Tradition dictates I end this book. Set it aside. Start my own.

Fine bucked tradition. I shall do the same. I don’t think I’m fully prepared to start my own chapter in this saga, not yet. So I will continue Fine’s book, just as he originally intended. The others will have their say. Once I am satisfied with my own progress, only then will I set this aside. For now, Fine’s story lives on.

The princesses tell me I should quit, or at least take a break. I refused their suggestions. I may be crying every night, but I will not abandon the Archons. Fine wouldn’t want that. He chose me, and I must meet his expectations. There’s still a lot of evil in Equestria, remnants of the last thousand years. Somepony has to put that evil down.

But we will not bow to Celestia anymore. We will not bow to any princess at all. The Archons began independent, and we will return to that state. I believe Fine would have wanted it that way.

Independence. I took this route once before.

I regretted it then. I won’t regret it now.

—Fleur de Lis, Book of Shadows XLVIII,

June 14, 1007

There was a phrase for cities like this. Fleur had to think for a while to recall it, but eventually it slipped back to the forefront of her mind: “a wretched hive of scum and villainy.” Yes, Sīṃgakh fit that description perfectly.

Fleur had loathed the city the moment she stepped off the airship. Every corner was grimy, and the goats – nilgiri, if she were to use the appropriate racial terminology, or ibex if she wanted to be insulting – were no better. The entire city was comprised of ugly yellow structures that appeared to be made of a mishmashed combination of stone and local clay. Only the most important buildings used modern construction materials, and to the nilgiri ‘important’ apparently only included the major government buildings and the home of anypony rich.

She stood at a balcony overlooking the city’s town square, being in the only hotel in the entire city wealthy enough to warrant proper construction and modern conveniences. Well, most modern conveniences; the heat was nothing short of sweltering. Fleur regretted not learning any thermodynamics-related spells, because a proper cooling aura would have done wonders for her just then. Her mane clung to her sweating shoulders, and she learned quickly to not even think of wearing a proper dress in this country.

Beneath her wandered a people who were little more than rabble. Under normal circumstances, Fleur might have felt guilt for thinking so low of others, albeit briefly. In this case, though, the statement was about as true as could be. The vast majority of the citizens wandering the square lived in squalor, and one needed only glance at their ratty, flea-infested coats to see it, to say nothing for the grime, the downcast eyes and the torn, moth-eaten clothes.

In the meantime, the elites were gathered about the city’s capital, a squat, wide structure of marble that, for all its elegant design, appeared no less dirty than the city surrounding it. It wasn’t just nilgiri there, for Fleur could make out ponies and griffons as well. This didn’t surprise her in the least; Nildia was a puppet state of Grypha, and Grypha in turn had no choice but to accept Equestrian oversight as punishment for its involvement in the Crystal Rebellion. Knowing what she did about Celestia, Fleur thought the catbirds had gotten off easy.

But the leaders being well groomed and wearing suits didn’t make them any less of a rabble. They were criminals and monsters, every last one of them. Fleur had read enough reports to get the gist of the levels of crime in this city. For all intents and purposes, the crooks owned it, and that criminal element trickled down to every corner of life in Sīṃgakh. It seemed there wasn’t a single nilgiri, griffon or pony living within the city limits that hadn’t committed at least one terrible deed, mostly in the service of some organized crime group or family.

Fleur hovered one of her intercepted letters, brow furrowing as she took in the words once again. “So… whatever this thing is, it’s happening today.”

“That’s right,” a deep voice acknowledged from behind her. “The Mane Archon’s instructions are clear. It’ll start during the mayor’s speech.”

She turned around to face her companion, a tall, purple-feathered griffon. “But they don’t specify what exactly is going to happen. Surely you must have some idea.”

The griffon shrugged and shuffled from claw to claw. “Not really. Apparently, I’m not high enough in rank to know.”

Fleur ripped the letter to shreds with her magic, making sure the pieces were as fine as possible, before letting it scatter in the winds. She then smiled sweetly at the griffon. “Do not worry, Thin Tongue. Your assistance with getting me here will be well remembered.”

Thin Tongue scratched at his chest and averted his gaze. “That’s not what I meant. Lady de Lis, are you sure you want to be here?”

“Don’t worry.” She turned back to the balcony, eyes narrowing as she watched the workers below setting up a large stage. “I’m taking full responsibility.”

The griffon grumbled something unintelligible. “I don’t think you get it. I’m risking more than my job helping you get here. If something happens to you—”

“Nothing’s going to happen.”

“If something does, we’re all in trouble. It’s no secret that you’re the Mane Archon’s pride and joy. I don’t care how smart you think you are, he’ll find out who helped you, so for all our sakes, lay low.”

Fleur’s retort didn’t reach her lips. She was too busy trying to shove her heart back down her throat. Fine’s ‘pride and joy’? Surely Thin Tongue hadn’t meant that. If Fine really thought of her that way, she wouldn’t have had to come here.

No, it had to be a ruse. This catbird was trying to trick her into holding back. She hadn’t come this far just to watch from the sidelines. She flicked her mane and raised her chin, steeling herself. “I’ll be fine here. You may leave.”

“You can’t dismiss me like I’m some—”

“Get. Out.”

She could feel his glare on the back of her head. It didn’t bother her in the least. If he dared to say anything more, she would be sure to remind him of his rank… and hers.

He departed, grumbling all the way to the door. “I’m stationed in the lobby,” he growled at her, then disappeared into the depths of the hotel.

