ZRRM!

Neighsay emerged from his portal with a sizzle of eldritch energy. It shut behind him with a fizzle and a pop, leaving him in a blanket of silence and darkness. He stood in the pitch black while collecting himself, until at last, he lit his horn to turn on the ornate chandelier above.

“Damn it all,” Neighsay muttered. “DAMN it all! Why can’t I keep my mouth shut when it comes to the boy?! Now she’s going to ask him, and of course he’ll tell her…”

The room was a luxurious study. Plush rugs emblazoned with the Canterlot coat of arms covered most of the floor, and the walls were taken up by overflowing bookcases and ancient tapestries dating back to the time of Princess Platinum. Marble pillars painted in the likeness of old maps were spaced out along the room’s edges, there were heavy oak tables with comfy chairs scattered about, and a long-forgotten fireplace was in one corner.

Neighsay was quiet. His gaze fell to the floor, his eyes moving like he was analyzing pieces on a board. The silence and stillness pressed in on his eardrums more and more, his thoughts whirring… never aware of how the ceiling seemed to flicker like a mirage, nor of the odorless gas filling his lungs.

He wasn’t even aware of when his eyes unfocused. Like a zombie, he reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a single gold coin, which upon being exposed to the air, began to give off a sickly green glow. It hovered above him and began to spin, first slowly, then faster and faster until it was generating a breeze. There was a crackling like electricity, and then, a bolt of alien magic lanced out from the coin to strike Neighsay.

ZAP!

He froze still as a statue. He didn’t blink, he didn’t breathe, he didn’t do anything. nothing. The glowing coin revolved slowly above him as time passed without his knowledge, first a moment…

...then longer…

...and longer…

...and longer still...

Until at last, there was a faint whistling from above.

The whistling grew greater, and greater until the ceiling of the study began to ripple. A winged shadow phased through like a cannonball, the wind whistling through the holes in its legs. It landed on its hooves with a mighty WHAM, chunks of rock and gravel flying, the entire room flickering a moment like an out-of-focus television.

“My dear sleeper,” Queen Chrysalis purred in her trilling voice. “Welcome back.”

Chrysalis looked much the same as during the attack on Canterlot—frightfully big, glossy black chitin, cruel sunken eyes and a wicked black horn, a stringy mane and tail, and an aura of malice that sent chills down a pony's spine. The only change was the black shard she wore around her neck, jagged and sucking in the light around it.

Neighsay gave no reaction to Chrysalis’ entrance. He just kept on staring at nothing, still as a statue.

Chrysalis empathically reached out to his subconscious. The trap she’d set was still intact… but the special ward she’d put on it was not. “Of course. So, my wayward defect has fled north to suckle straight from the love cow’s teat. Trading information in exchange for a feast, no doubt…”

She glowered at the faded, two-week-old cut on Neighsay’s leg. She paced back and forth while thinking, her tail flicking like she was trying to swat at flies. “This gamble may have cost me. Mastering Hydia’s power took too long as it is—I need to capitalize on this if I’m going to...”

Her horn glowed green, and a thick glob of viscous fluid oozed out from her horn. She admired it a moment before turning it into a fine vapor and jamming it straight into Neighsay’s horn.

After waiting a few seconds, Chrysalis released the magic holding him in stasis. “Awaken.”

Neighsay breathed again. He blinked a few times while shuddering, a sickly green tint in his eyes. It looked like he was going to fall over, but then, he caught himself and kneeled instead.

“My Queen.”

Chrysalis gently tilted up his chin. “Rise, and report.”

Neighsay’s normally-haughty voice was now flatter than cardboard. “I’m afraid my mission was only half-successful. I was able to infiltrate the Crystal Empire, but the castle is enshrouded with the same harmonic magic that permeates Ponyville, and much of Canterlot.”

Chrysalis grit her fangs. “Rggggh... the fool Elements of Harmony don’t even realize their putrid rainbow magic is blocking me, yet they go spreading it around like a disease!”

Neighsay’s blank eyes fell on the shard around Chrysalis’ neck. “I believe there’s one place in the castle that’ll remain accessible regardless. The harmonic energy is weaker in the throne room, weak enough to open a small portal.”

Chrysalis’ lips parted. “Ah, so that’s where you ran into my escapee… and Cadenza, most likely.”

Neighsay nodded. “He’s serving as her alert dog. He gave signal just as she was about to trigger your trap, and she remained on guard after that. I continued to goad her until she began asking questions I couldn’t answer, which is when I made my escape.”

Chrysalis shrugged. “As amusing as it would’ve been to see the love cow stumble upon my surprise, their pesky spellfire dragon is close enough to notice. There wasn’t much hope of ensorcelling Cadenza if we couldn’t even get that bloated tick of a moon princess.”

“Indeed,” said Neighsay. “And it seems you were also correct about them investigating me. I’ll likely be arrested if I try to return to Canterlot."

Chrysalis patted his head. “Your time in the public eye was ending regardless. The shadows will be your home now… free to use that lovely medallion of yours.”

Neighsay didn’t so much as bat an eyelash. “Continuing with my report, then. I was able to verify access points throughout the rest of the city, including the main military base.”

He produced several pieces of parchment from his cloak, all still warm from his copying spell. Chrysalis snatched the military documents and began going through them one by one. “Yes, these will do nicely…”

Neighsay watched her root through the folders for a few minutes before speaking again. “On a sidenote, you told me to alert you if I encountered any wingblade masters among Cadenza’s guard. She keeps at least one—a rather skilled melee specialist.”

