Twilight did not feel the cold, as the wind blew gently past her body. Nor did she feel harsh iciness of the snow beneath her hooves. She felt the shadow, pulsing warmly within her soul, and the harsh pain that lived alongside it. She looked down the hill, towards Ponyville. The town was boarded up and quiet. Most of those who lived there having been taken to the relative safety of Twilight Town.

The shops were empty, though none moreso than Sugarcube Corner, which stood silent sentinel to the rest of the town. There were no boards on its windows, nor signs of its once inhabitants. It was a shell of a place which had once brought joy to all of the residents of the town, and now? One of it’s proprietors was dead, and the other two missing, presumed captured. For Twilight, the loss of Pinkie Pie had been more of a blow than she’d realized or was prepared to admit. The pink pony had always been adamant that so long as Twilight could find laughter in the world, she’d still be herself.

But it was becoming harder to find that laughter, here in Equestria. Her mission, once so simple and uncomplex upon its face, had become a miasma of discordant alliances and the ever mounting price of command. No matter how much she enjoyed, even relished her intimate moments with her friends, her beloved Shadow, and others beyond them… She wondered if she shouldn’t just have kept her attention upon her home from the very beginning.

She was never good at admitting her mistakes, but it was becoming increasingly clear that she had miscalculated something along the way. In a way, she ought to have expected resistance to her new ideas and philosophy. Equestria was ever a place fascinated by change, but also in fear of it. And nowhere was that philosophy more embodied than in its rulers, the Princesses.

Twilight knew now, in her heart, that her love for Celestia was far more than she had ever admitted. The Princess had been more than a mentor, she had been the ideal to which Twilight even now strove to live up to. She wished, desperately, that Celestia was here. That perhaps, she could speak to her now and understand where she had mis-stepped. So far from anypony here, Twilight laid her head upon the snow and wished with all of her heart for a moment of clarity.

Twilight, however, was mature enough to know that such clarity would not come simply because she wished for it. Her path had long since been set, and she knew it. The world would not easily forget her choices, nor the choices she could have made, and really. What else could she have done? Knowing what she knew, knowing that all that she loved could have so easily been wiped away?

Seeing the mighty legions of Roam and the vast swarms of changelings had provided their own sort of clarity for her. Equestria could not hope to stand against one such foe, much less four, and seeing it for herself had been… sobering. She felt her hooves find purchase beneath her and forced herself to stand. So much had already been lost and now she could not stop. She had to see this through, all the way to its end.

Twilight sighed softly, rubbing at her temple. The battle plan Winterlight had was brilliant, no doubt. The result of countless years obsessing over the idea, as was evidenced by the almost absurd level of knowledge she had about Cloudsdale’s defenses. But… it was Equestria. Her home. Her own ponies, and she was going to attack them, not merely defend herself against those who were being manipulated. It went against so many grains that Twilight was getting an outright headache over it.

But in truth, Winterlight was right. There were precious few other ways she could break resistance against her plans, and without Celestia or Luna to negotiate with… Twilight didn’t know what else to do. Cadence wasn’t answering her letters. Shining Armor was nowhere to be found. Celestia, and Luna…. gone, somewhere. Where, she did not know, only that the sun and moon still rose and set as normal, so at the least they were alive. But none of it was a comfort for the pain in her heart.

She had hoped the poor souls at Ghastly Gorge would be the last. Yet there would unquestionably be casualties if she struck at Cloudsdale, even if she managed to take them completely by surprise. Someponies would die, and it would once again be on her head. Another load for her to bear, another beautiful candle snuffed out, because there was no other way.

And what if she were to fail? What if, Celestia forbid, her attack upon the cloud city did not succeed in its aims? She knew what would come next. All of Equestria would descend upon her, and then her only hope of ending the ensuing civil war would be to fully usurp the government. It would mean an assault on Canterlot itself. And then… then if she did not succeed…

There would be so few choices then. So few things she could do, save for one idea she had. It was a long-shot of an idea. Madness on its face, it was well and truly a plan of the last resort. But if the time came, if necessity demanded, she would do it. One way or another, she would ensure the future of Equestria, no matter what it might personally cost her.

