Dame Arcane Theory made her way through the complex maze of halls that makes up the Twilight Manor, looking for one pony in particular. She cantered into the large courtyard and saw the telltale grey hanging off a nearby cumulus.

Theory cast a small amplification cantrip and yelled at the pegasus “Storm, get your lazy flank down here”

“Why?” Lady Twilight Storm, the only resident pegasus at Twilight Manor, was a unusual fluke. She was born to two unicorn parents, neither of whom had any pegasus heritage for at least fifteen generations. And like any pegasus of unicorn decent she had the misfortune of bearing one of the most stereotypical pegasus names in existence (although she should count herself lucky that she wasn't named Cloud, because Twilight Cloud just sounds awkward).

“I need you to transport some things.”

Storm casually floated down “Ugh, just because I'm the only pegasus here doesn't mean that I'm everypony's errand-filly, 'Storm would you be a dear and transport three tonnes of rock to Phillydelphia for me please', 'Storm, could you go and clear every cloud in ten kilometres of the manor please', 'Storm, I would like it if you could transport my exotic dildo collection to Princess Celestia's bedchambers for me', it's ludicrous and demeaning.”

“Don't throw a hissy-fit Storm, I just need you to transport a few artifacts to Ponyville for me”

“So, no dildos?” Storm hovered behind the unicorn mare as she led her through the labyrinthine mansion

Theory rolled her eyes “Not unless you're some sort of exotic sword-swallower”

The pegasus mare's eyes widened at that last statement “So, why do you want to go to Ponyville?”

“I have been working on divining the enchanting technique used on a number of artifacts and I can't focus with Lady Velvet constantly pestering me about whether I could enchant some sex toys for her.”

“So, dildos?”

“Yes, those. That mare may be my sister-in-law, but she's bucking infuriating.”

“Okay. Are you sure there aren't any other reasons you want to go to Ponyville.” Storm gave the other mare a wink.

“Well little Sparkle is a very accomplished scientist.”

Storm rolled her eyes “And the fact that 'little Sparkle' managed to transform 'herself' into a massive hunk of a stallion has absolutely nothing to do with it?”

“What?” Theory asked confused.

“Oh, don't be so embarrassed, it's perfectly natural for you to want to get there before he has more mares than he can handle. In fact, were I not his cousin, I would have done so yesterday.”

“Sparkle's a stallion now? And why?”

“Wait, how can you not know? Everypony in the manor already knows, Velvet did a little song and dance routine like the loon she is and every single mare who is not directly related has started plotting on how to get into his bed.”

“I have been packing the artifacts for travel for the last day and a half and haven't seen anypony since two days ago. Anyways, I'm her, his, aunt.”

“Wow, you really are a loner, aren’t you,” Storm winked. “And you're only his step aunt, there's no blood between the two of you so it's totally acceptable.”

“Ugh, tell me what happened.”

“Well, little Princess Sparky was testing some spell by Starswirl and was transformed irreversibly into a stallion.”

“That doesn't make sense, Starswirl didn't make any ...”

“... Any Transfiguration spells? Yeah, yeah, I know, it makes no sense really. But most mares are deciding to not look a gift horse in the mouth.”

Theory grimaced at the idiom “Okay we are here. Do you want to see what I'm studying?”

“Not really, but I don't think that was a real question.”

“There are a number of artifacts with unique enchantments that I have been trying to understand”

“Yeah, yeah, get on with it”

Theory walked over to a long thin box and took out a massive sheathed sword. The sword was dull grey and nondescript with it's only marking a six-pointed star on the pommel and the sheath was simple and unadorned.

“It just looks like a big sword”

Theory oriented the sword so the grip was facing Storm “Try and unsheathe it”

Storm reached out a hoof and tried to grab the centre of the grip but it felt like she was trying to grasp nothing. Her hoof slid over the grey metal like oil over water “It a sword a pony can't grab, how fascinating.”

Theory put the sheathe and sword back into the box it came from “this is the most peculiar object we have, it seems to be completely immune to every type of magic known to ponykind, even the innate magic that allows ponies to grab objects with our hooves, so it's a good thing that it has a sheathe, otherwise it would be almost impossible to move. Also the design is strange, it is obviously pony made and big enough to be a greatsword, however the design suggests that it is actually a bastard sword. In addition the craftponyship is impeccable and it is at least a thousand years old yet the sword is without any maker's mark. And to top it all off I don't even know what metal it's made of.”