Chrysalis glowered. “Blasted little reapers. One, however, we can handle. What of the Crystal Heart? It’s heavily guarded, I take it?”

“Very,” said Neighsay. “Trying to steal it directly will next to impossible without alerting the entire castle. We’ll need more than Hydia’s magic if we wish to overpower the Elements of Harmony.”

Chrysalis thought for a moment. “What about whatever let you open a portal in the throne room?”

Neighsay nodded. “The disturbance seemed to come from the level just below, but according to the blueprints, that’s supposed to be solid crystal. It won’t be easy to investigate.”

Chrysalis floated up the black shard around her neck. “It may well be our only choice. Your Purifiers from your Mage’s Guild turned up nothing.”

“Correct.”

Chrysalis paced back and forth in the room, the illusory study wavering in response to her dark magic. The colors kept fading out like ghosts before filling back in, each time revealing bizarre neon green runes glowing on the walls. “Did Cadenza say anything about more Sombran artifacts possibly being in the castle?”

Neighsay cleared his throat. “Her response was… nebulous. From the way she was talking, it seemed like she wouldn’t be surprised if one or two more turned up.”

“Hmph.” Chrysalis ran her tongue along her fangs. “Then perhaps my plans can move forward in another way. Combining the late king’s magic with Hydia’s power might just give us the edge we need to overcome the Elements of Harmony. It’s another gamble, but it’ll pay off when we get our hooves on it.”

“But how?” Neighsay asked. “Even if there is a Sombran artifact beneath the throne room—”

“Here is what you’ll do,” Chrysalis said. “You’ll return to the Crystal Empire and have a talk with… erm, Cadenza’s Purifier, yes. He seems to have the clues everyone else has missed, so you—oh, for hive’s sake.”

The green glow in Neighsay’s eyes suddenly flickered. His mouth twisted, the faintest of growls sounding in his throat. “I-I… wWwwANt… N-NotHinG… tO...”

Chrysalis sighed. She summoned forth more magically-altered venom, converting it to vapor and driving it into Neighsay’s system. The injection made him gurgle and snarl, biting down on his cheek so hard he drew blood.

“I know I should be annoyed this keeps happening.” Chrysalis watched Neighsay spasm and seethe, fighting a dose of venom more suited for an elephant. “Such powerful, conflicting emotions all melted together...”

Neighsay cursed. The bright light in his eyes dimmed even more, replaced by a dark, wrathful glare. “IIiiIIii… RrreeeFfFfuUUsSeEeE!”

Chrysalis brushed her hoof through Neighsay’s goatee. “I’m running out of time, my sleeper. The sun hag’s paranoia is legendary, her halfwit sister’s shoring up the country’s psychic defenses, the love cow’s learning all my secrets, her fool mate grows more powerful by the day, and I don’t yet understand this new power the Elements of Harmony wield. I need every advantage I can get if I’m going to have my revenge, and I have to do it while as many little flies are gathered in my web as possible. I don’t care how much you loathe your bastard son—you WILL obey me.”

But Neighsay hadn’t given up. His face was turning red, every line on his face tight and strained. “IiiIIi… WOoONnnnNN’ttTTt...”

Chrysalis chuckled. She admired the arteries and veins in Neighsay’s neck a moment before whispering in his ear. “I can sense it, you know. That dark, cold mire in your mind, covered with such flimsy lies. Years spent convincing yourself you did the right thing; but deep inside, in your heart of hearts... Can you handle the guilt of what you’ve done? The pain you’ve caused?”

Neighsay choked. He went stock still, his heart pounding, the green glow in his eyes flaring.

“Obey me, or I’ll rip out every last emotion you’ve buried,” Chrysalis murmured. “I’ll make you feel every ounce of anguish and grief as you mourn for the family you could’ve had. Maybe I’ll even do it in front of the boy, hmm? You’ll feel a father’s love for him at last… as I’m tearing it out of you.”

Neighsay’s will caved. He slumped down to his knees, and after a few more twitches and spasms, he stood back up, regaining his robotic expression and posture.

“Forgive my rudeness,” he said in a monotone. “I will go to the pony called Sunburst, and I will convince him to find what you need by any means necessary. The power of King Sombra will be yours, my Queen—you will have your revenge.”

Chrysalis laughed. “And we’ll purify Equestria, together.”

“Yes.” Neighsay wiped the blood from his mouth. “Together...”

Meanwhile-

“I want blood checks on everyone in the castle,” Gleaming said to Rex. “Also, have someone contact the railway stationmaster and get a list of everyone that’s arrived in the last seventy-two hours, then assemble a squad to track down the ones still in the city. I don’t care how much they protest, checking them is for national security.”

The castle was a hornet’s nest. Soldiers dashed to and fro securing rooms and running tests on everyone they could, marking areas and creatures who’d been cleared with special enchanted markers. Castle employees were in the process of being checked as well, the notice of mandatory checks had gone out to the rest of the city, and the battlemages were studying the spells on the castle to figure out just how the hay they’d been bypassed.

Gleaming turned to the next pony awaiting her orders. “Captain Deadeye, rally the Heartguard. Until further notice, the only ponies allowed in the Crystal Vault are those with alpha-level clearance. Test anyone that requests entrance regardless, and if the worst should happen, protect the Crystal Heart with your life.”

