Author's Notes:

Here! Because I can't seemed to start a new chapter without doing something else right now, here! Enjoy this plot-thicking chapter while I'll think of a way to start the other one that's like...thirteen ahead of this one.

-Till next time.

High Moon Ch. 16:

Past Life & Sins

Dusk and the others had finally made their ways out of Everfree and was now walking in the streets of Ponyville, all eyes were on them. More exact, on Spike as everypony where in awe by his new look, and the fact that he was walking back with the CMC’s and Dusk’s pack. However, it was late in the afternoon, and Applebloom needed to get home before it get’s too dark.

Scootaloo had to do the same thing after once again apologizing to Sweetie for letting her jealousy take control of her. Now Spike was left with Dusk, Jinx, Sketchy, and Sweetie Bell as they made their ways to their respective destinations.

Being back in Ponyville was a nerve-racking for Spike, old memories flooded his mind, but he pushed them aside. Ponyville was his old life, his old mistakes and achievements, but now he had what he accomplished in High Moon to be proud of.

He wasn’t here to come back to the standard safety of the library. He wasn’t here to apologize for any of his choices or to be remorseful of what happened to the elements as it was their own fault. No, he was here to put an end to what should haven’t even started.

Once the group made it to the four crossroads separating Ponyville, Spike stopped in his tracks. Right down the street was the Golden Oaks library, his old home, and the first place he knew he had to start with.

Dusk followed his blank gaze towards the library, and after having to report there a couple of times for the mayor, Dusk knew that it was the home of Ponyville’s own alicorn princess. He smirked and slapped Spike on the back, almost making him fall. “Remember drake, sui sacrificium.” Spike nodded to Dusk which was returned as he started down the left street, heading towards the house he and the other brought.

Jinx placed a kiss on Spike’s cheek while Sketchy placed a hand on his shoulder for support. The two soon started after Dusk, leaving Spike with Sweetie Bell. “Well...good luck Spike. See you tomorrow?” Spike gave a slight shrug, knowing that it was too late in the day for him to make it back to High Moon before it got too dark, and that he’ll have to stay at Zecora’s for the night. Sweetie gave Spike a hug, that felt like it lasted longer than it should have. “Night Spike.” Sweetie started to walk down the street towards the boutique, periodically taking a look back to him, but soon was gone.

Taking one last deep breath, Spike started down the street towards the Golden Oaks library, and reached the doorstep much quicker than he would have liked. Spike reached for the doorknob, only to find that it was locked, and smacked himself when he realized that his key was still inside along with his other stuff.

However, he knew of the spare key that Twilight leaves outside for when he--more like Quill--forgets their key, but unfortunately Twilight seemed to have removed it. “Come on where is that-”

“Hey Spike!” Spike’s body froze at the unforgettable sound of his twin sister and turned to see her and a cloaked dragoness flying straight towards them. Thinking that she was still mad at him, Spike redoubled his efforts in trying to find the small golden key, but failed as both dragonesses landed on the ground behind him. “I figured that you’ll be here Spike.”

“Yeah,” Spike sighed, not daring to face his sister, but still able to see the enraged look on her face in his mind. “I guess you’re here to drag me back to High Moon?”

“No.”

Spike turned towards Quill, still not acknowledging the other dragoness, and was even more shocked that she didn’t have an angry look on her face. “No? But I thought-”

“Well you thought wrong,” Quill said, walking past Spike and kneeling down to the keyhole. “So you don’t have your key either?” Spike sighed, dropping his shoulders with his head as a response. “Good thing I know how to pick locks.” Spike again turned his head towards Quill as she gently blew a purple flame on the clawed tip her pointer finger and stuck it in the lock. “A twist here, a turn there, and…” Click “done.”

Quill stood up from the ground and opened the now unlocked door. “Ladies first,” she directed at Frost, who giggled as she walked in the rather dusty and dark library with Quill and Spike right after. Once Spike had closed the door, they saw the library was in worse condition than they have ever seen it before.

