Princess Luna. It took forever for me to get used to that name. I mean, everyone knows it’s her real name, but we’ve been going for so long referring to her as Nightmare Moon that it’s easy to forget who she once was.

Who she could be again.

We’re all on pins and needles around here. Trixie’s on her way to the Everfree Forest as I write this, and Fine has made it clear to me what her task is. I haven’t seen her in seven years, and I know she wouldn’t recognize me even if I got in her face and hugged her. Even so, I’m scared. What if she can’t do it? What if she’s overwhelmed? Fine acts confident and tells me to trust my long-lost sister, and I do

Don’t lie to yourself, Vinyl. Don’t delude yourself into think everything’s gonna be alright. Your sister is about to face a demon, and you have to sit in the bucking castle and wait it out. I can’t stand this. It’s the most horrible torture I’ve ever endured. If Caballeron and Fleur weren’t waiting for me to make a move, I’d be halfway to that old, rotting castle by now. Why won’t Fine let me go? What does he think I’m going to do?

Trixie might die.

I want to see her. One more time. There’s so much I want to say.

I hate this. I hate it so much.

Please, let Fine be right about her.

—Vinyl Scratch, Book of Shadows XLVIII

May 28, 1007

Vinyl’s horn hummed a light yellow as she released small, barely noticeable waves of magic in widening spheres around her. With every cast, the hallway became visible in a cascade of visual static of twinkling, yellow spots. Each hoofstep offered a bright green clop against the marble floors. Despite her easy gait, her mind was far from quiet.

She arrived at a closed door, which was flanked by two guards. Though their shapes were easily distinguished by the little magical bursts, what really made them stand out was the complicated weave of lines – leylines, she’d come to dub them – that coursed through their bodies in an intricate web of light. The earth pony’s lines were a dark green, with the color being especially bright around the muscles of his legs and the hooves. The pegasus opposite him was a dull orange, with more intense colors in his wings.

Vinyl was fascinated at how the magic looked different based on race. All the pegasi she’d met had dim coloration through most of their bodies, but their wings always lit up like torches. Seeing them in flight was especially brilliant. It was much the same for unicorns and their horns. Earth ponies, curiously, were almost always more vividly displayed, their colors shining evenly throughout their bodies but more dimly on the whole. She assumed it was because the magic was evenly spaced throughout their forms instead of centered in one area.

She realized she’d been staring and promptly headed for the door. The guards made no attempt to stop her. Her magenta aura took hold of the handle, leaving a dim streak in its wake as the door opened. Vinyl stepped inside and immediately fired off some more of her detection spells.

She was in what appeared to be a circular amphitheater, an aisle running ahead of her to a large central opening. The place was so big that her regular magical sweeps couldn’t reach the opposite wall, and she promptly increased the strength. It would mean that others could see the wave, but that was of no concern to her.

She first noticed that, instead of cushions or seats, the rows around the center were nothing more than unadorned steps. The center ‘stage’ was anything but, being an equally undecorated circle; it hadn’t even been raised up for ease of viewing. A single point of magical energy hovered high near the ceiling at the center of the room, shining bright gold. She could only assume it acted as a light for those with usable eyes. A spotlight, perhaps?

Her gaze drifted to the figures sitting at the edge of the amphitheater. The first she noted was that soft, girly pink that Vinyl associated with frilly dresses and air-headed laughter. By now she knew that none of those things applied to Fleur de Lis, no matter how often she wore such a mask outside these walls. The tall unicorn towered over everypony else, and her horn shone more brightly than any other in the room. Vinyl couldn’t imagine how much work Fleur had put herself through to achieve that level of magical strength at her young age.

Beside Fleur sat a mass of dark red. When Vinyl looked at Fine, she sometimes imagined she was actually seeing blood vessels. Though an unsettling image, she thought it suited Fine very well. His horn also shone brightly, but not nearly as bright as that of the tall, pink form beside him. Still, it was clearly more intense than the last time she’d seen him. It seemed Fine grew stronger by the day, albeit slowly.

But he still had that hideous yellow mesh around his brain. Vinyl didn’t let her magical gaze linger on it.

