To say that Canterlot was in an uproar would be a colossal understatement, it was pure chaos, "And not the good kind," Discord would say. The whole affair started when Princess Celestia returned to the castle to find that her sister's bed was empty, and when no one could tell her where she had gone off to, not even her faithful student, the Princess got a bit hot under the collar. Not since her battle with Discord has Princess Celestia ever been this miffed, it was like the flood gate that held back all her less desirable emotions suddenly buckled and spilled over. Even behind its dimension splitting barrier, the Arch-Library was not safe from Princess Celestia's torrential wave of raw magical energy cascading across Equestria; which brought about earthquakes, floods and super storms. Were it not for the combined efforts of Princess Twilight, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and Discord, Princess Celestia may have well destroyed all of Equestria by accident.

After the trembling had subsided, Iscariat let out a long yawn, rubbed his eyes, took a sip from his home made hot chocolate, and then buried his muzzle back in the scroll spread upon his desk. As he read the third scroll, Iscariat couldn't help but recall the face Princess Luna made when she left the audience chamber. She was shedding tears like birds molt their feathers, "Why didn't you just take her gift? You had to make her cry, didn't you?!" the chastising voice exclaimed. The worst of it, the part that tormented his dreams last night, was that he let her go, he could have dispelled his invisibility spell and apologized, but no he just turned around and walked away. Finding it impossible to rest, Iscariat burned the midnight oil reading the first two scrolls, and now he was just about done with the third.

Though his meeting with Princess Luna still weighed heavily on his mind, Iscariat never the less stuck to his guns, and learned quite a deal about the scrolls that he overlooked a thousand years ago. From what he could surmise after examining the first three, each scroll was not as unique as he first thought, but instead more like an expansion to the one before; not unlike to a dictionary, or more accurately an encyclopedia. This revelation became more and more apparent as he went on to the fourth scroll, which Iscariat now dubbed the fourth volume. It was in this volume that Iscariat learned the secret of how to use the Elements of Harmony by one's self, and then a shocking realization dawned on him; "If the first curator wrote this in the fourth installment, then what could be written in the sixth," he pondered to himself, the ramifications weighing heavily on his mind. Another thing he noticed was that at the top left corner of each volume was a roman numeral that seemed to bear no purpose because it didn't match the number printed in the volumes title; the fourth volume had the number twenty-one branded on its surface.

Taking another sip from his hot chocolate, Iscariat felt his eyes get heavy from his sleep deprivation, and as much as he fought it the more exhausted he became. Eventually he lost the fight and passed out on his desk, and Tabitha, already prepared, pulled a soft aqua-blue bed sheet over her master, and then cuddled up by his head drifting off to dream land herself. As they slept, unaware to the waking world, two golden rings manifested around Iscariat, desk and all, and then like a gyroscope both rings spun around giving off a soothing tone that did not wake Iscariat or Tabitha. Faster and faster the rings spun, emitting a soft white light as they completed each rotation, as well as a comforting warmth akin to being embraced by a cherished love one. At the apex of their rotation the two golden rings unleashed a blinding light that lasted but a moment, and when it subsided Tabitha was the first to awake and realize that both she and Iscariat were in the middle of Princess Celestia's throne room with several guards staring at them.

Dispelling her massive teleportation spell, Princess Celestia descended from her throne to address Iscariat, not fully aware that he still slumbered. Refusing to allow anyone to disturb her master's respite, Tabitha assumed her Marduk form and brandished its teeth at the Princess; almost daring her to take another step forward. The Princess' royal guards all stood at the ready, brandishing their spears at the dog dragon, and ready to give their own lives if need be. A soft smile donning Princess Celestia's face, she ordered her guards to stay their spears, then approaching Marduk she touched the beast with her horn, and telepathically conveyed her intentions; stating she meant no harm. Pondering the Princess' words, Marduk became Tabitha again, and with a watchful eye allowed Princess Celestia to approach; though her guard was still at the ready as were the Princess' guards.