Stacks of books, scrolls, and paper towering over their heads creating a labyrinth within the library. Rows upon rows of empty dusty shelves, where the books would normally be, lay in equal neglect as the rest of the room. Papers, if not stack on top of each other, where scattered across the floor, and had their own coat of dust on them. Any sight of the couch was blocked by several stacks of papers, what could be seen was being used to aid in stacking the seamlessly endless amount of papers.

Frost, who’s never seen the library in the first place, didn’t want to make any assumptions, but a quick peak in both Quill’s and Spike’s emotions told her that it wasn’t supposed to be like this. While Spike was in speechless horror as he was living out one of his younger nightmares, Quill was two steps away from pure rage, and a large snort of black smoke prove this.

“I can’t believe this,” she shouted making her way through the maze of books and papers with the other two following shortly behind. “Two months, two months, and she let’s this happen? Well I’m going to fix that.”

Quill and the others managed to make it to the stairs without knocking anything down, however, once there they found the trail of papers leading up to the living space. Something Twilight never allows. Quill darkly growled at the tail of papers and started to storm up the wooden stairs, threatening to break through the dusty wood.

Frost wasn’t the only one that caught onto the dragoness’s boiling rage as Spike stopped Quill by the shoulder and forced her to look in his eyes. “Wait Quill, what are you going to do?”

Quill snorted black smoke in Spike’s eyes and used that to swat his hand away. “What do you think I’m going to do Spike? Someone needs to set this mare straight and we’re the one’s that’s going to do it.” After they made it up the stairs, again without knocking any stacks over, Quill marched straight for the bedroom, and used the stacks of books and papers upstairs as fuel for her burning rage. By that, every stack of paper they passed started to curl from the burning heat coming from her as she was slowly losing control of her magic. “Twilight needs to learn that no one is going to help her, if she doesn’t try on her own.” Feeling the rage coming from her lover, Frost moved past Spike, and reached out to Quill’s tail. “Frost, not now I’ve got-”

Quill wasn’t able to finish her words before Frost sealed her lips with a kiss, neither one paying the drake any attention. Quill’s eyes widened in surprise but soon gave in to her lover’s caring kiss. Soon, Quill’s hands reached out to her sides, pulling her closer as her magic started to calm down along with her. Frost broke out of the kiss right before Quill could take control. “Quill, calm down. Whatever you two got to do, you can’t do it all railed up like this. Okay?”

Quill locked her eyes with Frost’s icy-blues and sighed when she realized that yelling wouldn’t help the situation. “Fine, I’m good. Thanks Frost.” Frost planted another kiss on the top of Quill forehead, making her blush slightly.

“W-wait what I thought…” Both lovers turned to the drake standing behind them as they had forgotten that he was even there. “So you and her are-”

“Later Spike,” Quill started, moving out of Frost’s embrace making sure Spike didn’t see anything they didn’t want him to see, and walking towards the door. “Right now, we got an alicorn to deal with.” Quill pushed the door opened, not surprised that Twilight left it unlocked, and stepped inside. Just as Spike had feared, Twilight’s room was just as bad--if not worse--than the rest of the library.

Piles of papers laid sprawled across the floor, clothes surrounded the dresser--and from the smell--none were clean. However, the twins didn’t take a single moment to further examine the room. Their eyes were deadlocked on the sitting mass on the unkempt bed.

Words failed Spike for a moment when he saw the state that Twilight was in. Her mane--if you can call it that--was in such a mess that birds could use it to lay eggs in. Her usually large and vibrant wings were in such a mess that it was every pegasus’s, especially Rainbow’s, worst nightmare as feathers jetted out in several misshapen areas. The normally clean white blouse she would wear had stains all over and it seemed that she gave up on wearing pants.

Even with Twilight staring their direction, it was easy to tell that she still was unresponsive to everything. Frost didn’t dare try and sense whatever blank emotion was swirling around Twilight head, however from what she naturally picked up in the room, it was easy to tell that she had a hard time dealing with lost.

“Seriously Twi? How in the world you let this happen?” Although she was awake, words seemed to be deaf to Twilight’s ears. Spike held his head down in shame, remained that this was their fault while Quill simply chuckled. “Alright, I knew this would happen.” Quill started to walk over to Twilight’s side and lean into her ear. “Sparkle you have until the count of three before a MAJOR report paper is due.” This seemed to get Twilight to react with an ear twitch, however that was it.