A short distance from them was another bundle of energy, both literally and figuratively. Surprise’s colors were pink, but of a much darker shade than Fleur’s. Her leylines constantly shifted, the magic running through her body much faster than the others, and the shapes and patterns flowed in a way both distorted and chaotic. Vinyl had learned how to look at ponies and determine the direction and flow of their inner magic, but Surprise’s seemed to have no direction or purpose, coursing around in rapid pulses of energy.

It was hard to look at Surprise. Her leylines were simply wrong, on a disturbing level. There were also fewer of them – about half that of a normal pony – and this gave her a thin, sickly appearance without the aid of Vinyl’s detection spheres. One couldn’t tell that from her behavior, though; the mare bounced and fidgeted in her seat, probably caught in a desperate mental war between the urge to fly around and the desire to be good for Fine. Her aura shined brightly today; she had to have just come out of the pool.

Or had lunch.

A calm form of beautiful purple sat beside Surprise, a perfect shade that somehow stood on the line between dark and light. Like all earth ponies, Octavia’s colors perfectly distributed throughout her form, giving an unusually clear picture of her shape. Even by earth pony standards, however, Octavia was vivid; her magic flowed in a smooth stream that never ceased, yet never seemed rushed or excited. Watching Octavia’s leylines had a curiously calming effect on Vinyl, though she’d never admit it to the pony’s face. How frustrating, that the pony most pleasing to look at was the one Vinyl least wanted to be around.

A light blue wave washed over her. “Admiring the view?”

She turned to glower at Fine. “Don’t be insulting.”

He flinched and rubbed the back of his head. “You know, you could always try talking to her.”

“I don’t want to talk to her.” She sighed and gestured to their surroundings. “So why’d you call everypony here? Must be something big if the whole team is in.”

Fine shrugged. “That’s a question for Celestia. She’s the one who called for this meeting.”

“Great…” Vinyl could swear she saw the green wave of her voice dripping with disgust. “Had I known she was behind this, I would have got on the train. And what am I supposed to tell my producer when I get to Seaddle a day late for my concert? I can’t keep my cover job if they fire me.”

“There’s no way they’ll fire you.” She could see his smirk even without a detection sphere. “Just like they didn’t press you to get back to work after Neighrobi.”

She sighed and nodded. “Yeah, you’re right. Nopony’s gonna say ‘no’ to us, right?”

“And certainly not ‘you’re fired.’ ” Fine waved towards the seats. “Come on, might as well get comfortable. Or not, considering the surroundings.”

As she followed him towards Fleur, she asked, “So why would Celestia want us to meet in some forgotten part of the castle nopony cares about? The dungeons get more visitors than this dump. Hey, Fleur.”

Fleur nodded to her. “A pleasure as alvays, Vinyl.”

Vinyl returned the motion, then looked to Fine. He pointedly refused to look at her. “Hey, I asked a question.”

“I know.” He fidgeted as she sat beside him. “The last time Celestia called me to a place like this, bad things happened.” He raised his hooves and stared at them, but without her detection spell there was no way for Vinyl to determine his expression. “I’m just a little worried.”

“Ah.” Now Vinyl was fidgeting, too. “That’s not exactly reassuring, y’know.”

“I wouldn’t worry,” Fleur said. “It will probably just be some special mission.”

Fine’s head jerked towards her. “A ‘special mission’ like the Rape of Sīṃgakh?”

Fleur winced and said nothing.

“Wait.” Vinyl looked between the two of them with eyebrows raised. “The Rape of Sīṃgakh was an Archon mission? Seriously?”

“Keep your voice down,” Fine hissed. “I’d rather not remind Octavia of that now.”

Vinyl sniffed her disdain, but kept her response quiet. “What, did she bungle that one up too? Is she the reason thousands of nilgiri died?”

“We’ll discuss it later,” Fine hissed. “But don’t you dare say anything to Octavia about—”

The door opened, and all eyes immediately shifted to it. Except for Vinyl’s; she instead turned her face away, raising her hoof in a pointless attempt to shield herself from the glare. So intensely bright were Celestia’s leylines, Vinyl couldn’t stand to look directly at the princess for longer than a second or two. Even looking away, her head felt thick from the sheer energy vibrating through her skull at the princess’s proximity.