Fleur immediately turned to the nearby kitchen counters, pouring herself a glass of water and dumping a few cubes of ice from a bucket sitting on the floor. The water felt delightful going down her throat, but did nothing for her foul mood. ‘Pride and joy,’ indeed. Had Fine sent instructions through the ranks to have her called that? Of course not, she would have seen if he had.

Still, she wouldn’t put it past him.

This was his fault. She was here because of him, because he wouldn’t acknowledge her. But she’d show Fine. After today, he’d have no choice but to see her for what she was. Maybe he would finally love her, love her as he was meant to, as she’d always desired him to.

But first, she needed to succeed. Exactly how, she couldn’t be sure. She turned to the small gem array she’d built the night before, situated on the the bed that had all the softness of a rock. Setting her empty glass aside, she sat before it and activated the starter gemstone, and soon green and blue light arose from the carefully-arranged apparatus. Her ears turned forward, but no transmissions met them.

That was alright. Fleur knew the Archons wouldn’t be sending too many messages, not so close to Mission Start. Somepony would use it eventually. The order had to come down, after all. She resigned herself to a quiet stakeout, by no means her first.

She would learn what this mission was all about, and then she’d act.

“Signal will come during the Mayor’s speech. All units to positions.”

Fleur’s head rose at the same time as her eyebrows, pulling out of a daze of thoughts. The words that had arisen from her gems took their time rooting inside her brain. Once their meaning became clear, she slumped her shoulders. “That’s it?”

Six hours she’d sat in that room, stopping for nothing save a few glasses of water and the occasional bathroom break. In all that time, there’d been not a single word on the system. And now this?

Worry seeped into her brain. Her plans were unraveling, and all because the foals weren’t using the communication and data storage system she’d designed! She silently cursed Fine for his old fashioned methods, as appropriate as they may be. What did a mare have to do to get in on top secret information?

But it was too late. The Mayor’s speech was scheduled to start within the next five minutes. With a groan, she tapped her hoof on the red gem in the corner of her apparatus, shutting down the device. As the lights faded, her room grew red from the fading light of the sun. Head low and hooves heavy, Fleur walked to back to the balcony and sat. At least she could see this oh-so-special project in action.

The city square was packed with nilgiri. There had to have been thousands. Fleur could smell their reeking, sweaty bodies even from her balcony. Could these cretins smell anything beyond their own stench? Across the city square, several rows of dignitaries sat on cushions. They looked as haughty as ever, with well-dressed servants rushing to and fro to cater to their every whim. At the forefront was the podium, a gargantuan thing that made Fleur wonder if the mayor weren’t compensating for something.

She detected no sign of Archon activity. And why should she? Despite knowing there would be nothing to see, Fleur couldn’t resist passing her eyes over the scene a few times in search of something out of the ordinary. No luck. Whatever Fine had planned, it would catch everypony by surprise.

Fleur growled under her breath. She’d come all the way here, and for what? To watch others do the dirty work. Now that she thought on it, it could be that the entire mission would occur in the background, unseen to the public eye. The thought had occurred to her before, but Surprise had compared it to the Crystal Rebellion. Surely nothing could be that big and not be noticed.

Big or not, she would miss it completely. Were she not worried about the consequences, Fleur might have stormed up to Fine right then and there to demand an explanation. His location was the one and only thing she’d managed to squeeze out of this entire trip, not that it would be worth anything. How long before the next major mission? How many opportunities like this would she miss?

How long would she have to wait for Fine to notice her?

She blinked; the mayor was speaking. When had she shown up? Fleur peered across the crowd, wondering why she hadn’t bothered to get some binoculars. The mayor was a griffon, apparently blue. Other than that, Fleur could make out no details. Even so, she paid close attention to the scene. What would Fine’s signal entail?

The mayor kept talking. Fleur’s frustration grew steadily. Still, no signal came.

After some thirty minutes, the mayor turned aside, and two more individuals stood, a pony and a nilgiri. They approached the podium, then hugged the mayor. Fleur peered; had things gone off script? Why had nothing happened yet?

The three figures stood at the podium. The mayor stood tall and raised her talons high.

Then her head exploded. Followed by the heads of the two dignitaries.

As the screams started, Fleur could only gape. When the elite figures began to flee, she remained silent.

What happened next, she wasn’t quite sure. She could just barely see the wave of energy that rushed over the city, causing no visible damage. Fleur tried to bring up a shield, but it shattered as soon as the energy wave passed. For the span of a second, Fleur’s skull felt as if it were filled with bouncing iron balls. By the time her head cleared, the screams filled the air in an endless chorus.

With a gasp, Fleur looked down to witness total chaos. The ibex in the streets were, for lack of a better term, at war with themselves. Everywhere she looked, the peons clawed, stomped, bit and drew blood. Somehow, in the mere blink of an eye, the Archons had awakened the true viciousness that defined these rubes.

Fleur burst out in laughter at the sillines of it all. Oh, what mindless worms they were! It was no wonder Celestia singled this city out. Maybe she was trying to have them all killed. Wouldn’t that be lovely?

Her laugh was cut short when she heard something strike the wall beside her. She turned to look down; it was an arrow. Thunk, another hit the wood of the railing beside her, and Fleur hurried back inside. “Those worthless simpletons! How dare they attack me? Do they not know that I’m—”

Teeth clamped down on tongue, ending the tirade before it could properly launch. Fleur’s wide eyes darted about the room as more and more vicious thoughts coursed through her brain. Where had they come from? She thought of her time living under the stairs of Gladkaya. The way her father had treated her… She didn’t want to think like that monster.

