Sweetie Belle was never one for heights, no was she one for small spaces, so the idea of crawling up a duct, in the second tallest building in Canterlot wasn't really her idea of "fun". The filly had a job to do: first as an interpreter, second using her horn to act as a sort of lamp so the fillies could see where they were going.

Scootaloo was fantastic with hearing so she was behind Sweetie, listening carefully to the voices in the council room they were to be eavesdropping on and giving Sweetie Belle directions.

Applebloom...well Applebloom was used to being ignored at this point. Despite having been assigned as the note-taker, she somehow was in the back of the triage and was subject to Scootaloo's careless acts of flatulence.

"Scootaloo that's nasty!" Applebloom hissed. "Of all the times you had to eat a heap 'fore we do somethin' like this!"

"Oh hush Applebloom." Scootaloo laughed, "The less we have to listen to you whine, the quicker we can get this done!"

"Speaking of listening," Sweetie Belle said sternly, shooting a dissociating glare to Scootaloo, "Perhaps you should be listening to where we're supposed to go!"

Scootaloo said nothing, Applebloom let out a raspberry only to be kicked in the face by a wild hind-hoof.

"Stop it both of you!" Sweetie Belle commanded. "I'm already miserable up here, let's not make things worse alright?"

"Fine." The two fillies responded.

They were quiet for awhile while Scootaloo listened for the direction of the murmuring below and told Sweetie which turn to take next. The route of course didn't consist of perfect intersections, there were even some dead ends, where Scootaloo of course squeezed over Applebloom to get in front with Sweetie eventually doing the same.

"What exactly are we doin' once this is over with?" Scootaloo asked.

"We take these notes to Spike remember?" Sweetie sighed.

"Why?" Scootaloo asked.

"So they know the route of the parade and stuff." Sweetie answered.

"Yeah stupid." Applebloom smirked. Another blunt hoof to the face and a nice release of gas along with it.

"Try not to breathe you little shit." Scootaloo cackled.

Sweetie shot a very angry glare towards Scootaloo who flinched at the sight. The unicorn filly stopped.

"What's goin' on?" Applebloom asked.

"Apologize" Sweetie Belle growled.

"What? No!" Scootaloo pouted.

"Now." Sweetie Belle hissed.

"But I don't wanna! She's being a jerk too!"

"Ugh, fine! Both of you!" Sweetie was very tired of this.

"I'm sorry." They both halfed to each-other. Their progress continued. Sweetie could see what appeared to be an open vent with light trickling through.

"We made it!" Sweetie whispered.

"Cool. Now I can relax, my hooves our killing me!" Scootaloo groaned.

The good news is that over this vent, like the others, there was enough headroom for each of them to sit upright as opposed to the mere crawling space they had everywhere else. Each took some time to stench their tired and strained hooves as they prepared to do their job.

Inside the council room the elder ponies of Canterlot were slowly filling in the few seats that were in this room. The room itself was in now was artificially lit and the sepa-tone upon the walls and other interior furnishings, coupled with the light from the large windows made it seem as if this room was unchanged since before the days of Equestria itself.

Once these seats were filled, Celestia herself entered along with Shining Armor and various other guards. Soon after, something else was brought it, though whatever it was was enclosed under a big black tarp. Scootaloo swore she could hear some rattling of metal from the tarp but wasn't sure.

"Good day prestigious gentlemen." Came the booming of the Princess.  "I assume the schedule and route for the Celebration Of Solstice is in order?"

"Indeed Your Highness." One of the councistallions affirmed with a gruff voice: "The marshals and Guard are all privy to our final arrangements."

"My men are also aware of the changes and are ready for duty." Shinning added.

"Very well," Celestia smiled, "Let us begin by first going over the review of graveness..."

Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy were seated at a cafe not too far from the council building, outside they could see Spike and Rarity of all mares waiting anxiously by the exit.

Dash had been unusually quiet, busying herself by looking out a window. The other two mares had been conversing and reminiscing for some time though they now were curious as to what was bothering their friend.

"Rainbow, are you alright dear?" Rarity worked a soft smile.

After a few quiet seconds, Twilight followed.

"Does it have to do with Scootaloo?"

Rainbow pulled her attention back to her two friends and sighed.

"Yeah." Was all she said.

"What about her?" Rarity cocked an eyebrow, "She'll be fine if that's what you're worried about."

"That's part of it..." Rainbow trailed, she looked down at the table.

