And low did the first angels fall from paradise. First went Lucifer, the Prince of Traitors and the Father of Lies, and with him went six others whom along with their new master would become the Crown Princes of Hell. And as they fell a fiery crown formed above each of their heads, and engraved on them were the words Gluttony, Wrath, Greed, Sloth, Lust, Envy, and Pride. They established their kingdom in Hades and in their perverse rebellion they corrupted our forefathers, those who inhabited the garden. Then after came the rest of hell’s legions, those angels who, seeing the success of the devil in corrupting God’s creation, joined the unholy rebellion and were cast out of heaven in countless number. In total, one-third of heaven's angels defected and joined Lucifer’s doomed cause. They made their temples in the pit of hell and created their perverse ideology to worship at the altar of sin.

Sin, the source of their power and the cause of their destruction. Sin, their one great pleasure, and ultimate misery. Sin, which they pridefully called their creation, for they had brought it into existence and not God the Most High.

Woe to any who fall to the seductions of the devil and his sin, for the pleasures they offer are shallow, fleeting, and inevitably lead to death. May the Lord give strength for all to resist these temptations and lead them throhieschferche Siamo con Dio.

“Damn this translation spell!”

I slam my forehead right in the crease of the book as if I could beat the correct language into it.

“You okay in here Twilight?”

I rotate my head, resting my cheeks against the dry pages of the tome so I can see Spike. He bumps the tower door open with his back and hauls in what’ll surely be about three hours of finicky translation spells worth of books.

“I’m fine,” I say

Spike lowers the stack of books down next to me with a grunt then climbs up to the top of the stack and uses it like a barstool. “Don’t usually hear you swear like that, and you don’t usually look like death when you have a sea of books to dive into.”

“I just haven’t been getting as much sleep as I should.”

“I’ve woken up some mornings to find that you’ve been glued to your readings all night, and even then you had a smile on your face.”

I give Spike a sullen look and turn my head away from him.

“Come on Twilight, what’s wrong?”

I sigh and think for a moment. How much can I tell him?

“Spike, how would you feel if I told you that, as a Princess, there are certain things I can’t tell you?”

He stares at me with narrow eyes. “I’d say that’s a convenient excuse to dodge the question.”

“No, that’s the answer,” I say sitting up. “I’m nervous because Celestia is about to show me some things that as a Princess I am sworn to secrecy.”

Spike’s eyes widen. “Oh.”

“All this research I’ve been doing recently, all of it is just to get the basic background and history of what Celestia is about to show me. The more I read the more I’m feeling overwhelmed by the whole ordeal.”

“Really? It sounds sort of cool to me.”

“Yeah, because you’re not the one who’s going to be in on the secret. I’m about to take an oath to hide information from everyone I know. You, my family, my friends, doesn’t matter how much I trust them.”

I take a deep breath and lower my head back down on the table. “I felt guilty keeping benign secrets between friends. I don’t know how I’ll handle government sanctioned secrets.”

“Oh come on Twilight, it’s not like you’re keeping anything someone ought to know from them.”

“Maybe, but I’ll still be hiding things from them,” I say. “What if something I learn comes up in conversation, like as some unsubstantiated conspiracy theory or news article? What if I have to pretend I know less than I actually do? What if I slip up and say something I shouldn’t? Do I lie to them? Say nothing? What if I spill some of Equestria’s most highly critical secrets and they get heard by a spy, or an informant, or worse a journalist?”

I feel a tug at the base of my tail and look down to see Spike holding tight to keep me from floating off into the rafters.

“Twilight,” he says. “Breath.”

I blink a few times in the air before inhaling a deep breath and exhaling as I glide down to the floor.

“Listen, you’re a Princess now. Celestia wouldn’t have given you that title if she didn’t think you could handle it and she wouldn’t ask you to keep secrets unless she was sure it was necessary. If she believes you can do this then I know you can.”

“I guess you’re right, but that still doesn’t change the fact that I’ll be keeping information from my friends. Even if it’s not malicious, even if there’s a good reason for it, and I’m never pressed to share things I’m not supposed to I still won’t feel right about it.”

Spike pinches his bottom lip between his thumb and forefinger. “Well, if you can’t be open about the stuff you’ll be learning, can you at least be open about the fact that you can’t be open?”

I give him a strange look.

“What I mean is if you just tell everyone that Celestia is asking you to keep secrets they’d probably be really understanding about it. Much more than they would if they just found out later on without you telling them. Would doing that make it easier?”

I raise my head up and think for a moment. My friends have been nothing but supportive of me becoming a princess so far. They even said that they’re ready to accept any changes that come with it, even if it involves me moving back to Canterlot and addressing me as ‘your majesty’. Neither of those things will be necessary, but the gesture was still touching. Maybe Spike has a point. Maybe I was fretting this whole time over nothing.

“Equestria to Twilight, yo, you still with me?”

I snap out of my thoughts. I smile and hug Spike close. “You’re right, I ought to just have a little more faith in my friends. Honestly, what would I do without you, Spike?”

He lifts up a finger. “Worry yourself into an anxiety-induced coma?”

I snort. “That’s silly Spike. You can’t worry yourself into a coma.”

“If anypony is going to be the first, it’ll be you.”

I give a loud laugh. Spike smiles along with me, happy to see me cheer up. Then his smirk becomes mischievous. “So uh, how much can you tell me about these secrets Celestia is telling you?”

