Clause Chronicles

Chapters

Shining Star
Sombra's Lament
Twilight's Dark Hour
A heart of Gold
Darkest Days
Epilogue
"Party"
Easy Breezy

Shining Star

Shining sat at his desk, chills still running down his spine.
Just a few hours ago, a pony had disappeared from the castle, without a trace.
The only clue they had, was the strange flooding in the room at the time.
Shining looked up and around.
He Couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched.
And these feelings were usually right.
The sound of voices and hoofsteps pierced the silence, growing progressively louder.
The door swung open, and two dreary eyed stallions trotted into the room.
Gold sat opposite Shining, wiping sleep from his eyes.

"Whats up Shiny? Why'd you call us out at 3am?"

Shining looked around.

"Where's Sombra? I called him too."

Gold shrugged.
Braeburn sat himself down.

"Ah couldn't convince him to get out of bed. Sahrry."

Shining rolled his eyes.

"Typical. Well, no matter. We need to focus on the situation at hand."

Gold's ears perked up.
Whenever Shining spoke like this, trouble was sure to follow.
Shining Cleared his throat, putting on his best "professional" voice.

"Earlier this evening, the Earth Pony named Green Flash disappeared from his suite. Naturally, the suite has been searched. The only thing out of the ordinary was water all over the floor. Sea Breeze was the one to discover the flood. He's been taken in for questioning. I need you two to scope out the crime scene a little more. Just in case the guards missed something. I have to meet with the Princesses now, so It's up to you two to gather Intel. Be careful, I don't like this situation one bit. Good luck."

With that, Shining took a deep breath, and trotted from the room, leaving Gold and Braeburn with their directive.

Shining trotted through the darkness.
Every shadow seemed to jump out at him.
Every single movement made him jump.
There was a reason he felt this way; there had to be. But he simply couldn't figure out why.
It was as if the darkness itself was playing some sort of sick game with his mind.
Shining concentrated, and a light began to shine from his horn.
For a moment, he could have sworn he saw something dead ahead of him, staring.
But when he looked twice, it was gone.
Shining closed his eyes.

"Cmon Shining. Pull yourself together. Your mind is just playing tricks on you."

Shining stepped forward, and heard a shuffling, heading away from him.
Perplexed, he shone his magic out further.
But saw nothing.
Shaking his head, he continued on his way to the throne room.

Arriving at the throne room, Shining was met with somber expressions all around.
Cadence was the only one who seemed remotely happy to see him.
His own sister seemed to be too exasperated to notice him.
It stung a little, but Shining ignored it.
He turned his attention to Princess Celestia, ready to receive his orders.
Celestia regarded him with sadness.
Shining instantly knew something was wrong.
Celestia opened her mouth to speak, her voice steady and firm.

"We've received a note. From the attacker."

Princess Celestia enveloped a small roll of parchment in her magic, sending it floating towards Shining.
He took it in his own magic, and unfurled it.
He skimmed through the letter, quickly realizing just what it was.
It was a ransom note.

"Dearest Princess Celestia. As you may well have noticed by now, one of your newest "Heroes" has already been reversed. I can assure you, more will follow. Your only option is to submit to my will entirely, and watch as your kingdom is plunged into reversal."

Shining corrected himself mentally.
It wasn't a ransom note.
It was a threat against Equestria.
But from who?
What Did "Reversing" mean?
Shining opened his mouth to ask questions, but Princess Celestia gave him a forlorn look.

"I don't have any answers for you. I'm sorry."

Shining's ears flopped down.
Celestia spoke once more.

"It isn't safe for anyone to be in the castle under cover of night. Green Flash should have been safe in his room. If he wasn't safe, then nobody will be. I'm having the castle evacuated immediately. We cannot risk any more attacks."

Shining frowned.
Hard as it was, he understood.
Whoever was taking ponies, it was clear that they were capable of circumventing the castle's security enchantments.

Celestia put a hoof on Shining's shoulder.

"I know this may seem like surrendering now, but I can assure you, we will catch the culprit. Now go, get your guards to help evacuate."

The castle was no longer safe.
Shining headed towards the crime scene.
He Had already sent his guards to round up the noble-ponies.
He was more worried about his friends.
He had sent them straight into danger.
A shadow flew around the corner, sending Shining toppling over.
Determined to catch the culprit this time, Shining lit up the hallway with his magic.
To his surprise, the shadow was in fact a tearful Gold.
Shining had a sinking feeling.
Gold attempted to choke words out in between his sobs.
Shining patted him on the back, trying to calm him down.

"What's wrong, buddy?"

Gold hiccuped a little, tears still rolling down his cheeks.

"I-It g-got B-B-Brae... H-hes g-g-gone...

Shining rushed Gold back to the throne room.
As much as he hated to put his friend under even more stress, he may have seen or heard something useful.
He was after all, the first to witness an attack.

The four princesses stared Gold down, as he stood, stammering, broken, in the middle of the throne room.

"I-it went d-dark all of a s-sudden...and w-we heard a screech... Then Brae went r-really Cold... Cold as ice... Then he just vanished..."

Shining mulled it over in his head.
It was possible that Gold simply went into shock when the attack occured.
But at the same time, something didn't seem right.
Gold was a trained guard. Though he often didn't show it, he wasn't one to break down crying so easily.
Something surreal happened, something very surreal.

When Shining made it back to his office, Gold was already there.

"Hey Shiny."

Gold looked out the window, still clearly hurting.
Shining trotted over, placing a hoof on his shoulder.

"Can I count on you to help me unravel this mystery?"

Gold turned and nodded.

"To the end, buddy."

Shining smiled, before heading over to his desk.
As reassuring as the support of his friend was, it didn't change the harsh truth.
Ponies were disappearing, and they had little to no evidence of who was taking them.
The term "Reversal" floated about in his head.
Maybe Twilight knew something.
She'd been sent back to Ponyville after Green had disappeared.
She may be a princess by title, but she wasn't one by heart.
Not just yet.
Shining trotted out the door, Gold following immediately.
Shining turned and opened his mouth, ready to share his plans as the two stallions walked through the night palace.

Shining explained as they walked.

"There was this one term in the ransom note, "Reversal". I think It might be the key to tracking down our culprit."

Shining went over it again in his mind.
It still made no sense. No matter how many times he went over it, it just made no sense whatsoever.
Gold spoke up, most of the body having returned to his voice.

"So, We're going to meet with one of the most well-read mares in Equestria, am I right?"

Shining grinned.

"You can read me like a book. Some things never change."

Gold chuckled a little.

"Your plans aren't exactly complex."

Shining reached over, whacking Gold on the back of the head.

Whispers rolled through the Canterlot streets, as the two stallions headed towards the train station.
Word had gotten out that two ponies had disappeared from the castle.
And The noble-ponies were clinging to the gossip like foals.
Shining noticed that Gold was silent, glaring at any Noble-ponies that stepped into his path.
Shining could understand how Gold was feeling.
Gold had lost something extremely dear to him.
Shining himself might have felt the same way, had it been Cadance that had disappeared.
All of a sudden, a commotion broke out near one of the stores.
Shining and Gold walked towards the source of the commotion.
A moment of pure shock caught the stallions off guard.
What looked like a silhouette of a pony, was staggering about.
Shining tried to get a closer look, but Gold didn't need to.
Gold could recognize that Hat and Vest anywhere.