She didn’t want to think about how powerful Celestia must be.

“Good morning, my little ponies.” The princess’s voice was bubbly, befitting the prancing pace of her hooves.

“Good morning, princess!” Surprise called, promptly leaping into the air to approach. Nopony tried to stop her. Vinyl risked a quick glance to find the pony flying small circles around Celestia in a pink blur.

Celestia giggled at the freak’s enthusiasm. “Always a pleasure to see you, Surprise. I’m sorry I can’t play with you right now. Please, have a seat. If you’re good, I may give you a treat later.”

Surprise gave a gleeful cry. “Oh boy! Will it be in the dungeons? Can I use the iron claw this time?”

“We’ll see. Now, go on.”

Surprise was back in her spot an instant later, her body perfectly still but her leylines flowing with refreshed energy. Vinyl didn’t try to disguise her glare.

“You’re unpleasantly chipper this morning,” Fine said gruffly.

Celestia came to a stop at the center of the room. “I have every reason to be. Hello, Vinyl. How goes your training?”

Vinyl felt like vomiting, but she forced the words from her lips. “As well as can be expected, your highness. Fine says I’ll be going on missions before the year is out.”

“Glad to hear it! Fleur, you’re as lovely as always.”

“Thank you, princess.”

“And Octavia! I haven’t seen you since your assignment to Neighrobi. Good to have you back. I read your final report. Wonderful work, as expected.”

Vinyl turned her glare on the pretty purple shape of Octavia, which wobbled in place before answering with a quiet, “Thank you, your highness.” Vinyl thought she saw the mare cast a look her way.

Fine growled and stood. “Can we dispense with the idle chatter? I’d like to know why we’re all here.”

“Oh, really, Fine, you’re such a bore.” Celestia chuckled and backed away from them until she sat just outside the circle. “But I suppose you’re right. I invited you and the Order here to act as witnesses, and to establish the special circumstances. It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to watch such entertaining ponies as the lot of you.”

“We’re all charmed, I’m sure,” Fine replied in a dull tone. “And just what are we witnessing?”

“Oh, oh!” Surprise began bouncing in place. “Is it a new toy? With lots of screaming involved? Will there be blood?”

Celestia spoke in a soothing voice. “Calm down, child. It is nothing so blatant. I am continuing a special project tonight, a project of torment, one that I have been working on for a long time. In fact, as of today, it will be the project’s one-thousandth anniversary.”

Surprise released a ridiculously loud gasp. “That’s amazing! I didn’t know you could play with somepony for a thousand years. Can you teach me how to do that?”

“Hush,” Octavia whispered, pushing her companion to the floor. “Let her finish.”

“Thank you, Octavia. Now, you’re all going to help me with this project, probably in ways I cannot foresee. I am, essentially, dropping you all into it head-first. Then I’ll just watch and see where it goes. Sounds like fun, right?”

Nopony replied. Vinyl felt her insides churning; it almost sounded like Celestia planned to feed them to some monster. Sucking in a short breath and hoping she sounded calmer than she felt, she asked, “So what are we expected to do?”

“Nothing,” Celestia replied. “You will do what comes naturally, whatever that entails. I trust that you will all entertain me regardless. After all, this project always produces results. Now, everypony keep quiet and use no spells. I need no distractions.”

Then the magic started, and what magic it was! Vinyl turned away as the already blinding brightness of Celestia’s horn increased exponentially. The waves of energy coursing through the room impacted her skull like hammers, and she gritted her teeth to keep from shouting. It didn’t actually hurt, but it would give her a colossal headache before long.

Fleur’s voice whispered in her ear. “Are you okay?”

“No,” she hissed back. “It’s like being caught inside the sun.”

“Is there anything we can do?” Fine asked.

She shook her head. Another wave of energy smashed into her, pulling a whimper from her throat. Soreness began to course through her skull. “Goddess, I am going to be feeling this tomorrow.”

