Act I: Path of Fomalhaut.

As the moon reached its peak in the night sky over the hidden village of Hollow Shades, a pair of half-rotten wooden shutters creaked open to allow the passage of a small telescope that peered into the stars. With a frantic swiveling that matched the enthusiasm of the young filly who guided it, the telescope scanned across the night sky.

You deserve this.

The filly turned her gaze to her bedroom, lit only by the moonlight. A gust of chill wind swept through the simple wooden furnishings before escaping through the cracks in the aging floorboards. “Mom? Is that you?” Trixie squeaked with unease as the cold crept through her coat, causing the slim filly to shiver as her ears swiveled forward. Silence was the only response. Not even the wind so much as whispered as it slid through the darkened cottage.

  She remained frozen in place, ears twitching as her eyes darted around the room, inspecting every shadow with scrutiny. The house itself grew quiet, as if waiting in anticipation. The filly’s chest heaved as she panted, her eyes shifting with increasing intensity as she stepped back against the wall, letting the moonlight blanket her. The shadows seemed to retreat as the moonlight slid further in, blanketing the room with its soft glow. Trixie’s breathing slowed as she began to relax. With a slow sigh, the filly pulled herself to her hooves. She spared the doorway a sidelong glance as she turned back to her stargazing.

The filly looked through the telescope and was met not with the conscellation of Pisces, but with absolute darkness. With a small frown, she lifted her head and looked out her bedroom window. Where the stars had blanketed the sky in elegant patterns, twinkling with hidden stories, they now clustered around the moon, leaving most of the sky in inky darkness. The stars seemed to thrum with energy as they spun in a silvery stream around the moon.

Trixie found herself transfixed as she watched the display over her window sill. As the stars flowed around the moon strands of interconnected lights separated from the stream, dancing through the sky and weaving themselves into elegant patterns.

I don’t care about the First Circle. You will do as I say.

Trixie blinked, her trance broken. “Dad?” The filly turned her head, just in time to see the starry tail of Princess Luna slip past her door. Any trace of unease fled her thoughts as Trixie squeaked with delight, pushing away from the window without a second glance. With an enthusiastic grin she galloped across her room and out into the hallway. “I knew you’d come, like you always promised!” She squealed before sliding to a stop. The hall was dark, and empty, with no trace of the princess in sight.

“Oh sweet Trixie. I have a gift for you. Won’t you come down and see it?” The voice of Luna echoed off the walls, though the princess herself remained out of sight.

“A… A gift?” Trixie adopted a devious smile as she trotted down the hallway after the voice. She stopped at the top of the staircase. The first floor of the building however, was just as dark and empty as the second. The floor was caked in dust with not so much as as a single hoofprint smearing it. Cobwebs clung to the walls as Trixie’s grin started to fall from her face. “Luna? I… It’s dark. Trixie doesn’t want to play hide and seek. Can… can you come out please?”

Silence reigned for several moments and abruptly died as a wooden door slowly creaked open on old, rusted hinges. “Oh sweet Trixie. I have a gift for you. Won’t you come down and see it?” Luna repeated in a soft monotone.

Trixie hesitated, a hoof suspended over the staircase. However, the desire for presents won over her fear of the darkness and she stepped onto the stairs. Pain tore through her skull like a burning lance. Her vision blurred as she screamed in pain. Her spasming body struggled and failed to keep stable, sending the filly tumbling down the staircase. Her bones cracked with every impact as she rolled down to the bottom and landed on her head. A crack rang out through the house as the dull sensation of her broken skull met with the full weight of her body and snapped her neck, leaving the filly in a crumpled, broken heap at the bottom of the staircase.

I want it all removed. Every limitation. No exceptions.

The corpse twitched as bones began to reconnect, snapping back into place. As the filly’s neck mended itself, her eyes drifted open, a tranquil expression on her muzzle. Trixie slowly pulled herself to her hooves as the searing pain faded to an insistent throb in her skull.

Irrelevant. She won’t remember anything.

