Luna yawned as she waited about the throne room, it may have been late in the day but it was early for her. The sun was still setting so she had only just begun the moon on its path for the night. This would be the first night in a week she was back at the castle, her sister and her having been kept away by the Baltimare relief efforts.

The situation had been far worse than they had feared when they first received the news. The Dodge Junction incident was unfortunate, but there were very few casualties. Most of the damage was to property and yes, there was still significant clean up to be done but it was still manageable.

‘But this though…’ the thoughts weighed heavily on Luna’s mind; ponies bleeding in the streets, fires raging across the city and at least one subject still weeping openly every block. This was one of the worse incidents to happen to Equestria in quite some time, one that could have been much worse had it not been for a certain group's intervention.

She sighed again as she stared at one of the stain glass windows, one further back in the hall behind the throne. It was one of the few that had survived the long centuries since the synthetic wars. It depicted the two sisters and the princess of the crystal empire all standing back to back as the other races approached from the sides and above, flanked by what were the most advanced war machines of the time. At the bottom stood their subjects; earth ponies, pegasi, unicorns, and their crystal pony counter parts, all ready to defend their homelands.

One very familiar figure demanded Luna’s attention though. Near the bottom corner of the mosaic, Maze’s image faced off against the image of Queen Umbra, King Sombra’s devious sister. Maze had been crucially instrumental in weakening the evil siblings’ hold over the northern lands, before she betrayed them at least… before she lost herself.

“Still pondering the reports, I see” Luna jumped at her sister’s voice suddenly behind her, so lost in thought she hadn’t noticed her arrival. Luna sighed as her heart rate returned to normal, nodding at her elder sibling.

“Yes, what once was long forgotten has been repeating in our mind again as of late; especially with his resurrection now as well” Luna said, a small hint of remorse in her voice “The bearers are to arrive soon then?”

“Yes, I was just told their train is arriving. They should be here momentarily” Celestia answered, moving to study the window as well “You know we cannot allow the possibility of it happening again Luna.”

“But we do not even know if it is a possibility anymore. She clearly showed the brutal cruelty as before yes, but it was entirely focused this time; even the reports-”

“Reports from a pair of… abused and traumatized mares Luna, I am unsure if even their memories can be trusted” Celestia delivered evenly, emotions kept in check.

“Do you really believe that sister? Do you really think that they will ever forget exactly what happened that night?” Luna asked her sister grimly “And theirs is hardly the only testimony; nearly all reports state Maze was fighting against the pirates and defeated their captain nearly as soon as he revealed himself. She was not the villain that night sister!”

“A captain who would not have been there had he not heard the rumors of her release” Celestia countered “Even when not actively sowing anarchy she still attracts death.”

“She can hardly be blamed for the insane motivations of a mad-”

“ENOUGH LUNA! DO YOU BELIEVE ONLY YOU WISH TO IGNORE THE PAST?!” The sun princess snapped, surprising the younger ailcorn. Catching herself with a sigh, Celestia continued more understandingly “I am sorry sister-”

“No, I am sorry… I know I wasn’t the only one to lose someone dear when Maze turned against the kingdom back then” Luna admitted.

“Do not think that I don’t understand your pain Luna, she one of the few that have ever gotten so close to either of us. Even many of my students I cannot consider as close to as I was with her” Celestia offered, regret in her voice “But we must think of our subjects first Luna, we cannot allow our personal hopes to cloud our judgment when it comes to their safety.”

“I know Tia, I was just hoping this may have meant there was a chance of her returning to us… as she was” Luna agreed, the safety of their ponies always came first “I still wish we knew why...”

“As do I, but we were unable to even fathom why then, and ultimately the why is unimportant. The sins have been already committed and there is no true changing of the past. We can never forget that, and such betrayals cannot simply be forgiven because we desire it” Celestia stated, the strength returned to her voice as she turned back to the glass artwork.

The pair looked on a moment longer before Luna spoke, the thought refusing to remain unspoken.

“…You forgave me” Luna said sadly, regret clear on her face. Her gaze remained forward at to the battle mural but no longer seeing it.

Celestia stared stunned at her sister, mouth slightly agape as words failed her. Her shock was only broken by the sound of the hall’s large doors and a guard announcing the arrival of her student and her friends. Luna gave Celestia a quick, regretful glance as she moved past her to meet the elements.

“Greetings bearers” Luna offered the six “We regret having to recall you from the celebrations of your victory prematurely. I do recall the Crystal Empire’s parties were often ones to remember.”

“Not at all Princess, we only regret we couldn’t be here to help against the invasion” Twilight returned with a bow, the other five following suit as her teacher stepped forward.

“Do not blame yourself for events you can’t control my faithful student, even Luna and I did not know of the tragedy until it was too late” Celestia consoled the purple unicorn as she approached “And I would say your efforts in defeating King Sombra and freeing the resurfaced empire took priority. Further congratulations are in order I daresay.”

“Aw shucks yer majesty, all we really did was cheer some folks up and hold the big baddie off long enough for Spike to get the heart to Cadance, that little guy is tha real hero” Applejack delivered humbly, to which Luna was quick to respond.