And cost her it would, she was sure, even if she was successful. Cloudsdale was a fortress in the sky, and it could very easily become the next closest thing to impregnable. She would need to assault it herself, and she would need every flying resource at her command, and she would need to show it no mercy. With control of the weather, control over Equestria would be foals play, and then she could turn her attention back to the more important matters at hoof. The Zebricans, the Dragons and the mysterious Ki-Lin all still loomed large in her mind.

The snow howled around her for a moment, then suddenly settled. She stared up into the sky, and wondered if it was her imagination that the clouds seemed a little less… hostile. She still had the rest of her friends, and she was not going to waste a single moment she could be spending with them out here, brooding. She turned in the snow, still not feeling the cold or the ice. Such things were nothing compared to the weight of what was to come.

It would be a decisive battle, she was certain. But decisive for whom… was in doubt.

It had felt like ages since she’d last visited the Old Palace of Twilight Town. Winterlight’s unseen guards still stalked the grounds, and her shadowtouched staff still flitted from shadow-to-shadow to carry out their duties. In the living room, though, was a warm and familiar sight that put a glow of happiness into Twilight’s heart.

Applejack and Rainbow Dash sat quietly on one of the love seat’s, a book cradled between them as they cuddled up together. Rarity and Sweetie Belle were each working on seperate knitting projects, chatting quietly as the soft sounds of classical music drifted about in the background. Applebloom was nowhere to be seen, but Big Macintosh was working a whittling knife along a stubby bit of apple wood as he worked it into a little wooden ball.

It was a homey sight. A familiar, and comforting sight, and… “There you are,” said… Spike! Who was standing right behind her, his taloned fists planted on his hips and his eyebrow cocked at her. Had he grown? He looked taller somehow, older… more mature. “Bout time. You need to stop running off all over creation and come back once in a while to check your mail.” He huffed at her, obviously in exasperation. “Not to mention checking up on me. I haven’t seen you in weeks!”

Twilight felt a stab of guilt, and put on her very best smile. “Sorry, Spike. I guess I haven’t exactly been the most present of friends.” She opened up her forelegs and hugged him tightly, and he returned the favor with nothing more than a simple affection. So often she had considered bringing him over to the SHadow but… no. Spike was far, far too young, and more importantly, was far too innocent. He did not need the terrible burden she had taken up laid upon him. Not if she could help it.

“Yeah, yeah. You owe me.” He punched her with a friendly smile in the foreleg, then hoofed over a few sealed scrolls. “These have been waiting for you for a while. Really, Twilight,” He rolled his eyes at her as he spoke, and a sly grin crossed his face. “You’re slipping. You’d usually be panicking over missing a few scrolls.” Then he paused, and a much more sober look crossed his face. “Are you gonna be home for dinner, tonight?”

There was something in his voice… something Twilight couldn’t put her hoof on. A sadness, an almost… Why was Spike looking at her like that? Why was she feeling so… “Of course, Spike.” She instantly replied, shaking the thoughts out of her head. “I’ve been away far too long. Fortunately, we have some time to catch up on things.” She put on her best smile, and Spike grinned cheekily back at her.

“Alright, then. I’m making my top-tier, special spinach casserole tonight. So you’d best not be late.” He tapped her nose with a claw and trundled off in the direction of the kitchen. “It’ll be nice to have a nice, normal meal for once!” He called back before vanishing through the door, and Twilight winced away from the subtle hint. It had been a long time.

A soft giggle came from Rainbow Dash, who was smiling at her. “Spike never changes, does he, Mistress?” She cooed softly, and kissed Applejack’s cheek. The farmpony blushed a little, and muttered something cross sounding beneath her breath. Dash just smirked and nuzzled her cheek against Applejack’s. “Yeah, yeah. I know, AJ.”