“Oh sweet Trixie. I have a gift for you. Won’t you come down and see it?” Luna softly called from down the hall, the half-open door revealing the warmly lit office. Soft orange light blanketed the ground between Trixie and the door.

Trixie stumbled as she walked towards the apeture, her limbs stiff and caked in blood. “Luna? Can you come out now? Trixie is getting tired.” The filly smiled weakly as her body throbbed in protest to each step.

… And neither will you.

Trixie’s ear scarcely twitched in response to the scream that echoed throughout the house as she stumbled forward, barely managing to keep upright as the warm glow of the office gradually consumed her vision.

The cobwebs grew thicker with each step, blanketing the ceiling and walls, with the flooring rotten to the core. Each plank snapped under the weight of the filly, sinking into the moist earth underneath.

The heat was suddenly torn out of the filly’s body. Every ounce of pain disappeared with it, leaving her body numb. The soft crackling of the office fireplace carried through into the hall, carrying promises of warmth and bedtime stories delivered with hot cocoa. With the last of her strength, Trixie raised herself on her hind legs and pushed on the door.

Trixie’s adolescent body collapsed into the office, caked in dirt, a tangled mess of a mane. With a shake of her head, she stood and surveyed the room. Unlike the rest of the house, the office was clean and well kept. A fire cheerfully crackled in the side of the room, illuminating a large tome resting on a simple oak desk. Outside of that, however, the room was empty, devoid of any sign of life.

Trixie stepped forward, looking around the room. “Luna?” The only response was the crackling of the fire. “Figures,” Trixie grumbled with a sigh, before turning her gaze to the tome.

What are you doing here, wearing the face of a dead hero?

Pfft. I shouldn’t need to tell you of all ponies that heroes don’t exist, Locke.

Trixie spun in place. However, no source for the voices could be seen. The mare growled in frustration. “I know you’re in here! Come out already!” she commanded with a stomp of her hooves. As if on cue, a thick steel chain wrapped around the mare’s neck and with a single, smooth movement, pulled her into the shadows that blanketed the ceiling.

...You didn’t answer the question.

She let out a strained gurgle. Her hind legs kicked in the air as the chain constricted around her neck. Trixie slammed her forearms against the chain-noose in a vain attempt to loosen its lethal grip.

I didn’t intend to.

“Hm? Whoever would you be referring to, dear Trixie?” replied a motherly voice, her tone carrying an undercurrent of sadistic pleasure as the mare twitched and spasmed against the ever-tightening chain. “Is something wrong? I can’t understand you~,” she cooed with an innocent sing-song tone.

Trixie thrashed violently, her legs kicking upwards as she attempted to pull at the chain. Her eyes bulged and watered as she gasped for breath.

“...I think she desires to breathe,” Luna stated calmly from the shadows.

“Oh! That would make sense, I do believe!” replied the first voice as she loosened the noose, dropping Trixie onto a bed of rust-colored chains.

Trixie’s chest heaved violently, her heart throbbing against her ribs as she massaged her bruised throat. The chains swayed under her as a faint series of clicks rang out around her. “Mmm, could you repeat that? We didn’t quite hear you. Were you by chance…” The voice paused as the clicking intensified, pulling the bed of chains wildly. “Asking for your present~?” she finished with a giggle.

With a groan, Trixie shakily got to her hooves, careful to not fall through the gaps in the chains. Below her, the fireplace burned merrily, illuminating the room that seemed only ever further away with each passing moment. Her gaze turned upwards, following the criss-crossing web of chains as they disappeared into the circular veil of darkness that surrounded the panting mare.

“I’ll take that as a yes… Accept the reward for your continued loyalty,” The voice chimed from the darkness.

Trixie’s eyes narrowed as the light throbbing sensation in her head grew more intense, each pulse bringing more pain. As heat rushed through her body, as if her blood was being replaced with liquid fire. The mare shivered as the heat turned to pain, then anger. “I’m done playing games! Stop hiding and face me already!” Trixie demanded with a vicious snarl, her eyes burning with fury. “I don’t care about your stupid gift, or your friendship!”

“I think… she’s under the impression that we value her opinion, sister,” Luna observed with her usual calm.

