Who Rules?: Shattered Hearts

Who Rules: Shattered Hearts

by Nom deCheval

Chapter Seven

Cadance did her best to show no expression. No emotion of any kind.

“That was very amusing!” Coldheart laughed from the Equestrian throne. “I commend all of you for your efforts--and especially the survivor.”

Blood covered the floor, with five dead bodies littered around the area. The one surviving pony was severely injured, her life forever altered by the wounds that now marked her. All six were soldiers from the equestrian military--three stallions and three mares--and each came to amuse the Empress they so dearly loved.

Other ponies came in and began to drag away the fallen, and cart off the victor, as Coldheart turned to address Cadance.

“Do you see how much everypony loves me?” she asked. “They would do anything for me. Anything at all.”

Taking a deep breath, Cadance kept her eyes forward and her mind focused.

“One day you will thank me for moments like these,” Coldheart explained. “If I did not take the time to show you this, then you wouldn’t be able to grow above and beyond the pony that you are. You would never get a chance to become my paramour.”

Eyes shot wide, and Cadance turned slowly to face the mare next to her. The chain leading from her collar rattled softly against the arm of the throne.

“Paramour? Surely you are not suggesting what I think that you are?” Cadance’s voice was rough and weak. Her mouth was cracking and her cheeks were slightly sunken in, licking her lips between sentences. “You must be joking.”

“Why would I jest? There is really only one being that is worthy of my attention, and that could only be myself. We were fated to be together,” she smiled

“That...will never happen,” Cadance tried to turn back away gracefully, but her body betrayed her and she slipped, catching herself before falling completely.

“Oh, Cadance,” Coldheart made no move to help the mare, “you simply must let me feed you. You’ve barely had any water in days.” She turned her head. “You simply have to love me.”

Cadance coughed, raising back up, a slight wobble in her legs. “You have no power over me, Coldheart. It seems we share...a common force that cannot...influence the other.”

“Oh yes, I figured that out,” she answered, “but I’m not talking about that. I’m talking about you willingly serving me. Falling in love with me because I am your sole source of life. The only pony that can possibly sustain you.”

Cadance’s eyes narrowed. “Never.”

“That is a very long time, Cadance. And please, do call me Fantasia, it’s so much more personal, don’t you think?” Coldheart let her hoof play around the chain that had been tied to the throne. “And I want us to be very personal.”

Shaking her head, Cadance lowered her eyes. “How? What happened to you? What drove you to this?”

“Drove me?” She laughed. “Are you trying to figure out what turned me to this? How I became the mare that I am today? Do you really think that it’s so simple?”

“Yes,” Cadance looked up at her, the fire still smoldering inside. Her words came out slow, but steady. “Yes, something did this, because I could never be what you are. So, if you really did start out like me, then something happened.”

Coldheart raised her head up, staring down her muzzle at the weakened mare at her hooves. “How old are you, Cadance?”

“Shouldn’t you know that?” she answered.

“I should, but I don’t think that I do,” Coldheart stated. “I’ve been alive for almost five hundred years now. Are you that old?”

She shook her head slowly. “No. No, I’m not.”

“I thought so,” Coldheart nodded. “Then I’ve found one of the differences between us. The key difference, probably. I’ve been alive long enough to know what love truly is, and you are too young.”

A very faint laugh escaped Cadance. “I think you’re wrong.”

“Am I? I saw what happened between ponies. I felt what became of those that claimed to be true and faithful forever. The true cost of immortality is knowing that all of the love that we claim to have is nothing but a lie.” With every second a knife formed on the cusp of Coldheart’s words. “It was my responsibility to share love with countless ponies that always squandered the gift I gave them, until I finally realized that there were no ponies deserving of it. There is only one being that has any love at all, and that is me!”

Cadance nodded. “Five hundred years? And you gave up how long ago? You let this darkness consume you when?”

“Three hundred years ago,” she answered, “is when I came to my senses.”

“So you never met Shining Armor, did you?” Cadance asked.

“Who?”

Cadance nodded. “I understand.” She smiled.

She sat there for a moment, staring down at Cadance, waiting patiently--for a moment.

“Explain yourself,” Coldheart commanded.

“I met Shining Armor a few years ago. Up until then I never understood it, either,” she said.

“Never understood what?” Coldheart’s tone leveled.

Cadance looked up and smiled. “Love. Even as the Goddess of Love, I never truly understood it until I felt it. You’ve never actually been in love, have you?”

“I’ve seen and experienced more love than you can comprehend,” she spat.

“I don’t think so,” Cadance answered. “Love isn’t just two ponies spending time together, or being intimate, or any of those things. It’s--” Her mind raced, running over thoughts and feelings that had plagued her for weeks on end. “It’s everything.”

A sharp tug on her leash pulled Cadance firmly against the throne, her head echoing with a resounding thud.

“How childish,” Coldheart sneered. “I cannot wait until you abandon such silly concepts.”

Slumping to the floor, Cadance shook her head, her strength once again leaving her.

“Bring in the next attraction,” Coldheart instructed to the guards.

Without a word, they did as instructed. Cadance stared down at the floor, trying to get her eyes to focus and the world to stop spinning. The only thing that seemed to be working was her ears. And they spun forward with the next words she heard.

“Hello, Your Majesty,” she said. “Thank you for letting us see you.”

Screwing her eyes shut, Cadance took another deep breath.

“What is it that you bring to me as tribute?” Coldheart asked, her voice syrupy.

“My sister and I have brought you something to enjoy,” she answered.

“No,” Cadance whispered, “please, no.”

“And what is that?” Coldheart asked.

Cadance opened her eyes, looking out just in time to see her answer.

“Tea and cake, Your Majesty,” Crumpet said. “We’ve been told that it is of excellent quality.”

“Oh, I do so love a fine treat,” Coldheart said. “And I’m feeling positively famished right now.”

“Well, we would be delighted for you to taste what we have to offer, Your Majesty!” Crumpet’s voice was dancing with anticipation. “My sister prepared a cake just for you!”

“Did she? And what is your sister’s name?” Coldheart asked.

“Sugar Spice, Your Majesty,” the other mare answered with joy.

“No,” Cadance whispered again.

“And you made me a cake, Sugar Spice?” she asked.

“I did, Your Majesty,” she bowed, her pink mane falling down to the ground. Sugar Spice was a white mare, her tail matching the pink of her mane, with a cutie mark that looked like a measuring cup. Her sister was dun colored, with a soft green mane and tail, and a porcelain cup for a cutie mark.

“And what did you bring, Crumpet?” she asked.

“I have brewed you some tea,” Crumpet answered, bowing beside her sister.

“No. No.” Cadance rose up, coming to a full sitting position.

“Oh, tea and cake together. How sweet,” she said with a smile. “But...well, I’m sure that one of them has to be better than the other, don’t they?”

The two mares raised their heads together as one, and then glanced at each other briefly. “I’m sorry, Your Majesty?” Crumpet asked.

“Well, only one of you can truly bring a gift that is worthy of me. I suppose that I can taste them both and make that judgment for myself, but wouldn’t it be better if you decided for me?”

“I--I don’t understand,” Crumpet said.

“One of you will give me tribute,” Coldheart said, “and the other one will--”

“Fantasia!” Cadance stepped in front of Coldheart, staring into her eyes. “Fantasia, please, I...I beg of you, grant me one favor. A...a present for giving you...myself.”

A single eyebrow went up on Coldheart.

“I will do everything you ask. As long as you ask it, if...” Cadance glanced to the side, her eyes unable to see the sisters behind her, “...if you will let the ponies of Canterlot live. Leave them in peace, and I will be everything that you want.”

“You are going to do that anyway,” Coldheart said. “I have time to wait. You aren’t offering me anything.”

“I am,” Cadance dropped down to her knees, staring up at Coldheart. “I am the only pony that can ever understand you. The only pony that can ever grow to be your equal--in time. I am the only pony that is possibly worthy of you, and I can only be that if I grow under your tutelage.” Her head lowered until it touched the ground at her hooves. “Please, Fantasia? Please...my Empress?”

A chill went down Cadance’s spine as she felt Coldheart smile.

“The ponies of Canterlot will be spared.” Cadance looked up as Coldheart spoke. “Only so long as you keep your word.”

“Of course,” Cadance whispered.

Magic lit up around Cadance, and the chain attached to her collar fell off--but the collar remained.

“You will be given quarters next to mine,” she said. “I expect you to attend to my every moment. Join me in all my endeavors.”

“I...I will,” Cadance stated, her mouth drier than it seemed before.

“I have already begun to send my forces out to explore this world. Measuring it and finding my enemies,” Coldheart explained. “You will help me with this.”

“Help you to...” Cadance stopped herself, swallowing back her words. “Of course, Fantasia.”

“This is so wonderful of you, Cadance!” Coldheart laughed. “I’m glad that you came to your senses.”

“This isn’t about me,” Cadance said. “This is simply understanding royalty when it presents itself.”

Coldheart moved her head as though she was going to look at another pony, but kept her eyes fixated on Cadance. “Thank you for your kind offerings, ladies. I believe that my...apprentice...and I will enjoy them together. It will be nice to eat something with her at last.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty!” Crumpet beamed.

“You are very welcome,” Coldheart’s gaze froze Cadance to the bone, “but the pleasure is all mine.”

* * * * * * *

A glow of midnight blue surrounded the stones as the flew. One by one they scattered, smashing against distant walls or skidding along the stone and crystal floor.

