The force of Acropolis entering the throne room slammed the massive doors against the walls resulting an remarkably loud slam. Flash Sentry and the few guards that were in the throne room nearly panicked at the sudden noise. Celestia and Luna didn't even flinch.

"HE HAS SPINNERET!" Acropolis time away had not lost his traditional Canterlot voice. He stormed right up to Princess Luna. She had never seen him so angry. And she sort of liked it.

"Who?" Celestia asked quickly, almost by reflex.

"The seamstress who's brother stole the Hannibal helmet." Luna explained to her sister and quickly turned back to Acropolis. "Who has her?"

"Hannibal! He is going to kill her in-" Acropolis looked back at Gumshoe just as he enters the throne room demanding a answer with his eyes.

"About twenty hours." Gumshoe spoke calmly.

"I will tear this city apart looking for him! I WILL-" Acropolis was shouting even louder now. Ponies in neighboring wings could hear the echoes as it travels down the halls.

"ACROPOLIS!" Luna's voice boomed in the chamber, silencing her captain in one loud boisterous shout. Acropolis fell silent but remained visibly upset. As he stood there he rocked slightly back and forth making little clacking noises with his hooves on the stone floor. He was anxious to get the go ahead to begin his search. Luna cleared her throat, made very purposeful eye contact with Acropolis, and spoke harshly through her teeth. "I will NOT have my guard randomly searching citizens homes. We are not under martial law. Calm yourself."

"BUT-" he tried to begin again.

"To quarters with you, to cool off." Luna spoke quickly.

"But Princess-" Rune tried to speak.

"I SAID TO QUARTERS, BOTH OF YOU!" Luna gave her command sharply and loudly. They did not need to feel the link to know she meant business.

"By your order." Defeated, Acropolis and Rune bowed to their princess. "Good Morning, Princesses." And as quickly as they came, Acropolis and Rune left the throne room. Silence hung like a blanket in the room for several heavy moments as Luna's shout echoed out.

"Is that wise Princess Luna?" Flash Sentry spoke breaking the silence. Luna faced away from the group and peered out the window. She had it so no pony could she her expression of deep concern. She swallowed her concern and turned to the others.

"Speak only of what concerns you Acting-Captain Sentry." Luna turned to Gumshoe who had remained in the room. "Begin your search, go door to door, check warehouses, look every where. But do not over step our boundaries. The Lunar Guard must tread carefully here."

"By your command." Gumshoe saluted and quickly left.

Hannibal sighed deeply as he lit the small lamp he held lighting up the small warehouse office where he held the young Spinneret. She still had the bag over her head from when he moved her. Her breath was moving the bag in and out as she breathed making a little crinkling noise. Neither of them spoke, Hannibal just watched her breathe for several minutes in silence. The crinkling noise was strangely therapeutic to him. He held his hoof in front of his mouth and breathed out so he could feel his own breath. But none came out, one of the few reminders that he was technically dead.

"Spinneret." He broke the silence, and she flinched at the sudden noise. The gag in her mouth struggled against her words as she mumbled at him. "This was another unfortunate turn, and I am sorry that you were chosen for this." He gave a heavy sigh, "But I need Acropolis focused on me as I collect my, scalps. And you, my dear." He approached her slowly as he spoke. She flinched again as he touched her head through the bag, "Are sufficient catalyst." His hoof moved around her head, caressing her head gently, "Even if you survive, which I doubt, just the act of taking you from under his nose will be enough to get him on my heels." Again her words struggled against her gag. He lifted up some of her hair that suck out from under the bag and sniffed it slowly. "You have suffered so, and it truly does pain me to bring more suffering to you. Here." A ethereal horn appears on his forehead and the gag in her mouth vanishes. She gasps as she takes in a whole breath.

"Who are you?" Her voice cracked as she asked.

"Hannibal," He made sure she couldn't see him through the bag, "your brother stole me from Agora. The Bogey Pony helmet? Remember?"

"Y-yes." She wavered realizing what stood before her. "W-what did you do to my brother?" He didn't answer right away and let the question hang in the room for several moments. "Is he dead?" Hannibal held up his hoof and forced air out of his mouth to feel the breeze.

"I don't know." Hannibal answered sincerely.

"So, you may have killed my brother, then you framed me for murder, then you leave me with Acropolis, and then what? Kill me to piss him off?" Her ears flapped under the bag.

"Basically, but that wasn't the original plan, my dear. The original plan was to frame you as Hannibal and then do my job from the shadows." Hannibal sighed and moved away from her.

"Why?" Her voice quaked.

"Why what?"

"Why are you doing this? Murdering all of these ponies? Taunting Acropolis?" Her voice found some strength. Hannibal smiled as his thoughts drifted to happier times. After a moment of silence, Hannibal slammed his hoof down to silence her.