Gazing at Iscariat hunched over his desk with scrolls, quills, bottles of ink, and scraps of note paper scattered about, Princess Celestia let out a sigh and said, "A thank less job, and yet you pour all of your being into it." Beckoning one of her guards to carry Iscariat, while two others handled his desk and papers, Princess Celestia ushered them to one of the castle suites where they laid the sleeping stallion on the soft prince sized bed, and positioned his desk against an adjacent wall. Though she was in a hurry to speak with Iscariat, Princess Celestia understood that if he was to operate at his finest, then he had to be alert and well rested, and with the task she has in store for him she doubt he would get another chance to sleep for a long time. Sleeping half the day away, Iscariat awoke amazingly invigorated and boasting with vitality, Tabitha caressed his chest, pleases to see her master in such a pleasant state, and he in turn stroked her back just how she liked it. Taking in his surroundings, Iscariat was aware that he was in a royal Canterlot suite; "Somepony must have teleported me here, most likely Princess Celestia due to the warm sensation radiating from my body. She always did put a bit of herself in every spell she casts," Iscariat said aloud.

"I trust you are well rested, and if so I hope you brought your appetite," Rarity said as she came through the door levitating a silver platter over her head filled with a smorgasbord of food.

"Thank you very much, Ms. Rarity. However it is unnecessary, for I do not require food for sustenance," Iscariat explained rising from the bed, only to be pushed back on it by Rarity's magic aura.

"Now, now, I will have none of that. It is simply not proper to go through the day without eating something. Which is why I took the liberty to prepare this," Rarity said placing the platter on a small tray stand beside the bed, and then tying a large white napkin around Iscariat's neck.

"Ah, very well, I'm not the type to waste food, and you did go out of your way to make it," Iscariat said using his magic to lift a fork and partake on some of the omelette on the platter. His eyes opened wide at the very moment the omelette hit his taste buds, the sheer volume of flavor packed within the tiny bite was just incalculable. Though that was only the beginning, for there were two other dishes laid out before him; a stack of blueberry flapjacks, and some french toast with blackberry jam. Never had Iscariat experienced such a bounty of flavor, and the fresh squeezed cup of apple juice really hit the sweet spot driving his taste buds over the edge. Unable to find the proper words to convey his pure elation, Iscariat merely preformed a ceremonial bow normally reserved for those of noble descent; Rarity blushed in response as she collected the platter.

Feeling better than he has in one thousand years, Iscariat waited for Tabitha to jump on his back before he made for the throne to find out just why he was "summoned" this time. On his way there Iscariat's thoughts constantly drifted back to yesterday's unfortunate meeting with Princess Luna, and they ate away at his now fading happy demeanor. "Why do I always do this to myself?" Iscariat asked no one in particular, his moment of elation deflated, and his head hung low in shame at his inexcusable conduct from the night before. Stomping his left fore hoof in frustration, Iscariat came to a full stop; "I can't let this stand, am I not a stallion?! I will make amends post haste. It is the least she deserves," Iscariat spoke out, his mind finally made. Turning down a side corridor he trotted as fast as he could down the halls and up the stairs until he reached Princess Luna's bed chamber, and then a moment of pause overcame him before he ponied up and knocked on the door.

To his surprise the chamber door jutted open at his touch, a strange feeling came over him as he heard the soft moaning of somepony weeping in the darkness of the Princess' bed chamber. Igniting his horn with a grey light, Iscariat peered through the threshold only to be met with another shocking surprise. Laying against Princess Luna's bed, in a puddle of tears, was Princess Celestia, her mane draped over her face in total disarray, her wings spread out across the ground as if unable to support their own weight, and her crown was cast aside behind the door with the rest of her regal attire. Only once before had Iscariat seen Princess Celestia in such a broken state, and as before he did the only thing that seemed sensible; he left her alone. However, this time the Princess caught sight of him, and using her powerful magic she teleported him into the room then sealed the door.