Then, there was a flash, not of Celestia’s golden might, but of a soft blue. An instant later, the waves of magic ceased entirely. For Vinyl, it was like having all the lights turned out at once.

Silence reigned. Vinyl’s magical vision gradually evened out, though the faint throbbing continued. She looked to Fine, then to Fleur; both were looking towards the center of the room. Pursing her lips, she dared turn to face whatever Celestia had done, squinting pointlessly against the brightness of the princess herself.

Her jaw dropped at the sight of a new figure in the circle. Or... was it one figure? Two very different shades of blue crafted a confusing jumble of leylines. Though neither blue was light, one was notably darker than the other, and that one coursed with energy and vibrancy that reminded her – worryingly – of Surprise. The other was calmer, smooth like Octavia’s, and constantly flowing with patient energy.

The two colors intermingled as a single form, both beautiful and hideous at once. They shined brightly, outmatching all in the room save the vastly more brilliant Celestia. It was a constant glow, webbing out to every part of the pony’s body like an earth pony, but sporting the familiar wings and horn of an alicorn.

Vinyl was at once perplexed and amazed. What was this new, brilliant and frightening creation? She wanted to say something, to ask the questions flying through her mind, but could pull nothing from her throat. The silence seemed sacrosanct, and she wouldn’t be the first to violate it. So, like everypony else in the room, she merely watched as the new figure rose on wobbling legs, its head turning towards the blindingly bright Celestia.

A voice, hard and focused and a brilliant violet, rose from the figure. “So, the time has come once again.”

A second voice, this one playful and a slightly lighter shade, came from the same figure. “Hello, Celestia. I was beginning to wonder when you’d let me have some more fun.”

Celestia’s tone was polite and pleasant. “Hello, dear sister. It is always good to see you. Luna, Nightmare, I look forward to the coming months.”

Vinyl’s throat constricted as comprehension hit her.

“Not that I’m complaining,” the playful voice said, “but I would love for these visits to be more frequent than once a century. Couldn’t you make it fifty years instead?”

“Now Nightmare,” Celestia countered with her own playful tone, “you know we must keep up appearances. Besides, I thought you liked having Luna all to yourself.”

Nightmare laughed, a radiating wave of violet flowing from her throat. “What can I say? We’re hot and we know it.”

Celestia giggled in turn, but then her voice became worried. “What’s the matter, Luna? Haven’t you anything to say to me?”

For a time, the figure did not answer. When it did, it was in the darker-shaded voice, and there was no small amount of bitterness in it. “How long do you intend to keep me here this time?”

“I love you too, Lulu.” Celestia chuckled. “That depends. I’ve got some special playmates for you. Look, I suspect you’ll recognize one of them.”

Nightmare Moon turned to face the audience, and Vinyl noted how the others tensed. Therein lied one benefit to only seeing ponies as colorful bundles of light: Vinyl had no idea what their faces looked like. She could have used her detection sphere to get the details… but thought better of it. She probably didn’t want to know if one of Equestria’s mortal enemies was looking her in the eye.

That didn’t keep her from shifting in agitation, well aware that this pony could probably tear her to pieces for the fun of it.

She’d probably get along perfectly with Surprise.

“So,” Luna said in that deeper, icy voice, “we meet again, Verity Fine, once Fine Crime.”

All heads turned to Fine, who stepped forward cautiously. “Hello, Princess Luna. Celestia tells me you’ve visited my dreams.”

“Only the one. I assume you are the Mane Archon now?”

At his nod, Nightmare spoke up. “I have to admit, I’m impressed. I thought you’d be a desiccated corpse in the Everfree.”

Celestia walked up behind her sister – sisters? – and Vinyl had to turn her face away from the glare. “Fine is more than you know, Lulu. He may be the single best Mane Archon I’ve ever had. He and his chosen ponies will make perfect playmates for you.”

Nightmare’s head slowly shifted as she took in the other members of the Order. The lighter-colored voice spoke with a playful tone. “They appear to be a bunch of misfits. I wonder what motivations they will have for me to play with?”

“Be silent,” the darker-shaded voice commanded. “I don’t understand why these ponies are here. Have the Archons expanded?”

