Twilight sat in silence gazing out at the sky, the moon having risen long ago after they found the princesses on her doorstep. They were critical condition, but luckily thanks to the combined efforts of Fluttershy, Sunset, and Twilight, they had been stabilized. Celestia and the wing that had been severed had both been deposited on her doorstep with a sword riddled Luna. The wounds were currently being healed naturally after the mixture of magic and medicine was employed. Rainbow Dash was fuming as she stomped back and forth.

“Now he’s gone too far! Twilight, we’ve waited here long enough,” Rainbow struck an aggressive stance, “it’s time we fight back!”

Rarity nodded, “Though I don’t care for violence, Jasper must be stopped more than ever.”

Sunset Shimmer was busy in the corner examining more of Jasper's notes with a raised eyebrow, “Hm…interesting.”

Twilight glanced at her, “What?”

Sunset tapped the paper, “Says here he figured out a way to petrify the glass of the crystal mirror,” she chuckled, “gotta give him credit, he knows his stuff.”

Twilight looked away in shame, “Because I practically helped him. If anything, this is my fault. He used me and I didn’t see through him.”

Applejack patted her friend on the shoulder, “There, there, none of us knew what he was planning. He played us all fer chumps.”

Rainbow Dash snorted, “Which will make beating him all the sweeter!”

Twilight sighed, “Even if we could, we don’t know when and where to actually strike.”

Sunset smiled as she trotted over with a crystal, “Well I wouldn’t say that,” the crystal started to glow, “before I left, I decided to swing by and use this on some papers he had in his bed chambers.”

She placed the crystal on some blank paper as words began to write themselves upon its surface. After a while, the crystal turned to dust when the paper was filled.

“A babel crystal?” Twilight picked up the papers, “where did you find one?”

“Turns out mister shiny golden god isn’t as perfect in guarding the alchemy wing of the castle.”

Rarity glanced at the dust, “I’ve heard of these, aren’t they supposed to record and duplicate any vocal or written information?”

Sunset nodded, “And then transfer it onto paper.”

Twilight read through the paper with frantic eyes. Her eyes widened in horror when she finished.

“We have to get on board the Friendship Express as soon as possible,” she stood up and started locking down the house, “SPIKE! Watch Celestia and Luna!”

Spike saluted.

Fluttershy glanced at her panicking friend, “Why do we have to get on the train?”

Twilight stopped and spoke in a grave tone, “Because Jasper is planning to do something unspeakable.”

*

Jasper sat in the dining car of the train, the royals from the other kingdoms sitting with him. His armor glinted in the light after it had been re-forged, cleaned, and shined. At the moment, Silver Wing had finished telling a war story of old.

“And that is how I whooped your legion Diamondback!”

Diamondback grumbled, “Only because our weapons were faulty.”

Ignatius appeared carrying some wine glasses filled with the beverage in question, “Here are your drinks.”

Jasper smiled, “Thank you Iggy,” he took a wine glass and placed it in front of him.

Jasper casually drummed his fingers on the table, “It’s a shame Cadance couldn't attend, but she must run her kingdom as it recovers. So it can’t be helped.”

Diamondback stared at Jasper for a moment, “Is it true what they said? Were you attacked in Canterlot castle?”

Tikeel swished his glass a few times, “From you there must’ve been dread, for surely you feared you would be dead.”

Jasper smiled, “The…assassins, were dealt with accordingly.”

Silver Wing clutched her glass, “Word through the grape vine is that there is a small rebellion in your midst.”

Jasper’s smile vanished as Iggy eased out of the room, “That will be dealt with….soon.”

Unbeknownst to the party, a flash of purple appeared on the farthest cart. The train passed through a tunnel as Jasper raised his glass.

“A toast, to a new age.”

All the rulers raised their glasses and drank. But then the far door burst open revealing Twilight, her friends and Sunset. Jasper widened his eyes as Twilight stepped forward.

“DON’T DRINK THAT WINE!”

The rulers looked with confusion at the mare as Jasper remained silent. The rulers lowered their glasses as Silver Wing skeptically glanced at her glass. Tikeel sniffed his, whereas Diamondback was indifferent.

“Jasper plans to poison you,” she placed the papers down on the table; “these were taken from his chambers detailing this little ploy of his.”

Silver Wing glared at Jasper, “Is this true?”

Jasper merely smiled as she blinked her eyes for a moment, “Unfortunately yes.”

Tikeel opened his mouth to speak, but instead he began to convulse and fell from his chair. Foaming at the mouth, he gurgled sickeningly.

Diamond back grasped his chest as his eyes bugged out of his head, foam soon coming out.