"B-Brae...?"

Gold stepped forward, Only to have Shining pull him back.

"I don't think that's Braeburn."

The silhouette melted in on itself, dissipating into a mere shadow on the ground.
Gold stood staring at the remains, whilst Shining cleared the area of noble-ponies.
Eventually, Shining managed to disperse the crowd.
Gold simply sat there, staring.
Shining put a hoof on his shoulder.

"C'mon Buddy. We can't do anything for him right now."

Shining half dragged Gold onwards to the train station, his mind racing.
What just happened?
What was going on?
Who was responsible?
The more he thought about it, the more it all seemed disconnected.

The two stallions stepped onto the platform at Ponyville station.
With little time to spare, they made a beeline towards the library.
The small town was happy and bustling.
It went a long way to lift the Duo's spirits.
They made it to the library with little incident.
The door swung open effortlessly, revealing a mountain of books in the center of the room.
Twilight peered out from the mess.

"I know why you're here boys. And I'm sorry to say, We haven't found anything regarding what's happening at the castle. I'm sorry."

Shining frowned.

"What do you mean, WE?"

Sea Breeze came trotting down the stairs, meeting a glare from Shining Armour.
Gold stepped in, waving a hoof in front of Shining's face.

"Now's not the time to get possessive on us Shiny. We need all the help we can get."

Sea Breeze trotted quickly towards Twilight, passing her several books from the upstairs rooms.
Twilight smiled in a goofy manner.

"Thanks, honey."

Sea Breeze returned the goofy smile.

"You're welcome, Honey."

Shining made an exaggerated retching noise.
Gold looked downtrodden, opening his mouth to speak.

"I hate to rain on your parade, but we really need help here. It got Brae, and we have to get him back."

Twilight nodded.

"I'm reading as quickly as I can. We haven't slept all night, and I'm guessing you two haven't either. Why don't you lie down and get some rest. I'll keep looking."

Gold sighed in relief, to which Shining rolled his eyes.

"Alright, Good night."

Sombra's Lament

Sombra woke groggily.
A bird stood on the windowsill opposite him, chirping, attempting to get Fluttershy's attention.
Making sure Fluttershy was still asleep, Sombra picked up a slipper and hurled it towards the bird.
Most unfortunately, he missed.
The slipper went sailing out of the window, into the street below.

"I Say!"

Sombra winced.
He got out of bed, trotting towards the window.
In the street below stood a White stallion with blue hair.
He could have passed for Shining's well groomed brother.
Sombra opened his mouth to shout for his slipper back, but was interrupted by the strange stallion.

"You're Mr. Sombra, correct? One of the Equestrian Heroes?"

Equestrian Heroes.
That title had a nice ring to it.
Sombra shouted back down.

"Maybe. What's it to you?"

The strange stallion beamed upwards, unnerving Sombra slightly.

"Goodness Me, I've forgotten my manners. My name is Fancypants, and I've been looking for your lot for quite some time now."

Sombra sighed. He knew where this was going.

"I'm hosting a dinner party this evening, and would be delighted to have you."

Sombra sighed again.
The front door opened below him, and Fluttershy trotted out.

"Mr. Fancypants, please do come in, make yourself at home!"

Sombra rested his chin on the windowsill.
There goes his chance for morning sex.

Sombra sat in the living room, next to Fancy Pants and his wife.
Sombra stared out the window, as Fancy droned on and on to Fluttershy about his "Arrangements"
Sombra stood up, leaving the room quietly.
Fluttershy blushed in embarrassment.

"Ah, Don't mind him. He's just a little bit of an introvert."

Sombra trotted into the kitchen, opening one of the cupboards.
Cereal.
He turned to the fridge.
Milk.
Sombra quickly poured the milk into the box of cereal.
Making sure nobody was watching, he chugged the whole box down.
Sombra burped loudly, looking around once more to ensure his Gold-like moment wasn't witnessed.
Sombra then trotted out the door, into the streets of Canterlot.
Fluttershy could deal with that stallion and his dinner party.
He had his own plans for the day.

Sombra trotted through the Canterlot streets, pulling a checklist out of his magic.
He had been to the park, the lake, the hotsprings, the castle, now it was just about time to head home.
One last thing left to do.
Binge at Pony Joe's.
Sombra trotted towards Pony Joe's stopping only to take a second glance down an alleyway.
A stallion was staggering about in there.
It looked like some sort of ooze was dragging him downward.
The stallion noticed Sombra.

"HELP! HELP ME, PLEASE!"

Sombra moved forward cautiously.
This scene looked familiar.
It was just like...
Just like...
Sombra stepped forward, grabbing the stallion and attempting to pull him out of the oozing blackness.
Every tug he made seemed to do nothing to halt the pony's engulfment.
Eventually, the ooze began latching onto him too.
Sombra stepped backwards.
There was nothing he could do for this pony now.
As the stallion disappeared from view, so did the black puddle.
Sombra was shaken.
He hadn't seen anything like that for a millennium.
Sombra stepped back, considering his options.
A voice at the back of his mind urged him to find Shining.
Another voice urged him to continue his day plan.
Conflicted, Sombra decided to go to Pony Joe's.
He couldn't make a decision on an empty stomach.

Sombra gulped down donut after donut, and mug after mug of Cocoa.
Normally, he wouldn't be caught dead in a joint like this.
Pony Joe's was a guilty pleasure.
Not even Fluttershy knew.
Sombra's thoughts trailed back to Fluttershy.
The sun was setting.
That dinner party would likely be starting soon.
Scarfing down his last donut unceremoniously, Sombra hurried from the store, into the streets painted gold by the sunset.
It didn't take long for Sombra to make it home.
Fluttershy was already dressed up, waiting in the living room.
She turned as Sombra entered, clearly miffed.

"I don't want to hear it. Your tux is upstairs. Hurry, We're going to be late!"

Sombra struggled to tie his tie.
Why did he even have to wear this accursed thing?
Sombra was about to chew his own lips off in frustration when Fluttershy entered the room.
Sombra glared at Fluttershy.
Fluttershy smiled.

"Need some help?"

Sombra scoffed.

"You're starting to remind me of Gold."

Fluttershy smiled again.

"Is there something wrong with that?"

Sombra swallowed a snarky remark.

"No."

Fluttershy smiled, her eyes filled with gentle love.
She quickly tied Sombra's tie for him, kissing him on the cheek.

"Let's go."

The dinner party was a complete bore.
Of course, Sombra had expected as much.
He trotted about the Canterlot gardens, eyeing the nobleponies cautiously.
A Few young mares giggled at him from a table.
They were quickly silenced by a glare and a snarl.
Seemingly out of nowhere, Fluttershy appeared in front of him.