"Your highness, perhaps now isn't the best time to talk," Iscariat said, making sure he chose each word carefully.

"On the contrary, I have been meaning to talk with you all day," Princess Celestia said as she fixed her mane, and wiped some lingering tears with the tips of her wings. "I'm in need of help, and only you have the skills required."

"If it is within my powers, I will gladly lend you my aid, you highness," Iscariat said with a bow.

"Thank you, you have no idea how much I appreciate this," Princess Celestia said, a warm smile on her face.

"Just what has saddened you so, your highness?" Iscariat asked.

"Princess Luna, my dear sister, has disappeared," Princess Celestia replied more tears ran down her cheeks.

"What?" Iscariat said a startled expression on his face.

"I'm sorry you had to find out this way, but in no way is this your fault, " Princess Celestia said as she levitated Iscariat's gift in her golden aura, and stared at him sternly while still shedding tears. "She told me of her plans to make amends. I even suggested what gift to get you, and truthfully I thought everything would go off without a hitch."

"Your highness, as I told Princess Luna..." Iscariat said, but Princess Celestia placed her right fore hoof over his mouth quieting him.

"There is no need to explain yourself, Iscariat. Unlike my sister and I, you are not an immortal alicorn; I can't expect you to perceive time as we do. Were it not for Sorca's training I doubt your mind would be even this well-adjusted," Princess Celestia said, her tears at last stopping, and a smile returning.

"You're right, your highness," Iscariat said, unable to make eye contact with the Princess. "In any event, how can I help?"

"Well we need to know what transpired, and I'm certain it happened in this room," Princess Celestia said, dropping Iscariat's gift back on the night stand, and then giving him a serious look again. "I need you to cast the Bygone Spell. "

Bygone and spell were two words Iscariat never wanted to hear in the same sentence, his heart almost stopped at their utterance, and his breathing became erratic. A spell created by his mentor, Sorca the Mystic during her early years as Clover the Clever's apprentice, served to cement her future position as curator of the Arch-Library. A top tier temporal spell, the Bygone Spell allowed the caster to turn back time to view anything that they may or may not have witnessed; a useful tool when properly mastered. However it has its draw backs and risks, most are negligible, but one is not so lightly ignored, for a price must be paid to know such secrets, and a costly one it is. For Iscariat to cast the spell he must surrender five years of his life, regardless of how far back he would be viewing, and unknown to Princess Celestia he has casted this spell once before.

"I wouldn't be asking if time wasn't against us, but we must know if Sombra is connected to this. We cannot afford to be wrong, and end up with two foes on two fronts," Princess Celestia said, knowing full well what she was asking of him.

"Were it for anypony else, I don't think I would go this far," Iscariat said as he gestured to Tabitha to go stand by Princess Celestia.

Conjuring his desk, Iscariat removed all obstructions from its surface to reveal an inscribed pentagon no bigger than a pony's hoof, and pressed down until a small click was heard, and the desk's top flipped open slightly. Asking the Princess to close her eyes as he rummaged through the secret compartment, Iscariat extracted two vials of very fine copper colored powder, and proceeded to use them to make a circle in the middle of the room. Closing the desk's lid, Iscariat told the Princess it was okay to look, just as he sat up straight on the ground, and began drawing in a large amount of magic to the tip of his horn. The magic was in such a large quantity that it actually materialized in the form of five grey strings that glowed brightly like the ocean's surface when struck by sun light. After five minutes of mana pooling, Iscariat focused on the enormous amount of magic compressed tightly at the tip of his horn, and then with great precision he instantly dispersed the magic in the form of seven bolts of energy that struck one side of the circle respectively, with Iscariat at its center like a maypole.

