste for one another on a personal level was almost palpable, and perhaps some of the strongest the alicorns had ever seen.

Luna shook her head, brushing her mane away from her face as the motion carried it towards her eyes, "Well, unless anypony has any other pressing matters to mention, I believe that is everything."

A series of short glances were shared, but nopony said anything in response.

"Very well. You may all leave as you please." With that, Luna vanished in a small puff of smoke.

Celestia allowed herself to roll her eyes this time before heading towards the door, beckoning for Blueblood to follow. The two promptly left and headed elsewhere within the castle, though Blueblood gave Rarity a final glance that she couldn't quite read just before he exited the threshold. It seemed almost forlorn, but there was something else; something unfamiliar. Regardless, it was clear to the mare that he was simultaneously wallowing in his own self-pity, and she promptly returned an offended glare accordingly.

Shining approached Applejack and gave her a smile, "I'll have one of the guards come and find you when we approach our departure; we should be just about ready to go by tomorrow. If you do change your mind at any point, you only have to say so; I'll understand completely."

Applejack chuckled to herself, giving him a slight nudge, wary of shoving him too far due to his injury, "You ain't gettin' rid of me that easy, Prince or not."

He shook his head but chuckled himself, "It was worth a try." He teleported to the other side of her as she reached up to nudge him again, making his way through the door without looking back, though an amused tone was clear in his voice as he went, "But seriously, think about it." With that, he rounded the corner and pulled the door shut behind him with his magic, leaving Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Nightshade together in the room. A moment of quiet elapsed before the guard made her way to the door, turning to Rainbow as she opened it, "I'll give you a few days to settle in whilst I finish preparations. I expect you to be physically and mentally prepared by the time I decide we're good to go."

Rainbow gave a single nod in confirmation but smirked confidently, "I can handle whatever you throw at me."

She had expected the guard to smile back, but Nightshade simply stared, seemingly analysing the pegasus for a moment before stepping through the threshold, "I suppose we'll see." The door clicked shut behind her.

Applejack scratched her head bemusedly, "Well that got serious mighty quick..."

Rainbow mimicked Applejack, approaching the door and opening it before poking her head out to scan for the mare, "Yeah, she seemed pretty cool with everything to start with. I hope she's not one of those ponies that's only interesting when there's a princess around."

Applejack shrugged, "Guess you'll be findin' out soon enough either wa-ay!" A loud crack startled the two, and each reflexively span to the source of the sound, only to see Rarity standing before a now lit fireplace, the glow of magic slowly fading from her horn as she breathed slowly but deeply.

Applejack gestured for Rainbow to remain quiet as they approached the unicorn, and cautiously rested a hoof against her back, "Rarity? Y'alright?"

Rarity exhaled loudly, cradling her head in one forehoof whilst grinding the other into the carpet beneath her, "Why him? Why!?" She immediately turned to Applejack, "How is this fair!?"

Applejack gave her back a sympathetic pat before retracting her hoof, "It ain't."

Rarity ducked her head, murmuring under her breath, her words only becoming decipherable as she spoke up towards the end of her tirade, "-nd probably just because he's her nephew! It's almost like I'm being used as some sort of experiment! The nerve!" She turned back to the fire, giving a rising, exceptionally unladylike growl before a set of sparks shot from her horn into the fire, followed by a pained groan as her headache intensified into a small migraine, "I would never have agreed to this if I'd have known he would be the one teaching me!"

Rainbow couldn't stand by any longer without asking the burning question on her mind, "Hold on. Exactly how do you know that guy?"

Applejack gave the pegasus a disappointed look, whilst Rarity simply gave her a shake of her head and held out her hoof in an almost pleading fashion. Applejack unconsciously scrunched her nose, knowing that Rainbow would just keep asking until she gained an answer, "Remember the Gala?"

Rainbow nodded after a moment's thought, "Yeah... That seems like forever ago."

"We met him there. Only saw a little of him myself, but Rarity was with him nearly the whole evenin', Ah believe." She gave her friend a flat look, "A little was all Ah needed to see; he's a complete dick. Full of himself, rude, all high and mighty..." She grimaced and turned to Rarity once again, "Ah feel for you, Rares. Hopefully, they're tellin' the truth and he actually does know some sort of secret magic, but it don't seem all that likely to me, if Ah'm bein' completely honest."