"Behave!"

Sombra's ears drooped.
This was going to be a long night.

Sombra hovered around the buffet table.
At least the food here seemed to be good.
Braeburn apples.
Braeburn...
Sombra's mind was quickly filled with memories of the slightly bigger golden runt.
Which in turn brought out his memories of his adventures.
Sombra stood in a trance, reflecting on everything that was happened.
He was snapped out of his valuable insight by a tap on the shoulder.
Fancypants smiled, and began making small talk.
Sombra could hardly hear everything over the roaring in his ears.
Wait, roaring?
What was making that noise?
Sombra staggered about, his vision blurring.
He could sense a powerful Ill omen.
He was no psychic, but his intuition was never wrong.
He had to get Fluttershy out of here.
Sombra staggered around, searching for his mare.
He eventually found her.
She eyed him with a worried look.

"Are you okay, Sombra?"

Sombra shook his head.

"We have to get out of here. N-"

Sombra was interrupted by a screech.
Sombra staggered towards the source of the noise.
Sure enough, Fancypants' wife was staggering about in the middle of a huge crowd.
Black sludge swam around her legs.
Fancypants was attempting to heave her out of the black mess.
Sombra trotted towards him quickly, attempting to help him.
Both Sombra and Fancypants heaved with all their might, but to no avail.
The mare was engulfed by the black sludge.
The sludge fell in on itself until there wasn't any trace left.
Fancypants stood there, his mouth agape, tears in his eyes.
Sombra quickly made his way back to Fluttershy,
He noticed his Dizzyness fading as well.
He had an idea why.
And he Didn't like it.

Sombra went straight to sleep after getting home.
How would he be able to face anyone?
He alone was responsible for the goings-on around canterlot.
The Abductions, the threats, they were all his fault.
Because. Sombra alone knew who was conducting the whole thing.

...His brother.

Twilight's Dark Hour

Twilight woke with a start, her head buried in a pile of books.
She had been researching like crazy ever since the disappearances in Canterlot.
However no matter how many books she poured through, she could find nothing.
Sea Breeze had been trying to help her, but he wasn't anywhere near as fast a reader as she was.
Twilight looked around.
Shining and Gold had long since left to search for any leads in town.
It was just her and Sea now.
Twilight enveloped a nearby tome in her magic, lifting it towards her.
Twilight stopped herself, examining the book closely.

"I don't remember seeing this in the Library before."

"That's because you haven't."

Twilight whirled around to the source of the voice.
Sombra was sitting near the library door, staring straight at her.

"S-sombra, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

Sombra rolled his eyes.

"Cut the pleasantries and read."

Twilight skimmed through the pages...

Once, when the world was young, the sun and moon were ruled by chaos.
Time was nonexistent, and the world was nearly torn apart by the rampant cosmic energies.
Two Princesses rose up against the chaos, sealing it away for eternity.
The sun and moon, however, continued to clash.
When all hope seemed lost, the two princesses bravely bound their souls to the sun and moon.
By doing so, they acquired powers far beyond that of any unicorn.
The sun and moon rose and set with the Princesses, maintaining harmony and balance in the world.
Beyond the borders of this world lay another.
A Dark, colorless world.
Just as two Princesses rose up to fight for balance, harmony, and light, in this world, two brothers rose to fight for different virtues.
Darkness, Chaos, and control.
The two brothers ruled their world with an iron fist.
The two worlds went unnoticed by each other, until the control between worlds was lost.
A unicorn sister refused to lower the moon to make way for her sister's dawn.
In this act of recklessness, the border between the two worlds began to overlap.
Crystal was the only substance capable of fully joining the worlds together.
As the Sun and Moon were bound to a single soul, an empire built of crystal passed into the dark world.
The younger brother, Sombra, took control of this empire, using it to gain leverage into the light.
The now single princess, fearing for her worlds safety, sealed away the darkness.
One brother was imprisoned that day.
The other was not.
Stewing over the loss of his only family, the older brother swore vengeance against the Princess of the Light world.
To this day, the worlds remained intertwined yet separate.
And the brother waits in darkness for his chance to plunge both worlds into Chaos, to avenge his fallen brother.
A single legend tells of two ponies capable of ending the brothers' nightmare forever.
Yet the details have been long lost to time...

Twilight looked to Sombra, her eyes wide.

"Y-you... Have a brother?"

Sombra nodded.

"Yes. And he believes me to be dead. That is why he is abducting ponies, dragging them through to the dark world. He's trying to get to Celestia. To corrupt her, as I had once done to Fluttershy."

Twilight's head span.
This was all a little too much.

"H-how do we stop it?"

Sombra looked to the ceiling.

"I'm not sure we can. My brother was always the crueler of the two of us. Even if he was to learn of my safety, he wouldn't call off his attack. He's been alone for thousands of years. And he solely blames Celestia."

Twilight frowned.

"If he's only after Celestia, why did he abduct all those other ponies?"

Sombra hung his head.

"He'll probably be intent on causing as much Chaos as possible before he fully takes over."

Twilight gulped.

"W-what can we do to stop him?"

Sombra sighed.

"There might be nothing we can do."

Twilight frowned.

"There's got to be something."

Sombra turned to leave.

"I've told you enough already. I'm going back to Canterlot."

Sombra trotted from the Library, leaving Twilight with only her thoughts.

Twilight and Sea galloped through the Ponyville dawn.
Sea panted and heaved.

"Why are we running?"

Twilight called back to him.

"We have to find my brother!"

Twilight and Sea eventually came to a restaurant.
Gold and Shining sat at one of the tables.
Gold heartily munched on a sandwich, whilst Shining politely Grass Pancakes.
Twilight approached the messy scene with a mite of reluctance.

"Hello Boys."

The two looked up from their meal.
Shining grinned.

"Hey sis, what's up? You find anything?"

Twilight frowned.

"Why are you so happy?"

Shining blushed a tad.

"It's hard not to be with HIM around."

Shining nodded towards Gold, who looked to be choking.
Twilight rolled her eyes, before turning to Shining again.

"I've got to tell you something..."

Twilight talked for what seemed like forever, explaining to everyone what Sombra had told her.
Shining rolled his eyes dramatically.

"Oh, so NOW he tells us he knows whats going on. This information would have been helpful several days ago when the attacks started."

Twilight shook her head.

"That doesn't matter, we know now."

Sea Breeze stepped in.

"Yeah, Don't be so hard on Twilight."

Shining blinked.

"I wasn't... I didn't mean to... Sorry."

Gold put a hoof to his chin.

"Hey, I'm thinking..."

Shining grinned.

"That's dangerous."

Gold frowned, but continued anyway.

"If reversal means he sucks ponies into his creepy dark world, that must mean Brae is okay. The question is, how do we get into the other world to save him?"

Twilight thought for a moment, before formulating a plan in her mind.

"I know how we're going to get in."

Everyone turned to her.

"How?"

Twilight gulped.

"Live Bait."

Shock all around.
Gold cleared his throat.

