~~~3 days after Cadence’s Death~~~

A batpony with dark blue eyes and mane, and tail with silver fur  flew towards Twilight’s Castle and entered through an open window.

“Twilight Sparkle?” she called out.

 She wandered throughout the castle and called her name. Luna would have come in her stead, but with some of her fellow colleagues and the solar guards watching her every move, she couldn’t. She had asked to come because she was one of  the heads of the investigation into both Cadence’s death and The Master, so she had a perfect cover.

“You wanted to speak to me ?” She asked exiting the library. “Why are you here? I told Celestia and Luna to leave me be.”

The batpony turned around and was somewhat startled to see Twilight. Twilight looked a complete mess with her mane in every direction, she swore a tornado went through her hair. She also noticed the bags under her eyes and it seemed that sleep hadn’t been on the Princess's Agenda for quite a while. The batpony wanted to ask about it, but now wasn’t the time.

  “I’m here to ask you a follow-up question about Princess Cadence’s death,” she said

“Of course,” Twilight said, “But can’t this wait?”

“No, I’m afraid it can’t, your highness. We want to find the killer as soon as possible.”

“Of course, you’re right, can we talk about this in the hall?” Twilight asked her.

The batpony nodded and they walked to the main hall with the chairs and sat down. Lunar sneakily pressed the button on a cassette tape recorder Luna gave her.

“Witnesses said that you went after the assassin,” Lunar began.

“Yes,” said Twilight impatiently, “What is your question?”

“Did the assassin say anything to you before he died?” She asked.

“Yes, I remember, he said ‘May the Master guide us all’,” she told her and then hung her head low, “I still have no idea what it means.”

 The batpony turned off the recorder and walked over to Twilight, she saw she was in the verge of crying.

“Get out please,” Twilight said still looking the ground, “You got the info you need, now go.”

Lunar wanted to tell her everything would be alright, but she was right: she had no reason to stay. Leaving Twilight without a word she flew off towards Canterlot and went into Luna’s bedroom

“You got the tape?” She asked.

“Yes, Luna,” she said, putting the tape down on the ground.

“You may leave,” Luna ordered.

The batpony left the bedroom and Luna started to listen to the tape. After it was done, a smile appeared on her face.

“I should have known he was behind this”, she whispered to herself.

She gathered the photos from the crime scene, that she was given to her by her allies inside of the guard.  She then put them on the chalkboard of what she dubbed “The Web.”

“He’s stepping up his game, which means something bad is going to happen... and soon”, she whispered to herself as she looked at it.

~3 hours after Twilight’s Death~

The king of the griffons  was being dragged in chains while the ponies yelled at him, blaming him for taking Cadence.

“I’m not the culprit”, he shouted at them, fury at this injustice burning in his eyes.

They didn’t listen and continued to accuse him of the crime. He was dragged to the interrogation room inside the royal chambers in Canterlot, where Celestia  and some Solar and Lunar guards stood before him

“Tell me, how you did it?”, she asked calmly.

“I didn’t do it”, The King insisted, “I checked every one of my guards three times. No one was carrying any poison.”

“You’re lying!”, she howled, losing her temper with him almost instantly

“What intention would I have to lie to you, Celestia?”, he beseeched, “We are friends.”

Celestia was about to yell at him but bit her lip. After a few moments of silence, she ordered her guards to take him to the dungeons.

When the King fell asleep that night, dreaming of his kingdom, Luna was waiting for him in his dreams.

“Your majesty,” she said, walking to him,

“Hello Luna, where are you?”, he asked, “I didn’t see you with Celestia.”

“That was because my guards and  sister’s are watching every move I make. On top of that, I always have paperwork to fill out ”, she explained

“Looks like we are both pawns in somepony’s elaborate game”, The king said  looking at her

“The Master”,  she identified.

“Correct”, she nodded,

She then brought up a representation of her chalkboard of her investigation of the Master,   which the King eagerly examined.

“Wow, Luna, quite the investigation you’ve got here”, he said, scanning the board,“But I have been doing some digging myself, and there is one piece of information I have, but you don’t.”

“What is that... and before you continue, may I ask you how were you able to investigate this matter?”, she asked

“Fair enough -I’ll answer both questions.”

The dreamscape began to take form, and, under the king’s control, a series of images of past events appeared next to Luna’s board. Luna examined them closely, spending several minutes looking at each one.

