The incorporeal darkness of Celestia's shared memories faded back to reality, the soft glow from her horn dissipating in the confines of the hidden library room. She breathed deeply as the after effects of the taxing spell left her feeling drained, though her immediate concerns were with Tercio. For a brief time he remained slumped against the wall, his head protected by a cushion, before finally rousing from his unconscious state. Groggy and confused, he lifted his head weakly and shielded his eyes from the harsh torch light, groaning at the dull pounding in his temples.

"Easy, easy," Celestia said comfortingly, "the projection of memories is taxing on the mind as well as the body. Rest for as long as you need."

Tercio weakly pulled a water skin from his belt and gulped down mouthfuls of cool water, streams dribbling down his chin in his still-confused state.

"Am I...back?" he asked.

"Yes. No more memories." Celestia touched his cheek with a hoof. "How do you feel?"

Scenes of the past flashed before him, snapshots of a life that wasn't his own, and he winced at the dim burning of the foreign memories. He closed his eyes and saw them as glimpses of light and sound; desperate battles being waged in the forest, the barbarity of the human warrior, the striking shine of the throne room. Most of all he saw himself, over and over, a helpless bundle tucked unceremoniously into a saddle bag, the royal sisters arguing over his fate. That glimpse of the darkness within, like a blade of grass against the whites of his eyes.

"You knew. All this time, you knew," he said quietly as he pieced together his thoughts. "I have been lied to for my entire life. I am nothing but a disgusting whitetail experiment, a living weapon infected with this madness that has caused so much suffering for those I care for."

"Don't say such things," Celestia said sympathetically. "You're more than--"

"All these years I was told I fell from a star. That was a lie. When Polaris said the deertongue word that sent me into a frenzy, you acted as if you didn't know what had happened. That was also a lie, a ruse you continued to cling to even after I nearly ended his life, as well as yours." Tercio clenched his trembling jaw and gradually raised his voice as the anger built within him. "Hiding my origin is something I can somewhat understand, but you allowed me to put others at undue risk."

"I would not have kept you close or given you to a good home if I thought you were dangerous, Tercio," Celestia said, as gently as she could.

"I could have killed you!" Tercio shouted back. "What if the whitetail had found me before I was old enough to resist? Would I have attempted to slaughter my parents as well? My brother? You gave me to them, knowing full well that something profoundly evil resides within me! Did they know all this time, or have you been keeping it from them as well as myself?"

"They knew, from the moment I brought you to them," Celestia admitted

"This whole time they...and-and not just them, but you, Luna, Stonewall and half the old guard as well! I am the last to know, yet it is my life that has affected so many! Perhaps Luna was right. Running me through would have been a mercy."

Celestia allowed him his outburst; sat back and silently waited for a lifetime's worth of painful revelations to bubble to the surface as bitter tears. She wanted to cry for him, at all of the pain she'd caused him by revealing the truth, but she knew she could not. She had to be comforting but strong, for his sake.

"It is a cruel irony that I have dedicated my life to protecting others in the Guard, yet I was brought into this world to be a mindless weapon," he continued with a bitter laugh. "I suppose that explains my name: Tercio. Tertius. The Third. And here Mother had always said I was named for an old relative. Lies on top of lies, even from my own family. Why would they take someone like me into their home if my very name invokes a history of violence and corruption?"

"I think you already know that answer," Celestia said. "Your adoptive parents are kind souls. Your father is dedicated, hard-working and supportive, and your mother is one of the most generous, loving mares I've ever had the privilege to meet. When I brought you to them a few nights after your rescue, they did not hesitate to accept you, even with a foal of their own." She smiled slightly and added, "well, your mother didn't hesitate. Your father thought you were strange-looking, but Grace convinced him to take you in. I told them everything; where we found you, what had happened in the cave, what myself and Luna had seen and felt within you, the fate of the humans that had come before in centuries past. They knew it to be a risk, but Grace was convinced that with a proper upbringing and a loving family you could be someone truly exceptional. I'd say she was right."

Tercio shook his head. "Forgive me, for I do not feel exceptional at the moment."

"But you are, Tercio," Celestia said with confidence. "I have no reason to believe that humans are naturally destructive or violent. We are all products of our surroundings, and it is an unfortunate truth that the human before you was manipulated and twisted by the whitetail to be something against his very nature. In the last moments of his life he was nothing more or less than a scared soul looking for comfort."