"If it means I'll have a chance to save Brae, I'm all in."

Shining's mouth was agape.

"What... No! No way! It's far too dangerous!"

Gold grinned.

"This coming from the pony who pushed me out of a flying carriage several months ago."

Shining's eyes narrowed.

"That was because I knew you'd be okay. This is different!"

Twilight slammed a hoof on the table.

"We don't have time to argue, every moment we waste, the dark world engulfs more of our world!"

Gold grinned triumphantly.

"Then It's settled. I'll get myself caught, and take him down from the inside."

Sea Breeze wasn't about to be outdone in front of his girlfriend.

"Green's in there too. I'm going with you."

Twilight regarded Sea with a look of admiration.
Shining had buried his face in his hoof.
Twilight turned and trotted back towards the library.
There was planning to be done.

A heart of Gold

The four ponies stood outside the castle gates at dusk.
An unnatural chill filled the air, sending shivers down each ponies spine.
Twilight handed Sea and Gold two small glass balls.
She then went on to explain what they were.

"They're Spheres. Linked to spheres in the library. We'll be using them to keep in touch with you in there. Be careful, and good luck."

Shining and Twilight headed off, leaving Sea and Gold outside the castle gates.
Gold shot Sea a sly grin.

"You sure you're ready for this, rookie?"

Sea Breeze frowned.

"Just get those gates opened."

Gold Spread his wings, flying over the gates and through the protective enchantments.
He flicked the lock up, and soon had the gates pried open.
Sea Squeezed through into the vast castle courtyard.
The door to the entrance hall was dead ahead.
Gold stepped forward, strutting through the courtyard like a peacock.
Sea Breeze winced.

"What are you doing?!"

Gold turned around, eyebrows raised.

"Getting myself caught?"

Sea Breeze put a hoof to his forehead.

"Are you sure you've made it obvious enough?"

Gold stuck out his tongue.

"Never really liked sarcasm."

Gold opened his wings and glided towards the door.
Fluttering to the floor just short of his mark, he turned and bucked hard.
The door flew open with a mighty crash.
Sea Breeze winced again.

"There's no need to destroy the castle either, you know."

Gold looked back, irritated.

"Nobody likes a back seat driver. Besides, I've been doing this for most of my life. I know what I'm doing."

Sea Breeze rolled his eyes, before following Gold into the entrance hall.

The entrance hall was completely empty.
The duo's footsteps echoed across the vast floor.
The sun was setting rapidly outside.
Soon, the place would be pitch black.
And Neither of the ponies particularly fancied the idea of being stuck in that castle at night.
Gold stepped forward, galloping towards the stairs ahead.
Sea Breeze stood and watched, unnerved by the surroundings.
Gold turned around.

"You're always welcome to back out, if you're scared of the dark."

Sea Breeze stepped forward.

"No way. I came to save Green, and I will."

Gold grinned.

"That's the ticket. Lets nose around some more."

Sea Breeze nodded, before following Gold up the grand marble steps.

The two headed for the ballroom, feeling as if they were being watched.
When they made it to the ballroom, they were surprised to find it empty.
The sunset's light bathed the room in a golden glow.
Gold's eye caught something in the corner.
He tapped Sea Breeze on the side and pointed to the area with his hoof.
It seemed like there was something there, watching them from the shadowy corner
Gold stepped towards it, cautiously.

"Uhh... Hello?"

The Creature was covered in black fur, red eyes standing out in the darkness.
Gold found it familiar somehow.
Where had he seen it before?
Whilst Gold was thinking, Sea Breeze let out a yelp behind him.
Gold spun around, only to see that Sea was gone.
Suddenly, a loud screech filled Gold's ears, as he fell unconscious.

"Gold! Gold get up!"

Gold was roused by a whirring sound coming from the sphere wrapped in his Bandanna.
Gold pulled it out, staring into its depths.
Images of Shining and Twilight came into focus.

"Gold, We've lost contact with Sea. We think He's in the reverse world."

Gold looked around.

"I think I'M in the reverse world."

The ballroom was in shambles.
Curtains had been eaten away by moths, pillars lay, cracked, on the floor.
A Red light filled the room from outside.
Gold flew up to the window, and looked outside.
The moon was a bloody red.
Gold gulped, turning back to his sphere.

"Yeah. I'm definitely in the reverse world."

Gold held the sphere up, giving it a prime view of his surroundings.
Shining drew a sharp breath.

"I knew It. I shouldn't have let you go in."

Gold rolled his eyes.

"It's done now. Do you guys have any idea of where Sea might be?"

Twilight gulped.

"He was being dragged to the dungeons, I think. By whatever attacked you."

Gold frowned.

"Swell. I'll head there now."

Shining cut in.

"No. Get out of there while you still can."

Gold frowned.

"I'm not leaving until I find everyone that's been taken."

With that, Gold placed the sphere in his bandanna again, and flew down to the dance floor.
He noticed a door slightly ajar across from him.

"Guess I had better follow them."

Gold crept through the corridors for what seemed like an eternity.
The castle he was in was a perfect reflection of Canterlot Castle. Bar the fact that it was in ruins.
Gold heard a screech coming from the ballroom.
Whatever attacked them must have returned for him, and found him gone.
It was on, now.
Gold crept through the corridors, and down the rotting, creaky stairs into the dungeons.
If Sea had been taken there, there was a good chance that Braeburn was there too.
And He had to save Braeburn, no matter what.
Everyone else too, of course, but Braeburn especially.
Gold continued down the narrow stairway, being careful not to make a sound.
Above him, there was a crash.
Whatever was chasing him had entered the stairway above him.
Wonderful.
Gold opened his wings for balance, and began galloping down the stairs as fast as the could.
A Screeching noise from above signaled that his pursuer had also increased pace.
This... Probably wasn't going to end well.

Gold eventually came to a large dungeon room.
He hid just around the corner, peering into the large chamber.
In the center, chained to a table was...
Sombra.
Trotting around the table was another pony.
A unicorn, with the same coloring's as Sombra.
Gold put a hoof to his mouth in shock.
It was true. Sombra's brother was the one behind the plot.
Gold strained his hearing, trying to hear what the two were saying to one another...

"I did this all for you, my brother. And This is how you repay me? By throwing your lot in with these pitiful ponies?"

Gold heard another screech, getting closer and closer.
He was trapped, if he went into the room he'd be caught by Sombra's Brother.
But if he didn't, Celestia knows what would catch him.
Gold's attention was quickly diverted by a yelp of pain from Sombra.
Gold gasped.

"He... He's torturing his own brother...!"

Surely enough, Sombra was writhing in pain as his brother whipped him mercilessly.
In the strangest way, it was sexual.
Gold recoiled in disgust as Sombra's Brother licked Sombra's snout.
Was he...?
He was raping Sombra.
Gold turned to retreat from the scene, and was met with a towering figure.
With a single swipe, it batted Gold aside, slamming him into the wall.
The sound alerted Sombra and his brother, much to Gold's disdain.
The creature carried Gold into the torture chamber, throwing him on the floor.
Gold was stunned, coughing up blood.
Sombra looked at him with concern.