His eyes glowing a pure white, Iscariat felt as a dark grey aura twisted around the seven bolts of energy creating a cortical screw pattern, and as it did a few hairs in his mane became a bleach bone white as his heart actually skipped a few beats until ,at last, the dark grey aura ceased to flow. Now that the activation cost has been paid, Iscariat commanded the seven bolts to spin around him like the spokes on a wheel, faster and faster they spun till eventually he was blurred from sight, and the faster they went the more energy they created that struck at Iscariat altering his very molecular composition. The spinning soon reached the apex of its speed, time itself seemed to slow as the bolts surpassed the speed of light, and then suddenly all the accumulated power collided with Iscariat appearing to have vaporized him, but in truth he had now become a shade; a being that is neither living nor dead, and now freed of his connection to the present, Iscariat was able to travel through the time stream to any when he desired in the past. Following the now visible river of time, he arrived at the moment past him left Princess Luna in tears, and as he watched her enter her bed chamber depressed and grief stricken, Iscariat wanted nothing more than to cry out an apologize; though he knew that was not possible, "This is only a shadow from the past. Nothing more," Iscariat tried to remind himself.

For a time nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but then he saw the Princess succumb to the effects of the sleep potion Sombra had slipped into her water, and then he saw the blighter himself make his appearance. Iscariat felt a great anger build up inside himself, and it only grew when he saw that bastard dare lay his filthy hooves on Princess Luna.

"Jealous are we?" King Sombra asked staring straight at Iscariat, who was completely astonished by this impossible development. When he did not respond to his question, Sombra felt to push the issue by devilishly grinning at Princess Luna, now being covered by the blanket of darkness, quite slowly this time around, and paying special attention to how the blanket captured every curve on the Princess' body. "Though I can hardly blame you, she is rather captivating, so to speak. Wouldn't you agree curator?"

"How can you see me? This spell allows one to view only, not be viewed much less heard. Just what the hell are you?" Iscariat retorted with an inquisition of his own.

"I’m darkness itself. Did you honestly think I could not see a shade?" King Sombra gloated with pride at his very unique abilities. "You can no more hide from me, than you can from yourself."

"I don't know what kind of game you are playing, but you will fail. Princess Celestia will see to that," Iscariat said.

"Celestia?! Don't make me laugh. Even the combined powers of the alicorn sisters could not defeat me, and they were at their prime back then. No, Princess Celestia is just out of her depth on this one, as are you," King Sombra said with a sneer and a grin.

"You underestimate me, a fatal mistake, your majesty," Iscariat said rather boldly only to be met by a black shadow clenching his throat for his bold statement.

"Arrogant foal!" King Sombra yelled tightening the noose around Iscariat's neck. "You're nothing to me! I should end you for such insolence, but that would be ending your suffering too easy. No, I will first break you, destroy your very spirit, and then when there is nothing left only then will I end your pitiful existence. Until that time, ponder upon this...Enjoy the view."

Not understanding what King Sombra meant, Iscariat sensed a drastic change in the flow of magic around him, and then everything went dark as if he were struck by blindness. Bolts of magical energy struck at him causing much pain, his horn pulsed as more and more energy coursed through his body, and his brain ached from the sudden over flow of mana it now had to regulate. Iscariat went over the chain of events three times, each time reaching the same conclusion; King Sombra had triggered a Magical Backlash. This was the absolute worst possible scenario any unicorn, or alicorn, could land themselves in, for once started a Magical Backlash cannot be stopped, and can be fatal depending on the casted spell. A Magical Backlash, in the simplest of terms, takes all the magic used to cast the spell and redirects it back into the caster causing their horn to discharge erratically which can result in cracks or possible severing of the appendage.

In Iscariat's case the Bygone Spell was a tier one spell, highest category there is, and while he is confident there won't be any horn snapping he is certain this will not be pleasant. His horn finally reaching well beyond capacity, Iscariat heard the telltale crack as a great pain over took him, and a rush of magical energies flooded around him propelling him through time. Princess Celestia saw as a distortion in space formed in the center of the room where Iscariat had disappeared, and bolts of lightning erupted from it. A sudden rush of wind was pulled towards the distortion, Princess Celestia used her magic to grasp Tabitha just as the little ferret was almost pulled into the maelstrom of magic, and at the moment she herself began to get pulled in, the distortion exploded ejecting somepony from its center. Iscariat was shot out of the distortion as quick as a flash, but it was not on the floor where he landed; no his propulsion was too great, and trajectory far too high.