But the thoughts kept coming. They told her to bask in her own superiority, to laugh as the cretins slaughtered themselves, to take part and bathe in their useless blood. She was smarter, she was wealthier, she was prettier, she was more cultured. She was better than these plebes!

“No!” Fleur fell to the floor and clutched at her head. “That’s not me. That’s not me. That’s not me.”

But it was her. She knew it. There had been times, moments where she’d indulged in the knowledge of her superiority. They’d been dark thoughts. It felt so good to know that she’d become something her father would never be, that she could look down on him with impunity. Him, and others like him. The wretches, the indecent, the worthless, the villainous.

Sīṃgakh. The city of sin. Crime capital of the world.

Who better to look down on than these wretches?

Fleur stood. She walked to the kitchen, her hooves quiet, her steps dainty. Outside, the sun was just touching the horizon, painting the world red as shouts, screams and shrieks filled the air like grotesque music. Fleur poured herself another glass of water, took a sip. Somewhere outside her room, she could hear loud hoofsteps. Calmly, she pulled her mane back and, using a rubber band she noticed in one of the drawers earlier, tied it in a ponytail.

Something banged against her wall. An explosion sounded in the distance. the cries of anger and rage swam in through the balcony doors. Ever serene, Fleur walked back to her bed and levitated a dozen gems of various colors, absent-mindedly checking the etchings on them before tucking them into her mane. A tiny jolt of magic was all it took for them to stick to her scalp like magnets.

Despite their weight, she held her head high. Another bang resounded, and there came a pained scream through the wall. Fleur picked up the glass of water and made for the door, stride as graceful as ever. The door opened to her magic and she stepped out, taking a long drink of water as she did.

A nilgiri maid lay against the opposite wall. Her head was a bloody mess and she didn’t move. Fleur cringed at the sight, but moved on.

There was a nilgiri stallion down the hall. He spotted her and, with a wicked grin, charged.

Fine’s words, words from a thousand training bouts, ran through her mind: Assess. Plan. React.

Fleur finished her drink.

Then, in a flurry of motion, she took the glass in one hoof, smashed the top of it against her doorframe, sidestepped the stallion’s lunge, then jammed the jagged glass into his throat. It had taken less than a second, and she was already moving on. She didn’t bother looking back; the sound of the stallion’s choked gurgling was enough. She didn’t even perk her ears when he hit the floor.

“Pathetic.”

It dawned upon Fleur that she’d just killed somepony. Her first kill. Shouldn’t she have a stronger response than this?

Of course not. He was inferior. Killing him had been a mercy, to the world and probably to him.

No, that wasn’t her. She didn’t think like that.

Why shouldn’t she?

Because it was wrong!

Says who? Celestia arranged this, and isn’t she the voice of all things good?

Fleur staggered, the air escaping her lungs in a harsh gasp. Her last thought had been so ridiculous, so phenomenally stupid that she almost broke into laughter. Celestia, that bitch, the voice of all things good?

Just as quickly, alarm and anger mixed into her mind. Everything came together: the shockwave, the fighting, all of it. Somehow, every creature in this city was under an enchantment that brought their darkest desires to the forefront of their minds. All the hatred, all the anger, all the fear, put forward with inhibitions cast aside. For something like this to be happening all over the city…

This was no assassination mission. It wasn’t about information collection or dealing with the crime families. It wasn’t about cleaning up the streets. It wasn’t even about politics.

This was a cleansing. Celestia didn’t intend for anything to get out of this city alive.

The door to Fleur’s left opened with a bang, and something smashed into her. Before she could even register the need, she began punching and kicking. A glint of steel caught her eye, and suddenly she and her snarling opponent were wrestling over a kitchen knife. The nilgiri shouted in her face.

Fleur’s horn ignited, and when she shrieked back it was with long fangs, a slithering tongue and wide eyes with thin pupils. Her foe shrank back, face going pale with shock. Then he gasped, for the knife had found its way into his heart.

Fleur’s illusion dropped as she stepped back. The nilgiri, a short stallion in a blue business suit, blinked a couple times in stunned silence before collapsing. Fleur sucked in a few sharp breaths, conflicting thoughts warring for supremacy in her mind.

He attacked first!

It was self defense.

He deserved to die.

He wasn’t himself!

Yes, he was, and that makes it okay.

I didn’t even know him.

He’s an ibex, that’s knowledge enough.

No, it’s not!

Dirty, ugly, backwards goats.

“Shut up!” Fleur slapped herself, and the thoughts came to an abrupt stop. She stood still in the middle of the hall, her breath coming in shallow gasps and the stillness interrupted by a chorus of bangs, bumps and shouts all around her.

“Okay,” she whispered, pressing a hoof to the side of her head and grimacing. “Think, Fleur, think. All of the city was hit by that spell. There are Archons in the city. That means… that means…”

It meant the Archons had some kind of protection against the magic. Fleur’s path was clear now, she just needed to survive the trip. Her gaze went to the elevator. What state would the city be in once she reached the ground floor?

She looked to the dead nilgiri. It took her precious seconds to make the decision, but when she did there was no hesitation. Dropping to her knees, she whispered an apology, rolled the body aside and pulled the knife from his chest. That done, she started for the elevator.

Shouts, roars, thumps and bangs filled the air. The hallway was empty, but Fleur knew that to be only a lucky break. At any minute, more of the hotel’s staff and guests would burst into the hallway from the adjoining rooms. She had to get out of this hotel, and fast. She reached out, pressed the button on the wall—

The elevator screamed past. Shrieks rose, climaxed and faded with its passing, culminating in a crash that rocked the building beneath her hooves.