“Oh, the poor thing…” The clicking sound drew closer as the grinning visage of Nightmare Moon moved out of the darkness. Her right eye however, was as white as the moon. As she drew closer, the right side of her face bulged with a second muzzle coming from her cheek. The unmistakable face of Luna was attached to it, her left eye fused with the Nightmare’s right. The other was the cold, glassy eye of a corpse. “Whatever gave you the idea that your destiny could be declined? That your desires matter?” The Nightmare grinned, showing off a pair of furred mandibles hiding inside her mouth, dripping with venom.

Undaunted, Trixie let out a low growl. “Shut up, you mule-banging abomination! Trixie doesn’t want anything you have to offer!” With that, she pushed forward, kicking off the chains and flinging herself at the grinning abomination. As she soared through the air, a chain shot out from the darkness behind her, wrapping around her torso and violently yanking her down, binding her in place. Trixie kicked her legs, thrashing violently in protest as the chains slowly crept over her body, binding her limbs and neck in place. “Let me go!” She demanded as the chains tightened around her body. “You can’t force Trixie to accept anything! I have free will!”

“Free will?” Nightmare mused as a chain wrapped around Trixie’s muzzle. She slowly moved closer. Her body was upright, with blistered, rotten forearms hanging limply against her chest. “Now, now… What makes you think that anything belongs to you?” the Nightmare tutted like a disappointed mother. “After I so lovingly gave you a perfect destiny… Your every thought, every action you take. Your ability to live and die. Is…” The Nightmare ran her tongue over her mandibles, an expression of bliss crossing her face. “Bound to your destiny, which I control. You own nothing, you have nothing, except my guiding hoof.” Her grin only broadened at Trixie’s widening eyes and futile struggling.

The chains clattered as she drew closer, her upright form stitched from the barrel down to the body of a spider. Long, delicate legs lightly clicked against the chains as she drew closer, her swollen forearms jiggling and dripping venom-laced blood with each step.

Standing over her victim, the Nightmare hummed in satisfaction. “Mmm, can you imagine a deeper friendship than that, sister? The intimacy of absolute control… and destruction?” Her single good eye turned to the side as a delicate, black leg lifted into the air and thrust into Luna’s mouth as a second grabbed her gaping jaw.

“I don’t think I can, dear sister,” Luna’s corpse voiced in the same monotone, as the Nightmare manipulated her body like a macabre doll, spider legs pulling at the bulging corpse like strings.

The Nightmare giggled in response, pulling her legs out as she leaned down against Trixie, their muzzles touching as they stared into each others eyes. One with faint amusement, the other consumed with hatred.

“Now, be a good mare, and accept your destiny.” The Nightmare winked, pressing a heavy tome against Trixie’s chest. Her mandibles slid out of her mouth as she pressed her muzzle against Trixie’s ear. “Don’t you think it at least… would pay for your sins?” she whispered as her mandibles pressed against Trixie’s flesh.

Instantly, Trixie’s body went limp against her restraints, any trace of resistance gone as she stared blankly at the head and torso of Luna that hung loosely attached to the flesh of the Nightmare.

“Mmhmhm, lovely. Accept your destiny and your sin.” She laid a leg on the tome, pushing it down against Trixie’s bound chest. The mare however, remained motionless. “Take my gift,” the Nightmare continued as her mandibles clicked together. “And burn in the fires of Tartarus,” she stated with an affectionate smile as she pushed Trixie’s bound body from the web.

Wind rushed past the mare’s body as the web drew ever further away. Chains slipped off of her falling form until one remained, pinning the tome to her chest, its weight forced her down at ever increasing speeds.

Shadows gave way to the walls of the office. The warmth of the fireplace blanketed her for a moment before gravity tore her from its grip. Her body smashed through the floor, wooden planks snapping apart under her spine.

Trixie barely flinched as her body plunged into frigid waters. Above her, the light of the fireplace funneled through the hole in the floor, casting Trixie in a faint pillar of light as she descended ever deeper. Bubbles of air escaped from her muzzle as she closed her eyes, leaning away from the light.