A startled expression on her face, Princess Celestia saw Iscariat smash through the balcony door, knocking down the opaque curtains and blinding them all with her sun's brilliant light. Clearing the balcony in one shot, Iscariat gazed at the captivating view before him, for unlike Princess Celestia, whose bed room window glimpsed out at the Canterlot Royal Gardens, Princess Luna's room boasted a stunning field of vision with a lovey meadow filled with tall oak and pine trees, as well as a dense brier some twenty feet beyond the balcony, and a beautiful mountain range in the distant. Even as he came crashing down into the thorny thick brier, his hide being pierced not only by the dread thorns, but from the glass shards of the balcony door he smashed through, Iscariat couldn't help but acknowledge that Sombra was correct; he did enjoy the view, short lived as it was. Coming to a stop half way through the brier, blood pooling around him from his shredded hide, Iscariat, fading in an out of consciousness, looked up at the now far away balcony, and saw a blazing white star fly towards him. The star carefully burned away all of the thorns around Iscariat as it came to land beside him, then using a gentle touch the star lifted him onto its back, and the last thing he remembered just as the darkness took him was the sound of wind as they took flight back towards the castle.

Three days passed, though to Iscariat it might have well been one, for he did not regain consciousness until the third sunrise, and even then his wounds had only started to heal. Iscariat awoke on a Monday morning to the sound of a heart monitor, his hooves, body and horn all covered in bandages, his left profile felt like somepony took a cheese grater to it, and certain parts of his scalp had bumps and contusions. Unable to sit up straight from the pain, Iscariat laid back on his hospital bed as he took in the room, instantly noticing Tabitha curled up on a small pillow to the left of his bed. Iscariat's head was so fuzzy, all he could remember was King Sombra back-lashing his spell on him, and then nothing. Letting out a sigh, Iscariat just couldn't figure out why after one thousand years of peace did life suddenly rear its ugly head, and throw a barrage of curve balls, sinkers, sidewinders, and sliders at the same time.

"Sometimes I wonder if I should just resign," Iscariat said, his mood quite low.

"I'm not sure Twilight would enjoy that," Princess Celestia said walking into Iscariat's recovery room, with a fresh bouquet of daises to replace the wilted ones on a stand next to his bed. "She does appreciate your work, and seeks to aspire not only to the level of Starswirl, but to your level as well."

"Nonsense," Iscariat replied averting his eyes at the Princess' statement.

"I'm sorry," Princess Celestia said removing the old flowers with the new, a few tears running down her face. "I'm so sorry, Iscariat, and I'm even more sorry for what I'm about to say. I probed your mind."

"You did what, your highness?!" Iscariat exclaimed looking at Princess Celestia in a different light.

"Time was of the essence, for obvious reasons I couldn't wait for you to wake up," Princess Celestia said her face meeting Iscariat's stern gaze with one of her own.

"So now we both know that Sombra is behind this," Iscariat said, deciding to ignore his clear violation of privacy. "What I don't understand is how the pilfered scroll and the kidnapping of Princess Luna link together."

"If anypony can discover the link it is you. It is my belief that you will end Sombra's evil machinations," Princess Celestia said confidently; though Iscariat did not like her choice of words. "To that end I have asked Princess Twilight and her friends to accompany you on your quest."

"Quest?" Iscariat asked, his heart missing a beat or two at the utterance of that word. "I'm not a warrior, your highness."

"Is that so?"  Princess Celestia retorted with a raised brow, as if she were hinting at something though would not say. "In any event at the moment it is your superior mind we require, and not your apparent nonexistent fighting prowess."