“Do not belittle your achievement here bearers, Sombra was no mere beast. To even hold the line against such power is a heroic feat all its own. Young Spike may earn the fame, but one often finds the glory behind history’s truly heroic acts are rarely one’s alone” Luna countered the farmer’s humility, though certainly not trying to discourage it “But on to the matter at hand…”

“We have called you here today to prepare a rapid response spell, one that will teleport those selected beforehand to where we expect Maze and her changeling accomplice to be next. Based on the sighting pattern so far, we believe her to be headed north to Fillydalphia” Celestia explained “The destination aspect of the spell is already in place and we have guards equipped with the latest long distance communication methods there as well. When she appears we can be there immediately, all we need to finish is to cast the spell on its targets.”

“So Maze was involved in the Baltimare incident?” Rainbow Dash asked, her usual enthusiasm absent.

“She was involved but we don’t believe she was the aggressor in this case, never the less we must still see to the potential threat she poses to our lands” Luna confirmed for the Pegasus before Rarity followed up on her friend's question.

“And we are certain they didn’t flee to the hive along the bay? Her accomplice is a changeling after all, it’s not farfetched to assume they’d seek sanctuary there” the designer inquired, to which Celestia gave a subtle shake of her head.

“The changeling is of a different hive and Queen Nagisa is a very pragmatic and practical leader; she would not risk a conflict with us by harboring a fugitive of such renown. If anything we may actually have to thank her and her changelings. According to many of the guards who became trapped in the water, there seemed to be unseen forces helping them stay afloat and make it to shore. Some even mention guards being literally thrown out of the water into lifeboats” Celestia explained “Even if there were also reports of the fleeing pirates suddenly disappearing beneath the waves to never resurface, there would have been many more casualties without the shape shifters’ assistance.”

“Is there any other way to track her though?” Twilight asked “I know you said she’s virtually untraceable by magical means but perhaps we’ve over looked something. Surely you’ve haven’t ruled out trying to observe her dreams, have you Princess Luna?”

“Maze’s dreams can be... difficult to navigate” Luna began as she searched for the right words “She’s a semi-lucid dreamer; so while she often doesn’t realize she’s dreaming, she does often realize she has a degree of control. It’s not absolute however and can lead to very unpredictable scenarios that are, at best, nonsensical confusion; and at worse, very dangerous. It would seem that humans just dream a bit differently than we do, as likely as to reflect real life events as they are to be utterly random... Discord would love it... That combined with Maze's already erratic sleep schedule, it can be very difficult to even transverse her dreams, let alone gleam any useful information from them.”

“Perhaps if we were to join you, provide greater stability and influence” Twilight suggested.

“Oooo Yeah! I wanna see what Mazey dreams about!” Pinkie squealed, hopping up and down as the sun princess replied.

“I do not think that would be wise; seven mares suddenly appearing in her dreams may cause a certain shift in their focus. Even for my sister and I, the influence of another’s dreams can be difficult to resist while dreaming yourself.” Celestia turned down the idea cryptically and with a small blush, earning several confused stares.

“As one may accurately assume, most individuals lose a great deal of their inhibitions when sleeping. Maze is no exception. If anything her dreams can sometimes be, even for the dreamscape, particularly… well, lewd” Luna elaborated as a far more obvious redness crossed her features “And seeing some of you have already experienced certain dreams involving our adversary, I suspect it would be a poor course of action.”

A collective blush spread across the group, heavier on some than others. Luna tried to never pry into such exceptionally personal dreams; but as the element bearers, it was important to ensure their mental stability. Such things were natural though and one can rarely choose what they dream. Besides, she was hardly one to judge in this case.

“Oh now I Definitely wanna go!” Pinkie said in an excitedly sultry tone, biting her lip.

“Moving on then!” Rarity spouted trying to shake off the embarrassment “Surely there must be something we can use beyond just trying to predict where she’ll based on where she’s been.”

“Princesses, forgive me if it’s too forward to ask” Twilight started somewhat meekly “But perhaps if you told us a bit more about her, more personal information, it could help us understand her better. The texts do say she worked directly under your majesties.”

Celestia looked like she was about to deflect the question again, but Luna’s words echoed through her mind, forcing her to reconsider. Like her betrayal, perhaps it was best to confront the past instead of burying it.

“The historic texts are only partially correct my little ponies… She didn’t merely serve in our efforts to end the war; she was in fact, exceptionally close to the both of us, a very dear friend…” Celestia finally answered, summoning chairs for them all; it was going to be a long story.

“It is what made her eventual betrayal all the more shocking… and painful” Luna continued for her sister, moving to one of the chairs but only bracing against it instead of sitting. “And we still have very little as to why she lost herself; and what we do have is conjecture at best.”

“Well, just how close are talking here?” Rainbow asked, her typical lack of tact still undeterred.

“Close enough” was all Luna responded.

“When she first arrived in Equestria there was predictably a bit of an uproar; a member of a new race appearing at the same time as many of the metal killing machines? Many jumped to the easy conclusion” Celestia explained “She was understandably weary when we approached her, but was willing to give us the benefit of the doubt. Though one interesting aspect of her conditions was that she never bowed to us; not unless she was showing off, and that was 'just a performer’s bow' as she qualified it.”