“Okay...one,” Another ear twitch, this time more noticeable, and followed by her face contorting slightly. Frost, again who knew nothing about the alicorn, stood by and watched Quill work whatever plan she had while Spike was starting to see where she was going with it. “two…” Another twitch, again with her face contorting, and fingers becoming jittery. “Last chance Sparkle.” More bodily movements, as if she was waking from a deep sleep, but still not the response Quill was looking for. “Thre-”

Twilight shot up from the bed and flailed her hands around as if she looking for a report she didn’t write. “No wait! I-It’s here somewhere. I just got to-” Quill busted out in laughter at the alicorn’s predictable behavior as she could always rely on the professional student that will always forever be Twilight. While Quill was laughing on the bed, Spike breath out a sigh of relief, and Frost cover her mouth with her hand--still not allowing anyone to see her naked body underneath the cloak.

Twilight stood with a confused expression, her mind still not fully back from it’s two month long vacation. Slowly, she did start to recognize the two twins, and her eyes started to widened with tears. “S-Spike, Q-Quill I-I thought you-”

“Twilight stop right there.” Twilight flinched from the cold tone in Quill’s voice as she pointed an accusing finger towards her. “Don’t think that we’re here to stay, in fact I’m thinking of leaving right now, but it’s obvious that you can’t go two days without me or Spike.” Twilight buried her head in her mess of a mane with shame in her heart at the truth in Quill’s words.

Quill shook her head at Twilight as she hopped of the bed and patted her on the back. “Quit your crying already.” Twilight whipped the tears threatening to spill from her eyes while Quill walk back towards Spike. “We’re came to check up on all of you, when...a little birdy told us that you all were being spoiled fillies.”

“Quill, stop it. You know that’s not fair,” Spike said, unable to let the same thing that happened two months ago happen again now. “But she right Twilight. We’ve been fine this entire time, but look at yourself,” he finished, waving his hand over Twilight’s bedraggled look, and getting her to blush when she realized that she didn’t wear any pants with Spike in front of her.

“Twilight,” Quill started, not able to stand seeing the room in such a mess any more, or even the mare. “Go take a bath, you stink, really bad. Spike, go fix her something to eat. Frost help fix this mess?”

That’s when Twilight realized that there was another dragoness in the room with them. She looked over to the dragon to find that she looked roughly around the same age as Quill and Spike. “Sure sweetie, should we start down stairs?”

“Unfortunately, yes.” Before Twilight could get another word out, both Quill and Frost were already making their ways down stairs to start sorting out the mess in the room. Spike waited until he knew that Quill was far enough away before rushing over to Twilight and pick her up in a big hug.

Twilight returned the gesture, paying no mind to how much taller Spike had gotten, or how stronger he was. All that matter was that neither of them were angry with her and they were both still together. “Missed you Twilight and so did Quill, she just has her own way of showing it.” During the longed embrace, Spike caught a whiff of Twilight’s foul scent. He forced himself from the hug and straight to the door while he held his nose. “And um...you really should take a bath, like now.” Twilight cocked her head and lifted up arms, only to be knocked back herself from the offending odor that she allowed to build up for a few weeks.

“Yeah, I’ll get right on that.” Spike chuckled at seeing the sly smile on Twilight’s face. He started to leave the room when he was stopped by Twilight. “Spike,” She started, getting the drake’s attention. “I-It’s good to see you.” Spike smiled and nodded towards Twilight before heading downstairs to fix the mare something to eat.

Once the door was closed, Twilight collapsed backwards onto the bed, and started to kick her feet in the air. She was overwhelmed with a feeling of relief, joy, and a whole list of emotions that she couldn’t described by mere words. The twins were safe, not back home in the library, but still safe none the less. Neither one were angry with her either, their bodies had ever looked as healthy as they ever have, and both were still able to smile. That’s all that Twilight could have asked for.

And here she was lazing about, allowing her and the other elements to fall apart over something like this. Well now’s was the time to change all that. Now was the time to...take a much needed shower.