“They are the Order of Shadows, founded by Fine,” Celestia replied with a giggle, “and they all share one goal. Well, all save one. Surprise, would you join me?”

The air practically exploded from Surprise’s lungs, suggesting she’d been holding her breath the entire time. Vinyl had to give her credit; staying quiet for as long as she had must have been a terrible strain on her psyche. “Yes yes yes! Are we gonna play now, huh huh huh?”

“Come on, the dungeons await!” Celestia’s golden form made for the door, Surprise’s pink mass following behind so fast it left a streak of color across Vinyl’s world. “I’ll leave the lot of you to introduce yourselves. Nightmare, you and I will talk later.”

“You mean you’re leaving me alone with these plebes?” Nightmare scoffed. “A hundred years apart, and already you abandon me.”

“Oh, don’t be such a drama princess.” The door closed, and the brilliance of Celestia disappeared. Vinyl heaved a sigh of relief as the pleasant darkness she was accustomed to came back at last.

There was a prolonged silence. The newly returned princess and the Order members shared glances. Octavia coughed.

“So,” Nightmare started. “I suppose Celestia wants us all to be ‘chums.’ Might as well introduce myself: I am Nightmare Moon, general incarnate of villainy, half-sister of Celestia. Hobbies include manipulation, inducing nightmares and crochet, while dabbling in attempted coups. I’m sure we’ll all be best friends, provided you don’t mind me screwing with your heads. Who’s next?”

Another lengthy silence.

The darker-shaded voice returned, Luna’s tone as commanding as ever. “Nightmare, could you please refrain from speaking for at least a few minutes?”

“Oh, I suppose.” Nightmare chuckled, a slow, unpleasant sound. “But only because you asked nicely.”

“Thank you.” Princess Luna raised her head, once again panning the room. “No introduction is needed on my part. I imagine you all know who I am and my long history, though I know Celestia has tortured it into something false.” She spat the last few words like poison. “Am I to assume that everypony present seeks to remove my sister from the throne?”

“You assume correctly,” Fine replied, his voice as bitter as Luna’s. “The ponies before you are members of the Order, which I have been forming to act as both Archon leadership and my… ‘co-conspirators.’ Of course, Celestia is well aware of our purpose.”

“Of course she is; she’s been ‘playing’ with her Mane Archons for centuries.” Luna’s voice became curious. “But never has a Mane Archon gathered a team like this. Consider me intrigued.”

Fleur spoke up, her tone hopeful. “Princess, do you intend to vork vis us?”

“Celestia will be expecting that,” Luna replied quickly. “She wants it. She delights in watching me struggle in vain – and I assure you, the struggle is in vain.”

Vinyl grimaced. “That’s hardly what I’d expect from a pony like you.”

The colorful lines of Luna’s head shifted her direction, and Vinyl was sure the temperature in the room just dropped a few degrees. “I have been trying for a thousand years to dethrone Celestia. Every century she brings me here so that I might try again, and every century I fail and am sent back. She does this purely for her own amusement, and I have been dancing to her tune all along. If you had to watch every plan and scheme crumble around you again and again, you too would recognize the futility of resistance. I have watched allies and friends die because of my failures, and I am tired of it.”

Vinyl turned her face away; even if she couldn’t see the glare, she still felt the pressure of it. She felt foolish for having bothered to speak at all.

“Now hold on.” Fine stalked towards the princess, his light blue voice filled with anger. “You are the one who got me out of the Everfree alive, are you not? You wouldn’t have done that just to slight your sister. Why would you support me, fully knowing what it meant for my future, if you didn’t intend to work together?”

Luna cocked head, but the voice that came out was Nightmare’s. “Tell me, colt, how long have you been the Mane Archon?”

“Ten years.”

“Ten years to you is both a blink and an eternity to us,” Nightmare hissed. “Could you hold out hope, Verity Fine? Those ten years – your entire life – is but a fraction of the time we spent on that blasted rock.”