"Another word of this and Acropolis will find you cold and in a ditch."

"Any progress?" Acropolis asked the guard at his chamber door. Rune shift sat on their couch flipping through a book on spells about ghosts and spirits. The room was barley lit, but some light shown in through the windows revealing the disorder in the usually tidy room.

"No sir, we have searched most of the city. But Hannibal and Spinneret have eluded us." The Lunar Guards pony explained.

"Thank you, dismissed." Acropolis dismissed the guard and saluted as he left. Closing the door, he gave a deep sigh. "Nine hours."

"And 14 minutes." Rune added as she flipped a page of her book.

"Not helping." He huffed and joined Rune on the couch. The ticking of the clock seemed to grow louder and louder to Acropolis. Until it was like church bells ringing right next to his head. He suddenly stood up, startling Rune.  

"Gah! What is it?"

"Im done waiting here, ten hours of milling about, of twiddling our hooves, of ,of-of-of!"

"Waiting?"

"NOT HELPING!" He shouted.

"HEY!" She stood up to face him, "Don't go shouting at me 'cause you're getting restless!" They stared at each other for a few moments, letting the stillness diffuse their anger.

"Im going." Acropolis turned away to leave.

"Acro! Luna told us to stay put." Her plead fell on deaf ears as he left her alone in their room. The concern on her face quickly melted away and she moved over to the tele-crystal. Tapping it the small crystal glowed and spoke.

"Captain?" Gumshoes voice came through the crystal.

"Its Rune, He's gone. Like you said he would."

"The Captain is, sadly, predictable. Ill make sure he doesn't die in a ditch." There was a pause, "He didn't take his armor did he?"

"No, he didn't" Rune replied. There was a moment of silence.

"Buck." The line went silent and the crystal stopped glowing. Rune moved over to their armor stands and looked at them pondering what to do. Her lover had just ran off to confront and ancient psychotic ghost who had just taken a dear friend hostage. She paused, contemplating the options, weighting her tasks, her punishments. Her eyes fell on Acropolis' armor.

"Acro." She gave a deep sigh and shook her head slowly. "The things I do for love." And quickly ran out of the room.

Acropolis leaned up against the old warehouse, he was deep in the warehouse district,and out of breath. He had been searching for hours to no avail. He had no lead, no idea which warehouse to search there were so many. So many identical warehouses. He panted heavily, trying to catch his breath, and slowly slid down to a sitting position. Pulling out the spindle Hannibal had left them hoping that he may be able to divine some sort of clue from it.

"Come on, Acro." He spoke aloud. "White yarn, purple yarn, used spindle, Spinneret's spindle, Spinneret, Spinneret, Spinneret?" He looked hard at the little remnants of yarn on the spindle. "Used, spindle, Of course." He tried to quickly stand up using his wings but the pain in his back made him fall to the ground. "Buck, right, not wearing the armor." He stood up normally and ran off towards the warehouse where this all started.

Hannibal looked out the small window that overlooked the warehouse floor. His magic had Spini in a stranglehold so she could not scream. He watched quietly as Acropolis slowly crept across the warehouse floor. Completely assured that he was undetected.

"That fool." Hannibal spoke under his breath, "Not even in his armor." Acropolis made it to the stairs and began to slowly climb. Hannibal turned and placed himself between Spinneret and the door, preparing for the up coming conflict. There were a few moments of silence, and then the door slowly opened.

"Spini?" He called out. Hannibal's magic grip tightened so she could not speak.

"Sort of." Hannibal replied. Acropolis quickly burst into the room pulling his wings forward to act as shields. The loud crack and pop of his wings was audible and his flinch made it clear that moving his wing hurt.

"Hannibal." Acro's tone was one of disdain.

"I'm surprised you didn't find me earlier." He smiled a toothy grin from under his hood. "But I am glad you did," He squeezed tighter on Spinneret, "I truly did not want to kill this one, not really my idea. Orders I cant disobey," Hannibal rolled his hoof over and over, "Orders are orders, and like good little soldiers we obey. Isn't that right? Acro?"

"What do you want Hannibal?" As he spoke he moved slowly closer to him.

"Me? I have what I want." He lifted Spinneret slightly out of the chair, causing her to squirm clanking the chair against the floor.

"What?"

"Come on, Acro." He lifted her higher, "Do it."

"Do what?"

"DO WHAT!?" Spinneret began to struggle even harder. "WHAT DID YOU COME HERE TO DO ACORPOLIS!" He too had the royal Canterlot voice down. Hannibal and Acropolis' stared at each other for a moment. Neither of them moved a muscle.

"Put her down and ill give you what you want." Hannibal smiled slightly at his response.