Twilight frowned a little, having not caught the comment and… wondering why it bothered her that it didn’t. Applejack was still not even remotely back to normal, even if she was putting up a good appearance whenever there was work to do. She, more than anypony, drew Twilight’s concern when it came to her transformations. She took a deep breath and exhaled it. “I’d better keep it between us tonight, girls. I’ve been underappreciating him.” Her eyes were tugged back to the door, wondering why she just couldn’t dispel her concern over that look he’d given her.

Rarity’s voice was calm as it cut through her thoughts. “Don’t you worry one stitch, darling. We can handle the dear when he needs... attention.” Rarity practically purred out the word, and just the sound of her voice sent shivers through Twilight’s body. What on earth did Rarity mean by that? “Which reminds me. Sweetie Belle, go fetch our little pet,” Rarity said with a gushing sort of tone. Twilight turned to see her shooing Sweetie off the couch, who had long and sly smile on her face. “We really ought to have introduced her to Mistress before, but now that she’s properly prepared she ought to really impress.”

“Pet?” Twilight felt a moment of confusion, then cleared it instantly with but a thought. “Oh, Aloe had told me you two were ah… helping others accommodate to their new lives. I really ought to have thanked you for that earlier.” It was so very like Rarity, to take those with the worst attitude and mould them into shape. She really did have her eye on making things run more smoothly for Twilight, which was very appreciated given the other things she needed to worry about.

Rarity dimpled, pushing herself off the couch as she spoke. “Of course, beloved.” Her voice was soft, and her hoof came up to stroke Twilight’s cheek lovingly. “I am so deeply glad we shall have a few months to spend together with the family. Just us girls, bonding.” Her eyes flashed, and she batted those beautiful eyes of hers at Twilight. “Perhaps a little bondage too, I’m certain our dear Dashie and a few others might enjoy your tender mercies. As would I…” A huskiness crept into Rarity’s voice, and Twilight felt her cheeks color a little.

“Here she is, sis!” Sweetie Belle proclaimed, leading… Is that Diamond Tiara? Twilight could hardly believe her eyes. The once proud filly was ripening into her teenage years already, but more importantly was the utter change in her disposition. She wore a tight steel collar that looked like it was locked around her neck, a slim chain wrapped around Sweetie’s hoof led to it. Utterly gone was her arrogance, her overconfidence.

She moved meekly, radiating submissiveness like a miniature fluttershy. More still, her body had… changed. It was sleek and thin, her coat was shiny and bright and her mane was styled into a long braided ponytail. Her voice was whisper soft and strikingly alluring. “What is your pleasure, Mistress?” She spoke, her eyes downcast but her voice clear and bright, and easy to understand. “I live to serve my betters.” And was it Twilight’s imagination, or did her little hips twitch a little at saying that?

Rarity gave off a slow smile, pressing her hoof to Twilight’s chest. “We’ve moulded her quite well so far, though there is much work yet to be done. She’s learned how to properly pleasure a pony at least, and is very popular with both stallion and mare in the spa.” Twilight couldn’t help but nod unconsciously at that. Everything about how Diamond carried herself screamed a desire to be… used. Indeed, Big Macintosh was watching her out of the corner of his eye, and even Applejack followed her movements with an unnerving closeness.

Twilight swallowed a little, feeling her breathing become a touch more heated. She had a dinner with Spike to get to, true but… but the Shadow within her was screaming out, drowning all of the rational thoughts in her mind. Rarity’s touch on her coat was like fire and electricity burning through her veins. “Do you approve, Mistress?” Rarity cooed into her ear, although she didn’t even need to ask.

After all, she could feel Rartiy’s own shadow resonating with hers. She turned to her friend, her little beloved, and kissed her with all of the passion she had. Mother would always be her closest love, but that didn’t mean she had no space in her heart for others. Rarity’s lips fastened onto hers and their tongues danced with one another for a few long moments. Twilight could feel the black energy pouring out of her, forming something she could have a bit of fun with. “Why don’t we give her a test and see if she’s up to snuff?” Twilight cooed, her eyes travelling across the other ponies present. Each and every one of their powers resonated with hers, feeding off of one another. This was how the Shadow ought to feel, and she knew it.