She stared at the door in mute silence, more disturbed by her own numbness of waht just happened than the event itself. “Okay,” she muttered. “Stairs.” She’d feel for the poor souls later, right now she had to survive.

A door opened down the hall and a griffon lunged out. She already sported blood on her chest and legs, and it couldn’t have all been hers. The creature spotted Fleur and let out an eagle’s cry before charging. Fleur was already rushing down the stairs. She turned two corners of the stairwell before finding her way blocked by a group of ibex and ponies engaged in a fierce, bloody free-for-all. One pony saw her approach her and lunged.

Assess. Plan. React.

Her elbow met his face with a crunch, then she had him on the floor. His radius snapped a moment later. Before Fleur had even finished, she snatched one of the gems from her mane and tossed it into the brawl a few steps away. She buried her head under the stallion’s barrel just when the garnet hit the ground. A lone spark of her horn, and the world was filled with a resounding crack. Even from her protected position, the light shined in her eyes.

She wasted no time, leaping up and darting past the combatants. They all stood on wobbling legs, blinking away the dots in their eyes and trying to figure out what had just happened. She slipped by the last one and continued downstairs, looking up to see her griffon pursuer smash into the unprepared equines.

A wicked grin came to Fleur’s lips; and Fine thought she was unprepared.

Something slammed into her from an open doorway. She hit the wall, before she and her attacker fell to the ground. It took only a second for Fleur to realize she’d not been attacked at all, merely run into. Even so, she and the zebra mare moved at the same time. Fleur wove her hoof through the zebra’s punch and struck an easy blow to the jaw, then came forward. Her opponent fell for the motion and reached up, prepared to grapple, and Fleur’s kitchen knife slid neatly between her exposed ribs. She walked past, knife back in her possession, before the mare even hit the floor.

As she hurried down to the ground floor, Fleur wondered at how incredibly easy it was. The riot couldn’t be more than five minutes old, and she’d already taken two lives. It felt… good. As if the act of murder had been an unrealized dream all her life. Had Fine felt this way back when he was a Bloodmane, effortlessly slaughtering pony after pony?

She knew it was the magic making her enjoy the bloodshed. Deep down, she felt the appropriate guilt, but it was through a thick filter. Fleur let the knife bounce in the air before her, a lopsided smirk on her lips as she wondered why she’d ever held back. Imagine if she’d had the courage to slip a knife in her father’s back all those years ago. Where would she be now?

Understanding struck her like ice water, making her go still at the foot of the stairs; she would be in the Grypha Mines. Or, more precisely, she’d have already died there. This entire scenario was wrong, evil, and she’d been enjoying it!

Of course it was evil. Celestia planned it.

Shaking her head forcefully, Fleur opened the door just as an eagle’s cry pierced her ears. Looking up, she cursed at the sight of the griffon from before charging down the stairs. She was so covered in blood now that there was no telling what her plumage’s color had been before. Fleur shoved the door open and rushed into the hotel lobby, only to slide to a stop.

Bodies covered the floor, painting the once-purple carpet red. Dozens of nilgiri, ponies and griffons in varied positions of death. Broken bones, sliced body parts, bruised coats, shattered skulls. Not even the magic pressing against Fleur’s mind could hold down her revulsion. For precious seconds, she could do nothing but stand in mute silence, a hoof over her lips and her stomach churning.

An eagle’s cry, but not from behind her. She turned her head. Thin Tongue. He approached her at a run, wings spread and beak opened wide in a shriek.

Another cry came, and Fleur lunged sideways just in time for the other griffon to fly through the stairwell door. The catbird landed amongst the bodies and, undeterred, began to turn, but paused when she noticed the approaching Thin Tongue. Apparently recognizing him as the greater threat, she focused her assault on him, and the two ran into one another at full speed.

The fight was over before Fleur could even consider moving in to help; Thin Tongue accepted a scratch to his chest, and repaid it by ripping his opponent’s throat out. Fleur wasn’t the least surprised. “Thin Tongue, we need to get to the Solar Flare! If we can—”

A screech cut her off. Thin Tongue’s talons ripped into the carpet, his gaze vicious as he prowled her way.

Fleur stiffened, her gaze piercing. “Great. I should have known a mere catbird would be too feeble-minded to resist the enchantment. No matter.” But deep down, Fleur knew it to be a big matter. Slaughtering a bunch of untrained, inexperienced nilgiri and zebra was one thing, but Thin Tongue was a battle-hardened, Archon-trained griffon warrior. Did she even stand a chance?

Worse: this meant that the Archons in the city didn’t have any protection after all. Why hadn’t Fine warned them?

What a stupid question; Celestia had told him not to, obviously.

As Thin Tongue lunged, a part of Fleur screamed at her to flee. Instead, she dodged her new opponent’s deadly talons and stabbed with her knife. Thin Tongue avoided it, moving around the blade like water, forcing her to dance backwards or be sliced to ribbons. They continued this routine, each dodging attacks that came more and more swiftly.

Fleur knew she was in trouble. Thin Tongue might be small for a griffon, but he still far outweighed her, and didn’t appear at all slowed by the extra heft. Worse, he was aggressive, and she found herself constantly having to back away. If she didn’t come up with a solution quickly, he’d back her into a corner and the fight would be over.

Mind working frantically, Fleur cast a spell on her blade. The kitchen knife appeared to divide into four different weapons, and all went at the griffon at once. Thin Tongue cried out and jumped back, trying to dodge all four. The real one made it through, but only delivered a small cut to his shoulder. Now aware that the others were fake, he caught the real one in a lone talon and, with a startlingly powerful tug, jerked it from Fleur’s magical grasp.