"The damned whitetail," Tercio said. "I thought we had been on good terms with them for centuries, at least until the war broke out. How have they been able to keep up this ruse of diplomacy whilst conducting these experiments? Why have they not answered for their crimes? It is due entirely to their malice that I and the other humans have been pulled from our own world for the sake of being their...play-things."

Celestia sighed. "That is a somewhat complicated situation, I'm afraid. I can go into detail if you really want me to."

"Forget it," Tercio answered. "I am in no mood for political discourse." He stood and began to pace the room, looking up to the star-studded ceiling as he muttered to himself. "All of that power was used to bring me to Equestria, as if I could single-handedly change the world. One human against an army of ponies. Ridiculous. They learned nothing from the death of the one who came before me. They just threw his life away for their petty, vile grievances. How has the other human's existence remained a secret if he caused so much destruction?" he asked.

"I swore the soldiers who were there to secrecy, just as I did with your recovery," Celestia said.

"And no one spoke a single word to anyone else? I find that hard to believe."

"Simply put, Tercio, the human's death faded into hearsay and myth, then vanished entirely as those who knew of it succumbed to old age. Luna and I are keenly aware of many things that no one else in the world has ever heard of -- though I suppose it's just myself now." Celestia reached up and swirled the magical stars with a hoof, a regretful frown marring her regal beauty. "Knowing what I know now, it's clear that Luna's actions in that cave were not truly her own. Ever since the battle with the Second, Luna was a different mare. She had always been the more brash of the two of us, but after she took that human's life...I don't know, something changed within her. She'd become corrupted, tainted in some way by the allure of power that was always just out of her reach. I should have seen it sooner. Maybe I could have stopped her from becoming Nightmare Moon." She shook her head and said, "but she was still wrong for wanting to take your life. She feared what you could become, but I think it was misguided jealousy that drove her to act how she did. You had the power she so craved, yet you had not 'earned' it. That was when she sought it out on her own, and the rest, well..." She left her words hanging in the air, unable and unwilling to relive her sister's banishment yet again. "Regardless, you are here now, with a family that loves you, a unit that would fight by your side without hesitation, and a mare who cares for you more than she can say. You should be proud of what you've accomplished, of who you've become. You spit in the face of everything the misguided Whitetail arcanists wanted you to be."

Tercio did not answer, but instead pushed open the hidden door leading back to the royal library. "I...forgive me, Princess, but I have a lot to think about. I need to be alone right now." Footsteps gradually faded as he headed back down the spiral staircase, and Celestia waited until she heard the large entrance doors slam shut before gathering the mementos of Tercio's past back into their ornate box. The truth had finally been revealed, for better or for worse.

"I'm sorry," she said to the silence, finally allowing the tears to run down her face as she latched the box shut.

Brother Alfarius of Marestopholous marched proudly alongside his compatriots, clad in matching dark blue cloaks adorned with the crescent moon of their leader, their Dark Mother, their salvation -- Nightmare Moon. They were fewer in number now, but no less determined to do Her bidding after the great battle with the Equestrians in the distant mountains of Whitetail. Their losses had been great, no doubt, yet the determination he saw on the faces of the united encampments made his heart soar with pride.

From all across Whitetail, Equestria, Cervidae and Skytalon they had traveled at Her calling, joining now in the largest force of followers yet conceived since their queen had spread Her glorious word. There was a bustle of excitement among the ranks as rumors bounded like wildfire; they were on a mission of revenge. They would claim lands for their own. Nightmare Moon would finally reveal herself to them as more than just an image of smoke and magic.

Now, with their forces in the thousands, Alfarius was at peace as he trotted across the open plains of the Cervidae/Whitetail border, a cold breeze billowing his cloak and kissing his face. He had found his purpose as the emissary of his queen, the greatest honor he could have ever hoped to attain. He imagined his rewards, and smiled in satisfaction. He had only to wait for his allies to arrive, and once joined they would be unstoppable.

A griffon landed beside him and drew a crescent across her chest in salute. "Brother Alfarius, I bring joyous word of the Cervidaens' approach!" The eager follower could not hide her enthusiasm, nor did she want to. A murmur spread far and wide, cheers echoing all around them. "There are so many of them! The largest force I've ever seen! Truly, this is to be our day of victory!"

Alfarius raised a hoof and returned her smile. "Easy, Sister Galifrey. Let us hear what the deerfolk have to say first. Then we will take our place at their side, should that be their wish."