I roll my eyes at him. “Not much I’m afraid. If you think about it enough I’m sure you’ll be able to get a rough idea of what I’m going to learn.”

His eyes drift up to the left corners of his face and he pinches his lip again. “Well, it could be some government conspiracies, or maybe some super cool spy network, or even…”

He stops suddenly. His arms go stiff and his eyes go wide. “Wait, Twilight, Celestia isn’t going to tell you anything related to the Order of the Alicorn is she?”

There’s an awkward silence.

“Oh, dear, Luna, she is isn’t she.”

I shush Spike furiously. “Would you be quiet.”

I look around as if there could be anyone nearby aside from the guards posted outside. “Yes, that’s what she’s showing me, and no you can’t ask anything further. I’m already pushing it by telling you that much.”

Spike’s eyes are as wide as the egg he was born in. The corners of his gaping mouth are curved into a tiny smile. “The Order, are they really as… I mean, that must be pretty exciting, seeing something most ponies only ever wonder about.”

Spike folds his arms behind his back like a bashful foal. I smile at his effort, even though it’s clear he’s dying to ask me more, and that he’s grossly understating how curious some ponies are.

The Order has been the subject of countless rumors and conspiracy theories since its inception more than a millennium ago. There have been stories of ferocious warriors going to battle with the most dangerous beasts of the underworld, of sadists who love bloodshed more than life itself, of horrific encounters that have left the strongest of Equestrian soldiers broken and insane. The rumors are so widespread even I had heard about them during my more reclusive years before Ponyville.

What I know for fact is this: The Order is the oldest branch of the Equestrian military, as well as its most elite and well trained. Only the absolute best of the best get selected to join it. Its primary purpose is confronting demonic threats and protecting Equestrian citizens from the forces of hell, though they have been called in during more large-scale military matters, the most recent being the changeling invasion of Canterlot. Unlike most other branches of the military, they operate in complete secrecy, and reports of their actions are only made public by necessity. Not even their identities are known. Those who join are sworn to secrecy and are quietly planted all throughout Equestria. The only ponies who do know anything about them are the highest ranking military generals, and those bearing the title of Princess, which I have just recently been granted.

All other information about them can only be inferred by observing their enemies, the demons. The most dangerous and vile monsters in existence. Just from the cursory research, I’ve been doing I’ve already been exposed to more accounts of horror and atrocity than I’d ever want to see in a lifetime. Animals being tortured and bled dry in profane rituals, infants being devoured as blood sacrifices, young mares being raped as tribute and being forced to bare infernal offspring that butcher them upon birth. It would almost sound like some twisted horror novel if I hadn’t just spent the last few days pouring over dozens of texts and news articles chronicling such horrific atrocities. How anypony can go about fighting such monsters, creatures that literally worship evil, I have no idea. I’m starting to see where the rumors that most of their soldiers go insane come from.

There’s a rough knock on the door and a guard’s voice comes through. “Princess Celestia to see you, your majesty.”

“Yes, send her in.” I’ll never get used to giving her permission to enter.

The door swings open and Princess Celestia ducks her head under the arching stone frame as she enters. Spike bows to her and I almost do the same but stop myself, remembering she told me not to do that anymore. Instead, I stand tall in what I hope is a royal fashion. She greets me with that characteristic calm smile. It relaxes me. It always has ever since I was a filly.

“Good morning Princess Twilight. Getting a head start on today’s plans I see.”

“Just preparing the best way I can your majesty. I’m currently studying up on old Pre-Equestrian Theology, and over the past few days I’ve also read through some basic demonology, occult theory, demon-hunting manuals, cult history, as well as Pine Field’s Basics of Demonic Anatomy, though I would prefer more time to get a wider understanding of that field.”

“If you had all the time in the world you still wouldn’t have enough time,” Spike says. I give a scowling look which he counters with a mischievous grin.

Celestia chuckles. “No need to fret Twilight. You’ve more than prepared for today. I’d say you’ve exceeded my expectations, but I always expect extraordinary work from you.”

My chest becomes tingly and there’s a slight twitch in my wings. “Thank you, Princess Celestia. I won’t start letting you down now, I promise.”

“Glad to hear it. Now, shall we make our way downstairs? My sister should be waiting for us.”

I nod to her before looking at Spike. “Time for me to go. I hope you can keep yourself busy until I get back.”

“Oh, no worries. I’ll just be tidying up in here so it’ll be ready when you get back.”

He walks towards the desk and I teleport him back in front of me before he can reach the books laying there. “You’re not reading those Spike.”

“What? Oh come on, that’s top secret too?”

“No, I just don’t want to send you to therapy for anything you might encounter in those books.”

“I can handle it.”

“I was barely able to handle it, Spike.”

He folds his arms and grumbles under his breath. Princess Celestia snickers a bit and then puts a hoof on my shoulder. I nod to her, then turn to the guard and give him explicit instructions to watch the room, just in case Spike gets any ideas.

He releases a defeated sigh before following us down the spiraling stone staircase. We part ways at the bottom. Spike heads out into the city, likely to donut Joe’s shop for some hot-chocolate and bear claws. Celestia and I head down the east wing of the castle. From there Celestia leads me down a long hallway to a corner door which leads down further into the basement.

The gentle glow of chandeliers and stained glass are replaced by the harsh blaze of torches that cast long shadows ahead of us. We walk through a wide empty stone labyrinth with multiple branching paths and corridors, with a ceiling just high enough to allow Celestia to walk through without adjusting her posture. The air is damp and there’s a sharp scent of burning wood throughout the area.