The voice shifted to that of Luna. “Can you even imagine one year of such isolation, with nothing but the mad ramblings of a monster in your head for company? Do not even try to envision a hundred years of loneliness, bouts of madness, untold days of rage and hate and loss and defeat and abject misery! What of a thousand? At the time we spoke to you, it was at a rare moment of pointless hope. It happens occasionally.”

“Then we wake up,” Nightmare continued, head held high and tone vicious. “Celestia cannot be defeated. We have agreed to a new strategy: leave things be. At least then we can stay on this green planet for a while longer before Celestia realizes our ruse and sends us back for her boredom.”

Fleur let out an unladylike curse. “Is sis vy Celestia brought us here? So ve can listen to you vine?”

“It is not—”

“Princess?”

Everypony turned their attention to Octavia. Even Vinyl, who saw all ponies as shining beacons in the dark, hasn’t noticed her walking up to the princess. Now she sat a small distance from the alicorn, who looked to her in turn. Nightmare’s words were biting. “What? Have you some fresh means of scolding me with your mortal, pathetic self-righteousness?”

Though Vinyl couldn’t see her face, Octavia’s ever-flowing leylines remained calm, which was a far cry from the shifting and pulsing emotions of everypony else in the room.

The pony gave a brief bow. When she spoke, her voice maintained a steady, curious manner. “You don’t have long, right? Celestia sent you here to entertain her, but you intend to defy that. How long do you have before she grows tired of waiting?”

Luna fidgeted, her head aimed at the smaller pony before her. The agitated rush of the two sets of leylines in her body began to calm. The voice that replied was Luna’s. “I cannot say. A few years, we hope.”

Octavia nodded. “I understand that you don’t want to work with us. I don’t mind. But… perhaps we can be friends? I think you and I have much to share.”

It took a moment for Luna to reply. “You… what?”

She shook her head, Nightmare’s voice coming out in force. “Don’t be ridiculous! Why would I want to be friends with you?”

Octavia tilted her head. “I would think that, after a hundred years alone, nothing would be more desirable than a little company.”

Vinyl cast her magical eye towards Fine and Fleur, who glanced back in what she could only assume were expressions as dumbfounded as her own.

“I do not want your—”

Nightmare made a strange, grunt-like sound and wobbled.

“Be silent, Nightmare,” Luna said, her voice quiet. “What is your name?”

“Octavia Melody, your majesty.”

“I… I do not think being familiar with me would be good for your health, Miss Melody.”

“I don’t care.” Octavia took a step closer. “If I know Celestia as I think I do, you don’t deserve the punishment you have received. Nopony should be so alone. If you will not let us help you in other ways, then let me help you in another.”

A wave of nausea ran through Vinyl as she realized Octavia ploy. Though tempted to call her out on it, she stilled her tongue; they needed the princess on their side. Vinyl hated herself for it, but she would let the pretty little blot of purple work her foul charm.

“I rather like this idea,” Nightmare said, her tone whimsical. “She can be my first plaything.”

Luna pressed her fetlock over her eyes. “Nightmare—” It was her turn to wobble and choke.

“Don’t ‘Nightmare’ me. You and I both know what I’ll do to a delectable morsel such as her.” Nightmare’s hoof traced a line along Octavia’s cheek, her voice almost a purr. “As if I could resist such a pretty face.”

Octavia pushed the hoof back. Her tone became hard. “I can name a few dozen nilgiri and ponies combined who can attest to my bedtime skill, Nightmare. Would you like to know how they died, or can I talk to Luna now?”

Vinyl sucked in a sharp breath. Had she just admitted to being a whore? Had she just threatened Nightmare Moon? Vinyl had no idea which was more unbelievable.

But instead of turning Octavia into a pile of ash, Nightmare threw back her head and laughed. “I like this one, Luna! She’s got fire. I think I’ll leave her be for now, just for the pleasure of watching.”

“Good, now shut up.” Luna shook her head forcefully. “Forgive her, she is an uncouth demon. But surely you see now that attempting to befriend a wretched soul such as my own can only prove disastrous.”

Octavia shook her head. “It’s my risk to take. Come, why don’t we get out of this stuffy amphitheater? I’m sure you’d like to see something green after all that time among rocks.”