"Rainbow, she seems to have forgiven you for what you've done." Twilight assured her. "I've made plenty of mistakes with Spike, it's all part of figuring out what works between you two."

"Agreed." Rarity added. "I don't feel a need to reiterate that it wasn't until recently that Sweetie Belle and I had a workable bond; prior to that I always negated her and was evasive, now we're fine."

"But see, you've always been with them."  Rainbow said. "It wasn't that long ago I took out my anger on her in blind rage, I could've killed her. On top of how much of a jerk I've been to her since we met.."

"We all make mistakes darling." Rarity interrupted, "As Twilight says she seems fine now, yes she'll have some questions but in the meantime you ought to just make the best of things."

"The questions are what scare me the most." Rainbow shivered. "How do I explain that I wanted nothing to do with her? She already knows in a way."

"Rainbow you didn't know it was her." Twilight said, "If it wasn't for me you would still be just an acquaintance to her."

"Now I'm kind of wishing I never asked." The cyan pegasus looked out the window towards the council building. Rarity and Twilight exchanged concerned glances, they needed to get Rainbow out of this funk and back to her old self, they sure were going to need it sooner than later.

Applebloom was now in charge of watching the proceedings as Sweetie Belle grew bored of doing so. Sweetie Belle was yawning a bit.

"Yeesh Scootaloo, I don't know about you but we-" Scootaloo was nowhere to be found.

"Scootaloo?" Sweetie Belle whispered.

Applebloom looked over and noticed she was gone too.

"Dagnabbit where did she go?!" Applebloom hissed.

"I dunno, she's supposed to be our lookout." Sweetie Belle facehoofed.

"Well go find her." Applebloom ordered.

"No! It's scary in here I don't wanna go by myself!"

"Somepony's gotta watch this borin' stuff an' take notes fer Twi." Applebloom complained.

"You're her little starfish, you do it!" Sweetie Belle growled.

"Then go look fer Scoots!" Applebloom spat.

"Fine." Sweetie Belle sighed. Her hooves trembled wildly as she got back down on her stomach and prepared to crawl through the tunnels again.

She hesitated for the longest time until finally she mustered up the will to find Scootaloo. The filly did her best to figure out where she went. Her horn glowed as she retraced her route to the last opening they found. She indeed found Scootaloo there, asleep.

"Scootaloo!" She said in a normal voice as there appeared to be nopony below.

Scootaloo stirred some but fought the temptation to wake up. Sweetie Belle poked Scootaloo with her hoof. This poking became pushing and then Scootaloo awoke.

"Stop Sweetie Belle." Scootaloo growled.

"You're supposed to be the lookout!" Sweetie whined.

"I am!" Scootaloo shot back, "I was just resting a little."

"No fair we don't get to!" Sweetie complained.

"That's your problem, not mine." Scootaloo moved back into her sleeping position only to be grabbed by the tail as Sweetie Belle tried to pull. Much to Scootaloo's surprise, she was moving rather quickly. The stubborn pegasus pushed her body to the ground to increase the force required by Sweetie Belle to move her, as well as scooting back towards the clearing.

"Come on Scootaloo! Please!" Sweetie Belle whined. "We're all in this together, you gotta play your part!"

"I already told you Sweetie Belle I am now back off!" Scootaloo was already back in her corned with her tail tucked under her. She stuck her tongue out for good measure.

Sweetie Belle teared up. "I haven't liked the way you've been treating me lately Scootaloo!" She sniffled, "You've been nothing but mean to me!"

"What do you care?" Scootaloo wasn't too fantastic at thinking before speaking.

"I thought we were friends, I thought we had something Scootaloo!" Sweetie couldn't help crying now, "When you needed somepony to be there for you I was, remember the clubhouse? I remember when you needed me Scootaloo.  Now we need you. Please, Please help us?"  

Scootaloo looked away, lest she show Sweetie was getting to her.

"I-I love you Scootaloo!" Sweetie Belle's voice cracked with every syllable as she continued to sob, "You're like my other sister, we're family, Applebloom too. I know you two don't get along but everypony is counting on us to work together..."

Scootaloo continued her evasive silence.

"Please...Sis?" Sweetie Belle calmed some but her voice still shook.

Scootaloo sighed, "Okay." Scootaloo said. "I'm sorry Sweetie Belle. Ever since I found out Rainbow Dash was my mom I've been- well I don't know what I've been. On one hand I hate her for all the things she did to me, but on the other I-- I don't know.."