Rarity shook her head - which was held in her hoof once again - and stumbled her way towards the door before Rainbow stabilised her, "Whoa, Rarity, are you okay?"

The unicorn slowly shook her head so as to avoid aggravating the pain any further, "I'm fine, Dear, I've just got the worst headache..." She took the handle in her hooves, unwilling to use her magic again for the same reason, "I just need to lie down for a while. Please don't mention him again though, I want to avoid thinking about it for a while."

The two nodded in compliance. Rainbow followed Rarity out through the doorway, and Applejack made to do the same before stopping, a look of realisation on her face as she turned back into the room and grabbed a few of the cups of water that remained on the table, tossing their contents onto the fire in quick succession, dousing the flames. She examined the hissing, rapidly cooling embers for a moment before giving herself a satisfied nod, "Settin' the castle on fire is definitely not the way forward today." She recalled Luna's short speech on the destruction of Crown property and shuddered. If smashing a few pieces of furniture and promptly defenestrating them was enough to earn her the Princess's moderate irritation, she dared not think about the consequences if she, or more specifically one of her friends, set the entire castle ablaze.

"What an absolute nightmare that'd be..."

She set off after the others, who were now being led away by the guard that had originally escorted them to the room, but felt herself switch into autopilot as she caught up with them, momentarily pondering over her chain of thought, and the images of armour and razor sharp teeth that all-too-readily resurfaced.

She shook them away as best she could, picking up her pace once again until she trotted beside Rainbow. For Rarity's sake, the rest of their short walk was silent, save for the clicking of hooves against the marble floor. To Applejack's disapproval, this left her with time to contemplate her foreboding thoughts without being interrupted. Though she tried her best to ward against the images of Nightmare Moon in her mind, others took their opportunity to slip through the gaps in her defences.

Twilight. Fluttershy. Pinkie.

Spike. Calamity.

Discord.

She sighed and forced herself to keep step with the others as she felt herself slowing down, 'That definitely wasn't the best choice of words...'

They continued to walk in silence.

Author's Note

Well, here it is! Second anniversary chapter is up. Granted, it's only 5 chapters past the last one, but that's life I'm afraid.

Anyways, I was planning on this chapter clearing up this 'arc' of the story so to speak, since each group will soon set out on their new quests. However, there's a little more detail I need to provide beforehand, so expect a shorter chapter up relatively soon (in comparison to my usual update time).

On a separate note, I've finally seen the new Equestria Girls film, and I must point this out: Those voices that Blueblood was hearing last chapter were not the Dazzlings, or anyone from the 'Human World'. It was simply a coincidence that I published the chapter shortly after the film's release. I just wanted to clear that up here, since I think a number of people assumed that's what I was alluding to, when in actual fact I hadn't seen the film when I wrote that scene.

As always, thanks for reading, and feel free to comment below; they're one of the main reasons I write this story, I love hearing what you guys think!

Mike, scoping out new fictional horizons.

Chapter I - Harmony

Twilight stretched and yawned lazily, awakening from the best night's sleep she'd had in ages. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she glanced over at the calendar hung upon the wall beside her bed; Ponyville was expecting a visit from Princess Luna today.

She smiled at how much things had changed over the past few months since the Crystal Empire was restored to its former glory. She remembered a time where ponies would cower in fear of the 'Mistress of Darkness'. No longer. Luna's regular visits to many towns across Equestria, in conjunction with her gradual adjustment to society - namely, not using the 'Royal Canterlot Voice' when the opportunity seemed ripe to her - meant that ponies had gradually come to accept Luna for who she was, and eventually, love her for it.

Sighing contentedly, Twilight rolled out of bed onto her hooves, trotted to the stairs and caught the scent of what would surely be an immaculate breakfast; Spike's own pancake recipe really couldn't be bested by your average pony. Maybe it had something to do with him cooking the mixture using dragonfire. On more than one occasion she had tried to copy his recipe, and on just as many occasions had almost set the library ablaze. She plodded slowly downstairs into the kitchen and surely enough, there was Spike, holding two plates towered high with delicious pancakes, "Morning, sis!" he said with a smile.