There were going to be many prices paid soon. By many ponies. She could not, no matter how much she might want to, keep them out of the fights to come. So she would treasure this time with them, as much as she possibly could. She slipped her tongue past Rarity’s lips again and reveled in the warmth of her touch. She felt Dash’s teeth gently graze her ear, and a warm hug from Applejack around her middle. Even if that… that odd look in AJ’s eyes disturbed her, she could see the iron-hard, living flame of a spirit lurking behind the mask. Applejack was in there, and she hadn’t stopped loving her.

It was a long winter ahead. But at least she had a way to stay warm.

Pinkie Pie would have been nervous if it had been any other ponies in here, but it was a very close group of them that she all knew. Vinyl and Berry Punch, Mister Turner and Ditzy Doo, Miss Cheerilee and even little Scootaloo was there. There were others too, like Jazzy and Snowflake, and a bunch of other foals too, some of whom Pinkie was having trouble remembering the names of for some reason she didn’t like. The tent was fairly packed, but there was one common thread. All of them were from Ponyville, and all of them had left ponies they cared about behind. All of them had been presumed missing… or dead. Something which was, kind of obviously, not so.

Pinkie shakily picked up the teacup they’d offered her, trying to still herself and get control. The last thing she needed was a Pinkie breakdown, since that could lead to lots of tears, crying and not-fun. And the last thing Pinkie needed was to lose all the momentum she’d built up to keep going past all of the little hurts she was dealing with. She sipped the warm brew, instantly recognizing Zecora’s work and the splash of brandy that somepony had slipped in to help her steady her nerves. One face in fact, was particularly noted by its absence. Mrs. Cake wasn’t there, and that really really worried Pinkie.

Scootaloo spoke first, wearing none of the armor or other oddities she’d apparently collected. “Pinkie, we want you to know first and foremost that none of us…” She gestured broadly around the tent, and all the heads nodded slowly. “Blame you for what happened to Ponyville. We know who’s fault that is, and that’s something we’re going to deal with another day.” Scootaloo’s voice wasn’t quite hard, but there was a determination there that was hard to miss.

Still, Pinkie nodded. She was glad that nopony here was super-duper mad at her, at the very least. Still… Scootaloo sighed. “But we do need to ask you some questions. We need to know more about what happened to Twilight, and what happened the night that…” She swallowed, visably. It was the first time Pinkie had seen Scoots show any signs of weakness or emotion beyond her stoic and enthusiastic leadership since she’d gotten here. “That everything came crashing down… and what happened to the ponies we all love.” Scootaloo finished, and looked incredibly thankful for the foreleg that Cheerilee wrapped around her shoulder a few moments later.

So that was the play here. They wanted answers, and they didn’t want Mrs. Cake giving them guff. “Um… I’ll try!” She still knew how everypony in Ponyville was supposed to be doing. The rest… the rest she’d do her best with, and hope they didn’t bring up Mr. Cake. “So… Um… I know Octavia is okay, though I haven’t seen much of her.” She started for Scratchy, right off the bat. She knew those two were pretty close, and… and maybe she could give Scratchy a smile. “She’s mostly been playing music alone, and hasn’t done much socializing beyond her job… I’ve heard her using her violin a lot.”

Vinyl’s eyes closed and she leaned against Berry, a slow breath escaping her lips. “Celestia, that means she’s depressed as tartarus, but… but at least she’s still playing.” Vinyl’s eyes opened and she half smiled at Pinkie. “Thanks, Pinks. It means a lot to know that.”

Scootaloo nodded, and held up her hoof. “We’ve got a list. I know everypony here wants to know right now, but we’re going to go right on down the list.” She brandished the scroll at Pinkie. “So lets start with what happened with Twilight.”