"When we get through this I will help you." Sweetie Belle smiled as the two got back into the cramped shafts, "Rarity and I had some rough times and my parents and I don't get along one hundred percent."

"You think she loves me Sweetie Belle?"

"Of course. Why would she go through all that trouble if she didn't?"

Sweetie wasn't too sure but anything to cheer the pegasus up was worth it.

Scootaloo simply smiled in response and they continued towards their listening post.

When they returned, Applebloom had gone through several notes and was slightly annoyed it took them so long; though they both seemed happy so she kept her mouth shut. All three decided to watch the goings on below as the meeting appeared to be coming to a close.

"I wonder what's under that tarp?" Scootaloo wondered aloud.

As if they had heard her, one of the guards pushed the tarp-covered box to the stage of the room.

"For our final act of the evening, we present a disloyal subject who made threats to our princess." The guard pulled the tarp to reveal a tattered and malnourished looking stallion. The mouth was covered as were the eyes. The sight horrified the fillies, they had no idea what was going on. This seemingly weak and impoverished pony was in a cage. What was a dissident?

They could hear her was attempting desperately to say something though it was hopelessly muffled.

"SILENCE!" Once of the guards jabbed the captive violently with a spear. An agonizing muffled scream came from the captive and blood was seen trickling from the wound.

The Princess then rose from her seat and trotted slowly to the front of the cage.

"My sister and I have worked for centuries to ensure harmony and happiness for all of my subjects." She boomed, though the crusaders had never heard her voice like this before. It wasn't commanding, or charismatic, it was sinister, and it was full of hate.

"You have been charged with the crime of providing fictitious libel to my student, Twilight Sparkle. Such dangerous literature was to be destroyed and forbidden; you refused to reveal where you obtained it, therefore obstructing justice."  The princess now circled the cage menacingly.

"For centuries we have ruled with absolute unquestionable power." She smirked, "The massacre of the alicorns was the end to any formidable dissent, we thought we had destroyed all historical accounts of that event, however, that does not appear to be the case."

The crusaders looked at each other in shock, the stories were true!

"So, you traitorous son of a bitch, are you going to tell us what we want to know? We can erase your memories and send you home with riches and property..." She leaned down to be face-level with the trembling captive.  "Or, we can end you."

That last line sent a violent chill down the spines of the fillies. Sweetie mad melted into Scootaloo's hooves and was weeping and shaking. Scootaloo and Applebloom looked on, speechless, horrified at what they were seeing.

The mouth guard was removed. The captive took some time to breathe, he coughed as well.  

"Tell us what we want to know." One of the councilstallions crowed, "Who provided you with this forbidden text?"

The captive was silent and hung his head. Tears began to stream down his face. He appeared to be in a mental toss, either decision would weigh on his conscience.

"Make haste you fool." A guard bellowed, "Her highness does not like to be kept waiting."

The councilstallions leaned forward and the guards were attentive as the captive looked forward again, facing Celstia directly.

"Never."  He spat. "Never will I bring harm onto somepony who had the nerve to do bring peace to our world, NEVER!"

Celestia smiled. "Final answer?"

The captive only gave her a look of disgust.

"Very well then." Celestia stood back up and motioned the guards to open the cage. A group hustled to the door to ensure the captive did not escape. Though that was highly unlikely. As soon as the cage opened, a magic aura enveloped the stallion as he was ascended into the air, well above the stage, a tad too close to the fillies who quickly bolted away from the opening so they could not see what was to happen and covered their ears. They knew it was going to be bad.

Then, agonizing screams of pain came from the captive as his body expanded, contracted, burned violently. His insides were turned like soil under a plow and flames exploded from his eyes, nose, and mouth. It was slow, painful, and horrible.

"You chose your fate." Celestia howled, "You dare to depose the most powerful monarchy this world will ever see!"

The stallion then was surrounded by a glowing sphere, soon after, he exploded. In the most graphic way imaginable. The guards bowed their heads and the councilponies cheered the execution.

Unphased and unmoved, the ponies in the room left into the hallway, about their business as if nothing had happened. As soon as it was clear. Sweetie Belle cried, mostly of fear.

The fillies were silent as they made their way out. They were beyond shaken by what they had seen. Applebloom's articulate notes had turned to torn paper and frantic scribbling. They were greeted by Spike who saw their tortured faces. Next Chapter: A Road Less Traveled Estimated time remaining: 1 Hour, 18 Minutes