“Okay I get it. This sword is weird. Did you bring me here to tell me that or to transport your stuff to Sparkle's castle?”

“Not just that, The Great Lady Twilight Aurora was obsessed with this sword. She believed that it was the key to immortality.”

“Oh, wow, the crazy old lich was obsessed with this sword, such wow.”

“How do you speak of her in that way. 'Lady Aurora was a once in an ...”

“'...once in an era genius, who is single-hoofedly credited with the creation of nearly three thousand new spells, including the only easily cast teleportation spells. Not only was she an unequalled mage, her unmatched cunning and guile let House Twilight ascend from a minor, politically irrelevant house, to one of the most powerful unicorn houses in existence.' Yeah, I know who she is. The wings might confuse you, but I am her great great granddaughter after all. Can we leave now?”

Theory moved over and grabbed another artifact, this time an old oil lamp “And this object is also fascinating ...”

“Lady Velvet got out the Shipping Chart.”

Theory looked up in fear. “What!?”

“The. Shipping. Chart.”

“Oh, by all that is good and holy, we need to leave now!” The unicorn mare said in panic as she hurriedly levitated the sword's box and a few other objects into an already packed pegasus carriage before climbing into it herself “I have everything packed, you can take off any time now.”

“I thought you wanted to take a few artifacts, not the entire collection.”

“This is only a small fraction of the entire collection. Anyways the carriage is enchanted; it will be like flying a kite.”

“Hmph, fine. But you owe me. Let's get out of here.”

---

Trixie woke up gradually in the middle of a forest clearing to the chirping of birds.

“Damnable birds” Trixie grumbled angrily before trying to go back to sleep.

But the birds wouldn't stop chirping incessantly.

Trixie felt herself getting angry, without knowing what she was doing Trixie reached into her magic reserves and ...

*Pop*

*Pop*

*Pop*

... Trixie felt small drops of moisture landing on her coat.

“what was that?” Trixie said to herself as she got to her hooves and looked around. The formerly obnoxious birds weren't anywhere in sight, and the green leaves of the trees surrounding her seemed to be coated in tiny red dots. Trixie walked over to the leaves and noticed that the red dots were rather tiny beads of a red liquid ...

... Blood, bright sanguine blood. It struck Trixie instantly what had happened. She had killed three birds without even thinking about it. Trixie was frightened, she may have been viewed poorly by other ponies, but she wasn't a cold-blooded killer.

Then Trixie remembered, the creepy pony in the shack, he had done something to Trixie. Trixie remembered the pain and agony, twisting and changing her into something else.

Suddenly, Trixie became aware of a strange weight on her shoulders. She looked turned her head backwards and saw something out of place. Wings!

However these were not the wings of a pegasus or alicorn. Nor did they resemble the draconic wings of a thestral, the fly-like wings of a changeling or even the strange butterfly wings that the stallion had. Rather these wings seemed to be made out of sharp black crystal and looked like they were meant to be used as a weapon more then they were meant for flying.

If she now had sharp deadly wings what else did he change? Trixie conjured a small hoof mirror and looked at her reflection.

She was horrified, her formerly silver mane was now a dreary grey, her eyes now blood red and pupils slitted, her mouth now full of black jagged teeth. But worst of all was her horn; her formerly beautiful spiral horn had been replaced with a curved serrated monstrosity that was as dark as sin.

“Why did this happen to me?” Trixie burst into tears.

'Twilight Sparkle' replied a small voice in her head.

“Who are you?”

'You must kill Twilight Sparkle.'

“You didn't answer my question.”

'Kill, her.'

“Why are you telling me to kill her?”

'Because she drove you out, it is her fault that this happened to you. Kill her'

“Why?”

'Because she tricked you, disgraced you, humiliated you and turned you into a monster.'

“But that stallion did this to me.”

'He never existed, Twilight did this to you.'

The voice was right; the stallion was fading, he had never existed at all. He was merely a ploy by Twilight to make her forget what had really happened. Her cruel face as she chanted the terrible words that changed and twisted Trixie into a monster beyond recognition.