"Y-Yes, Brother, of course," Galifrey said, then flew off to join a small group of griffons at the far side of the formation.

The Cervidaens were known far and wide as loyal, deadly warriors, a boon to any cause. That they would unite with the machinations of Nightmare Moon was incredible, but She had assured them that loyalty to the coming eternal night was something even the highest powers in Cervidae were allied with. Truly, Nightmare Moon's influence knew no bounds.

Across the vast fields of grass the shining forms of the Cervidaen army marched as one, their sing-song cadences announcing their presence in a wondrous cacophony of voices. Alfarius called for his followers to halt, marveling at the show of force that approached ever closer in wide ranks as far as the eye could see, an unending ocean of glassy, deep emerald armor.

The front ranks of the army shouted their orders, echoed by those behind, and in a single moment the entire formation came to a precise stop. This, Alfarius knew in his heart, was just what his cause needed.

A tall, well-built stag stepped forward as the Cervidaens snapped their shields and lances into place in a show of power. His armor was decorated with golden deertongue lettering around its edges, and lengths of curved silk the color of the lushest forests hung from under the interlocking plates down to his knees. A head dress of fiery orange phoenix feathers framed his pronged antlers, which were decorated with golden trinkets and thin, billowing banners of fabric that fluttered in the wind. Even with a helm partially obscuring his face, Alfarius felt the power and presence of the Cervidaen soldier, like a prickling in his horn that spread down his body.

The stag lifted his visor, revealing a stern, commanding face scarred by battle. Alfarius knelt before him, joined by the thousands of his followers. "My Lord, I am Brother Alfarius of Marestopholous, honored speaker of Her Eternal Grace, Nightmare Moon, and these are my brothers and sisters in faith. I kneel before you a humble servant, in the hopes that you might join our cause."

The mighty redtail considered him with trained eyes, looking out across the field of cloaks and ramshackle armor as a gust of chill wind blew across the valley. "Rise, Brother Alfarius, and be greeted. I am Brother-General Corvalix of the Cervidaen Hegemony, Second of the Court, emissary of Empress Elinwynn, and these are my Exemplars. You will find no finer warriors." Corvalix dipped his head and motioned to his soldiers. Twin formations marched to either side of the gathered loyalists. "Your numbers are impressive. Tell me, did you gather these...believers...on your own?"

Alfarius chuckled at the idea. "No, nothing so grand as that, Brother-General. I am but a mere mouthpiece for our queen. It is through Her cunning and insight that we stand before you."

"Very good. You are to be commended for your faith, my friend. You must excuse my soldiers for their movements, our army is as wide as the day is long, as you can plainly see, and we have important business in Whitetail."

"Of course, of course. You seek vengeance on the false goddess who dares to oppose our queen, yes?"

"Something like that," Corvalix said dismissively as he watched the Cervidaen soldiers march in rigid formation. Some of the crowd called out, perhaps recognizing friends or family from their 'previous' lives, before they'd become servants of Celestia's fallen sister. None of his bucks or does acknowledged the shouts, keeping their vision forward at all times. "Brother Alfarius, it has been requested that I impart a great offer to you. I will only ask once, so answer truthfully: would you be interested in meeting Nightmare Moon?"

Alfarius gasped. Could it really be? "I...I could...truly? She wishes to speak with me in the flesh?"

"She does! Am I to take that as a yes?" Corvalix asked with a smirk.

"Y-Yes! Yes, of course I will! Dark Goddess, I am not worthy!" Alfarius fell to his knees and wept tears of joy as a cheer of pure joy and adoration spread behind him. Immediately his followers began to crowd around him, pushing and jostling in the hopes of catching a glimpse of their leader, excitedly speculating.

Brother-General Corvalix turned to his soldiers. "Nightmare Moon, your loyal followers await you. Do be a dear and a grace them with your presence, would you?"

"You speak to her so casually," Alfarius said in amazement, craning his neck to see over the taller redtail ranks. "Truly you must be trusted company!"

"One could even say she's like a sister to me," Corvalix answered with a grin.

One by one the lines of Cervidaen soldiers parted, giving way to a small retinue of does dressed in silken robes adorned with the emblem of their homeland. These were the Imperial Protectorate, the most gifted of Cervidae's magic users, unmatched in their skill and raw power and chosen to protect the royal family. Arcs of arcane energy crackled between the prongs of their tall, slightly swept-back antlers, and they eyed Alfarius with something close to disdain.

