The messenger pony has just gotten back from her errands, she is to report to Celestia about Los Pegasus' and Saddle Arabia's responses to assisting them in retaliating for the Crystal Empire. Luna and Celestia were still at the garden watching Dawn.

"What did they say Dali(da-lee)?"

"They fear for their own safety, they will not help."

"Damn."

"Maybe we can reach out to the Fort Reiner where we evacuated the frontier before the dragons attacked." suggested Luna.

Celestia replied,"I don't know, a few of our own stayed their instead of coming back, for a change of scenery. Maybe they will be willing to do something since Garren killed off most of our adults and those adults can be their friends or relatives."

"We should go there ourselves sister."

"Thank you Dali. You can leave. Luna that fort doesn't have much people we have to widen our options."

"Shadow. Doesn't he know someponies at Green Doe?"

"I don't trust pirates."

"All of them aren't bad, we just have to be careful on who we choose."

"I bring it up the next time I speak to him then."

"We may have our number of soldiers figured out but, how about the weapons?"

"We can build a foundry for Wrench and Wither, then we can hire a few dozen workers. That may take a few months though."

"True and to have a war we need money."

"Wars not cheap. Okay, let's see our options. I think selling to Saddle Arabia and Los Pegasus is out of the question. Manehattan?"

"We don't really have a connection with them, we can try though."

"Fundraisers, large land sales, taxes, tariffs. I don't know what else to think of."

"The first two I'm fine with. Setting up taxes, I don't know."

"It doesn't have to be a whole lot, if we start taxes now, fund-raise, and sell land we can have enough money to pay the troops."

"Or we can have volunteers. They can sign a contract saying they will serve until the war ends."

"How about a draft?"

"We will be looked at differently if we do that."

"Tia the entire world will look at us even more differently if we don't do anything."

"Quite a dilemma we have."

They both looked to the tree where Dawn was, she was gone. The two princesses walked around to find her. Celestia was walking by a hedge and heard Dawn talking. There was another voice, it sounded distorted. Celestia quietly sneaked around to hear the conversation better.

"What are you doing here?" scolded Dawn.

The voice replied,"Oh is it a crime to visit an old friend?"

"Lacoden answer me or I will make you."

"Now, now, I will tell you."

"Take that hood off. I want to see your face."

"My good friend haven't you seen it enough."

"You are no longer my friend. Take it off!"

Lacoden complied but, she only parted her hood to the side. Her eyes and grim smile told everything Dawn needed to know about her mental state."Pity, you still haven't realized what has happened to us."

"What happened to you?"

"We were reborn into a world of shit. We should have died on that island. You left us to rot!"

Dawn looked at the ground,"We thought you were dead. You were bleeding out and your pupils.....the look in your eyes still haunts me."

"It still does. Doesn't it?"

Dawn didn't respond."

"Look at me!" Lacoden shouted.

Dawn looked up, looked straight into her eye. It was dead. Bloodshot and haunting. Dawn looked away, she couldn't bear to see the look in her friends eyes.

"Don't look away! Look what you did! I would not be doing this if you had stayed just awhile longer."

Dawn started to cry, she was feeling guilty. Lacoden wanted her to see the damage. She used her magic to choke and lift Dawn. Lacoden forced Dawn's eyes down into her own. Dawn didn't fight back. Lacoden was beginning to grow a hostile look, she started to tighten her grip on Dawn's throat. She pushed Dawn against the hedge Celestia was hiding behind. Celestia was scared to confront Lacoden. Lacoden could easily kill her. It was getting tighter and tighter, Dawn didn't want to attack. Suddenly Lacoden's grip stopped. Dawn dropped to the ground gasping for air.

"GET OUT!!"

Dawn looked up and saw Lacoden holding her head.

"You don't need her! I stayed when she left! I am the one you need!"

"What's wrong with her?" Tia thought."

Lacoden ran to a tree and started bashing her head against it. Leaves from the tree were falling, Dawn tackled Lacoden, she didn't want to see her lose any more of what sanity she has left.

"Snap out of it!" Dawn yelled.

"I already have." Lacoden laughed and pushed Dawn off of her. She got up and said,"How selfless you are. You stopped me even though we are enemies.

"You are still my friend. We can end this nonsense right now. We wouldn't have to go back to-"

"Do you know what it feels like to kill?" Lacoden broke off a branch from the tree and started to sharpen it with a stone. The loud grating sound it made irritated the ears of Dawn and Celestia. Celestia was trying to decide what to do then she looked in front of her and saw that Soul was coming to her.

"Princess are you alright?"

"Where's Luna?"

"Back inside the castle. What in the world is that?"