“Yes, Twilight must die. I will train myself in her foul magics until she cannot hope to stand against me” Trixie didn't notice her voice distort as she took out the small nondescript black book that she remembered taking from the library and began to read it's foul spells.

---

Carrot Top made her the crowds of Canterlot unicorns. Most of whom turned their nuzzle up at her with mutters of 'filthy' or 'dirt pony'. Carrot smirked, the incompetent pin-heads wouldn't be saying such things if they knew who she truly was. Not Carrot Top the farmer, but Carrot Top the assassin and agent under the employ of Mother.

Carrot came to her destination, a particular piece of the castle wall that nopony noticed. A piece of wall that nopony could notice unless they had previous knowledge of it's location. And right in the centre of the wall was a small wooden door.

She opened the door without any worry of being watched. The perception filter that hid the door extended far enough out completely surround anypony entering or exiting the door. And descended down the narrow staircase.

The Matriarchal Sisterhood of the Zenith was the true ruling body of Equestria, led by the wise and glorious Mother, may she live forever. They pulled strings across the county and had the princesses dancing to their song. Nothing happened in Equestria without the Mother's knowledge and approval and nopony could escape either her gaze or grasp.

Carrot raced through the catacombs that ran directly under the royal palace passing other agents of the Sisterhood who stepped out of Carrot's way. After all Carrot was one of the Mother's highest ranking agents and was tasked with observing the Elements of Harmony and the other unholy presences in Ponyville, not to mention that she was one of the few mares that ever got to speak to the mother directly.

Carrot reached her destination, The Chamber of the Glorious Mother. She stopped and entered respectfully.

“Ah, Carrot Top, I was wondering when I would see you.”

“I came as quickly as I could Mother. There has been a development in Ponyville; Twilight Sparkle has turned herself into a stallion.”

“Yes, I knew that; a letter was sent to Celestia regarding that information. You seem exited for some reason.”

“I am anxious to test my venoms on an alicorn Mother.”

“Now, now, Carrot. Don't be to hasty, after that stunt you pulled today in threatening his life, you would be the first to be suspected.”

“No court would find me guilty”

“The Twilights do not try ponies in court” The Mother said sternly “No, for now we will bide our time and watch what unfolds.”

“Yes Mother” Carrot Top said obediently

The Mother watched as Carrot Top exited the room and sighed. Carrot was one of the best she had, but she was one of those unthinking zealots who thought their membership meant they could get away with anything. The Sisterhood had way too many of those. And the earth mare's blunder today had set her plans back several weeks at least.

One of the sisterhood's guiding purposes was to prevent stallions from moving above their place. Not, as so many members believe, because stallions are less intelligent, less moral or imbued with less strength of character. No, it was very simple, emancipated stallions produce less foals.

Due to the balance of sexes left from the old nobility's indulgences combined with the more recent pressures, every potent stallion needs to sire an average of nearly 20 foals just for the population to remain constant. Even worse is the increasing trend of impotence among stallions pushing that number ever higher even while leaving those still potent with less willingness and ability to complete the task. Even the most conservative estimates give less than 800 years before the last fertile stallion is born.

And that was the sole reason for the existence of the Sisterhood, the continuation of the pony species at any cost. A mission they were slowly loosing. And now her halfwit of an assassin had jeopardized the mission even further.

Mother growled in frustration, the Sisterhood had desired a male alicorn for about as long as it had existed. It had been long theorized that such a stallion could be used to forestall the impotency for at least a couple hundred years if not indefinitely. But why did that desired stallion have to be Twilight bucking Sparkle.

Although she would never let it show, the Mother was worried more than she had ever been since she had taken over for the previous Mother. Twilight Sparkle was intelligent, powerful and resourceful, he had friends in high places and was a member of one of the only houses that the Sisterhood had failed to penetrate.

The Twilights were an enigma to all outsiders, even the Mother. They used to just be the strange noble house who lived on the other side of the mountain, but then that insane arcanist became their high lady and terrified the degenerate cowards that seem to make up more of the noble courts every year. They were said to have entire libraries full of ancient, lost and forbidden knowledge (a claim Mother had always found doubtful, House Twilight, powerful or not, wasn't even an Old House) and were known to train their children in arts that most ponies never knew existed, but – with the notable exception of their young prodigy – almost never interacted with the outside world.