Eventually they, too, split off to either side, bowing their heads and dipping to their knees as a lone figure approached. Alfarius felt his heart flutter and his legs go weak as he prepared to meet his benefactor, quickly brushing any dust and dirt from his worn Equestrian plate mail. A tall silhouette in dark, hooded robes approached, and he averted his eyes in equal parts fear and respect. It stopped just before him and was silent, as if considering the insignificant thing before it.

"Brother Alfarius of Marestopholous. Leader of the True Followers, chosen of Nightmare Moon," the voice said as calm and cold as a winter's night.

"M-My Queen, I am unworthy of your presence! I am but a simple stallion!"

"You are unworthy of my presence. And yet...I stand before you." There was a rustling of fabric, and Alfarius saw the dark robes fall to the ground before him. "Arise, my faithful sons and daughters, and gaze upon me, that I may impart my unbounded wisdom unto you."

Alfarius slowly lifted his head, his heart pounding in his ears, and when he met eyes with the being standing before him he gasped in disbelief. The commotion quickly spread to the gathered masses. "But...but where..."

Empress Elinwynn smiled back in amusement from her imposing height, clad in shimmering sapphire armor plate. Ornate, delicate golden antler chains tinkled as she laughed to herself, no longer caring to continue her ruse. "Is something the matter, Brother Alfarius? Am I not regal enough? Perhaps a bit of magic is in order."

With a sound like distant thunder Elinwynn produced a fog of opaque, glittering darkness that wrapped around her body and splayed over the grass, shifting and swirling like a storm cloud. Her eyes became an unearthly teal with dragon-like slits of pure black, and glinting fangs like polished daggers of white appeared in a wicked smile. Cries of disbelief and dread sounded from the followers of Nightmare Moon.

"Oh, Alfarius," Elinwynn-come-Nightmare Moon said in a mocking voice. "The faithful are so easily fooled. Redtail magic is the most powerful in the land, especially when it comes to...illusions. Did you really think you were communicating with Nightmare Moon? That you had been 'chosen' somehow? You think far too highly of yourself."

Corvalix chuckled at her side, soon joined by the Protectorate does behind him.

Alfarius was speechless. "But...but why? We believed you! We believed in you, in our queen!"

"The weak of will and weaker of mind often grasp at anything they believe will 'save' them from a life without meaning," Elinwynn said as she dropped the magical illusion. "Once I found out that Celestia's far more practical sister had been banished to the moon, I knew the time was right to begin something grand. Something world changing. So I organized a little raid on a Whitetail settlement known as River Run. Perhaps you've heard of it?"

"They say the blood of the innocent turned the river red that night," Corvalix added. "In fact, I'm sure some of those murderers are here in this very crowd. How fortunate. Wouldn't you say, sister?"

"Indeed." Elinwynn had to raise her voice to be heard over the din of confused voices. "Once our disgraceful cousins across the border were convinced of Equestria's blood-thirsty intentions, it was merely a matter of biding my time, perhaps setting a few events in motion. And what better way to do so than via a pack of hopeless, wandering nobodies? An entire proxy army at our disposal, so self-assured in their convictions, so willing and eager to latch onto the first cause presented to them. A chance for revenge against those they perceived to have wronged them." She lifted Alfarius' chin with an armored hoof and smiled a sickeningly sweet smile. "No one would miss you. You and your...followers...were a useful diversion."

Alfarius pushed her hoof away as tears rolled darkened his coat. "No. No, I don't believe you. You are a liar. My true queen will...will..."

"Shhhh, quiet now, Brother Alfarius." Elinwynn gently took him against her chest and ran a hoof through his dark mane. "You should be proud. You performed your duties admirably, as did your brothers and sisters." There was a brief, sharp metallic sound. "But I am afraid your time of service is at an end. Make no mistake: There will be salvation and justice visited upon this land -- but not for you."

A short, broad dagger slid into Alfarius' neck, and he reflexively thrashed and struggled to pull away as blood filled his lungs and sprayed from his mouth in fits of wet coughs and gasps. Elinwynn dropped him to the ground, watching the life drain from his body as Alfarius' followers screamed and swore at the deer that had now surrounded them fully. She passed the dagger to one of her assistants, who wiped the blood with a cloth and slid it back into the holster on her thigh.

She took one final look at the crowd, some of them trying to fly away or even fight their way through the Exemplars and Regulars around them, and turned away. "Kill them all," she ordered, and the lines of Cervidaen soldiers formed back around her.