Twilight could never remember the exact point at which she and Spike had begun to refer to each other as brother and sister. Then again, it didn't really matter to them all that much. Twilight knew that Spike looked up to her as a big sister, and when she thought about it, it made sense. Even so, she occasionally had to stop herself from referring to him as her 'big brother', considering the growth spurt he had hit about a month ago. He now stood almost a head taller than Twilight, and the general consensus between Twilight and her friends was that he would soon be reaching the early stages of dragon adolescence if he continued growing at such a rate.

Twilight giggled at the thought of a Spike with a deep, gravelly voice before replying, "Morning, Spike."

Spike stared quizzically at her for a moment and slightly titled his head, "What's so funny, Twi?"

She shook her head to herself, though a small grin remained on her face at the thought, "Oh, nothing important, don't worry about it."

Spike shrugged his shoulders in mock exasperation. "Girls," he murmured to himself, "I don't think I'll ever understand..." He set the plates down onto the table, and the two began to eat in comfortable silence.

Twilight sighed contentedly as she levitated the plates into the sink, "Absolutely fantastic, as always. You really should consider entering a competition!" Spike's eyes widened as he thought of how humiliating it would be if he were seen in public, making pancakes in his favourite apron, and how quickly his 'masculine image' would be destroyed.

Noting his mortified expression, Twilight giggled and prodded him gently, "Just teasing! But really, those were great!"

Letting out a breath he didn't even realise he was holding, Spike reclined lazily in his chair, "That's a relief, and thanks! Only the best for my big sister!" His smile practically gleamed, "So," he spoke casually, "What plans do you and the others have for when the Princess gets here?"

"None!" she exclaimed happily, as if she'd just won some huge personal victory; showing her 'rebellious side' apparently amounted to not making list upon list to ensure things went perfectly.

Spike cocked an eyebrow before sighing, reading her like an open book, ironically enough, "She asked you not to plan ahead didn't she?" It was phrased as more of a statement than a question.

Twilight quickly hung her head in response.

"Yeah, I figured as much." he continued, though it was all in good humour. Turning towards the sink to begin the washing up, he spoke again, "You'd better go find the girls. The Princess will be here in a couple of hours, you can at least save her the trouble of having to track you all down that way."

Twilight, glad to have been given something even vaguely similar to a plan, bolted out the door in search of the others.

Spike grinned and shook his head slowly. "Girls... especially that one..." He decided there and then that the minds of the fairer sex were of a far more complex and intricate nature than he could ever hope to comprehend. It weighed upon him more than he thought it would, and it took several moments for him to snap from his musings, shrug, and get back to washing the dishes.

In the Canterlot sculpture gardens, all was still, all was silent, and to a certain spirit of chaos, all was far too boring. If one were to listen carefully enough, they would have noticed a small sound, quieter than a whisper by half, drift off towards Ponyville.

To the southwest of Ponyville, in a large field not too distant from Sweet Apple Acres, something strange was set in motion. If one were to listen carefully enough, they would have noticed the sound of quiet laughter. Slowly, but surely, growing louder.

Twilight caught sight of Fluttershy and Rarity leaving the spa together, and gave a great sigh of relief. It was a well-known fact around Ponyville that trying to find Fluttershy when you had nothing to go on but word-of-mouth was almost impossible. If she didn't want to be found - or, as was more often the case, simply wasn't aware that somepony was looking for her - she typically wouldn't be found. Twilight herself had wondered at one point if the pegasus was concealing a horn of her own; her ability to fade into the background put even the highest level of invisibility spells to shame. Twilight approached them from the side, "Hey girls!"

"Hello Twilight." Fluttershy nodded to her approaching friend.

"Oh, Twilight dear, what a pleasant surprise! We were just heading up to Sugarcube Corner for a snack, care to join us?"

Twilight nodded, "Sure, I need to find Pinkie anyways. I doubt I'll buy anything while I'm there though, I'm still stuffed from Spike's pancakes."