As her body slid deeper into the water, the chain around her barrel slowly slid down her body, barely making a sound as it released its tight grip. Trixie sighed contently. Her eyes closed as she let her lungs empty themselves into the dark waters that caressed her.

The cold numbed the throbbing in her head, even as the water seeped down her throat. Trixie became faintly aware of her heart thumping against her chest. The sensation of the water against her fur, the cold, the throbbing in her head, the burning in her lungs as they filled with water all faded into darkness. Floating in darkness, Trixie’s only company was her own heartbeat.

Thump-thump.

Heh. You’ll be more useful to me than I thought, kid.

Trixie’s left ear twitched, her eyes slowly opening.

Thump-thump.

A length of chain suddenly wrapped itself around Trixie’s right leg. Her eyes shot open as the world flipped itself around. The heavy tome dragged her back down into the light with the force and weight of a ship anchor. With a grunt, Trixie kicked at the chain, flailing her hooves in the water as she was dragged down at increasing speeds. No longer a reflection of a small fireplace, the hole burned with the intensity of a falling star.

Water rushed by the struggling mare, as she shielded her eyes from the blinding light. The chain released its grip on her body as the light faded, but still the mare fell. She moved her hoof, only to find herself staring up at the night sky, where the last few streams were peeling from the moon. Painted across the night sky lay dozens of names, written in stars on black canvas.

Trixie’s eyes widened as she saw her own name being written with the last of the stars. Her chest thumped in protest in her chest.

I don’t deserve this curse. You on the other hoof...

Trixie barely let out a whimper as she fell on a pillar of stone. Her barrel was torn open as she slid down, her heart pushing against her ribs in a desperate attempt of escaping her chest.

No curse comes without the perception of sin, and there is little worse than murder in the eyes of Equestria.

Sweat poured from Trixie’s body as she arched her back, panting as she tried to grapple with the blood-slicked stone as it slid ever deeper into her body. Her ribs cracked and snapped as the mare slid down. Vision blurring, Trixie’s frantic flailing slowed to a halt as her blood dribbled down the pillar.

Thump-thump.

The stone pushed against her heart, pressing it against her shattered ribs.

Thump-thump

“But… it was an accident,” Trixie mumbled as her eyes rolled, her vision blurring as blood poured from her body. With a sickening crunch, her chest tore open. Her heart remained still on top of the pillar as her body slid down to the base, veins and arteries decorating the bloodstained surface.

Thump-thump

Trixie barely flinched as her heart continued to beat. Blood trickled from the sides of her mouth as she slowly raised her forearms, reaching to her heart. She held the position for a few moments before her strength failed her, forearms falling back to the ground. Her gaze turned from her heart to the night sky where her name was written, where each victim was listed. Trixie strained to follow the stars with her failing vision. “Trixie Starshine… Nightingale Starbright… Starleaf Clover… Starswirl the Bearded…” Trixie’s mouth twitched into the faintest hint of a smile. Her eyes fell from the sky to the land around her. She lay on a plateau of smooth red stone, broken up with dozens of pillars. The charred remains of ponies lay impaled on each one, under their celestial grave marker.

The plateau itself sat in a sea of fire, writhing against itself like a bed of snakes. A tendril of flame snaked across the ground, racing towards the dying mare.

Thump-thump

With a groan, Trixie weakly waved a hoof in defense as her blood pooled under her body.

Thump-thump

The tendril of flame arced like a striking snake, then forced itself down her throat, writhing deep into her body. Trixie’s eyes widened as burning agony tore through her body. She attempted to scream, but the fire consumed her tongue.

Thump-thump

She flailed with renewed vigor, thrashing in protest as the flame entwined around her insides. The blood-soaked pillar burst into flames as the tendril slithered to Trixie’s exposed heart.

Thump-thump

Trixie cried out in protest, her burned mouth releasing only a weak gurgle as she kicked futilely at the ground. The tendril of flame poised itself over her heart as Trixie’s eyes widened even further. Her head throbbed insistently as the tendril pierced her heart. The throbbing organ burned with the intensity of a star as fire slid down her every vein and artery, replacing blood with fire, agony with hatred, and death with a mocking false life.