For the next few hours, Pinkie Pie answered every question as best as she could. It wasn’t easy, delving back into some of those memories, but it was important and she knew it. Scootaloo had turned into a hard nosed interrogator good enough to work for the Royal Guard, and between her and Berry Punch they extracted every last bit of information out of her like squeezing toothpaste from the tube. They fired a hundred plus names past her, some with good news attached, and some, like Mayor Mare… not so good.

But never once did Mr. Cakes name come up. One by one, foals and adult ponies alike filed out of the tent as they learned the fates of their loved ones. Some were moved to tears, and others were more stoic. No few of them stopped by her on the way out, and gave her a rough embrace or a kiss on the cheek. “It’s better to know.” Whispered a teary eyed Miss Cheerilee, as she hurried away. And maybe that was what this was about - knowing the truth. Knowing what had happened, and why.

One by one, the ponies left, until only a few remained. Berry stuck around, as did Mister Time Turner. Scootaloo leaned back, and her eyes narrowed. With only the four of them still in the tent, Pinkie knew what was coming next.

She didn’t wait for Scoots to ask, knowing it would just make it worse. “I didn’t know it was going to happen,” she whispered, ducking her head in pure shame. “You… You gotta understand something, okay?” Pinkie tried to inject a plea into her voice, not sure why but knowing she had to. “Mister Cake… Mister Cake had no reason to take me in when he did. I came to Ponyville with nothing but a wish to throw parties. I found some work doing it at first, but…”

Pinkie tripped over the words, trying to find the right way to say them. It was hard to look at those memories now, when before all they had given her was smiles. “But I didn’t really have enough. I was staying with Paper Pusher, you know? Mayor Mare’s dad? But he couldn’t keep me forever, he had fillies of his own....” Pinkie felt a sigh escape, wrapping her forelegs around her hindlegs. “No one would take me in though. I was too odd, and I didn’t have any other skills so I couldn’t do jobs most ponies could.”

She couldn’t keep the smile off her face. It was a happy memory, even in light of everything that happened. “He found me crying my filly eyes out behind his shop. He told me I could come work for him, and I could stay in the loft. Told me he’d teach me everything he knew about baking. He was so kind to me, and Miss Cake was too…” Pinkie rubbed at her nose, wishing she wouldn’t keep sniffling during stuff like this. It made her think she was getting sick, and being sick sucked.

Her little world shrank to just her, as she didn’t want to think too much about the other ponies present. “I always wanted to repay him for it. I never could figure out how. I knew he and Miss Cake were super-de-dooper close, and as much fun as I had with the creamy stuff… It wasn’t appropriate, and I knew it.” She sniffled again, and tried to rub it away vigorously. “But… but when I came to Ponyville and saw him all alone in an empty shop, I was sure something bad had happened. I was sure I could fix it somehow…”

The tears came slowly, but they came. “I didn’t… I didn’t mean for him to get hurt, I just… I just wanted to thank him and… and he just… just… jumped.” She couldn’t bring herself to keep speaking. It was too much, just… too much. She tucked her head in between her legs and hoped they’d all go away for a little while. What else was there to say? Surely, they’d all hate her now. But… but what else could she say? Do?

She cried, and hated it because crying ment somepony was sad, and that was the absolute worst thing in all of the world. She’d spent her whole life trying to make otherponies happy, trying to bring smiles and joy to their lives. She’d been sure she could have done it with Twilight, and put a stop to all those things which made ponies sad. So that… that everyone could party, and not just everypony. No one would ever have to feel sad, or alone, or scared….

That wasn’t such a bad dream… was it?

She didn’t know, anymore.

Course, she also didn’t know why she was being hugged either, right at that moment, but it sure did feel good, so she didn’t bother asking why for now. She just leaned into it, and wished that she didn’t have to stop being hugged anytime soon. “Thanks for telling us the whole story, Pinkie.” That was Scootaloo’s voice, muffled in her ears past the hug. She felt her head being rubbed softly by a hoof, and looked up to see a fully grown mare where the filly Scootaloo had once been. “For whatever its worth, I understand. Umbra’s driven all sorts of ponies to madness. You were up against a force you couldn’t fight… and we don’t blame you for that.” Scootaloo’s eyes darkened, and her mouth set into a fierce rictus. “No. We know who to blame for that, now.”