Silver Wing pulled her sword free from her back holster and went for the gold king, but fell beside his chair. Jasper glanced at Twilight and the girls and gave them two thumbs up with a toothy smile on his face.

Silver Wing looked at his eyes as Jasper kicked her sword across the way.

He stood up, “Sodium cyanide, among one of the deadliest poisons known to man. It’s funny that it could be made in a land like this. I’m surprised though, it seemed to have varying reactions to each one of them.”

Jasper leaned against the table, “Congratulations Twilight, you figured out my grand scheme,” he picked up the wine glass he had held and sipped it before chucking it against the wall, “Yes, before you ask. I planned this since I started that little alliance at the summit. I was planning to drag it out a little more, but all of your constant meddling forced a change of plans. None the less, I now have complete control of the deceased monarch’s respective kingdoms.”

A flash of red and he clutched the treaty which he read aloud, “Should the rulers of the named kingdoms meet with an unfortunate passing, control of the respective kingdom will be handed to the controlling party of this document until such time that he wishes to relinquish control to the heirs of either kingdom.”

The treaty vanished, “Well, I guess that means. I have majority control; being married to Queen Chrysalis has even granted me a bigger boon.”

Twilight narrowed her eyes, “All of your actions were leading to this, and everything you were doing was getting you to this point.”

Jasper clapped his hands, “Congratulations, the last horse finally crosses the finish line. Everything is going according to plan, except for a few minor details,” he turned his back to them, “there were six, but now it’s seven,” he whipped around as his crystal sword extended from his gauntlet, leveled at Twilights nose.

Jasper glared into the seven mares eyes as they all circled each other, “For quite a while I’ve been debating what to do with you. The fact that you’ve lived for this long has been nothing but a charity. Granted I want the lesson to be learned first,” a crazed look entered his eyes, “consider the lesson the main event, this train is taking us there and can be considered an intermission. Like every play, things can happen during the intermission, accidents.”

Jasper stepped forward and slashed downwards, the blade cutting through the floor and carpeting. The mares scattered, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy ducking behind an overturned table. Applejack lassoed Jasper’s sword arm and pulled, the human losing his grip on the sword and grasping the rope with his free hand. He then kicked a chair at AJ who had to duck to avoid it; Jasper then yanked with all his might and brought his left arm. A sturdy piece of wood broke across his back as he was pulled down. Rarity smiled in triumph as she hurled the piece of the broken table to the side. Jasper was brought to his knees as he felt a blade at his throat, he turned his head and saw Sunset Shimmer levitating Silver Wings sword.

“Move and your toast.”

Jasper smirked, “Good idea.”

The far back door opened revealing Ignatius who blew a jet of ruby fire that was twice the size of his body at Applejack, then at Sunset. When AJ moved, Jasper hurled himself backwards onto his back. The train car was burning as Jasper blasted the room with a wave of energy that dispelled the flames as well as hurl the ponies backwards. Jasper rushed past them and yanked his sword free on his passing. He reached the back next cart and stopped at the clamp, with a look of spite; he slashed the connector and watched the mares roll away. He waved goodbye to them as Twilight’s section of the train sped away. Jasper’s eventually slowed to a stop, he sat in a passenger car and it soon went in the opposite direction, guided by his magic.

*

Twilight cursed silently as she lost sight of Jasper’s section of the train, “We were too late.”

Sunset looked around at the train car, “I’ll head back to Ponyville, he might try to make a move against the Princesses. Good luck Sparkle.”

Sunset vanished in a burst of teal light.

Rainbow Dash looked out of the train and watched it steadily roll along, “Where do you think it’s taking us?”

Twilight shook her head, “We’re going to find out soon enough.”

After two hours passed, the train rolled to a stop nowhere near a station. Twilight exited and approached the conductor.

“Where are we, why did we stop?”

The conductor sighed, “Orders from the king.”

The train then trudged away as the six mares looked down and blinked. Below them surrounded by a small lake was the small trading town of Lillyhoof. Where the mares stood was on a cliff overlooking it. What caught their attention most of all was the fact that Jasper was staring up at them from below with a smile. The mares flew down and teleported respectively. Jasper pointed to the town and gave a warm smile.

“You know, a character from a movie that I saw once said something quite deep to a hero,” he glanced at the mares, “This is why only fools are heroes, because you never know when some lunatic will come along with a sadistic choice.”

Rainbow Dash stepped forward, “What choice?”

Jasper stepped before them, “Exactly Rainbow Dash, NOW! THE LESSON CAN BEGIN!”

Author's Notes:

That's right dear readers, the lesson will be learned next chapter. But how did Jas get there so fast? Enjoy this and the chapters to come!