“But… But you’re the princesses, isn’t it um… disrespectful to not bow?” Fluttershy asked concerned, fidgeting in her seat as the group turned to look at her.

“She said to bow is to relinquish one's equality to another, and that she did not believe in rulers. She would follow us as leaders so long as we proved able and just, but would not accept somepony ruling over her. Her freedom was very important to her, even if she did spend most of it following our orders; she always maintained her right to choice. It was a condition we had no problem accepting” Luna explained to the yellow mare “It was actually quite refreshing to be truthful, and what opened the door to develop the friendship we had.”

“She was also too invaluable in the war efforts. Her understanding of the impossible machines alone made an immeasurable difference. With her help we could sometimes even construct new war machines with magic alone. She’d merely hold out her hand as we fed magic into her and, much how we can now summon and store weapons and equipment with nano magic, these machines would just coalesce into existence. Something we have yet to replicate in even a thousand years” Celestia spoke with a mild awe “And that didn’t even begin to touch on her prowess in combat and espionage. And yet…”

“And yet?” Rarity spoke up after a few moments too many passed after the princess trailed off.

“There was this genuine warmth to her. She was kind and curious, she enjoyed the thrill of battle but hated having to kill; despite it seeming to be was she was made for” Celetia finished.

“She was also quite funny; sarcastic as all Tartarus yes, but she could always find a way to brighten even the darkest of moments” Luna added “She stated it was maybe just was a ‘human thing’, something they had adapted as to better cope with life’s hardships. But we have known many with such a gift, it’s just a quality some beings have more than others we suppose.”

“The war grew more heated after her involvement, and having seen the destruction that involvement had wrought she attempted to remove any further risk of even more devastating forces being released to the world. She cut out the device that stored the knowledge of the new technology and attempted to destroy it. A noble but ultimately poor decision” Celestia divulged “Some of the information was salvaged and used by the races allied against us, causing more and more dangerous and destructive machines and magics to surface as the war raged on. And then there was that fateful battle of the southern swamps.”

“One of the changeling queens had devised a way of sending her troops into an insane rage, making them even more violent and brutal, as well unresponsive to pain” The night princess stated.

“They were eventually beaten back but Maze was lost in the battle, several of the surviving soldiers reported seeing her fall. We were unable to recover a body however, and we knew the enemy had not taken her as the maddening effect forced us to eliminate them to the last” A grim expression crossed the sun princess's features.

“It was shortly after the rumors began to spread; rumors of a cackling demon cutting a bloody swath across the battle fields, uncaring of which side those it killed were on. The monster's habit of disabling its prey and leaving them to bleed out earned the unseen force the moniker ‘Bloodletter’” Luna finished.

“We should have known then but refused to believe one so cruel could be our friend… a mistake we paid dearly for…” Celestia added “With the sudden unknown element and the increasing aggressions from King Sombra and his sister against our own kingdom and the allied races alike, a summit was called on neutral ground to propose a truce.”

“The Spire Summit Incident” Twilight surmised, a faint chill in her voice

“Yes my student,” Celestia nodded to her apprentice “Though ‘incident’ is never the word I’d use to describe it…”

“We do hope this will prove fruitful, there has been more than enough bloodshed for one lifetime in this war” The princess of the moon spoke as the chariot carried the royal siblings though the sky, adorned in their ornate battle regalia.

“I believe their hopes are the same sister; as amongst our adversaries, only those two truly relish in pain and death. Our soon to be allies surely see that as well, or they would not have agreed to the summit” Celestia replied, seeing the city's lights glowing from the valley on the other side of the mountains.

“I do not remember the city’s lights being so bright” Luna mentioned as they drew closer.

“Perhaps there is a celebration of the summit, for the possible end of the hostilities between our…” Celestia trailed off, her eyes narrowing as they approached “Is that smoke?”

The pair gasped as they rounded the mountain, raging fires and great plumes of black smoke meeting their gazes. The orange glow over the landscape beneath the dark clouds gave a hellish quality to the crumbling city.

“By the creators!” Celestia heard her sister exclaim, her gaze upon the great black tower known as The Spire. It had stood for long before even the sister’s rein over the pony lands, as a symbol of neutral peace between the races.

“King Ragnorix…” Celestia whispered in disbelief as she saw the massive dragon against the mighty tower. The once proud king of the dragons hung dead, his head impaled upon one of the tower's spikes jutting to the heavens. Blood ran down the side of the monument of equal ground, pooling at the tower base and around the bodies of his cohorts the princesses only now saw below.

“Guards! To the lower balcony! Now!” Luna ordered those pulling the chariot, the balcony of the main hall having been blocked by the remains of the dragon. The guards landed and were instructed to go for help as quickly as they could; the siblings doubted they’d be any use against a force that could slay the powerful dragon king.

They entered the halls to find a massacre; bodies of guards, servants and nobles alike lay bloody and dismembered along their path to the meeting chamber. They could hear a rapid pattering begin to fall against the tower's windows, the smoke finally reaching a point to force a downpour of acidic rain.