"Oh, isn't he just the cutest little cook in all of Equestria!" Rarity wailed. The three shared a giggle as they proceeded to trot towards Sugarcube corner.

"By the way, have either of you seen Rainbow Da-" Twilight was interrupted by a huge crackle of thunder piercing the air directly behind them, causing the three to jump reflexively, followed by the sound of laughter from above, "Never mind..." Twilight huffed. The three began walking again, one very amused Rainbow Dash in tow.

The four trotted into Sugarcube Corner. Dash wore a disappointed look after Rarity had frowned menacingly at her for trying to gain access through one of the second floor windows, "Sorry, Rarity, bad habits die hard I guess. At least it's not your house..."

Rarity held her nose high but said nothing, leaving Rainbow to scratch her head awkwardly.

Twilight approached the counter and rung the service bell. A pink blur appeared in her periphery for a moment, and she found herself staring into the face of Pinkie Pie not half a second later, "Hey, Twilight! What can I get for you? Y'know, 'cause you don't visit as often as I'd like, otherwise I'd already know. I know all my regulars' favourite cupcakes! I know! We should throw a party! A cupcake party! Then I can learn what everyone in Ponyville likes best! Then I -"

Dash facehoofed and interjected, "Pinkie!"

Pinkie stopped, still smiling, "Yes, Dashie?"

Not raising her head, Rainbow continued, "Twilight needs to ask you something."

Twilight was once again staring into the smiling face of Pinkie, although this time she was quiet - asides from her hooves clacking against the floor as she bounced on the spot. Twilight cleared her throat awkwardly, "The Princess will be here in about an hour, we still need to find Applejack before she arrives, would you be able to take your break now so we can go find her together?"

Pinkie looked puzzled for a moment, "Okie dokie lokie!" If Dash had pressed her hoof any harder into her forehead it probably would have bruised, "Mrs Cake! The Princess wants to see us in an hour, is it okay for me to take my break?"

Mrs Cake called through from the back of the shop, "Of course, Pinkie! Considering it's the Princess it'd probably be better if you took the day off; don't want to look disrespectful leaving her suddenly, do you?"

"Thank you Mrs Cake!" Pinkie practically screamed. She gave the others a puzzled look when she noticed they were all covering their ears but shrugged it off, "AJ, huh?" Pinkie mused, "She was here about half an hour ago, picked up some ingredients for a pie I think, then headed off back to Sweet Apple Acres." she explained, still hopping slowly on the spot.

Everypony sighed, more walking.

Twilight lifted her head, "Okay, lets try and catch her bef-"

She was promptly interrupted by a familiar voice, "Howdy, y'all!" Applejack approached Pinkie and sighed, "Sorry to bother ya, Sugarcube, but Ah forgot the uh, excuse the pun, the sugar..." she smiled sheepishly.

Pinkie shrugged, "It's okay, we were just about to come find you anyways."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, the Princess will be here soon, remember?"

Applejack blushed ashamedly, she hadn't remembered. With so much going on at Sweet Apple Acres she'd completely forgotten about the visit, "Uh, no, sorry, Ah kinda got caught up in all the work Ah've been doin'. Ah'll be right back once Ah've got these ingredients back to the barn!"

She grabbed the sugar, placed it into the bag she was carrying and cantered towards the door, only to be stopped by Rainbow, "The Princess'll be here soon AJ. We don't have time to wait around."

"Ah know, A-Ah'm sorry..."

"Don't be, just pass me the ingredients. I'll be there and back before you know it!" she boasted, striking her chest with a hoof.

Applejack looked like she would reject the offer, but after a moment of deliberation she sighed and handed the ingredients over. She had already nearly made her friends late, she wouldn't disappoint them twice in the same day.

A multicoloured blur shot out the door, "BE CAREFUL WITH 'EM!" Applejack called after her.

Only ten seconds later, Rainbow Dash appeared in in the doorway, panting a little but smiling, "All done!" she shouted to nopony in particular. Applejack couldn't help but roll her eyes.

In the field, a small area, no larger than a square inch, seemed distorted, as if by the heat haze on a hot summers day. The laughter was now barely audible without straining to hear it, provided no other sounds dared overlap it, which they didn't.