"Noctis, Don't hurt him. He's done no wrong."

Noctis. So His brother's name was Noctis.
Gold tried to get up, but was struck down again by the creature.
Gold turned to look, at his assailant, and finally remembered who it was.

That was Anon.

Noctis raised his hoof, striking down on Gold, knocking him out cold.

Noctis had Anon dump Gold in one of the cells.
Unbeknownst to him, it was one of his first big mistakes.
He turned back to Sombra, who was writhing on the table beside him.
He grabbed Sombra's muzzle, kissing it intently.
It wasn't just any kiss, it was a dominating, overpowering kiss.
Noctis engulfed one of his whips in his magic, bringing it towards him.
Sombra struggled against his restraints, grunting and puffing.

"You'll pay for this Noctis. Mark my words."

Noctis laughed. A disturbed, psychotic laugh.

"Oh No dear brother, I think not."

With bloodlust in his eyes, he pulled the whip back, and cracked down on Sombra's underbelly.
Again and again, Noctis whipped Sombra mercilessly.
Blood trickled from his deep wounds.
Only when most of Sombra's fur was mottled with blood did he position himself over Sombra's head.
He slapped his stallionhood across Sombra's face several times.

"Bite me, and its the last thing you'll ever do."

Sombra had no choice but to allow his brother to slip into his throat, thrusting deep.
For several minutes, Noctis thrusted deeper and deeper into Sombra's throat, with psychotic vigor.
Eventually, he pulled out, firing his load over Sombra's face.
Sombra simply lay there.
His body no longer obeyed him.
A single tear dropped from his eye, as Noctis turned away to find his next toy.

Darkest Days

Sea Breeze woke groggily.
Something warm was trickling down the side of his head.
He lifted a hoof to address it, and was quickly hit by searing pain.
There was no denying it, he was in bad shape.
He looked about the room.
He had to fight against his gag reflex when his eyes met the scene in the center of the room.
Sombra lay, heavily bloodied, on what looked like an old fashioned torture table.
His breathing was raspy and weak.
They had to get out of here, right now.
Or Sombra might not make it.

Across the room, a tall black unicorn stood, reaching into one of the cells.

"AH'M NAHT LETTIN' YA TAKE HIM, YA CREEP!"

Sea recognized Braeburn's voice, but only barely.
It was layered with so much hatred and anger that it was almost unrecognizable.
He forced his way to his feet, staring across the room.
Braeburn was cradling Gold's unconscious figure, hunched over it defensively.
Noctis was attempting to separate the two.
He wasn't having a whole lot of luck.
Sea felt a protective anger bubbling deep inside.
Those were his friends.

"HEY! LEAVE THEM ALONE!"
Noctis turned to face the source of the yelling.
Sea puffed up his chest, eyeing Noctis warily.
Noctis let out a high pitched laugh.

"Well well well. Look who's decided to join the party!"

Sea rolled his eyes.
This guy sounded as if his only company for over a thousand years had been bad action movies.
Noctis trotted over, a glint in his eye.

"Well, how about you take his place then, hmm?"

Sea Breeze partially regretted speaking up.
Now Gold was safe, but his own safety was far from reach.
Noctis opened the cell door, advancing on Sea.
Sea backed away, until his hindquarters were against the wall.
Noctis approached slowly, a psychotic lust in his eyes...
Sea backed up against the wall.
In a last ditch act of defiance, he lunged forward, striking at Noctis with his front hooves.
Noctis shrugged off the blows as if they were nothing.
Noctis paused as he heard hurried hoofsteps rushing down the stairs.
Shining burst into the room, full tilt, and immediately spotted Noctis.
With accuracy practiced throughout years in the royal guard, he struck Noctis with a fine blast of magical energies.
Noctis, stunned, wobbled on his feet for a moment before crumpling down to the floor.
Sea rushed out of his cell, snagging Noctis' keys on the way.
He unlocked each of the cells, searching them thoroughly.
Eventually, he found Green, huddled behind a bale of hay.
A few taps to the muzzle, and Green woke.

"Sea... How'd yeh end up down here?"

Sea Breeze helped Green up.
Green's legs could hardly support him.

"It'll be okay... C'mon, let's get you out of here."

Sea lead Green over to Shining, who was eyeing an unconscious Noctis.

"Green, Go with Shining and get out of here. We'll deal with Noctis."

Green nodded, and followed Shining up the stairs and out of the dungeon.

"...Sea."

Sea looked around for the source of the voice. It was Sombra.
Sea trotted over to the table, and fumbled with Sombra's restraints.
He couldn't get them open.

"Listen, Sea. The rest of the ponies that had been taken are slowly finding their way back to Equestria. Noctis' spell was flawed. He can't keep people in this world forever. That's why he's going to try and merge this world with ours. You have to stop him. You can't let him get to Celestia."

Sombra coughed, blood splattering onto his mottled fur.

"Tell Fluttershy that I'll be waiting for her... In the next life."

And with that, Sombra lay back.
And died.

Braeburn and a half-conscious Gold looked on in dismay.
Their long time friend was really gone.
Sea just stood there, unable to process what had happened.
Fluttershy was going to be crushed.

Sea was snapped out of his thoughts as a deafening shriek was heard from somewhere above.
Gold stepped forward.

"We can't let that thing catch us. We've gotta destroy it, as well as Noctis. There's no other way."

Sea turned to look, only to see Noctis was gone.
A loud voice reverberated throughout the castle.

"You're too late. Soon, I will unite the two worlds, and the resulting destruction will create a new world, one that I will rule forever, with my beautiful princess by my side!"

Gold shuddered.

"He is one sick puppy."

Sea nodded.

"No argument here."

Gold turned to Braeburn.

"Brae. Get home, and help with the defense there. Sea and I will find Noctis, and finish him off."

Braeburn nodded.

"Alright. Be careful now, ya hear?"

The two shared a kiss, before parting ways.

Sea and Gold galloped through the castle's interior, searching for Noctis.
Eventually, the two ended up back in the dance hall where they had been originally captured.
Gold flew up to the windows, taking a look outside.

"Hey Sea, look. There's something going on up in that tower."

Sea Breeze backed away for a better view.
Sure enough, a huge dark haze had enveloped the tower.

"That's gotta be where Noctis is at."

Sea nodded.

"Yeah."

The two were interrupted by a screech from somewhere within the castle.

"The game is on, now."

Sea nodded.

"Yeah. Let's make sure we win."

The two nodded, before taking off once again.

They had to make it to that tower.
For Sombra.

Sea and Gold came to a halt before a large wooden door.

"If my memory of the castle serves us right, this door leads up to the eastern tower."

Sea wasn't able to make sense of the castle at all in the time he spent in it, so Gold was doing the navigating.

"We've gotta get this door open."

A Screech pierced the silence, as a large black creature dropped down from the ceiling.

"It's that thing again!"

Gold stepped forward.

"I know you. You're the human that started all of this. Why are you throwing your lot in with Noctis?"