They froze when they heard a haunting melody and terribly familiar voice singing along to it, echoing through the halls

~Chasing these fools as they’re fleeing and dying
Taking great pleasure in screaming and crying
Now they’re just puppets detached from their strings
These are a few of my favorite things…~

The pair redoubled their pace as the music changed slightly, becoming louder and more ominous

~Peaceful young races with fire on their houses
Millions of voices all silenced like mouses
Watching the cowards bow to their new queen
These are a few of my favorite things!~

They burst through the main chamber’s doors to find a far more macabre scene; where the bodies in the halls simply lay dead, the corpses of the races’ respectful leaders were posed and strung up with deliberate purpose.

And there in the middle of it all was Maisie, dancing with the limp body of the crystal princess herself

~Slashes and gashes and blood covered stitches
Kings end as corpses despite all their riches
Hanging their nobles and watching them swing
These are a few of my favorite things!~

Maze sung boisterously, the music suddenly stopping as she spotted the pair and dropped the princess’s remains mid-step; her body tumbling away most tragically.

“TIA! LULU! YOUR MAJESTIES! WELCOME!” Maze announced with an exaggerated bow, the only one she had ever given the pair and a complete mockery of her former ideals. She spun with her arms out, gesturing to her surroundings “So what d'ya think!? I’m not quite used to the medium but not a bad piece for a first attempt, wouldn’t you say?”

“Maze what is this?! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!” The purple alicorn demanded, a pained anger escaping her.

“…you don’t like it” Maze stated in a mock disappointment “I did this for you, and you won’t even humor me…”

“Maisie WHY!?” Celestia asked, her sorrow nearly palpable “This isn’t you! How could you think we wanted this!?”

“Actually, I didn’t care if you showed up or not, I just felt like killing all the world's most powerful beings in one go” Maze answered with a disturbing smile “Y’know? Just to see if I could do it.”

“You just crushed all hope of ending this war tonight! Do you think this is some kind of game?!” Celestia demanded.

“YES! And it is just EVER so much fun!” the psychotic cyborg squealed “Besides, now no one ‘cept the incest twins can stand against you! Then again, I don’t suppose the others can stand with you anymore either huh?”

Maze moved over to the crumpled crystal princess, nudging her with her boot slightly to look at her face.

“Yeah… may have gotten a little over zealous here” Maze muttered passively “Pity too, she was quite the looker for a shiny pony. But then… I do still have the two of you now, don’t I?”

The princesses were taken back but the casual tone amongst the butchery. This was not their friend. It wore her face but looking into those eyes they saw nothing but cruelty; a sick, sadistic pleasure that couldn’t be allowed to exist anymore.

“Maisie the Human” Celestia spoke with a grim authority, a regretful determination in her voice as she summoned her weapons; a huge, gilded great sword and a fiery, one handed war hammer “You are guilty of crimes too heinous to state. You are hereby sentenced to be executed, surrender to your fate or we will carry it out here.”

“You know you cannot defeat us even with your power” Luna finished, her own blades materializing like her sisters; her straight fencing long sword and an HF blade a mirror to Maze’s own, save for its dark purple hue.

A new song issued from nowhere as Maze began to chuckle

“Oh now you two, with all these rulers and court mages and ever so many guards…” Maze returned unconcerned, a crimson haze enveloping her figure “You really don’t think I’d let all that power just go to waste, now do you?!”

With a small explosion Maze was upon them, their defenses readied only just in time. Sparks and raw power were thrown about wildly as the princesses held off the unending assault. The fourteen synthetic arms uncoiled from the woman, many holding weapons of their own to compensate the imbalanced odds.

A massive orange heatblade met Celestia’s great sword as a crimson, curved blade glanced off a hastily erected barrier. Luna dodged a flying sai then matched her HF Blade against the cyborgs. They held this position until four of the black arms shot forward, unleashing a barrage from the small rapid fire cannons Maze had introduced them to. Both sisters disappeared in flashes of gold and purple, their foe laughing at their retreat.

“Oh you’re proving to be much more fun than the others!” Maze cried joyously as the pair dive bombed her from above, trying to shift to the offensive.

Maze gave a small giggle as she slid back, the sisters shifting their attacks as they landed and launched at the elusive cyborg. Maze arched an eyebrow as she aimed a large firearm with a rotating set of tubes at the pair. A solid thump escaped it before all three were thrown back by the sudden explosion amplified by Maze’s own magic.

The siblings rose with matching groans, wiping the soot off as Maze rolled on the ground giggling like an idiot. Her grenade launcher laid a twisted scrap pile as she spun on her back to end up standing on her hands, one blade held by the many black arms as the other twirled about her feet.

Luna growled before charging, well aware of Maze’s undiminished skill no matter which limb she used the blade with. She reached her and leaned back quickly, the blade only just missing throat before she delivered a kick of her own and bore her own HF blade down on the cyborg.

“Oh please…” Maze scoffed as she caught the hoof and spun, using it for leverage as she swung back into a stand and her sword met Luna’s in a shower of sparks “You really think you can beat me with a sword I taught you how to use?!”

Maze leapt and planted her foot on Luna’s chest before kicking off in a somersault, her other foot slamming solidly against Luna chin and sending the unbalanced mare sliding across the bloody floor.

A light flashed above her and she had to instantly raise her blade to stop Celestia’s great sword from cleaving her in two. The massive sword smashed against her own as a wave of sweltering heat washed over her and across the floor as it gave easily to the massive strike.