Twilight hopped off the bed, grabbed what she thought was clean clothes, and started for the bathroom. She couldn’t believe how much the two had grown in the last two months while she locked herself away from the world. Hopefully, everything will now start changing.

For better or worse.

Days after confessing her love for Obsidian, and removing the part of her that held such love, Celestia sat at her private work desk in her room. Her long day had already ended, meetings with nobles, overseeing a few secret operations throughout Equestria, and already planning for the next Grand Galloping Gala. Yes, her busy mundane life was now back in full swing without the distracting thoughts of Obsidian floating around in her head, however she did miss some of the talks she would have with the dog.

Though, time would prove to not allow this as a dark secret would soon started to reemerge. Whether everyone is ready or not solely depends on the twins, even if she wish it not to. Why it had to be them, she couldn’t, and wouldn’t dare tell another living soul.

Luck, if you can call it such, would prove to give them quite considerable time. If nothing upset the balance of things, then by her guess, the twins have another ten long years before their true densities ever reveal themselves.

Such guess would be easier to tell if she could monitor their growth. However, due to their choice, that proved to be too difficult of a task. She hadn’t felt any shifts, Discord--still hiding wherever he went--hasn’t made any moves, and everything seems normal.

“So why does it feel like I’m something is missing?” The feeling had been bugging Celestia for some time now, much longer before the twins’ choices, and far too different to be the one she dreaded.

Celestia shook her head and returned back reading the ancient tome in front of her. She may had time, everyone still had time, but it was better to be prepared for the unavoidable. Suddenly, her sight however, was covered by off-white hands, and not much thought was put into who the hands belong to. “Maybe you’re overthinking things,” Mia teased, periodically paying visits to her ‘sister’ while she stayed with Sky Bloom in Baltimare. “You always do that when things get pressing Celly.”

Celestia, too tried to argue with the mare, sighed as she used her magic to close the book she’d been using to create and modify spells from the past. Spells, she wished she’d never have to use. “Maybe you’re right Mia. They’re still young, there’s still time, and nothing is out of the ordinary.” Mia removed her hands from Celestia’s face and took a seat on her desk. “However, I can’t shake the feeling that I’m overlooking something. Something from the past, that I’ve failed to finish.”

“Well, it’s like Sid say sometimes.” Mia paused to make her voice sound deep and slightly stretchy like Obsidian’s before continuing, “‘Only time can reveal your past. Sins, will reemerge in a new form, and only then can one deal with them,’” Mia cited a saying that was forged from the life Obsidian lived back in the republics. “If you can’t think of whatever it is, then I sure enough don’t know.”

Celestia paused for a moment to recall her long life of living, all the enemies she faced, the bridges she was forced to burn, and the sins she didn’t dare speak of. However, the dark memories didn’t reveal a single clue as to what was causing the feeling.

Nothing except...

“No,” she said much louder than was necessary. “No, I don’t seem to be able to think of anything. Maybe I am overthinking this.” One thought, one unspeakable thought reed itself back into her head after burying it away for a long time, but she knew that there could be a chance.

However, Mia knew Celestia better than anyone could ever hope to, and she caught the mare’s forced answer. “Celly, it isn’t nice to lie to yourself,” she joked again, which didn’t register in Celestia’s mind. “If there’s something that you are not telling me, I’ll be forced to start looking myself.”

Celestia sighed, she knew by this point it wasn’t smart to lie to Mia, and maybe telling her other half would help her figure out things. “The fallen star.” The air in the room suddenly dropped at the sounds of those words and how they were spoken. “Cecidit lucifer, I fear someone is so foolishly trying to control it’s power again, but I’m not sure.” Memories regarding the event and ancient occult group that followed flooded Celestia.

In his last years of sanity, Starswirl the Bearded had created the fallen star, an ancient silver star shape relic, filled with ancient arcane knowledge and power. The relic itself was not dangerous, in fact, it was designed to bring joy to all Equestrians. Foal’s wildest dreams could come true, earth-ponies could fly, unicorns could use magic far past their years, and pegasi easily break the sound-barrier.