Consumed in fire, Trixie’s body thrashed with unchecked fury. Even as the stars shifted in the sky, and a massive tombstone rose to the sky behind her, Trixie flailed. Her head throbbed insistently, stoking the flames that filled her body.

Thump-thump

Water coated her body, causing the fire to withdraw inside of Trixie’s chest, taking the pillar and her heart with it. Exhaustion washed over her as sweat mixed with water. Trixie panted as her brain throbbed in protest, spikes of pain and heat jabbing into it from all directions.

Thump-thump

A shadowy figure leaned over her, holding an empty glass.

“Geez kid, and here I was thinking I’d need to make a third trip. Any idea how hard it is to get cups of water at this time of night?... Discreetly, I mean.”

Trixie’s vision slowly focused on the voice. As the muzzle of Daring Do came into view, the tombstone towering over her took the form of a hospital.

She opened her mouth to speak, only to gag. Turning her head to the side, Trixie vomited onto the grass. Her vision begun blurring again.

Daring didn’t seem to notice, her gaze turned to the hospital. “Ya got a fever, kid, rather bad one at that… They must’ve rushed the job.”

Trixie let out a pained groan, her body aching as if every part of her was on fire. Daring’s attention snapped back to her. As the Pegasus leaned closer, bloodstains came out of the darkness, staining her coat. “And you’re passing out again. Lovely.” Daring grumbled.

Trixie merely panted in response as her eyes rolled to the back of her head and the world slipped away.

Knock-knock

Princess Luna sat with her back to her bedroom door. A faint twitch of her ear was the only response as she gazed at the night sky through her open balcony doors.

The door creaked open before being delicately closed.

“I always felt that my sister was wrong. About Trixie.” Luna shifted her weight as her eyes fell from the stars. “I was in her dreams, just for a moment after the operation… Her mind is twisted, her memories and awareness inconsistent. Her guilt is so mixed with rage, apathy, and madness that I couldn’t tell where one ended and the other began.”

Luna paused, as if waiting for a response. The only sound, however, was that of her guest leaning against the bed.

Luna blinked. “I suppose it was naive to believe she would be unaffected, wasn’t it?”

“Yes. Yes it was. Especially since I’ve been telling you as much ever since that filly murdered Amor,” Her guest replied with a masculine, even tone.

“Locke, it was hardly murder. She was just scared!” Luna snapped, with an over-the-shoulder glare at the pale grey Pegasus that stood behind her.

Locke closed his eyes, his gaze shifting to the side slightly.“... Scared? I suppose so. But she knew of Amor Fati’s condition. Her weak heart. Trixie knew what was happening as she fled to cower and throw tantrums across Equestria.” Locke’s eyes opened again, his muzzle just as devoid of emotion as his tone. “Trixie made the decision to let her die. Just as she made the decision to blame everyone around her for her own mistakes.

Luna sighed, shaking her head. “It never ceases to amaze me how firmly you grip your grudges, even when you have no emotions to fuel them with. Unless of course, you were lying about never feeling anything for your late wife.”

“Marrying Amor Fati, and raising Trixie as my daughter was an obligation, nothing more.” Locke stepped forward, his bright green eyes boring into the back of Luna’s skull. “But that is irrelevant… For you gave Trixie the journal. Didn’t you?”

Luna tensed, whether from the awareness of Locke’s glare, or from his accusation, it was just as telling. “What I do with Starswirl’s journal is my business. Besides, the book itself is sealed against being opened. The secrets contained within shall remain as such.” Luna stood and turned to face her guest. “After all, outside of yourself, Trixie, Summer Fields, Clover, Chrysalis, and myself, nopony knows of its significance, let alone its existence.”

“You might want to rethink that. I was assaulted by an unknown agent on the way back from the hospital. And to be quite honest, I see no reason for such a thing unless someone is aware of what she has in her possession.” Locke’s eyes narrowed. “Though, I was able to fend the attacker off for the moment. I believe we have a few days before she recovers enough for another attempt.”