“You see, it started when Cadence was assassinated and when I saw one of my subjects was the assassin. I ordered my top spies to investigate this matter. They learned the assassin was hired by a mysterious pony whom no one remembers much about, expect the he was a stallion  and paid tons of  bits for the assassin. I had my spies sent to Manehattan, as you know it’s where the assassination took place  We also  found  out that guards of Equestria - you and your sister’s guards - were worshipping this Master fellow. We kidnapped and interrogated one and  it turns out, this Master goes back further than anyone knew.”

Luna wanted to be angry, but they were not her guards. She then turned to him, slowly and asked, “How long?”

“About 1,000 years”, he revealed

“But how is that possible that he goes back that long?”, Luna asked in surprise

“That is the million bit  question Luna”, The King said with a smirk and disappeared from the dreamscape.

Luna opened her eyes. Getting up quickly, she went back to filing paper and looking over laws for the next couple of hours. After a while, there  came a knock at the door - it was Silver Swirl.

“I’m sorry to interrupt, your majesty, but the train that has Twilight has arrived. The funeral is to be held immediately,” he informed her, doing his best to keep his face neutral.

“Very well,” Luna said, getting up from her desk.

As she was with Silver, her thoughts wandered to who The Master could be. Her suspects were now down to two, The new captain in the Solar Guard or her butler. She felt that both had an equal chance of being The Master.  She wondered how she was going to confront these two suspects, but she put that to the back of her mind for now.  As she approached the cemetery, she saw her sister standing amongst the assembled mourners, and when she reached her, Celestia hugged her.

“I tried so hard to keep her safe , Luna, but I failed,” she said in between her sniffles and  tears rolling down her cheeks.

They continued to hug for another good minute. Luna let go once she saw Twilight’s coffin approaching, borne on the shoulders of six black-clad stallions, grim expressions on their faces. Luna unsteadily sat down on the wet grass and heard her sister’s speech. She did feel real sorrow for her sister, for her quest to find a pony to spend forever with was still in vain. It was Luna and Silver Swirl turn next. Silver spoke for both of them, which she found a little rude  because  the ponies in Canterlot trusted him more and Luna didn't feel like speaking. After everypony’s speech’s Luna went to the reception and hung with some guards. Glancing at Sliver, she was taken by a peculiar feeling that there was something off about him. She then walked over to Rarity who was taking with some fashion designers and having red wine.  

“Excuse me, Rarity, ” she called to her

“Yes Luna?” she turned around responded

“I want to talk to you in private”, Luna told her

“Of course, your majesty,” she said. Shen then put down her wine glass and excused herself from the conversation.

A flash of light from Luna’s horn enveloped them both, teleporting them to her room. She crossed quickly to  a filing cabinet and found a folder labeled “Sliver Swirl”.

“Rarity, can I trust you?” she asked.

“Well, of course,” he responded immediately, a little hurt.

“Because this is a top secret mission”, she informed, “So I ask again, can I trust you?”

“Yes. I would rather die than betray you Luna”, she told her

“I want  you and a few others you assign to thoroughly check out Sliver Swirl’s background. Check his references, education, family, and so on,” she explained. She passed him the folder on Silver Swirl and adding, “And tell no pony, besides the ones you assign for the task, of this.”

“Before we continue Luna, why Sliver and what has been going on with you? Ponies from all around said you locked yourself up?”, she asked with a concern looked on her face

“Well, my dear Rarity I have a hunch he’s the Master”, Luna told her with a serious look on her face

“Master who?”, she asked rolling her hooves

“Right getting ahead of ourselves”, she with embarrassed blush and coughed, “Right.”

She then told Rarity what has been happening over the past couple of  years and showed her the web Rarity's reactions  went from disgust to anger as Luna told her story and her findings

“So do you think this Master fellow is behind Twilight death as well?”, Rarity asked Luna going through Sliver’s folder

“Indeed Rarity”, Luna answered, “But I suspect he wanted to break her first which explains why he also killed Twilight Velvet and not just Night Light.”

“So he wanted Twilight to commit suicide?”, Rarity guessed

“Correct”, she said

“This Master must be stopped”, Rarity said  stomping her hoof  on the floor

Luna nodded in agreement with her

“So back to Silver, if I may be so bold, Luna”, she said trying to not get angry  while looking first at the folder, then at her, “Why didn’t you check out his background  before? Isn’t a requirement to check it before admitting a new member into the government.”

“I don’t know,” she admitted, almost spacing out, “It’s almost as though we trusted him the moment we met him.”

“So you never checked out his background?”, she asked.

“No,” she said, shaking her head, “I now think that we have been tricked. I asked you specifically to investigate this  mainly  for your eye for details and in this case, it's need, now go.”

After Rarity had left the room, Luna went back to her papers,while looking at her conspiracy web. Later that day, Celestia knocked on her door.