The creature shrieked, setting the duo's fur on end.

"Alright, If you're not going to tell us..."

Gold spread his wings.

"I guess We'll just have to take you down too!"

The black creature shrieked once again, louder than before.
The noise was near deafening.
Gold hit it with an aerial tackle, just below the throat.
The shriek became a gurgle.
The creature stepped back in shock, grasping its tender throat.
Sea ran up to the thing, bucking him in the stomach.
The combination of the two strikes toppled Anon, causing him to fall backwards.
Gold leapt onto him, pummeling him with his hooves.
Anon flailed his arms, throwing both Sea and Gold several meters across the room.
Sea landed in an unlit brazier, and became stuck.
Anon slowly began to advance, eyeing Sea with hatred.
Gold flew up behind him, delivering a decisive blow to the back of his head.
Anon fell once again.
Gold used the time to help Sea out of the brazier, and the two turned to face anon once again.

"One last time now. You hit him high, I'll hit him low.

Gold nodded.
The two charged one more time.
Their combined might was enough to send Anon flying.
He flew through the air, landing on the second Brazier.
Unfortunately, instead of fitting into its center like Sea did, he was impaled by the spiked rim.
Anon struggled for a moment, the spikes tearing into his flesh.
Eventually, his thrashing subsided.

"We did it."

A booming voice echoed out.

"How dare you kill my companion! I suppose I'll have to deal with you myself..."

The large wooden door swung open, granting the two access to the eastern tower.

Gold stepped forward.

"Let's go."

Gold and Sea eventually came to the top of the tower.
Standing in the center of the highest room, Noctis weaved his dark magic, preparing to merge the two dimensions.
Noctis turned as the two entered, a smirk on his face.

"It's meaningless to try stop me. You saw me kill my own brother. What makes you think I'm incapable of killing you?"

Gold shrugged.

"You might be able to kill us, but that doesn't mean you're going to kill us."

Sea stepped forward.

"Yeah. We have you outnumbered."

A mighty crack of lightning erupted from Noctis' horn, heading straight for Sea Breeze.
Remembering everything that Shining taught him, he summoned up a powerful magical field, deflecting the lightning and destroying a segment of the tower walls.

"That's not going to work Noctis."

Gold stepped forward as well.

"Just give up now. You're not merging any dimensions today."

Noctis snarled.

"You can't stop me. I'll kill you both, and you'll be buried and forgotten by my new world!"

Gold and Sea had heard enough.
Employing the same tactics that they used to take down anon, they attacked from the land and air.
Noctis summoned a powerful dark shield to protect himself, which knocked both Gold and Sea back.
Noctis followed up with a deadly lightning strike, which was once again blocked by Sea Breeze
Gold flew towards Noctis at full speed, striking his horn with his hind legs.
Noctis recoiled in pain, yelling out.
Gold flew back across the room, turning to face Noctis once more...

Noctis sent another deadly bolt of lightning flying towards Gold, who was completely defenseless.
Sea Breeze dived in front of him, conjuring another powerful shield.
The lightning tore through the room, breaking holes in the walls and roof.
Noctis let out a mighty flash, blowing the outsides off of the tower entirely.
The wind whipped against the three, chilling them to the bone.
Gold was the first to act, bolting towards Noctis.
Noctis reacted quickly, sending another bolt of lighting heading straight for Gold.
Sea cried out.

"Gold, Look out!"

Gold spun in midair, narrowly missing the bolt.
He struck Noctis' horn again, chipping off the tip.
Noctis screamed out in agony, thrashing around in the wind.

"Now, Sea! Knock him off of the tower with magic!"

Sea didn't need to be told twice. He charged his horn with all the power he could muster, and unleashed it in a mighty blast directed straight at Noctis.
Noctis was blown from the tower, and went plummeting to the hard ground below.
Sea and Gold looked over the edge of the tower.
Sure enough, Noctis lay crushed at the bottom.
The wind died down, and the world around them began to spin.

Within moments, the two found themselves on top of the eastern tower, in their own world.

Epilogue

The two galloped through the castle halls, down to the main courtyard.
There they were met with friendly faces.
Shining.
Cadance.
Braeburn.
Green.
Fluttershy.
Twilight.
Even Celestia and Luna.

The group reunited under the sunlight.
Gold tackle hugged Braeburn, and the two tumbled about in the dirt together.
Sea held Twilight close, tears in his eyes.
Shining and Cadence looked at the scene together, overflowing with joy.
Celestia and Luna just stood and smiled, watching the happy antics of their subjects.
Celestia lit up her horn, repairing the last of the rift between the two worlds.
There was one who didn't rejoice.
Fluttershy stood, looking around.

"Um. Gold?"

Gold stood up, and walked over to Fluttershy.

"Yeah?"

Fluttershy gulped, fighting back tears.

"W-wheres Sombra?"

Gold looked down.

"Gone. I'm sorry."

Fluttershy didn't want to believe it.
She broke down, in tears.
Twilight put a hoof on her shoulder, hugging her.
The rest of the company looked on, mourning the loss of their valued friend.

Several days later, a funeral was held.
Held for the brave hero that died in the dark world.
Sombra.
He was to be remembered as a Hero.
He gave up everything he had to save a world he had grown to love.
Fluttershy was miserable.
Every night since everyone had returned, she cried herself to sleep.
She had been staying in the castle with Twilight and Sea, until one day at breakfast...

"I've decided I'm going to move back down to Ponyville."

Nobody was all that surprised.
Twilight put a hoof on Fluttershy's shoulder.

"I think it's for the best. You'll be with friends, they can help you get over this."
Fluttershy choked back tears.
She didn't want to get over it.
She wanted Sombra back.
More than anything, she just wanted Sombra back.
Twilight noticed her friends tears, and pulled her in close for a hug.
Everyone else looked on in sadness.
Gold stood up.

"Guys, We figured we'd tell you now."

Everyone turned to look.

"Me and Braeburn are gonna move out to Appleoosa. He moved here for me, now its time I do the same for him."

Shining was shocked.

"You can't leave! You're my right hoof!"

Gold shook his head.

"I'm sorry buddy. Maybe I'll be back someday."

Shining put on an even face.

"Okay. I understand."

Of course he didn't understand.
But once Gold had made up his mind, there was no stopping him.

Sea was next.

"Green, I'm not gonna go back to Trottingham with you. I'm gonna stay with Twilight in ponyville."

Green was a little more understanding.

"Me little cabin boy be growin' up. I never thought I'd see the day."

Later that day, everyone began their move.
Fluttershy was back in Ponyville by nightfall.
Twilight and Sea were back in the library before long.
Gold and Braeburn stood at the station, waiting for their train.
Shining and Cadence came to see them off.

"You sure about this, buddy?"

Shining clearly didn't want to part with his best friend.

"Yeah. I'm sure. Don't worry. I'll write. We'll meet again."

Shining pulled Gold in for a tearful bear hug.

"I guess this is goodbye, then."

Gold nodded.

"Yeah. Later days, Shiny."