"Lacoden she's here."

"I need to get Shadow to fight her off. Where's Dawn?"

"With her."

"I can't leave then, you have to find him. He's inside the castle."

"No! I will not leave her alone."

The grating sound ceased and the two silenced their voices.

"Killing brings my cold heart warmth." said Lacoden.

"How?" Dawn replied.

"I especially like it when I can see the death of my target but, I can't see this one which saddens me. Not as much though this kill with bring down another with it."

"You and me are the only ones here. I won't let you leave. You can't kill me."

"Ah, I can't. I can see you though, I was not talking about you." Lacoden chuckled,"Hahaha, I'm not talking you. I'm talking about the ones hiding!" Lacoden quickly shot the wooden spear to the side of the hedge. Shnk!

A high-pitched cry rang through the air,"NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!"

Dawn ran to the other side of the hedge. Celestia was hit. The wooden javelin went through her side and exited out the other side. The javelin left splinters around both exit and entry wound. Soul was crying for help.

"PRINCESS!" Soul screamed.

Lacoden walked around also and said,"I killed the princess! HAHAHA!"

Dawn was determined not to let her die in vain,"You will pay for this!"

"Oh?"

"HEARTBEAT!" Dawn shouted. A ominous wind was starting to circle around her. The winds got stronger and faster.

"That's your activation word? SLAY!" another ominous wind was circling around Lacoden.

Soul's first thought was,"I have to get the princess out of here!" She started to hoist the princess. The princess' blood was getting all over Soul. The princess is much larger than most mares, Soul had a hard time getting her up. Dead bodies weigh more than living ones. Shadow arrived.

"I'll help you! We have to across the bridge!"

They got Celestia out of the danger. Shadow went to go back to Dawn.

The winds from the two were loud Soul had to raise her frightened voice,"WHAT ABOUT THE PRINCESS?!"

"I CAN SAVE HER! GET INSIDE!"

Soul did just that. Shadow stayed to observe the awesome power of his daughter and Lacoden.

"They're going to blow this castle off the face of the world."

The winds stopped and their bodies were glowing. They both had an aura around them. Dawn had a purple glow while Lacoden had a yellow one. They rushed to each other causing an explosion. In the smoke Shadow could only see the two glows, they were clashing with each other. Everytime they did an explosion would go off from them.

"SHADOW!"

Shadow turned and saw Fyn Cour running out the door to him.

"WHAT IS IT?!"

"GARREN!"

They went inside, Shadow couldn't do anything about Dawn. They ran inside to the main hall of the castle. Garren had a hoof-sword. Shadow's friends were barricading Luna with their bodies, Soul was protecting Celestia.

"Garren leave them alone."

"A little late for that."

The bodies of Tint, Lancer, and Storm lay in Garren's wake.

"Here show me what you can do." Garren slid a bag over to Shadow, it's contents: a hoof-sword. Shadow equipped his weapon and got into a fighting stance. He opened his preparing to attack. They both started to circle each other, Garren flew into the air and dived down. Shadow simply stuck his blade out and stabbed Garren in the mouth, he then slammed him to the ground. Shadow backed away. Garren got up slowly."How many times have I told you Shadow, don't let your enemy recover."

"I'm not a coward like you. I will never become like you."

"That is how you lose my pupil."

Garren's wound was starting to regenerate. He retaliated with full-force. Garren is agressive, he will not give Shadow an opening. Shadow's skills got better while Garren's stayed the same. Shadow tackled Garren and stabbed him in the throat. The sounds from the explosions outside stopped. Garren shoved Shadow and got up.

"Until next we meet." He flew away.

Luna ran down to her sister,"Tia! Tia! Don't Die!" Don't leave me!"

Celestia looked up to her sister,"I'm ....not....going....anywhere." she said.

"You're going to stay right sister?"

"Always." her head fell to the side, her eyes stayed open. Celestia's mane and tail stopped waving in the air.

"Wahhhh!" Luna was crying. Her sister passed away, murdered by Lacoden.

The others there were too crying for the princess. Aero broke a window out of anger. Iril fell to the ground crying. Seng was distraught, he was acting different from his usual optimistic attitude. Fyn Cour was weeping.

Fyn thought she could save her,"I-I will close up the wound. That should work! Just some rest and she'll be fine!"

Dust saw that her friend was losing her mind and hugged her, comforting her. "It's no use. I'm sorry but, she's gone." They all cried. No one was left with a dry eye.

"No. She is not. Not now." Shadow scolded.

Author's Notes:

http://azndragon123.deviantart.com/art/Lacoden-Half-faced-408562937?ga_submit_new=10%253A1382320622