“Calmly, Luna,” Celestia said. “We don’t want to cause another collapse.”

“How canst thou be so calm?!” Luna raged. “Thou art half buried, wounded, and...” She couldn’t finish her thought. It was too much for her to deal with at once.

“I know my situation, Luna. But I also know that rushing will not make things better,” she answered. Luna looked at her, her smile still warm and caring, but it was hard to see while such an overwhelming image hung above it. “I take it my horn is worse than I think?”

“Thou art going to be fully potent!” Luna resumed her mission, throwing stones away faster than before.

“Well, let’s err on the side of caution, shall we? My legs and wing aren’t hurting me, but we don’t want that to change by having a sudden shift in the weight. Please, my love, go slowly,” Celestia urged.

“I shalt--” She stopped herself, and took a deep breath. “I art trying. I...will try harder. I will say that if our role were reversed, you would not be so calm.”

“They were reversed, remember?” Celestia laughed. “I fought death and then traveled to Tartarus to save you.”

“And you never gave up,” Luna said.

“Neither did you,” Celestia said. “And now you have found me, and soon we will be on our way and back to work.”

“We will...get to that,” Luna stated. “First I need to remove these stones.”

“Yes, I agree, but...carefully. Speed is not as important as care right now,” she smiled again.

“Tia, how?” Luna shook her head. “How...how can you be so calm? You are half-buried, battered and wounded, and yet you act as though nothing has happened! Was your brain addled as well?”

“What would you have me do, Luna? Feel sorry for myself? Give in to the situation?” Celestia stated. “No. No, that will accomplish nothing. We are in the most dire moment we have faced together, and I will do so with dignity and honor.”

Tears streamed down Luna’s face.

“I won’t lose you,” she said. “I love you.”

“You’re right, you won’t,” Celestia answered. “I am fine, Luna. And I love you, too.”

“You’re not fine. None of this is fine,” she wept. “If I didn’t rush off when you told me not to, then...”

“Then we both may have ended up here, with neither of us to save the other,” Celestia said. “Don’t regret what you did.”

“But, Tia, your...” Luna trailed off.

“My what? My horn?” Celestia smiled again. “I’m not worried about that. I am alive. I feel the magic inside of me. I will find a way.”

“So, you know?” Luna asked.

“That it is damaged? Yes, I do. Otherwise I would have removed these stones myself,” she said.

“Tia, it is not damaged. It is...gone,” Luna explained.

Her eyes became saucers on her face, with pupils turned to dots. “Gone? That--that is bad. Much worse than I thought, actually.” Celestia took a deep breath and slowly let it out. And then smiled once more. “But we will find a way, together.”

“Aren’t you scared?” Luna asked.

“Only for Equestria. I am alive, and I have you, what more do I need?” Celestia said.

Luna’s hoof reached forward and stoked the side of Celestia’s muzzle, with the Sun Goddess pressing back against her warmly. She bent forward and carefully brought her lips into contact with those of her wife.

“I will free you, Tia,” Luna said as she broke the kiss. “Then I will take you to safety, and then I will hunt down and punish the pony responsible for this.”

“I doubt that much hunting will be needed,” Celestia said. “Has Coldheart expanded beyond Canterlot?”

“We have time to discuss that later,” Luna turned to examine the cocoon of rock around her sister. “First, we need to get you out of this. Carefully, as you suggested.”

Midnight magic once again moved over the stones, this time cautiously feeling their connections and their strengths. One by one she took their measure, and began to move them aside, until only the one massive stone remained.

“I am worried about this one, Tia,” Luna admitted. “We do not know how much damage it has caused you, and if I pull it off there is a chance that the pain and damage will increase significantly.”

Celestia raised an eyebrow. “Are you proposing that I spend the rest of eternity down here with a gigantic boulder crushing my flank? I am willing to accept most any punishment from you, Luna, but that seems a bit too extreme.”

“You know what I am saying!” Luna snapped. “If it hurts you then--”

“There is no other choice, Luna,” Celestia interrupted. “You have to remove it.”

She closed her eyes and nodded. Her horn lit up, energy crackling out of it and across the surface of the stone, seeping into every crack and crevice until nothing remained visible. The stone seemed to shudder for a moment, and then lay perfectly still.

Luna’s eyes burst open, twin pools of moonlight silver. A sharp crack filled the chamber, and the massive stone pinning Celestia split into four quarters, each pushing away from its siblings. The midnight glow returned and carried the fragments just far enough away to let them fall away from both sisters. They felt the earth shudder and heard it wail in the echoes that spread for miles.

Leaping forward, Luna was at her wife’s side in an instant. “Are you well? Is there pain?”

She looked down at her sister’s body, inspecting the areas that had just been pinned down. There were deep cuts and the feathers on the wing were shorn and missing.

“It does hurt,” Celestia said, “but not as badly as I feared. I--I think I can stand.”

“Be careful. Do not hurt yourself further,” Luna insisted.

“I’ve been hurt worse than this, Luna,” Celestia smiled, and then teased. “By you, actually.”

“And if you are not careful, I will do it again! I do not want you hurting yourself,” Luna urged. “It is one thing for me to harm you, but I have no desire to see you do it.”

“I will try to take that in a good way,” Celestia giggled. She had been flexing her legs slowly, letting the stiff joints try to loosen. She looked at her wing and let out a sigh. “I do not think that I will be able to fly for a few days, unfortunately. Which means we must walk to our destination.”

“You assume that you have the strength to walk, Tia. Do not fear, if need be I shall carry you from this place on my back,” Luna stated.

“Hopefully, you will not need to,” Celestia said. She moved her wing back, folding it gingerly, with only a slight wince on her face as she did, and then once again began to flex her hind legs.

With great care, Celestia pulled her legs beneath her and pressed upwards, lifting her body off the ground. Almost immediately she fell back, a short bark of pain coming from her mouth.

“TIA!” Luna grasped her sister with her magic, holding her gently. “Are you all right?”

“Yes,” she grunted, “surprised is all. Give me a moment and I’m sure that I can succeed. I will be fine.”

Luna stood there, looking down at her wife and sister, who was again gathering her strength for another attempt. She grit her teeth and reared back her head slowly.

“Princess Celestia,” Luna said slowly, “you will NOT be attempting to walk. Nor will you be attempting to fly. You are injured and have spent several days without food or water, trapped beneath half a mountain’s worth of rock and stone. Your courage is admirable, as is your strength of will, but I will not see you damage yourself further! I am going to carry you from this place, either through my magic or on my back.”

Celestia brought her eyes around to look directly at Luna, a stoic expression on her face.

“Now,” Luna continued, “we can do this with your willing co-operation, or I can force you into this, the choice is yours. I do want it understood that this is happening, though, and you will NOT be doing anything unless I decide that you are able. Do I make myself clear?”

There was a long pause as Celestia let a smile once more grow onto her face. “Yes, Mistress,” she finally answered.

“Good enough,” Luna stated. “Now, do you wish for me to gather up any of the fragments of your armor before we go?”

“If you would,” Celestia said. “I may have need of them again.”

The magic from Luna’s horn surrounded the golden shards and brought them into a small pile beside Celestia.

“Now, is there anything else you want from here?” Luna’s tone was sharp and demanding.

“No. I think I’ll be happy to be out of this place, actually,” Celestia answered.

“Good. Now, I will be lifting you with my magic and carrying you along,” Luna explained. “When we are clear of this cavern I will consider attempting to transport us as a mist, though I have never done that with anypony besides myself. Any questions?”

Celestia shook her head. “No, but I still think--”

“ARE YOU TALKING BACK TO ME?!” The royal Canterlot voice pierced Celestia’s ears.

“Uh, no. No, my apologies, Mistress,” Celestia conceded.

“Excellent. I hope you enjoy this, because I am going to remember every moment of it and have you pay for it in double in the future,” Luna said.

Celestia took a deep breath and smiled. “Thank you, Luna.”

“What?” She smiled down at her sister. “I already told you: the only pony allowed to hurt you is me. I take my responsibilities very seriously.”

The glow surrounded Celestia, lifting her from the ground, and the two began the walk out of the crystal caves.

* * * * * * * *

“...and then she appeared down the street, shouting, shall we say, colorful epithets at them,” Twilight continued. “Needless to say, they were more disoriented than ever. And that’s when we struck the final blow!”

“Great, but, what’s an epithet?” Gilda asked.

“It’s a nice word for a bad word,” Ditzy explained.

“Right,” Twilight nodded, “basically. Anyway, the troops were confused and now running after both of us--and unknowingly right at each other. The two of us rounded the corner, and teleported one more time, leaving no pony there when the two sets of troops ran around and slammed into each other at a full gallop!”

“And then?” Husk asked.

“Well, we were on the rooftop, so we just laughed down at them and said our goodbyes, and went running off, away from here, of course,” Twilight said.

“You did well,” Bea said. “Loathe as I am to admit it.”

Trueblood sat back, letting Twilight tell the story. She had already shared her fair amount of thrilling tales with this merry band, and it was time to let Twilight have her moment. Let the bonds grow between them.

Besides, there was something wonderful about Twilight’s enthusiasm. About the way that she told a story and the light that twinkled in her eyes as she spoke. She still had the joy for life that too many ponies in the world lacked these days.

“Was that your first adventure, Twilight?” Ditzy asked, her eyes staring at her--and Gilda.