“You may come in,” Luna said, quickly using her magic to hide the board.

“Luna, I may have a suspect on who killed Twily and her parents,” said Celestia. She gestured towards a folder which she was holding with her magic.

“Who?” she asked, doing her best to hide her sorrow behind interest.

“Her name is Sunset Shimmer,” Celestia revealed, lowering the folder onto Luna’s desk. Inside was a picture of a unicorn with a flame-colored mane and dark yellow fur.

“Who is she?” Luna asked tilting her head to one side.

“She was my personal student   before Twilight. About a year ago, before I encountered Twilight, she and I had an argument  and she ran away from me. I tried tracing her movements across Equestria using my guards, but she  seemed to have vanished into thin air” she explained, “My hunch tells me that she was at Twilight’s coronation and that was the straw to break the camel’s back, so to speak.”

“That would explain motivation, but how was she able to poison Twilight?” Luna asked.

“There are some poisons out there, Luna, that harm ponies only,” Celestia reminded her.

“Of course,” Luna said, opening the folder, and examining the contents.“Unfortunately, I have  reached a dead end,” Celestia said, “And I know of your private investigation, but If I had the time I would help you but..”

“Say no more sister,” Luna said putting her hoof on Celestia’s shoulder, “I understand.”

~1 week later~

Luna was busy meditating in her dream world, as duty during the night to do so. She heard a knock on the door, exited the dream world and opened her eyes

“Come in”, she said

Rarity came into the door and she looked  as if she seen the ghost of her dead friends

“What is it?”, Luna asked and getting up, “What did you find?”

“The truth”, Rarity said handing Luna the folder she once gave him and Luna looked inside its content. Luna then handed her another folder

“Inside this folder is every batpony involved in The Master case. Find them and bring them here”, Luna asked Rarity

Rarity nodded and went to get them. After about a couple of hours, Luna’s room filled with every bat pony she knew who was one point another involved The Master’s investigation.

“For a while now, you know I have been investigating The Master case. Rarity and few  here  finally creaked the case”, she said  looking at them

“You finally found out who The Master is?”,one female bat pony asked

“Yes”, she said slowly, “This may be a lot to taken in.”

She in took out her board and the center  of it was Silver Swirl with words The Master be

“You’re kidding right?”, one bat pony asked

“At first, I didn’t believe it myself when Luan suspected him. I, along with few of you, found out that everything is Silver’s past is a lie”, Rarity begun to explain while looking at each of them, “His education, family, friends,  all of it is  a lie. One example, if you're curious, is that the house  the he grew up in was owned by a whole different family, they didn’t even personally know the stallion.”

“Then I asked for some  of you to ask some of the guards where The Prime Minster some said dates. Those dates were of specific events: The Changeling Genocide, Triek and Night’s life and his wife’s  Deaths, and every date on this board here”,  Rarity said looking board for a second and turning back to them, “You found out that he wasn’t around on those said time frames.”

  “From there I pieced everything together and I found out he is mostly working with Sunset, a former student of my sister wanting nothing more power and I believe that share a common goal. I came to the conclusion he is now working his way up the food chain and I'm next, most likely next. He’s working towards an endgame, but I don’t know what it is. I even tried looking into the future, but all I say was blackness or even sometimes fog”, Luna closing her eyes for second then opening them to see Bat ponies that were terrified ,some even shaking their hooves

“What should we  do Luna?”, one bat pony asked

“I want you and all your families to hide”, she instructed, “An event, I have a feeling,  is coming and Equestria will not  be prepared for it, I will confront the Master myself.  I pray for the safety of you all, dismiss.”

They left the room and Luna sighed

“Princess you don’t have to do this”, Rarity said

“I know, Rarity, but I have to”, she said

  “Here I want you to take this to bat pony waiting for you  by Starswirl the Bearded archives, so he can give it  Lyra in Ponyville, from tell her after she is done reading it to give it to AJ”, she said levitating a folder to Night and letting go of him

“Why Applejack?”, she asked grabbing  the folder  and putting a bag around him

“Because Rarity you know as well as I, she is the last hope in Equestria and the only one of two of the former elements that is out of the Master’s reach”, she explained as Rarity put the folder in the bag

“I understand, Luna, good luck”, she said, leaving  the room

She then took walk out to the hall of castles and went to two of her guards guarding the prime minister’s room

“Go get Sliver,  and tell him I knew who he is”, she told them

They at each other and left, after few moments she was knocked out from behind. The Master then came from the shadows  and he  looked at her with two unicorn guards with him

“So you figured it out”, he said with a smirk looking at Luna  and he then looked at the guards

Just then, two other guards, one pegasus from the solar guard and the other being an earth pony from the Lunar guard,  came to him

“We have captured Rarity”, they told him putting Rarity's unconsciousness body to the ground

“I was planning to...nevermind, but I need to know why?”, he asked

“We have been following her since she left Luna’s room and turns that she had a  folder. Its contents may most likely expose you”, the Lunar guard told him

“And she gave it to a bat pony”, the solar guard told him, “We tried following said bat pony, but he vanished.”