"Okay," He lowered her back down and released her from his magical grip. "How what?" Hannibal glanced back over at Acropolis expecting to see his wing forward in a defensive stance. Instead Acro had his wings out to his sides and he was staring at Hannibal. Even without this armor, his eyes glowed slightly with the bottled rage for the hooded pony that stood before him. In this moment, this brief glimpse of Acro's anger, Hannibal breathed in slightly. For a fraction of a moment, Hannibal felt fear. He was stuck in Acropolis' stare. Hannibal blinked, and Acropolis was almost snout to snout with him. "What!?" Hannibal fell back just dodging the surprise right hook. The blow just grazed Hannibal's cheek as it passed. The sound of Acropolis' wings snapping into place as they returned to a folded position snapped Hannibal out of his disbelief. Lighting his horn, he grabbed Acropolis' wing and began twisting. Forcing Acropolis to the floor.

"GAH! RAGHGH!" Acro struggled against the pain in his back. Pawing at the ground trying to get a footing.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, Acro," Getting to his feet Hannibal observed his check. Touching the bruise he was amazed at the force Acro had mustered so suddenly. "Im surprised, didn't think you could do that, but it just wasn't enough." He pushed Acro down again with his wing. The pain was unbearable, his mind was going blank, his vision white in pain and rage, ringing in his ears grew louder as the pain increased. As the world fell silent he heard a drip, struggling to see, he saw tears falling from under Spini's hood. The world seemed to stop as a year broke on the floor. "To think I thought you could-" Hannibal was cut short my himself.

"Han-ha-ha-hana-han," Acropolis' was bearing his teeth as he struggled to his feet. Hannibal could do nothing but stare as Acro rose to his feet. "Han-han-han-hana-HANNIBAL!" Acro was on his feet how, every muscle in his body quaking from pain. He gave a mighty shout as he began to move his wing against Hannibal's magic. Hannibal could hear static coming off of Acro, Hannibal's eyes went wide.

"The link!" Acro was broadcasting, even without his armor. "H-how?"

"I am the captain of the Lunar guard." Acropolis' voice was forced and gruff, their eyes meet, "and, NONE SHALL STAND BEFORE THE LUNAR GUARD!" In one mighty thrust Acropolis launched himself at Hannibal. Unable to dodge Acropolis' attack completely Hannibal moved to just dodge the punch, which never came. Acropolis' wrapped his fore hooves around Hannibal's waist and planted his feet. Before Hannibal could react Acro pushed again with his wings. The loud snapping of Acropolis' wings was all Hannibal heard as he and his assailant passed through the plate glass and out into the alleyway. The ground meet them harshly, breaking them apart and sending Acropolis' flying into the exterior warehouse wall. The strike to his back took the last of his strength and he feel to the ground panting and barely conscious.

"Well, Acro." Hannibal's voice shook as he got to his hooves. "Looks like you've got some fight in you. But you have run out." Hannibal approached Acropolis slowly. "And now I have to kill you and add to my chalice."

"Chalice?" He spoke through blood coming out of his mouth.

"Never mind," He rose his hoof, "Now you die, alone in an alley!"

"Whoever," he coughed up some blood, "Whoever said I was alone?" Hannibal looked around quickly as the ground began to glow. His eyes shot up to the sky, where the moon hung low. Its brightness began to intensify.

"luna, gib mir Kraft und diese Seele auf diesem Schiff zu binden ! Und schlagen ihn immer noch im Namen des Mondes !!" As Rune Shift's spell completed the runes painted on the alleyway ground lit up. Spectral chains came up from the ground and wrapped themselves around Hannibal, tightening around his whole body. The light from the moon focused down into a single beam encasing him in a shell of magic making it impossible for him to move while under the gaze of the moon.

"WHAT!?" Hannibal shouted through his teeth. Rune appeared in a flash, and helped Acropolis to his feet. Her horn lit up ash she began to heal Acro.

"I realized where you were holding Spini," He put his arm around Rune, "And Rune and Gumshoe beat me here and were waiting." Acro coughed again, "And they had a plan." Gumshoe leaned out of the broken window above them.

"Got Spinneret cut free, guards are coming to collect us." Gumshoe hollered down.

"I cant believe this." Hannibal spoke through his teeth.

"You expected I would come alone, and be unable to catch you. And you were right, and I realized that. I may be stubborn, I may be skilled, I may be resilient. But, I'm not stupid, or suicidal." Rune began to carry him away. "Enjoy the Lunar dungeon. Hannibal."

"Well done, Acro." He submitted to his magic binds, "I guess I lost, for now at least."

Rune and Acropolis sat on the back of a medical wagon on their way back to the castle. Rune was chanting under breath as she treated his wounds. Despite the pain he felt relived. Hannibal was caught, he could breath easy.

"Rune." He spoke, breaking her chat.

"Hmm?" Her hair fell softly across her face as she tilted her head to look at him. He said nothing, just reached up and kissed her.