“Well, um, not really,” she scratched her head, as she looked down. “I’ve actually had more adventures than any one mare should have to go through in a normal life.”

“But your first big one?” Bea asked to clarify.

“Uh...no. No, I’ve had waaaaay too many big adventures, too. I’ve kinda...saved the world a few times,” she said, a tinge of embarrassment in her voice.

“Saved...the world?” Gilda asked.

“Yeah. A little bit. Is that okay?” Twilight looked up at them, her eyes shading away.

“Sparky,” Trueblood stood and walked over to Twilight, putting a hoof on her withers, “that’s great! We could stand to do a little bit of that ourselves.”

“You are!” Twilight responded. “And I had the advantage of knowing about the Elements of Harmony, and having friends there to help me out when I needed them.”

“Well, we’ve got one of those advantages, too.” Trueblood looked around the room at her friends. Smiling, she turned back to Twilight. “And you’re taking us to gather up the second part of that, right?”

“I hope so,” Twilight said, “but I can’t make promises. I don’t know if the Elements are there at all.”

“None of us do,” Bea answered, “but from your description, it’s our best bet. Endymion had the Lord of Harmony title, so it’s at least a start.”

“So odd,” Twilight thought aloud, “I came here looking for what happened to Endymion, and now, well, I guess I’m hoping to find out.”

“What do you want to know?” Bea asked. “About Endymion, I mean.”

“I--I don’t know, actually,” she answered. “I suppose I want to know why he stayed here, now that I know he came here, at least.”

“I cannot promise that he did, in fact, come here from another world, Twilight,” Bea answered, “but I do know the stories of his life.”

“He came from her world,” Gilda stated. “Even the griffins know that story.”

“With no documentation!” Bea corrected. “It’s only a story.”

“The proof is right there!” Gilda pointed to Twilight.

“That remains to be proven as well! I do believe that Twilight is a visitor from an alternate world, but we--” Bea was suddenly cut off by Trueblood’s voice.

“Ladies, let’s just assume that Twilight is right and that Endymion was from her world. That should make things go a little easier,” she said.

“Awwww.” Everypony looked over to see Ditzy putting down a tub of popcorn that she had somehow acquired during the conversation.

They all turned back to look at each other again.

“Well, with that as an assumption, then, would you like to hear what we do know about Endymion?” Bea asked.

“Very much so, yes!” Twilight brightened up.

“The stories say that he arrived during the late stages of the Penumbra Conflict, with Selene and Celestia’s forces embroiled in the Battle of Light’s Hope,” Bea began.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Twilight raised a hoof up, shaking her head. “The Penumbra Conflict? Battle of Light’s Hope? Selene and Celestia fighting? Uh, I think you might want to back up a little there.”

“Do you mean there was no such conflict on your world?” Bea asked. “The Sun and the Moon never went to war?”

“Well, yes, that did happen, but not with any of those terms. And it was Luna--our Princess of the Night--who battled against her sister, Celestia, after she had been transformed into Nightmare Moon.”

“Wow, Sparky,” Trueblood said. “That sounds like a neat story of its own. Mind telling us about that?”

“I suppose I can,” Twilight said, “but you guys get to go first. I want to hear what happened here.”

“Fair enough,” Bea continued. “A little backstory then.”

She settled back into her chair and began her tale.

“Thousands of years ago, the sun and the moon did not live in harmony. The two forces fought for dominance over the land, headed up by the goddesses that controlled them--Selene, the Goddess of the Night, and her sister Celestia, the Goddess of the Day. From the moment of their twin birth, they were at odds. Fighting against each other for control and dominance. There was no regular sunrise or sunset. Nothing that we now call a normal day or night. Instead, the ponies and other beings in the world were forced to live through whatever the current goddess in power felt was natural.

“Of course, ponies took sides. Some felt that Selene and her camp were the best choice, as she offered a softer life, with less effort and more relaxation. Others were in Celestia’s camp, seeing the benefits that resulted from hard work and production. The two stood so diametrically opposed that they polarized their followers, creating tension in the daily life of ponies,” Bea said.

“Celestia let that happen?” Twilight gasped. “But...but she’s always been so kind...”

“Not always. Not on our world,” Bea continued. “In fact, both goddesses reveled in the conflict. They saw the struggle for the pony’s affection equal to their own battle for control of the day and night. Eventually, they drew the ponies directly into their campaign.

“The first conflict in the name of the two goddesses was The Battle of Ghastly Gorge. It was small, compared to some of the later ones, but the impact of it was huge. Dozens of ponies fought in the name of their respective camps, with blood drawn and lives lost. Of course, both sides blamed the other, and we will never know the truth of the matter, but we do know that it led to more fights, and more blood, and a world in chaos.”

“Th--that sounds horrible,” Twilight said, her eyes glistening with tears.

“It was,” Bea explained. “There has never been so violent a time in Equestria. Not even Coldheart’s rule has had the same loss of life.”

“Speak for yourself,” Gilda corrected with a growl.

“True. My apologies,” Bea frowned. “It was the largest loss of PONY life. In all, the Penumbra Conflict ran for over two hundred years, with battles occurring far too regularly. They never called it a war. The two goddesses would not deem it anything so openly direct.”

“I don’t believe it. How did they stop it? What happened?” Twilight asked.

Bea smiled warmly for the first time since Twilight had met her. “Endymion. Endymion happened.”

“What did he do?” Twilight asked.

“The stories say that he came seeking peace. His first contact was with Selene, knowing exactly where her home was and appearing there uninvited and unexpected. Selene was known for having a bit of a temper, so the fact that he was able to show up and not be punished for it was an achievement in itself. The fact that he was able to stay there for a few days was even more of a surprise. During that time, he spoke to Selene, and she spoke to him.

“He was able to convince her to meet with Celestia, but she insisted that he accompany her. They chose a neutral location, amid the mountains running through the heart of Equestria. A beautiful location where waterfalls echoed through the plains below and view went on for miles and miles.”

“Canterlot,” Twilight whispered.

“Exactly,” Bea nodded. “Before it was built and before anypony knew its name, the two goddesses and Endymion met to discuss peace.

“Something magical happened at that place. It has been described as a light, as a song, and as a dance, but the only thing that anypony knows is that it was a moment of clarity unlike anything that has happened before or since. In a meeting that lasted a total of seven days and nights, the two sisters found something that they had never had before. Something that was never shared between them: harmony.”

“The Elements!” Twilight’s eyes glinted in the half-light of the room.

“Well, that’s what we’re going to find out, I suppose. But both goddesses agreed to put aside their differences and live in peace. They spread the word far and wide as one, showing a day and night that was now easily measured, and what we have become accustomed to now.”

“But, what did he say? What did he do? What did all three of them do?” Twilight asked.

“That is unknown. They never spoke of it, but we do know that, shortly after that meeting, Endymion and Selene were married. They had several children, who had children of their own, and children of their own,” Bea said.

“What happened to them?” Twilight asked.

“You’ve seen them,” Trueblood stated. “Unfortunately, you’ve seen them.”

“When? We haven’t met that many ponies,” Twilight stated.

“In the throne room,” Trueblood sighed. “Fantasia is the only survivor. She made sure the others were...removed. They are now on her wall.”

“Oh,” Twilight’s voice dropped. “I--I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

“No worries,” Trueblood said. “I didn’t know them either. But Fantasia told me all about them.”

“You’ve been through so much. I don’t know how you’ve done so well,” Twilight said.

“She’s an amazing mare,” Husk answered.

“Hey,” Trueblood smiled, “I wouldn’t call me amazing.” Her teeth sparkled. “I’m actually a little better than that.”

Laughter filled the room for several minutes.

* * * * * * *

“...and she led you on a chase through the town?” Toy asked.

“Yes, General,” the soldier replied. He stood still, his head forward and his body at full attention.

“She was aided by the lavender unicorn, Twilight Sparkle?” Toy asked.

“There was a unicorn that matched that description, General,” he stated.

“And the chase ended when the two groups of soldiers collided and fell into a heap, unable to continue the chase any more?” Toy’s voice was calm and even.

“That’s correct, General,” he answered.

“And what happened with Trueblood and Sparkle?” Toy asked.

“They teleported a safe distance away and then ran down the road away from us,” he answered. “Away from the city, and towards the Macintosh Hills.”

“And you never were able to contact or harm them at all?” Toy asked.

“No, General. They were completely untouched,” he stated.

Her fangs appeared as Toy let a smile grow onto her face. “Excellent work, Captain. I’ll see to it that you and your men are compensated appropriately. You are dismissed.”

“Thank you, General.” He saluted, and Toy could see the hint of a smile on his face as he turned and walked from the tent.

She watched the soldier leave before Goldfeather said a word. “I don’t get it.” Turning towards Toy, her face was scowling. “Why did want the soldiers to come across like idiots chasing them?”

“You’re thinking again, pet,” Toy answered. “I thought I made it clear that you aren’t supposed to do that.”

“Yeah, whatever,” Goldfeather responded. “There isn’t anypony to impress, Toy. Just answer the question.”

Toy’s eyebrow went up as she regarded the griffin. “Do you think it was only to impress others? Or was it to show you your place?”

Goldfeather’s beak ground together, her ears laying back flat. “Of course it was to show my place, Toy. You made that perfectly clear. That doesn’t change my question, though, does it?”