Deadeye saluted. “What of Steelwing?”

Ah, right. Gleaming had forgotten she and Cadance had pretty much absorbed him into their personal guard. “I... wouldn’t be surprised if Cadance hasn’t already given him orders. Disregard him for now.”

“Understood.” Deadeye galloped out the same door Rex had just left.

Last, Gleaming regarded the final pony. “You know what’d be great right about now? A battalion of thestral Sentinels guarding the Dreamscape.”

Apogee snorted. “And while we’re wishing for things...”

Gleaming ran a hoof down her face. “Sorry that you basically got foalnapped from the hospital. I don’t think Cady intended her orders to be followed so enthusiastically.”

Apogee shook her head. “Ever since these ponies learned of my race’s plight, they’ve gone above and beyond to help us. I know they meant well.”

Well, Gleaming couldn’t really argue with that. “I’m tempted to say you should stick with my sister and her friends once they get back from talking to Cadance, but I think it’s safer for you to lay low. Send word to the engineers monitoring the city’s crystal grid to watch for any kind of anomaly, then report to logistics and help coordinate emergency evacuation measures. Worst comes to worst, I want to be ready to head south.”

“Yes, ma’am!” said Apogee before rushing off.

Gleaming took a deep breath. She studied the maps laid out before her in the war room, as well as those mounted on the nearby wall. Places most likely to be attacked had red pins. Locations a northbound invasion force might stop to rest were marked with black pins. Likely city breach points had orange pins, evacuation routes were marked with blue pins, and the best places to establish supply lines had green pins.

“It doesn’t make sense,” Gleaming said to the empty room. “Chrysalis has a mind-slave that can slip past our defenses unnoticed, but does nothing with him but harass Cady. There’s no way she’d show her hand like this for nothing...”

Gleaming had been at the base finishing her second meal when the alert sounded. She knew she was making things difficult by issuing orders here and not there, but it was easier to put a forcefield around the whole city from here. Yep, that’s totally the reason, ignore that there were four other ponies around who could do that just as easily, that was Gleaming’s story, and she was sticking to it.

“Why make a move now?” Gleaming watched a black pin rotate in her aura. “She had to know waltzing into a high-security area would make us shore up our defenses. Not to mention the risk of us capturing such a valuable pawn! Why take all that risk?”

Granted, they still weren’t sure how Neighsay had managed said waltzing. But Gleaming knew Chrysalis would be sending him on increasingly dangerous missions to further along her plans regardless… and who knew where they might strike.

“She must’ve found out we were investigating him.” Gleaming squinted at the pin on the Badlands changeling hive. “But that still doesn’t make sense! Talking to Cady had to be a cover, but unless Chrysalis is off her rocker, she wouldn’t—”

Knock, knock, knock.

Gleaming’s ears twitched. Her wards in the hallway informed her of three identified magic signatures, and four unidentified. There was an immense magical anomaly linking six of them together, staggeringly powerful and echoed in the seventh through two—

“Wait… two?” Gleaming double-checked the ward’s readings. “Ah, so Rainbow did volunteer to be a bond, after all. Heh, wonder what her magic feels like to him...”

Gleaming undid the lock, and Twilight and Spike poked their heads in.

“Reporting for duty!” said Spike.

“We just finished talking to Cadance,” Twilight said. “Can we come in?”

Gleaming paused. Her wards were still yammering about the anomaly, particularly how it’s power scaled in proximity to each other. “I assume those are your fellow multi-time saviors of the nation out there?”

Twilight gave him a dull look. “You know we don’t see ourselves like that.”

“Doesn’t make it any less true,” Gleaming said. “Yes, you can all come in.”

The door opened. Gleaming had to search her memory a moment to recall everything Twilight had told her about the four newcomers that trailed in behind Twilight, Rainbow, and Spike, but she remembered the details soon enough. Pinkie Pie, the happy-go-lucky baker that spread joy wherever she went, Fluttershy, the considerate animal caretaker with a heart of a lion, Rarity, the driven self-starter who always put others before herself, and Applejack, the straight-talking farmer who could pick out any kind of lie, even ones you told to yourself.

“Celestia and Luna are spreading word about Neighsay,” Twilight said as she trotted in. “They’re also increasing the military presence in the Badlands, and strengthening the defenses in the closest towns. Cadance put out a notice about everything, too.”

Gleaming had figured as much. “Did Cady say anything about that huge beam that shot over the city?”

Rainbow swooped around her. “Ha! Get this—that was actually her! She was mad she let Neighsay get away, and—”

“That was CADY?!” Gleaming spun around, her heavy womb swaying like a wrecking ball. “How?!”

Rainbow snickered. “Easy, big gal. I’m pretty sure you’ll be into it, but let’s just say you’re in for a surprise next time you see her.”

“I couldn’t help but point out we’d have seen this coming if she’d just let me do magic examinations like I wanted.” Twilight looked away, her cheeks tinged pink. “She... didn’t appreciate that.”

“Gee, who’d have thought,” said Spike from Rainbow’s back. “It’s almost like ponies don’t like it when you say ‘I told you so’.”

It took all of Gleaming’s willpower not to teleport to Cadance right then and there. “I… see. Well, as tempting as it is to see what you’re talking about, we have more pressing things… to... talk… about… uh, Twily, you did tell your friends I’m a mare and everything, right?”