My wings squeeze tight to my back as we walk through this cramped area. For some reason, the wall mounted torches only illuminate the space we immediately occupy while off in the distance there is only shadow, as if it were somehow too dark for the light to pierce. I can’t shake the feeling that there’s something in that darkness, watching us. For a moment the thought of the torches going out crosses my mind and I feel some horrible dread like if I step out of the light even for a moment I’ll be snatched away and never heard from again.

“I hope you can forgive the dreary atmosphere.”

I hold back a scream at my mentor's voice and need to take a deep breath before answering. “It’s fine. I don’t mind Princess Celestia.”

“My sister played a large part in designing this labyrinth, spent several days drawing up the blueprints alone. I never could bring myself to change it that much, in the thousand years she was gone this place has stayed almost completely the same.”

My eyes widen and I take another look around. There are many sections of the castle that are old, but there aren’t many that have been preserved to stay the same as they were from the day they were built. I can see it now after giving the architecture a second look. The faded stone walls, low hanging ceiling, and the cracked grey brick floor. This place has age and it has history. I can only imagine what discoveries I could make if I were allowed a more thorough examination.

“Do stick close to me Twilight. This place was designed to be easy to get lost in.”

I snap back to reality and follow my mentor’s voice as it reverberates around the corner. I catch up with her and we resume trekking through the corridors at a brisk pace.

“Luna had a hoof in building this place huh?”

“She had a hoof in just about every aspect of the Order. It was her crowning achievement a thousand years ago, and when she returned she immediately resumed control. It’s almost like her child in a way.”

My gut twists at the notion of comparing a group of demon-hunters to children. “Well, whatever she’s passionate about I guess. It must have been good for her to have something left over from the past millennium to come back to.”

Princess Celestia is quiet for some time. We turn at three more intersections and then descend a flight of stairs before she speaks again.

“Twilight, can I ask you a question and can you be completely honest with your answer?”

“Yes, of course, Princess. What is it?”

She looks down at me with an observant eye. “Do you believe in second chances? That bad ponies can change if they’re just given the opportunity?”

I stop in my tracks and need to restrain myself from chuckling. “Well, yes, I and my friends played a big part in reforming Discord and Luna. It would be odd if we didn’t think that wouldn’t it?”

Celestia nods slowly. “Do you believe bad ponies should always be given a second chance?”

“Yeah, I’d say so. Don’t you?”

Celestia looks away from me and stares straight forward into the dark. “Long ago, when Luna turned on me and became Nightmare Moon, I led a squad of seven soldiers to face her. All seven of those soldiers were killed by her hooves. I had seven separate opportunities to save each one. I took none of them. I didn’t even try.”

My head tilts. I need to regain balance. For a moment I think she’s kidding, but her tone is so solemn and pointed I can’t imagine any circumstance she says it and not mean it.

My breath shakes. I ask, “Why? Why didn’t you–”

“Because the only way to do so would’ve been to kill my sister.” Her voice is quick and uncharacteristically cold.

“I knew that if I had time, if I waited long enough, even if it was for a thousand years, I could find a new group of ponies to take up the Elements of Harmony and Luna could be saved. I let seven ponies die to see that happen.”

She shudders and covers her own face with her hoof. “Seven more, after the ones she killed in her initial rampage.”

I can’t find words to speak. Celestia has always been so quiet concerning Luna and her betrayal. Though looking at it now I guess I can see why.

I look up at her like she’s a stranger. “Why are you telling me this now?”

She wipes her hoof from her face. Her eyes are inflamed like she was on the cusp of crying.

“I was placed in a horrible situation back then Twilight, the kind I adamantly pray you are never placed in. But even in less extreme circumstances, you will find yourself faced with decisions that will pain your very soul no matter what choice you make; your new title and responsibilities guarantee it. When you find yourself in such circumstances I hope you can display the sound judgment I did not, and avoid making a decision which, if I am being painfully honest with myself, I must admit was the wrong choice.”

My chest tightens up and I take two steps away from her. “Celestia, you don’t regret saving your sister do you?”

There’s something like horror in my voice and I turn my head away from her almost ashamed for having asked the question.

I hear her sigh again, dejectedly. “If you asked me that question before her return I would’ve said ‘no’ without a moment of hesitation, but now… There is one detail that genuinely makes me question myself, and that’s the fact that if the roles had been reversed, and it was I who betrayed Luna and she forced to stop me, she would’ve killed me without a second thought.”

“How do you know that?”

I turn my head back and see her staring at me dead on with the gravest of looks in her eye. “Because she told me so. She said I would have been dead before I could draw my sword.”

The silence is so thick I’m scared to break it. I always knew that conflict with her sister had torn her up inside. I couldn’t even imagine what it must have been like to have all that hate and bitterness hurled at you by someone you loved, but to sacrifice one, much less seven lives in order save her. If anyone else other than her had told me I wouldn’t have believed it. I feel betrayed.

Celestia eventually moves on and I tail her from a short distance. There’s nothing but the sound of our hooves clicking against the floor. We turn a corner and come to a solid stone wall with a large circular mural painted on it. The image depicts a blindfolded angel holding a large battle-ax in one hand and in the other a pearly white key so big that it needs its whole fist to hold it up. It stands on the severed neck of a demon, its decapitated head falling off into the pit of hell.