The tent they were in was quite large and, as much as possible for a mobile tent, opulent. Toy had seen that as many of Coldheart’s small pieces of finery as she could were brought on this journey. Pillows and blankets of fine silk and satin. Statues of ponies and sculptures of the heavens. One odd, glowing orb, with a shifting color of gold and black swirling inside it. Tapestries and paintings. Rugs and throws.

And a throne.

Not the huge throne that sat in the castle in Canterlot, but a throne, nonetheless. She sat on it as though she had always owned it, her forehoof draped casually over the arm of the throne, with her body sitting at an angle across the whole of the chair. She looked like a dark queen.

“I suppose not,” Toy answered casually. “But I am very surprised, pet. I thought that you would understand the psychology of the hunt. How to draw your prey in so that it was much more easily caught.”

“Don’t talk to me about hunting, Toy,” Goldfeather growled. “That is not a good topic any more.”

“Oh, did I step on a feather?” she sneered. “My apologies. That doesn’t change my point though. This is a hunt. And our prey is under the command of a pony that I know very, very well.”

“Trueblood?” Goldfeather raised her tone.

“Of course! The daughter of our dear, beloved Empress. The belle of Canterlot, and the perfect shining star of the downtrodden. The inspiration of so many ponies, and the leader of our little band of rebels. Dear, dear Trueblood.” Toy’s fangs were on full display.

“I...don’t get it,” Goldfeather replied.

Rolling her eyes back, Toy let out a deep sigh. “So disappointing. Let me put it in simple terms for you, then. Trueblood has been spoiled. She has had the luxury of escaping everything that has ever been put before her. Her mother coddles her, and everypony else fears Coldheart, so there is no repercussion to her actions. Simply put, she thinks she is invulnerable, and we’re going to feed that line of thinking.”

Toy’s eyes glowed a dark green. “She’s overconfident, and that will be how we catch her.”

“By making her succeed?” Goldfeather said.

“Yes, exactly.” Toy sat back. “Right up to the point where she fails miserably, and I will be there staring her in the eye when she does.”

There was a pause as Goldfeather stared blankly.

“Are you sure you aren’t being overconfident yourself?” Goldfeather asked.

In a flash Toy moved from her throne to Goldfeather, her hoof lashing out and smashing against the side of her face, driving her to the ground, her beak digging into the dirt. Toy stood over her, her chest heaving as she growled.

“How dare you!” she barked. “You have no concept of my mind and the plans that I can forge. You are a traitor to your own kind and a tool of Coldheart, and most of all, you are a coward. You will serve me properly or not at all, and The Empress never told me that you had to survive this experience, I might add.”

“Traitor, tool, and coward?” Goldfeather turned on her side, a fire burning in her eyes. “That sounds like a very good description of both of us, doesn’t it?”

A hoof rose up to strike down onto the griffin, but this time Goldfeather was ready. Her claw caught Toy’s hoof, redirecting it to the ground beside her, her body twisting to the side and popping up to a standing position.

“No more, Toy,” Goldfeather lowered her head, ready for the worst. “I will not let you abuse me.”

Blinking, Toy stared at the griffin--and then burst out laughing.

“Let me? LET ME?!” The words were laced with contempt. “You have no choice! You have no power. You have no standing. If I want you to dress up like a dancing slut, you’ll do it because you know that without my protection you are dead. And what’s more, if I want to kill you, I will.”

“I’m leaving,” Goldfeather stated, her head still down as she began to circle around towards the exit. “I don’t want anything to do with you or Coldheart anymore.”

“Really? You think that you can just leave here when you decide?” Toy answered, turning to match Goldfeather’s move.

“I’m about to,” she answered.

“And I’m going to let you?” Toy replied.

“I won’t go to Trueblood,” Goldfeather said. “I want to be as far away from this as possible. I have other concerns to deal with.”

“You poor, deluded creature,” Toy shook her head. “You can’t hide from them without us.”

“Shut up,” Goldfeather said. Her body moved to the opening. “And I’m not going to hide. I’m sick of hiding.”

“I tell you what, Goldfeather,” Toy said, a smile once more growing on her face. “Leave. Go ahead and run off, or fly off, whatever you like. But I want you to know that when you come back--and you will come back--you will have to please me in whatever way that I choose, in any way that I choose.”

“I won’t be back,” she said.

“You will. There is no other haven for you in this world. And when you realize that, you will be back,” Toy said calmly.

“To hell with you!” Goldfeather snapped.

“Oh, pet, hell holds no fear for me. You, on the other hoof, are about to experience a hell that you can’t possibly imagine,” her voice was soft and smooth.

Goldfeather turned and sprinted from the tent. After four of five strides, her wings unfurled and she leapt into the sky, flying clear of the camp and away from Toy and her troops.

Toy walked to the opening of the tent, staring up at the griffin as she faded to the horizon. She smiled, turned, and walked back to her throne.

* * * * * * *

Whistling a happy tune, Spike wandered around the Carousel Cafe carrying a feather duster while wearing a tiny apron. Since slightly before dawn, he had been up and cleaning, doing his very best to make sure that every corner and crevice of Rarity’s home was tidy and sparkling--with one exception. Sticking his head inside her “inspiration room” he nodded once and closed the door, content that this was the sole room that had to stay exactly as she had left it.

“Thank you, Sweetie Belle!” he joyfully announced to the house, with only Opalescence to hear. The cat flicked an ear in his direction from the bed, and made no other indication of his presence at all.

“Okay, I’ve cleaned the whole house--except the forbidden room--and put everything in its place, as dictated by the labels that I have so graciously added to her items. Good job, Spike!” he told himself. He glanced over at the large chest of gems that she kept, and he had organized. “And you didn’t even eat one of those beautiful...delicious looking gems.” His tongue came out and coated his lips as his eyes glazed for a moment.

“No! No, those are Rarity’s gems.” His stomach grumbled loudly. “That goes double for you, tummy!” As if to respond, his gut rolled and growled. “Okay, okay, yeah. I suppose I do need to go get something to eat.”

He jogged happily over to his own small chest, his mind already running through the rubies and emeralds that blended so well and just danced on his palate. His eyes were pulsing with excitement as he opened his chest and...saw nothing. The chest was empty.

“What? No! No, I brought enough to get me through the whole week! I made sure that there was enough there for every meal! I mean, sure I had a few snacks, especially while I was cleaning, but...” He looked around the room. Every nook was shining and perfect. “Uh-oh. I might have cleaned too much. Which would mean that I snacked too much. Which would mean,” he gulped, “that I have no more food!”

He closed the chest and spun around, his claws strumming against each other rapidly. His eyes fell upon Rarity’s chest of gems, with each one separated out into its own delicious category.

“So...many...gems...” He stalked forward, each small step putting him that much closer to the chest. The chest filled with yummy, yummy gems. To Rarity’s chest.

“No!” His eyes went wide, and he slapped himself across the face. “You can’t just go and do that, Spike! What would Rarity think?”

He danced in place, trying to keep his mind occupied. He glanced at the chest again, and whined. His head spun around, trying to find something to take his mind off the tempting issue, and spotted the front door. He made a mad dash for the outside.

“Right! You’ve been around Rarity enough times to know roughly where to find a few gems to hold you over for now.” There was still an abnormal amount of activity in Ponyville these days, with military wandering the streets in large numbers. Spike walked through the ponies carefully, heading straight towards the field where he and Rarity would often go gem hunting. He was hoping to have just a fraction of her luck at finding some.

His hunger told him to waste no time, and he hurried himself along, thoughts of sapphires and amethyst running through his head fast than his feet. And being small he had the advantage of running through areas that most ponies found too difficult to traverse, including through thick brush that would be a barrier to almost anypony.

A flash of sparkling red in the deep brush caught his eye, and he spun around, ready to grab his first ruby. Not the normal place for such things, but maybe somepony had dropped it. And their loss was his dinner.

“Come to me, my beautiful--” He stopped, his head tilting up and back along the body of the odd creature in front of him. Not pony and not dragon, but something somewhere in between. It looked down at him and snarled.

“AHHHHHHHHH!!!” Spike ran furiously towards town, angling towards the closest part near him. The location that he knew best.

He could hear the crashing behind him as the monster closed the distance, his only advantage being his size and the density of the undergrowth. The monster was making no distinctive sound, the only sound the crunch of the sticks and leaves as it came after him.

“Monster! Monster!” Spike shouted, breaking into the clear. He could hear the beast right behind him, but he could see his destination ahead. The Golden Oaks Library. His home. It was so close, but the sound coming behind him was much closer and much, much faster than him.

“Okay, Spike,” he said softly to himself. “This is it. Your moment. You can do this.”

He turned on his heels, and confronted his pursuer. In the sudden light of day, it seemed bigger than he remembered somehow.

Struck by the creature’s claw, Spike went tumbling backwards, head over tail, thrown like little more than a small sack of apples. Disoriented and in pain, he struggled to get back to his feet, and from the corner of his eye he spotted his opponent. Much closer than he hoped.

He lowered his head and rushed forward, ready to drive back into the monster. He struck hard, feeling as though he just ran full speed into a thick tree at Sweet Apple Acres. He stumbled back three steps and fell flat on his butt.

A claw went up over Spike, and he saw it hang in the air for a moment before slicing down at him--and glancing harmlessly off of a glowing shield that appeared around him.

“Spike!” Shining Armor shouted. “Stay down!”

“I can help!” Spike answered, clawing back to his feet.