The relic wasn’t just used to bring the longed dreams of ponies alive. It held the power to stop floods, summon rain without the need of clouds, and defeat any threatened that would come to the three tribal kingdoms. However as the two alicorn sisters came into power, the fallen star had already corrupted the hearts and minds of the young united kingdom.

The corruption speared everywhere, reached even the purest of hearts, and ruined the greatest of minds. As an act of pure insanity, Starswirl gave his life to bring about a creature he thought suited the way the world was, and named his creation; Discord. It was only after defeating him were Celestia and Luna were able to locate the relic.

But before either Celestia, or Luna could locate the ancient relic, an occultist group under the name of ’Sectatores et Stellas,’ or Followers of the Star, had already foolishly tried to recreate the relic. As it had required such great magic of Starswirl, all attempts of recreation ended in one horrifying creation after another.

One attempt turned into Celestia’s greatest shame; the Alicorn Amulet. When the jewel fell into Celestia’s hands after the another attempt of taking down the Followers of the Stars, she was initially bewitched by it’s awesome might, and truly believed that she was able to control it.

Luna had made her disagreements known to her, she did not listen, and instead acted on her own to prove her worth. Celestia set out on a solo journey to a settlement that was know for the occult to be at, a small--almost non-existent--mountain city located close to what is now called the Swayback mountain named Far Cry. All that the town was known for was for mining and rock farming; perfect for hiding.

While still wearing the amulet, Celestia barged down on the town in a ball of pure fire from the sun, and was able to quickly locate the occultist's hideout. Celestia attacked without mercy, without remorse for the souls she was reaping. That day she became something she had vowed to fight against; a monster.

To this day she still doesn’t know how many ponies she savagely murdered, be thirty, ten, or even five it didn’t matter. She ended their lives without the slightest remorse for any of their lost souls. It was only after the dust had settled, when she finally realized that her battle with the occult members had slipped into the small mining town’s streets, and several incident ponies were severally injured by her uncontrolled anger and fury.

How blinded she was because of the amulet’s influence over her mind. That’s when she had the amulet locked away for none to be tempted by it’s power however several counterfeit ones were rumored to be in creation, but no real facts came from it.

Several years later, Celestia and Luna had finally found the occultist's headquarters, and launched one last assault on the Followers of the Star. During the final attack, the real relic was destroyed, and spit up into eleven separate fragments. Six of these fragments held the powers of harmony and friendship, the same power that was used to bring ponies of all three races together, and had the power to quell any darkness; the Elements of Harmony.

However, five pieces held powers that would not work with the other elements, but instead had their own strength. Resolve, honor, pride, life, and sacrifice. These five carried a power that proved to be not what Equestria need after the centuries of strife. So against Luna’s best wishes they were locked away deep within the old castle, which was moved after the Lunar Rebellion, and Celestia’s second greatest sin; banishing her sister.

For centuries, Celestia bared the weight of all of her past sins, but it seemed that she could no longer keep them from coming back up. If her supposition about a copy of the fallen star being in use are correct then it would only be a matter of time before she would have to pay for each of her sins.

“So,” Mia started after following the link she has with Celestia and piercing in her thoughts. “If this ‘fallen star’ thing does come back, what do you plan to do,” she asked, not have been created in Celestia’s mind until after Luna’s and Nightmare’s banishment, and not given actual life until a few days ago. “Surely whoever even knows of something this ancient will have plans for the crown.”

Celestia kept quite, weighting how this could affect not only the future of Equestria, but how it could affect the densities of the twins. “You are right, whoever is attempting this foolish gain surely must have higher goals than mere power, but all I can hope that the seals stay strong until they are ready.”

“Speaking of which,” Mia again started, breaking Celestia out of her thoughts. “Just how long do we have until the seal does give out?”

Celestia stood from her seat and walked towards the opened window to gaze at her sisters shining moon. “If I am wrong, and there is no threat of another fallen star being made, ten years.” She took a moment to embrace the cooling winds of the incoming fall. Any chance she could get being reminded of the peace before the strife, Celestia happily took until it faded away. “However, if I am right, and someone is in fact trying to reconstruct the fallen star. It is uncertain how much time is taken away or given to the seals.”