It was getting to be the norm everywhere Gleaming went. Those who saw her regularly didn’t note the changes anymore, but to newcomers like Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, and Pinkie… They’d gotten goosebumps the moment they’d heard Gleaming’s warm, silvery soprano from outside, and upon laying eyes on her...

Yet they weren’t all staring at the same part of Gleaming. Fluttershy was most stunned by her towering height. Applejack was most taken aback by her muscular physique. Rarity was struck dumb by her feminine features and gorgeous mane, and Pinkie was gawking at her colossal belly. They took turns registering each one of Gleaming’s changes, their eyes growing wider and wider—

Rainbow’s whistle pierced the air.

They jumped. They shared a collective moment before turning varying shades of red.

Twilight put a hoof behind her head. “Maybe this wasn’t as fun a surprise as I thought.”

Gleaming resisted the urge to facehoof. “I know this is me calling the kettle black, but please, stop omitting key details about our family to your friends.”

“A-HEM!” Rarity gathered her wits and bowed before Gleaming. “A-Apologizes for the rudeness, Princess! We didn’t mean—”

Gleaming held up a hoof. “Save the apologies for later. You’re my sister’s knights first and foremost, so let’s set aside the trivial junk, be the heroes we all are, and do everything we can to keep this city safe. Sound good?”

The seven of them stood up straighter. They exchanged a quick look, but then all nodded, faces hard and stern.

“Good.” Gleaming paused to brush her long mane out of her face. “Ser Applejack, right? You’re the Element of Honesty, I believe.”

Applejack winced. “Ser Applejack… that’s gonna take gettin’ used to.”

Gleaming noted Applejack’s eyes were the same color as her brother’s. “I assume you can activate your Element like Twilight and Rainbow? Do you have any abilities that allow you to see through illusions? Possibly sniff out disguised changelings?”

Applejack’s ears drooped. “Afraid not. Our Elements all more or less do the same thing, near as we can tell. They’re just fueled by different things.”

The others murmured agreement.

“Can you imagine if our Elements had different powers?” said Pinkie. “I wonder what kind of stuff I’d get? It’d have to be really unique and different so we could go on adventures, meet all kinds of new ponies, and do all kinds of exciting stuff!”

Rarity scoffed. “Ugh, just thinking about that makes me tired.”

“What about your Rainbow Power?” Gleaming cut in. “What all can that do?”

The girls all looked to Twilight.

“Don’t put me on the spot or anything…” Twilight brushed back her mane much like Gleaming had. “Based off my various tests, as well as our collective experience, I’ve found we can cleanse dark magic, anti-magic, purify varying forms of corruption, nullify or destroy chaos magic, as well as repel all of those things. Additionally, we seemed to have developed a sixth sense to detect what we’re able to affect, our Elements faintly reacting if they’re close by—”

“Emphasis on faint,” Rainbow cut in. “A side effect, pretty much.”

Twilight nodded. “But regardless, the most notable thing is that our innate magic’s been boosted significantly. Our special talents are more powerful, our ability to resolve conflicts and restore harmony has increased, and we’re immune to dark magic altogether. The effect doesn’t seem to be temporary, either… if anything, it seems to be getting stronger.”

“I’ll say!” Applejack tapped her back hoof on the floor. “D’you have any idea how careful I gotta be while applebucking these days? I gotta practice in the Everfree every day so I won’t turn my orchard to splinters!”

“I can’t tell you how many ensembles I’ve ruined!” Rarity added with a hoof to her forehead. “The gems I’ve crushed! The tailoring equipment I’ve destroyed! Sewing machines, mannequines, armoires and more, torn apart like paper!”

Gleaming’s eyes widened. “Armoires?”

“I’ve actually liked the changes,” said Fluttershy in a soft voice. “There’s a hydra in Froggy Bottom Bog that’s never wanted to be friends with me, but now we’ve really hit it off! He’s been taking me to the deepest parts of the swamp to meet all his friends—the goliath leeches, the dire black widows, the emperor anaconda that just moved in… He just introduced me to the family of venomous landsharks, you know. They just had a baby, and he’s soooooo cute~”

The silence that followed was like death itself.

“Oooooookay,” Gleaming said. “What about you, Ser Pinkie?”

Pinkie giggled. “You wanted super-serious time, didn’t you? Don’t worry, I’ll tell you about the super-spectacular parties and blowouts I’ve been planning later.”

...I know you don’t know her very well, but trust me, there’s a lot more to Pinkie than you might think…

Gleaming clicked her teeth. Her eyes flicked to Rainbow a second before continuing. “So, if I’m hearing all that right, you’re all magical powerhouses wielding a mythical holy power that’s anathema to evil, and it’s made you both immune to and able to cleanse the most dangerous magics known to ponykind. I see now why Twilight chose ‘paladin’ as your order’s rank of knight.”

Twilight beamed. “I knew somepony would appreciate the significance.”

Spike yawned.

Gleaming ignored him. “Twilight, you’ve had interactions with the Scholar’s Guild higher-ups in the past, right? What do you know about Chancellor Neighsay?”

Twilight’s expression sobered. “Only that he shouldn’t be able to fuel a telemancy jump across Equestria. I’m assuming he used an arcane focus to boost himself, then suppressed the power so we wouldn’t detect it.”