She winced, the cancelled magic like a slap to the forehead, but had no time to be impressed. She leapt sideways, a melanite gemstone falling from her mane, and made as if to retreat. Thin Tongue followed with a screech, bounding over a table to get to her. Fleur’s horn sparked, activating the dropped gem.

Crack!

The air around the gem became a vacuum, and everything nearby began to be sucked in. Thin Tongue rocked back before digging his claws into the floor and bracing against the powerful pull just behind him. Fleur had to do the same, wrapping one leg around a support beam to keep steady. The pull wasn’t so bad for her given the distance, whereas the griffon’s strained face revealed his exertion. Slowly, Fleur pulled away from him, until she reached a chair that was slowly sliding her way. She grabbed it, turned and prepared to throw it.

A shout forced her attention left, to the hotel entrance. A pair of nilgiri charged through the shattered windows, heads down as they prepared to ram her at full speed.

Assess. Plan. React.

She slammed the chair down, shattering it, then grabbed one of the broken pieces of wood and set it at an angle on the floor just as the first nilgiri reached her. It promptly impaled itself in the chest and staggered; Fleur dodged sideways, attention already on the second opponent. She thrust a second piece of wood at him, but he dodged sideways… right into her waiting knife, which plunged into his throat.

Fleur’s gem, now filled with an excessive amount of local matter, chose that moment to explode.

The force of the eruption sent Fleur and the two nilgiri sprawling. She landed hard on her side and cringed, but needed only a second to regain her bearings. She found the area around the gem annihilated, the walls and ceiling crumbling. Her jaw dropped at the sight of Thin Tongue, blood oozing from several cuts on his backside and wings, climbing to his paws. She’d expected some broken bones at the very least!

Their eyes locked, his vicious and hers startled. Then he charged once again.

Assess.

He was bigger. Stronger. As fast as her. Wounded. Not thinking clearly.

Plan.

Ponies ran from griffons. Predator and prey instincts. Fool them, get close.

React.

Fleur charged, horn lowered and a scream rising from her lips. Thin Tongue didn’t slow down. Instead, he smirked. They grew close within just a few steps, and his left claw rose high.

Just as he swung, Fleur leapt. She didn’t get out of the way, she merely altered her course just slightly left, where all his weight was positioned in that moment. Her center of gravity shifted so that her back half swung around, but she felt the slice of his claws in her side regardless. It burned, but she accepted the pain; after all, she’d not performed the maneuver to dodge.

Her forelegs came out and caught his head in a tight grip. He kept coming, and she was airborne. Putting all her weight in her hind legs, Fleur let them whip around like a lead weight at the end of a rope. His head, still in her iron grip, turned with her motion. Her spin continued, over his back, around—

Snap.

The counterbalance of his weight disappeared as he fell, and Fleur hit the floor on her side. She watched as Thin Tongue’s head rocked back and forth, his eyes wide with shock. Panting, heart pounding, Fleur continued to lay there for several long seconds. The understanding of just what she’d done left her unable to think of anything else.

She’d killed a fellow Archon! True, it was in self defense, but hadn’t Thin Tongue been part of the plan? And she’d been so stupid as to come here uninvited and get in the way. This entire trip was one massive, idiotic mistake!

No… Thin Tongue hadn’t been part of the plan. He’d said so himself, he had no idea what was going to happen. Did that mean that the Archons sent here were expendable? Had they been set up to fight amongst themselves somehow? She could see Celestia enacting such a terrible agenda for her own amusement. The idea that Fine would readily go along with it seemed harder to accept. Then again, he did have an obedience curse.

Only after her fears settled did Fleur realize that she felt no actual guilt for her misdeed. She pressed a hoof to her chest, feeling her rapid pulse, and tried to force her breathing to slow. Why didn’t she feel bad about her actions? The worst that came to her was a fear of being punished for it. These couldn’t be her own thoughts. It had to be the magic toying with her mind. She was stronger than that, she knew it!

Death was not part of her character.

But if she didn’t get to Fine soon and get the counterspell, she feared it might become so. With this in mind, she stood and walked over Thin Tongue’s corpse, making her way to the exit. She had a long way to go and an entire city of chaos and violence to get through, but she would get through.

Fleur limped onto the airfield. Her entire body ached. Scratches and bruises covered her once pristine coat, her mane hung loose over her face, her breathing came in a slow rhythm. Every step sent a jarring pain through her chest where a nilgiri had got a lucky ram in. Some of her ribs were almost certainly broken. Only one gem remained hidden in her mane, her head throbbed from the effects of a magical overdose, and as if that weren't enough, she was drenched in her own sweat.

But she had survived the night. She laughed feebly, then cringed at the agony in her chest. Fine thought she wasn’t ready, but she’d done it. He’d never be able to tell her she was unprepared again. All the pain, all the trouble she’d gone through, it would be worth it just to see the look on his face.

She slowly raised her head, taking in the few airships still on the ground. She spotted a cargo skimmer and, recognizing it from the reports she’d intercepted, hobbled towards it. Odds were high that the crew had already killed one another. She didn’t know how to fly an airship, but perhaps she could figure it out. At the very least, it might be a safe place to lay low for a while.