Mia hopped off the desk and wrapped her arms around Celestia’s torso, scaring her a little. “Then don’t you think we should consult our sisters with this matter?” Sighing, Celestia nodded her head, not wanting to make the same mistakes as she did in the past. “Well, until we have unreasonable doubt, I say we wait, and see what happens.”

Celestia started to softly giggle at how Mia sounded just like Obsidian. Well that was to be expected as she used some of his inquiry mind to add to Mia’s personality. “Fine, fine. We will just have to wait and see.” Giggling, Mia started to move her hands around Celestia’s nightgown, and tried to find a way to ‘accidentally’ slip it off. However, Celestia caught to this. “Now don’t you think that you should be heading back to Baltimare? I’m sure Ms. Bloom is worried sick about you.”

“Okay...killjoy,” Mia sighed, before teleporting back to Sky’s house in Baltimare. After taking another moment to simply enjoy the cool winds, Celestia herself started to turn in for the night since she had another long day of work ahead of her tomorrow morning. However, the dreading feeling of her being right prevented any peaceful dreams to come.

Deep within the heart of an abandoned forest, laying in a dormant pace of Equestria, and unknown to any that live within it’s borders. Nine black hooded figures gather, they gather from all stretches of the kingdom, and they all gather for one goal.

In a large room filled with ancient markings running from the center of the stone floor to the ceiling above their heads, scrolls long before any of their times, and a coffin with silver and golden regal trim at the far back wall. The hooded figures gather to set their plan into motion after centuries of working in the shadows.

“Brothers, sister,” One hooded figured started, his black robes designed to give him an almost god-like appearances. At the smallest of calls from his voice, the room--once filled with chatter--ceased into silence to allow the one they call master speak.

“Let us rejoice!” The silence was all but a distant memory at the cheers from the small group of figures before falling back into ghostly silence. “The time our ancestors have strived for is at a hand. Now we are moments away from living out their dreams.” The leader started to walk from behind the golden and silver trimmed black coffin. “Dreams of putting the rightful rulers back into power.”

The other members followed their master’s lead and circled around a small pedestal in the exact center of the room, markings leading up the stand all the way to a silver jewel pulsing like a beating heart, but instead of blood an unnatural purple glow flow through the cracks and veins within.

All bowed their heads, awaiting for their master to give final blessing before the ritual could start. “Oh great Star, please bless us with your almighty power. Lead us onto the path of freedom and paradise. Banish all wicked evil from these lands and grant us the power to end all that dare oppose you benevolent light.” All members raised their heads, all foolhardy believing in their master’s words.

“It is time!” As all the members got in place the jewel in the center of the room started to bleed out it’s ghostly purple glow, flooding the floor around the pedestal with a faded purple smoke. “No longer will we be under the command of that...naïve alicorn. No longer will we have to listen to those that are ‘chosen’ by faith. We will control our own densities.” All nine members, all unicorns, started to light their horns, feeding their magic into the jewel one last time before beginning the ritual. “Now, we’re the masters of our own lives and we will see to that.”

Every member ended their individual glowing horns, all expect the leader's golden. “Brother Blueblood,” he started, gesturing for the unicorn noble to remove his hood. “Our time of redemption is at hand, being forth the child.” Blueblood bowed his head, something he seldom do, and walked over to a lever on the wall behind him.

The ear-splitting sounds of rusted chains and gears grinding against one another, to any normal pony would have been painful to stand, but to this few nine were music from the heavens. And their musical pleas were being answered as a cage that was set up earlier started to descend with a shivering unicorn filly inside.

Bourses on the filly’s wrists and ankles were ‘gifts’ from her tormentors as they had her chained for untold numbers of years. The rest of her body didn’t fare as good either, unable to stop her shivering, and on the brink of malnutrition and dehydration.

However, the nine below didn’t care for the filly’s health just yet, but soon she would play a major part in redeeming their ancestors failures. Once Blueblood was back into place, all nine joined hands, and relit their horns. This time though, all nine horns shine in the same bright silver light as the jewel in front of them.