Gleaming gave her belly an idle rub. “I’m done sitting around while Chrysalis slithers through our defenses—I want to figure out what she’s doing, stop it, then put an end to her threat once and for all. There’s so many ways she could utilize a pony with Neighsay’s abilities—theft, assassination, abduction, sabotage, recon, infiltration…”

“Gleaming—er, Princess Gleaming,” said Rainbow, folding her arms. “You and Cadance know that jerk Chrysalis better than anypony else. Obviously she’s out for revenge, plus love for her hive and all that, but what else is she after? Conquest, maybe?”

Gleaming got a dark look. “That, and power. And if she steals the Crystal Heart, she’ll get all five.”

There was a long, heavy pause.

“So why didn’t she nab it?,” Rainbow asked. “If she was smart, she’d be like Doctor Caballeron in Daring Do and the Sapphire Spider: Wait until night, have the Chancellor guy open a portal in the Crystal Vault, stick of pair of antimagic tongs through, grab the Heart, and pull it through. Wouldn’t leave so much as a trace!”

By this point, the other four were staring at the trio, but none of them paid attention.

Twilight looked up at the ceiling. “Rainbow’s right. Chrysalis could’ve pulled off the heist of the century, or any of the things Gleaming mentioned for that matter, but she has him confront Cadance broad daylight? She had to know doing that would reveal she’s controlling him, regardless of the outcome!”

Gleaming beckoned them over to the table. “I’ve a feeling we’ve been putting pressure on her. Looking into Neighsay was a factor, but she wouldn’t take a risk like this unless we were doing something else. Something big.”

“Maybe she knows about Thorax?” Spike asked.

Twilight hummed. “Mmmmaybe? How’d she find out, though?”

Gleaming didn’t even need to think about that one. “The blood thing is one of their most closely-guarded secrets. Testing Neighsay probably tipped the scales.”

Rainbow fiddled with one of the unused pins. “In that case, the little dude’s got a giant red bullseye on his head. Neighsay’s trap-thingy might’ve even been meant for him.”

Gleaming clucked her tongue. “We have to protect him. Now more than ever.”

Meanwhile, Pinkie whispered to the other girls, “Is it just me, or is Dashie acting a little more… Twilight-ish?”

Applejack bowed her head. “Six months alone with a family of super-geniuses… they’ve gone and absorbed her.”

Pinkie’s face grew grave. “They’ve turned her… she’s becoming one of them! She’s gonna lose interest in sports and the Wonderbolts altogether! All she’ll want to do is make checklists in triplicate and do differential equations! We have to save her!”

“Oh, har-har,” said Rarity. “I was half-afraid Twilight’s family would disapprove of their courtship! This warms my heart to see.”

Fluttershy giggled. “Look at Spike on Dashie’s back! He’s as relaxed as when he’s riding Twilight.”

In fact, they were starting to realize Spike’s yawn might not have been fake. His eyelids were fluttering, his posture slack, a contented smile on his face. He yawned again, leaning forward little by little until he snuggled into Rainbow’s mane and rested his head on her withers.

“Fiery…”

Mentioning Thorax gave Gleaming a sudden thought. “Twilight, remember a few weeks back when I pulled the Heartguard for Thorax’s demonstration? When you and Rainbow reinforced the wards on the Crystal Vault?”

Twilight nodded. “Why?”

Gleaming looked up at the ceiling. “Because your power repels certain magics. If whatever Neighsay used to empower his portals was evil in nature, that might be why he didn’t try accessing the Vault. The throne room might’ve been the only place he could get in.”

“But why would the throne room—” Twilight’s eyes shrank. “The secret passage…”

Gleaming’s face was grim. “We’ve checked that place a million times. If Sombra hid something there, he did it super-well.”

“Wait, hold that thought,” said Rainbow. “Twilight, weren’t you just telling me something about how your magic works now, or whatever? How alicorn power is kinda messy and leaves behind junk? What if our power is like that?”

Twilight chewed on her lip. “As far as I know, that’s only supposed to be a characteristic of alicorn magic.”

“Except it’s not.” Rainbow pointed to the north end of the room. “The whole reason I’m taking Maud up Everhoof is because of the nasty crud in that cave. If that gunk can hang around like the world’s smelliest fart...”

Pinkie burst out laughing.

Twilight facehooved. “My tests haven’t suggested anything like... that, but I suppose it’s not impossible. I might just not have been testing for the right thing.”

“But even so,” said Rarity, approaching from the side. “What do we do about it?”

Gleaming snorted. “That depends. Can you coat the whole Empire?”

The girls looked between each other.

“I... don’t see why we couldn’t,” Twilight said in a halting voice. “If our power really does behave like alicorn magic, that is.”

“I was just kidding, Twilight, don’t—” Gleaming stopped dead. “Wait, what?”

“Could do it right now, even,” said Applejack. “Not like the fog’s gonna be a match for us.”

Pinkie snickered. “We flew all over Equestria super-duper-fast after we beat Tirek! You could almost say we channeled our inner Rainbow.”

Rainbow gave her a dull look. “How long have you been waiting to use that one?”

Pinkie just laughed again and hugged her.

Now Gleaming was the one getting goosebumps. “Will doing it wear you out at all? I don’t want you exhausting your powers over a long shot.”

Twilight shook her head. “Don’t worry, we’ll still be able to help out Cadance.”