The Dragoon looked up at Shining Armor and snarled, his new prey now filling his thoughts. A shot of magical energy glanced past the beast as Shining Armor attempted to hit him with a bolt of power.

“Dammit!” Shining Armor shot again, missing for the second time. He was top of his class at marksmanship, but the speed of his target was equal to the task. Circling around him, it was all Shining Armor could do to keep himself facing towards the enemy, and with each step, the Dragoon was moving closer and closer to him.

Recognizing the tactic, Shining Armor retreated, laying down a carefully placed array of magic, hoping to hold off the creature until he could get to a more tactical position. The Dragoon didn’t want to wait that long.

Dodging the spread of mystic power, the Dragoon changed tactic, moving directly towards Shining Armor, a thin trail of drool escaping his mouth as the lust of the hunt overcame him.

He could feel his heart beating as the enemy descended on Shining Armor. There was no time for him to act, only to react, and thankfully his training made that possible. He could feel the weight of the Dragoon against his shield as he shifted the angle of it, flipping the beast away from him.

Twisting his head, he saw the Dragoon turn himself in the air and land on its claws, skidding to a rapid stop and then bounding back towards Shining Armor. Defensive thinking came to the forefront once more as another shield positioned itself between him and the Dragoon, and Shining Armor could feel the battle shifting quickly against him. He needed a moment to gather himself.

One small green and purple flash gave him that moment. Spike slammed into the side of the Dragoon, driving the creature sidelong and away from his prey for a second. The baby dragon fell to the ground, dazed and disoriented from the impact, his eyes spinning.

Leaping over to stand over his friend, Shining Armor kept his eyes on the Dragoon and his mind ready to act. As the dragon-pony turned and leapt once more, this time he loosed a spell that sank into the ground around Shining Armor and Spike. Shards of wood erupted from the ground, forming a wall of stakes in front of them too suddenly for the monster to change direction.

Wood and flesh met with a howl. Splinters showered back onto the two waiting on the far side of the wall, even as Shining Armor fought to strengthen and replace the imposing spears that protected them. The Dragoon was growling, his claws rending the wood with each mighty stroke of his claw. Small traces of blood ran down the monster’s forelegs, but nowhere near the quantity Shining Armor was hoping to see.

“Stay behind me, Spike. Stay behind me and close your eyes,” he ordered, keeping his face towards the Dragoon.

Bits of wood fell off of Shining Armor, his body standing firm over the top of Spike, ready to defend the baby dragon with everything that he had. Staring across the rapidly depleting wall of wood, his eyes met the pits of the Dragoon’s eyes.

“I love you, Cady,” he whispered.

He could feel the breath of the beast over the final layer of defense, sweat trickling down his cheek, teeth clenched and horn down. And then the Dragoon flew through the air--sideways.

A flash of motion to his left, caused Shining Armor to move his eyes, to see a large red stallion standing there, his rear hooves just falling to the ground.

“Nope,” was the only word that Mac said as he looked back over his shoulder.

Shining Armor took a breath, filling a void he hadn’t realized he was keeping back. He looked below him at his young companion and an idea formed instantly.

“Spike!” The shout popped open the baby dragon’s eyes. “The letter to the princess! Can you send one to Luna?”

Big Macintosh charged towards the Dragoon, who was snarling and turning back, running to meet the large stallion.

“Uh, I think so, but I don’t think that I have time to write anything,” Spike answered.

“You don’t need to!” Shining Armor lifted up Spike, and dashed forward carrying him at his side. “Just be ready to send it!”

The Dragoon slammed into Big Mac, and the stallion fell backwards with a loud expulsion of air. His hooves staggered beneath him, and he felt the claws of the beast rake across his side. Mac stayed silent, just gritting his teeth as the Dragoon leapt into the air, his claws before him as he prepared to come down on his weakened prey.

“Now, Spike! Now!” Shinging Armor pushed Spike in between Mac and the Dragoon.

“Huh? I don’t...OH!” Spike’s eyes lit up as he took a deep breath. The Dragoon howled as the flame came out, surrounding him and penetrating into his flesh. He extended his claw out as far as possible, even as his body began to dissolve in the magical fire.

The final act of the Dragoon touched Spike, sending his body flying through the air and landing on the ground with a heavy thud. The Dragoon disappeared completely, turning to an ethereal form that floated away into the sky.

“Spike! Mac!” Shining Armor rushed forward, looking at both of them alternately. Regaining his hooves, Big Mac nodded once towards the other stallion.

“Are you okay?” Shining Armor asked to Big Mac as he sped towards Spike.

“Eeyup,” he said through a wince, the wound in his side definitely needing treatment, but he was still up and active.

Spike was lying dangerously still.

“Spike? Spike?” Shining Armor bent down over the baby dragon, carefully turning him over to check on his condition. He gasped when he saw the youth.

“Wh--what happened?” Spike asked in a daze.

Forcing a smile, Shining Armor let out a heavy sigh. “You saved us, Spike. You saved all of us.”

“I--I did?” he asked, bringing his claw up to touch his face. “My face hurts. And you look blurry.”

“Don’t touch it!” Shining Armor said. “We’ll get that looked at. You’re going to be fine.”

He turned to look at Big Mac. “Thank you. You gave us the moment that we needed.”

“Happy to help,” Mac answered. Then looked at Spike--and turned away suddenly. “He okay?”

Shining Armor nodded. “Yeah, he’ll...be okay. We need to get him to a medic, though. Both of you, actually.”

“What happened to that thing?” Mac asked.

“Oh, I think he’s going to find himself in a much worse situation,” Shining Armor answered.

* * * * * * *

“I wish you would put me down, Luna,” Celestia said, riding carefully on the back of her sister. “I need to get my legs working again.”

“You will,” Luna craned her head around to look sidelong at Celestia, “as soon as I say that you can.”

“We are over half way to Ponyville. Are you going to make me wait that whole time?” Celestia asked with a sigh.

Luna turned back around to face forward. “If you keep whining like that, then I don’t know when I will give you the opportunity.”

The sky was clear, and Celestia couldn’t help but stare up into it. The sun had crested well past its zenith, and the light was cascading across the clouds creating a lovely color.

“I haven’t thanked you, Luna,” Celestia said softly.

“You did. You thanked me in the cavern,” she corrected.

“No, not for rescuing me--though I will thank you for that again--but rather for the sun. For taking care of my duties for me.” She brought her head down with a serious expression. “It has been you taking care of it, hasn’t it?”

“It has,” Luna smiled.

“You’ve done a wonderful job. I’m impressed,” Celestia said, turning back to the sun and sky.

Luna looked up into the sky, surveying the light and the way it played. She shook her head.

“You’re lying. There is something that is bothering you,” she said.

“I’m not!” Celestia’s head snapped back to look at her sister. “It truly is lovely.”

“Hmmm,” Luna looked back forward. “I don’t want you to coddle me. If I’m doing something wrong, tell me.”

“Why are you so worried? I really think that it’s beautiful,” Celestia answered.

“Because,” Luna answered with a snap.

Celestia leaned towards the head of her wife. “Did I touch on something bad, Luna? I truly only meant to compliment you. Are you okay?”

“I--” she stopped walking and let out a sigh. “I don’t know anything about the sun. With the moon and stars I have so much more to play with and design. There is such subtlety to the day that I have never understood before. But I was unwilling to let anypony down. Our subjects had to see the sun rise, and it had to come from one of us.”

“And it did. And you did it. You did wonderfully, Luna,” Celestia said in her ever-soothing tone.

“I just hope that the ponies feel the same. That when they looked up into the sky they saw your beauty, and not--”

Luna’s words were cut short by the sudden swirl of magic in front of her that coalesced into the form of a creature that appeared to be a pony mixed with a dragon. The Dragoon fell to the ground, looking around in shock.

“Tia,” Luna said with a growl, “I have decided that you get to try to walk right now. I have something that I need to take care of.”

Luna’s magic wrapped around her sister as she lowered her gently to the ground. The Dragoon snarled and turned to run, only to have a pony materialize in front of him, wings unfurled and fangs bared.

The night descended upon him.

* * * * * * *

Pinkie Pie bounced along happily, smiling at everything they passed. And everypony as well.

Ponyville looked something like they remembered, but not exactly. The Carousel Boutique was missing, but Cupcake Corner was still a hive of activity. They walked past The Golden Oaks Library, but saw a sign for Flim-Flam Apple Orchards. And everywhere she bounced, Pinkie looked for a familiar face.

“Ooh, lookie!” she announced. “There’s Mayor Mare!”

“We can see her, sugarcube,” Applejack said softly.

“And Cherilee!” she bounced and pointed. “There’s Cherilee!”

“Yes, yes, darling. That’s Cherilee,” Rarity answered quietly.

Pinkie’s eyes almost glowed. “OH! OH! Do you think that I’ll see me? Wouldn’t it be great if I saw me? I would be like, ‘Wow! It’s so nice to meet me!’”

“If there is a guiding force of goodness in this world,” Trixie droned, “then that event will never occur.”

“Uh, yeah, Pinkie, we’re kinda needin’ to keep a bit of a low profile. If we were to come across ourselves, that kinda throws the whole thing off kilter,” Applejack said.

“Awwww,” Pinkie whined, dropping down into a much smaller bounce.

Sneaking down to whisper in her ear, Rainbow Dash tried to make sure no pony was watching. “Psst. I think it would be totally awesome to meet up with me, too.”