“This is it,” the leader started again, collecting the other’s magic within his own, and sending it the crying filly above. The trapped filly’s screams brought blissful smiles to the ponies below while she was left holding her head in tears. Her horn, still far too underdeveloped to withstand all the magic being forced in it, started to pulse with in a violet-purple; the same as the jewels glow. “Nothing can hope to ever stop us, we will control this land, and take it as our own.”

Too lost in lust for their ancestors’ dreams, the nine ponies failed to notice the room staring to crumbling, but they did not care. And why should they? What their entire lives have been living up to was now within their reach. Why stop over a few falling rubble?

Pain, pain is why they should stop, but they refused. “Keep going my siblings,” The leader shouted above the filly’s high pitched screams. “Yes, yes it is-” Suddenly, one of piece of metal from the filly’s cage fell onto the jewel, and was enough to through the delicate ritual off balance. Once small rubble falling from the ceiling, was now large chunks of rocks threatening to cave in any of the ponies’ skulls if one would be so lucky to land a direct hit. Large gaping cracks started to rip open on the floor, far large enough for one to fall right through.

The unicorns started to have troubles standing, not from the ground shaking, but from being pulled in by some invisible force. All tried to stop the ritual, fearing for their lives, but only found that they could not do as such. “No, no this isn’t right.” Even the leader, undoubtedly the strongest of all of them, was incapable to stop the jewel from pulling on his magic. “Star, why? Why are you doing this? Why are you betraying us!”

As response to his demands, the jewel shot out several pluses of magic at the room in an erratic manner, but somehow--or for some reason--missed all nine unicorns. However, the ceiling above suffered too much damaged from the sympathy of magical discharge, and a massive crack was making it’s way towards the spot where the filly’s cage.

Soon, the filly started to fall along with the cage, and down to the jewel. The rusty metal cage shattered from an unforeseen barrier from the jewel while the filly’s fall was stopped by the barrier.

Both the filly’s horn and jewel started to pulse in tandem with each other, growing brighter with each pulse, and much more concentrated with magic. The filly tried to struggled against the hold the jewel had on her body, her eyes forced shut from the pain flowing in her small body, and choked screams coming from her mouth. P-papa...I-I, p-please save m-me.

A sudden strong pull from the jewel yanked all the unicorns forwards before a subsequent pulse knocked them all to the crumbling walls around them. The leader was the first to recover from the sudden blast, he cared not of the crumbling around him, but of the child being fused to the jewel. “Get the child away from the jewel, she draining it of its magic!” Blueblood and another hooded member tried to move back to the center of the room again.

However a sudden bright silver and purple light from the jewel blinded them. The filly snapped her eyes wide open, shining a pure silver white, and tears streaming down her face. “Papa!” Again the jewel seemed to respond from the filly’s plea and started to glow brighter until both suddenly teleported in a violent flash.

The force from the teleportation threw back both Blueblood and the other hooded member while the others went to their aids. However, the leader’s golden eyes were only locked where the jewel and filly once was, and the bitter rage of being denied the glory of ushering in a new age boiled over into his voice.

“Find her,” he started in a voice so dead and hollow that demons from the tardis would fear it. “Find her and bring her back here! We mustn’t allow the sun-bringer to find her. Tear apart Equestria if you have to but just FIND HER!”

After thoroughly washing off weeks worth of filth from her fur, Twilight was down stars enjoying Spike’s missed cooking skills while Quill was upstairs grabbing as much of their stuff as she could cram into a few bags.

Spike had already started to wash the dishes while Frost sat on the countertop, already done with cleaning much of the mess, and waiting for Quill to come back down. “So Spike, was it,” Frost asked, needing something to distract her from Twilight’s gluttonous devouring, and wanting to know more about her new lover. “Tell me, is Quill always so...direct with everything, or is it just for special occasions?”

Spike, using his water-magic to do most of the cleaning, looked over to Frost who was still fully cloaked. “Direct? That’s putting it lightly,” he chuckled while the dishes were being swirled around in a small whirlpool. “Yeah, Quill has her ‘way’ to do things sometimes, and most of the time she too thick-headed to listen to reason.”