“And the blast from that’ll likely hit the whole castle!” Applejack added. “So it’ll be double-safe!”

Gleaming blinked several times. “Is it bad that I completely forgot that’s the reason why you’re all here in the first place?”

“Not just that,” Fluttershy said. “We also came to see off Maud and Rainbow.”

At this, Rarity dragged her hoof on the floor. “I hate to be the one to voice this, but given this whole nastiness with Queen Chrysalis and the Chancellor, perhaps Maud and Rainbow’s expedition—”

Suddenly, Gleaming’s wards chirped. Two registered magic signatures approached the war room—one pegasus, and one... dragon? Gleaming listened to the info a bit longer, but when she didn’t detect any issues, she opened the door before there was even a knock.

Steelwing trotted in carrying Thorax. They were unharmed, but Thorax was as pale as when he’d arrived. He was holding a bucket of some kind—wait, no... a hallway vase?

“General!” Steelwing saluted, standing up even straighter upon realizing just who all was present. “Princess Cadance ordered me to bring Thorax to you.”

Thorax made a sound between a gag and a gurgle. “S-So bad… what even was—HRK!” He shoved his face in the vase and heaved.

Gleaming sucked in a breath through clenched teeth. “What happened?”

Steelwing was about to reply, but before he could, his vision was filled with pink and yellow.

“E-Excuse me, but…” Fluttershy’s eyes flicked to Steelwing’s unsheathed blades, then the still-vomiting Thorax. “May I please see him?”

Steelwing couldn’t move an inch. He didn’t know why, but those blue eyes felt like they were barging into his mind and flattening his will like a steamroller. He bit his tongue as a ‘y’ sound formed in his throat.

“Go ahead, Lieutenant,” Gleaming called. “She’s in the know.”

Steelwing tore his gaze free. “O-Of course, Ser Fluttershy.” He allowed her to take Thorax, then silently vowed to never look that mare in the eye again. “T-To answer your question, General, I’d just brought Purifier Sunburst to see Princess—”

BWEEEEET! BWEEEEET! BWEEEEET! BWEEEEET!

The room’s crystal lights turned bright red. Gleaming’s hallway wards immediately began chattering at her, but what drew her attention more was the ominous rumble that shook the whole room. The pit that formed in Gleaming’s gut was mirrored by the dawning horror on Steelwing’s face.

“Cadance…”

PKKKTTTT! Gleaming threw up her strongest forcefield. She made to teleport to the throne room...

“A dimension lock?!” Gleaming cursed. “The secret passage! TWILY!”

“I got it!” Twilight put her hoof on Gleaming’s shoulder. “But I can only port you and me!”

“Go!” said Rainbow. “We’re right behind you!”

Twilight’s Rainbow Power awoke with a musical hum, the sound on key with the low whum of Gleaming maintaining her shield. The sound was matched by the other girls all summoning forth their power, combining together into a harmonious chord. Twilight began mustering the power for a certain technique her father had taught her, her horn glowing bright, then brighter still, her empowered magic building… Building… BUILDING…

FLASH!

An instant later, Gleaming and Twilight were hovering mid-air surrounded by a haze of crystal dust. Twilight cleared the air with a great sweep of magic, and that’s when they saw…

“No…”

The throne room was in ruins. The floor around the Crystal Throne had been shattered to pieces, the throne itself blown to bite-sized bits. The set of stairs that led down to Sombra’s secret passage were exposed, the broken ground around it littered with crystal shards and tatters of burning carpet. The smell of vomit, burnt feathers, burnt flesh, and dust was thick in the air, but not as thick as the pungent odor of...

“Not a dimension lock.” Twilight sniffed the air and gagged. “Anti-magic!”

There was a hacking cough beneath the rubble.

“There!” Gleaming focused hard as she could. Chunks of debris began floating away in hers and Twilight’s aura until a charred shape became visible crumpled against the wall. Cadance was in a sorry state, her face mangled and mane blasted off, the whole front half of her body severely burned. She was regenerating, but the anti-magic was slowing down the process greatly, the white light around her flickering and sputtering.

Just then, the other girls flew in together from a window.

“What the—ACK!” Applejack covered her nose. “The hay?!”

“Cadance!” Rarity pointed. “She’s hurt!”

“Twi!” Rainbow shouted. “We can zorch this stuff!”

Gleaming’s voice became deadly calm. “Do it.”

Twilight signalled to the others. They surrounded her and Gleaming, and concentrating as one, their prismatic light formed a tingling in the air. There was a fizzing sound like opening a can of soda as their ardent power purified the room, growing louder and louder before reaching a peak and then fading away into nothing.

FLASH! Gleaming teleported to Cadance’s side. She called upon her inner spark, willing forth her healing power to help the regeneration. Tendrils of magic flowed off Gleaming like vines—

“N-NoT… mE!” Cadance croaked, raising a shattered hoof. “S-Sunburst! SUNBURST!”

Gleaming gasped. She turned around and cast the spell that detected heartbeats…

Down in the secret passage, a weak one beat its last.

Gleaming’s divine spark flared brighter than ever. “I got him.”

A Few Minutes Earlier-

The sharp smell of discharged mana hit Sunburst’s nostrils upon entering the throne room. It was a welcome change from the stale, papery air of the sunless archives, but it also sent a chill up his spine for a reason he couldn’t place.