“Thank you, Scootaloo, now would you please leave us alone?” Pinkie’s heart went cold at the sound of Mrs. Cake’s voice… “I need to be with Pinkie Pie. She needs me now, more than ever before.” A soft hoof brushed her mane back, and she could feel it frizz up a bit. “My poor little Pinkie… We should have known better than to send you into that demons nest alone.” Mrs. Cake’s hooves tightened around her, and Scootaloo calmly walked from the tent. She didn’t know what was going to happen next, not in the littlest bit but… but at least Mrs. Cake didn’t hate her. Now she just had to figure out how to make sure Mrs. Cake never had a reason to cry again.

It would be a good first step towards repaying her for Pinkie’s mistake.

High above the city, Princess Luna Artemis slipped the enchanted silken ribbon around the heavily calligraphed roll of paper and bound the magic within it with a wordless thought and set it beside its sisters. Six similar, yet utterly unalike scrolls sat in a neat row on her table. Each one bearing a specific mark alongside her own, that of the crescent moon. Then she turned to the chest that sat closed tight next to her desk, and threw it open with another touch of magic.

She lifted the helm from it’s resting place, carved from a single piece of moonstone so massive it had provided the materials for the entire suit of armor to be similarly enchanted. She hovered the helm in front of her eyes, staring into the empty sockets where her gaze would glance out of. “I am not afraid of you, anymore,” She said quietly to the power that lurked within the enchanted armor. “Nor of what you represent. For if we both wish to survive what is to come, you will have to accept that things must be different now.”

The power pulsed silently, but not in anger. It was as canny and ruthless as she ever had been, but it was still fundamentally a part of her. A part of her she’d hoped she could seal away and never speak of again, but such was not her fortune. It had no desire to be controlled by that feeble Shadow, and it knew what would become of it if it did not co-operate. Luna nodded to the scrolls. “This is a spell we know well. All too well. I shall need your aid in casting it.”

For a moment, there was a thrill of fear from the helm… but then it settled. Oh yes, it knew that spell. It was a spell they had used far too many times together during the Nightmare War. It was a spell she had hoped to never need, but… but if Twilight was to be saved… The power pulsed again, and Luna nodded silently. “Good. But for now, we must wait. The proper time will come again.” She gently set the helm aside, where it remained quiescent.

She carefully gathered the scrolls together, sealing them in their case. They would be needed all too soon she feared, for without Celestia here, there might be no other choice but to cast it. Luna closed her eyes, and wept in silence, here in her rooms where nopony would see or care. It was all too likely that nopony would forgive her for doing this, but she could not let Twilight die. She would not let her be killed for Luna’s sins, for her failure to protect the world against the darkness.

This infernal Umbra thought she controlled the dark. She thought her power ran unchallenged in the Night, but she was greatly mistaken. Perhaps she simply did not believe in Luna’s power, or perhaps she simply knew nothing of it. Perhaps poor Tantalus had kept that knowledge from her somehow, his fierce desire to protect her with all of his power having been strong enough to even resist Umbra’s foul taint. Luna glanced at the Moonblossom that still gently glowed in the evening light, his last gift to her before death. For what she had done to him, for how she had cast him aside… For that alone, she would be slain, on top of all her considerable other crimes.

But to fight her, she would need every scrap of her power, and that meant drawing upon every weapon she had… even the ones she had sworn to set aside. Every weapon, every spell, everything she had ever learned about the art of war she would wield against Umbra. She would show her, in the starkest and most uncomplex possible terms that there was but one Mistress of the Night, and it was not her. But for now, the Nightmare would sleep silently. To await its rebirth into this new age, though this time with much narrower and more realistic goals. To await the battle when it would need to be unleashed to save the world.

To wait for its time to come again.