The Master wanted them to hunt down this bat pony, but instead he take a deep breath.

“Doesn’t matter”, he said, “I will expose myself soon anyway I want you to take Rarity to my TARDIS and get her ready for my ruling ”

“Yes, Master”, they said unison said grabbing Rarity  and walking away

“You two”, he said looking at the unicorn guards, “Lift Luna up and follow me.”

The unicorns then lifted Luna with their magic and followed him to a stone pillar and they went inside of it. The Master and guards took her to a  room that was completely made out of metal with two fans along the side walls, ceiling fan lighting up the room and with a semi long  brown table in the center. At the center of the table was a radio. The Master then pressed a button on the chair that Luna was placed in and it  her wings and limbs to the chair were locked down  by metal clamps. He  then turned on the radio and took a drink of the red wine on his side of the table. After a while, Luna came around as The Master was pouring some wine that was on his end of the table and she struggled a little bit.

“It's about time”, he said taking a drink and turning  down the radio, “And don’t try to do magic the fans in this room are sucking out all magic out if this room,  so you can’t use it. If you did you’ll be exhausted in a matter of minutes ”

“I see, should I call you Sliver or Master?”, she asked with a sour face

“Master should do nicely”, he said with a smile and sitting down, “Sliver was my cover name using  a  perception filter which, fogged your senses in order for you all to trust me and plus those papers about my background where all blank as well, physic paper. Anyway, It's about time you found me, I was getting bored of just leaving clues. Loved the music?  It comes from my own dimension .”

Luna looked unimpressed as a response, and instead asked him, “Why did you hire an assassin to kill Candace and Skyla?”,

“Because, my dear, I wanted a shift in power”, he said taking another sip, “in my direction because you princesses hold way too much power and there too many of you. I did my research and found some griffons and zebras  think that too.”

“And Night Light?”, she asked

 “Well to Equestria and your sister,  he went insane from witnessing  the aftermath of the first genocide in  Equestria”, he said with an evil smirk, “To your sister, she did some investigating on her own I made it seem that Sunset killed her. Just between you and me, I did kill them with my own hooves.”

“So you did her dirty work. So, what about the changelings, Triek, Discord, and Starlight?”, she asked with a disgusted look on her face

“Loose ends”, he said taking another sip a wine, “I have Discord in a quantum locked state in a room full of mirrors, so he’s stuck in stone for an eternity. Starlight was shot and killed, pity she could have been a worthy ally. Anyway, right now my ponies are going through your room and talking all the evidence and burning it, so  Tia will be unprepared for our takeover .”

“So that it then taking over Equestria is your endgame?”, she asked with an unimpressed look  

He then laughed, almost insanely, “No, no my endgame is the universe, not just this small world. I am timelord, not some centaur or bug; they are batch compared to me.”

He then put his wine glass down and walked over to Luna  slowly and said to her, “I know something you don’t Luna.  I made the Nightmare”

Luan was shocked, “You're lying.”

“Why would I lie to you now, when there is no pony in here expect you and me. Plus, who else would have been whispering in ear all those years, your own shadow?  Please . On a related matter, do you know why I choose the name Sliver Swirl?”

There was fear in Luna’s eyes as he whispered the answer into her ear. After he was  done whispering Luna’s face  went from complete shock to that of terror while the Master’s went into an evil grin.

“No, it can't be”, she said starting to struggle again

The Master then  walked over to his end of the table, put on a gas mask, and pressed a button underneath the table.

  “What are you doing?”, she then saw the room being filled with gas and she started to cough and started to feel dizzy and managed to say , “You’ll lose.”

“Not this time”, he said with playful smile

Luna at that point hit her head on the table and went into unconsciousness. After the gas dissipated, the Master pressed another button his table and two unicorns entered the room.  

“Take her to the torture room I have prepared for her”, he said, “I want to see her suffer as she watches her whole world burn.”

The unicorns then dragged Luna out of the room.The Master then turn the radio back up and took another sip of wine. Next Chapter: Chapter 9 Estimated time remaining: 11 Minutes