Luna’s eyes widened in surprise. “What! Who was it? A member of the Third Circle? One of Celestia or Cadance’s agents?”

“Oddly enough, I seem to have been assaulted by Daring Do.” Locke paused, looking thoughtful. “Or, more realistically, an imposter of Daring Do. As, if I recall correctly, the original was confirmed dead over three hundred years ago after a labratory issue near the Everfree.

“Mm… Daring Do? Trixie was such a large fan of those stories.” A faint smile tugged at Luna’s mouth. “I remember watching Trixie run through the fields, pretending she was on grand adventures with Daring Do.” Her expression darkened as she contemplated that. “It’s possible that whoever this is knows Trixie very well, and quite possibly since she was a filly.”

“In that case, the Third Circle isn’t likely to be responsible. That would involve far too much planning for their part, and the First Circle would have taken over once she was in our custody.” Locke cocked his head. “Unless you know of another variable, our most logical conclusion is that Trixie is being hunted by a ghost.”

“A ghost?” Luna turned back to the sky. “That close to the Everfree, a land that hides mass graves and Equestria’s greatest sins… If a ghost were to exist, that would be the place.” Luna glanced down at Discord’s statue as it stood in the royal gardens. “There is another possibility, however. Due to her bloodline, Trixie’s magic is incredibly powerful, even if she doesn’t realize it. If the power of her half-sister is anything to measure it by, it’s entirely possible that in her tormented and unstable state, her normal illusions became tangible constructs. In which case, her fillyhood hero appearing to save her would be expected. As unrealistic as it sounds for such a thing to happen, her half-sister had an event of similar proportion when panicking as a filly. ”

“Hmph, I don’t like this. Whoever this individual is, their motives, identity and affiliation are completely alien to us… That should be impossible. Every pony is either in the system, or monitored. Shapeshifting into ponies isn’t done by the other circles. Everything about this is… off.” Locke turned to the door. “Regardless, I did your favor, and as we both know, rogues like myself aren’t allowed to take orders from the Second Circle. Good luck with your investigation. I have my own duties to return to.”

“Locke.”

The stallion stopped with his hoof just inches from the doorknob, but otherwise didn’t respond.

“You aren’t leaving anything out, are you?” Luna asked, her tone neutral.

“Unlike you, I don’t make a habit of hiding information to suit my own agenda.” With that, Locke slipped from the room, leaving Luna to her thoughts.

“Well, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed,” Summer Fields said with a roll of her eyes as she slipped out from under a cardboard box.

“He was lying.” Luna laid down on her bed, staring at the ceiling. “We don’t have days, we have hours at best.”

Summer Fields walked across the room and closed the balcony doors as Luna spoke.

“I would have preferred to handle this on my own, but it’s apparent that will be impossible.” Luna rubbed her temples, releasing a small sigh. “Summer, get Princess Cadance… No.” She waved a hoof. “We can’t take chances with this… I need you to go directly to Mother.”

“Hm… And you still don’t have any authority to access the communication relay, right~?” Summer grinned, her tail twitching in expectation of a challenge.

“That is correct. You will need to rely on stealth. But don’t mistake this for a game, Summer.” Silence was the only response to Luna’s warning.

Sitting up, Luna found Summer Fields and the cardboard box missing. With a groan of exhaustion and stress Luna laid back down on her bed. She raised her hoof, staring at it as if it belonged to someone else. “Daring Do, Trixie, Celestia, Locke, myself… It seems like for every star that falls a new curse is born.” Luna shook her head, laying her hoof back down. “No, destiny is destiny, and if losing my own identity was part of it, who am I to complain?” Luna frowned as if she tasted something bitter. “... At least I can pretend.”

Locke’s hooves tapped across the marble stairs as he made his way down from Luna’s tower, then through the darkened halls of Canterlot Castle. He was halfway to the front gates as his chest throbbed in pain. His eyes widened as he coughed blood onto the floor, stumbling as he fought to remain upright.

“You aren’t leaving anything out, are you?”

Locke’s eyes glazed over as he leaned against the wall, slowly inching forward as his body screamed in protest with each step.