Luna – indeed, everypony – watched as Octavia made her way to the door. When she looked back Luna flinched, as if coming out of a trance. The princess took a hesitant step. “Are… Are you sure? This is not wise.”

Octavia pulled the door open and gestured with a hoof. Her pleasant, violet voice was cheerful. “Come on, princess. There’s a whole world out there.”

Though her reluctance was apparent in her slow pace, Luna followed. As soon as the door closed, the three remaining ponies shared one long stare.

“Vat… just happened?” Fleur asked.

“I think we just got ignored,” Vinyl offered with a shrug.

Fine chuckled, his voice full of respect… and something else Vinyl couldn’t define. “That mare is amazing.”

“Yeah, ‘amazing,’ that’s the word.” Vinyl shuddered. “I knew Octavia was a manipulative witch, but this is something else.”

“Manipulative vitch?” Fleur cocked her head. “Vatever do you mean?”

“I fail to see your point,” Fine agreed.

“What?” Vinyl thrust her hoof in the general direction of the door. “You of all ponies should know a trick when he sees one!” When they both just stared, she groaned and facehoofed. “You can’t tell me you missed it. Octavia’s buttering her up so she’ll work with us!”

Her companions sighed in unison. Fleur spoke first. “You have no idea who Octavia is. You really need to sit down and talk to her.”

Before Vinyl could snap a counter, Fine spoke up. “Octavia was doing nothing of the sort. Her interests were sincere, Vinyl, and you would know that if you’d stop being so stubborn and learn a bit about her.”

“Stubborn?” Vinyl stomped and turned away from the two of them. “I wouldn’t even be an Archon if she’d kept her muzzle out of my business. I wouldn’t be blind if she’d left me out of her stupid scheme! I am not going to try to get along, not with her, so get used to it.”

“But Vinyl, sat’s—”

Fleur was silenced by Fine’s leg rising before her. “We’re not going to waste time arguing over this,” he said, voice hard. “We need to focus on our jobs. Princess Luna and Nightmare Moon are back, and despite their misgivings I’m pretty sure they aren’t going to ignore Celestia forever.”

Fleur shuffled in place. “I’m a little surprised. I sought Celestia vould parade her sister’s return in some cruel fashion. I anticipated a spectacle, not a private meeting.”

“Me too, come to think of it.” Vinyl turned back to them, fighting down her anger now that the conversation was off her vendetta. “Are we really going to work with them? I mean, Luna I’m fine with, but Nightmare? Total psycho.”

Fine considered the question, then turned to Vinyl. “What do you see when you look at her?”

“I saw…” She paused to think on how to describe it. “I saw enough leylines for two individual ponies, but smashed together in a single body. It was weird… and a little disturbing.”

“So sere really are two minds in sere,” Fleur wondered aloud.

Fine rubbed his chin in a thoughtful pose. “Which only goes to further confirm my theories about Celestia. Alright, we’re all going to introduce ourselves to them. Properly.”

Vinyl groaned. “I don’t have time for that. What about my tour?”

“Your train won’t leave until tomorrow,” he replied. “We’ve got all day to make our introductions. And we’ll do them individually, not as a group. I think Octavia has the right idea.”

“Great.” Vinyl jerked her face away from them with a scowl. “Just how I wanted to spend my day; alone with a freak that might just kill me.”

Fleur chuckled. “Surprise is vis Celestia, Vinyl.”

“Oh, Goddess!” Vinyl covered her face in her hooves. “One psychopath was enough already!”

Author's Notes:

And so we get to the reason the year 1000 is so important. Honestly, I thought it would be obvious.

I had two major goals with this chapter, the obvious first being to show when and how Luna came back to Equestria. The second was to showcase how Vinyl's been taking advantage of the 'boon' Celestia gave her. It seemed the perfect opportunity to describe how she 'sees' the different pony races, even if I had to do it via a little exposition.

And now it's time for the next arc. After discussing things with my pre-readers and asking for general opinions, I've decided to take the single most unknown character of the team and go through his story. Why? Because I want the popular ones to be the rising action for the final book(s), that's why.