Gold boarded the train with Braeburn.
The two found some seats and sat down, waving to Shining and Cadence as the train took off.
Shining ran along the platform, in tears.

"Cya, buddy! I won't forget you!"

Gold was in tears, as well.
Braeburn held him close, caressing his head.

"It'll be alright. Ah'm sure we'll see him again real soon."

"Party"

The festivities that night were incredible.
Not only had the princess been saved by a bunch of rag-tag adventurers, but a fourth princess had been crowned later that same day.
The grand hall of canterlot castle was alight with levitating, festive lanterns, sent as gifts from distant lands over the years.
The party sat around a table, discussing their recent travels.
Eventually, Braeburn caught everyone's attention.

"Ah've got somethin' ah'd like tuh say."

Everyone looked attentively.
Everyone except Sombra.

"Ah've decided to leave Appleoosa, to work with the royal guard here in canterlot."

Funny looks all around.
It was no mystery that Braeburn loved his small settler town.
What could be causing this sudden change in pace?
Sombra wandered from the group, bored.

Gold turned to Braeburn, looking him in the eyes.

"But you love Appleoosa. There was once a time where you'd scream it out whenever it came up in conversation. Why would you leave your home?"

Braeburn winked.

"Ah'm not leavin' mah home."

Gold blinked.

"I don't get what you mean."

Braeburn pecked Gold on the cheek, before whispering in his ear;

"Mah home is wherever you are."

Braeburn pulled away, before turning to look at the Menu.
Gold was stunned, but delighted.
The rest of the table looked to each other in mild confusion, before taking up their menus and preparing to order.

The rest of the evening flew by.
Gold and Shining had a run in with their long time rivals, Soarin' and Rainbow Dash.
Braeburn watched them, laughing heartily.
Sombra snooped about the castle, but found little of interest.
Fluttershy searched fervantly for Sombra.
All the while, Green Flash and Sea Breeze sat, eating to their hearts content.
Towards the evenings end, Celestia called for silence.

"My loyal subjects, I present to you, Princess Sparkle!"

A small, purple, pegasus unicorn walked up behind Celestia.
With a modest twinkle in her eye, she regarded her subjects impishly.
Gold whispered to Shining.

"I really don't think she was ready for this."

Shining hit gold on the back of the head.

"She's your princess now. Show some respect."

Gold rubbed the back of his head, eyes narrowed.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the hall, Sea Breeze was entranced.
Standing at the top of those stairs was the most beautiful pony he had ever seen.
He felt his heart swell in his chest.
Green Flash noticed this, and grinned broadly.

"AHOY MISS SPARKLE, WHY DON'T YOU COME DOWN HERE AND PARLAY WITH BREEZY HERE?"

Sea Breeze was mortified, and ducked behind the table.
Gold, Braeburn, and Shining burst out laughing.
Cadance inexplicably appeared behind them, and pulled on their ears with magic.
As Cadance pulled all three stallions out of the hall, Sombra entered in a door behind Green.
All eyes were on him.

"Well, What do you think you snobs are looking at?"

Sombra snarled, and the nobleponies quickly returned to their schmoozing.
Twilight descended the stairs slowly, reuniting with her friends.

Sombra sat beside Green, making no attempt at conversation.
Green tapped Sea on the shoulder.

"She's a fine lass, lad. You should try to win the fair lady's attention."

Sea looked down at the floor.
It felt like his stomach was tying itself up in knots.

"Hi. Is that your friend over there?"

Sea looked up.
His eyes widened.
Standing before him was Princess Sparkle.
Her eyes twinkling with curiosity.
She extended a hoof, which Sea shook sheepishly.

"So, You traveled with my brother and his friends. What was it like? I hope he wasn't too much of a bonehead."

Sea gulped.
Twilight eyed him with a look of interest.

"Not much of a talker huh?"

Sea gulped again.
He tried, but he couldn't summon the words.
Twilight winked.

"I guess I'll see you around, then."

Sea kept his gaze locked to the floor as Twilight trotted off.
Green put a hoof to his forehead, before stamping on Sea's tail.

"YEEEEEOW!"

Four ponies lay out in the gardens, stargazing.
Gold, Braeburn, Cadance, and Shining Armour.
Cadance broke the silence first.

"See? I told you it's romantic."

Gold and Braeburn looked to each other.

"Ah dun really feel it."
"Me neither."

Cadance huffed.

"If you had a single romantic bone in your bodies, you would."

Gold huffed back.

"I'm romantic! We wen't all the way as soon as we met."

Cadance rolled her eyes.

"There's a difference between being hasty and romantic."

Shining Armour piped up.

"WELL! It's been quite a night, I think It's best we all head off to sleep."

Gold huffed once more, before detaching himself from Braeburn and standing up.

"Night you two."

Gold and Braeburn turned and trotted off into the canterlot streets.
Cadance turned to Shining.

"Great Diversion."

Shining's ear perked.

"Diversion?"

Cadance donned a mischievous grin.

"Yeah. The Library's empty this time of night."

Shining realised what cadance was getting at, and the two quickly headed back inside.

Shining carefully closed the library door behind him, not making a sound.
He turned to Cadence, who had already laid down seductively on the head librarian's desk.
Cadance winked, whispering delicately.

"Nobody will know"

Shining didn't need any more encouragement.
He trotted towards Cadence, and started kissing her hooves.
He slowly made his way up to her neck, taking a moment to smell her hair.
It always smelled so sweet.
Cadance whispered into Shining's ear.

"What're you waiting for?"

Shining donned a goofy grin, climbing up onto the desk, caressing Cadence gently.
Kissing her neck, he slowly began to rub his stallionhood, preparing it.
Cadence wrapped her hooves around his board neck and shoulders, spreading her legs out to give him plenty of room.
With a wink, Shining began to gently tickle her marehood.
Cadence sighed in pleasure.
Having waited long enough, Shining slowly slipped into Cadence, and began to pump.
His hips moving in a steady rhythm, his breathing began to deepen.
Cadence let out a small moan with every thrust.
Shining began to speed up, showing no signs of fatigue.
Cadence held on for dear life, beginning to gasp and moan.
Shining eventually couldn't hold on anymore, pulling out and shooting a load on Cadence's soft underbelly.
Cadence lay limp, completely drained by Shining's performance.
Shining noticed something move out of the corner of his eye.

"WHO'S THERE?"

A strange creature slunk out of the shadows.

"That was certainly a strange use for a Library."'

Shining Recognised the creature before him.

Discord.

Shining and Cadance lay together in shock.
Discord towered over them, eyebrows raised, face tweaking into a small grin.

"I do hope you didn't spoil any of the books. The new Princess might have your heads."

Shining and Cadence both blushed.
Shining, desperate to change the topic, decided to speak up.

"Well, what were you doing here? The festivities are all in the halls below us."

Discord rolled his eyes, rather melodramatically.

"You call THOSE festivities? These ponies couldn't throw a party if their lives depended on it."