Celestia’s horn lights up with a spell and there’s a glow that comes from the angel’s face, before spreading to the rest of the mural, then the entire wall. Then it all fades, the light, the mural, and the wall, and a descending stone staircase is revealed behind it.

We continue down, the smothering darkness gives way to a more brightly lit passage and the ceiling lifts up high above us. Good thing too, I was starting to feel a little claustrophobic. We come to the bottom of the stairs and several yards ahead of us is a massive gothic archway with two gargantuan stone dragons carved into each side. Below them are six bat pony guards in full body silver armor and a seventh patrolling back and forth in a straight line in front of them. Each carries a halberd with blades in the shape of an angel’s wings. The patrolling guard stands to attention and they all salute us as we approach. I give the most regal smile I can as we pass by them and through the archway.

We walk through a narrow tunnel for some time. The temperature slowly becomes hotter until it’s just warm enough to be uncomfortable and the air becomes so humid it feels like I’m taking a drink with every breath. Up ahead I hear the sound of running water, lots of it like we’re approaching the rapids of a great river. Then we reach the end of the tunnel and I immediately gape at what I see.

We stand at the edge of a steep precipice overlooking a massive underground cavern that’s illuminated by large violate crystals. Dead center in this massive space is a huge column of water that gushes down from the ceiling like a twister out of the sky. It falls straight down, far far below where we stand, into a gaping black chasm in the ground. Around the chasm are a series of seven flat rings, carved out of the rock walls of the cavern and layered on top of each other like an upside down pyramid. I lose my breath at the sight of ponies on those rings, dozens of them. They stand in small groups, each with a leader, training in various forms of combat. Some have blades, others poles, some even fight hoof-to-hoof. I continue spotting more ponies all around the area. Some are scaling the sheer stone walls, others are in alcoves brewing alchemical formulas, and others still sit near the edges of the cave heads lowered and hooves extended in prayer.

I’m so engrossed in the activity all around that I’m startled when Princess Luna comes sweeping down from above and lands right beside us. She tips her head forward and places a hoof on her chest in greeting.

“Princess Twilight, it is a great joy to see you once again.”

“Princess Luna, this place is amazing,” I say.

“Taken in by its beauty are you.”

“And the ingenuity,” I say. “You built an entire military base underneath Canterlot Castle. I knew the tunnel systems beneath the city were extensive, but I never would’ve guessed you could hide something like this down here. It’s a stroke of genius.”

The night princess gets a beaming smile of pride. Celestia gets one herself, looking straight at her sister. "It truly was something special. A grand achievement at the time."

"I have to ask though, where does that come from?" I say, pointing up at the huge pillar of water. "Couldn't somepony find there way in from there?"

Princess Luna laughs. "Oh, rest assured young Twilight, we ensured that could not happen. There are some powerful magics placed in that waterfall, the likes of which guarantee that even someone managed to find their way to the source there would be no way of finding their way in. We'll show you, at the end of this tour, and you'll see exactly why entry from that point is impossible."

Oh, I can already tell this is going to be an amazing learning experience. I restrain myself from squealing with giddy so I can go straight to asking questions. “So, is this why you built the castle where it is? Because of these tunnels?”

“Indeed it was, though the castle only came second to the base itself,” Luna says. “These caves were originally the endpoint of a sort of pilgrimage. Members of the Order who joined early on in its infancy would undergo initiation by journeying to this point in the caves where they would be given a special baptism by being hurled into the falls which would carry them to a secret destination. It's a tradition which still stands to this day, one that I am deeply grateful for my sister having upheld.”

Luna looks over her shoulder and sees Celestia smiling at her.

“Given how tucked away it was and the naturally defensible terrain I pegged it as an excellent place to establish the primary headquarters of the Order of the Alicorn. And to answer your earlier question, yes. Once the base was set up, the castle came shortly after as a cover for the base, though after my exile my sister moved the capital to said castle, and thus the town sprang up as well.”

My horn glows for a split second, reaching for a pen and paper I don’t have. The easily defensible terrain has long been cited as a primary factor for the location of the castle, but I never knew that reasoning extended beyond the castle, to the very nerve center of Equestria’s defense force. I curse the rule against taking physical notes and strive to write down as much information as I can in my head.

“Is this where all members of the Order come to train?” I ask.

“The good majority of them,” Luna says. “Bare in mind, only the best of the best are even offered positions in the Order. Everypony you see below you have already experienced combat in some capacity or another, and most have gone through basic training in the guard; the only exceptions to the latter are individuals who have had hostile engagements with demons and come out the victor. We’ve never had a problem with space due to the demanding list of qualifications. This facility alone can house up to a thousand, though currently, we have just over four hundred, not including the pilgrims.”

“Pilgrims?”

“Agents in training,” she clarifies. “Shall we begin our tour?”

I’ve been so focused on the broad view I almost forgot I came here to get a closer look. “Yes, let's begin.”

Luna unfurls her wings and flies out over the training grounds. Celestia and I follow close behind her. We glide for a bit as Luna points out more details of the operation.

“Agents are trained here for a period of about two months before being deployed and continue to receive periodic training throughout their service. The majority of them have already gone through basic so the training you see below you is tailored specifically towards the hunting and slaying of demonic threats. How to react to what types of demons, what weapons to use, what potions to brew, how to track them, how to uncover them, how to fight them, how to kill them, and how to do so stealthily and contain any danger to civilians.”