“What are you doing here, wearing the face of a dead hero?”

Daring Do merely waved a hoof and gave a playful roll of her eyes. “Pfft. I shouldn’t need to tell you of all ponies that heroes don’t exist, Locke.”

“... You didn’t answer the question.”

Daring merely grinned. “I didn’t intend to.”

Locke laid down Trixie’s body and stepped forward, standing between Daring and the thrashing mare. “My talent in life is Psychoanalysis. Do you know what that means?”

“Hmm… That you have a boring destiny?” Daring’s grin only grew wider, almost unnaturally so.

Locke stepped forward again. “No, it means I know how to tell when somepony is lying to me. When they are acting. Smiles and faux-wit, it’s an act. Drop it and tell me who you work for.”

Daring Do’s grin slid off her face as her eyes narrowed slightly as they begun to glow ever so slightly. “If you insist.” No longer playful or mocking, her voice contained nothing but an undercurrent of suppressed anger. Her wings flared out as she braced herself, as if about to pounce. “Happy? Now get out of my way, I’m not in the mood.”

Locke shifted his weight forward, his eyes scanning Daring’s body as he read every minor movement. He shifted position to counter her attack. However, the second he moved, Daring was in front of him faster than his eyes could track. Her hoof pulled back to strike.

“What!?” His eyes widened as time seemed to slow. Faster than he could react Daring Do drove her hoof into his barrel. Cracks rang through his body as his ribcage was shattered. Locke was faintly aware he was flying, the wind rushing through his fur as he flew across the street. Then just as swiftly as the blow was delivered, it ended as his spine snapped against a tree. His body fell to the ground in a bloody, bruised heap. He felt numb and heavy as he tried to stand, but found his body unwilling to cooperate.

His barrel heaved as he coughed blood onto the ground. His vision blurred momentarily, then began to clear as his body begun repairing itself.

“Hopefully, you learned your lesson. Because I’m not going to hold back next time.” Daring trotted over, her hoof, chest, and muzzle lightly stained with Locke’s blood.

“I might be tempted to feel sorry for you if I didn’t see you do the same thing to the kid. Consider this your reminder.” Daring stomped on Locke’s forearm, snapping the bone cleanly in half. Locke barely flinched, his body still in shock. “That changelings aren’t the top of the food chain.”

Locke strained to meet her gaze as Daring stared with disdain. “Oh, yes. You aren’t nearly as clever as you think. I’m well aware of how the circles work… And I don’t care.” With that Daring Do turned around. “I’m after one thing, and it doesn’t concern your governments. Nor does it involve harming your precious ‘Trixie’.” She started to walk to the Unicorn that still lay in front of the hospital. However, she stopped halfway. “I don’t think I need to say what I’ll do if I see you around her.” Daring smirked as her eyes reverted to normal, leaving Locke to quietly mend his bones.

Locke pressed a hoof against his barrel, and winced as he felt his tender organs throbbing in protest behind his newly repaired ribcage. With a sigh, he set his hoof down and walked out of the castle, ignoring his heart as it throbbed with each step.

“Hey, kid. Wake up. You’ve slept in long enough. I have stuff to do,” Daring stated with a light jab of her hoof.

Trixie slowly opened one eye, staring balefully at the Pegasus. “You again. What do you want?” she grumbled, suppressing a yawn.

Daring glanced over her shoulder. “Can’t really talk about it here, with your roommate and all. But let’s just say I have a…” Daring waved her hoof in a circular motion, as if searching for the right word. “A… a business proposition! Let’s call it that. I have something you want, you have… the ability to get something I want. So, let’s meet up somewhere private at noon. We can work out a deal. Sound fun?”

Trixie opened her mouth, but before a sound could come out, the door behind her opened up. She turned her head to see Twilight peeking into the room. “Oh, you’re awake!” She glanced around, as if looking for something. “Uh, who were you talking to?”

Trixie didn’t bother to turn around. “I wasn’t talking to anyone.” Trixie’s words rebounded around the empty basement as she stared blankly at Twilight, despite her tightening grip on the journal she held under the blankets.