“Shit!” Maze spat as she fell with the crumbling floor, Celestia’s arm raised to the gathering flames above her. The fireball slammed through the hole and into Maze before her red aura flared. Celestia waited for the flames to dissipate when a flash to side caught her off guard; a flaming fist smashed into her face, sending her flying toward her sister. She caught herself in the air with a powerful flap of the wings as Maze landed at the edge of the new hole, smoke still wafting from her cooling form.

“As fun as this is, let’s stop fucking around shall we?” Maze asked as large chunk of the ceiling crashed to the floor. The chamber was an absolute wreck; all the furniture and bodies scattered to the edges. Nearly all the windows blown out and the walls were cracked and crumbling; the sheer force of the blows traded between the princesses and cyborg compromising the Spire’s very foundations.

The Princesses stood opposite the room from her, a fiery haze and dark, starry aura developing around Celestia and Luna respectfully. They took a few steps away from each other; never once taking their gaze from the former ally before taking off, each in a different angle.

“Now that’s more like it!” Maze called the sisters struck at her in a pincer attack. Celestia fiery haze ignited as she swung the hammer at an opening to the human’s back with all her might. A thunderous clang rang out as the hammer stopped dead.

“Oh no...” Celestia blanched at the sight of her hammer resting against the rectangular plate, it’s orange glow flaring before exploding outward. The sun mare hurled straight back into the wall, the force of her strike multiplied exponentially as it rebounded back at her.

Luna meanwhile struggled against the multitude of arms striking and shooting at her from the cyborg’s front. As soon as she’d deflect one series of strikes, a final fist would find its way through to her. She knew it was better to trade for the lesser injury but it didn’t make that injury hurt any less. She was managing to score minor hits against the cyborg in turn but the fight was still too evenly matched for any real progress to be made.

Celestia rose to her feet when she saw her sister jump back as several of the synthetic arms detached from Maze to form a long polearm that she was now keeping Luna at range with. Celestia started to gather energy for another fireball when a sharp pain pierced her shoulder. She looked down to see a bloody sai jutting out just before debilitating jolts wracked her body, forcing her to her knees and disrupting her magic.

Luna saw an opportunity as Maze lunged with the long weapon, the tip passing just past her head as she dodged instead of deflecting. Maze smirked and Luna realized her error too late as the staff weapon suddenly coiled around her neck painfully. She felt herself jerked forward and an indescribable pain erupting in her abdomen.

“LUNA!” Celestia screamed as she saw the crimson blade sticking out her sister’s back. Blood shook free from the sword as the blade twisted, eliciting a torturous shriek from the younger princess. Luna fell against the cyborg as the latter ripped the blade harshly from the alicorn.

“Pity…” Maze muttered as she brushed the hair from Luna’s face before delivering a devastating palm thrust. Luna crashed straight through the tower wall, a notable trail of blood in her wake. She didn’t reappear.

An unearthly scream of unrelenting rage echoed though the chamber and out across the mountainous valley. Entirely bathed in solar flame, Celestia launched herself at the cyborg, the sai forgotten as it literally vaporized in her furious wake.

The top of the tower exploded in an inferno, the flames turning the night into a temporary day. Celestia stood panting as the remaining bottom half of the dragon king finally fell to the ground. She began running toward the tower's edge to look for her sister when she froze at the shifting behind her.

“Where do you think you’re running off to?” She heard the psychotic voice ask ominously, turning with an expression of pure disbelief Celestia viewed a swirling black vortex before her.

“No…” She gasped as a new song began to ring out across the city and the thunder took on a strange echo as the powerful dragon’s remains mixed with the clouds, producing a most gruesome effect…

It was raining blood.

A maniacal laughter sang out as the black energy finally coalesced around the bleeding cyborg, shifting to a dark red aura that otherwise looked identical to her sister’s. Maze raised her hand as the song rang out and more thunder issued above, her figure silhouetted by the low hanging moon.

“One down…” She said and snapped her fingers, the moon suddenly turning a deep red behind her “One to go.”

Maze exploded toward the bewildered princess, the stolen aura threatening to snuff out Celestia's flames as the fight raged on. Celestia tried to use the new open space to her advantage by taking flight; Maze could still attack her with those hand cannons but would lose her close combat advantage.

Celestia then blinked though as Maze disappeared in a crimson flash. She kept on her guard knowing her opponent would never just run away. She was proved right as she barely deflected an attack to from the side but was unable to counter when Maze disappeared again. The pattern repeated until the constant streams of smoke began swirling rapidly until they formed a massive, black tornado round the confused princess.

“HOW?!” Was all Celesita managed as a blade shot out of her shoulder and a heavy weight slammed into her back. She smashed into the side of the tower; the impact driving the sword through the stone, pinning her.

“Pegasi, Gryphons, your sister… there's lots of places I could have picked up cloud walking and weather control… pick one” Maze whispered into the princess’s ear before wrenching the blade out brutally, the spray of red lost in the macabre downpour.

“Why?” Celestia asked weakly as Maze held her to the side of the building.