Sunburst looked around the long room. A bit of the carpet had been burned, the pattern on the floor had been disturbed, and one of the windows was a slightly different shape.

“Did something happen?” he asked Steelwing.

Steelwing’s only reply was to tilt his head at the throne, where Cadance and her dragon familiar waited. An unfelt breeze flowed through Cadance’s mane and tail, although Sunburst didn’t see a fan anywhere...

“Oooookay.” Sunburst put a hoof behind his head. “Totally not ominous, or anything...”

They walked down the carpet with Sunburst leading the way. He tried not to get butterflies on the approach, but the jittery feeling crept into his limbs anyway. He tried to focus on something else, such as how Cadance's mane and tail were still gently flowing just like her aunts’, the colors mixing and melding in an endless shifting weave—

Sunburst stopped. He gaped at Cadance’s newfound ethereal mane, the butterflies now making his heart beat faster. “Princess?”

Cadance was silent. A few seconds passed… during which, Thorax flicked out his tongue, then scratched his nose.

“Hello, Sunburst,” Cadance said, relaxing into her throne. “I’m going to have to ask you to ignore my new manestyle for the moment—I just had an unexpected, and very unwelcome visitor I’d like to talk to you about.”

Sunburst cocked his head. “Is everything alright?”

Cadance shook her head. “They gave me some unpleasant news, but that news also confirmed some things. Unfortunately, though, that just left me with more questions than ever before. I’m hoping you can help put the pieces together.”

Sunburst clicked his teeth. “I… can… try? I-I mean, I’ll certainly do all I can… e-erm, real quick, though—that suppression spell you’re using isn’t doing much to mask your magic. I can show you a much better one, if you’d like.”

“Y—” Cadance stopped. She stared at Sunburst a moment, then chuckled and put a hoof to her head. “Should’ve listened to Twilight…”

Sunburst put a hoof behind his head. “Sorry. Detecting concealed magic’s what I do, after all.”

“My own fault,” said Cadance, sitting up in her chair. “I used the intermediate version of the spell instead of the greater one. But never mind that—right now, I need you to tell me everything you know about Chancellor Neighsay. He mentioned you… during… his… what the—”

Upon hearing Neighsay’s name, the side of Sunburst’s mouth spasmed like he was having a stroke. His emotions begin to sink like lead, plummeting into an inky, pitch-black trench that’d opened in his mind.

“Is it too late to say no?” he asked.

Cadance wanted to gag. Sunburst’s surface feelings were fine, but within the trench was a conglomerate of contradicting emotions. Happiness and sadness, hope and despair, rage and joy, grief and solace, neglect and devotion, love and hate, anxiety and confidence… all hopelessly melded together like some unholy abomination. She couldn't even begin to tell where one feeling ended and another began, the only thing she could tell—

“UGH!” Thorax made a chittering hiss. He recoiled like he’d been slapped, then sprang up and scrambled OVER Cadance to get away from Sunburst. Thorax moved so fast he tripped, tumbling head-first over the throne’s edge...

“Whoa!” Cadance used her magic just in time. She set Thorax down on the floor, and he immediately bolted like the hounds of Tartarus were after him, coughing and gagging all the while.

“Thorax!” Steelwing did a double-take. “Come back!”

“Get him,” Cadance said, silently wishing she could, as well. “Take him to Gleaming.”

Steelwing saluted and flew after Thorax in a flurry of feathers.

“Uhhh…” Sunburst blinked several times. “What just—”

“Sunburst.” Cadance willed the bile in her throat to stay put. “I need you to be quiet a moment.”

Sunburst’s look soured. First she asked him to talk, now she wanted him to shut up. An even snarkier response formed on his tongue, but he bit it back.

Moments passed. Sunburst said nothing, Cadance said nothing, neither of them moved an inch. Cadance had closed her eyes and was doing… something, although what, Sunburst couldn’t tell. The silence wasn’t doing him any favors, though—with his mind unoccupied, he was free to fall spiralling into the emotional pit he’d worked so hard to conceal.

Did you know I grew up in an orphanage?

Sunburst jumped. He looked up at Cadance, but her lips hadn’t moved. “What—”

There were two kinds of foals living there. Cadance’s voice tickled his mind like a whisper in his skull. Foals who’d lost their families, and foals who weren’t wanted. Most didn’t talk about which they were, but when I became an alicorn and developed my empathy, it became clear who was who. The foals who’d lost their families were in mourning, but they still had love in their hearts. That love overshadowed all the other feelings so much, it was almost all I could feel in them. But the foals who’d been abandoned—or even worse, rejected...

Sunburst grit his teeth until his jaw hurt. “Get out... get out get out get out gET OUT GET OUT GET OUT GET OUT! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!”

Cadance opened her eyes, now shining bright with white light. Her horn flared with a simple noise-cancelling spell, an eerie green light spreading out from her to form a hollow dome around them. Their feelings were jumbled in gigantic knots, everything muddled beyond saving. The confusion and stress were eating them from the inside like a poison, and for many of them, it was like a physical gag. They literally couldn’t talk about it, and every time they tried, they’d go so worked up they’d pass out. I didn’t really understand it at the time, but I never forgot what their emotions felt like, even when I got older.

Sunburst reared and hit his front hooves together. His horseshoes flared with ornate, spidery runes, and a twelve-sided array formed around him, the WHUM of prepared magic crackling—

Cadance waved her hoof.