I almost forget to keep flapping my wings I’m so enwrapped in the details. I can see why Celestia put Luna back in charge of the Order upon her return. It’s easy to get swept up in her enthusiasm as she delves into the nuts and bolts of the operation. The day-to-day schedules, the procedures of the training, even a bit of the financial aspects. She leads me through a series of tunnels to show me the full scope of the structure. There’s a primary alchemy lab where glowing remedies and scentless poisons are produced on mass. There’s an armory that overflows with blades, hammers, crossbows, halberds, axes, knives, razors, whips, and more exotic weaponry I can’t identify. There is a barracks the size of a hoofball field housing a fleet of bunk beds all neatly made. And a library.

I’m certain Luna saved the library for last thinking I’d want to spend a good deal of time there, a prediction that would be verifiably accurate.

I browse the vast collection of tomes, old stitched hardcovers thick with dust and some falling apart at the seams. I’m quietly appalled at their condition. Many of the titles are read in old languages long since dead and near forgotten about. I foresee more agonizing hours struggling with translation spells ahead of me. The few titles I can speak in a modern tongue all describe deeply disturbing topics. “The Encyclopedia of Torture and Blood Sacrifice”, “Corpse Preservation and Deconstruction”, “On Conjuring Demons and Making Pacts”.

My hooves recoil against my chest just reading the bindings. “I’m guessing there’s no light reading material down here?”

“I fail to see what weight has to do with anything.”

“N—No, it’s a modern euphemism. I mean everything in these books are horrifying.”

Luna gets a look of realization on her face. “Well, it’s a demon hunter’s library. What would you expect to see in here?”

“Much of the information in this room is troubling to read,” Celestia says. “But it’s also necessary to keep as a catalog of everything our enemies are capable of. The study of these tomes is the key to predicting and defeating the demons.”

“Which is why I’d suggest becoming very familiar with this collection, your majesty.”

The new voice is distorted and crackly as if multiple ponies were talking at once. I turn and see a short mare wearing a black hooded cloak and a clergy collar. She approaches with a calm step.

Luna clears her throat. “Princess Twilight, I would like you to meet the commander of Arch Company, and the most highly decorated field officer in the entire organization. Captain Octavia.”

The mare pulls her hood back, the darkness inside evaporates to unveil a fall of neat black hair down the back of her neck and a grey coat like the color of a rain cloud. She places a hoof to her chest and bows low to me. “It is an honor to make your acquaintance your majesty.”

“Wait a minute, I’ve seen you before.”

I feel the eyes of my mentor and her sister upon me. “I have. She’s a musician, her last name is Melody, and she lives in Ponyville just a little ways off from Fluttershy’s cottage. She played at the Grand Galloping Gala last year.”

“Relax Twilight, no one is questioning you,” Celestia says. “Luna is likely the one who assigned her there, to begin with.”

“Assigned?”

“As protection,” Luna explains. “It’s public knowledge that we keep undercover agents scattered throughout Equestria for quick response. Does it surprise you that we’d keep a few close by the Elements to guard our most powerful defenders?”

My knees lock up straight. “How many soldiers have you sent to watch us?”

“Quite a few,” Luna says. “Do you intend to have the Captain prostrate herself before you all day?”

My head snaps back to Octavia who hasn’t moved an inch, bowing before me with her face toward the ground. I clear my throat nervously.

“Rise Captain.”

She rises from the ground and stands at attention, looking straight forward with heavy violet eyes. “Your majesty, Grand Master Luna has offered me the great privilege of tutoring you in the ways of demon hunting.”

I swerve towards Luna. “You want me to train in the Order?”

She snorts. “Oh no, nothing that extreme, but some basic knowledge on demons and combating them is essential for any ruler.”

“Especially with the rise in attacks recently,” Celestia says. “As a Princess, part of your job will be to fortify the land against such threats and deal swiftly with any demonic forces that may slip through.”

I swallow my breath and lift my head a little higher. “Okay, but I have already done some preliminary research in the area and have plans laid out for more extensive study. If it’s knowledge we’re after I think I’m good on my own.”

“If your majesty lives up to your reputation, then I don’t doubt that,” Octavia says. “However, the tomes you will find here you will not find anywhere else. Everything you see before you is information banned in most corners of Equestria, deemed too dangerous or volatile to be released to the public. If you want the explicit details of what demon hunting is like this will be your best source. Also, Grand Master Luna believes your majesty would do good to see some practical demonstrations of how we operate, as opposed to just on paper.”

I get a cold rush down the back of my neck. “Is that really necessary? I mean, I’ve always learned best through the pages of a book.”

“Question your majesty,” Octavia says.

“Um, ask.”

“In what manner did you learn the lessons of friendship that led you to your current office?”

I look away from her. She has a point, a creepy point she could’ve only made by spying on us for Luna knows how long, but a point nonetheless. My friendship lessons were all learned from experience. Still, from the small exposure I’ve gotten from my research so far, I’m hesitant to allow myself near such horrific creatures, even just for observation purposes.

“I think reading will do fine regardless Captain. Demon hunting won’t be my primary focus as a ruler anyway.”

The Captain responds by doing something I have never seen any soldier, not even my brother, do while on duty. She breaks from attention, turns her head, and looks me dead in the eye. “The defense of this nation is not a priority for your majesty?”