With those words, the bounce returned to Pinkie’s step as her eyes lit up.

“Okay, so here’s the plan,” Applejack said quietly. “We need to first find out if there is a pony named Twilight Sparkle here in this here Ponyville, and whether or not she lives here. If’n she don’t, then we know it’s our Twilight, and if’n she does, well, then we are gonna have to decide whether to talk to her or not.”

“It is a shame that we aren’t looking for The Great and Powerful Trixie,” the self-same pony stated. “I’m sure that everypony knows of me.”

“Hey!” Pinkie ran up to the nearest pony, a grey-colored mare with a red mane. “Do you know The Great and Powerful Trixie?”

The pony looked skyward as she rubbed her chin. “Hmmm. No. No, I don’t recall the name.” She laughed lightly and then continued. “And with a name like that, I’m pretty sure I would remember.”

“Okie dokie! Thanks!” Pinkie bounced back over towards Trixie. “Nope! That wouldn’t help.”

A twitch started to form in Trixie’s right eye.

“Relax, darling,” Rarity eased. “It is hard for there to be that much talent in two separate worlds, after all.”

“Uh, yeah,” Applejack looked around. “Okay, so we better try to talk to somepony, see if we can get the low down on Twilight.”

“Oh! I can do that!” Pinkie bounded forward, only to be stopped by a firm bite on her tail holding her back.

“Wai’ up, s’grcube,” Applejack said with a mouth full of tail. “Ma’be we sh’ld let somep’ny else han’le this?”

“Why?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Pinkie can talk to anypony. Seriously, she’s the most talkative pony I know.”

“But far from the most subtle, darling. This situation may require a bit of a more delicate approach,” Rarity explained.

“I can be subtle!” Pinkie bounced in place, now free from Applejack’s grasp. “C’mon, c’mon! Let me be subtle! Oh, I have a great idea! I’ll just walk up next to them like a ninja--I can even wear my ninja outfit--and then just whisper Twilight’s name in their ear and see how they react!”

“And that’s why we don’t use Pinkie,” Applejack explained. “Rarity, why don’t you give it a try.”

“I would be delighted to.” Rarity flipped her head, tending to her mane briefly before moving in to action. “Everypony wait here.”

Prancing away from the group, she headed towards a brown stallion with a black mane who was walking through the heart of town. “Oh, dear!” She stepped in front of him, turning her head this way and that with a furrowed brow. “Whatever shall I do?”

The stallion gave pause. “Is there something wrong, miss?”

“Oh, thank heavens! A strong stallion here to rescue me!” Her eyelashes beat against her lower cheek. “I’m just absolutely lost! I’ve traveled her to seek out an old friend, but I cannot for the life of me seem to locate her. You wouldn’t by chance know a delightful lavender mare by the name of Twilight Sparkle, do you?”

“Twilight Sparkle? Let me think...” He tapped his hoof and squinted his eyes. “I know a Buttercup Sprinkle, but she’s more of a yellow color.” He looked at Rarity shaking his head. “No, sorry, I don’t know anypony by that name.”

“Oh, dear,” Rarity pouted. “I don’t suppose that you are new to town, then? Perhaps not familiar with many ponies?”

“Lived her all my life,” he answered. “And I work at the bank, so I know most everypony in town. So sorry, miss.”

With a heavy sigh, Rarity smiled politely up at the stallion. “Oh, please, you’ve already been so kind. It was a long shot at best, and you’ve saved me a considerable amount of time.”

“Well, good luck,” he said with a nod, and then politely walked away.

Turning to walk back to her friends, Rarity’s smile was pure pride.

“That’s my marefriend,” Trixie leaned over to tell Fluttershy, who nodded slightly.

“Pssh,” Pinkie rolled her eyes. “I could’a done that.”

“Good work, Rarity,” Applejack said. “At least we know that she ain’t livin’ here. Now we just need to make sure that she wasn’t visitin’ at any point.”

“Well, I could--”

Trixie’s declaration never finished, as all six of the ponies leapt back in surprise--with Fluttershy letting out a sharp squeak. A griffin, hackles raised and wings up in a predatory position dropped down directly on them from above.

“WHO DID IT?!” Goldfeather shouted. “Which one of you ponies went into my chamber?!”

Pinkie jumped up with a huge smile. “Hooray! You found my note!”

All the other ponies turned to look at her.

“Uh, what note, Pinkie?” Applejack asked.

“You!” Goldfeather pounced, her claws pinning Pinkie to the ground, a bloodlust in her eyes. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done?! If anypony--any PONY--finds out about that then I’m ruined. Everything is ruined!”

Rainbow Dash was on her in a flash, tackling the griffin to the ground. Shrieks of terror echoed through the town square, with warnings of a griffin attack resounding around them.

Goldfeather grabbed Rainbow Dash with her claws, only to have the pegasus quickly kick her in the gut. With the wind knocked out of her, Goldfeather simply threw Rainbow Dash off of her, twisting to get back to her paws.

Applejack burst forward, rearing up to smack down on the griffin with her forehooves, while Goldfeather prepared to swipe back with her claws. None of that happened, though.

“STOP!!” Fluttershy stood between them, her hooves up in the air as though to hold them both apart. It worked.

“Get out of my way, pony,” Goldfeather growled.

“Yeah, Fluttershy, this is serious,” Applejack said.

“I know that it is,” she said softly, yet sternly. “I can see it in her eyes. Something happened to her and she’s upset about it.” She looked kindly at Goldfeather. “You’re the griffin from the house? The one with the pictures in the basement?”

“You saw it, too!” Her eyes shot wide, and then closed to slits. “How many of you saw it?”

“We all did,” Trixie said. “Are you going to fight us all?”

“If I have to!” Goldfeather spat.

“Uh...you don’t have to,” Pinkie said, walking up to Goldfeather. “I left the note so you could find us. You seemed like a very special somepony, who a lot of griffins seemed to be very happy to meet. So, I wanted to meet you, too.” There was no smile on her face, only sincerity. “I’m sorry if I upset you. I didn’t mean to.”

Her beak ground together, as her head began to shake violently. “GRAAAAAHH!” She reared up, shouting to the sky. Rainbow Dash and Applejack jumped between her and Pinkie Pie, ready for the worst.

The griffin turned and smashed her claws into the ground.

As a collective whole, the six mares let out a sigh of relief.

“Why?” Goldfeather muttered. “Why were you even in there? Do you have any idea what you’ve done? What might happen to those griffins?”

“We’re sorry,” Fluttershy said. “We were just looking for a friend, and your’s was the first house that we saw, and--”

“If you say the name Twilight Sparkle...” Goldfeather glanced up.

“You know her?!” Fluttershy’s eyes lit up.

Goldfeather buried her head into her claws, and the ponies would swear they heard her mumble something.

“Who the hell are you ponies?!” she shouted. “And why are you looking for her?”

“That’s a bit of a story, I’m afraid,” Rarity said. “And I believe your rather dramatic arrival has garnered the attention of the local contingent of authorities.” She pointed to the square, where several ponies in uniform were gathering.

“Uh, yeah. We might want to head outta town here, lickity split,” Applejack said. “We can explain it to you once we’re far enough away, and we would sure be thankful if you could tell us what you know about Twilight’s whereabouts.”

Standing to her full height, Goldfeather let out a sigh. “Why not. It’s all pretty much ruined anyway.”

“Yay!” Pinkie jumped over and hugged the griffin. “I knew that you would be super-duper special!”

There was a long silence as everypony stared at Goldfeather, waiting for a response.

“Would somepony get her off of me?” she asked.

* * * * * * *

“Hey.”

Twilight turned at the sound of the voice, a smile already growing on her lips. “Hi!” she answered a bit too enthusiastically.

“I’m not disturbing you, am I?” Trueblood asked.

“Not at all,” she answered, turning back to her work. “I was just writing down today’s events. I know when I get back home that Princess Celestia is going to want to read all about what happened to me, and honestly I’m worried that it might be too much just to remember. It’s always a good idea to keep a journal of your day so you can look it over later.”

Trueblood looked around the room. It was a big chance sleeping in town, but they had earned it. And it would take Coldheart days to react, if she kept to her normal pattern.

The room itself was small, but tidy. It had a bed and a small desk nearby, which Twilight was putting to good use. There were more papers there than she thought capable of being stored in that small saddlebag that Twilight carried. The golden yellow of the walls helped to keep the room bright, but still neutral.

And Trueblood thought it complimented Twilight’s coat beautifully.

“Notes for your Princess, huh? She really that special?” Trueblood stepped inside and closed the door behind her.

“She is,” Twilight answered. “She’s been my mentor since I was a foal. Everything I know about magic I learned from her--or because of her.”

“Does she care about you as much as you do her?” She sat down on the bed, letting her legs dangle off of one side.

“Yes,” Twilight thought for a moment. “Maybe not as much--or in the way--that I first thought, but I know that she does care about me.”

Trueblood traced her hoof along the pattern on the quilt that covered the bed. “Do you...love her?”

Twilight hesitated. “I do.” She looked over at Trueblood. “Not like I thought I did--or maybe, more accurately, like I always thought I did. For a while I thought that she might be that one special somepony in my life, but...that wasn’t meant to be.”

“Sorry. That’s rough,” Trueblood kept her eyes down at the quilt.

“It’s okay, actually,” Twilight said. “A few days ago I didn’t feel that way, but, well, my trip here has been great. It’s gotten my mind off of a lot of things. A lot of ponies.”