“Because it’s fun!” Maze answered, pulling back and smashing the mare’s face back through the stone before dragging her down the tower by the head; chunks of blood covered stone flying in their wake. Maze let her prey go as she leapt away from the tower, Celestia falling limply to the ground.

The solar princess looked up groggily, blood seeping from countless cuts and gouges across her face and torso. All that met her sight was Maze looking down on her as she braced against a low gathering of smoke.

“Dear Princess Celestia: Die” She mocked as she launched at the fallen leader, sword raised. Celestia scowled up at her killer when a massive purple light slammed into the cyborg, sending her clean though into the base of the tower.

Luna stood panting in the fire lit street, one arm out stretched as the other held the still bleeding wound. She hobbled to her sister, painfully lifting her and supporting her as Celestia hung from her shoulder. The pair looked to the gaping hole in the side wall, knowing they were spent but unable to simply flee.

Their wait was not long as the entire city began to rumble and a massive light started building throughout the Spire. It shone through every window and crack along the mountain height tower, the solid beams burning away the stone at their edges.

“We’ve failed…” Celestia spoke, her tone devoid of hope. The tower vaporized as a massive firestorm erupted out, joining the still burning city. It was all the sisters could manage to bring up a small barrier to protect themselves, their hair still singeing from the heat.

“Ohhh YES! This is the feeling! The only problem now is there’s no one left to use it on!” they heard Maze exclaim from the center of slowly growing mass of power where the tower once stood. Maze laughed out as the firestorm grew larger and larger, the flaming aura growing brighter and brighter around her.

“Luna, we have to move! NOW!” Celestia urged, summoning all that was left of her power to begin their rapid retreat. Maze didn’t even notice as she reveled in the combined powers, all feeding one another in an unstoppable chain reaction. Another cackle rang out behind the princesses, the fires growing higher still as they began forming a virtual hurricane of flame above the city with Maze as the eye.

“AHAHAHA-AUGH! WHAT?!” Maze suddenly exclaimed as a spout of flame erupted from her shoulder, a glowing crack suddenly shattering onto sight. Several others broke across her now completely glowing form “WHAT?! NO! NOO! THIS ISN’T WHAT SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN! I’M IN CONTORL! I’M- IIIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

The scream carried even through the still growing storm, now gathering more densely around Maze at its center. The scream grew louder still, near deafening even outside of the city as Celestia and Luna crashed down into the mud, scrambling to the nearest cover behind the mountain.

There was a sudden silence as the firestorm contracted into a single point all at once, the moment seemingly frozen in time. The point ruptured, instantly expanding out a thousand fold; engulfing the city and entire valley in pure golden oblivion.

The siblings cowered under a small alcove, the intense heat and power bearing down on them even on the opposite side of the enormous, natural wall. They held each other desperately with their ears pressed flat, the sound unrelenting and all encompassing.

It was if the world was ending, and for all they knew it just might have been.

As suddenly as the devastation began, it stopped. An unnatural, inappropriate calm hung in the air as the sisters slowly opened their eyes. They couldn’t even go inspect the results they were so hurt and exhausted. They passed out, falling into the dreamless dark.

“We were found unconscious several hours later by the help the guards brought back, grievously injured but alive” Celestia stated as the story proper seemed to end “The entire valley; city, Spire and mountainsides in all, was completely glassed.”

“The guards found Maze somehow still alive among the blackened expanse, horribly burnt to a near skeletal state” Luna finally spoke as she looked vacantly out one of the throne room’s windows, absently rubbing a point on her stomach. Their physical scars had faded away long ago, but the memories would stay with them forever.

“The other races were furious at the loss of their leaders and nobles, blaming us for their deaths. The war raged for years to come thanks to Maze’s actions. The Crystal Empire fell quickly after the loss of their princess, despite our best efforts to support them” Celestia stated “I believe you’re well aware of how the rest of that story played out.”

The gathered elements all nodded grimly, fresh from their own conflict with the mad unicorn king. A couple even shuddered as they imagined his wrath without true resistance.

“We enlisted the aid of Starswirl the Bearded to assist us in designing a prison to hold Maze, one that would slowly drain all the power she had gained while suspending her outside of time” Celestia explained “We kept her sedated as her body still seemed to be recovering until the first portion of the prison was completed, the time phase. She was nearly whole again by the time we placed her and what few of her belongings we could find into the temple.”

Celestia thought back as Maze first regained consciousness behind the barrier, her movement appearing unnatural from the time distortion. How she would never stop glaring at them as they completed the rest of their work.

“There was a pretty serious scare when she managed to throw the IG she called Gigi through the barrier a day before the final seal was finished; but it still succeeded in freezing her in time, leaving her unaware of the passage of the world outside” Luna added “Starswirl theorized that it was only possible since the machine wasn’t technically alive as it was.”

“But she wasn’t frozen in time!” Dash blurted out.

“What?!” both sisters gasped.

“She was active and aware the whole time! She told us herself!” Dash explained with a hint of desperation “Something must have gone wrong with the spell!”

“Miss Dash, she must have been lying. Luna and myself double checked Starswirl’s work; and while admittedly our knowledge of time magic was nowhere near as specialized as his, we know he wouldn’t be cruel enough to let somepony suffer like that for what we thought might be eternity” Celestia told the young flyer “Even if he and Maze never really did see eye to eye.”