I step back with my hind leg. My brother used to tell stories about his days in boot camp, how he once got chewed out for twenty minutes because he sneezed while at attention. It’s the most basic courtesy you’re supposed to pay towards a superior officer in the military and especially to royalty. The Captain just broke it so casually, and to deliver a loaded question no less.

I look back at the princesses just to confirm they saw the same thing I did. Celestia is pressing her priceless gold shoe to her lips and Luna is glaring like an angry wolf at the Captain. Octavia doesn’t even seem to register them. She keeps staring at me, her eyes demanding an answer.

The words struggle in my throat. “N– No, I just mean Luna and Celestia are the ones who’ll be handling most of the Order’s operations. I probably won’t have a say in these matters unless the situation urgently calls for it.”

“So, you need less training, in case you find yourself in an emergency situation, likely in circumstances where lives are on the line?”

“That’s—not what I meant.”

“It’s what you said. Unless of course, you believe leisure reading is a suitable alternative for practical demonstration and experience?”

“Well, it’s done me good in other fields like athletics and… sleepovers.”

I try to smile big like I’m confident and sure, like what I just said didn’t sound completely—

“That’s retarded,” Octavia says.

Oh God, I’m a failure as a Princess. I hear Celestia snorting like a pig behind me adding to my mortification and making me struggle to form words. “Well you see— I didn’t mean— I know practical experience can really—”

“I’m positive Princess Twilight merely meant reading is her comfort area, but she’ll gladly join you on one of your raids,” Luna says, forcing a stretched smile with teeth bared like a canine. “Sister, could you finish up our tour here for me? I need to have a conversation with the Captain about these special lessons she’ll be giving Twilight. In particular how she is to compose herself during it.”

She doesn’t wait for an answer but tramps forward and slaps a wing over the Captain’s shoulder to guide her down the hall. Octavia does not break eye contact with me until she has fully turned around. She doesn’t even flinch when Luna’s wing tightens around her.

I watch them go for a moment until Princess Celestia takes me by the hoof and leads me out of the library. We walk along one of the rings in the main room, needing to talk loud over the crashing water.

“I must apologize for the Captain,” says Princess Celestia. “She has a history of being extremely blunt, but I wasn’t expecting her to go so hard on you. Foolish of me in hindsight.”

“She’s acted like that before? Don’t soldiers usually get dismissed for repeated infractions?”

“Normally yes, but I allow a special exception for Octavia. Mainly because she is one of the best soldiers the Order has ever seen; and, I must admit, it’s also partly because I find her little breaches of etiquette amusing.”

I gape. “You like that she acts that way?”

“Well I could do without the occasional rudeness, but the lack of formality is refreshing. It’s extremely rare that I find somepony who is so unphased by title and rank and just says what they think. Plus, she infuriates my sister which I find hilarious.”

I look at her for a solid five seconds. Troops of agents run by us carrying crates of clear bottles. I look away from Celestia and slowly stare at the ground. I can feel Celestia’s gaze on me.

“I know it might not make sense to you now. Give yourself a few years in your new title. You’ll understand my frustration with rigid formality and may even come to appreciate these small antics I allow.”

“That doesn’t bother me, Celestia.”

“Oh, then what does?”

I pause for a second and hesitantly look up at her out of the corner of my eye. “Do you think what the Captain said about me was true?”

Her cheery face goes stony and serious. She looks at me with those soft eyes that remind me so much of my mother whenever she had to speak a harsh truth.

“Parts of it,” she answers. “She insinuated you didn’t care about this nation’s safety, I know that’s not true. You care about everypony in Equestria, and you’d be heartbroken to hear any of them had been hurt. But you have yet to grasp the kind of threats that are out there and what it’ll require to keep everyone safe.”

“And you think going out in the field, seeing these demon hunters at work will help me realize?”

“Seeing the demons themselves is the main priority. I know you’ve already read what they’re capable of, but you also know there’s a vast difference between a scene on paper and an actual event that affects real lives. I know you’re scared to go near these demons, and rightly so, but it’s a risk I fully believe is necessary just so there’s no room for doubt when you decide what must be done in order to protect your subjects.”

I go quiet for a moment.

“You’ll be perfectly fine Twilight,” she says. “You’ll have the finest soldiers surrounding you at all times and even if something does go wrong I have full confidence that you are powerful enough to handle it.”

“I know that Celestia, it’s not the physical threat that scares me though. What scares me is… that I might slip.”

“Slip?”

“I might tell my friends what I saw.”

Celestia stops and turns toward me. She blinks a few times. I Step in place.

“I realize I can’t possibly know what to expect or how to prepare myself for this experience, or if I even can prepare myself, but I know it’ll be troubling, that it’ll gnaw at my mind for days, weeks, probably months afterword, and ever since I moved to Ponyville I’ve always tried to deal with troubling things by going to my friends for support, but now you say I can’t tell them anything about the Order, and this is going to be some of the most troubling stuff I’ll likely see in my life so far, and I don’t know if I can handle it all on my own, or if I might just break and spill a whole bunch of stuff I shouldn’t to them, I don’t even know if they’ll be able to handle everything I see, I don’t know if I’ll be able to keep it all to myself like I use to before, I don’t know, I don’t know.”

I need to sit down I’m so out of breath. Did I inhale at all during that confession? I don’t know.