"Were it not imperative to retrieve the scroll I might tell you to seek out another pony," Iscariat said, lying to the Princess like it was easy. "Very well, you highness. I give you my word that I will do all in my power to stop Sombra. No matter what it takes."

"I trust you to do what is right," Princess Celestia said nodding her head with a smiling grin, and then turning to leave. "Now I will leave you to your rest, and I will have a guard posted so you are not disturbed."

Once the Princess was gone, Iscariat instantly conjured his saddle bag, and rummaged through it till he found a cylindrical container with the number five etched on its surface. Opening the container, Iscariat extracted the fifth scroll or fifth volume as he referred, and rapidly skimmed through its content. Half way from the top, Iscariat found what he sought; it was the instructions on how to cast a potent healing spell. Iscariat loathed using the knowledge of the scrolls for something so trivial, a few more days and his body could take care of itself, but he already lost three days for being unconscious. "Time is always against me," Iscariat said to himself as he casted the spell just as the scroll instructed.

Iscariat could feel the spell taking effect; however he would still require a day and half for his body to adjust to such a rapid rate of recovery. Putting the scroll back in its container, Iscariat teleported his saddle bag back to his desk, and then casted a sleeping spell on himself. Thanks to his clever spell casting, Iscariat was discharged from the infirmary at noon the following day, and waiting for him in the sitting room was Twilight and her friends. Respectively bowing to Princess Twilight, Iscariat was informed that the mares were packed and ready to depart at a moment’s notice. However to the mares’ surprise, Iscariat felt it prudent to remain in Canterlot till morning's first light the following day.

"Time is never our ally, but this quest may prove longer than any of us may expect, and I need a few hours to pack my necessary materials," Iscariat said, Tabitha stroking his left hoof. "Not to mention teleporting Tabitha home, as well as setting up a massive telepathic link so we can stay in touch. Ah, there is just so much to do."

"Well count us in," Princess Twilight said using her magic to remove her Princess attire, and handing it over to Captain Stone Brow; who stood at attention by the exit. "Please place those in my chamber, Captain."

"Yes, your highness," Captain Stone Brow saluted, and then marched off.

"I would welcome the assistance," Iscariat replied, shocking the mares for a second time.

"Oh, then afterward we can have a party!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed, confetti raining down from nowhere.

"No," Iscariat deadpanned, a sigh of relief coming from the other five mares, thankful that he did not break character thrice.

"Oh, please. Please, please, please, please! Just think of how much fun you'll miss out on if we don't have a party, and if you don't have fun then you won't be happy, and if you're not happy then you'll be sad, and if you're sad then..." Pinkie Pie said continuing to ramble none stop till Iscariat thrust his left fore hoof into her muzzle.

"Does she ever shut up?" Iscariat asked, his eyes wide open and twitching like crazy, but the other five mares shook their heads making him frown. "Bloody fridge, fine! You may throw you little soiree, but only after my work is done, okay?"

"Okie-dokie-lokie," Pinkie Pie said, after Iscariat removed his hoof.

For the remainder of the day, Iscariat and the others worked hard to get everything ready for tomorrow, and before he knew it the work was done. Immediately following the end of their day's labors, Pinkie Pie lead everyone to the castle grounds where the party was already set to go; Iscariat wondered how she accomplished this when she was with them all afternoon. Iscariat never really liked parties, they just made no sense to him, it also didn't help that he had no one to share the experience with. However, when he was a member of Princess Luna's court things were different, he was different, but then Nightmare Moon took his Princess' place and things changed back. Yet in spite of his grief, Iscariat found himself enjoying the party a tad more than he anticipated, and before he knew it he was laughing uncontrollably after watching Princess Twilight's unique dance style.