“I was there! She was a decayed mess when the door opened!” Dash argued “He may not have done it on purpose but the spell still failed!”

“She would have gone completely mad… let alone decayed to dust long ago…” Luna muttered. Her own imprisonment had locked her away in a kind of suspension; it was not as if an instant passed but she could still hardly imagine being aware, helpless, and alone for what very well Could have been eternity. Maze’s crimes were great but she still didn’t believe that ANYPONY deserved that kind of fate.

“Either way the fact remains unchanged; she still poses a very great potential threat against the world and must be apprehended as quickly as possible” Celestia interjected, steering the group back on track.

“Well golly Princess, wer’ ready ta fight an’ all but if she was able to best even the two a’ you, what chance to do we got?” Applejack offered honestly, not unwilling but certainly unsure.

“Equestria has changed dramatically over that past thousand years Applejack, the infusion of nano magic has led to a sizable increase of power in virtually everything in our world, be it by direct intervention or natural adaption to survive the increasingly dangerous environments and threats” Celestia consoled the freckled mare.

“My sister and I are also significantly more powerful than we were as well; despite my reformation I still retain a majority of the nightmare’s power and am readily adapting to modern technology and magics” Luna stated.

“And I have remained vigilant in my own growth all this time, as well as guiding and studying the slowly developing sciences. Do not doubt your own prowess my little ponies,” Celestia addressed the elements “You may be surprised to learn you all are not far off from what our own power was back then, even surpassing it by a notable degree when using the elements.”

“Seriously?!” Dash asked awestruck before regaining herself, blushing as she began to try and save face “I mean, I knew we were awesome already but still great to hear it… hehe…”

“Wait a minute!” Pinkie interrupted in a joyful but curious tone “If we’ve had a thousand years to work on this stuff, why does Mazey’s tech still seem more all future-like than ours?”

“Ah, well after the war finally ended, many treaties were signed. Most declared the ban of the new, otherworldly technologies; the majority of the remaining machines and the knowledge of how to create and even maintain them were scoured from the world. This created a bit of a technological dark age, one that lasted longer than it probably should have” Celestia explained “There was also the issue that once real progress and study was allowed again, most of the information was gone and its main provider was still locked away. Much of it was just too advanced; several other scientific and magical breakthroughs were required to even to begin to understand it. Reverse engineering is far more difficult than most stories make it seem.”

“But eventually the natural world showed more signs of nano infusion and the technological progress, both by requirement and natural advancement, began speeding up until we arrived were we are today” Twilight finished for her mentor, earning small smile of pride from the white alicorn.

“Very good my faithful student; In fact several innovations have been made completely unlike those of Maisie’s technologies. Gaps and problems solved by magic that were left unsolved by other means” Celestia stated with pride in her ponies’ progress over the centuries.

“We fear Maze is already adapting to the new world as well though, which is again why it is so important to finish this preparation so as to intercept her before her power grows too great again” Luna concluded, earning determined nods almost all around; only Fluttershy’s still falling a little short of confident but still willing all the same.

“We’ll be ready Princess, she won’t escape this time!” Twilight announced, her and her friends heads held high.

Luna gave a grunt of annoyance, her blade once again stuck in the dense mannequin. She had enchanted the equipment in the training room herself to withstand their attacks better, now she feared she may have casted too well.

It had proven to be a very uneventful night since the elements left and her sister retired to her room, so she decided to work off some the negative weight that had come from reliving of one of the worst events in her life. She pulled the straight blade free with some effort before casting a quick mending spell so to try again.

‘Alright Luna, focus. The blade is merely an extension of your arm, enforce the metal as any other part of yourself… let the movements flow naturally and… STRIKE!’ She processed internally, the glowing blade cutting into the mannequin deeply… before stopping short yet again.

Another grunt and Luna kicked over the target, running her hand down her face in frustration. She dismissed the blade, mended the inanimate figure again as she stood it back up and prepared to leave it for the night. She walked toward the exit, thinking maybe she would just find something to read when an impulse struck her.

She paced back to the target, twirling a lock of her starry mane. She plucked a single strand easily before examining it. She held the strand aloft, as if wielding it before sharply swiping her hand down. The top half of the mannequin slid down slightly before finally toppling to the mat, bisected diagonally at the middle.

Luna looked down to the curved, dark purple blade. She had not summoned it in ages, even before she was sent to the moon. She rejected it after her defeat at Maze’s own blade, not wanting to remember the pain that kind of sword had wrought.

Yet now as she held the blade, she felt no anger, no regret; if anything she remembered the pleasant lessons she received from her friend. The excited glee she had when she bisected her first mannequin, the gentle touch of closeness as Maze guided her stances, the missed step that sent them both tumbling to the mat laughing, before their gazes locked and-

“Stop it” she told herself, knowing the memories would only lead to eventual grief; no matter how pleasant they started out.

She gave the blade one final glance before dismissing it and moving back to the door, now lost in the 'what ifs' and wishful thinking.

“Is she still in that damn box?” Crystal asked the engineer, annoyed at the cyborg’s brooding. The ship swayed slightly as a fresh mist of salt water sprayed the deck and its passengers, earning a deeper frown from the changeling.