Celestia’s hooves stop a few inches in front of me. I don’t have the courage to look up at her. “I’m sorry Celestia. I know you keep everything secret for safety, but I don’t know if I can keep everything from my friends as you ask. I’m sorry to disappoint you.”

I bow my head forward and extend my hooves flat in front of me. I wonder if I should just place my crown down at her hooves.

“Twilight, come stand next to me.”

My head pops off the floor. Celestia taps the floor at her side, right at the edge of the ring we stand on. She shows no hint of anger or disappointment. I stand up and walk next to her.

“Grab my tail Twilight.”

My head jerks up. I look at her to confirm she’s serious. I raise a hoof to her tail and then, hesitate, deciding where and how I should grab it.

“Anywhere is fine Twilight, just don’t yank.”

“R-right.” I grab the tip.

Celestia extends her wings. “Now stay right behind me.”

I nod and extend my own wings. I take off right as she does and we fly up to the center of the room. We rapidly approach the large column of water that pours in from the ceiling.

My chest tightens. “Um, Celestia.”

“Don’t let go Twilight.”

I bite my lip and tighten my grip on her tail. I close my eyes and dive straight into the water column. What I feel is not moisture or dampness, but cold air, like I just broke through the surface of a lake but somehow I’m not wet. I bump right into Celestia’s back and fall onto a hard dirt ground.

“We’re here.”

I open my eyes and find myself in a heavily shaded area with towering walls of plants surrounding us on all sides.

“Is this the castle hedge maze?” I ask.

“Correct, a very special part of the hedge maze,” says Celestia. “One that is not technically closed off to the public, but is almost impossible to find unless you know where to look.”

“And the waterfall in the base takes you here?”

“It can take you to several locations all around Canterlot. It just requires a clear picture of where you want to go and a little concentration. Now, have a look at these Princess Twilight.”

She points toward the back wall of the section we’re in. There stands three large statues all draped with sycamore leaves and faded with age. One is of an earth pony donning a large set of armor and resting a war hammer across his shoulders, another is a unicorn standing on his hind legs and casting a spell, and the third is a pegasus sitting and holding up a large spear.

“Twilight, do you know who these three ponies are?” she asks.

I analyze them for a moment. Their faces seem familiar and after a time I realize where I’ve seen them before. “Steel Star, Honey Whistle, and Midnight Blaze. These are the only members of the Order whose identities have been officially released to the public.”

“Correct,” Celestia says. “I made the decision to release limited information about them a little over five hundred years ago, centuries after these three ponies had passed. Steel Star was the very first soldier initiated into the Order, a ferocious beast with a hammer, he trained Princess Luna in the art of combat and died in battle just a few days before her betrayal. Honey Whistle was a great explorer who found many holy relics still in use by the Order, including the Lance of Longinus she is depicted holding. And Midnight Blaze was a truly brilliant unicorn mage, who made great advancements in using magic to combat demons, particularly on how to defend against possession and psychic attacks.”

She speaks with infectious awe like she’s taking pride in their accomplishments as if they were her own. Then she lowers her head and her voice becomes quieter.

“The choice to have the Order shrouded in secrecy was not mine you know. Luna insisted it be as such. I found it a great injustice that the soldiers we throw into the greatest danger should also be the ones who receive the least credit. These statues and the release of their names were meant to be a way of correcting that unfairness in some small way. I told myself, these three were some of the most important soldiers in the Order’s history, heroes who gave their lives to protect Equestria and its citizen. It’s a shame that no one outside of the Order knows who they are. It’s been centuries since they were alive, any threats they faced or missions they were a part of had long since fallen out of relevance. What’s the harm in allowing them this small show of gratitude?”

Her throat bulges and her eyes go soft. “I remember telling myself that, Luna was probably so insistent on secrecy in the first place so she could plot against me. My worst excuse.”

I step towards her. “She did betray you, Celestia. I know she’s your sister but you had every right to question her under those circumstances.”

Celestia is quiet for a moment. “Perhaps, but in this instance doing so came back to haunt me.”

“What do you mean?”

“These statues weren’t up for three days before a string of disappearances started occurring. First, it was individuals, lone business ponies on their way home from work, mother’s on a morning stroll with their children, then entire families started vanishing, and foals were snatched right out of their classrooms. Names disappeared faster than the press could print them and the country was in a panic. Our defense force scrambled to investigate, to find a link between all these disappearances, and eventually, they found one. That’s when I got that horrific report, all the victims in the recent disappearances, every single one of them, shared a direct lineage with one of the three ponies you see before you.”

I get a cold sweat. “The kidnappers were targeting their descendants?”

Celestia nods. “Once we were made aware of that fact we laid a trap for them with their next target. They were successfully captured and brought in for interrogation. I was livid at this time, to the point of allowing some interrogation methods I’m not proud of, but we got them to spill everything. How they did it, why they did it, how many of them were left, and the location of their victims.”

“Were they alright?”

She doesn’t answer.

“Celestia?”

“There was so little left of them they couldn’t be identified. The stallions had been castrated, the mares impaled through their genitals; all of them had been raped, skinned, and mutilated beyond description. Not even the foals were given mercy; if anything they were even more sadistic with them. It was cruel even by the standards of demons.”

I’m petrified, I feel as much like a rock as the looming gravestones I once thought were statues.

“After that incident, I ordered all the remaining members of their lineage to undergo a complete identity change. Their names were rewritten, their residents moved to different locations across Equestria. I never released information about the Order again after that.”