One hour into the party Iscariat recalled a task he over looked, a silly thing really, he just had to notarize Princess Mi Amore Cadenza's application for tier three library access, and the form was magically inscribed in his personal ledger. Having already read the document, all he need do is place his signature, but there were two problems, one being that the ledger is magic proof to prevent any tampering; so he couldn't just teleport it to himself. The second problem is that he can't step out to fetch it because Pinkie Pie asked Captain Stone Brow to keep Iscariat from leaving, and he did so faithfully; even to the extreme of threatening to place an inhibitor ring on Iscariat's horn should he try to leave before Princess Twilight. The task wasn't that life threatening, but this wasn't the first time he over looked it ever since it appeared in his ledger a month ago, and with this quest before him, Iscariat felt it best to have his in box empty; "No clue when I'll get back to my normal duties, and Princess Mi Amore Cadenza has waited patiently," Iscariat mumbled to himself. With very few options, Iscariat grabbed the closets pony next to him, who in this case was Rarity.

"Ms. Rarity, may I ask a favor of you?" Iscariat asked holding Rarity quite close so the others wouldn't over hear; Rarity blushed at the awkward situation.

"I...I...I suppose that would be fine," Rarity replied, a little unsure of Iscariat's intentions.

"Smashing, now this is what I need you to do. Go to my room and fetch me my ledger, it should be in my desk, top left drawer. Oh, and get me a quill and bottle of ink also. Those should be in my desk's center drawer," Iscariat said shaking Rarity's hoof with gratitude, before he was pulled away by Princess Twilight who wished to discuss with him the practical applications of illusion magic.

Recomposing herself, Rarity shuffled off to Iscariat's castle suite to fetch the items he requested. In his room she found his desk against the far wall in the back, beside the bed, and as Iscariat said each item was precisely where he described. Using her magic to levitate the book, quill and ink, Rarity was just about to take her leave when her hoof accidentally pressed the pentagon switch on top of the desk. Upon hitting the switch the desk's secret compartment jutted open, instantly attracting Rarity's devious curiosity, a smiling grin creeping up her face.

"No, Rarity, this isn't your sister's saddle bag. You could definitely get in a lot of trouble," Rarity said to herself, as she peered into the secret compartment regardless. Inside she saw all kinds of bottles of various sizes, each containing a liquid of a different color and consistency, but what drew her attention was a sparkling silver, hooded, cloak. "Oh, my! What a magnificent cloak! And what is this?! Is that a silver sapphire for a brooch! I've only seen these on Princess Luna's most regal gown."

Rarity literally fell in love with the cloak, to such an extent that she just had to try it on. The moment she draped it over her back, Rarity could feel a warmth radiating from the fabric itself, the material was so soft and smooth like high quality silk, and yet strong like canvas. Everything about the cloak just screamed master tailor, there was not a single imperfection detectable, and she knew from the sowing style, as well as from the cloak's overall design, that it was old; "A few hundred at least," she said out loud. Rarity was so drawn in by the cloak that she lost track of time, and before she knew it the party was over. When at last the true purpose for her being there dawned on her, Iscariat had already returned, and he was beyond crossed at the sight he was bearing witness to.

"Oh! Mr. Iscariat," Rarity said a nervous expression on her face, as she quickly presented the items he requested, while still wearing his cloak. "Here you are, sir. I'm sorry that I didn't get it to you when you asked me to, but..."

"Get out," Iscariat deadpanned, using his magic to pull his cloak off of Rarity, and then cast it to the other side of the room like a soiled cloth.

"I didn't mean to..." Rarity tried to explain, but was instantly rendered silent by Iscariat's blazing magic aura.

"I said, get out! " Iscariat shouted stomping his left hoof, causing a small indentation in the stone floor, which made Rarity book it out of Iscariat's room as fast as lightning. Slamming the door shut, Iscariat walked over to his cloak, gingerly dusting it off with magic, and then proceeding to fold it neatly; following that he placed it inside his saddle bag. Before going to bed he made sure to notarize Princess Mi Amore Cadenza's form, then taking one last look at the saddle bag that held his cloak, he crawled into bed and fell into a dream less slumber.

         Next Chapter: Chapter 4: Recalled and Omitted Estimated time remaining: 4 Hours, 58 Minutes