Through some effort, she managed to raise her head up high. Her destination was visible in the near distance; a long, narrow airship held aloft by a massive blimp. Fleur had seen it enough times in Canterlot: the Solar Flare, Celestia’s personal overseas transport. Celestia had been generous enough to lend it to the Mane Archon for this mission under the guise of a ‘world peace’ tour. When Fleur had first heard that, she’d broken into hysterical laughter.

Now? The thought scared her, because she knew the vast majority of the world had fallen for it. Celestia’s ability to remain saintly in the eyes of the commoner was something to respect… and fear.

“Fleurry, you made it!”

Fleur screamed and swung her hoof, but the laughing pegasus had already slipped out of reach. “Surprise! Would you please quite doing that!?”

“Youcameyoucameyoucame! I knew you’d come, and wow, it looks like you had so much fun!” Surprise pressed her hooves to her cheeks, her eyes positively glowing. Only now did Fleur notice that the mare was covered in blood. “I’m so happy you’re enjoying yourself I’ve been having a blast and Uncle Fine was right the food here is yum yum yummy!”

A question almost left Fleur’s mouth, but she shook her head upon realizing the pointlessness of it. Of course Surprise would be down here, where all the action was. But in that case… “What are you doing at the airfield?”

“Oh, right. How silly of me.” Surprise giggled and flew away in a wide circle. Now that she was out of the way, Fleur noticed the young, grey mare. She looked a mess, her mane in tangles and bruises covering her body, but still looked better than Fleur at the moment. She kept her eyes on her hooves. The pathetic thing shook like a leaf, and her cheeks were stained with dried tears.

Surprise landed at the mare’s side and patted her shoulder. The mare flinched in response, but didn’t look up.

“Fleurry, meet Octy. Octy, Fleurry! Octy really knows how to have a good time, but I think she overdosed on fun, so I figured I’d take her to Fine and she can rest up before we go out to party some more!”

Fleur’s jaw dropped; had Surprise made a friend during all this insanity? She didn’t know what seemed more impossible, the concept of Surprise not trying to kill a pony the instant she met her, that there could be even one sane creature left in all of Sīṃgakh, or that any one pony would willingly go somewhere with Surprise. The combination of improbabilities left her speechless.

Surprise nuzzled her friend – Fleur found it decidedly strange to see that mare comforting anypony – then gestured to the same airship Fleur had been approaching. “We were gonna hitch a ride; I can’t carry Octy all the way up there. Wanna join us?”

It took Fleur a moment to recover her thoughts. “Oh. Um, yes. That would be nice.” She walked in a daze, watching as Surprise pronked ahead of them while singing an upbeat song that had something to do with ripping out nilgiri guts and comparing sizes.

How had she come to this point? She shivered in spite of the warm night air, trying to piece together the evening’s events. It all came back as a jumble of blood, pain and exhaustion. How many creatures had she killed? Just to prove a point. It had all seemed so dark and serious and vicious.

And now, in the span of just a few brief sentences, Surprise had made it all seem like fun and games. It was almost insulting to her struggle, not to mention to the lives lost.

But Surprise was just being Surprise. Despite the anger bubbling under the surface, Fleur wouldn’t begrudge the ignorant foal. No matter how badly she wanted to.

Seeking to distract from her frustration, Fleur turned her gaze to the mare walking beside her. ‘Octy?’ An off-the-cuff nickname of Surprise’s, to be certain. The mare appeared as exhausted as Fleur felt, and was hunched as if anticipating an attack. Except where Fleur would have defended herself, this pony’s manner suggested she would have simply taken the beating without any resistance. She didn’t appear submissive so much as she did broken. How could such a feeble-minded mare catch the eye on a monster like Surprise?

Surprise had gotten well ahead, so Fleur leaned closer to the mare. “Are you alright?”

‘Octy’ pulled away, her shoulders hunching even more. She squeezed her eyes shut as if anticipating a blow. Her only response was a feeble whine.

This pony had ‘played’ with Surprise? Fleur grimaced as an idea came to her. “She didn’t force you into this, did she?”

The mare didn’t respond beyond the slightest shake of her head. The reaction mystified Fleur, who decided to just give up for now. There were more important things on her mind than this simpleton anyway.

They arrived at the ship. Fleur started to ask Surprise to fly up and lower the entrance ramp, but stopped halfway when the ramp was lowered anyway. Curious, she climbed aboard, ignoring Surprise’s rant about some of the nilgiri she’d slaughtered that night. A pair of stallions met them, each wearing pendants with the Archon seal. They met Surprise warily, and were outright shocked when they recognized Fleur.

It didn’t take much to convince them to bring the trio to the Solar Flare. Between Surprise’s reputation, Fleur’s bad mood and their combined ranks, neither pony was willing to risk their heads. Within a matter of minutes, the small cargo ship was making its way to the luxurious vessel that oversaw this night of carnage.

The sky was bright. Not from the sun, that wasn’t to rise for a few hours yet. Fleur watched from the deck of the Solar Flare as the city of Sīṃgakh literally burned. She had no idea when the fires had started, but with the mayhem below and no one capable or willing to stop it, the blazes had consumed entire neighborhoods. The screams were no longer audible from this high up, but Fleur knew the fighting hadn’t ceased. Sīṃgakh’s population had been over a five hundred thousand creatures; the fighting would continue on for days, assuming the enchantment lasted that long.

Surprise hovered at her side. “Whatcha lookin’ at, Fleurry?”

“A sick dog,” she replied evenly. “A wasted cretin that had to be put down. At least, that’s what we’re supposed to think.”

Surprise set a hoof above her eyes and peered at the city. “Huh. I don’t see any dog. Are you sure?”