Yet still the other noble houses speak their name in whispers fearing the banner of three stars. And the young Twilight was no exception, she was the youngest pony ever to be accepted to Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns – at the age of eight – and had become Princess Celestia's personal student. She had then become the first bearer of the Element of Magic in almost a thousand years, freed Princess Luna and saved Equestria several times. And now she was a stallion.

Unlike many in the Sisterhood the Mother knew that the transformation would not dull the alicorn's capabilities. Stallions tended to be subservient and incompetent by nature, but this stallion had been a mare for far too long to rely on that.

Mother scowled, it was all salvageable as long as the stallion remained ignorant, but then one of her stupid little assassins had gone and threatened a bucking Prince of Equestria.

She made up her mind, if the assassin was going to act like a liability, she would be treated like a liability. Mother lit her horn and small mirror appeared in her hoof. “Burn Notice.”

The image of a small orange pegasus mare in a fedora appeared on the mirror, “Yes, m'lady.”

“I have a new assignment for you.”

“Sounds fun, m'lady. Who d'ya want dead?”

“One of our assassins has made herself a liability to the cause. Her name is Carrot Top, she lives in Ponyville”

“Ooh, Carrot Top. She's got 327 confirmed kills, even more than me, sounds difficult. I like it.”

“And make it look like an accident. The last thing we need is one Twilight Sparkle getting himself mixed up in a murder investigation.”

“Aye, m'lady.”

---

Gentle Song was walking through one of the roughest neighbourhoods in Equestria's glorious capital city, Canterlot. And like anything, the brighter it shines, the more darkness it hides; her tribe had learned that lesson at a great and terrible cost.

Gentle entered a large dirty cement building that was heavily graffitied and nigh indistinguishable from it's brethren that crowded the street. Sighing heavily as she entered, she was a refugee of a different time, living in a world that she barely understood.

As she reached her room, 647 she took out her key and unlocked her the door.

The inside of the room provided a stark contrast with the surrounding environment. It's clean and bright walls seemed to stand defiance against the defeat that was palatable in the air. The many beds that orderly lined the walls, stood vigil against the decay that seemed to consume all that came into this terrible place.

She took off the decrepit rags and fluttered her – now free – wings. She felt a powerful despair; this is what they had been reduced to. The last of a once proud race, the tribe that was the envy of the world was now all but forgotten, hiding out in refuges that weren’t fit for animals. A tear escaped her eye as she remembered her home Midday Grove had been hardly the largest town in Flutter Valley, but it had been her home. And now it was gone leaving nought but a desolate wasteland. She remembered her friends and family, they would have been twisted into vile parasites and had died as such, unable to remember who they were.

She had survived while so many had lost. She had merely been in the right place at the right time. She had recently been hired as the concertmaster of the Crystal Empire Philharmonic Orchestra and was protected by the Crystal Heart from the vile curse that the perverted one had cast upon his own tribe. Only several hundred flutterponies had been left and had been taking refuge in the city when the crystal king went mad, the next thing Song had known was waking up a thousand years later and knowing that all hope of saving her family was gone.

The only thing that kept her going now was the feeble hope given by cryptic words spoken by a seer 'find the heir and your honour will be restored'

Gentle Song trotted over to her cot an pulled out a simple violin case. Song had bought it for a couple bits in a pawn shop that didn't know what they had. She didn't recognize the maker (not surprising considering she had missed a thousand years of history) but she could see the care put into the instrument. She pulled the violin and tuned it expertly.

The song was a song of her own make, a song that none would ever hope to copy or understand

It was a song of loss and despair that could make the coldest heart cry.

It was a song of treachery and betrayal of the worst kind.

It was a song of pain and suffering that could never be adequately described by words or rhyme.

It was a song of war and terror that rends upon soul and mind

But most of all it is a song of hope for future times

So here's the redone chapter 9, sorry for the wait. I had trouble finding somewhere to write.

Actually quite a few changes to both the Theory/Storm scene and the Sisterhood theme. The most significant being giving the sisterhood an actual motive (they literally didn't even have a motive in the old version) and Carrot Top being burned.

Also final warning, chapter 10 (which I just finally finished today) marks the point where this fic's rating will be bumped up to mature. Chapter 10 has the most changes of any chapter by at least an order of magnitude (the old version has almost 2000 words while the new version has almost 6000)