The array faded away. There was a slurping sound as Sunburst sank barrel-deep into the floor, the crystal re-hardening and trapping him tight.

“CADANCE!” Spittle flew from Sunburst’s mouth. “LET! ME! GO!”

I’m afraid I already let someone go today. The suppression spell Cadance had been using crumpled like paper. She rose from her throne and approached to loom over him like a goddess, the air around her hazy and mind-bogglingly heavy. I’ve known you were hiding something since we met, but I didn’t press it because you have a good heart. Yet good hearts are what Queen Chrysalis preys on, and if you’re under her control like Chancellor Neighsay—

It was like awakening a volcano. Upon hearing those words, the putrid emotions in Sunburst’s mind frothed and churned, vying for dominance but never winning. The mass bubbled and fought fiercer than ever within the abyss, surging upward and threatening to spill out into the rest of Sunburst’s mind—

A great pulse erupted from Cadance.

Sunburst screamed. He went rigid, flickers of light dancing behind his eyes. The vile emotions were shoved back through psychic power alone, muscled into submission even as Sunburst fought against her.

“NO!” Rage flashed in his eyes. His horn flashed with a spell—

Cadance waved her hoof again.

“GAH!” Sunburst’s horn became encased in crystal. “STOP IT!”

I’m sorry. Cadance’s voice was an island amidst a chaotic sea. But I need answers, and I can’t afford to respect your privacy. I’d let you tell me yourself, but I know you can’t. Your pain is too deep, and your will is too strong. There’s only one way I’m going to get the truth out of you.

And with that, while holding the volatile emotions still, she dove into the muck and followed each strand to the respective memories. Sunburst shrieked like the damned, his boiling wrath and seething fury hammering Cadance the entire time, but it felt like feathers to her.

Sunburst was seeing red. It felt like Cadance was pouring iodine on an open wound, only said wound was inside his head. He was sweating, his heart pounding fast, and every muscle in his body was tensed. He tried to bite her, but she was too far away for him to reach. Each memory Cadance looked at made him fight her anew, but no matter how hard he tried, it was like a flea trying to stop an elephant.

Until at last, Cadance found the truth.

“What?!” She took a step back. “Chancellor Neighsay’s your—”

“SHUT UP!” Sunburst spat. “DON’T YOU DARE SAY IT!”

Cadance’s eyes fell on Sunburst’s goatee. The glob of emotions she’d just checked was trying particularly hard to surface—scarred with repeated marks of being pushed down many times. “He didn’t send you here… you’ve never even met him… you only ever tried meeting him once, and he—oh, gods... I’m sorry, Sunburst.”

Sunburst’s reply was a very colorful insult about Cadance’s mother.

Cadance watched the viscous emotions roil and churn. “You didn’t even know he was under Chrysalis control... You’re just a victim, you’ve nothing to do with—”

The world screeched to a halt.

“Oh, my god.” Cadance dropped all her spells. Her alicorn magic broke free of Sunburst’s mind to swirl around her like a warm wind before rejoining the vast wellspring she was still immersed in. “What have I… no... no-no-no-no-no! You… You have to be involved somehow! There’s no way I just invaded the wrong—NO! NO-NO-NO-NO-NO! This… th-this is another of Chrysalis’ tricks! She planted you here knowing I’d interrogate you!”

Yet those words rang hollow in Cadance’s heart. Her eyes grew wild, her breath coming in shallow pants, her incredible power flaring out of her control. It’d been so easy to barge into Sunburst’s mind, to brush aside his resistance and take what she wanted...

“I-I…” Cadance jerked her head so fast she nearly got whiplash. “I swore I’d never… Cadance, you MONSTER! You know the laws of war! You KNOW THEM!”

Sire’s Hollow, hollow sire...

Suddenly, a strange, bubbly feeling washed over Cadance. Her eyes glowed even brighter, and the room spun around her with a sudden lurch. She lost balance and fell over with a cry, and the violent tumble made the nausea catch up with her at last. She only just managed to avoid vomiting on herself, her jaw going tingly and numb.

“Wh-What…” Cadance shuddered and coughed, the acrid smell of bile filling her nose. “The Heart? But—”

“You have no heart.”

The color drained from Cadance’s world. She looked up ever-so-slowly, and saw that Sunburst was back on his hooves with his glowing horn free. He was heaving for breath in great gasps, teeth bared in a tear-stained snarl, the darkness in his mind drowning his psyche. He reached into his cloak and produced two half-empty vials—one black, one white.

Sire’s Hollow, hollow sire, son of both shall save Empire…

Cadance could only shut her eyes as the vials smashed into her face.

Author's Notes:

These scenes were some of the hardest I've ever had to write. A lot went into them to make sure everything fell into place (which is why it took so long to finish), and even with a roadmap of how things were going to play out, I still had to get some help. Huge thanks to Winter Quill for helping me make this part what it is.

There's going to be a part three of this chapter. I was originally going to have it all together, but Quill pointed out this is a good stopping point. It lets you digest everything that's just happened in this portion, and let's be honest, you guys probably need a breather. This will be the second time I've had to break a chapter into three parts (Chapter 13) and the way things are looking, it won't be the last.

I'm interested to hear everyone's thoughts on this part. Do you like how things went down? Do you wish things happened differently? Are you entertained? I know this story's getting crazy, but is it at least the good kind of crazy? Let me know!