“She hasn’t had to face her past like this since she was freed, and I think she thinks we’re afraid of her or something” Lyra answered, looking back at the cardboard protector “It not like it was really her… it was her nano machines, right?”

“Well… yes and no…” Crystal started, a bit reclusive herself now “It’s not like they’re sentient. They don’t have a mind of their own, they just do and adapt based on their programing and environment. They never really add, just enhance and suppress. I may not be the cackling maniac the two of you stopped back in Dodge, but she is still a part of me. That darkness was indeed still Maze, the absolute worst parts of her brought to the surface as the rest was buried beneath… It’s what makes the guilt so real; because it is you, even if just the parts you deny.”

Lyra looked back, an unsure look covering her features. Maze always said the box made her feel better, she was never sure why but it did. But she had been avoiding them for days now, ever since she told them the story of her fall. Lyra was about to try to get her out again when a cape suddenly slapped across the face, Trixie stalking past purposefully.

“Maze come out from under there this instant! You’re being childish!” Trixie demanded as she stood over the cardboard barrier, only to get no response “Trixie does not care about your past, it is not what matters in the end!”

“Trixie!” Lyra scolded the magician, appalled by her lack of compassion.

“I would suggest letting her continue Miss Heartstrings, she has yet to attempt while all of ours have been unsuccessful. As some would quote, ‘It could not hurt’” Wolf suggested, the aquamarine mare’s shoulders slumping in acceptance.

Trixie squatted down, peering into the boxes handles. She could see a faint, shadowy outline of the human; her head tucked behind her knees as the only movement seen was her breathing. She sighed before continuing.

“Maze, do you think you’re a monster?” Trixie asked to see the shadow finch in response “I don’t see a monster in this box.”

Trixie dropped into a cross-legged sit before continuing, losing the third person to her speech as she continued to look into the box. Maze scarified her pride for her, now it was time to return the gesture; at least this wouldn't be as public for her.

“I see somepony- someONE who spares an opponent who just tried to kill her and an entire city, based on a hunch they weren’t really that bad”

“I see someone who revives their oldest friend even after HE just tried to kill her too, giving him freedom of choice knowing he could very well he just chose to try to kill her again”

“I see someone who leaps to the defense of strangers who could just as likely turn her in to those chasing her”

“I see someone willing to help her friends no matter the cost… willing to ignore her own serious injuries to help some pretender of a con-mare she only just met… even willing to sacrifice her pride and submit to another for just a chance at saving her.”

“And I see someone wracked with guilt over actions she didn’t even have a real choice in making… monsters don’t do those things, monsters don’t fear they’ve become monsters…”

“I don’t see a monster in this box Maisie… all I see is a friend I don't really deserve... all I see is you” Trixie finished softly, the honesty shocking the engineer and changeling. A sad but accepting look entered her eyes as she finally saw the shadow raise its head to look back out the slit at her, searching for confirmation.

“First Johnny, now you… Why are ponies always so down on themselves around me?” Trixie heard Maze ask weakly, but with a hopeful glint of humor to be heard.

“Now why would Trixie ever degrade her great and powerful achievements?!” Trixie returned to her usual air of superiority before standing again to look back down “Now get out of the damn box Maze! Trixie can smell you though it from across the ship!”

The box slowly fell to the side as she finally stood, squinting at the sunlight. As her vision adapted she could see that her companions- her friends looked on with warm smiles, except Wolf but she thought he seemed happy... or at least content. She returned the smiles, still unsure but knowing they weren’t about to abandon her now. Not when they could have as soon as they heard her story.

“Thanks Trix” Maze told the magician bashfully, still not really feeling too much better but knowing brooding wouldn’t do any more good.

“But of course, the Wise and Sympathetic Trixie isn't all glamor and fireworks after all!” Trixie boasted “She can always see when somepony is in need of comfort.”

“You really do stink though” Crystal told Maze with a flat look, but still an amused tone

“Well fuck you too Cryss” Maze returned before they all began to laugh, the tension dissolving as they returned to what they were doing as the ship continued on course, oblivious to the drama of it passengers.

Maze smiled a moment longer before heading toward the cabins to a shower she really did need; getting lost in thoughts of ‘what ifs’ and ‘what nows’.

Author's Notes:

Holy crapbaskets, long chapter is long… Little heavy emotionally and graphically again, I know- so sorry about that to those here for more fun. The next chapter should be a little more light-hearted. It may still have a few moments but overall it should be back to more fun focused action and adventure.

And yes, for both those that have caught it and those that haven’t; I am a big fan of Team Four Star- and obviously full credit to them for the middle verse of Psycho-Maze’s little song. And yeah I know, a bit heavy on the song links this time around too; just trying to set the moods and all that.

And don’t worry if you think you’re see signs of shipping you don’t like; I have no idea if I even want any romantic stuff in the story, let alone with who. Partly because I seriously doubt my ability to write it but also because I don’t think I could ever easily decide who would be involved in it

Still don’t have a proofreader but I hope this one didn’t have too many errors or that I at least catch most of them before too many of you read it. Other than that, there's the 'as always': Thanks for reading and I hope to see you for the next chapter! Have a good one!