Trueblood raised up her head, looking at her through the edge of her golden mane. “A lot of ponies?”

“It’s...complicated. And honestly, I don’t want to go into it right now,” Twilight answered.

“Sorry,” Trueblood raised her head up. “Didn’t mean to drag up bad feelings.”

“No, that’s okay,” Twilight answered. “It’s more of a case of not wanting to ruin good feelings.”

Trueblood raised an eyebrow. “You’re having good feelings?”

“Well, yeah,” Twilight nodded. “I mean, not everything has been so great, but there’s been some great highlights. Some incredible adventures. Learning about a whole new world. Finding out about what happened with Endymion. Meeting you.”

A more subtle smile grew on Trueblood’s face. “Meeting me?”

Darting her eyes back and forth, Twilight’s cheeks went crimson. “Um, well, yeah. It’s been great meeting you. You’ve been a real help to me. I don’t know even want to think what would have happened to me if you hadn’t come along.”

“Oh,” Trueblood turned her head. “Well, you’re welcome.”

Twilight shifted from her chair to the bed, scooting across it to put her hoof on the other mare’s shoulder. “No! I didn’t mean it like that. I mean, I did, but, well, you are a pretty terrific mare. I’ve never met anypony like you before.”

She turned her eyes sideways. “I thought you said we were just like your friends back home? The Elements?”

“Not exactly,” Twilight said. “You’re similar, sure, but it’s not an exact thing. I don’t think anything on this world is an exact replica of what is on my world.”

“Then how do you know you’ll find these Elements of Harmony?” Trueblood asked.

Twilight opened her mouth and nothing came out for a moment. “Faith? Confidence that, with all that is bad here, there is still too much good for them not to exist.”

“I’m glad that you see good here,” Trueblood turned to face directly at Twilight, their eyes meeting.

“I see a lot of good here,” Twilight answered.

“Like what?” Trueblood asked.

“You,” she whispered back.

“You think I’m good?” Trueblood leaned forward.

“I think that you’re...amazing,” Twilight brought herself closer.

“I kinda think the same about you, Sparky,” Trueblood breathed.

They could feel each other’s breath. The soft air that pressed out between them, hot on the other’s face.

“Are...are you seeing anypony?” Twilight asked. “I’ve kind of got a bad track record with this.”

“Nope. Just me,” Trueblood answered.

“Oh,” Twilight smiled. “Good.”

“Very good,” Trueblood replied.

Their lips met. Tenderly touching, with just enough pressure to move the other pair slightly. They moved their lips, not wanting to pull away, but afraid to go too far and scare the other. Eventually they pulled away slowly.

A sheen covered their eyes as they tried to catch their breath. Trueblood licked her lower lip as Twilight bit her own. Their chests heaved for a moment, waiting.

Launching themselves at each other, they tumbled onto the bed, hooves suddenly drawn up to manes. The kisses came quickly, peppered against each other’s lips in a torrent of passion. After a moment, Trueblood changed targets, kissing up along Twilight’s muzzle until she reacher her ears. Biting gently, she tugged down on the ear, pulling a gasp from Twilight.

Grabbing the back of her head, Twilight pulled Trueblood closer, turning her head to give easier access. The mare didn’t waste the opportunity, and began to kiss down Twilight’s neck, interlacing the pecks with light nibbles on the flesh.

“Ahhh!” Twilight let out after a sharp nip.

Yanking her head back, Trueblood stared at Twilight with wide eyes. “Are you okay? I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

“No! No, not at all. It felt great,” Twilight stared back. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m great,” she answered.

“Good.” Twilight fell forward, planting her lips onto Trueblood’s again. This time the kiss lingered, lips pulling and pushing with renewed vigor. Slowly, Twilight let her tongue slip from her mouth and push against Trueblood’s lips. Twilight soon found a twin to her own tongue coming out to play in the gap formed at the mouths.

The lips pulled away, leaving the tongue’s more room to play in the open air, a thin trail of saliva still joining them together. Both mares let their hooves wander through the other’s mane, tugging and pulling, and just letting the hair fall across their hoof.

The tongues danced, neither of them trying to overpower the other, but just enjoy the sensation of the shared touch. Twilight let her hoof move down the other’s body, until it was resting on Trueblood’s flank. She pulled back and looked at the other mare, a tinge of determination in her eye.

“Are we going too fast?” she asked. “Do you want me to stop? We don’t have to go any further, we can just kiss. I don’t mind.”

“You better not stop,” Trueblood answered quickly.

Without a word, Twilight pushed her mouth onto Trueblood’s neck, kissing it with intense passion as her hoof began to massage the other’s flank and then down along her thigh.

There was no thought of pausing anymore. The passion was quickly taking over, and Twilight began to lick her way down Trueblood’s chest, while her hoof made its way to the inside of her thigh. Soon, Twilight found her chin brushing against the very erect and hard nipples of Trueblood’s breasts. Letting her tongue slide out, she licked them softly, waiting for a response. Some ponies liked to have their breasts played with, while others hated it. Twilight had always thought that it probably had something to do with the way they were weened--too quickly or not quickly enough. It might make for an interesting research paper, assuming that she could write it without coming across a little creepy.

A soft moan gave Twilight the information she needed for now.

She put her lips over one of the nipples and began to gently suck while her tongue continued to play with the firm flesh that jut upwards. Flicking back and forth, she tried to prod the nipple to even firmer stiffness, and when that didn’t seem to work she let her teeth move to rest against it, biting softly.

Trueblood arched her back, rising up to meet Twilight’s mouth, her hooves moving down to hold Twilight’s mane loosely. She moved her hooves quickly through the mane, motioning it towards her body without pulling or pushing on Twilight’s head.

A deep moan and a twist of her body gave Twilight the hint, and she pulled back off of Trueblood, staring down for a moment. A bright pink slit opened and closed among the white sea of her coat, and Twilight swallowed, her mouth watering at the sight.

Her tongue arrived just before her lips, tasting the nectar that seeped from Trueblood’s sex. She let her mouth stay still as her tongue gently massage open the lips she kissed. Gentle folds gave way easily under the pressure, and Twilight let her tongue slide along the length of the slit.

“Turn around,” Trueblood urged, letting go of Twilight’s mane. It took her a moment to register what the other mare was requesting, but Twilight eventually understood and shifted her body around until she was lying atop Trueblood, her head still between the mare’s legs, and lowering her own sex towards the other’s mouth.

A sharp gasp escaped Twilight as Trueblood quickly brought her mouth up to meet the lowering marehood. Trueblood’s mouth and tongue went straight to work devouring Twilight. She raked her tongue along the length of the opening as her hooves pulled and pried apart the flesh around it.

Lost for a moment, Twilight forgot the task that she had begun, enjoying the sensation that was being given to her. Trueblood took that moment to press her advantage and slipped her tongue inside Twilight’s pussy. Rocking back into her, Twilight tried to push the tongue deeper into her cunt.

A moan of excitement came up from under Twilight, snapping her back to the moment, and causing her to fall forward, her mouth once again finding Trueblood’s sex. With renewed energy, Twilight began to thrust her own tongue into the mare, enjoying the tight fit and the slick juices.

Each mare was ravenous. Like a thirsty pony crossing a desert, they lapped up the bounty before them, taking sustenance from each other. And with every motion of the tongue, they moved that much closer to release, making them only redoubled their efforts. Tongues invaded cunts, lips sucking and teasing against the outside of the sex. Twilight brought her tongue out and moved to concentrate on the erect clitoris at the hood of Trueblood’s sex. Like the mare’s nipples, it was long and hard, bigger than any she had seen before. It only gave her a larger target, her tongue and mouth now fixated on the sensitive nub.

Trueblood pawed against Twilight’s ass, pulling the flesh apart to give her better access to her pussy and opening up the passage even further. She shoved her face in deeply, letting her chin drive against Twilight’s clit as she continued to fuck her with her tongue.

Both mare’s could feel the moment building inside them, and all they wanted was to make sure that their partner reached that same plateau on a equal basis.

With a mutual scream, both mare’s clenched their thighs, surrounding the other one’s head. This had the two-fold effect of pressing the muzzle in tighter against their own sex, and muffling the cries of the other.

Again and again they let out short, sharp sounds, each coinciding with another spasm that ran through their body, jolting every nerve. Juices flowed freely from them, both mares licking greedily to take them in and find some more.

In what was either a very short or a very long time--neither could tell at this point--the two mares collapsed, with Twilight rolling off to Trueblood’s right side. Their chests rose and fell heavily, their eyes closed and mouths open.

“Are...are you okay?” Twilight finally asked.

A short laugh came from the other end of the bed. “I hope so. Otherwise I’m going to have to find a new definition for that word. Are you okay?”

“Uh-huh,” Twilight nodded as she spoke.

Turning around, Twilight moved to put her head up next to Trueblood. The pristine white coat of the mare was somewhat matted down with Twilight’s cum, but all she could see at this moment were the mare’s lovely eyes. Her hoof came back up to stroke Trueblood’s golden mane.

“I was afraid...” Twilight started and trailed off.

“Afraid of what?” Trueblood asked softly.

Twilight bit her lip. “Afraid that...you didn’t feel like I did. About me and you, I mean.” She paused. “And that...you might reject me.”

A hoof came up and moved Twilight’s mane away from her face. “Not gonna happen, Sparky. I wanted this, too.”