I can barely hear her. My mind is slow to process such traumatic information. “I read accounts of similar demonic attacks, viewed descriptions, and imagery so gruesome it made me physically ill to ponder. I don’t think I was ready to hear it from someone I knew, even from you.”

“Then I hope you know why it’s so important you expose yourself to such things, so you won’t flinch at a time when you must stand in the face of it. I also hope you realize what you’ll be putting upon your friends should you decide to reveal such things to them.”

I clench my eyes shut. She’s right. I’ve had the same thought myself. If I did choose to share my experience with the Order I’m not sure my friends would be able to handle it. They might not be able to understand it. Could I really bring my friends into such a world?

I breathe a heavy sigh. “It doesn’t matter anyway. I’m bound to secrecy, it’s not like I’ll ever actually be able to tell them anything.”

“That’s not actually true, Twilight.”

I stare up at my mentor wide-eyed. “What? But, this is the Order. They’re infamous for their secrecy. Isn’t it like a law, that anyone inside can’t tell anypony?”

“Not a law, a mandate,” she answers. “The key difference being that a mandate doesn’t have to be followed by those of equal rank with the one who gave it. I know you still haven’t quite adjusted to this idea yet Twilight, but you are my equal now. If you believe that information about the Order needs to be shared for any reason, well, there’s nothing stopping you.”

I stare at her with my mouth hanging open for a few moments. “All this time, I thought I wouldn’t be able to say anything. I was trying to picture how I’d keep these secrets without lying to my friends. How I’d pretend ignorance when I knew everything.”

“I apologize if my timing caused you unnecessary stress, but I needed you to see this before I told you.”

She looks at me with a soft but serious expression. “You are a Princess now Twilight. Soon you’ll be governing your own part of Equestria and my input over your decisions will lessen over time. That growing independence, however, will come with a heavy responsibility. You must think carefully about the choices set before you and weigh the outcomes and the consequence of each carefully. Rushing to a decision out of emotion or carelessness will only lead to disaster.”

Her gaze turns towards the statues and her eyes darken. “Keep these statues in mind whenever you contemplate sharing secrets of the Order. Our soldiers are not the only ones who are at risk if too much gets out.”

I look straight at her, blink a few times, and hold my chin. “If I do have a choice in the matter, then I guess I’ll think it over. Give it a few days of thought before I decide what to do.”

“I also wish to stress that if you do ponder your decision for a time and still come to the conclusion that you should inform your friends, that is a completely fine decision to make. You may even wish to seek out Princess Luna about it, she’d give you her full support.”

“She would? I figured she’d be more tight-lipped than anypony about the Order.”

“Normally she is, but she seems to have made an exception with your friends. In fact, I suspect she may wish to go farther than you’d ever want to, try to get them to use the Elements against demons on a regular basis.”

Yeah, that’s not happening. As strong as we are with the Elements I’m fairly certain one of us would get killed after a while, if not worse.

“One last thing Twilight,” Celestia says. “I know I won’t be as close as your friends once you’re back in Ponyville, but while you’re still deciding what you wish to tell them, if anything, keep in mind that I am always here to talk should the need arise. I’m fairly certain I’ll be much more knowledgeable when it comes to dealing with the unpleasantness of demons. Not to degrade the bond you share with your friends of course.”

The gesture makes me smile to the point of tears. I take a step back to bow. Oh to hell with it; she just said we’re equals. I throw my hooves around her in an embrace. She stiffens a moment but then puts her own hoof around me.

“Thank you, Celestia. You’ll be the first pony I come to if I need help with any of this.”

“And I will be glad to lend it.” She brushes my mane aside as she breaks away from me. “Now, we should probably get back down to the HQ and continue with—”

She pauses. The light of her face goes dark and she looks to the sky. It takes a moment for me to see what she’s looking for, but then I hear it. There’s a loud echoing whistle that descends in tone, similar to the sonic boom Rainbow makes when she’s rocketing through the air. I think there might be some pegasus flying close by but then there’s a massive crash and earth shakes with such violent force I’m thrown to my stomach. Celestia needs to widen her stance to catch her balance.

I stand up and brush myself off. “What the hay?”

There’s a thump. One dense vibration in the ground beneath us. Then another. And another. Each one gets heavier. Celestia’s horn lights up defensively and she scans the area. I ready my own magic and stand next to her. The trees and the foliage around us shake with ever more intensity until the branches resemble whips. I hear a loud crack as several trees behind the statues come crashing to the ground and a huge taloned foot steps on the Pegasus statue and crushes it to pieces.

My horn, just a moment ago ready to fire off any number of destructive spells, loses its glow as I fight every instinct in my body to not immediately run.

The beast is as tall as one of the castle towers and the huge mass of leg in front of us is almost half as thick. It stares down at us with flaming rings of eyes and a burning halo set between two horns that twist like gnarled tree roots. Its lips part to show rows of shark-like teeth and then it speaks in a low echoing voice.

“Princess Celestia, what an honor it is to meet you.”

It bows to my mentor casting a massive shadow over us in the process. My eyes snap to my mentor and I see her shaking. “You… No… That’s impossible. How are you here?”

“So you recognize me. That simplifies things.” The creature leans down and extends its wings of pure fire casting a massive heated shadow that encloses the section of the garden like an oven. “I’m going to offer you one chance to hear me out without resisting and spare this city a couple thousand lives. Come with me right now. I have a proposition you will be very interested in hearing.”