“I see,” Frost started, musing over it for a moment before asking another question. “So what about yourself? Quill didn’t speak much about you and from what she has told me, well, sounds like you two don’t get along very well.” Spike sighed as he started to put the dishes away, knowing that Frost was talking about the argument they had at the Rainbow Falls.

“Y-yeah, we sometimes argue...okay we argue like a lot, but that’s what got me so confused.” Spike closed the cabinet doors with his hand and tail before facing Frost. “The last thing she wanted to do was come here. So what made her come?”

Frost shrugged her shoulders, still not fully informed of the twins’ past lives in Ponyville, or them running away two months ago. “I don’t know you’ll have to ask her that yourself.” Upon universal command, Quill started down the stairs with several bags filled with their clothes and other personal stuff she could think to grab.

“Spike, Frost let’s go.” Twilight looked up from the half plate of nachos and towards Quill, who was standing at the door, then to Spike and Frost who too was heading towards the door. “It’s too late to head to High Moon so we’re going to stay at Zecora’s for the night.”

Spike and Frost nodded their heads as they were heading out the door but was stopped by Twilight calling out to them. “Wait, you guys are coming back tomorrow...right?” Quill and Spike recognized the desperate look in Twilight’s eyes while Frost could feel it oozing from her body. “T-that’s right, you guys are-”

“Not coming back,” Quill interrupted, far too tired from flying for nearly hundred miles, and didn’t want to again deal with the stress of Twilight’s pleading voice. “We got stuff to do back in High Moon and we are going to do them.” Not wanting to hear anything from the alicorn, Quill immediately left out the library, but stop. “Look Twilight, we’ll be around, but only after we finish some things first. Okay?”

“O-okay Quill, you all stay safe, and you’re always welcomed back.” Spike nodded to Twilight while Frost followed Quill out of the library. By this time, the moon was high over their heads, and their small chance of making it to High Moon closed with it being raised in the air.

The three didn’t waste any time before heading out of Ponyville and back into Everfree. Quill told Spike to take the lead since she was being weighed down by all of their stuff, which allowed her and Frost to whisper amongst themselves. “Quill, I don’t think I can hold this form for much longer.” After the long flight straight to Ponyville, much of Frost’s energy was drained, and she still didn’t have a good enough grasp on the shape-shifting technique just yet.

Quill quickly looked over her shoulders only to find that Ponyville was already far into the distance by this point. “That’s okay, Spike needs to know anyways.” Frost nodded her head and dropped the shape-shifting spell.

The bright icey-blue flames caught the corner of Spike’s eyes prompting him to turn around. “Hey, what was-” Spike stopped in his tracks when he saw that there was a changeling mare standing where Forest was moment’s ago and wearing the same clock as her as well. It didn’t take him much before he figured out that the dragoness was in fact the changeling in disguise. “Q-Q-Quill…”

“Spike,” Quill quickly started before Spike could start freaking out about the changeling mare standing next to her. “I would like for you to met my marefriend, Frost.” Spike looked away from his sister and towards the mare next to her, quickly remembering what the changeling race did in Canterlot, and how they almost killed the elements and Celestia. Now his sister was dating one...perfect. “Now before you say anything-”

Quill was forced to stop when Spike held up his hand and pinched the bridge of his nose with the other one. “Nope, I’m done.” Quill and Frost reed their heads back from Spike’s quick response, caught completely off-guard by his uncaring tone of voice. After the whole ‘love-triangle’ with Sweetie and Scootaloo, the last thing Spike wanted to do was get involved in what ever crazy relationship Quill had with the mare, and he knew that she was smart enough to be able to tell if something was up. So he had no real reason to disapprove, however he knew of six mares that would. “If you want to date a changeling Quill, then fine by me, but one day you know that Twilight and the others will find out. You do know that right?”

Quill didn’t know whether to sigh or laugh in Spike’s face, either way she looked at it, he was short of right, but for now she didn’t care. That was for future Quill to deal with. “Yeah, yeah come on let’s head to Zecora’s so we could get back to Wolf and the others.” Spike nodded his head, still wary of the fact that his twin was now in some kind of ‘relationship’ with a changeling, especially after the failed invasion years back. After what Dusk told him in the cave, he knew it was none of his business, but he still be keeping a close eye on her.