Shining had to admit, Discord had a point.
Gold, Braeburn, Sombra, And Fluttershy had already left.
Left because they were bored.
It wasn't long before Discord broke the silence.

"I hear you performed a control spell on the Changeling queen. Certainly they don't teach you how to do that in the royal guard?"

Shining gulped.
He hadn't planned on telling Cadence that he had used such perverse magic.
Cadence only raised an eyebrow.

"I picked it up when it was being used on me."

Shining's voice was shaky, terrified of the reprimanding that Cadence was sure to deliver.
Discord tore a page out of a nearby book and started to chew on it.
And then, just like that, Discord was gone.

20 minutes of lecturing later, Shining slumped back into the grand hall.
The festivities were starting to die down.
And he needed to go lie down.
He slumped from the hall, leaving Cadence behind to enjoy herself and catch up with Twilight.
Stepping out into the cool night air, he felt as if something was amiss.
Yet, he couldn't put a hoof on it.
Dismissing the feeling in the pit of his stomach, Shining slumped off home for some much needed RnR.

Easy Breezy

As the party ended, the nobleponies all flocked out the main gates.
Sea Breeze and Green flash had been given accommodation in the palace, in gratitude for their services.
Walking through the dark corridors towards his tower suite, Sea Breeze couldn't stop thinking about his encounter with the new princess.
Had she liked him? She certainly seemed friendly.
Sea Breeze stopped in his tracks.
He wondered if she shared his feelings.
Surely not, they had only just met.
Yet he felt something there.
A connection of sorts.
As if their meeting was fate.
Sea Breeze trotted towards one of the windows, and looked out to the night sky.
It was beautiful.
Just like her.
Their first meeting may have been a disaster, but Sea was sure.
Sure that next time, things would be different.
Maybe he could get Shining or Gold to buy him some time with her.
Sea Breeze trotted off towards his suite, a plan forming in his mind...

The next morning, Sea got up very quickly.
He would have to catch Shining Armour on his way to the castle. He was captain of the royal guard, after all.
Sea hurried down the stairs, heading for the castle's entry hall.
This might be his only chance to meet with Shining.
And If Shining didn't have time, he could always ask where he could find Gold.
The sound of howling laughter broke Sea from his thoughts.
He knew that laughter.
It had been directed at him many a time.
It was Gold and Braeburn.
Sea Breeze hurried towards the source of the Laughter, being lead towards the entrance hall.

"So let me get this straight, not only were you caught doing it in the library, you were called out on casting a spell on the changeling queen?"

Gold was hysterical. Braeburn wasn't faring much better.
Shining certainly wasn't amused.

"You'd do well to remember that I'm your boss while we're on the clock. That applies to both of you."

Shining narrowed his eyes at Braeburn as he spoke.

Sea Breeze snickered a little, before descending the stairs to meet his friends.

"Hey there you three. I didn't know you were with the royal guard, Gold."

Braeburn grinned a little. Gold seemed slightly offended.

"Well what did you think I do? I'm Shining's assistant and messenger."

Sea was slightly surprised.
Gold's job wasn't very unlike his own.
Sea Breeze suddenly remembered why he was there.

"Uhh, Shining?"

Shining turned to face Sea.

"Yeah buddy?"

Sea Breeze gulped.

"Uhh, do you know where I might find your sister?"

Shining raised an eyebrow.

"Hm. She'll be back in Ponyville by now."

Sea Breeze cursed in his head.
He'd have to catch a train to ponyville.
Shining eyed Sea.

"Why exactly do you want to know where my sister is?"

Sea Breeze gulped.

"Uhh... To talk with her."

Gold and Braeburn giggled to each other.
Shining shrugged.

"Alright. Fair enough. Good luck."

Sea Breeze smiled.

"Thanks. I'd better head for the train station."

It wasn't long before Sea Breeze was seated on a train headed for Ponyville.
He went over his options in his head.
Deciding on a trinket, Sea Breeze lay out his collection on the seat beside him.
Thinking carefully, he narrowed the selection down to Two trinkets.
A Zebra coin, or a model ship.

Having decided on the model ship, Sea Breeze stored the other items in his magical repository once more.
Just in time too, the train came grinding to a halt.
Sea looked out the window.
So, this was Ponyville.
The place looked Quaint. Reminded him of Trottingham.
Sea stepped out onto the platform, and trotted straight off, into the heart of the town.
He mentally kicked himself.
He hadn't asked where in ponyville he would find twilight.
The red stallion he had seen earlier trotted by, muttering something about "Twilight".
Sea smiled, he had a lead.
He trotted after the red stallion.
Eventually he was lead to a large tree.
A tree, that also looked like a house.
The red stallion trotted inside, and Sea Breeze followed.
There, sitting on the floor, reading book after book, was Twilight.
The large red stallion stepped forward, and cleared his throat.
Twilight looked up.

"Twahlight, there's something ah've been meaning to say to you fer a long time."

Sea Breeze was horrified.
He had competition.
Courage welled up inside him, as he stepped forward as well.

"I've got something to say as well."

The red stallion blinked.
The competition was on.
Twilight however, didn't see that.

"Big mac, and Sea Breeze? What's on your minds?"

Big mac gulped.

"Ah love you."

Twilight was stunned.
Sea Breeze frowned.

"So do I."

Twilight was even further stunned.

Twilight walked towards Big Mac.

"I'm sorry Big Mac. It'd just be too weird."

Big Macintosh hung his head.

"Ah understand. I hope we can at least be friends."

Twilight smiled.

"Yes, we can."

Big Macintosh trotted from the library.
Twilight turned to face Sea Breeze.
He pulled the model ship out, presenting it to her.
Twilight examined it curiously.

"What's this?"

Sea Breeze finally found his words.

"It's a model of the Equila. The ship that I travel on."

Twilight was fascinated.

"Here, have a Seat! Tell me all about it!"

Minutes turned to hours, as Sea told Twilight stories of his travels aboard the Equila.
Twilight attentively lapped up every word of it.
Eventually, the sun began to set in the sky.
Sea Breeze stood up.

"Well. I'd better get back to canterlot."

Twilight nodded.

"It was great talking with you. Maybe next time, I'll visit you in canterlot."

Sea Breeze smiled.

"Yeah. I'll cya later."

With that, Sea Breeze headed back towards the train station, with a goofy smile on his face.

That night, Sea Breeze decided to seek advice from Green.
Trotting towards Green's room, Sea Breeze went over the events of the day in his head.
Everything had gone far better than he ever could have asked for.
He did feel sorry for this "Big Mac" Character, though.
Must be tough, to be turned down by someone you love.
Eventually, Sea came to the tower Green was staying in.
Sea pushed the door open. It wasn't closed properly.
Sea Breeze looked around, trying to spot green in the darkness.
He couldn't.
Sea tried to turn on the light, but the bulb was blown.
Sea stepped forward, into a puddle of water.
He could see the moonlight reflecting in water all over the suite's floor.
Sea traced it back to its source, in the bathroom.
The whole place had been flooded, and Green was nowhere to be found.
Where had he gone...?