“I--I’m glad,” Twilight choked.

“Hey!” Trueblood pulled Twilight into a hug. “It’s okay. Honest. I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere.”

“Good,” Twilight nuzzled the mare, opening her eyes to look down at her body. “Huh, I never really noticed your cutie mark before.”

She stared at it. A blue crescent inside a heart.

“What does it symbolize?” Twilight asked.

“Beats me,” Trueblood shrugged. “It appeared on me the day my dad died.”

“Oh,” Twilight pulled back to look at the other mare. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know. I didn’t even know that you knew your father.”

“Oh yeah, I never finished that story. He was the other pony who lived at the castle. It was just me, Fantasia, Toy and him. And then when he passed, I was left alone in that section.”

“How did he pass?” Twilight asked.

“Just from too much of Fantasia, I think. What she put him through to become my dad just eventually took its toll,” she answered. “At least, that’s my theory. He was a great dad, though. Unlike Fantasia, he was always there for me when I needed him, at least as best he could. I don’t think that I could have been half the mare I am today without him.”

“He sounds special,” Twilight said, stroking Trueblood’s face gently. “Like his daughter.”

“He was,” she answered.

“What was his name?” Twilight asked.

“Night Light,” she said.

And Twilight’s hoof froze. Her eyes bulged. And her mouth fell open.

“What? What is it?” Trueblood asked.

“Night...Light?” Twilight blinked.

“Yeah, is something wrong?” Her eyes dotted back and forth, looking for something on the mare’s face.

Twilight fell back, rolling over to stare at the ceiling. “It figures.”

“What?” Trueblood rose up to stare down at the mare. “What is it?”

Twilight smiled and let out a sigh. “Well, let me put it this way: Hiya, sis!”

* * * * * * *

The chair crumbled to dust while Coldheart remained perfectly silent.

“Problem, Fantasia?” Cadance asked. The princess looked different. Her mane had been pulled tight on the back of her neck, with a braid of black cloth holding it tight and in place. Her tail was tied tight, making it look longer and thinner. Tall black stockings went up her legs, the light reflecting off of them in long streaks that moved with every step. Her customary crown was missing, and her chest regalia had been replaced by a single strand of silver chain with a black stone hanging from it.

“Of course not, pet,” Coldheart turned to look at the young princess, “I simply did not like that furniture. It cluttered the room.”

“Oh. I thought it might have something to do with the rumor that one of your Dragoons was found just outside the city walls. And that he looked like one of his own victims after a full-on assault,” Cadance said calmly.

Closing her eyes for a moment, Coldheart waited, and then opened them again, staring at Cadance. “Dear, dear Cadance, I do hope that you are not trying to antagonize me.” She moved closer, stepping over the remains of the chair. “For as much as I enjoy your company, and look forward to you growing into my apprentice, I do have my limits.”

Cadance didn’t move, staring straight into Coldheart’s draconian eyes. “Wouldn’t you be disappointed if I didn’t try, though?” she said. “You don’t want a weak, mewling pony at your side, do you?”

Maids rushed in behind her, looking to remove the debris that was left from the chair. Since she had taken over Celestia’s chambers, Coldheart had removed almost every sun-carved image, replacing them with images of herself, with the walls painted a rose-pink. The furniture remained, though Coldheart insisted that it was decorated with more linen and silk to add to its appearance. Maids were kept on constant call, just outside the room, ready to respond to any request or action. Such as a chair crushed in a moment of anger.

Coldheart took a deep breath. “No, I suppose not. That does not mean that I want you to be mocking me, though. Do not make me question your loyalty, Cadance. You can be put back on a leash at any time.”

Looking past Coldheart, Cadance spotted the maids and smiled, silently reassuring them that they were doing the right thing, and not to worry. “My apologies, Fantasia.” She looked back at the Empress. “I am right, though, am I not? It was the arrival of the Dragoon’s body that got you so upset.”

Closing her eyes for a moment, Coldheart nodded. “It was. I was not expecting anypony to be able to hold their own against one of my elite. Your Princess Luna, yes, but not against any of the other ponies, and he would not have been so foolish as to attack Luna.”

Cadance could not repress the smile that came to her face.

“So,” Coldheart turned and walked towards the desk nearby, “it is now your duty to tell me who did it.”

“What?” Cadance asked, pulling her head back slightly.

“Well, this is your world, and despite the similarities, we both know that it isn’t an exact copy, so I need you to list every being that you know of that might have been able to do that to my Dragoon.”

“How am I supposed to know that?” she answered. “Do you think that I really know how powerful every pony in Equestria is?”

Coldheart turned to look over her shoulder at Cadance again. “Yes, I do. In fact, I would wager that you have been calculating which ones were still out there and what they might be doing right now in the hopes that you would be able to find them and rally them against me.” Her smile chilled Cadance. “Which is an amusing thought, of course. No concerns, though, I will deal with each of them in time. I just need to know who they are, and you will give me that list.”

“But that’s impossible. I can’t possibly remember every pony that--”

“Maid,” Coldheart interrupted, her eyes still on Cadance, “come here.”

In an instant, the nearest maid dashed over to Coldheart’s side. “Yes, Empress?”

“How much do you love me?” Coldheart asked.

“More than anything!” the maid replied enthusiastically.

“And what are you willing to do to prove that love?” Coldheart asked.

“Anything, Empress! Anything at--”

“Fine!” Cadance shouted. “I will list every pony that I know who could have done that to one of your Dragoons.”

“Dismissed,” Coldheart waved off the maid. “Back to your duties.” She motioned Cadance over to her side. “Now, please do be as specific as you can. List their names, location, and everything that you know about them. And do try to include non-ponies on this list, too. Don’t bother with the dragons, unless you know a particularly troublesome one. I understand the challenge they present.”

Looking up at Coldheart, Cadance ground her teeth through her smile. “Yes, Empress. I will do my best.”

“I know you will, pet,” Coldheart brushed her hoof along the side of Cadance’s face. “I know everything about you. Do not worry, though, I plan to fix all of those problems in time.”

Cadance said nothing, simply choosing to stare up at the Empress.

“Well, I suppose I should let you get to work,” she said. “I think I may need to consider reinforcing my army after this event. I will look into the options while you work here.”

Lifting a hoof up near Cadance’s face, Coldheart raised her head up with a sneer. Cadance paused, taking a deep breath, and then leaned her lips down, gently kissing Coldheart’s hoof.

“Enjoy your work. I will return in an hour or so to check progress.” Coldheart turned, and slowly walked out of the room, the maids bowing as she walked by them.

With a heavy sigh, Cadance stepped up to the desk, using her magic to pull quill and parchment to the center of the desk, prepared to begin her task. She let her mind wander, trying to think of who she could, should, shouldn’t, and couldn’t add to this list. A maid wandered up next to the desk with a small bucket of chair remains.

“Follow me,” the maid said sidelong to Cadance as she passed.

At first, Cadance wasn’t sure she heard correctly, but a very quick glance back from the maid as she headed to the bath confirmed that she did hear correctly. With careful casualness, Cadance rose and walked to the bath, closing the door after she was inside.

“Well, she is certainly more than a little full of herself, isn’t she?” the maid stated.

Cadance blinked. “I--I beg your pardon?”

“Coldheart. She’s remarkably overconfident and arrogant. Normally, I would approve, but under the circumstances...” the maid moved to the side of the tub and sat down casually.

“Wh--what?” Cadance stammered. “Uh, I’m not going to argue with the sentiment, but, well, I’m a little confused here. Who are you? Aren’t you totally enamored with the Empress?”

The maid laughed, not so loud as to be heard outside the bath, but confidently. “Oh please, Cadance, do I really need to introduce myself to you? Again?” Her eyes flashed green.

“YOU!” Cadance rushed forward, her magic grasping the mare firmly. “We are already in enough trouble without you sticking your nose into our problems, Chrysalis!”

“Oh, you DO remember me,” she smiled. “I’m touched.”

“You know, I am in just bad enough a mood to start a fight and see what happens. Who knows, maybe I’ll just kick your butt...again.” Cadance growled.

“Really?” Chrysalis-maid rolled her eyes. “First off, you did nothing to me by yourself except get captured and thrown into the caverns. Secondly, if you do start a fight then all that will do is call Coldheart’s attention to the both of us, and that surely won’t end well for anypony. And finally,” she smiled, “I was sent here to find you.”

Cadance stepped back. “Sent here? By who?”

“Whom. Not who,” she corrected. “Nonetheless, I was sent by none other than Princess Luna...and Shining Armor.”

Cadance seemed to lighten for a moment. “Shiny sent you? Is he all right? Are they safe?”

“I don’t think I should answer those questions, dear. You never know how much Coldheart is able to find out, so the less who know, the better,” Chrysalis replied.

“Wait, why you?” Cadance asked.

“Because of my obvious ability. There is no being in the world better at infiltrating any location than myself. And it was important that somepony get to you unnoticed,” Chrysalis replied.

“I guess that makes sense, but it’s not like they aren’t going to notice that I’m gone after you rescue me,” Cadance answered.

A deep laugh echoed through the room as Chrysalis threw back her head.

Cadance narrowed her eyes at the sound of that familiar laugh. “What’s so funny?”

“You are, dear,” Chrysalis said. “They didn’t send me here to rescue you, Cadance.” A flash of green went over her eyes.

“They sent me to kill you.”

...To Be Continued.