Fleur turned away, not so much as cracking a smile. “Come. I would speak with the Mane Archon.”

“Good idea! I can tell him about Octavia, and then I can head back down there and have some more fun. Come on, Octy!”

Octavia followed them, her tail tucked and her eyes on the floor. Fleur bristled; the mare’s endlessly meek behavior had started grating on her nerves some time ago. She wondered if Fine would have her killed. It only made sense; it was apparent that the Archons’ task here was to kill as many citizens as possible.

She knew Celestia was the one behind this purge. There could be no other pony behind this. Even so, Fleur simmered with anger over the tartarus she’d gone through tonight. She still limped and the pain refused to go away. Only carefully controlled breathing kept the sting down in her chest. All of this, just to earn Fine’s trust.

She resolved to buck him in the face as soon as she was healed up enough to do so.

Surprise was uncharacteristically silent. She flew at Fleur’s side, wings beating in a lazy rhythm and her semi-eternal smile subdued. Even though she was covered in blood, Fleur felt a touch of concern for the pony. “What’s got you so quiet?”

“Hmm?” Surprise glanced at her, then back at Octavia. The earth pony kept a safe distance and didn’t look up. “I’m just a little worried about her, that’s all.”

Fleur almost stopped in her tracks. “Worried? You?”

“I know. Weird, huh?” Surprise giggled lightly, rubbing her hooves together. Dried blood fell away in pieces, littering the path behind them. “It’s just… I don’t make a lot of friends, y’know?”

Fleur shook her head, concluding that she’d probably never completely understand Surprise. Once again, she had to question exactly what happened between her and Octavia.

Having been on the Solar Flare a few times in the past, Fleur knew exactly where to go to find Fine Crime. They reached the great doors to the observation deck, and she was surprised to find four royal guards standing in her path. The instant they recognized the two Archons, however, they visibly paled and stepped aside without so much as a word. Fleur walked past them with head held high, even as she questioned why royal guards would be present.

In a sudden burst of energy, her pale companion rammed the doors. “Surprise!”

The observation deck was more like a lounge. It spread forward in a curved pattern like an elongated egg, every wall made of windows. Plants lined the left and right sides and expensive white furniture had been placed in a number of locations. A bar and kitchen could be found to Fleur’s left, and on the opposite side of the room was a raised viewing platform. A tall chair – essentially a plush throne – sat on the platform facing the windows.

None of these things registered to Fleur’s mind. She was too busy staring at the two nilgiri fighting in the middle of the room, and the dozens of bodies that littered the place.

“Oh, wow,” Surprise said. “They had a party here too.”

“Go ahead, Surprise. Have fun.”

Fleur hardly heard Surprise’s gleeful cheer, or how she darted into the fray with the two unprepared nilgiri. Her attention was set entirely upon Fine Crime, who stood with his back to her beside the velvet throne. He was observing what appeared to be magical screens, over a dozen of them, that showed varied scenes of the ongoing havoc below. Nilgiri, griffons and ponies engaged in a ceaseless, bloody and brutal free for all, bodies littering every scene.

This was it. This was her opportunity. She stepped into the room, her head held high and her pace as regal as she could manage. Her blood boiled at the site of him standing there, untouched, unburdened, dealing death in the same way a dealer dealt cards.

“Ah, the star of the show enters the scene.”

Fleur’s blood froze. Her heart seized as she stared at the back of the throne, mind running in circles and a distinct sense of panic welling inside her mind. She’d heard the voice, but… but it couldn’t be. She wasn’t supposed to be here!

Yet there’d been no deception. The throne turned sideways to reveal a smirking Princess Celestia, who eyed her like one might a particularly entertaining toy. “You looked like you were having some fun. Good morning, Miss de Lis.”

“What?!” Fine turned in a flash, his face slack and eyes wide. “What the buck are you doing here?”

The sight of his shock was enough to erase Fleur’s hesitation. She snarled and approached him. “I’m proving a point. You didn’t think I was ready, but here I am! I survived—”

“Shut up.” The words were spoken with such force and behind a gaze of such ferocity that Fleur inadvertently complied. Normally she would have quailed under his harsh gaze, but tonight she overcame the fear and guilt threatening her mind and met his stare.

“I told you to drop it, Fleur. I told you directly.”

Fine’s gaze pierced her heart, but she resumed her focused walking. Her heart pounded, her body throbbed, her mind boiled. He had the gall to be angry at her? A seething flame grew within her, turning more and more wild with every step.

“Do you have any idea what could have happened? When I—”

Fleur, though she stood below him, put enough force into her punch to nearly drop him. Ignoring the searing pain covering her body, she jumped onto the platform and stared into his startled face. “No, I had absolutely no idea what you had planned, because you wouldn’t bucking tell me! All I ever wanted was for you to love me, and instead you don’t think I’m trustworthy! Well I slipped past your information network. I made it to Sīṃgakh. I saw blood and death and pain, and you know what? I’m alive! I killed ponies with my bare hooves, and I did it for you! You think I’m not—”

Fine’s shock ended, and his anger returned. He pushed her back with a shout. Unable to resist in her condition, Fleur tumbled back off the platform and fell with a pained cry on her back.

“You ignorant foal,” he hissed at her. “I kept you out of this to protect you!”

She met him glare for glare, slowly climbing back to her hooves. “I don’t need your protection. Only your affection.”

He let out a snarl. “Is that what you want? You chose the worst way to let me know.”

It abruptly dawned upon Fleur that she’d never seen such fire in his eyes. And it was aimed at her. Despite that, she didn’t hesitate. “It was the only way,” she countered, pressed her face against his. “You hardly noticed me for anything else!”