The Bearers of the Elements of Harmony arrived just in time to see Luna step out of the carriage. Cheers of joy rang out across the town centre. However, as was always the case, she was flanked by royal guards, and a queue of dignitaries had already formed to greet her. Luna cast an eye over them and onto Twilight and the others. She smiled mischievously and rolled her eyes, causing all of them to giggle. The Princess then put on her most official expression and proceeded to indulge the dignitaries with her words of wisdom.

Luna realised she had only spoken to about half of the long line of ponies and scowled momentarily, it had already been half an hour!

Rainbow Dash chuckled to herself as she picked up on Luna's irritation, "Forget about the 'Royal Canterlot Voice', that right there's the royal Canterlot sour-face!" she whispered, eliciting a fresh bout of giggles from her friends.

Forty minutes later, the last of the long line of ponies departed. Luna sighed happily to herself as she scanned over the crowd around her. Finally finished, she could actually talk to the ponies she had come to visit.

The Elements, Luna and Spike sat in the library, having finally gained enough privacy to relax comfortably. Luna had even told her guards to remain outside, much to their displeasure, but they complied nonetheless. It was their job to worry about such things, so the Princess let them do their job and worry. Outside.

The conversation was light, Spike had brought in some refreshments and many laughs were shared. Stories of adventures and, more often than not, misadventures were listened to attentively. Everypony - and one dragon - was happy there.

The rift had widened, now spanning a few meters. The laughter, however, came to an abrupt halt. Now came the difficult part...

"And Big Macintosh's still got that doll hidden under his bed! Ah've seen him tryin'a hide it every time anypony visits!" All eight were laughing hysterically now, recalling how Twilight had almost started a miniature riot over a tattered old doll, just because she had nothing to write to Celestia about. Looking back on it, even Twilight found it amusing. Luna, wiping tears from the corners of her eyes tried desperately to stop laughing, it was starting to hurt; every consecutive story somehow managing to be even more hilarious than the last. By this point the eight of them had been sharing jokes, stories and secrets in this way for almost three hours, but the time seemed to have passed them by completely, seeming like only a few minutes at most.

Just as Rarity leaned forward, preparing to reveal 'The deepest, juiciest, worst possible secret ever!' a voice, loud and crystal clear, resounded from everywhere and nowhere, bouncing around the room, yet never coming from more than one direction at once.

They recognised it immediately as belonging to Princess Celestia, and it sounded rushed and urgent, "Everypony, listen carefully! We don't have much time!" Immediately, all present sat stock straight as if the Princess could see them directly, even Luna. The worry in her sister's voice troubled her deeply.

"Luna, a dimensional rift is being opened to the south-west of Ponyville!"

Luna's horn began to glow as she tried to sense the ley energies of the area surrounding Ponyville, and her eyes widened upon the realisation that Celestia was right. There was a massive distortion, and it was rapidly doubling in size, "H-How could I have missed this!?"

Celestia spoke again "I'm on my way as I speak, I have two companies of royal guards with me." All but Luna shared apprehensive glances. Equestria's military might had not been called upon for anything other than defence in years, certainly not within the bearer's lifetimes. If Twilight's estimates were correct, well over a hundred royal guards were on their way to Ponyville.

"Sister," Luna was on her hooves in an instant, "What is happening!?"

Even Celestia herself sounded fearful, doing little to calm the nerves of the room's occupants, "Judging by the rate of expansion, something colossal is trying to get through, and we both know of only one being capable of pulling itself through forces that immense..." Celestia's voice wavered slightly as she spoke, "He's back, Luna..."

Luna's jaw hung loosely agape, and her eyes briefly took on a hollow quality that served to scare the wits out of those around her.

Twilight glanced around frantically, tinges of dread creeping into her voice as she spoke, "W-What do you mean, Princess? Who's back?"

Celestia hesitated for a moment, her voice sounding choked, as though speaking her next words would doom Equestria forever, "Discord's favourite pet and most dangerous weapon, Calamity."

Author's Note

Edited as of 3/1/14. Quality, grammar, and wording of sentencing is now vastly better than it was.