“You think I didn’t notice? I never took you to be stupid.”

She resisted the urge to hit him again. Barely. “I did this for you. I joined the slaughter for you!”

Fine screamed his next words in her face. “I did not rescue you from under the stairs to watch you throw your life away!”

Though her scowl remained, Fleur found herself unsure how to counter that.

He held her with his glare, his curled lip twitching. “I wanted to give you everything. I wanted you to be warm and sheltered and happy and loved. I wanted you to know a better life that you could have ever had beneath that bucking bastard who sired you. I let you grow in the direction you wanted, I funded the education you desired, I showered you with opportunities, I trusted you. And I did it all without ever risking you getting a drop of blood on your hooves, because damn it, Fleur, you are the most important pony in my life!”

Something grabbed and twisted at Fleur’s heart. She gasped and almost fell, her eyes widening.

“But this?” Fine’s voice calmed, but still held a bite. “I can’t believe you. You did this, and now everything I had planned for you, all the things I had hoped for, they’re gone. You want to be an Archon? Fine. You’ve got it.” He turned away. “And all the pain that comes with it.”

Fleur rocked on her hooves, her mind reeled. She felt so very dizzy, and her tongue refused to obey her commands. She knew she needed to say something, but… but what? Slowly, she turned her head to take in her surroundings. She saw Surprise standing over the bodies of the two nilgiri, watching the interaction with pity in her eyes. There lay Octavia, cowering by the door and watching the scene from behind a shaking fetlock.

Then there was Celestia, who hadn’t moved at all. The Princess smiled sweetly, leaning into a hoof and appearing perfectly smug. She’d known. Somehow, the Princess had known she was there, even when Fine didn’t. How? How had she known?

It wasn’t important. Fleur turned to the only thing that held value in her small, shallow world: Fine Crime. “I… We…” Her tongue flopped about uselessly.

Celestia turned to Fine, her tone sweet. “You know, Fine, you should be impressed. After all, she managed to fight her way through an entire city of maniacs with no permanent damage. She even killed a fellow Archon who should have vastly outclassed her.”

Fine didn’t so much as glance at Celestia. “You saw her fighting down there. You saw it, and you didn’t tell me.”

Celestia’s giggle seemed almost childish. “Of course not. Where would be the fun in that?”

He snorted and turned his head away from her. “And you called me here, now, just because you knew she was coming and wanted to see the fireworks.”

“Permit an old mare her pleasures.”

Fleur took a wobbling step forward. “F-Fine? Do you really…”

“Do not speak to me,” he hissed, and Fleur found herself obeying. She had so many crazy feeling running through her brain that she had no idea how to react. Fine said he cared, but he was so upset, but he was going to let her do the real missions, but she’d crushed his hopes. So many accomplishments, so many failures, all bombarding her in tandem such that she didn’t know whether to laugh, cry or scream.

“Don’t worry, Miss de Lis,” Celestia said playfully. “Life only gets more interesting from here on in. And by the way, I just want to add how impressed I am that you resisted my mania spell.”

As much loathing as Fleur had for the princess, she latched onto the topic of conversation as if it were a life raft. “M-mania spell?”

“Indeed.” Celestia steepled her hooves and grinned at Fine. “As entertaining as it was having the Archons expend so much energy driving the varied criminal elements of Sīṃgakh apart, none of it was necessary. My spell would have – and has – done the job in a fraction of the time. That you managed to keep your head and not succumb to the desire for wanton viciousness is a testament to your mental prowess.”

She turned her throne back to the many images of violence, blood and death. “Watching this city rip itself apart has been so very entertaining. Most fun I’ve had since the Crystal Rebellion. But I must say, watching you trash your peaceful, comfy and secure future entirely of your own ignorance may well be the highlight of my night.”

Celestia looked at Fine, her smile turning into a leer. “And now? Now Fine is going to start sending you on the dangerous, bloody missions, whether he wants to or not. Shame on you, Fine Crime, for not telling me the whole truth regarding her activities.”

And Fleur knew Fine would do as Celestia said. His curse made it impossible to do otherwise. Yet if Fine had any feelings regarding this, they were hidden from her gaze by his backside. But Celestia’s words…

Had he been shielding her all along? It wasn’t because he didn’t trust her?

She sank to her belly, heart cracking as she understood the full extent of her mistake. How could she have been so childish to not realize it? She just trampled all over Fine’s hard work – hard work performed entirely for her benefit!

“Fine… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—”

“Go.” Fine’s voice was hollow, but it still silenced her. “Get treated. Find a room. Rest. We’ll talk later.”

Tears running down her cheeks, Fleur tried to speak again. Her throat was too tight to allow it. At last, she just nodded, stood and turned away. She walked past Surprise, who watched her with a forlorn smile. Past Octavia, who remained trembling against the wall without looking at her. Into the hall and past the stone-faced guards. She just walked, without direction, without purpose.

Amidst all the scathing, self-directed insults and circling questions, she wondered if her relationship with her beloved mentor would ever be the same. At long last, she’d reached that state of independence and strength she’d long desired. For the first time in her life, she’d come into her own.

She couldn’t remember having ever felt so miserable.

Author's Notes:

And so ends Fleur's book. Did it go how you anticipated? We've got an intermission next, then move on to the next character.

I didn't realize it until I was on my eidting run, but Celestia's scheme regarding Sīṃgakh is curiously similar to another vicious plan. Perhaps I was subconsciously inspired?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXB6slJSbL4